(LOCK THREAD) The LeBron James- 23-24 NBA Thread - 40K POINTS+(Part 1)(NO INSULTING)

[PistolPeteJR]

That's super reactive. Beal and Booker were cooking everyone. May as well send Christie to the G league and Reddish to Siberia.

Reaves hasn't been getting cooked on defense only today. It's been the case all year. That's why I said, "since his offensive load has increased".

He's a POA defender. He'd be more effective under Vogel and really in his rookie year he was most effective defensively.

But he still does well with Davis backing him...he does poorly with Wood or Hayes backing him

If you count on him being a POA defender, that seems to nerf him on offense where his energy level depletes and he starts turning it over a bunch more and misses shots a ton. And then when he's forced to defend in ISO, particularly come playoff time where that will increase against good teams (assuming they make it), that's not going to be good for the Lakers either. He's gonna get targeted relentlessly.

[Heej]

I'd argue Reaves is just a POS defender

[PistolPeteJR]

Watch on YouTube

Knowing how much of an anti-LeBron homer Nick is, this is interesting.

[dcstanley]

That's super reactive. Beal and Booker were cooking everyone. May as well send Christie to the G league and Reddish to Siberia.

Reaves hasn't been getting cooked on defense only today. It's been the case all year. That's why I said, "since his offensive load has increased".

He's a POA defender. He'd be more effective under Vogel and really in his rookie year he was most effective defensively.

But he still does well with Davis backing him...he does poorly with Wood or Hayes backing him

Reaves is awful on the ball. He did well last season in the playoffs as a chaser but was still mediocre in other areas. This season, he's downright terrible guarding the ball.

[zimpy27]

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Knowing how much of an anti-LeBron homer Nick is, this is interesting.

I was in there fighting with every Raptor fan on game day thread. It was an avalanche of nonsense.

Majority of people just don't understand the rules of the NBA or basketball. It's the only explanation.
Maybe I am more aware because I was a ref for several years as a teenager but it really feels like a general education is needed. Even the Brown-Hield fiasco was wrong, refs got that call right by the rule book.

[zimpy27]

Murray+Capela could be interesting package for DLo, Rui, LAL29FRP, LAL28swap

Murray, Reddish, LeBron, Wood, Davis -- Vincent, Reaves, Prince, Vando, Capela

[tsherkin]

Well his numbers are the same when he played SF role. So compared to 19-20, they aren't getting more from him. The reduced size.means they have less possessions. Less possessions needs better efficiency to even out. They've lessened possessions with Davis to 5 and LeBron to 4 but haven't improved efficiency.

But again, aside from offensive rebounding, he is actually contributing to their strength on the defensive glass, so that's a moot point.

You can certainly argue that he is not doing enough on the O boards, but it didn't stop them in 2020. They did, of course, have Dwight and McGee at that time. That season, they had centers who hit the offensive glass, and Anthony Davis was the mediocre one at the 4. Lebron is a known commodity as an offensive rebounder in his late 30s... and it isn't because he's very prolific there. That isn't going to change. He has enough other weight of responsibility on him, and LA has made it work without strength at the 4 on the offensive glass before. Regardless, it isn't going to change, so what they need to emphasize is ball protection and generating deflections and turnovers.

[MyUniBroDavis]

I'd argue Reaves is just a POS defender

This is hilarious lmfao

[MyUniBroDavis]

I’m happy we beat the raptors and the ft disparity being argued was dumb, but it was more the raptors not getting calls than the Lakers getting too many

The Christie board probably wasn’t a foul though

[zimpy27]

Well his numbers are the same when he played SF role. So compared to 19-20, they aren't getting more from him. The reduced size.means they have less possessions. Less possessions needs better efficiency to even out. They've lessened possessions with Davis to 5 and LeBron to 4 but haven't improved efficiency.

But again, aside from offensive rebounding, he is actually contributing to their strength on the defensive glass, so that's a moot point.

You can certainly argue that he is not doing enough on the O boards, but it didn't stop them in 2020. They did, of course, have Dwight and McGee at that time. That season, they had centers who hit the offensive glass, and Anthony Davis was the mediocre one at the 4. Lebron is a known commodity as an offensive rebounder in his late 30s... and it isn't because he's very prolific there. That isn't going to change. He has enough other weight of responsibility on him, and LA has made it work without strength at the 4 on the offensive glass before. Regardless, it isn't going to change, so what they need to emphasize is ball protection and generating deflections and turnovers.

That's the point I'm trying to make.

Davis was a 4 in 19-20
He's moved to a 5 and upped his rebounding but especially OREBs.

LeBron has moved from 3 to 4 in same frame but hasn't upped the OREB numbers.

