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

[rk2023]

Replay the first 4 games of this series 100 times and it's either 3-1 or 2-2 Lakers in a majority of simulations. Such incredible play and game plan by LeBron and AD.

Those two play like this against literally any other team in the league and the Lakers lead 3-1 after 4. No doubt in my mind.

Minnesota, I don’t think so.

OKC, perhaps. They’re playing very well (granted, a weaker team with playoff BI : McCollom). It’s clear why they don’t match up with LA & where they give fits.

The rest of the West, absolutely. None of them have a Jokic-esque force or equivalent process to generate quality paint looks.

[Heej]

It IS just basketball...and how does he look "checked out"? And I'm sorry, even if true, it isn't, we're not talking elementary or high school kids. These are professional adults, who are being paid millions of dollars to do a job. The fault lies with them for not doing their jobs, not on the "leader". Now, don't get caught up with this, we'll agree to disagree, but again, how has he looked "checked out"?

Well.. If its "just basketball" clearly it isn't that important and they shouldn't be getting paid these BS overinflated salaries. I mean NBA players get paid like 10x more than any other pro league. Hes admitting his own profession is pointless.

How does he look checked out. Well He isn't playing much D and he hasn't boxed out one player since. Which is why AG Is getting Rodman rebounds and 29-30 point games. AG. I mean come on. They're making him look like a superstar

Pretty much everything you said was wrong. That's really kind of hard to do.

Lol you guys realize that answer was about pressure right? It's just basketball not real pressure like your firstborn son almost dying from a heart condition

[Heej]

All they can do now is spam the actions that get Jokic into drop on pnr and pray they don't get too used to it

[Slava]

La is shooting 5% better from the field, 3% better from 3 for the series, have a 5% higher ts and have led for 136 mins of the series



Jokic is best player but Ad and Bron are BY FAR the 2nd and 3rd best players. Murray isnt playing like Steph like he was last year and Denver doesnt have Bruce Brown or Jeff Green they got 5 bench points tonight

Dont look now but La could do the 0-3. Dont doubt Goat James

If lakers still playing agressive to the rim and driving 90% of possessions, the 0-3 its possible, the problem ll come when the game is tied for last 2-5 minutes and denver adjust the defense to close the paint and lakers have to pass to the open shooter..if reaves,prince,hachimura or russell miss the threes and then denver hit a contested three as they did last year in each game, its impossible the come back...

This team has been dealing with zero room for error all season long and they never showed capable of handling that hand dealt to them. There’s way too many weak points like Russell and Hachimura who cannot do that 12 quarters in a row against a player like jokic, who can grind down with his constant brilliance.

[capfan33]

All they can do now is spam the actions that get Jokic into drop on pnr and pray they don't get too used to it

Why didn't they try to do this earlier, even as a layperson that's the first thing I would think of when it comes to Jokic.

[K9J]

La is shooting 5% better from the field, 3% better from 3 for the series, have a 5% higher ts and have led for 136 mins of the series



Jokic is best player but Ad and Bron are BY FAR the 2nd and 3rd best players. Murray isnt playing like Steph like he was last year and Denver doesnt have Bruce Brown or Jeff Green they got 5 bench points tonight

Dont look now but La could do the 0-3. Dont doubt Goat James

If lakers still playing agressive to the rim and driving 90% of possessions, the 0-3 its possible, the problem ll come when the game is tied for last 2-5 minutes and denver adjust the defense to close the paint and lakers have to pass to the open shooter..if reaves,prince,hachimura or russell miss the threes and then denver hit a contested three as they did last year in each game, its impossible the come back...

This team has been dealing with zero room for error all season long and they never showed capable of handling that hand dealt to them. There’s way too many weak points like Russell and Hachimura who cannot do that 12 quarters in a row against a player like jokic, who can grind down with his constant brilliance.

yeah, 3-0 or now 3-1 kill lakers because they dont have a defined or constant game plan, i mean in game 5 maybe davis just miss 10 hooks/layups (as he did in game 2 of 2023) like all he has made in the first 4 games and denver will win by 20..
but if lakers would have played all the series like game 4 for me it was a 50%, now they have to go quarter by quarter being aggressive in defense and go towards the rim in offense except threes-midranges completely released shots.

