The Lebron Thread | 2021 (Pt. 3)

[D.Brasco]

Just hasn't been their year this season. It happens. Bummer the no 1st round exit streak has come to an end. Would've been a cool footnote on his career.

Everything has to come to an end at some point. LeBron is near in age to MJ in his Wizards years at this point.

[MisterHibachi]

Dennis being outplayed by Cam Payne, Harrell being locked up by Kaminski. Wild stuff

[homecourtloss]

Will LeBron shoot a free throw this game? Vogel just throwing people out there.

[donnieme]

This one is over, time for a ton of **** changes

Pelinka is an awful GM whose career was saved by Lebron and Klutch

Wouldn't go that far but damn the guy really downgraded every position going for big names who were either washed or empty stats

[thebigbird]

I definitely think the series is over, unfortunately. I don’t think LeBron is healthy enough to put the team on his back and I have zero faith in any of his teammates doing literally anything right tonight (assuming AD doesn’t play). Really hope I’m wrong, though.

I am really anticipating them being down 29-18 or whatever at the end of the first quarter again. On the other hand, the law of averages says that they have to have at least one game where they make some shots, right? RIGHT????

As for team I’d like to win, I’d say the Bucjs since Giannis is extremely likable.

Was too optimistic. Still didn’t expect this. They can’t miss and the Lakers can’t make a shot.

I can’t even be mad, to be honest. This season was cursed. Their reward for winning the title last year was the shortest offseason in the history of professional sports. Whether they lost tonight, Saturday, or next round, they weren’t winning anything this season at this point. Better to just end it now and get five months off to rejuvenate than prolong the inevitable and risk further injury.

[bballcool34]

To win today, you need guys who can come off the high PnR and pull up for dagger threes, dudes who can run off screens and quickly shoot the ball, guys who can actually consistently make the defense pay for mildly open catch and shoot threes.

Who do the Lakers have? When LeBron is arguably your best shooter and he's not exactly looking for threes/routinely passes up catch and shoot looks, you don't have a chance against these flamethrower teams.

While I don’t disagree, this doesn’t explain how the Lakers won last year.

Their floor would be higher with such a team but they’ve always been constructed to require a two superstar team to succeed. They have none in this series.

[donnieme]

AD's injury history was always going to cost the Lakers a title run or three. He was given extended rest after the Achilles injury but in the end it didn't matter.

[yoyoboy]

I'm pretty sure this Lakers team sans AD and with this version of LeBron would lose to almost any team in the league. Kinda unfathomable just how bad they look. Turning this garbage off.

[homecourtloss]

I am really anticipating them being down 29-18 or whatever at the end of the first quarter again. On the other hand, the law of averages says that they have to have at least one game where they make some shots, right? RIGHT????

As for team I’d like to win, I’d say the Bucjs since Giannis is extremely likable.

Was too optimistic. Still didn’t expect this. They can’t miss and the Lakers can’t make a shot.

I can’t even be mad, to be honest. This season was cursed. Their reward for winning the title last year was the shortest offseason in the history of professional sports. Whether they lost tonight, Saturday, or next round, they weren’t winning anything this season at this point. Better to just end it now and get five months off to rejuvenate than prolong the inevitable and risk further injury.

Hill jumping on the ankle was the beginning of the end. But man did they ever fall apart. You’d think they’d have one game where they hit some shots at least but instead the Suns are having an all time night.

[yoyoboy]

To win today, you need guys who can come off the high PnR and pull up for dagger threes, dudes who can run off screens and quickly shoot the ball, guys who can actually consistently make the defense pay for mildly open catch and shoot threes.

Who do the Lakers have? When LeBron is arguably your best shooter and he's not exactly looking for threes/routinely passes up catch and shoot looks, you don't have a chance against these flamethrower teams.

While I don’t disagree, this doesn’t explain how the Lakers won last year.

Their floor would be higher with such a team but they’ve always been constructed to require a two superstar team to succeed. They have none in this series.

