LeBron James 2021-22 Regular Season Thread - Part ?

[SeniorWalker]

LeBron doesn’t cut the checks. If he was calling the shots like you and many others think he does, Caruso would be on the team, they would’ve traded for Lowry last season, and Ty Lue would be the coach.

I dont understand why you pretend to know what LeBron thinks or how he thinks. Like, at all. Why do you speak with such confidence about someone you have probably never come near 5 feet of, let alone have any idea what's in his head? No offense, just saying.

I mean it's fun to guess and we all kind of act like it at times but maybe you're going a bit too far.

No offense, but I couldn’t care less if you think I’m “going too far,” guy. I don’t see you going after the scores of people throughout this forum on the other end of this spectrum.

We’re not talking about rocket science. Caruso was a valuable piece on their championship team, a guy who happened to play extremely well alongside LeBron, and a guy who LeBron liked as a teammate. You’re right, I don’t know what goes on inside of his head. But common sense and everything we know about LeBron says that he wouldn’t have wanted Caruso to walk for nothing.

What is the other end of the spectrum if you don't mind me asking? I'm just commenting on your perceived insight into LeBron's brain.

Quite possibly, LeBron still thought Westbrook had a little bit more left in the tank athletically and could carry the team for stretches when he needed rest as a 37 year old. Many people saw that as common sense and why a LeBron could have wanted him in the first place. Since LeBron left Cleveland in 2010 he has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible, even for guy that are supposedly washed, he likes the name and the resume.

Do you recall the 2018 cavs in October, with derrick rose, Dwayne wade and company? Those guys were absolutely washed but that was a LeBron James approved team. Because they were names. A number of people were fooled into thinking they could replace what they lost in Irving that summer.


Call me crazy, but going after a 'name' seems very much like a thing LeBron would do given the last 12 years.

It is entirely possible and I dare say likely that LeBron does not see certain trades as no-brainers the way you do, especially given that there is an entirely different world of perception among these guys in NBA locker rooms and among the general NBA fraternity, by all accounts.

[falcolombardi]

I dont understand why you pretend to know what LeBron thinks or how he thinks. Like, at all. Why do you speak with such confidence about someone you have probably never come near 5 feet of, let alone have any idea what's in his head? No offense, just saying.

I mean it's fun to guess and we all kind of act like it at times but maybe you're going a bit too far.

No offense, but I couldn’t care less if you think I’m “going too far,” guy. I don’t see you going after the scores of people throughout this forum on the other end of this spectrum.

We’re not talking about rocket science. Caruso was a valuable piece on their championship team, a guy who happened to play extremely well alongside LeBron, and a guy who LeBron liked as a teammate. You’re right, I don’t know what goes on inside of his head. But common sense and everything we know about LeBron says that he wouldn’t have wanted Caruso to walk for nothing.

What is the other end of the spectrum if you don't mind me asking? I'm just commenting on your perceived insight into LeBron's brain.

Quite possibly, LeBron still thought Westbrook had a little bit more left in the tank athletically and could carry the team for stretches when he needed rest as a 37 year old. Many people saw that as common sense and why a LeBron could have wanted him in the first place. Since LeBron left Cleveland in 2010 he has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible, even for guy that are supposedly washed, he likes the name and the resume.

Do you recall the 2018 cavs in October, with derrick rose, Dwayne wade and company? Those guys were absolutely washed but that was a LeBron James approved team. Because they were names. A number of people were fooled into thinking they could replace what they lost in Irving that summer.


Call me crazy, but going after a 'name' seems very much like a thing LeBron would do given the last 12 years.

It is entirely possible and I dare say likely that LeBron does not see certain trades as no-brainers the way you do, especially given that there is an entirely different world of perception among these guys in NBA locker rooms and among the general NBA fraternity, by all accounts.

i think we all agree on lebron wanting the westbrook trade

it seems less likely he wanted caruso out just to save the buss family money on luxury tax

[thebigbird]

I dont understand why you pretend to know what LeBron thinks or how he thinks. Like, at all. Why do you speak with such confidence about someone you have probably never come near 5 feet of, let alone have any idea what's in his head? No offense, just saying.

I mean it's fun to guess and we all kind of act like it at times but maybe you're going a bit too far.