I cant understand how hachimura in last 2 months streak of RS was very efficient just finding good shoots with baseline cuts, dunk spot, whatever (+open threes) and it just dissapear completely of game plan against a team who should be free because they dont care swap matchups and jokic dont protect the rim quickly, in game 4 lebron did it and scorer easily 4-5 shoots, How many moves has Rui amount 4 games?

And Dlo is just unplayable, if he could hit at least 4-6 threes ok, but a guard who isnt capable of reaching the rim 2 possessions in a row 1v1 or draw 2 fouls on his defender by penetrating in 48 minutes..and 0 defense

[Heej]

All they can do now is spam the actions that get Jokic into drop on pnr and pray they don't get too used to it

Why didn't they try to do this earlier, even as a layperson that's the first thing I would think of when it comes to Jokic.

Lack of discipline that evolves into panic and tilt as the game gets out of hand

[homecourtloss]

Gonna be a lot of salty LeBron haters tonight

They were waiting for the sweep this and that memes. You have a near 40 year old who is at worst a top 5 player in these playoffs.

And, for all the “modern medicine makes it all possible” people, CP3 is cooked, Curry had his worst impact season in 12 years, Russ has been cooked, Durant isn’t a difference maker anymore (if he gets an all nba nod it would be a HUGE joke), PG13 has been trash, Kawhi is cooked, and on and on.

And for all the “it’s so easy to score now crowd,” LeBron is scoring more efficiently than Luka, than Booker, than Edwards, than Curry in the regular season, etc., etc.

100 year old man who’s played more minutes than any player in history who would be “washed after his athleticism denies because he has no bag, no footwork, doesn't shoot 19 footers off super portability enhancing curls, etc.,” doing quite well in a league “in which it’s easy to score”:

Lillard: 32 on 62.7% TS, +7.2 OBPM
AD: 30.5 on 65.9% TS, +5.3 OBPM
Siakam: 30 on 61.7% TS, +7.6 OBPM
Jokic: 29 on 69.1% TS, +11.2 OBPM
Luka: 29 on 50.4% TS, +4.5 OBPM
James: 27.3 on 64.1% TS, +6.2 OBPM
Middleton: 26.7 on 64.2% TS, +3.9 OBPM
Kyrie: 25 on 62.7% TS, +5.6 OBPM
Tatum: 24.3 on 55% TS, +2.0 OBPM
Edwards, 28 on 57.5% TS, +2.7 OBPM
SGA: 28.3 on 59.2% TS, +3.6 OBPM
Brunson: 28.3 on 45.3% TS, +1.8 OBPM
Durant: 24.7 on 60.7% TS, +2.3 OBPM
Harden: 23.7 on 68.4% TS, +7.8 OBPM
Wagner: 21.5 on 61.2% TS, +4.6 OBPM
Murray: 21.5 on 44% TS, +0 OBPM
Banchero: 21.3 on 51.4% TS, +.6 OBPM
DMitchell: 21 on 51.9% TS, +1.6 OBPM
Booker: 20.3 on 57.8% TS, +1.1 OBPM
PG13, 17 on 52.6% TS, -.5 OBPM
Herro: 16.7 on 56% TS
Ingram: 16.3 on 52.4% TS, -.6 OBPM
Haliburton: 13 on 48.4% TS, +1.9 OBPM
Kawhi: 12 on 47.4% TS, -.6 OBPM

[Heej]

Gonna be a lot of salty LeBron haters tonight

They were waiting for the sweep this and that memes. You have a near 40 year old who is at worst a top 5 player in these playoffs.

And, for all the “modern medicine makes it all possible” people, CP3 is cooked, Curry had his worst impact season in 12 years, Russ has been cooked, Durant isn’t a difference maker anymore (if he gets an all nba nod it would be a HUGE joke), PG13 has been trash, Kawhi is cooked, and on and on.

And for all the “it’s so easy to score now crowd,” LeBron is scoring more efficiently than Luka, than Booker, than Edwards, than Curry in the regular season, etc., etc.

