LeTravel, LaQween, LaDouche - La Going to LA

[301baller]

I don't see these guys becoming a dynasty in Miami. They've given up damn near all their draft picks for the forseeable future, and so far they're signing avg. to below avg. role players. Not many guys will sign for the veteran minimum that will push them over the top. Add to that Eric Spoelstra's coaching. Does anyone seriously see him outcoaching Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy, Jerry Sloan, George Karl, Popp, or Phil Jackson in the playoffs??

[Kanyewest]

On second thought, Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston would have beaten LBJ in the finals, unless some other team knocked them off earlier. The Spurs basically won because they were bigger than everyone. 2nd year Duncan > 2nd year LeBron.

[WizStorm]

With his huge ego, narcissim and King-like attitude LeBron is an easy and understandable target for posters' hate. But, then again, he's never gotten a DUI, he's never been arrested for soliciting prostitution and he's never done something stupid like bring guns into the lockerroom. So he ain't all bad...I guess.

I get the feeling that the league and Cleveland has done a lot over the years to protect LeBron against negative press. About the only glimpses we got of him of what we see during games and interviews, which was damning enough to showcase his entitlement persona. I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear more and more about some unsavory antics in Cleveland over the next few years and could be a big reason why the Cavs owner felt so betrayed.

[Kanyewest]

I don't see these guys becoming a dynasty in Miami. They've given up damn near all their draft picks for the forseeable future, and so far they're signing avg. to below avg. role players. Not many guys will sign for the veteran minimum that will push them over the top. Add to that Eric Spoelstra's coaching. Does anyone seriously see him outcoaching Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy, Jerry Sloan, George Karl, Popp, or Phil Jackson in the playoffs??

Spoelstra does seem like a pretty good coach. It's hard to argue that the Heat should be better than they were in the past two years with the talent that they had. Again, Riley has found guys for cheap before (Rafer Alston, Damon Jones, Jason Kapono, Udonis Haslem).

But yeah, I wouldn't anoint them champions yet. LeBron and Wade both seem like players who play well with the ball in their hands- how they play without the ball in their hands remains to be seen. It will also be harder to hide two mega stars on the defensive end, one of them could be in foul trouble. Neither are great 3 point shooters.

It also remains to be seen if they will be a good defensive team as defense does win championships. Wade/LeBron/Bosh are also going to have to log 40+ mpg and could wear down by the time the postseason comes along. We've even observed that Mike Miller is injury prone and it'll be interesting to see if that shoulder injury has healed.

[301baller]

I don't see these guys becoming a dynasty in Miami. They've given up damn near all their draft picks for the forseeable future, and so far they're signing avg. to below avg. role players. Not many guys will sign for the veteran minimum that will push them over the top. Add to that Eric Spoelstra's coaching. Does anyone seriously see him outcoaching Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy, Jerry Sloan, George Karl, Popp, or Phil Jackson in the playoffs??

Spoelstra does seem like a pretty good coach. It's hard to argue that the Heat should be better than they were in the past two years with the talent that they had. Again, Riley has found guys for cheap before (Rafer Alston, Damon Jones, Jason Kapono, Udonis Haslem).

But yeah, I wouldn't anoint them champions yet. LeBron and Wade both seem like players who play well with the ball in their hands- how they play without the ball in their hands remains to be seen. It will also be harder to hide two mega stars on the defensive end, one of them could be in foul trouble. Neither are great 3 point shooters.

It also remains to be seen if they will be a good defensive team as defense does win championships. Wade/LeBron/Bosh are also going to have to log 40+ mpg and could wear down by the time the postseason comes along. We've even observed that Mike Miller is injury prone and it'll be interesting to see if that shoulder injury has healed.

The Heat are definitely better than last year. Even though that's not saying much cuz they sucked.
i'm not saying eric spoelstra's a bad coach, i'm saying he's not ready to go against the elite in the playoffs. the playoffs are all about matchups and strategies. i don't think he's ready to go against the nba's elite coaches or guys who are there every year. you don't win a ring with "cheap" scrap heap players around 3 superstars. they will have to go over the cap. When the Heat last won a championship they had Zo, Jason Williams, Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, James Posey etc. Those types of guys don't come cheap. The celtics did it in 08 with their Big 3 and a combination of young players they'd drafted and seasoned vets like sam cassell and pj brown. Right now the Heat don't have that, and putting that type of team together will take time.
Mike Miller's not aggressive enough, foul him hard and he shuts down, juwan howard is NOT a threat to anyone, so it's not gonna be as simple as people (the sports junkies) are making it out to be for them to get a ring. Miami is basically hamstrung with those 3 max contracts and the money they've spent on Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem. Their other option is to get lucky and bring in the right D-League players.

[nate33]

I don't see these guys becoming a dynasty in Miami. They've given up damn near all their draft picks for the forseeable future, and so far they're signing avg. to below avg. role players. Not many guys will sign for the veteran minimum that will push them over the top. Add to that Eric Spoelstra's coaching. Does anyone seriously see him outcoaching Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy, Jerry Sloan, George Karl, Popp, or Phil Jackson in the playoffs??

