The LeBron James All-NBA (2nd) and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread

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Hindsight: Would you trade Luka back to Dallas for Anthony Davis?

Yes
2
8%
No
23
92%
 
Total votes: 25

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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2161 » by TroubleS0me » Tue Mar 25, 2025 1:35 am

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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2162 » by IG2 » Tue Mar 25, 2025 1:52 am

dcstanley wrote:The defense was always gimmicky as hell but there's no reason the offense should be this average. JJ is leaving a lot of meat on the bone, they should be generating higher quality looks.


Yeah, offense has always looked clunky since acquiring Luka. I believe not even top 10 when the Big 3 play and it's fairly obvious why when you watch the games - just too many redundant skillsets. LeBron/Luka/Reaves all need the ball and it feels like they're just taking turns. I see Reaves making a fine #2 to Luka post-LeBron, but it might be best to bring him off the bench for now.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2163 » by tone wone » Tue Mar 25, 2025 2:11 am

dcstanley wrote:The defense was always gimmicky as hell but there's no reason the offense should be this average. JJ is leaving a lot of meat on the bone, they should be generating higher quality looks.

Luka has also been pretty damn inefficient since becoming a Laker.

Quietly, they've been a weak 3pt shooting team all year. Really outside of February they've been brick-layers. Other than Knect and Rui, there role players aren't shooters. The shooting comes from the Stars but all 3 are streaky as hell.

I've made peace with the offense being mid. This version of LeBron has some real limitations as a every night, high-end creator. Just as he was finding a real groove the trade happens. Davis and Luka couldn't be more different as offensive stars. Finding a groove inside a Luka-centeric offense mid-season to where all 3 of Luka-Lebron-Reaves are all aggressive but complimentary is a tough ask. Especially on team that can't shoot.
SinceGatlingWasARookie wrote:I don’t think LeBron was as good a point guard as Mo Williams for the point guard play not counting the scoring threat. In other words in a non shooting Rondo like role Mo Williams would be better than LeBron.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2164 » by rk2023 » Tue Mar 25, 2025 2:14 am

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tone wone wrote:
dcstanley wrote:The defense was always gimmicky as hell but there's no reason the offense should be this average. JJ is leaving a lot of meat on the bone, they should be generating higher quality looks.

Luka has also been pretty damn inefficient since becoming a Laker.

Quietly, they've been a weak 3pt shooting team all year. Really outside of February they've been brick-layers. Other than Knect and Rui, there role players aren't shooters. The shooting comes from the Stars but all 3 are streaky as hell.

I've made peace with the offense being mid. This version of LeBron has some real limitations as an every night, high-end creator. Just as he was finding a real groove the trade happens. Davis and Luka couldn't be more different as offensive stars. Finding a groove inside a Luka-centeric offense mid-season to where all 3 of Luka-Lebron-Reaves are all aggressive but complimentary is a tough ask. Especially on team that can't shoot.


It’s not because of a lack of complimentary skills lol.. moreso due to how they’re lacking macro areas of a big and too reliant on an offensive killer in Vando
Mogspan wrote:I think they see the super rare combo of high IQ with freakish athleticism and overrate the former a bit, kind of like a hot girl who is rather articulate being thought of as “super smart.” I don’t know kind of a weird analogy, but you catch my drift.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2165 » by AmIWrongDude » Tue Mar 25, 2025 2:35 am

Luka and LeBron (to a lesser extent) aren’t putting enough pressure on defenses right now. Not getting guys good looks like they need to.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2166 » by Mos_Heat » Tue Mar 25, 2025 6:46 am

NGL, their offense looks very average to my surprise
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2167 » by trickshot » Tue Mar 25, 2025 1:37 pm

They always go on a losing streak before a winning streak. It's a young team with an old soul. It's also trying to be a system team so lineup changes throw them off. 1-2 after the Dlo trade, 1-2 after the AD trade, 0-3 after Lebron's injury, all followed by 5-7 game win streaks. The other issue is Rob has built this thing to have too many matchup problems to overcome every night. Shouldn't need a playoff level defensive scheme every time you play a regular season team with a quick guard and a true center.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2168 » by lethalizer » Tue Mar 25, 2025 1:58 pm

donnieme wrote: It's a young team with an old soul.


Lakers are a young team?!

Disregarding Bron, Reaves is 27, Vincent is 29, Rui is 27, DFS is 32, Vando is 26, Luka is 26.

