The LeBron James- 23-24 NBA Playoffs & Off-Season Thread -(NO PERSONAL ATTACKS & BAITING)

[Heej]

I'm thinking the early 2000 Cavs would have effed it up, too. As a Cavs fan, it still stings that Boozer left. Guess who is agent was at the time? Rob Pelinka! LMAO, you can't make this stuff up.

No shot this dude has been screwing LeBron his entire career.

[Cavsfansince84]

So right about 2019, Heej. They were golden and then did everything possible to **** it all up. Somebody once said tongue in cheek, that Pelinka is sabotaging Lebron so he doesn't get as many Championships as Kobe. I laughed at the jest out loud back then, but given the moves this dumbass has made since then, makes you wonder I don't really believe that, btw. It's just that he's been pretty bad at his job.

Lol it's wild that he's so bad at his job it's literally a joke. How many franchises would've done as bad a job as he did with the team? Maybe the Pistons, Wizards, Rockets, Bulls? Honestly the only one I'd clearly think is more poorly managed are the Pistons and Wizards

I think he pretty much lucked into that 2020 roster and then he and Jeannie decide to basically nuke it for their own reasons which led to all the other horrible moves since then. Granted they made a few decent moves as well but it really seems like LeBron is supposed to cover all their **** ups.

[McBubbles]

c'mon man be serious now. Spot on up until that point

JJ maximizes his potential in everything he does imo and the slate of guests he's been able to pull on to his pod just goes to show how adept he is at the most important aspect of being a coach: connecting with people. I think in their pods LeBron is a much bigger yes-man than JJ is tbh.

The true test is going to be whether he has a sense for managing momentum and what adjustments can work. As well as taking the reins of the team when they start getting unstructured and undisciplined. Ham was too hands off with his approach and players complained about how they needed to be coached as well. I don't think JJ has that problem or desire to be accepted as badly.

Search your heart Heej you know I'm right Hell the Steve Kerr comparisons are probably just literally about the fact they were both white jump shooters. I'm not even joking. Luka Doncic, despite playing NOTHING like Larry Bird and being very similar stylistically to James Harden gets called Bird 2.0 all the time. Sports media really can't help itself with connecting (racialized) dots where there are none. Cough cough Kendrick Perkins. Hell I remember when people called Jeremy Lin "Mini Yao Ming". There's NOTHING similar about these two basketball wise or otherwise. LIN ISN'T EVEN CHINESE, and he wasn't even born in Asia lmao. But nah, 1 Asian looking person + Another Asian = they must be similar somehow

And the true test is the only test. Being likable is less important than being competent. There were so many ass coaches for so long in the NBA that you could get by on being likable with bare minimum tactical accumen, but the talent level for coaching rn is so high I feel that if you have contender aspirations you need to be strong on that front.

Hahaha trust me I agree bro. On literally everything including the racist comps. I just truly remember JJ as an above average but perhaps nothing super special IQ kinda guy. You gotta have some IQ to stick around for as long as he did despite being an F tier NBA athlete I should think lol. And guess being likeable vs competent isn't an either/or thing anyway. The good ones have enough of both I think. Completely agree that the coaching market inefficiency has essentially been cornered now.

The cats out of the bag as far as how stacked a Championship bench needs to be. The good franchises have eked out every possible edge, and the coaching disparity between the haves and the have nots is only going to grow. Lol @ the Lakers thinking that 70yo Chris Jent and Phil Handy are championship level assistants next to Darvin Scam. That's why I can trick myself into coping with the JJ hire. At least gamble on the young minds instead of the retreads. Ham failed, maybe this gamble can work.

I don't even know a veteran that's great that's gonna be available now anyway for that spot anyway. James Borrego might be the best choice but is he special? Idt so. Mannn, the Lakers f***ed up the golden hand they were dealt in 2019. Had LeBron and could've easily brought Ty Lue in after Walton. Made stupid moves like letting BroLo and Randle walk as well as trading Zubac for f***ing Mike Muscala. There are very few franchises in the league that I think could've misused their assets as poorly as the Lakers did lol.

Sigh

Bro don't even. I was literally thinking about them botching Brook Lopez's contract last night before going to sleep A Caruso, Reaves, Lebron, AD, Lopez starting 5 would have been nice.

So depressing to have a player this unprecedentedly good at this age have his career wasted. ESPECIALLY because the super teams disappeared just as his FO's incompetence peaked. I've said it a billion times but I knew their championship window closed after they traded for Drummond and Westbrook. Showed that any success they had was luck and they had no clue wtf was going on.

[nzahir]

So looks like Cavs would move Garland if Mitchell stays......Lebron and Reaves for Garland, Levert and a 1st?

Or Lebron for Garland+Niang (if needed)?

Would need to get a 3 and d guard and or wing though

Theres no way in hell La is doing Bron and Reaves for Garland, Levert and a 1st lmao

I mean they already said they werent trading Reaves except for a star and Garland is pretty much another Dlo......

I dont know if I see Cle doing Garland for Lebron straight up tbh

Garland is better than Dlo. He had a weird year, but also not a great fit with a small ball dominant guard in Mitchell

Better play maker, better at driving, Dlo is a better shooter. Garland is also higher IQ

Garland and Niang for Bron and JHS maybe?

Can they get a stretch 5 like Lopez or Turner for Allen? Allen has more value than Lopez, so maybe Bucks add? Turner should have more value than Allen, so Cavs would need to add like a 1st?

Sign Cp3 for the min/exception/mle?

Mitchell, Strus, Bron, Mobley, Turner/Brook Lopez?
Cp3, Levert, Bring back Okoro?, Wade

Can try and move some combo of picks/swaps/JHS for a 3 and d guard or wing like Caruso or DFS

Is that good enough to contend?

