The Lebron '20 Thread (Pt. 7)

[Dupp]

Posted this in the poty thread. It’s a strange post season for lebron. We haven’t and most likely won’t see him pushed to his peak form. It’s weird. His load is so much lessened with ad, this great Laker defense, low minutes and capable playmaker backing him up.

I wanna vote lebron but I think I’m very much leaning towards AD. His actual play in the post season has just been better.



Is lebron still a better player? I think probably. It’s really strange because he’s playing great and just doing what he has to to win. However it’s been a relatively “easy” post season run for lebron where he hasn’t had to do anything historic and his load and minutes are way down.

Does that mean he still can’t? I don’t think so but it’s really hard to have a sense of what highs he can actually still reach.

[zimpy27]

This is actually pretty cool.

Read on Twitter

I don’t remember the Knicks one but it’s insane

Watch on YouTube

This is my favourite, foot inside the free-throw line but dunks bent arm, could've definitely made it from the free-throw line.

[Homer38]

thought?

Read on Twitter

[Mazter]

Obviously there's still games to be played, and a lot can change, but unless AD has a historic series (which he very well could, lol) and LeBron keeps the overall scoring numbers relatively close, i think they're gonna look to give LeBron the FMVP.

I think there would need to be a much clearer visible gap between the two as players for a 'passing of the torch' type moment, which would make people say ''AD is the leader/best player on the Lakers now''. For now most people still view LeBron as that, and Davis just a really REALLY good player next to him.

I'm not so sure. Now that the GOAT discussion is higher than ever, the media seems more on the hand of Jordan and ready to protect his legacy. This was the reason Kawhi (14) and Iguodala (15) got the award. I believe they would die to give it to AD.

[homecourtloss]

:)

Read on Twitter

The "No LeBron in the arena" stats are missing:
38.5 FG%
31.0 3P%
-38 plus minus

Beautiful

[JulesWinnfield]

Playoffs as a whole

Lebron
26.6 ppg 10.5 rpg 8.9 apg 2.2 stl+blk .637 TS%
9.7 bpm 1.7 VORP 29.6 PER

Davis
29.1 ppg 9.3 rpg 3.7apg 2.4 stl+blk .664 TS%
9.2 bpm 1.6 VORP 30.8 PER

[SideshowBob]

thought?

Read on Twitter

Kerr's mostly talking from the vantage of defensive game-planning. 14-20 Lebron is >11-13 Lebron. On offense I've got his seasons graded something like this:

2018 +7.25
2017 +6.75
2014 +6.50
2016 +5.50
2020 +5.50
2013 +5.50
2019 +5.00
2015 +5.00
2012 +4.50
2011 +4.00

LAL stint I think I'm still building an understanding of and we'll see how his development curve heads in the next few years (and how that influences opinion of 19/20), but Steve Kerr has faced Lebron mostly at his offensive best, especially those last two years, so his picture of him is highly influenced by those runs, even if Lebron looks a notch and half down from that level right now.

[homecourtloss]

thought?

Read on Twitter

Really incredible how someone who supposedly has “no skill“ (fOOtWoRK) and only has physical gifts has adapted to his older game better than the supposedly all skilled Kobe and Jordan.

[Homer38]

Playoffs as a whole

Lebron
26.6 ppg 10.5 rpg 8.9 apg 2.2 stl+blk .637 TS%
9.7 bpm 1.7 VORP 29.6 PER

Davis
29.1 ppg 9.3 rpg 3.7apg 2.4 stl+blk .664 TS%
9.2 bpm 1.6 VORP 30.8 PER

One of the best duo ever for a single season!

[zimpy27]

Been thinking about this too. Definitely think losing Dwight is a huge possibility. Which would be bad for LA.

Lakers have 8m/2 year BAE to give Dwight. They also have a 10m MLE. The danger would be if Rondo opts out of their $2m contract.

Lakers should use the 10m MLE on Markieff and another guard.

Pretty much this. Obviously it starts with praying to the gods for LeBron to slow his decline another year, and AD continuing his improvement from this year from both a skillset (passing being the main thing) and confidence perspective.

Beyond that: hopefully Rondo both stays and continues playing like J-Kidd 2.0. Dwight's probably worth the MLE to a lot of teams but idk how much value he'll place on the extra 2 mil vs. keeping it together for another potential run. One would think so

The rest of the cast probably improves at least slightly from playoff experience + a full year of playing with Bron, Kuz and Caruso need to work on shooting, Kuzma needs to work on not biting on every fake on D (he's actually already improved vs. the Denver series), Green just needs to show up in the playoffs like this and shoot ~40% from 3 with his usual solid D, KCP, Kieff needs to continue what they're doing. Caruso can probably learn how to make plays out of the PNR/basic action when LeBron/Rondo/offseason playmaker aren't feeling it. That's a super solid 4 wing/guard rotation, not counting Rondo

Dwight/McGee are what they are. McGee's useful for soaking up minutes and is good against some teams but they probably should cut him and have another backup big.

That's a super solid set of 2-way players to have behind AD and Bron. If they can get another guy who can run the offense (so can make the right passes and can at least drive and/or shoot it) and is at least solid defensively, that's probably all they need to do in the offseason.

As I say this: **** the Lakers. Some of the most insufferable fans in all of sports. My country's full of bandwagoners and people with blind devotion to Kobe, which honestly sickens me (I mean adulterer at best, rapist - almost self-confessed I would say - at worst. Think there's a lot better models for hard work, even Jordan - who was probably 'merely' an **** and probable adulterer). Them winning means non-Laker fans have to endure their gloating, which is about as pleasant as hearing MAGA rednecks talk

They will be right on the luxury tax to keep this team together and that wouldn't include using the full MLE:
PG: LeBron | Rondo | Cook
SG: KCP | Bradley | Caruso
SF: Green | Kuzma | THT
PF: Davis | Markieff | Pick#29
C : Howard | Cousins | McGee

I think they also want to keep Kostas on a 2-way, but maybe he upgrades this next season.