That switch is fine if it fruits better offensive efficiency but it hasn't produced better efficiency. So they are worse.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Lakers could improve efficiency or look to increase possessions.

Drummond right now has been incredible at getting extra possessions.


Murray+Drummond could be an interesting upgrade for Lakers.

Murray starting let's you start Wood IMO as you get 2 guard defenders that can switch on the court.

Murray, Reddish, LeBron, Wood, Davis
DLo, Reaves, Prince, Vando, Drummond


Trade JHS+Rui+FRP for Murray+Drummond

[tsherkin]

That's the point I'm trying to make.

Davis was a 4 in 19-20
He's moved to a 5 and upped his rebounding but especially OREBs.

But he's still quite a bit worse than were Dwight and McGee at the time, which is more the issue than Lebron.

You can get ORB from your 5 and you can get them from your 3. Lebron does enough; leaning on him to do more there isn't the answer, particularly when the 5 isn't really showing through in that regard.

That switch is fine if it fruits better offensive efficiency but it hasn't produced better efficiency. So they are worse.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Lakers could improve efficiency or look to increase possessions.

I'm with you on that second part. They very much need to increase their efficiency and work on the turnover angle from both sides of the game. That much is fairly evident. And as you've stated a number of times, LA losing the possession game is a problem.

Murray+Drummond could be an interesting upgrade for Lakers.

Mmmm. I'd worry about that because Drummond doesn't do much else BUT hit the boards, but it might work, I guess. Couldn't hurt to try at this point, I suppose!

[Heej]

I'd argue Reaves is just a POS defender

This is hilarious lmfao

Gotta say it's uncanny how identical both our sense of humor are to eachother

[Heej]

People are extremely extremely low on Dejounte Murray's defense everywhere I see. Everything I know about basketball and basketball fandom is screaming buy the f***ing dip on this cuz the majority is almost always wrong lol

[zimpy27]

That's the point I'm trying to make.

Davis was a 4 in 19-20
He's moved to a 5 and upped his rebounding but especially OREBs.

But he's still quite a bit worse than were Dwight and McGee at the time, which is more the issue than Lebron.

You can get ORB from your 5 and you can get them from your 3. Lebron does enough; leaning on him to do more there isn't the answer, particularly when the 5 isn't really showing through in that regard.

That switch is fine if it fruits better offensive efficiency but it hasn't produced better efficiency. So they are worse.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Lakers could improve efficiency or look to increase possessions.

I'm with you on that second part. They very much need to increase their efficiency and work on the turnover angle from both sides of the game. That much is fairly evident. And as you've stated a number of times, LA losing the possession game is a problem.

Murray+Drummond could be an interesting upgrade for Lakers.

Mmmm. I'd worry about that because Drummond doesn't do much else BUT hit the boards, but it might work, I guess. Couldn't hurt to try at this point, I suppose!

Yeah and Murray hasn't been an efficient scorer. So bring him in makes me.wonder what Lakers are thinking here.

They need to either increase possession differential or TS% differential to opponent.

Murray is a good possession player because he orchestrates an offense but also gets OREBs and Steals to make up for TOs. But he's not an efficient scorer.

Wood is actually good with possessions and efficiency, probably why he's had good offensive metrics in his career. Woods +/- with LeBron is by far the best 2-man combo on the Lakers. So I would like to see him as a starter. Pushes LeBron back to a 3 and really makes them big like 19-20.

Capela is another option over Drummond, he's better and costs more. Murray+Capela would be a boon but not sure if I'd want to move Reaves (efficiency) for this combo and not sure Lakers can get it without Murray.

[Heej]

Reaves hasn't been getting cooked on defense only today. It's been the case all year. That's why I said, "since his offensive load has increased".

He's a POA defender. He'd be more effective under Vogel and really in his rookie year he was most effective defensively.

But he still does well with Davis backing him...he does poorly with Wood or Hayes backing him

Reaves is awful on the ball. He did well last season in the playoffs as a chaser but was still mediocre in other areas. This season, he's downright terrible guarding the ball.

And off the ball he's the worst over-helper, closeout defender, and in recognizing Xing out rotations. He has the worst plus minus on the team. You don't arrive at that without actually being spectacularly bad at everything. Need to sell high on this chump as soon as possible. The second they moved him up on the opponent scouting report he got exposed and the league has been really slow to catch on to it.

Anyone that goes to Team USA and actually takes a step back the next season is a blaring red flag. He does not pass the litmus test for being a core player imo. No one that's a real baller in this league responded like that after their Team USA experience

[Heej]

That's the point I'm trying to make.

Davis was a 4 in 19-20
He's moved to a 5 and upped his rebounding but especially OREBs.

But he's still quite a bit worse than were Dwight and McGee at the time, which is more the issue than Lebron.