Can also look at moving Mobley for a guy like Bridges as well

[Special_Puppy]

LeBron should just go to the Sixers. They have the cap space. They have the high end talent.

[Ainosterhaspie]

Should have gone to Philly instead of L.A. from the start.

[zimpy27]

DeMar to Lakers on MLE would be good. Super 6th man or starter.

Lakers would need a backup C and defensive SG.

[Mos_Heat]

DeMar to Lakers on MLE would be good. Super 6th man or starter.

Lakers would need a backup C and defensive SG.

You think Russell is for sure gone? Can they at least incentives a team for a S'n'T for the trade exception?

They should target Miles Bridges as an upgrade on the wing

[homecourtloss]

For every other player in history: it’s difficult winning year after year. A run to the finals or a title takes a lot out of you.

For LeBron: Superteam, doesn’t count, East, etc.

Even making it to two consecutive conference finals isn’t easy.

[Ian Scuffling]

For every other player in history: it’s difficult winning year after year. A run to the finals or a title takes a lot out of you.

For LeBron: Superteam, doesn’t count, East, etc.

Even making it to two consecutive conference finals isn’t easy.

Hopefully, as time goes on more rational minds will prevail and recognize what this dude did in taking his teams 8 straight times to the NBA finals. Just an unbelievable accomplishment in a league with 30 teams. For sure, there will still be the idiots that won't recognize it, but they're immaterial and useless.

[Slava]

DeMar to Lakers on MLE would be good. Super 6th man or starter.

Lakers would need a backup C and defensive SG.

You think Russell is for sure gone? Can they at least incentives a team for a S'n'T for the trade exception?

They should target Miles Bridges as an upgrade on the wing

I think Russell’s value is slightly higher than the MLE and the teams that will look to sign him do not need the lakers’ help. Swapping him for Derozan is ok, Demar is at least a bit more offensively robust and maybe he tries harder on defense playing for his childhood team.

[Mos_Heat]

DeMar to Lakers on MLE would be good. Super 6th man or starter.

Lakers would need a backup C and defensive SG.

You think Russell is for sure gone? Can they at least incentives a team for a S'n'T for the trade exception?

They should target Miles Bridges as an upgrade on the wing

I think Russell’s value is slightly higher than the MLE and the teams that will look to sign him do not need the lakers’ help. Swapping him for Derozan is ok, Demar is at least a bit more offensively robust and maybe he tries harder on defense playing for his childhood team.

Yes but you still can throw a 2nd to make a SnT to get exception

[thebigbird]

The Jokic discourse was getting ridiculous. Very happy to see the Nuggets (and especially Malone) get humbled. Kinda crazy that he’s 29 and hasn’t beat a 50-win team in the finals yet. In hindsight, the Lakers 100% should have tanked the play-in to get OKC in the first round…

[tsherkin]

The Jokic discourse was getting ridiculous

No it wasn't. The poisonous reaction to positive commentary ABOUT Jokic is far more ridiculous, the desperation involved in needing to tear away at his image.

[thebigbird]

The Jokic discourse was getting ridiculous

No it wasn't. The poisonous reaction to positive commentary ABOUT Jokic is far more ridiculous, the desperation involved in needing to tear away at his image.

There’s a 30-page thread on the general board about Jokic being the best player since Michael Jordan.

[tsherkin]

The Jokic discourse was getting ridiculous

No it wasn't. The poisonous reaction to positive commentary ABOUT Jokic is far more ridiculous, the desperation involved in needing to tear away at his image.

There’s a 30-page thread on the general board about Jokic being the best player since Michael Jordan.

And every thread which has anything to do with Jokic has people vociferously attacking every positive comment about him with enthusiasm, and denying anything other than Jokic's performance as relevant.

It's similar to the idiocy around Lebron.

[parsnips33]

It's so interesting that the LeBron defender strategy has been tearing down the guy that just beat your guy in 5 and swept him the year before

Wouldn't it be more honorable to go out like that to a legit all-time great rather than some overhyped pretender?

I have a lot to learn

[rk2023]

It's so interesting that the LeBron defender strategy has been tearing down the guy that just beat your guy in 5 and swept him the year before

Wouldn't it be more honorable to go out like that to a legit all-time great rather than some overhyped pretender?

I have a lot to learn

It’s a glorified pissing contest at this point, Stan wars are. I will say, some of it seems like a response to LeBron being put into proxy wars and having his name be an unnecessary subject (which has been the case) - but anyone playing zero sum games is just consuming basketball in unhealthy fashion at the end of the day.

[nzahir]

Thoughts on Lauri Markennan?

How does he fit with Bron and AD?

Too slow of a frontcourt or is it a good fit?

Could Lauri bang with Centers and AD roams?

[Ian Scuffling]

It's so interesting that the LeBron defender strategy has been tearing down the guy that just beat your guy in 5 and swept him the year before

Wouldn't it be more honorable to go out like that to a legit all-time great rather than some overhyped pretender?

I have a lot to learn

Not every Lebron fan does that, though. First off, that guy didn't beat Lebron. That guy's team beat Lebron's team. This is a team game. Even smart fans sometimes adopt the stupidity of the casual fans "analysis". I can say, and I think most in here would agree, that Lebron's team got outplayed and thus beat by that guy's team, two years in a row. I, again like most others, can also say that guy is a better player than Lebron at this point in time. So, the better team with the better player won. As usual in life baseless generalizations get thrown around way too much.

But, damn, Jokic is really, really good. I think there has been a bit of recency bias when it's come to analyzing him, especially in a historical context but at the same time, at this time relative to other players and specifically to Lebron, he's just a better player. Amazing.