The Lebron Thread | 2021 (Pt. 2)

[Jordan Syndrome]

It's annoying that it's just not pragmatic for them to go for a 10+ SRS season. I guess trying for a 10+ SRS post season will have to do?

They will end up around 8 SRS in the regular season. I think if the NBA didn't have the play-in games (where 9 and 10 seeds matter) then the Lakers would approach 10 SRS.

[dcstanley]

Do you guys think THT is better than the entire 2021 rookie class? I think Lamelo and maybe Haliburton are the only two I would take over THT as of now. Deni is good too but he profiles as a 3 and D guy with some playmaking, I think THT is better now and has a higher ceiling.

[kayess]

It's annoying that it's just not pragmatic for them to go for a 10+ SRS season. I guess trying for a 10+ SRS post season will have to do?

They will end up around 8 SRS in the regular season. I think if the NBA didn't have the play-in games (where 9 and 10 seeds matter) then the Lakers would approach 10 SRS.

Probably, yes. They have an 8 SRS now. (2nd in the league - Bucks are at 10, wow)

[Run DLC]

Read on Twitter

He’s like an upgraded version of Avery Bradley. I hope he gets more minutes. He seems to have a better B-ball IQ than Kyle “GOAT” Kuzma.

[kayess]

https://m.twitch.tv/videos/865183856

tl;dw: highly encouraging results for the new defensive scheme despite being new and being used indiscriminately (wrt rosters faced, etc.), and should get better as time goes on.

In the Portland game, was Trezz being targeted as the screener's man? Or as the tag/help helper's man (or both?) Seems like there's less decisions to make as the screener's man and he can just use his length and mobility there, whereas in the latter he'd really ahve to get used to the scheme (though LeBron/AD quarterbacking the defense should help)

[Greatness]

Do you guys think THT is better than the entire 2021 rookie class? I think Lamelo and maybe Haliburton are the only two I would take over THT as of now. Deni is good too but he profiles as a 3 and D guy with some playmaking, I think THT is better now and has a higher ceiling.

Did you forget about Wiseman?

[CKRT]

I think the NBA just needs to bite the PR bullet and pay a higher cost per vaccine as a way to counter the bad PR and vaccinate the entire league. We are already having issues distributing the vaccine and letting it go to waste.

[homecourtloss]

LeBron has been crazy active on defense, and honestly, I’m really surprised. Thought he’d rest up a bit by coasting early on after the short turnaround, but he’s been really, really good again defensively.

LeBron is contesting 4.1 three-pointers per game and opponents are shooting 22.2%, 14.3% below their season averages, 3rd best out of 186 players who contest 3 three-pointers per game and have played 5+ games.

1. Powell, -20.7%
2. Butler, -18.7%
3. LeBron, -14.3%
4. Mitchell Robinson, -14%
13. Matthews, -12.2%
19. AD, -9%
22. KD, -8.6%
66. Kawhi, -3%
84. Ben Simmons, -1.5%
143. Giannis, +6.2%
160. Danny Green, +8.7%
162. Paul George, +9.1%
169. Luka, +11.1%

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-3pt/?CF=GP*GE*5:FG3A*GE*3&Season=2020-21&SeasonType=Regular%20Season

Defending shots overall, he’s 3rd out of 187 players (5+ games, 8+ shots contested per game) at -10.4%

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-overall/?CF=GP*GE*5:D_FGA*GE*8&Season=2020-21&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&sort=PCT_PLUSMINUS&dir=-1

[nzahir]

I think the NBA just needs to bite the PR bullet and pay a higher cost per vaccine as a way to counter the bad PR and vaccinate the entire league. We are already having issues distributing the vaccine and letting it go to waste.