I could see Bradley, McGee, Kuzma being traded for ~$18m player. Like Fournier.

PG: LeBron | Rondo | Cook
SG: Fournier | Caruso | Pick#29
SF: Green | KCP | THT
PF: Davis | Markieff | Kostas
C : Howard | Cousins | 6m MLE

[yoyoboy]

Man I’ve been rewatching some high school LeBron tape and it still just boggles my mind how insane the hype was. To be on a national magazine cover calling him potentially the best HS player in the country before his junior year. To be attracting NBA players to your games as a literal kid. To have ESPN broadcasting games for this division 2 school in Ohio. To have every sports fan know the name of your mom, your town, your story, even before graduating high school. And to be pegged as the heir to the sport’s GOAT before as a senior in high school.

It’s just crazy. Will we ever see a high school sports player with this kind of hype again?

[HeartBreakKid]

Man I’ve been rewatching some high school LeBron tape and it still just boggles my mind how insane the hype was. To be on a national magazine cover calling him potentially the best HS player in the country before his junior year. To be attracting NBA players to your games as a literal kid. To have ESPN broadcasting games for this division 2 school in Ohio. To have every sports fan know the name of your mom, your town, your story, even before graduating high school. And to be pegged as the heir to the sport’s GOAT before as a senior in high school.

It’s just crazy. Will we ever see a high school sports player with this kind of hype again?

Maybe because you're in Ohio, but this definitely wasn't a thing.

[yoyoboy]

Man I’ve been rewatching some high school LeBron tape and it still just boggles my mind how insane the hype was. To be on a national magazine cover calling him potentially the best HS player in the country before his junior year. To be attracting NBA players to your games as a literal kid. To have ESPN broadcasting games for this division 2 school in Ohio. To have every sports fan know the name of your mom, your town, your story, even before graduating high school. And to be pegged as the heir to the sport’s GOAT before as a senior in high school.

It’s just crazy. Will we ever see a high school sports player with this kind of hype again?

Maybe because you're in Ohio, but this definitely wasn't a thing.

Seemed like it but maybe a slight exaggeration. Most hardcore NBA fans did at least.

[yoyoboy]

Also has anyone noticed how much of a hater Coach Nick of BBallBreakdown is? The dude takes every opportunity to try to show and blame LeBron for defensive breakdowns even when it clearly wasn’t his fault. Point out bad calls by the refs that favored the Lakers without ever doing the same for ones that benefited the other team where he looks the other way. In the recent video he showed 1st quarter clips for half the video just because it was close then. And he’s basically suggesting that the only reason Miami lost was the injuries.

[Dupp]

Also has anyone noticed how much of a hater Coach Nick of BBallBreakdown is? The dude takes every opportunity to try to show and blame LeBron for defensive breakdowns even when it clearly wasn’t his fault. Point out bad calls by the refs that favored the Lakers without ever doing the same for ones that benefited the other team where he looks the other way. In the recent video he showed 1st quarter clips for half the video just because it was close then. And he’s basically suggesting that the only reason Miami lost was the injuries.

Dude has been for years. He’s a warriors fan. He made a video once about how bad Lebrons defense was in the 16 finals.

[JulesWinnfield]

This is actually pretty cool.

Read on Twitter

It’s remarkable that in year 17 he’s still legitimately one of the greatest athletes in the game and one of the greatest physical specimens we have ever seen. He has clearly lost a step, but make believe you never had a 2004-2019 Lebron James to judge him against. Divorce yourself from prior Lebron comparisons and make believe that player did not exist. Make believe I show you this player in silhouette form so you don’t see the receding hair, greys in the beard or age in the face. You just see this guy running up and down the floor playing his game and doing his thing. I could convince you he was 23 years old. If 2020 Lebron James were your first exposure to this player you would come away blown away by his athleticism. His end to end speed, his lethal one legged jump that has made for some ridiculous above the rim forays in this postseason. He was such an amazing athlete in his prime that he could afford to clearly lose a decent chunk of athletic ability and still retain enough to be in the top 1 percentile athletically.

This is not the story of a guy in his advanced years merely falling back on his experience and vet savvy and basketball IQ to make big impacts (although his strengths there are certainly noteworthy). A large reason he’s still so great is because he’s legitimately one of the most impressive physical specimens out there at age 35

[D.Brasco]

LeBron is a genetic freak but he's doing what truly any NBA player should be doing, by investing the resources they have to stay in the best shape possible.

Too many players who get into their 30s or even earlier and start to get pudgy or out of shape. I hate to pick on him but Zion who's barely 20 looks like he puts on an extra 15 lbs every time we see him.

[JulesWinnfield]

Watch on YouTube

This is just 2020 dunk reel. If you didn’t know any better you could be convinced this guy was 23 years old. He will be 36 in 3 months

[zimpy27]

If you could make a starting 5 of LeBrons but each position had to be a different season of LeBron, what would your lineup be?

I'm assuming something like this:

PG: 2019-20 LeBron
SG: 2012-13 LeBron
SF: 2013-14 LeBron
PF: 2017-18 LeBron
C : 2008-09 LeBron

[Heej]

If you could make a starting 5 of LeBrons but each position had to be a different season of LeBron, what would your lineup be?

I'm assuming the point guard would be 2019-20 LeBron.

The center would be 2011 or maybe 2014 LeBron, 2011 had size but 2014 was better. I'd take 2009 LeBron at the 2. 2016 at the 3. 2018 at the 4.

You can swap 09 and 16 for the versions of them the year after.