You can get ORB from your 5 and you can get them from your 3. Lebron does enough; leaning on him to do more there isn't the answer, particularly when the 5 isn't really showing through in that regard.

That switch is fine if it fruits better offensive efficiency but it hasn't produced better efficiency. So they are worse.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Lakers could improve efficiency or look to increase possessions.

I'm with you on that second part. They very much need to increase their efficiency and work on the turnover angle from both sides of the game. That much is fairly evident. And as you've stated a number of times, LA losing the possession game is a problem.

Murray+Drummond could be an interesting upgrade for Lakers.

Mmmm. I'd worry about that because Drummond doesn't do much else BUT hit the boards, but it might work, I guess. Couldn't hurt to try at this point, I suppose!

Yeah and Murray hasn't been an efficient scorer. So bring him in makes me.wonder what Lakers are thinking here.

They need to either increase possession differential or TS% differential to opponent.

Murray is a good possession player because he orchestrates an offense but also gets OREBs and Steals to make up for TOs. But he's not an efficient scorer.

Wood is actually good with possessions and efficiency, probably why he's had good offensive metrics in his career. Woods +/- with LeBron is by far the best 2-man combo on the Lakers. So I would like to see him as a starter. Pushes LeBron back to a 3 and really makes them big like 19-20.

Capela is another option over Drummond, he's better and costs more. Murray+Capela would be a boon but not sure if I'd want to move Reaves (efficiency) for this combo and not sure Lakers can get it without Murray.

Murray sounds like he'll be a slightly better fitting Westbrook. As far as pure fit on this team no one scales like Lavine. And I personally am willing to bet he makes a small leap on defense the way JR did. His fluidity, deceleration, explosion, and length all profile as the stuff that makes up a good defender. Lacking strength, motor, and IQ tho but something tells me playing with LeBron and real championship hopes will magically fix those last 2.

[tsherkin]

Yeah and Murray hasn't been an efficient scorer. So bring him in makes me.wonder what Lakers are thinking here.

Dejounte Murray?

Yeah, but he is shooting 39% from 3. So even as a -2% rTS guy or whatever he is this season, he might provide value by way of spacing. He's a 10% TOV guy for the second straight season, so that's another thing in the possession game we are discussing, for sure. He is also a +1.5 O-EPM player, which isn't amazing but would potentially be helpful.

Pushes LeBron back to a 3 and really makes them big like 19-20.

I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. LBJ can't handle being a 3 defensively at this point, he just doesn't have the stamina/quickness at his age. He needs to hide at the 4. I think LA needs to work around that until they're ready to part ways from Lebron, to be honest. And there are many ways yet still to do that.


Murray and Drummond is an interesting thought. It comes with defensive questions, but it might improve the O.

[nzahir]

Yeah I said it before, Reaves defense is target-able

We cant have him switching everything everytime

He needs to be in more of a chaser or poa role

I just dont see the fit with DJM and his value seems overhyped. but maybe I dont know him well enough

Someone here sell me on DJM

He ight. Probably a Reaves level player, tho he peaked for a single season in SAS as probably a top 20 player, but considering he never had a season as good prior and a season as good after, thats probably an abberation. He helps defensively, but the Lakers problems are in the offensive halfcourt where im not sure he provides more value. But you can play him with DLO in a way you cant Reaves, which means youre removing either Reddish or Vando from the SL which should improve the offensive.

ATL should want more than Reaves and i dont think the Lakers are in a position to give more. So i dont see a trade happening

This is the issue

I bet he comes here and shoots in the low 30s% from 3 and his defense is a bit above avg at this point for a guard

Ideal scenario is becoming more clear to me that its Lavine and a SF to replace Rui

1) Rui, Dlo, and JHS for Lavine straight up. Maybe a 3rd team like NY takes Dlo and Chi gets Fournier and 1-2 2nds from NY? Rui can be moved later for them or play for Chi. JHS was a 1st this year and you hope he becomes a combo guard that can play solid D. Chi starts their rebuild

2) Vincent+2nd, swap(s)+salary filler (Hayes and or Reddish) basically for any SF like DFS.

I feel like a swap in 26 and 28, plus Maxwell Lewis and or 1-2 2nds would work

[MyUniBroDavis]

People are extremely extremely low on Dejounte Murray's defense everywhere I see. Everything I know about basketball and basketball fandom is screaming buy the f***ing dip on this cuz the majority is almost always wrong lol

When a guy plays great defense a few years and has a big dip I assume they aren’t trying as hard on that end

It’s also for Reaves lol

[MyUniBroDavis]

I have now seen the hour+ cranjis video

I’m more fine with the team, basically the same thoughts I had in terms of how good he thinks the roster is are pretty much the same, but Ham is a war criminal lmfao Jesus Christ