No offense, but I couldn’t care less if you think I’m “going too far,” guy. I don’t see you going after the scores of people throughout this forum on the other end of this spectrum.

We’re not talking about rocket science. Caruso was a valuable piece on their championship team, a guy who happened to play extremely well alongside LeBron, and a guy who LeBron liked as a teammate. You’re right, I don’t know what goes on inside of his head. But common sense and everything we know about LeBron says that he wouldn’t have wanted Caruso to walk for nothing.

What is the other end of the spectrum if you don't mind me asking? I'm just commenting on your perceived insight into LeBron's brain.

Quite possibly, LeBron still thought Westbrook had a little bit more left in the tank athletically and could carry the team for stretches when he needed rest as a 37 year old. Many people saw that as common sense and why a LeBron could have wanted him in the first place. Since LeBron left Cleveland in 2010 he has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible, even for guy that are supposedly washed, he likes the name and the resume.

Do you recall the 2018 cavs in October, with derrick rose, Dwayne wade and company? Those guys were absolutely washed but that was a LeBron James approved team. Because they were names. A number of people were fooled into thinking they could replace what they lost in Irving that summer.


Call me crazy, but going after a 'name' seems very much like a thing LeBron would do given the last 12 years.

It is entirely possible and I dare say likely that LeBron does not see certain trades as no-brainers the way you do, especially given that there is an entirely different world of perception among these guys in NBA locker rooms and among the general NBA fraternity, by all accounts.

What does any of this have to do with the post of mine that you responded to? I referred to three potential transactions. Caruso, Ty Lue, and Kyle Lowry. Do you think LeBron didn’t want any of those guys? Because your post suggests otherwise. In this post you yourself say “LeBron has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible” and “going after a name seems like something LeBron would do.” That goes right along with what I said about how LeBron would’ve went for Lowry.

[VanWest82]

wouldnt that mean he should get the full gm credit for lakers good moves too (like those in 2020) all the Blame = all the praise?

Yes, I think he should get a good share of the credit for the construction of that team. The idea that Lebron/Klutch isn't at least tangentially involved in roster decisions is naive at best as is putting all the blame for Caruso on Jeannie.

[SeniorWalker]

No offense, but I couldn’t care less if you think I’m “going too far,” guy. I don’t see you going after the scores of people throughout this forum on the other end of this spectrum.

We’re not talking about rocket science. Caruso was a valuable piece on their championship team, a guy who happened to play extremely well alongside LeBron, and a guy who LeBron liked as a teammate. You’re right, I don’t know what goes on inside of his head. But common sense and everything we know about LeBron says that he wouldn’t have wanted Caruso to walk for nothing.

What is the other end of the spectrum if you don't mind me asking? I'm just commenting on your perceived insight into LeBron's brain.

Quite possibly, LeBron still thought Westbrook had a little bit more left in the tank athletically and could carry the team for stretches when he needed rest as a 37 year old. Many people saw that as common sense and why a LeBron could have wanted him in the first place. Since LeBron left Cleveland in 2010 he has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible, even for guy that are supposedly washed, he likes the name and the resume.

Do you recall the 2018 cavs in October, with derrick rose, Dwayne wade and company? Those guys were absolutely washed but that was a LeBron James approved team. Because they were names. A number of people were fooled into thinking they could replace what they lost in Irving that summer.


Call me crazy, but going after a 'name' seems very much like a thing LeBron would do given the last 12 years.

It is entirely possible and I dare say likely that LeBron does not see certain trades as no-brainers the way you do, especially given that there is an entirely different world of perception among these guys in NBA locker rooms and among the general NBA fraternity, by all accounts.

What does any of this have to do with the post of mine that you responded to? I referred to three potential transactions. Caruso, Ty Lue, and Kyle Lowry. Do you think LeBron didn’t want any of those guys? Because your post suggests otherwise. In this post you yourself say “LeBron has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible” and “going after a name seems like something LeBron would do.” That goes right along with what I said about how LeBron would’ve went for Lowry.