The first round picks given away were going to be extremely late picks anyhow.

Miami definitely has dynasty potential. They already have 3 of the top 10 players in the game plus two quality starting-caliber players in Miller and Haslem and two serviceable rotation players in Chalmers and Anthony. That might not be enough to guarantee them a title next year, but they'll be pretty dominant after that. They're going to add another starting-caliber player each year with the MLE, plus another role player with the LLE.

Imagine that team next year with Kendrick Perkins at a full MLE salary plus a competent backup PG like J.J. Barea for the LLE. They would be favorites for a championship (particularly with Kobe two years older). A year later, they add somebody like Kirk Hinrich at PG for the MLE. Unstoppable.

[DCZards]

I don't see these guys becoming a dynasty in Miami. They've given up damn near all their draft picks for the forseeable future, and so far they're signing avg. to below avg. role players. Not many guys will sign for the veteran minimum that will push them over the top. Add to that Eric Spoelstra's coaching. Does anyone seriously see him outcoaching Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy, Jerry Sloan, George Karl, Popp, or Phil Jackson in the playoffs??

The first round picks given away were going to be extremely late picks anyhow.

Miami definitely has dynasty potential. They already have 3 of the top 10 players in the game plus two quality starting-caliber players in Miller and Haslem and two serviceable rotation players in Chalmers and Anthony. That might not be enough to guarantee them a title next year, but they'll be pretty dominant after that. They're going to add another starting-caliber player each year with the MLE, plus another role player with the LLE.

Imagine that team next year with Kendrick Perkins at a full MLE salary plus a competent backup PG like J.J. Barea for the LLE. They would be favorites for a championship (particularly with Kobe two years older). A year later, they add somebody like Kirk Hinrich at PG for the MLE. Unstoppable.

It also looks like the Heat are about to sign Brad Miller. He's a good fit for them. A big guy who pretty much plays and shoots (very well) from 15-18 feet. Someone who will not be clogging up the paint and getting in the way of the Big Three. And he's an excellent passer.

[Ruzious]

I don't see these guys becoming a dynasty in Miami. They've given up damn near all their draft picks for the forseeable future, and so far they're signing avg. to below avg. role players. Not many guys will sign for the veteran minimum that will push them over the top. Add to that Eric Spoelstra's coaching. Does anyone seriously see him outcoaching Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy, Jerry Sloan, George Karl, Popp, or Phil Jackson in the playoffs??

The first round picks given away were going to be extremely late picks anyhow.

Miami definitely has dynasty potential. They already have 3 of the top 10 players in the game plus two quality starting-caliber players in Miller and Haslem and two serviceable rotation players in Chalmers and Anthony. That might not be enough to guarantee them a title next year, but they'll be pretty dominant after that. They're going to add another starting-caliber player each year with the MLE, plus another role player with the LLE.

Imagine that team next year with Kendrick Perkins at a full MLE salary plus a competent backup PG like J.J. Barea for the LLE. They would be favorites for a championship (particularly with Kobe two years older). A year later, they add somebody like Kirk Hinrich at PG for the MLE. Unstoppable.

It also looks like the Heat are about to sign Brad Miller. He's a good fit for them. A big guy who pretty much plays and shoots (very well) from 15-18 feet. Someone who will not be clogging up the paint and getting in the way of the Big Three. And he's an excellent passer.

Wow. I thought the rumor was that Big Z was going to sign with them. They're going to be kinda good. The only criticism I'd give (and it's a major reach) is - they should be looking for more defensive-minded role players.

[fishercob]

Eh, i think/fear that with such able offensive role players around them, we're going to see Wade and James as (deserved) first team all-defense guys. And I also don't think their team defense will need to be elite because their offense will be so unstoppable. I think a top 8-10 DRtg wins them the regular season. We'll just have to wait and see for the playoffs.

I still see them struggling with Bynum, Gasol and Odom if they're all healthy.

[BanndNDC]

... But, then again, he's never gotten a DUI, he's never been arrested for soliciting prostitution and he's never done something stupid like bring guns into the lockerroom.

He may not have gotten caught but im willing to bet he has done all three (along with most of the league); drunk driving (that's only 3 beers nowadays), prostitution and guns in the locker room (after the incident one of our players seemed to indicate that quite a few players throughout the league have guns in the locker room).

stop trolling.

[DCZards]

... But, then again, he's never gotten a DUI, he's never been arrested for soliciting prostitution and he's never done something stupid like bring guns into the lockerroom.

He may not have gotten caught but im willing to bet he has done all three (along with most of the league); drunk driving (that's only 3 beers nowadays), prostitution and guns in the locker room (after the incident one of our players seemed to indicate that quite a few players throughout the league have guns in the locker room).

stop trolling.

Don't understand your last two words...unless a "troll" is someone who doesn't share the opinion of most of the other people on a particular thread.

[DCZards]

Here's another perspective on the LeBron, ESPN stuff. They're excerpts from an article on the website "The Root."

