LeBron James Discussion: Not Returning To The Lakers

I think you tap into reserves for stuff like the IST. There was bound to be a letdown in energy afterwards. You can only go to the well so many times. He needs to be rested for the playoffs, so other guys simply must step up, or he won't be himself when it counts the most.

 

He was awful tonight.

I just don't know how much we can expect from a guy who's 39 in his 21st season. This is why I've advocated for a third star, but Westbrook was the wrong target.

Make some lateral trades using no draft capital and try to swing for the fences this summer, IMO. Maybe Garland, Young, Mitchell or somebody else becomes available. IMO.

 

It was all good a couple of weeks ago..39 years old and all that. My dude has to play better..simple as that. If he can't, it's a wrap, I still think this is just a slump he's going through.

 

Had a thought...

Bron is religious with his routine. How to measure how much energy to expend and when in the regular season. When to crank it up. When to ramp up for playoff mode. His body has been on that same routine for nearly two decades and he now has it down to a science.

IST is new, no one has ever done it before. Bron's body isn't use to going full tilt in November and December randomly, as far as it's concerned. 5-10 years ago, he can probably recalibrate afterwards pretty easily but that's not as easy to do at 39.

I do think last night was being sick and I do think he's irritated and that's negatively visible on the floor. All the way through the end of the IST he was shooting incredibly and was a top 5 in the MVP race. He hasn't been awful after but there has been a drop.

Also I don't think a 39 year old Bron should be an excuse for your team not being able to defeat average NBA teams.

 

Not a lot to argue with on that, but I would say this as for last night. The Heat are 6-4 without Butler, with losses against Mil, Minn, BK and the Flippers. Those guys aren’t a bunch of scrubs. Without Rui and D'Angelo, we just can't survive, a 12pt game from Lebron, moving forward either.

Hopefully those two, will be back for the next game.

 

Lebron had his worst game of the season but prior to last nights game, Lebron was averaging 26.5ppg on over 50% since the IST and the team has still been losing. He just had 34 in the previous game against the Pels and it didn't help a thing. I think this team is close to cooked.

The only option to salvage it might be to run the Dlo, Reaves, Vando, Bron and Davis lineup that had success after the trades. I think I read that that lineup has only played 2 mins together on the year? Ham might have to try that lineup fast.

 

Did they actually get 2 minutes? Either way it’s a joke, and defenseless not to have put effort into continuity we had, ONCE Vando came back, and to the offense we used last year. More 2-faced BS from Ham. Sheeeoot we’re excited to have a camp and all these guys back to pick up where we left off and get better with that this season. Not soo fast Guys!! I have this new offense I want to try out and some different looks with that starting lineup first.

 

yeah, when he said starting positions were up for grabs, i was like...huh? and when prince was added to the mix with rui and vando (each a logical consideration), i was even more confused.

maybe it's moot because injuries scuttled things anyway, but i'm now wondering if promises were made to prince to get him to sign.

 

Bronny 47th.

If he's in the 2nd, especially mid 2nd where the acquisition cost drops significantly then Bron...I mean Rob is definitely buying that pick.

 

fascinating side bar to our crappy year is whether NO opts to take our pick. i'm guessing they'll defer--betting we'll be s***tier next year--which means we should be scouting late lotto.

dunn (uva) and mccullar (kansas) fit our prototype and are projected around there.

although i expect if NO doesn't take our pick, we'll be shopping it hard like we did when we moved green for schroder.

 

Not exactly. Lebron missed the 1st Spurs game, and the 1st Minnesota game. His last 10 games played, goes back to the Dallas game, we are 2-8 in those 10 games. He's shot 47% from the field, 38% from 3, and avg 25pts.

Sounds like pretty good numbers, until you consider the body of work. He's had 3 good games in his last 10, Dall, OkC and NO. In those 3 games he looked like Lebron James the superstar, avg 36pts, 56% from the field and 50% from 3, that's outstanding.

In the other 7, he's looked like Lebron James, the aging superstar. Avg 20pts, 44% from the field and 29% from 3. I could live with those numbers, coming from Austin, Rui or D'Angelo, but not Lebron.


IDK about the lineup thing tbh..Vanderbilt missed the start of the season, and Austin and D'Angelo were not playing well together, in the starting lineup.

We made a good run after the trade deadline, but both D'Angelo and Jarred's playing time, and impact on the court diminished, as we advanced in the playoffs. Dennis played a lot too.

The perimeter defense was pretty weak with D'Angelo, Austin and Vanderbilt, we got lit up by the opposing backcourts in every series. We managed to score enough ourselves though, to overcome it, until the Denver series.
I'm not sure that lineup is the answer.

 

INCONSISTENT!

 

Well thats true, but you can't really expect a 39 year old to be great all the time. I don't care how his track record is, it's gonna come to an inevitable end eventually sooner than later and the fact that this supposedly deep team can't win unless he's great doesn't bode well.

I'm not sure the old lineup will work well either but it's worth a shot. The team is getting spanked regardless so we might as well try something that has had past success. If things continue Ham will get fired or we'll do a stupid trade for Zach Lavine which will ultimately fail cause he doesn't impact winning.

 

Even for a C Bags homer, this is just wild.

I enjoy The Rewatchables and the rest of his movie/TV podcast content but his hoops takes are bat s***.

 

lol, miami is probably our only actual branding rival. i think it's the LAST place we'd send lebron. he'd have to demand it, and they'd have to give up everything not nailed down. freaking simmons.

 

i still don't understand why people think lebron would ever leave the lakers unless its to play with bronny

 

Heat scouting Bronny



Very Riley thing to do

 

got to make your FT's in the 4th

 

Also gotta stop over helping and leaving 3pt shooters. Him and Reaves are killing me with that. I'd rather just give up the AD contested layup.

And whats with the stupid TOs on passes to Cam?? What does he expect him to do with the ball even if he catches the ball.