The Lakers got hot from the outside last year at the right time. Davis was a flamethrower from mid range which was a complete anomaly for his career. LeBron and Davis shot uncharacteristically well from three. Morris and Playoff Rondo shot over 40%. KCP shot well. Danny Green struggled at times but he always had shooting gravity so players were afraid to leave him alone. Who on this current Lakers roster are defenders actually afraid to leave open?

[CKRT]

Bummed the season has to end like this. GB is going to be a nightmare all summer with horrifyingly bad takes about this series.

[MisterHibachi]

Bummed the season has to end like this. GB is going to be a nightmare all summer with horrifyingly bad takes about this series.

The GB is a cesspool at the best of times.

[Larry David]

Sometimes its not your year

I dont doubt Lebron is going to be great next year

[eminence]

I'm glad the team has shown a bit of life in the mid-later 2nd. Seriously doubt they make it back, but it's nice to see.

[Tracymcgoaty]

To win today, you need guys who can come off the high PnR and pull up for dagger threes, dudes who can run off screens and quickly shoot the ball, guys who can actually consistently make the defense pay for mildly open catch and shoot threes.

Who do the Lakers have? When LeBron is arguably your best shooter and he's not exactly looking for threes/routinely passes up catch and shoot looks, you don't have a chance against these flamethrower teams.

I have no doubt we would have beaten the Suns with AD healthy and Lebron at 80%. We got unlucky with injuries all season. But those 2 games where we won i was as confident as ever we'd beat them. We rely on 2 stars. Lebron with the lingering ankle injuries can still be great as long as AD is in there. Knew as soon as he went down we'd have no chance. Lebron hasn't looked like Lebron ever since the Ankle injury.

[thebigbird]

Bummed the season has to end like this. GB is going to be a nightmare all summer with horrifyingly bad takes about this series.

It’ll make the bounceback all the sweeter next season. The hot takes after 2019 were a big part of what made 2020 so sweet. Plus, Clippers could lose tomorrow which would take some of the attention away. Losing to a team you tanked to play with both your stars healthy is much worse than the Lakers losing to the 2 seed. (Though I don’t expect the GB to acknowledge that).

[Fadeaway_J]

To win today, you need guys who can come off the high PnR and pull up for dagger threes, dudes who can run off screens and quickly shoot the ball, guys who can actually consistently make the defense pay for mildly open catch and shoot threes.

Who do the Lakers have? When LeBron is arguably your best shooter and he's not exactly looking for threes/routinely passes up catch and shoot looks, you don't have a chance against these flamethrower teams.

While I don’t disagree, this doesn’t explain how the Lakers won last year.

Their floor would be higher with such a team but they’ve always been constructed to require a two superstar team to succeed. They have none in this series.

The Lakers got hot from the outside last year at the right time. Davis was a flamethrower from mid range which was a complete anomaly for his career. LeBron and Davis shot uncharacteristically well from three. Morris and Playoff Rondo shot over 40%. KCP shot well. Danny Green struggled at times but he always had shooting gravity so players were afraid to leave him alone. Who on this current Lakers roster are defenders actually afraid to leave open?

All of this, and also you can't bank on 36-year-old LeBron and injury-prone AD maintaining that level of production and durability throughout another full season, especially with a shortened offseason. I believe this was the thinking behind the Schroder and Harrell acquisitions, but they turned out to be the wrong moves.

[homecourtloss]

Could have been a game if the Suns didn’t come out and make everything.

[dcstanley]

Bummed the season has to end like this. GB is going to be a nightmare all summer with horrifyingly bad takes about this series.

It’ll make the bounceback all the sweeter next season. The hot takes after 2019 were a big part of what made 2020 so sweet. Plus, Clippers could lose tomorrow which would take some of the attention away. Losing to a team you tanked to play with both your stars healthy is much worse than the Lakers losing to the 2 seed. (Though I don’t expect the GB to acknowledge that).

Clippers don't move the needle, we already know what that team is. The Nets flaming out in the second round would be much sweeter for me personally.

[yoyoboy]

Schroder just has to be gone next year. I'm not watching this dude anymore.