The Lebron '20 Thread (Pt. 7)

[Heej]

NGL tho is it just me or did AD and Rondo low key commit a micro coup with that switching of the Playcall. Cuz AD in the post-game interview was like "I went to Rondo on the side and said nah give me the ball" and Vogel legit said Rondo came up to him and whispered in his ear "do you want me to inbound the ball?". And Vogel was like yeah go for it. Lmaoooo so my little conspiracy theory is that AD Lebron and Rondo both know AD gotta take over eventually and LeBron's expecting to get 1 more year as the man wearing 23 and AD and Rondo are like nah ADs hungry and wants that mantle now. It just seemed a little more personal to AD

How do y'all even come up with this stuff? Going back to his rookie year, the one thing LeBron has never shied away from is having the last play being drawn up for someone else or having the ball himself and passing it to someone else to score. I highly doubt when he knew his offense wasn't even on he would care one iota that the ball was going to AD. No way Rondo and AD are just changing the playcall on their own like that.

Lmao you may be right about that, but I'd also to point out that LeBron is also very thirsty to take those shots too like the one where he said he scratched David Blatt's play.

And it might really be just based on a whole lot of nothing. I guess it was just the vibe of ADs post-game interview that made me think this shot was personal to him. Cuz I've seen this kind of energy before on basketball teams I've been on when I was younger where there's a young alpha coming into his own that wants to step out of the older and more established alpha's shadow. And it's not malicious, just a big bro-little bro "I'm HERE now" kind of moment.

And TBH I love to see it because that's what true greatness is made of. To demand those moments and those shots. Coincidentally this is why I think I'll always believe in Kuz panning out eventually and his mentality. Because I personally believe every player needs to be both maximally invested yet slightly uncomfortable in their own role in order to develop. Kuz is 100% invested in being the best that he can be in the role that he's in but he'll never give up on reaching that star role either which I like. And TBH you even saw some of that hunger for more in Danny Green yesterday when he took it coast to coast on that layup instead of giving it up. It's little micro-victories here and there that build your game up.

There's this one elite NBA trainer Drew Hanlen who trains a bunch of guys like Beal, Tatum, Embiid, etc who preaches mastering the role that you're in but working towards the role that you want. And that's kind of what I saw with AD in that he's mastering the 1a/1b role whichever one he's in right now but he's 10000% working towards taking over as the undisputed alpha from LeBron and not being content in being the older alphas shadow (again, not maliciously this is just part of the growth arc of an all time great cuz they're mentally different).

This is also why Kuz is taking his matchup with MPJ so damn personally because they're both the types of guys that will always work towards that star role while simultaneously trying to make the most out of the complementary role that they're in. So yeah, I'm sure it sounds just stupid to you that there's any kind of turmoil over this; but to me this is kind of just what I've seen of basketball as a microcosm of human nature and the inherent friction you see with the turning of generations.

[JLei]

I'll say it's very interesting to see Lebron manage his energy through out these games and how they've worked his substitution pattern. It's the clearest sign of why he isn't at his peak anymore.

But also shows why the Lakers out performed their point differential (good clutch team especially defensively). That last 5 minute stretch where it's a few minutes (TV timeout, teams using timeouts in excess of 3 before the 3 minute mark, out of bounds review, challenge) let's him go peak output on both ends.

The other time he's really using energy is those beginning of 2nd quarter and 4th quarter stretches where he's against subs and generally most of the Laker plus/minus is coming from.

It's quick bursts for him. But he's gassing out so much quicker than he used to and you can clearly see it in these second halfs. He is trying to save it but at times when his team comes out flat, he will turn it on (Houston Game 3, last night) but he can only sustain it for a little bit. It's kind of stunning his half court creation ability between On and Off at this point (it goes from 18 Lebron to 15 Lebron).

Luckily he has AD, if his bursts can get them a lead/ keep them in it. They can ride someone else while he recharges/ if he's empty.

[KTM_2813]

IIRC, the Lakers' fourth quarter offense has been low-key disappointing all year. Their percentage of scoring at the rim nosedives, in part because they go to the "LeBron iso" offense, and they basically stop looking for transition opportunities. It's not that they've been bad, but what happened last night against the Nuggets wasn't completely surprising. Hopefully, this debacle serves as a bit of a wake-up call. Denver can make the series close if Los Angeles doesn't make some offense adjustments.

