(LOCK THREAD) The LeBron James - 22-23 NBA Season Thread -NBA's All-Time Scoring Leader!

[thebigbird]

Why do you have a Laker logo in your profile, shouldn't that be a Lebron logo.....

Jeannie and Pelinka are objectively incompetent and the results prove it. Not sure how this is a topic worth questioning people's fandom over.

And Lebron signed with these two incompetent people. Blaming others for your bad decisions doesn't excuse your decision making....

Yeah, LeBron made an idiotic decision reupping with the Lakers. I’ve hated that decision from the jump. But that doesn’t change or excuse the FO’s incompetence. The FO is a disaster and has made bad decision after bad decision with regard to the construction of this team. LeBron made a horrible decision signing that extension. Both statements are true. Neither change the other.

[thebigbird]

Lakers lied to LeBron to get him to resign. I’m sick. Lakers never getting another star to sign with them with the trust fund girl in charge, though. Not a chance.

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[Mos_Heat]

It's a pretty damn sad roster. There is 4.5 players that would play in a playoff rotation.

All-NBA: James, AD
Borderline Starter: Russ
Rotation Player (7-9th Man): Walker, Beverley (out of respect for what he did last year but he hasn't played like one this year)
Extended Rotation (10-12th Man): Brown (maybe? I'm being generous)
Garbage Time: Reeves, Nunn
Shouldn't be on roster (2 way guys): Everyone else

Contrast this to the championship roster
MVP-level: James, AD
Borderline Starter: KCP, Green,
Rotation Player (7-9th Man): Rondo (played a level up in the playoffs), Dwight, Caruso, Kuzma
Extended Rotation (10-12th Man): Markieff, Javale (played a level up in the RS)

Suffering from extreme lack of talent and poor fit.

If James and AD played on an all NBA level this team would've been 5-5 minimum

They kind of have been. That's the point.
24-9-7 and 23-10 with 4 stocks is a "3rd team" level of player basically (think Bradley Beal scoring champion level of guy). They need to be MVP Candidates (pushing for 1st team) for this team to actually be a playoff roster.

You can make an argument for Davis, but not for Lebron. 24-9-7 on 50% TS is not an all nba stat line

[Mos_Heat]

Next 10 games are all winnable(except @Suns), so they should be at least 6-4 in that span. If they don't, there's no reason to make a trade

[zimpy27]

Next 10 games are all winnable(except @Suns), so they should be at least 6-4 in that span. If they don't, there's no reason to make a trade

Yeah had them at 1-5 after 6 games and thought they'd go 9-5 over the next 14 to be 10-10. Unfortunately I predicted that before Utah looking amazing.

So they went 1-5 but now have gone 1-3 when I expected them to go 2-2. So they are 1 game behind behind to what I expected right now.

7-3 should be how they go from here for the next 10. Will get them to 9-11.

After this run I think they go 35-27 for rest of season. So that makes them 44 win team in my opinion. But they have to meet the 9-11 to prove that.

[zimpy27]

Lakers lied to LeBron to get him to resign. I’m sick. Lakers never getting another star to sign with them with the trust fund girl in charge, though. Not a chance.

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Brutal. Thought they were playing hardball all offseason but seems like they really believed a coaching change and Lonnie Walker would be the promise land.

[thebigbird]

Lakers lied to LeBron to get him to resign. I’m sick. Lakers never getting another star to sign with them with the trust fund girl in charge, though. Not a chance.

Read on Twitter

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Brutal. Thought they were playing hardball all offseason but seems like they really believed a coaching change and Lonnie Walker would be the promise land.

It really is infuriating how they sabotaged the team. Put together a crap roster, say you want to wait 20 games before making any trades, and then when the team inevitably struggles because of the crap roster they put together, say “welp this season is a lost cause, no point in making any trades.” At this point I 100% believe it’s intentional.

[Mazter]

How can you tell a fan isn't really a fan, when they don't care about the future of the franchise....

Being a bit overdramatic aren't you?

First they got Wilt. After Wilt they got Kareem. After Kareem and Magic they got Shaq and Kobe. Somewhere along the way they got Pau. And after Kobe they got LeBron and AD.

It's the Lakers, it's not like this franchise has to depend on generational picks or secondary superstars like the Pelicans or Thunder. Other than Magic the success of this franchise was always in trading and signing. Odds are, the future of the Lakers after LeBron is an (potential) All NBA already running around in the league.

Well, that is if Pelinka and Janie can get their act together...

[Mazter]

It really is infuriating how they sabotaged the team. Put together a crap roster, say you want to wait 20 games before making any trades, and then when the team inevitably struggles because of the crap roster they put together, say “welp this season is a lost cause, no point in making any trades.” At this point I 100% believe it’s intentional.

Well, after the last Kobe tweet from Janie the word sabotage is indeed what first comes to mind.

[Joao Saraiva]

Sad to say but I'm starting to believe LeBron isn't a top 25 player anymore. Maybe dude just has no motor left. He's played defense, but with that his outside shot has fallen of a cliff or his driving skills. Seems dead on his legs. All there is left is the great playmaking.