Uhh, I don't know if you know this, but Russell Westbrook has enjoyed a far greater reputation/perception over his career than a Lowry. At their peaks, two different class of players. I love Lowry and thought he'd be a way better fit for the Lakers but both he and Westbrook are older players now. Perhaps LeBron thought Westbrook wasn't washed yet and could still retain some of his peak. Not that hard to imagine, Westbrook has had some good streaks of play over the last two years and he's coming to a team with AD and LeBron.

Have you seen any rumor or piece of news that LeBron wanted Lowry anytime in the past 12 months? He very well might have, but did you read that anywhere? Please point it out. Because LeBron certainly has not appeared to recruit him at any point, but he definitely spent time talking to Westbrook over the summer, well before the trade happened by reports. Westbrook also was an associate of his going back because of the Space Jam movie. There were connections to be made there.

I've also seen nothing to suggest that LeBron desperately wanted to bring back Lue as coach. And Lue himself wanting to come to the Lakers. If I'm wrong correct me, but I don't think that happened.

Additionally, no one heard a peep from LeBron about keeping Caruso. LeBron has been very vocal about guys he's wanted in the past, even in Cleveland part 2 from 2014-18. Where was he with Caruso? I didn't hear it. Not saying he didn't.....but we didn't hear about it. Because you liked Caruso and saw him as an obviously superior player doesn't mean LeBron saw that too over a guy like Westbrook. Perhaps he knew he could get Westbrook with some salary clearance and took the gamble? I'll be honest, wouldn't shock me at all if he chose Westy over Caruso.

[falcolombardi]

What is the other end of the spectrum if you don't mind me asking? I'm just commenting on your perceived insight into LeBron's brain.

Quite possibly, LeBron still thought Westbrook had a little bit more left in the tank athletically and could carry the team for stretches when he needed rest as a 37 year old. Many people saw that as common sense and why a LeBron could have wanted him in the first place. Since LeBron left Cleveland in 2010 he has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible, even for guy that are supposedly washed, he likes the name and the resume.

Do you recall the 2018 cavs in October, with derrick rose, Dwayne wade and company? Those guys were absolutely washed but that was a LeBron James approved team. Because they were names. A number of people were fooled into thinking they could replace what they lost in Irving that summer.


Call me crazy, but going after a 'name' seems very much like a thing LeBron would do given the last 12 years.

It is entirely possible and I dare say likely that LeBron does not see certain trades as no-brainers the way you do, especially given that there is an entirely different world of perception among these guys in NBA locker rooms and among the general NBA fraternity, by all accounts.

What does any of this have to do with the post of mine that you responded to? I referred to three potential transactions. Caruso, Ty Lue, and Kyle Lowry. Do you think LeBron didn’t want any of those guys? Because your post suggests otherwise. In this post you yourself say “LeBron has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible” and “going after a name seems like something LeBron would do.” That goes right along with what I said about how LeBron would’ve went for Lowry.

Uhh, I don't know if you know this, but Russell Westbrook has enjoyed a far greater reputation/perception over his career than a Lowry. At their peaks, two different class of players. I love Lowry and thought he'd be a way better fit for the Lakers but both he and Westbrook are older players now. Perhaps LeBron thought Westbrook wasn't washed yet and could still retain some of his peak. Not that hard to imagine, Westbrook has had some good streaks of play over the last two years and he's coming to a team with AD and LeBron.

Have you seen any rumor or piece of news that LeBron wanted Lowry anytime in the past 12 months? He very well might have, but did you read that anywhere? Please point it out. Because LeBron certainly has not appeared to recruit him at any point, but he definitely spent time talking to Westbrook over the summer, well before the trade happened by reports. Westbrook also was an associate of his going back because of the Space Jam movie. There were connections to be made there.

I've also seen nothing to suggest that LeBron desperately wanted to bring back Lue as coach. And Lue himself wanting to come to the Lakers. If I'm wrong correct me, but I don't think that happened.

Additionally, no one heard a peep from LeBron about keeping Caruso. LeBron has been very vocal about guys he's wanted in the past, even in Cleveland part 2 from 2014-18. Where was he with Caruso? I didn't hear it. Not saying he didn't.....but we didn't hear about it. Because you liked Caruso and saw him as an obviously superior player doesn't mean LeBron saw that too over a guy like Westbrook. Perhaps he knew he could get Westbrook with some salary clearance and took the gamble? I'll be honest, wouldn't shock me at all if he chose Westy over Caruso.

the way i understood it lakers could have had both, but the lakers didnt want to pay for it

[VanWest82]

LeBron doesn’t cut the checks. If he was calling the shots like you and many others think he does, Caruso would be on the team, they would’ve traded for Lowry last season, and Ty Lue would be the coach.

