Who are these 3 HOF you speak of from Detroit? And KG, Pierce and Allen were literally on their last legs.
For comparison’s sake, here are some of the HOFers in their prime, whom Jordan had to beat on a regular basis in the East from 91-98:
Reggie Miller
Patrick Ewing
Shaq
Alonzo Mourning
Charles Barkley
Isaiah Thomas
Joe Dumars
Now here’s Lebron’s best East opponents from 2011 to 2018 (his 8 straight Finals appearances):
1 year of MVP D-Rose
Past-prime KG, Pierce and Allen
Paul George
Al Horford
Jayson Tatum
Kyle Lowry
Demar Derozan
Victor Oladipo
As you can see, Lebron’s path to the Finals have been as easy as eating pie. He was the ONLY major star during that span who played in the East. Durant, Curry, Kawhi, Westbrook, Harden, Davis, Dirk, Lillard...basically the next top 7-8 players in the NBA were ALL in the West.
His skill and talent are undeniable, but he wouldn’t have been anywhere near as successful if the Heat/Cavs played in the West.