The Lebron '20 Thread (Pt. 8)

[Mos_Heat]

I think they should start Kuzma instead of Howard. That's the only line up where all 4 other guys can clean up for him on defense and it would be easier for him on offense with the spacing and Lebron's/AD's gravity. They would also can play Howard at the start of the 2nd/4th quarters when AD sits. Usually those are disastrous minutes with no rim protection and Rondo's matador defense. I don't think they can play Lebron and AD more, maybe extend Green and KCP a bit.

[Doctor MJ]

This is the problem with ring counting, if Lebron loses this the Jordan stans will use this forever against him just cause Green missed the Kerr/Paxson shot in a game where he was amazing. I think competitive finals is probably as useful as rings for judging players, and the ones that came down to like 1 shot it's pretty ridiculous to act like it's a reflection on the stars career... Jerry West wouldn't be a better player if his team won in 66 and 69, Lebron wouldn't be worse if he lost in 13, etc.

Preach. LeBron is playing amazing ball right now. People who want to see through a Jordan lens are going to say "He lost to Jimmy Butler", but aside from the fact that it's a team game, it would mean losing to a star who went 29/8/10 with an A/TO ration well over 3 while shooting 67% TS and making an incredible number of heady plays on defense.

This is a heavyweight slug fest we're watching, and I really don't see a point of looking to knock any of the top players involved.

[yoyoboy]

This is the problem with ring counting, if Lebron loses this the Jordan stans will use this forever against him just cause Green missed the Kerr/Paxson shot in a game where he was amazing. I think competitive finals is probably as useful as rings for judging players, and the ones that came down to like 1 shot it's pretty ridiculous to act like it's a reflection on the stars career... Jerry West wouldn't be a better player if his team won in 66 and 69, Lebron wouldn't be worse if he lost in 13, etc.

Preach. LeBron is playing amazing ball right now. People who want to see through a Jordan lens are going to say "He lost to Jimmy Butler", but aside from the fact that it's a team game, it would mean losing to a star who went 29/8/10 with an A/TO ration well over 3 while shooting 67% TS and making an incredible number of heady plays on defense.

This is a heavyweight slug fest we're watching, and I really don't see a point of looking to knock any of the top players involved.

Sports fans are really the worst. It’s so frustrating that people can watch a series like this and instead of commending how unbelievable Butler is playing, they choose to instead target someone who they can blame and unleash their hot takes on. As if LeBron isn’t playing equally amazing and Davis hasn’t been incredible in his own (albeit lesser) right. It’s makes me think most fans don’t even really like the game at all.

[1993Playoffs]

I have to agree with the hot takes this time. If lebron blows this 3-1 lead I’ll probably never put him over MJ.

I look past 2011 because of how he’s played since then to make it a legit argument. But objectively looking at it. MJ never had a series where he went out like leBron in 2011. That’s just the facts.

[TheGOATRises007]

This is the problem with ring counting, if Lebron loses this the Jordan stans will use this forever against him just cause Green missed the Kerr/Paxson shot in a game where he was amazing. I think competitive finals is probably as useful as rings for judging players, and the ones that came down to like 1 shot it's pretty ridiculous to act like it's a reflection on the stars career... Jerry West wouldn't be a better player if his team won in 66 and 69, Lebron wouldn't be worse if he lost in 13, etc.

It would be a pretty bad look though to lose up 3-1.

[Mos_Heat]

This is the problem with ring counting, if Lebron loses this the Jordan stans will use this forever against him just cause Green missed the Kerr/Paxson shot in a game where he was amazing. I think competitive finals is probably as useful as rings for judging players, and the ones that came down to like 1 shot it's pretty ridiculous to act like it's a reflection on the stars career... Jerry West wouldn't be a better player if his team won in 66 and 69, Lebron wouldn't be worse if he lost in 13, etc.

It would be a pretty bad look though to lose up 3-1.

Especially when you are a heavy favorite

[SideshowBob]

Lebron's last game 6

Watch on YouTube

[Heej]

Anyone else get the feeling that Bron is gonna get a crap ton of foul calls next game?

[SideshowBob]

Anyone else get the feeling that Bron is gonna get a crap ton of foul calls next game?

Yes. I expect >10 trips to the line.

[Jdw38]

It’s pretty exciting to see him respond to some degree of real pressure for the first time in a while.

[Greyhound]

This is the problem with ring counting, if Lebron loses this the Jordan stans will use this forever against him just cause Green missed the Kerr/Paxson shot in a game where he was amazing. I think competitive finals is probably as useful as rings for judging players, and the ones that came down to like 1 shot it's pretty ridiculous to act like it's a reflection on the stars career... Jerry West wouldn't be a better player if his team won in 66 and 69, Lebron wouldn't be worse if he lost in 13, etc.

Preach. LeBron is playing amazing ball right now. People who want to see through a Jordan lens are going to say "He lost to Jimmy Butler", but aside from the fact that it's a team game, it would mean losing to a star who went 29/8/10 with an A/TO ration well over 3 while shooting 67% TS and making an incredible number of heady plays on defense.

This is a heavyweight slug fest we're watching, and I really don't see a point of looking to knock any of the top players involved.

All of that is the truth, but LeBron needs to win some of these heavy weight slug fests.

Being runner up, but playing great can be excused once or twice. When it becomes a consistent thing it gets harder to overlook.

Losing this series after being up 3-1 will be a serious blow to LeBron (coming on the heels of The Last Dance propaganda puff piece).