If LeBron cut the checks KCP would be on 20m a year
LeBron now responsible for the financial planning of the organization

Don't bother. You know better than to argue with VanBiased lol. Guy's refrain is well known around here.

Ad Hominem: This fallacy occurs when, instead of addressing someone's argument or position, you irrelevantly attack the person or some aspect of the person who is making the argument.

[falcolombardi]

have to echo vanwest

lets not get into attacking other people credibility over discussing basketball lol

[thebigbird]

What is the other end of the spectrum if you don't mind me asking? I'm just commenting on your perceived insight into LeBron's brain.

Quite possibly, LeBron still thought Westbrook had a little bit more left in the tank athletically and could carry the team for stretches when he needed rest as a 37 year old. Many people saw that as common sense and why a LeBron could have wanted him in the first place. Since LeBron left Cleveland in 2010 he has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible, even for guy that are supposedly washed, he likes the name and the resume.

Do you recall the 2018 cavs in October, with derrick rose, Dwayne wade and company? Those guys were absolutely washed but that was a LeBron James approved team. Because they were names. A number of people were fooled into thinking they could replace what they lost in Irving that summer.


Call me crazy, but going after a 'name' seems very much like a thing LeBron would do given the last 12 years.

It is entirely possible and I dare say likely that LeBron does not see certain trades as no-brainers the way you do, especially given that there is an entirely different world of perception among these guys in NBA locker rooms and among the general NBA fraternity, by all accounts.

What does any of this have to do with the post of mine that you responded to? I referred to three potential transactions. Caruso, Ty Lue, and Kyle Lowry. Do you think LeBron didn’t want any of those guys? Because your post suggests otherwise. In this post you yourself say “LeBron has opted to play with as much on paper talent as possible” and “going after a name seems like something LeBron would do.” That goes right along with what I said about how LeBron would’ve went for Lowry.

Uhh, I don't know if you know this, but Russell Westbrook has enjoyed a far greater reputation/perception over his career than a Lowry. At their peaks, two different class of players. I love Lowry and thought he'd be a way better fit for the Lakers but both he and Westbrook are older players now. Perhaps LeBron thought Westbrook wasn't washed yet and could still retain some of his peak. Not that hard to imagine, Westbrook has had some good streaks of play over the last two years and he's coming to a team with AD and LeBron.

Have you seen any rumor or piece of news that LeBron wanted Lowry anytime in the past 12 months? He very well might have, but did you read that anywhere? Please point it out. Because LeBron certainly has not appeared to recruit him at any point, but he definitely spent time talking to Westbrook over the summer, well before the trade happened by reports. Westbrook also was an associate of his going back because of the Space Jam movie. There were connections to be made there.

I've also seen nothing to suggest that LeBron desperately wanted to bring back Lue as coach. And Lue himself wanting to come to the Lakers. If I'm wrong correct me, but I don't think that happened.

Additionally, no one heard a peep from LeBron about keeping Caruso. LeBron has been very vocal about guys he's wanted in the past, even in Cleveland part 2 from 2014-18. Where was he with Caruso? I didn't hear it. Not saying he didn't.....but we didn't hear about it. Because you liked Caruso and saw him as an obviously superior player doesn't mean LeBron saw that too over a guy like Westbrook. Perhaps he knew he could get Westbrook with some salary clearance and took the gamble? I'll be honest, wouldn't shock me at all if he chose Westy over Caruso.

