The LeBron Thread (merged)

[Spanish_Laker]

Only reason I'd trade LeBron is if we go through this off season and don't acquire an all-star level impact player... Won't be AD unless a miracle happens... But if Cousins shows he can play this season, maybe him if we lose out on Kawhi...

The team was built to acquire another superstar... Not surround LeBron with role players... If we can't do that, there's no real point keeping LeBron.

Facts. It would be really sad to waste LeBron's last years at the highest level on a borderline playoff team. Next summer is 1-2 more superstars or bust.

[zimpy27]

So LeBron almost cracked... [url]https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/251634/LeBron-James-I-Almost-Cracked-Last-Week
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Not trying to flame him, but, I would love if that quote was a little more about his play than about the young team... Because he's at least a big part of the problem right now... I think the young guys were counting on him to lead on D as well... Instead, we've had to find ways to cover for him... It's been a huge problem for us.
That and he's been anything but a rock for us in the 4th... No matter what else we do... And no flame job intended... But LeBron clearly needs to get better if we consider ourselves a playoff team...

Yes, the rest of the team does too... But a leader doesn't deflect.

I presume he is talking about his role, he's learning off-ball and is getting impatient because he has less control than ever. He said that he almost cracked but it's been good for him. This is the one thing that has been different. Last season was a much bigger shambles and disappointment than the start of this season.

[milesfides]

I disagree. Lebron is promoting the narrative that the kids are letting him down. Some obvious problems with that story. As he himself admits, he already knew the limitations of this team coming in. Second, he has a major problem with accountability. He is a major cause of our poor defense - we’re a worse defensive team than last year without him, despite the addition of JaVale McGee. Instead of setting an example, as a leader and superstar should, he’s deflecting and expecting the team to compensate for his weaknesses. Thus, Tyson Chandler. Clearly Lebron is pushing for his “dawgs” or veterans that fit his needs. He’s run this scheme in Cleveland, which chased Kyrie out and set them far back with terrible contracts. But of course he bounced when it didn’t suit him and let them stuck with the bill.

He’s doing it again. He’s exploiting the Lakers franchise for his last ditch effort for a title run. He will push to sell low on all our assets to fit his timeline, to squeeze into his rapidly closing window.

That’s why Lebron has no patience and is in fact, desperate. It’s creating a conflict of interest, because he himself is a bad long term investment, and he will also pressure the team to make other bad long term investments.

If KD and Kawhi pass on Team Lebron, which second rate max player will the Lakers sign? Does anybody think the Lakers will patiently and sensibly wait for the following year? No. Max for an injured Demarcus Cousins? Max for Kemba Walker?

Either way, it’s bad for the Lakers. I don’t think Lebron survives this season with his reputation intact. We must move him before the trade deadline before his value is shot.

We’ve let the devil in our home. Cast him out.

[Landsberger]

There is another side to this that could be a distinct possibility. When Bron signed he could have agreed to come here provided we moved some of the young guys for more veteran help. We were fairly deep in talks with SA and the George stuff at the time. I can't imagine the discussion centered on this team we have with his window of opportunity.

The way a lot of that stuff went down around that time (Randle, the Leonard stuff and George) tells me that we struck out with some things we were trying to do. Ball decided to have his surgery around that time too.

My guess is this isn't the team he was expecting. Some youth but some "ready" help as well.

And to Milesfides.... There is no possible way that we trade Bron.... just isn't happening. We're riding him up or down but one thing is for sure.... we're going along for the ride.

I still think it will turn out just fine. We'll see how the deadline plays out this year. We can sign a top player or we can trade for one. They picked up the pieces and have vet salary to mix in with the youth to get top talent by trade as well.

[milesfides]

That’s hypothetical, but either way that supports my point that Lebron will force management to appease him with immediate help. Unfortunately, that pressure can force the Lakers to make bad or less than ideal deals. In fact, call it highly likely considering that Magic threw Luke under the Team Lebron bus.

And “turn out just fine”? We’ve got the albatross contract of an aging and declining one-way player for the next four years, we’ll likely sell low on our young, rookie-contract talent amassed over three painful seasons, for the merely second-rate stars willing to play with Lebron and try to make up for his deficiencies?

That’s going to win championships?

Sorry, but we’ve all seen this movie before. Kobe was the best, but he got old and hurt and overpaid and set our franchise back for years. When you try to build around that, it has and will always fail.

Because there are actually teams out there with the actual best players in their prime. That’s what we’re up against. What are we doing here.

