LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

That's not how perceptions of players work and you know that. Lebron destroyed the league his first year in Miami and rightfully got lambasted for not adjusting to Carlisle putting a mouse in the house against him.

This is really not a Lebron thing AD nemesis here was Jokic. The long leashes come with overcoming the likes of Curry, Boston

 

I disagree about the LeBron/AD thing. I think LeBron has wanted someone else to be the regular season driving force going back to Kyrie in 2017, like Kobe did for Shaq after like 02. But Kyrie left and AD never quite became that guy offensively. AD also isn't a super high motor guy. He's not like Giannis, who is trying to dunk on and embarrass people every night. AD gets up for certain games and looks like the best player in the world, and then kind of coasts and can disappear a bit offensively (he was always great defensively). Problem was that was what LeBron wanted to do. I don't think AD really has the personality to assert himself as that guy.

Completely agree about the front office pressure stuff though. The passive aggressive stuff has always been my least favorite thing about him.

 

pina's concern-trolling, so that's a positive:

 

beck's ringer piece is better (of course, because his whole identity isn't laker-hating), and this was a poignant bit:

regarding my earlier points:

anyway:

i think he'll try it this year. and in the likely situation that we fall short of a ring, i think he'll consider whether he should have been marginalized (he should). that's where stuff gets super complicated (and rob gets fired).

 

I don’t think Rob gets fired on the basis of how far we go this season. The dude was on the right side of the most lopsided trade in NBA history. We had a very dark future ahead with a fat, broken down AD as our best player who we would have kept until he retired to show everyone “how well we treat our stars.”
When he gets removed, it will be be cause of Walter cleaning out the old guard of decision makers.

 

This looks like a Tatum shooting drill .
Lakers need a lot of 3 help as their 2 way players are streaky from 3

 

One more stint with South Bay and he’ll be fully back!

 

Looked gas to me. Did a nice job on Markennen overall though

 

I'll wait another week or so to pass judgement.

 

Cooked on D. Completely.

 

nice pass but even nicer catch and finish in traffic from reaves there. you have to really trust the guy on the receiving end to try that one.

i like the "let the game come to him" version of lebron on offense, overall. saw someone comment that luka carrying the offense for long stretches could be helping AR and lebron have more energy late in the games, and i think it's possible. not having lebron gassed and carrying the offense at the end of games will definitely change outcomes.

 

Him and AR definitely have the chemistry going. Little Lebron/Wade like energy going

 

Lakers defense looks worse now.

 

Feel like it probably has more to do with the predictably poor fit of Rui in the starting lineup with LeBron’s return and Ayton being out. Too small of a sample size with variables to put the blame on Lebron.