He didn’t have to choose between Westbrook and Caruso. Caruso was a free agent. Nothing was stopping them from having both except Jeanie’s cheap pockets. The Lakers wouldn’t pay him. When has LeBron not wanted to pay one of his guys? Throughout his Cleveland tenure everyone blamed him for being the reason the role players were paid too much.

https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/03/26/report-lakers-refused-to-trade-talen-horton-tucker-for-kyle-lowry/amp/
The Lakers wouldn’t trade THT for Lowry. Do you think LeBron was the one who didn’t want to trade a 20 year old bench player for an all-star caliber point guard?

https://nba.nbcsports.com/2019/05/09/report-tyronn-lue-insulted-by-lakers-trying-to-tie-his-contract-length-to-lebron-james/amp/

The Lakers were literally going to hire Ty Lue but wouldn’t give him a five year contract. Do you think that’s what LeBron wanted to happen? That he wanted to play for Joe Gatto from the Impractical Jokers instead of his guy Ty Lue?

LeBron doesn’t run the Lakers. They’ve made a number of moves during LeBron’s tenure that, if you use your common sense, show that he isn’t running the show. Sure, he has a lot of influence. All superstar players do. But his level of control is nothing like what it was when he was in Cleveland. And a big part of that is his fault because he signed a long-term contract and can’t leverage them like he could Cleveland. Why he trusted Jeanie freaking Buss is beyond me.

[Baski]

They say he wanted Westbrook, which I honestly will never believe but that’s beside the point. Losing Caruso was because Jeanie was cheap. Westbrook recruited Ariza. And who knows about the rest of the guys. Pelinka has been terrible at roster construction for years so I blame him.

How do you still not believe this when there's numerous reports stating that Lebron and AD pushed for Pelinka to trade for Westbrook and not Hield?

You're in denial at this point.

Lebron screwed up. It happens.

I’m aware of the reports. I don’t believe them because it makes no basketball sense. Westbrook is the worst player in the NBA to pair next to LeBron. He’s useless without the ball, he can’t shoot, and everything he does ‘well’ LeBron is better at. LeBron got a bird’s eye view of Westbrook in the 2020 bubble. Then he pushed to trade for him a year later? Eh. It doesn’t matter at this point but LeBron allegedly wanting to play with Westbrook is something that will never make any sense to me.

You're basically saying you don't believe he wanted Westbrook because he's too smart to want Westbrook? You know people make mistakes right? Plus it's not like LeBron is the only star that saw all of Westbrook's flaws and still wanted to play with him.

[thebigbird]

How do you still not believe this when there's numerous reports stating that Lebron and AD pushed for Pelinka to trade for Westbrook and not Hield?

You're in denial at this point.

Lebron screwed up. It happens.

I’m aware of the reports. I don’t believe them because it makes no basketball sense. Westbrook is the worst player in the NBA to pair next to LeBron. He’s useless without the ball, he can’t shoot, and everything he does ‘well’ LeBron is better at. LeBron got a bird’s eye view of Westbrook in the 2020 bubble. Then he pushed to trade for him a year later? Eh. It doesn’t matter at this point but LeBron allegedly wanting to play with Westbrook is something that will never make any sense to me.

You're basically saying you don't believe he wanted Westbrook because he's too smart to want Westbrook? You know people make mistakes right? Plus it's not like LeBron is the only star that saw all of Westbrook's flaws and still wanted to play with him.

It’s not even a matter of LeBron being “too smart” to want that. It didn’t require being smart, or even average. It just required not being an absolute idiot. We’re not talking about an iffy trade that ended up being a disaster. It was clear from day 1 that the trade was an absolute train wreck waiting to happen. There’s no reality where it would’ve worked. Everyone saw it. Except, apparently, LeBron. It’s something that will never make sense to me and something I will always have a hard time believing.

[AmIWrongDude]

LeBron gets blamed for using his power to make moves happen, and when he doesn’t use his power to stop moves from happening. It’s the same people that blame him too.

Therefore in these people’s eyes, every single move or non-move that doesn’t work out can be used against him.

“Le-GM” gets all blame for ruining rosters and 0 GM credit for the good rosters because then they just go back to saying “stacked team/needed help.” It’s a good way to make it a win-win situation for haters but it’s pretty lame.

[Baski]

I’m aware of the reports. I don’t believe them because it makes no basketball sense. Westbrook is the worst player in the NBA to pair next to LeBron. He’s useless without the ball, he can’t shoot, and everything he does ‘well’ LeBron is better at. LeBron got a bird’s eye view of Westbrook in the 2020 bubble. Then he pushed to trade for him a year later? Eh. It doesn’t matter at this point but LeBron allegedly wanting to play with Westbrook is something that will never make any sense to me.