[Spanish_Laker]

What's the implicit meaning of "shooting an elephant", by the way?

[milesfides]

Orwell.

[kinste]

Lebron is the best, but i think from bith sides it was not really smart to sign him up for 4 years. 2+1 or 3 years would have been perfect. As a Lebron fan, not a Lakers fan i don't feel good About a 37 year old making 40 Million. I don't think you can win a title with a guy that old taking so much of your cap.

[Dr Aki]

Watch on YouTube

[thebigbird]

Time to close this thread down.

[Spanish_Laker]

44-10-9-3 5-6 3pt on Year 16. No one could ever do this in the history of the game. Nobody but the GOAT.

[bb22]

Kobe always had niggling injuries. He just played through them.

LeBron's been the picture of health. Dude also has his mind in the right place in regards to taking care of his body, from his knees, to his back.

If there's anyone to bet on to last the distance, you couldn't ask for anyone better than LeBron

I think that’s where that mamba mentality hurts you. Kobe was so lethal and never once backed down or played passive. But that relentlessness eventually took a toll on his body. I think a lot of people confuse lebrons laziness and passiveness, label it as fear or not caring, when in fact it is most often calculated restraint/sacrifice for the long term goal.
No doubt luck has a lot to do with avoiding injury, but the cerebral aspect cannot be underestimated. Looking at Lavert, that was a serious injury that he could have avoided by channeling that adrenaline, reading the situation, and not going for a high risk play.

[milesfides]

Kobe scored 60 points in his final game. That didn’t undo the fact that he was done being a top player for the previous three years. Lebron will definitely have great games this season. So will Jamal Murray.

This is actually great for his trade value, especially with our easy schedule coming up. As long as enough people believe Lebron is arguably the best player in the league, we can trade him for the actual best players in the league.

[Kilroy]

Watch on YouTube

Shannon Sharp in a goat head mask is deeply disturbing on so many levels...

Dude looks like a giant laughing demon anyway.

[Hoopz Afrik]

Kobe scored 60 points in his final game. That didn’t undo the fact that he was done being a top player for the previous three years. Lebron will definitely have great games this season. So will Jamal Murray.

This is actually great for his trade value, especially with our easy schedule coming up. As long as enough people believe Lebron is arguably the best player in the league, we can trade him for the actual best players in the league.

The Lakers could win the next 4 championships and LeBron win the next 4 FMVPs and I'm convinced you'd still take exception to him being on this team.

[TylersLakers]

LeBron's fine. He's not going to have his foot on the gas pedal for 20 games a season. I get it, I accept it begrudgingly.

When he needs to bring it, he will and he'll do it better than anyone in the league. Maybe ever.

[Beethoven]

Watch on YouTube

Shannon Sharp in a goat head mask is deeply disturbing on so many levels...

Dude looks like a giant laughing demon anyway.

I don't like the way he talks on this show. So over the top and very annoying to listen to.

[mademan]

Kobe scored 60 points in his final game. That didn’t undo the fact that he was done being a top player for the previous three years. Lebron will definitely have great games this season. So will Jamal Murray.

This is actually great for his trade value, especially with our easy schedule coming up. As long as enough people believe Lebron is arguably the best player in the league, we can trade him for the actual best players in the league.

Lebron the commodity will never be traded. Even if his oncourt production takes a percipitious decline, he's still, by far, the most popular player in the NBA and, likely, most popular athlete in the US. No team will ever trade him

[milesfides]

Kobe scored 60 points in his final game. That didn’t undo the fact that he was done being a top player for the previous three years. Lebron will definitely have great games this season. So will Jamal Murray.

This is actually great for his trade value, especially with our easy schedule coming up. As long as enough people believe Lebron is arguably the best player in the league, we can trade him for the actual best players in the league.

The Lakers could win the next 4 championships and LeBron win the next 4 FMVPs and I'm convinced you'd still take exception to him being on this team.

Of course not. I'm simply stating facts. He's entered the high risk phase of injury and/or decline. How much decline? That would be hard to predict exactly, but he's already been an average defender for the past three seasons - fact. In other words, he's not the best player in the league. Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and Steph Curry have all clearly surpassed him.

If we're trying to win championships, we're already at a disadvantage. And as he gets even older, he will get worse. So I just don't see the logic of betting on Lebron. He's a bad bet.

[stan francisco]

Miles and Barkley sitting in a tree.

You make great points, miles. I agree with many of them.

But LBJ still won’t be traded.