Hayes is the youngest of these main guys getting minutes at 25.

If Lakers are young, what would you call the Thunder? Babies?
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2169 » by Special_Puppy » Tue Mar 25, 2025 2:15 pm

Who'd be favor in a Grizzlies vs Lakers playoff series?
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2170 » by trickshot » Tue Mar 25, 2025 2:54 pm

lethalizer wrote:
donnieme wrote: It's a young team with an old soul.


Lakers are a young team?!

Disregarding Bron, Reaves is 27, Vincent is 29, Rui is 27, DFS is 32, Vando is 26, Luka is 26.

Hayes is the youngest of these main guys getting minutes at 25.

If Lakers are young, what would you call the Thunder? Babies?

"How dare you call another team young. That's our word"
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2171 » by lethalizer » Tue Mar 25, 2025 3:03 pm

donnieme wrote:
lethalizer wrote:
donnieme wrote: It's a young team with an old soul.


Lakers are a young team?!

Disregarding Bron, Reaves is 27, Vincent is 29, Rui is 27, DFS is 32, Vando is 26, Luka is 26.

Hayes is the youngest of these main guys getting minutes at 25.

If Lakers are young, what would you call the Thunder? Babies?

"How dare you call another team young. That's our word"


The only player younger than 24 on that roster is Bronny James.

That team is not a young team. Come on now. Grizzlies are young, Orlando is young, not going to go through all the rosters but I'd be shocked if Lakers' current roster is even top 10 in youth.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2172 » by trickshot » Tue Mar 25, 2025 3:33 pm

lethalizer wrote:
donnieme wrote:
lethalizer wrote:
Lakers are a young team?!

Disregarding Bron, Reaves is 27, Vincent is 29, Rui is 27, DFS is 32, Vando is 26, Luka is 26.

Hayes is the youngest of these main guys getting minutes at 25.

If Lakers are young, what would you call the Thunder? Babies?

"How dare you call another team young. That's our word"


The only player younger than 24 on that roster is Bronny James.

That team is not a young team. Come on now. Grizzlies are young, Orlando is young, not going to go through all the rosters but I'd be shocked if Lakers' current roster is even top 10 in youth.

Not by average but by contribution. Rui, Reaves, Knecht, Luka, are a younger rotation for a team trying to contend. I know on paper, there might be countless teams with 5 younger scrubs. And Yes OKC are also young.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2173 » by ball_takes23 » Tue Mar 25, 2025 4:16 pm

Special_Puppy wrote:Who'd be favor in a Grizzlies vs Lakers playoff series?


AD's rim protection was huge in the 2023 series, without him Lakers have no answer for young athletic guards. They'd much rather play LAC, maybe even GSW
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2174 » by TroubleS0me » Wed Mar 26, 2025 3:04 pm

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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2175 » by trickshot » Wed Mar 26, 2025 7:16 pm

Luka trade was an A+ but Rob really f'd up some of the margins of this roster especially if it cost Luka and 40yr old Lebron a ring because they can't guard some c-tier guard or scrub center in the playoffs. If done earlier that same package for Mark williams could have brought back a nick richards type without affecting the Luka trade.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2176 » by Fadeaway_J » Wed Mar 26, 2025 7:38 pm

donnieme wrote:Luka trade was an A+ but Rob really f'd up some of the margins of this roster especially if it cost Luka and 40yr old Lebron a ring because they can't guard some c-tier guard or scrub center in the playoffs. If done earlier that same package for Mark williams could have brought back a nick richards type without affecting the Luka trade.

Coming back with the injured Hayes and Wood as the only rotation bigs outside of AD was absolutely ridiculous. They're very fortunate that Hayes improved so dramatically after he returned, otherwise they'd be firmly in the play-in mix right now.
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2177 » by jalengreen » Wed Mar 26, 2025 7:39 pm

LeBron on McAfee show really went unfiltered, sheesh
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2178 » by Fadeaway_J » Thu Mar 27, 2025 12:29 am

The Pacers can't wait to see the back of Austin Reaves :lol:
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2179 » by jalengreen » Thu Mar 27, 2025 12:54 am

Now i gotta stress bout the 10 point streak smh
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Re: The LeBron James and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread 

Post#2180 » by TheGOATRises007 » Thu Mar 27, 2025 1:40 am

LeBron got it.

Never in doubt for me.

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