[Joao Saraiva]

It really is infuriating how they sabotaged the team. Put together a crap roster, say you want to wait 20 games before making any trades, and then when the team inevitably struggles because of the crap roster they put together, say “welp this season is a lost cause, no point in making any trades.” At this point I 100% believe it’s intentional.

Well, after the last Kobe tweet from Janie the word sabotage is indeed what first comes to mind.

It just bothers me is that LBJ signed an extension. Without it, it makes absolute sense. I wouldn't trust the combo to be healthy or produce great results. But, if that's the case, the Lakers should have already opted to let em go and get picks and assets for the future or free cap space or whatever. This way they're just wasting what's left of LeBron.

[G35]

How can you tell a fan isn't really a fan, when they don't care about the future of the franchise....

Being a bit overdramatic aren't you?

First they got Wilt. After Wilt they got Kareem. After Kareem and Magic they got Shaq and Kobe. Somewhere along the way they got Pau. And after Kobe they got LeBron and AD.

It's the Lakers, it's not like this franchise has to depend on generational picks or secondary superstars like the Pelicans or Thunder. Other than Magic the success of this franchise was always in trading and signing. Odds are, the future of the Lakers after LeBron is an (potential) All NBA already running around in the league.

Well, that is if Pelinka and Janie can get their act together...

They had great management back then.

Jerry West got Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson to come. He had a plan. They developed Kobe as a rookie 18 year old.

Name one rookie Lebron has developed into an All Star level player.

The difference between those older times and now is that players generally stayed out of managements way. Management made the decisions even when the players disagreed. That is the whole reason why the Bulls were successful because Krause traded Polynice for Pippen. He drafted Horace Grant, BJ Armstrong and the coaching staff got Jordan to buy into a system....oh no, not the dreaded word "system".

Lets look at all the teams that have tried your way of constructing a team:
- Houston Rockets James Harden, CP3, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook
- Brooklyn Nets (2014 version) Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams
- Brooklyn Nets (2021 version) Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, James Harden
- LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard, Paul George
- OKC Thunder Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Jerami Grant

So I notice people try to have things both ways...try to have their cake and eat it to.

If the Lakers aren't like the Pelican or Thunder etc, then they have different expectations than those other franchises. We don't expect to be this bad with this type of talent on the team. Further, we don't expect to be at the bottom of the standings and missing the playoffs annually. We expect superstars to play like superstars and win games.....

[Mazter]

They had great management back then.

Jerry West got Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson to come. He had a plan. They developed Kobe as a rookie 18 year old.

Name one rookie Lebron has developed into an All Star level player.

The difference between those older times and now is that players generally stayed out of managements way. Management made the decisions even when the players disagreed. That is the whole reason why the Bulls were successful because Krause traded Polynice for Pippen. He drafted Horace Grant, BJ Armstrong and the coaching staff got Jordan to buy into a system....oh no, not the dreaded word "system".

Lets look at all the teams that have tried your way of constructing a team:
- Houston Rockets James Harden, CP3, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook
- Brooklyn Nets (2014 version) Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams
- Brooklyn Nets (2021 version) Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, James Harden
- LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard, Paul George
- OKC Thunder Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Jerami Grant

So I notice people try to have things both ways...try to have their cake and eat it to.

The only thing we can conclude of all this is that Pelinka is not half the GM West and Krause are/were. They had their plan and didn't mainly listen to their superstars. With Pelinka there is no plan, no talent recognition, really really nothing. He did one big trade for AD in which the Lakers paid the max price because he wasn't man enough to go against his superstar or he didn't have any plan of himself. Than he signed bunch of FA's which worked out and got them a championship. Afterwards he wasn't capable of keeping a championship team together or form a new contending roster around their aging and/or fading superstars. Their is really not any consistency in Pelinka's work and that has nothing to do with LeBron.

If the Lakers aren't like the Pelican or Thunder etc, then they have different expectations than those other franchises.

This is not about expectation, it's about the market, and the city of LA. 17 yr old Kobe wouldn't have forced his way out of Charlotte to go to New Orelans or Oklahoma, he wanted to go to LA. Shaq, LeBron, Wilt, all wanted to go to the Lakers mostly because of LA, and the further along the line for the Lakers history. And there will be more superstars in the years after LeBron that will want to live and play in LA for the Lakers. If any franchise their future will never be at risk it will be the Lakers'. It's not that hard of a concept to understand. Unless you have some type of agenda against LeBron that is.

[RCM88x]

How can you tell a fan isn't really a fan, when they don't care about the future of the franchise....

Being a bit overdramatic aren't you?

First they got Wilt. After Wilt they got Kareem. After Kareem and Magic they got Shaq and Kobe. Somewhere along the way they got Pau. And after Kobe they got LeBron and AD.

It's the Lakers, it's not like this franchise has to depend on generational picks or secondary superstars like the Pelicans or Thunder. Other than Magic the success of this franchise was always in trading and signing. Odds are, the future of the Lakers after LeBron is an (potential) All NBA already running around in the league.

Well, that is if Pelinka and Janie can get their act together...

They had great management back then.