You're basically saying you don't believe he wanted Westbrook because he's too smart to want Westbrook? You know people make mistakes right? Plus it's not like LeBron is the only star that saw all of Westbrook's flaws and still wanted to play with him.

It’s not even a matter of LeBron being “too smart” to want that. It didn’t require being smart, or even average. It just required not being an absolute idiot. We’re not talking about an iffy trade that ended up being a disaster. It was clear from day 1 that the trade was an absolute train wreck waiting to happen. There’s no reality where it would’ve worked. Everyone saw it. Except, apparently, LeBron. It’s something that will never make sense to me and something I will always have a hard time believing.

Well yeah you're not alone in that. When it happened we were all in here pinching ourselves to wake up. As had been said by pretty much everyone in here, It was a colossally bad move unexpected of LeBron, but at this point everything tells us he pushed for it, including LeBron himself. How are you having such a hard time believing that? It's barely even debatable, if at all.
What's making me laugh is that you seem to be working backwards from an assumption that LeBron simply wouldn't want such a thing, which:
1. Doesn't do anything to cancel out his own words and actions that tell us the opposite
2. Doesn't even track with the moves he's made his entire career . Like where are these genius FO moves LeBron has pushed for that make you so confident that he wanted Lowry but not Westbrook?

[Baski]

LeBron gets blamed for using his power to make moves happen, and when he doesn’t use his power to stop moves from happening. It’s the same people that blame him too.

Therefore in these people’s eyes, every single move or non-move that doesn’t work out can be used against him.

“Le-GM” gets all blame for ruining rosters and 0 GM credit for the good rosters because then they just go back to saying “stacked team/needed help.” It’s a good way to make it a win-win situation for haters but it’s pretty lame.

The Le-GM narrative is complicated no doubt, but I feel like the way it's being used here is weird. There's pretty much a consensus in this thread that the WB trade is on LeBron and AD, and not many posters here have outright put the Caruso loss on LeBron. The vast majority of times I see it mentioned it's Pelinka, Buss or the organization as a whole that I see being blamed, so I struggle to identify who these people applying the double standards are, especially in this thread.

[thebigbird]

You're basically saying you don't believe he wanted Westbrook because he's too smart to want Westbrook? You know people make mistakes right? Plus it's not like LeBron is the only star that saw all of Westbrook's flaws and still wanted to play with him.

It’s not even a matter of LeBron being “too smart” to want that. It didn’t require being smart, or even average. It just required not being an absolute idiot. We’re not talking about an iffy trade that ended up being a disaster. It was clear from day 1 that the trade was an absolute train wreck waiting to happen. There’s no reality where it would’ve worked. Everyone saw it. Except, apparently, LeBron. It’s something that will never make sense to me and something I will always have a hard time believing.

Well yeah you're not alone in that. When it happened we were all in here pinching ourselves to wake up. As had been said by pretty much everyone in here, It was a colossally bad move unexpected of LeBron, but at this point everything tells us he pushed for it, including LeBron himself. How are you having such a hard time believing that? It's barely even debatable, if at all.
What's making me laugh is that you seem to be working backwards from an assumption that LeBron simply wouldn't want such a thing, which:
1. Doesn't do anything to cancel out his own words and actions that tell us the opposite
2. Doesn't even track with the moves he's made his entire career . Like where are these genius FO moves LeBron has pushed for that make you so confident that he wanted Lowry but not Westbrook?

I mean, I’ve explained why I have such a hard time understanding it. It’s because it was such a bad decision. I don’t think there’s a single other player in the NBA who would’ve been a worse fit next to LeBron than Westbrook. Take every quality that succeeds next to LeBron, flip it around, and that’s him. So I can’t wrap my mind around the idea that LeBron would’ve been like “yup, that’s the guy I want to play with!” LeBron’s the same guy who left his “best friend” D Wade in 2014 because he was washed up. If I’m in denial then so be it. A season of this has scarred me.