People can brush it off, but perception is what it is. This tear down will not be pushed by “those wacky sports fans”, it will be the main stream media holding the rope.

Perception wise, he will not recover from this.

[SeniorWalker]

If the Lakers lose this series I will never post on realgm again. They're just not going to.

They came into this series clear favorites, even with the Heat healthy. Now they should be very heavy favorites.

The heat impress with their refusal to quit. I've underestimated Butler countless times and he has earned my respect. He's a great player, period. This series has turned out a lot more entertaining than i thought. I hope game 6 is the same.

[Doctor MJ]

This is the problem with ring counting, if Lebron loses this the Jordan stans will use this forever against him just cause Green missed the Kerr/Paxson shot in a game where he was amazing. I think competitive finals is probably as useful as rings for judging players, and the ones that came down to like 1 shot it's pretty ridiculous to act like it's a reflection on the stars career... Jerry West wouldn't be a better player if his team won in 66 and 69, Lebron wouldn't be worse if he lost in 13, etc.

Preach. LeBron is playing amazing ball right now. People who want to see through a Jordan lens are going to say "He lost to Jimmy Butler", but aside from the fact that it's a team game, it would mean losing to a star who went 29/8/10 with an A/TO ration well over 3 while shooting 67% TS and making an incredible number of heady plays on defense.

This is a heavyweight slug fest we're watching, and I really don't see a point of looking to knock any of the top players involved.

All of that is the truth, but LeBron needs to win some of these heavy weight slug fests.

Being runner up, but playing great can be excused once or twice. When it becomes a consistent thing it gets harder to overlook.

Losing this series after being up 3-1 will be a serious blow to LeBron (coming on the heels of The Last Dance propaganda puff piece).

People can brush it off, but perception is what it is. This tear down will not be pushed by “those wacky sports fans”, it will be the main stream media holding the rope.

Perception wise, he will not recover from this.

You're right that the perceptual hit will be big if the Lakers lose the series.

Re: win some of these heavy weight slug fests. Don't fall in love with the narrative now. LeBron has had actual bad moments in the playoffs but the entire "LeBron's not great when it's all on the line has been" has been disproven over and over again. He beat a 73-9 Warrior team by coming from behind 3-1 down for crying out loud, there is no "heavy weight upset" bigger than that. The fact that it's coming back now just really goes to show that people aren't looking for a real answer, they're looking for an incident that fits with the narrative that springs to mind.

[Ian Scuffling]

What heavy weight slug fests has his TEAM lost and he played poorly? Dallas, yes. Whatever the %^&* happened there, but other than that, he has been outstanding in the playoffs and the finals. Every single year. Those people that refuse to take context into consideration are never going to give him his just due anyway, so forget them. If he plays any where near the way he played last night and they lose this series, it wasn't his fault. At all.

[Dupp]

If they don’t win he’s gonna get trashed and it’ll be used as a stain on his legacy. It doesn’t matter how he plays.

[tone wone]

James + Davis last night was +17 in 36 minutes.

Lakers were -21 in the other 12 minutes.

They’ve been getting away with those non-LeBron minutes because Rondo was making open shots that was opening up the offense enough to create a confident, reliable flow. Now Rondo in the last three games has a 21.9% TS, and the offense is grinding down.

Then, in the non-AD minutes, Caruso and Kuzma, who’ve done really well with James all season long just haven’t done enough (Caruso’s defense looks worse) and the Lakers are getting beat in these minutes.

Shows you how fragile the offensive setup is for this team. Their secret weapon this postseason has been 1. Rondo not being the worst guard in the league and 2. AD being the bigman version of Kyrie...where LA just throws him the ball and clear out like CLE used to do with Irving.

Miami's offense makes LA's look so amateurish. If AD and Lebron were 10% less awesome this is a bottom 10 offensive team. Since game 3 Miami has put a ton of pressure on AD defensively; basically taking away those face up isos and LA hasn't shown any counters leaving Davis with virtually nothing in the halfcourt. Its been like this all season.

They don't do all that much to free up their stars...often its "hey guys, go be unicorns and we'll play some defense at the other end." With 2 stars who are this dynamic, this versatile and who compliment one another this well; they should be better than this.

[nzahir]

If they don’t win he’s gonna get trashed and it’ll be used as a stain on his legacy. It doesn’t matter how he plays.

This

I would probably never be able to rank him above MJ

He wins this and he separates himself from Kareem for me and goes into the MJ tier

[CKRT]

Is anyone slightly afraid that LeBron injured himself ala 2018 G1? I want to say no especially since he didn’t look nearly as upset as he did that game. But thought keeps popping up in my head lol.

[RSCD3_]

I think a big thing that's overlooked here is that if the lakers went down 11 and instead of coming back lost by 15 or 16, there'd be a lot less panic and worry here. Just because they were closer doesn't mean the loss is more worrying than if they nearly got blown out. The narrative there could then be that lebron and the others didnt take it seriously enough and they'll come out alot more motivated in G6.

I think they'll still be plenty motivated either way and even though lebron aint gonna hit all of those shots again,it 's just as likely that the bench / shooters come through a lot more than they did earlier. Everything is a game of percentages and just because the outcome occurs one way doesnt mean the approach was destined to be wrong. Cant wait for tomorrow

[nzahir]

Is anyone slightly afraid that LeBron injured himself ala 2018 G1? I want to say no especially since he didn’t look nearly as upset as he did that game. But thought keeps popping up in my head lol.

No, GS 2018 was not a possible win for that cavs team

Lakers are still pretty big favorites right now