Anthony Davis Discussion: Only Player On Both All NBA + All Def

Ham is handicapped with Lebron. IMO our best line up doesn't have LeBron in it but of course he has to start. Start LeBron at the five and sub him out quick "to preserve him". As clearly our best player now, AD needs to be featured on offense and a line up built around him for defense. I don't want to waste yet another year of AD's prime catering to an old LeBron.

 

AD has been the best defensive player but Lebron even injured and old was clearly the best offensive player. AD wonky jumper and more importantly his inability to handle double teams is a big reason his teams never really threatened to contend before pairing with James.

You're playing with fire if the offense is built around AD. The correct approach IMO is to allow AD to the secondary scorer where he can feast off mismatches creating by switches or get face up matchups.

 

Good post. I build my offense around AD because I believe that gives us the best chance to win. That doesn't mean he has to carry a disproportionate scoring burden. It is more we have a fluid offense that keeps him involved and optimizes his talents, keeps the ball moving and defenses off balance, opens up scoring opportunities for others. It also helps us if AD goes out for a stretch of games with an injury because others are already involved in the offense. We have scorers now that also can play defense. We no longer have to pick between one or the other. Also, imo Lebron is not our best offense player. I agree he can be our leading scorer whenever he wants but in my mind that doesn't equate to best offensive player. He has the ability to be our best offense player but so far has not shown the mindset. I don't like the way our offense bogs down while he is pounding the ball and forcing up awkward shots so he can be the leading scorer. The best offensive player keeps the ball moving and makes scoring easier for everyone else. At least that is the definition I use. Offense is so much more than putting up your 25-30 points especially if those points are detrimental to everyone else's ability to score. Our roster is so much better than even the one we had after the trade. I think team ball is going to take us further than Lebron ball. He just isn't that level of player anymore. Plus, from a personal point of view, I enjoy watching the team game so much more.

 

there's ground between making AD the number one option and designing offenses that work directly against his strengths (especially high post iso, where he's VERY tough to defend).

agree that lebron ball is no longer it. felt like we didn't look great when he was putting up the big scoring nights, and i just don't think he's that feared handling the ball out top. that needs to go. we have at least two guys better at that on the roster right now.

 

Damn, our best lineup is without LeBron. What's that lineup?

 

I wouldn't say our best lineup doesn't have Lebron in it. Of our rotation players he had the highest +/- at 3.9 which indicates the opposite. He was always apart of our best lineups in the regulars season and playoffs.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2023/lineups/#all_lineups_5-man_

His 3 man with Davis and Reaves was a plus 15.1 points. People underestimate how much better he makes our offense. He's also always attracting the oppositions best wing defenders which opens things up for everyone else.

 

That's utter foolishness

 

Dlo and Reaves were statistically superior in running pick and roll but that remains to be seen if they can replicate it especially with more defensive attention. I have more faith in Reaves when it matters. Dlo does have a track record of success but we all know his playoff short comings.

Either way, I definitely want Lebron off ball more. He was statistically the best cutter in the league so it would be great to get that with more volume.

 

absolutely. do this without pounding the ball 28 ft from the bucket, right where literally every opposing coach and player wants to see you.

dlo's done it with the defense's full attention. we didn't really try to let him and reaves run the offense with lebron on the floor, imo.

again, the irony with lebron always demanding a playmaker next to him is that he's never really allowed anyone else to take that role. i think these things are related (i.e., nobody is good enough to convince him to give up the rock).

i mean, how is it lost on everyone that he's been demanding kyrie back after kyrie left largely because he wasn't allowed to handle the ball despite being better at it?

 

Good work on the numbers and I agree he has been instrumental in the past but I'm referring to the upcoming season and a much better roster. It is no slight to LeBron but having him and AD together is getting harder as neither shoots well from distance. It is possible with all the work AD is doing he comes in shooting better, and all that changes. Along with LeBron not playing defense it isn't as crazy as you think to spread their minutes. Sometimes it takes a little creative thinking.

 

At least have an open enough mind to think it through.

 

I think you can be right based off of his future decline but not based on what we've seen thus far. You might be right this year though, his decline is inevitable and his role does need to be shrinked to allow Dlo and Reaves in particular to do more on ball. He needs to post up and cut in the half court. That will help him age better.

 

I think with Kyrie it was more of the off court stuff. Lebron getting all of the attention and Kyrie getting asked how Lebron is as a father figure for him (lol). On the court I think they were a perfect blend offensively which is why they both want a reunion.

I do agree that Lebron needs to give up the pg roll and play in the post, set screens, and cut. That's how he can remain elite efficiently as he continues to decline. Dlo and Reaves need to do the bulk of the ball handling. We'll see if Ham and the staff have the balls to get him see that. My guess is no, but I hope Lebron realizes his limitations and the strain it puts on his overall body and acquiesces.

 

It's a weak argument with the way Jokic played on the playoffs.

I think ADs defense is amazing: all time great stuff but Jokic was just at another level last year from everyone else

 

best defensive player? yes

 

AD had great offensive stretches when the team needed it, too. people really underrate his offense, imo. if you're the league's best defender and also a top-15 offensive threat, that's mvp-level stuff.

jokic is insane offensively, but he also has the advantage of having an entire team built to his strengths on both sides of the ball. credit to denver and malone for getting that done, but AD doesn't have that here and likely won't during his prime years.

 

AD is who he is at this point .. The key for the team this season is to get better shots than these Lebron contested ( and mostly bricked) 3's down the stretch .

Let's try something else

 

AD is an MVP candidate, and we absolutely should build our offense and defense around him. With the roster we have we can do that. From what I have been reading and seeing through the off-season AD is putting in work. I am expecting him to have the overall best season of his career this season. Not necessarily his highest stats in anything but his overall impact on the game. You make the man happy; he wants to play the four he is a four. Since Lebron has to start put him at the five and sub him quick and bring him back him went you need to rest AD. I really want AD and Lebron to play as few minutes together as possible. The problem is Lebron will always be closing games which is why it is so important to establish Austin as the guy running the offense. He knows AD is our guy right now and he also is good at feeding Lebron cutting off ball. We simply cannot have Lebron pounding the ball and taking those terrible shots down the stretch of games. It is difficult to win a championship and massage one of the all-time greats ego at the same time but that is our task.