100 year old man who’s played more minutes than any player in history who would be “washed after his athleticism denies because he has no bag, no footwork, doesn't shoot 19 footers of super portability enhancing curls, etc., doing quite well in a league “in which it’s easy to score”:

Lillard: 32 on 62.7% TS, +7.2 OBPM
AD: 30.5 on 65.9% TS, +5.3 OBPM
Siakam: 30 on 61.7% TS, +7.6 OBPM
Jokic: 29 on 69.1% TS, +11.2 OBPM
Luka: 29 on 50.4% TS, +4.5 OBPM
James: 27.3 on 64.1% TS, +6.2 OBPM
Middleton: 26.7 on 64.2% TS, +3.9 OBPM
Kyrie: 25 on 62.7% TS, +5.6 OBPM
Tatum: 24.3 on 55% TS, +2.0 OBPM
Edwards, 28 on 57.5% TS, +2.7 OBPM
SGA: 28.3 on 59.2% TS, +3.6 OBPM
Brunson: 28.3 on 45.3% TS, +1.8 OBPM
Durant: 24.7 on 60.7% TS, +2.3 OBPM
Harden: 23.7 on 68.4% TS, +7.8 OBPM
Wagner: 21.5 on 61.2% TS, +4.6 OBPM
Murray: 21.5 on 44% TS, +0 OBPM
Banchero: 21.3 on 51.4% TS, +.6 OBPM
DMitchell: 21 on 51.9% TS, +1.6 OBPM
Booker: 20.3 on 57.8% TS, +1.1 OBPM
PG13, 17 on 52.6% TS, -.5 OBPM
Herro: 16.7 on 56% TS
Ingram: 16.3 on 52.4% TS, -.6 OBPM
Haliburton: 13 on 48.4% TS, +1.9 OBPM
Kawhi: 12 on 47.4% TS, -.6 OBPM

Hate to be that guy but i wonder what 09 Bron looks like now. 89 Jordan would be a spectacle too

[Mos_Heat]

Replay the first 4 games of this series 100 times and it's either 3-1 or 2-2 Lakers in a majority of simulations. Such incredible play and game plan by LeBron and AD.

Those two play like this against literally any other team in the league and the Lakers lead 3-1 after 4. No doubt in my mind.

Minnesota, I don’t think so.

OKC, perhaps. They’re playing very well (granted, a weaker team with playoff BI : McCollom). It’s clear why they don’t match up with LA & where they give fits.

The rest of the West, absolutely. None of them have a Jokic-esque force or equivalent process to generate quality paint looks.

I honestly think that if they can just have a starting level forward with a pulse they would've won this series.

[nzahir]

Anyone watching Westbrook playing like a disaster in the Mavs game?

[zimpy27]

Anyone watching Westbrook playing like a disaster in the Mavs game?

This game reminds me that Lakers could have had Kyrie but they didn't want to give up multiple FRPs and swaps

[nzahir]

Anyone watching Westbrook playing like a disaster in the Mavs game?

This game reminds me that Lakers could have had Kyrie but they didn't want to give up multiple FRPs and swaps

Pelinka needs to get fired and Jeanie needs to just sell the team tbh

Would be cool if this franchise didnt win a ring for decades post Lebron

[nzahir]

[Wind] Jamal Murray has a left calf strain. He is listed as questionable for Game 5.

OMG....

WEOOO WEOOO WEOOO

Denver better not let us get game 5...

[jalengreen]

How do yall think we ought to defend Ant next round?

[Colbinii]

How do yall think we ought to defend Ant next round?

From the couch

[TroubleS0me]

How do yall think we ought to defend Ant next round?

hmm you sure you not in the wrong thread?

[nzahir]

[Charania] Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season. Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often

Soo when does KD ask out? And when do we go all in?

Vogel hit piece already ot

[Slava]

Anyone watching Westbrook playing like a disaster in the Mavs game?

This game reminds me that Lakers could have had Kyrie but they didn't want to give up multiple FRPs and swaps

If he had done that, the Mavs offer would have gotten leaked and he’d get bashed for bidding against himself. I don’t think anyone expected Kyrie to be this normal for an entire season either.

[TheGOATRises007]

[Charania] Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season. Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often

Soo when does KD ask out? And when do we go all in?

Vogel hit piece already ot

If he had an issue being relegated in the corner too often, I don't see why that would change in LA. Unless it's just media talk for him being annoyed with the sweep.

A Lebron/AD PnR with KD as a spot up shooter or cutting towards the baseline is deadly.