AD will always be an enigma to me. At times I will be watching him play and I will be saying do something. Then I see he has 24 pts and 12 boards 3 blocks and is controlling the defensive end. He gets those kind of numbers on cruise control. When he puts his mind to it he gets 38 and 18 with 5 blocks. I want somewhere between those two extremes more consistently. So I'm kind of giving props and throwing shade at the same time. More than anything though I just want him showing up big in the fourth quarters regardless of numbers. I have nothing to base this on but gut feelings and body language but I don't think he enjoys playing with Lebron. I'm expecting a healthy big season from AD. I think with guys like Austin, Max and Rui hustling and playing defense he will be inspired. As talented as AD is on offense he is a defense first guy.
to me, this is the myth. and the reason the fans irrationally hate him. i think you're generally seeing his best effort. i think he gets hurt a lot and actually plays hurt a lot. and i'm amazed by how many fans just sort of poopoo the fact that he carries an entire league-leading defense. when ben wallace did this, he was lionized despite being absolutely useless in all ways on offense. AD is ben wallace with rasheed wallace's offensive abilities. hell, bam adebayo is getting plaudits for being a poor man's AD right now. it's crazy.
so are you suggesting he DOESNT shoot a farily good amt of jumpers or fade away when being guarded by smaller defenders?
I don't think it is a myth and I am a staunch supporter. He has a different gear and maybe he has a hard time getting to it sometimes. As much as I like AD I have to admit he doesn't always come ready to play. I don't think that makes me irrational to admit what I can clearly see. Bam is a great player but he doesn't have AD's talent so he has to play hard all the time. At least what I have seen of him. Rasheed had a tendency to disappear at times as well.
Bam gets criticized a lot. Actually for the same things AD is: max guy who dominates on defense and often is underwhelming on offense. This year, one of the most hot topics was Bam being aggressive and scoring more. When he did that, Miami were closer to win. When he didn't, he was criticized for that, like AD
yes. i'm suggesting that when you're always looking hard for stuff, you find it. agree to disagree. i don't think his effort changes any more than most other players. and equal effort doesn't mean equal results. actually, that's a lie--generally equal effort on defense generates similar results. the only time i was ever upset with AD's effort was at the beginning of the russ season, when i didn't think he was trying on defense. interestingly, most people agree that AD's defense is consistent, which should make a pretty strong case that his effort level is pretty even. as we've discussed, nobody scores 40 a game, so when he does, he's not telling on himself or something. any more than jayson tatum is when he does. iow, the "why don't you do that every night?" stuff just rings super hollow for me. can't stress enough that i hear this often about a big man who scores more than 25ppg and has done so his entire career. this includes this year's playoffs. anyway, i just mentioned bam because i saw some article drooling over him the other day, and i was like, "yeah, he's a good player. like a poor man's AD." and it dawned on me how differently they're portrayed in the media. in sum, if khmr can show up and neg everything in this thread, i can show up and point out the giant logical inconsistencies in the anti-AD crusade. for those that have joined the fray, are you saying that responding to a highlight package about the anniversary of the AD trade with an (incorrect) assessment that "he doesn't do this much anymore" is a useful behavior? behavior is diminished if met by punishment and increased if met by reinforcement.
We are both AD fans and support him. I admit I have over the top expectations for AD bc he is so talented. In some way that didn't come through well I was trying to complement him...lol.
If the expectation is that AD should be the best defensive player of the league as well as a 25ppg scorer and matchup-proof engine on offense, well than your expectation is that he be the best player in the league. I love AD and he's extremely talented, but he is not the best player in the league. Going forward, I'm hoping AD can transition to more of an 08 KG on the C Bags kind of role. Elite defensively and still the most important player on the team, but not really relied upon to generate offensively. I think we're doing a good job so far of heading in that direction.
Does AD need any off-season surgery to fix the injuries he suffered during the season? haven’t heard anything about his health. I like how he’s including boxing training into his regiment. Imagine if it helps his game move up to another level like it did for Lamar Odom. AD will be a legit mvp candidate next season.
Boxing helps with power your stance aka your lower body and increases stamina also a good sport to help w footwork and bodying up
Maybe it'll help with him taking a beating on the post without getting the whistle. I'd like to see him get lighter on his feet if he's doing boxing work though. Watch some Rocky