[HeartBreakKid]

I’m aware of the reports. I don’t believe them because it makes no basketball sense. Westbrook is the worst player in the NBA to pair next to LeBron. He’s useless without the ball, he can’t shoot, and everything he does ‘well’ LeBron is better at. LeBron got a bird’s eye view of Westbrook in the 2020 bubble. Then he pushed to trade for him a year later? Eh. It doesn’t matter at this point but LeBron allegedly wanting to play with Westbrook is something that will never make any sense to me.

You're basically saying you don't believe he wanted Westbrook because he's too smart to want Westbrook? You know people make mistakes right? Plus it's not like LeBron is the only star that saw all of Westbrook's flaws and still wanted to play with him.

It’s not even a matter of LeBron being “too smart” to want that. It didn’t require being smart, or even average. It just required not being an absolute idiot. We’re not talking about an iffy trade that ended up being a disaster. It was clear from day 1 that the trade was an absolute train wreck waiting to happen. There’s no reality where it would’ve worked. Everyone saw it. Except, apparently, LeBron. It’s something that will never make sense to me and something I will always have a hard time believing.

Westbrook has been an all-star for as long as Davis has been in the NBA, and he's been in league with Lebron for a long time.

Players do not look at other players the same way fans do. They're thinking from their own perspective and remembering when guys like Westbrook take over against them and how it feels to defend them. They are not thinking about fit or whether a player is way-way past it.

It's not unbelievable at all really, most players would think this way. They see an all-star with Westbrook, they do not see that with Buddy Hield. They're imagining Westbrook taking over when their team is cold or when one of their guys are hurt or something, they are not imagining that with Buddy. Players have tunnel vision and are more bias.

[trickshot]

LeBron gets blamed for using his power to make moves happen, and when he doesn’t use his power to stop moves from happening. It’s the same people that blame him too.

Therefore in these people’s eyes, every single move or non-move that doesn’t work out can be used against him.

“Le-GM” gets all blame for ruining rosters and 0 GM credit for the good rosters because then they just go back to saying “stacked team/needed help.” It’s a good way to make it a win-win situation for haters but it’s pretty lame.

The Le-GM narrative is complicated no doubt, but I feel like the way it's being used here is weird. There's pretty much a consensus in this thread that the WB trade is on LeBron and AD, and not many posters here have outright put the Caruso loss on LeBron. The vast majority of times I see it mentioned it's Pelinka, Buss or the organization as a whole that I see being blamed, so I struggle to identify who these people applying the double standards are, especially in this thread.

Agree, It was really just one or two and their logic got deservedly dismissed. Not the norm by any stretch. It's straightforward enough to put blame on him for the offseason mistakes without lumping in things that make less sense. No need to treat it like a shopping cart where you throw every remote thing one can think of, eventually we'll get to "oh yea and I blame him for high hotdog prices".

[Baski]

I mean, I’ve explained why I have such a hard time understanding it. It’s because it was such a bad decision. I don’t think there’s a single other player in the NBA who would’ve been a worse fit next to LeBron than Westbrook. Take every quality that succeeds next to LeBron, flip it around, and that’s him. So I can’t wrap my mind around the idea that LeBron would’ve been like “yup, that’s the guy I want to play with!” LeBron’s the same guy who left his “best friend” D Wade in 2014 because he was washed up. If I’m in denial then so be it. A season of this has scarred me.

No offense but this is definitely denial on your part. Seems like you're not arguing that he didn't want Westbrook, but rather that you personally won't accept the fact that he wanted Westbrook.

[zimpy27]

I think the team can only get better from here..

[picko]

Some of you just need to accept that LeBron can have an outstanding on-court basketball IQ and yet have a poor understanding of roster construction and fit. He isn't the only superstar who fits into that category. Jordan, if he had his way, would have traded himself out of about six-championships had he had any meaningful influence over Krause.

LeBron and Davis preferring Westbrook to Hield likely amounts to little more that: Westbrook is an all-star, Hield isn't. Westbrook can drop 30 point triple-doubles, Hield can't.

LeBron has enjoyed great team success in spite of his influence over the GMs that he's played with. He's enjoyed success because he is perhaps the best player in NBA history and that has been enough to offset a range of poor roster decisions across multiple teams. There is no evidence that he has unique insight into roster construction and we shouldn't assume that he does because he's a smart player on-court.