The Lebron '20 Thread (Pt. 7)

[Greatness]

Dragic and Bam doubtful for game 2. Really sucks, wanted to see both teams at full strength.

[Mos_Heat]

NBA twitter having a bad day, wow. Matt Moore has a complete meltdown basically

[Cavsfansince84]

I'm excited to see if Kuzma can come in to next year a better player, if Caruso can improve his shot, and if THT can become a rotation guy. I would honestly run it back with the same group next year. Don't try to make and major shake up in the roster. The question is will Dwight and Rondo return, and if so, will they have the same motivation?

Kuzma seems like fool's gold to me. A guy who sometimes plays decent defense, sometimes rebounds, sometimes hits some jumpers but still seems to think he is an above average nba shooter/scorer. He's like an average level role player at best but I don't even really know what role he is filling.

[Heej]

NBA twitter having a bad day, wow. Matt Moore has a complete meltdown basically

Any particularly delicious tears you've tasted?

[Mos_Heat]

Bill Simmons has been a bitter idiot for a long time. He’s fit right in on the general board.

I never go there, but I just did, and someone started a thread asking "Is AD a Top Five Player?" People are actually debating it. Oh my god. How in holy hell is AD not clearly a top-five player right now? I don't even...

That’s not that bad tbh. I really have a tough time ranking players this season.


You have lebron, ad, harden, joker, Giannis, kawhi and luka. All those players can be argued top 5 and depending on switching circumstances could look better or worse than they currently do.

JVG summed it up well yesterday. “ Anthony Davis hasn’t changed his circumstance just changed” Which is true. He’s clearly way more regarded right now than a year ago and he’s the same player more or less. The great team allows him to be a little more.

Throw KD and Curry in there and it’s tight. However I think he’s earnt the right to be called top 5. He’s outplayed everyone in the league this post season.

I disagree. He's having the best shooting and passing stretch of his career, so it's not only circumstances, that's individual improvement also

[Heej]

Wait why does anyone think they'll win anywhere close to 70 games if they win? Like with 2014 and 2017 they're gonna throw away a lot of games as defending champs and drop significantly in wins. I'd be surprised if they even top the conference. 60 wins will be possible but 70? After a title? Nah

I think they're going for 70 because they romped thru this postseason, so it wasn't as mentally damaging; and being in front of fans vs being in the bubble will energize them. And lastly just the disrespect man. There's a lotta people that are gonna disrespect them as champions like we did to the Warriors so they'll have the rare combination that the Raptors also had this year of championship pedigree and a chip on their shoulders.

Plus they were going for 70 before the 4-game skid and they're gonna be even better next year. Bron knows he doesn't have too many chances at a 70 win season.

[Dupp]

I never go there, but I just did, and someone started a thread asking "Is AD a Top Five Player?" People are actually debating it. Oh my god. How in holy hell is AD not clearly a top-five player right now? I don't even...

That’s not that bad tbh. I really have a tough time ranking players this season.


You have lebron, ad, harden, joker, Giannis, kawhi and luka. All those players can be argued top 5 and depending on switching circumstances could look better or worse than they currently do.

JVG summed it up well yesterday. “ Anthony Davis hasn’t changed his circumstance just changed” Which is true. He’s clearly way more regarded right now than a year ago and he’s the same player more or less. The great team allows him to be a little more.

Throw KD and Curry in there and it’s tight. However I think he’s earnt the right to be called top 5. He’s outplayed everyone in the league this post season.

Id agree with that and RS davis definately not playoff davis so far, hes been a fundamentally different player

Davis has always dominated the playoffs though. Maybe he’s dominating in a different way but he’s now on by far the best defensive team he’s ever been on and playing with one of the best playmakers ever.


Not saying he hasn’t improved a bit but I think it’s minor and people really don’t realise how much circumstance plays a role.


To be clear I’m not down playing how good AD is right now I’m saying he was underrated before hand.

[Dupp]

People throw 70 wins around a lot. You really need the stars to align and everything to work out perfect. I’d never assume or bet a teams winning 70.

[MyUniBroDavis]

That’s not that bad tbh. I really have a tough time ranking players this season.


You have lebron, ad, harden, joker, Giannis, kawhi and luka. All those players can be argued top 5 and depending on switching circumstances could look better or worse than they currently do.

JVG summed it up well yesterday. “ Anthony Davis hasn’t changed his circumstance just changed” Which is true. He’s clearly way more regarded right now than a year ago and he’s the same player more or less. The great team allows him to be a little more.

Throw KD and Curry in there and it’s tight. However I think he’s earnt the right to be called top 5. He’s outplayed everyone in the league this post season.

Id agree with that and RS davis definately not playoff davis so far, hes been a fundamentally different player

Davis has always dominated the playoffs though. Maybe he’s dominating in a different way but he’s now on by far the best defensive team he’s ever been on and playing with one of the best playmakers ever.


Not saying he hasn’t improved a bit but I think it’s minor and people really don’t realise how much circumstance plays a role.


To be clear I’m not down playing how good AD is right now I’m saying he was underrated before hand.

So the thing is like AD didnt dominate in the playoffs as much as they hust ran more off ball action through him. Hes always struggled as an on ball creator overall, playoffs or not, so what hes doing now is crazy as a longtime fan of his.

Like he didnt get more of an on ball role they just spammed pick and roll more. He wasnt really better in the 2018 playoffs than he was post cousins injury anyways

AD in the 2020 playoffs, at least till the finals started (he was back to the usual offense in the finals) has been a literal different player offensively and its really weird to watch.