Some members of the media savaged James and ESPN for joining forces and drawing out what could've been a simple announcement. ESPN is used to being a punching bag for blurring the lines between journalism and entertainment, going back and forth between reporting and promoting. But what was the network supposed to do when James' representatives proposed the deal? Turn it down? This was the definition of breaking news in real time; there's never been a reality TV show with more significance on two industries (sports and broadcasting) and several cities from coast to coast.

But detractors blasted James for having the audacity to approach ESPN in the first place. How dare he ask for a one-hour special! It didn't matter that the proceeds benefitted the Boys & Girls Club, or that the University of Phoenix made a donation to his foundation and provided five scholarships for needy kids. His ego was out of control and his hubris had run amok.

That's not how I saw it. A self-absorbed egomaniac wouldn't leave $30 million on the table; he'd grab every cent possible. He wouldn't leave to play on another superstar's team, with the likelihood of diminished stats and stature in return. And he certainly wouldn't give up the undying love and affection of his hometown, where fans burned his jersey in the aftermath.

Critics argue that James owed it to his old team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the other suitors to let them know his decision before he announced it on the national TV. A phone call would have been nice. But sports is a business, and common courtesy is often missing when teams cut or trade players. So it's hard to generate much sympathy when a laborer -- even one making nine figures -- goes strictly business on management.

And it's not like people couldn't care less about James' destination. ESPN's ratings are guaranteed to be gargantuan, and James was among the leading trends on Google and Twitter. But since so many people were interested, why not take it to the broadest platform possible, if that's what suits you? He didn't force anyone to watch, though some apparently felt dirty about it. That's a personal problem.

Critics say the TV show was James being a selfish superstar. I say it was James being an enterprising entertainer. It was draining every ounce of drama from a dramatic decision. But no matter where you stand, Nike was right.

We Are All Witnesses.

[Zonkerbl]

Well, God help Miami if one of the big three has a significant injury.

[Kanyewest]

LeBron chose and paid Jim Gray to interview him. Enuff said

[Kanyewest]

"I got a goal, and it's a huge goal, and that's to bring an NBA championship here to Cleveland - And I won't stop until I get it." -- Lebron James March 31, 2010

[dnk]

"I got a goal, and it's a huge goal, and that's to bring an NBA championship here to Cleveland - And I won't stop until I get it." -- Lebron James March 31, 2010

I'm sure this was in the last thread, but it bears repeating:

"I don't want to go ring-chasing. I want to stay with the Cavs and build a champion." -LeBron James, ESPN the Magazine, 2006.

[keynote]

stop trolling.

Don't understand your last two words...unless a "troll" is someone who doesn't share the opinion of most of the other people on a particular thread.

This isn't a thread for debate. And this isn't a "let's discuss LeBron" thread. This thread is just for venting hatred and making fun of LeBron.

I won't call what you're doing trolling, but I do think that your defense of LeBron is *strongly* off-topic.

[DCZards]

I'm sure this was in the last thread, but it bears repeating:

"I don't want to go ring-chasing. I want to stay with the Cavs and build a champion." -LeBron James, ESPN the Magazine, 2006.

So now we're holding LBJ to what he said four years ago...as a 21-year-old. Problem is the same people who accuse LeBron of "ring-chasing" would be the first ones to belittle him if he never won a championship.

[DCZards]

stop trolling.

Don't understand your last two words...unless a "troll" is someone who doesn't share the opinion of most of the other people on a particular thread.

This isn't a thread for debate. And this isn't a "let's discuss LeBron" thread. This thread is just for venting hatred and making fun of LeBron.

I won't call what you're doing trolling, but I do think that your defense of LeBron is *strongly* off-topic.

I thought everything was open to debate on a board like this. In fact, I find it kind of boring when everyone is "singing from the same songbook." Don't you?

And I'm not trying to defend LBJ....just trying to provide a different perspective...kinda like Jesse Jackson did.

[Illuminaire]

Here's another perspective on the LeBron, ESPN stuff. They're excerpts from an article on the website "The Root."

Blah Blah Blah
That's not how I saw it. A self-absorbed egomaniac wouldn't leave $30 million on the table; he'd grab every cent possible. He wouldn't leave to play on another superstar's team, with the likelihood of diminished stats and stature in return. And he certainly wouldn't give up the undying love and affection of his hometown, where fans burned his jersey in the aftermath.

Blah blah blah

This is the point where the article loses all credibility to me. The author clearly does not understand human psychology; being self-absorbed does not mean you value money. Personal security and wealth that lets you fulfill your desires and whims? Sure. But Lebron was getting that either way. Being completely self-absorbed does not mean you value family, friends, or fans; it means you do what seems like the best thing for you at any given time, and damn the consequences to others.

The ego component to Lebron is the most debatable, and the only idea I found in that article worth much of anything. If I was building a psychological profile of James I would probably conclude that he is much, much more insecure than he seems outwardly. The exterior displays of ego are contradicted by his actions - he calls himself the King, but frequently shrinks from the moment, evades responsibility, and lays the blame for failure on others.

I feel bad for Lebron, honestly. He puffs himself up so we won't see how terribly afraid he really is.