Jerry West got Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson to come. He had a plan. They developed Kobe as a rookie 18 year old.

Name one rookie Lebron has developed into an All Star level player.

The difference between those older times and now is that players generally stayed out of managements way. Management made the decisions even when the players disagreed. That is the whole reason why the Bulls were successful because Krause traded Polynice for Pippen. He drafted Horace Grant, BJ Armstrong and the coaching staff got Jordan to buy into a system....oh no, not the dreaded word "system".

Lets look at all the teams that have tried your way of constructing a team:
- Houston Rockets James Harden, CP3, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook
- Brooklyn Nets (2014 version) Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams
- Brooklyn Nets (2021 version) Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, James Harden
- LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard, Paul George
- OKC Thunder Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Jerami Grant

So I notice people try to have things both ways...try to have their cake and eat it to.

If the Lakers aren't like the Pelican or Thunder etc, then they have different expectations than those other franchises. We don't expect to be this bad with this type of talent on the team. Further, we don't expect to be at the bottom of the standings and missing the playoffs annually. We expect superstars to play like superstars and win games.....

Not really gonna comment on the contents here, but I think your argument is flawed.

This is the classic example of disregarding the minority approach because it is yet to prove successful. Doesn't matter if the majority approach fails 99% of the time, it's still better than the minority approach because it has yet to prove successful.

[AEnigma]

Damn, Kobe sure is lucky he was drafted next to famous nurturer of talent Shaquille O’Neal, or else who knows what would have became of him.

Whether superstar talent is homegrown or not is irrelevant to winning basketball. Do you think Miami and Boston fans were broken up over how they cannibalised their potential for homegrown growth when they traded for superstars. To say nothing of the histories behind Philadelphia, or Phoenix, or 2000s Detroit…

But sure, definitely a “Lakers” fan.

[mcraft]

How did it go from Jerry West had a plan and they developed Kobe to LeBron not developing rookies? That’s an odd comparison.

[zimpy27]

How can you tell a fan isn't really a fan, when they don't care about the future of the franchise....

Being a bit overdramatic aren't you?

First they got Wilt. After Wilt they got Kareem. After Kareem and Magic they got Shaq and Kobe. Somewhere along the way they got Pau. And after Kobe they got LeBron and AD.

It's the Lakers, it's not like this franchise has to depend on generational picks or secondary superstars like the Pelicans or Thunder. Other than Magic the success of this franchise was always in trading and signing. Odds are, the future of the Lakers after LeBron is an (potential) All NBA already running around in the league.

Well, that is if Pelinka and Janie can get their act together...

They had great management back then.

Jerry West got Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson to come. He had a plan. They developed Kobe as a rookie 18 year old.

Name one rookie Lebron has developed into an All Star level player.

The difference between those older times and now is that players generally stayed out of managements way. Management made the decisions even when the players disagreed. That is the whole reason why the Bulls were successful because Krause traded Polynice for Pippen. He drafted Horace Grant, BJ Armstrong and the coaching staff got Jordan to buy into a system....oh no, not the dreaded word "system".

Lets look at all the teams that have tried your way of constructing a team:
- Houston Rockets James Harden, CP3, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook
- Brooklyn Nets (2014 version) Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams
- Brooklyn Nets (2021 version) Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, James Harden
- LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard, Paul George
- OKC Thunder Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Jerami Grant

So I notice people try to have things both ways...try to have their cake and eat it to.

If the Lakers aren't like the Pelican or Thunder etc, then they have different expectations than those other franchises. We don't expect to be this bad with this type of talent on the team. Further, we don't expect to be at the bottom of the standings and missing the playoffs annually. We expect superstars to play like superstars and win games.....

I don't think you're a Lakers fan.

[MartinToVaught]

How can you tell a fan isn't really a fan, when they don't care about the future of the franchise....

Being a bit overdramatic aren't you?

First they got Wilt. After Wilt they got Kareem. After Kareem and Magic they got Shaq and Kobe. Somewhere along the way they got Pau. And after Kobe they got LeBron and AD.

It's the Lakers, it's not like this franchise has to depend on generational picks or secondary superstars like the Pelicans or Thunder. Other than Magic the success of this franchise was always in trading and signing. Odds are, the future of the Lakers after LeBron is an (potential) All NBA already running around in the league.

Well, that is if Pelinka and Janie can get their act together...

Ownership and management matter. Jack Kent Cooke and Jerry Buss were good owners who hired competent basketball people. The Buss kids are buffoons who seek input on personnel decisions from bartenders and their spin class buddies. Look no further than the Knicks under Dolan to see what awful ownership can do to a franchise even when it's in a glamor market and has a prior history of success.

[falcolombardi]

Remember how people used to say that it was lebron fault that his teams were bad at team building because he wouldnt commit with a long term renovation?

This is what happens when you commit long term to a bad organization, they still will **** it up

[Run DLC]

Lakers lied to LeBron to get him to resign. I’m sick. Lakers never getting another star to sign with them with the trust fund girl in charge, though. Not a chance.

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I’m not surprised one bit. That Lakers docuseries on HULU told me everything I needed to know about Jeanie Buss.