[Dupp]

Markiefs catch and shoot efficiency on threes has been insane in the post season. Having him play “small ball” at the 5 has also been huge for their success.


One of the all time best mid season pickups ever.

[MyUniBroDavis]

On 70 wins: they were in pace for 63-64 wins pre bubble, i doubt theyll hit 70 cuz both bron and ad go lecoast but still. I think they need a third guy fir 70+

[MisterHibachi]

Wait why does anyone think they'll win anywhere close to 70 games if they win? Like with 2014 and 2017 they're gonna throw away a lot of games as defending champs and drop significantly in wins. I'd be surprised if they even top the conference. 60 wins will be possible but 70? After a title? Nah

I think they're going for 70 because they romped thru this postseason, so it wasn't as mentally damaging; and being in front of fans vs being in the bubble will energize them. And lastly just the disrespect man. There's a lotta people that are gonna disrespect them as champions like we did to the Warriors so they'll have the rare combination that the Raptors also had this year of championship pedigree and a chip on their shoulders.

Plus they were going for 70 before the 4-game skid and they're gonna be even better next year. Bron knows he doesn't have too many chances at a 70 win season.

I think their mentality next year will depend on how the media treats this title. I know everyone is saying it's the toughest ring because of the circumstances, but if that narrative flips to asterisk because of the injuries, then they know they'll have to "prove it" in a regular format. If they still feel that disrespect then I can see a 65+ win season, maybe 70 if things break right.

But what I want most of all next season if for the Lakers to beat down the Warriors in a series. I also want a Denver/Dallas series, but not as badly.

[Mos_Heat]

NBA twitter having a bad day, wow. Matt Moore has a complete meltdown basically

Any particularly delicious tears you've tasted?

It's mostly boring whining about LAL exceptionalism, Klutch, big markets vs small markets. Nothing really stands out, just very annoying conversation that can be had somewhere in the off-season and not after the 1st game of the Finals.

[MisterHibachi]

NBA twitter having a bad day, wow. Matt Moore has a complete meltdown basically

He's constantly throwing a pity party for small market teams. Any success big market teams have is because of market power, and any time a star leaves a small market team, it's time for a pity party.

[homecourtloss]

NBA twitter having a bad day, wow. Matt Moore has a complete meltdown basically

Any particularly delicious tears you've tasted?

A poster after LeBron eliminated the Nuggets said that “Lebron can single-handedly send millions of grown men into depression and make them cry just by playing basketball well. For that alone he’s the GOAT.”

[Dupp]

Kyrie throwing shade at lebron saying kd is the only guys he’s ever played with that can hit shots down the stretch. He also seems to be undermining Nash a little.

Think this Brooklyn team could be a fun watch in a meltdown kind of way.

[RCM88x]

If they win the title, and bring back the majority of their rotation, my guess is the start really hot. IIRC the 2017 Cavs started like 26-7 before completely going in to coast mode and finishing the year 25-24, actually were 40-14 before the ASB then went a horrific 11-17 to finish the season.

Don't think the Lakers would slide down to that level, but I could see something similar going on. My prediction would be 58-24 with around a 5.5 or 6 SRS.

[Heej]

Wait why does anyone think they'll win anywhere close to 70 games if they win? Like with 2014 and 2017 they're gonna throw away a lot of games as defending champs and drop significantly in wins. I'd be surprised if they even top the conference. 60 wins will be possible but 70? After a title? Nah

I think they're going for 70 because they romped thru this postseason, so it wasn't as mentally damaging; and being in front of fans vs being in the bubble will energize them. And lastly just the disrespect man. There's a lotta people that are gonna disrespect them as champions like we did to the Warriors so they'll have the rare combination that the Raptors also had this year of championship pedigree and a chip on their shoulders.

Plus they were going for 70 before the 4-game skid and they're gonna be even better next year. Bron knows he doesn't have too many chances at a 70 win season.

I think their mentality next year will depend on how the media treats this title. I know everyone is saying it's the toughest ring because of the circumstances, but if that narrative flips to asterisk because of the injuries, then they know they'll have to "prove it" in a regular format. If they still feel that disrespect then I can see a 65+ win season, maybe 70 if things break right.

But what I want most of all next season if for the Lakers to beat down the Warriors in a series. I also want a Denver/Dallas series, but not as badly.

Yeah personally I think we already see the narratives shaping up that way. This team just has way too many shades of 2015 Warriors to me. Figuring out their identity in the later rounds and playing dominant basketball all around only to get disrespected by people online. Plus, LeBron has spoken longingly of getting 70 wins before. He's not ignorant, he knows it's something he oughta have on his resume. I know it's idiotic to go that hard during the RS, but the Lakers are deep and next year is their best shot at it. Cuz year 3 of a contender everyone is running on fumes.

And man do I want the Warriors in the playoffs every year LeBron is in the West. I just want him to be their perennial terror the way he's become to the Celtics and exact years of torturous revenge on their franchise.

[yoyoboy]

LeBron needs to just be able to play at an MVP level come playoffs for a couple more years... Put this man in the cryo chamber every time he's not on the court.

[MisterHibachi]

Kyrie throwing shade at lebron saying kd is the only guys he’s ever played with that can hit shots down the stretch. He also seems to be undermining Nash a little.

Think this Brooklyn team could be a fun watch in a meltdown kind of way.

Bron throwing it right back

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