Yup, I know people getting the vaccine who aren't health care workers

No reason to waste the vaccines tbh, I believe the time frame isn't very long to store

League is a mess rn

[nzahir]

I actually don't even know if we got better or better by much

Hard to tell when AD is playing at like 60-70% effort basically and Lebron is at times moving pretty slow

Our identity changed so much

Better at: Shooting, shot creation and iso scoring, passing
Worse at: Rebounding (especially on the offensive glass), blocking shots/paint protection, missing some pesky defense

Any thoughts? I know its early

[Homer38]

I actually don't even know if we got better or better by much

Hard to tell when AD is playing at like 60-70% effort basically and Lebron is at times moving pretty slow

Our identity changed so much

Better at: Shooting, shot creation and iso scoring, passing
Worse at: Rebounding (especially on the offensive glass), blocking shots/paint protection, missing some pesky defense

Any thoughts? I know its early

The lakers are top 5 in offense and defense right now despite Davis and LeBron not playing in their high standard so far (the short break is the big reason why but it will come later in the season and in the playoffs, don't be worried)

The lakers are 2nd in defensive rating right now in the NBA, 2nd for the defensive rebouding% (11th in offense), 6th in 3 points% in offense, top 5 for the block in defense ... Only thing they need to to be better is the turnovers on offense and on defense(bottom 10 on offense and bottom 5 on defense for the turnovers right now), but the last game against Houston they were great in that on defense..... In offense they will be even better when Davis and LBJ are going to be in the playoffs mode and that the others will be more comfortable in their role

[KTM_2813]

I actually don't even know if we got better or better by much

Hard to tell when AD is playing at like 60-70% effort basically and Lebron is at times moving pretty slow

Our identity changed so much

Better at: Shooting, shot creation and iso scoring, passing
Worse at: Rebounding (especially on the offensive glass), blocking shots/paint protection, missing some pesky defense

Any thoughts? I know its early

I think that the pieces around AD and LBJ are better, perhaps slightly worse defensively but noticeably better offensively. However, at the end of the day, it's going to come down to those two stars. If AD and LBJ are top-two players in the playoffs again, then the league is in trouble, but if they're "merely" top-ten players, then the league is as wide open as ever.

[JVL]

Lakers are still unbeatable if they stay healthy.

[PistolPeteJR]

Why would anyone want Avery Bradley on this team? We can win without him and don’t need to pay as much as Atlanta did for his services.

We’ve had a lot of games without KCP and Caruso who are both superior to Bradley. Throw in minutes for Schroeder, Matthews, THT. PG duties for Lebron and what minutes would be left for him? Vogel isn’t scared to give Kuzma a few SG minutes as well. The last thing we would need is to throw valuable cap space at an undersized SG when we have only so many guard minutes to go around.

The right move would have been to keep Dwight and add Ibaka in place of Trez and Gasol (though I love watching Marc). Think that would have made this team truly unstoppable.

Bradley's in Miami.

[C0bR]

Rebound rate 19/20 - 52%
20/21 53.8%

they got better if anything

[nzahir]

Rebound rate 19/20 - 52%
20/21 53.8%

they got better if anything

Worse on offensive rebounds though right?

It is still early though, just nit picking

[nzahir]

I actually don't even know if we got better or better by much

Hard to tell when AD is playing at like 60-70% effort basically and Lebron is at times moving pretty slow

Our identity changed so much

Better at: Shooting, shot creation and iso scoring, passing
Worse at: Rebounding (especially on the offensive glass), blocking shots/paint protection, missing some pesky defense

Any thoughts? I know its early

The lakers are top 5 in offense and defense right now despite Davis and LeBron not playing in their high standard so far (the short break is the big reason why but it will come later in the season and in the playoffs, don't be worried)

The lakers are 2nd in defensive rating right now in the NBA, 2nd for the defensive rebouding% (11th in offense), 6th in 3 points% in offense, top 5 for the block in defense ... Only thing they need to to be better is the turnovers on offense and on defense(bottom 10 on offense and bottom 5 on defense for the turnovers right now), but the last game against Houston they were great in that on defense..... In offense they will be even better when Davis and LBJ are going to be in the playoffs mode and that the others will be more comfortable in their role

Hopefully so

This video by Cranjis eased my mind about our defense

https://m.twitch.tv/videos/865183856

Makes more sense to why we are running this scheme now, but need to keep working on it

[Homer38]

Read on Twitter

[Greatness]

Any chance that lazy and frankly incorrect narrative that LeBron coasts on D finally dies and the media gets behind a DPOY campaign?

[KTM_2813]

Any chance that lazy and frankly incorrect narrative that LeBron coasts on D finally dies and the media gets behind a DPOY campaign?

Agree 100% on the lazy media narratives, but if we're being honest, has James actually deserved DPOTY consideration since 2013?