Their late game offense has been a concern of mine all season long. To their credit they haven’t had to worry about it too much in the playoffs but I think it could be a slight problem going forward.

I don’t anticipate them deviating from the Lebron perimeter ISOs late in the game but the Lakers could really put teams away much earlier if they play with more pace, attack earlier in the shot clock, have Lebron operate in the post more, or ran actions for AD. Lebron’s preference to the slow the game to a halt late in the fourth is not beneficial for this team like it was for his previous teams.

It's a concern to me too, but they're now 51-0 when leading after the third quarter this season. As ugly as it gets at times in the 4th, they get the job done.

Great points all around. On the one hand, they're 51-0 when leading after three quarters, so they're clearly doing something right. On the other hand, they don't play to any of their usual strengths on offense, which is worth being a bit concerned about. I'm very curious to see if anything changes in Game 3.

[Mos_Heat]

I'll say it's very interesting to see Lebron manage his energy through out these games and how they've worked his substitution pattern. It's the clearest sign of why he isn't at his peak anymore.

But also shows why the Lakers out performed their point differential (good clutch team especially defensively). That last 5 minute stretch where it's a few minutes (TV timeout, teams using timeouts in excess of 3 before the 3 minute mark, out of bounds review, challenge) let's him go peak output on both ends.

The other time he's really using energy is those beginning of 2nd quarter and 4th quarter stretches where he's against subs and generally most of the Laker plus/minus is coming from.

It's quick bursts for him. But he's gassing out so much quicker than he used to and you can clearly see it in these second halfs. He is trying to save it but at times when his team comes out flat, he will turn it on (Houston Game 3, last night) but he can only sustain it for a little bit. It's kind of stunning his half court creation ability between On and Off at this point (it goes from 18 Lebron to 15 Lebron).

Luckily he has AD, if his bursts can get them a lead/ keep them in it. They can ride someone else while he recharges/ if he's empty.

It surely feels he's on his last legs.

[Heej]

Yup that's what happens as you age, the motor declines more than your explosiveness. Mad props to Vogel for following the sports science on it and shortening LeBron's stints so he never redlines. I think once this team coalesces into it's correct identity behind AD as the major hub we'll see Vogel actually be able to build an offensive system around it with continuity. The future for this team is extremely bright. It's crazy to think that we might be seeing the new age Magic and Kareem with these two. Swagtime Lakers lololol

[Dupp]

So lebron has 20 points with 7.43 left in the second. That’s a lot of tine to only score 6 more points

[MyUniBroDavis]

Lebron gonna turn up in the finals lol

[Mazter]

So lebron has 20 points with 7.43 left in the second. That’s a lot of tine to only score 6 more points

Oddly enough, 6 points is what Anthony Davis had in the first 19.43 (you could even extend that to 22.13 if you like) of the game. Obviously it happens...

[yoyoboy]

I'm a little worried about Spo or Stevens game planning against LeBron to be honest. Houston and Denver have both shown they can make him really uncomfortable trying to score in the half court when they pack the paint for his driving lane and go under the screen on the PnR to dare him to take the pull up three, and both teams have even better coaching and even better personnel to execute the scheme.

[xb3at band1tx]

I still trust in Bron to make adjustments

[JulesWinnfield]

Their late game offense has been a concern of mine all season long. To their credit they haven’t had to worry about it too much in the playoffs but I think it could be a slight problem going forward.

I don’t anticipate them deviating from the Lebron perimeter ISOs late in the game but the Lakers could really put teams away much earlier if they play with more pace, attack earlier in the shot clock, have Lebron operate in the post more, or ran actions for AD. Lebron’s preference to the slow the game to a halt late in the fourth is not beneficial for this team like it was for his previous teams.

It's a concern to me too, but they're now 51-0 when leading after the third quarter this season. As ugly as it gets at times in the 4th, they get the job done.

Great points all around. On the one hand, they're 51-0 when leading after three quarters, so they're clearly doing something right. On the other hand, they don't play to any of their usual strengths on offense, which is worth being a bit concerned about. I'm very curious to see if anything changes in Game 3.

51-0 when leading after 3? That’s beyond absurd. Says a lot about this team. If they stay perfect it’s one of the more amazing stats I’ve heard about a team in a single season.

[dcstanley]

I want to see Bron a little more aggressive with his pull up three. If the Nuggets are going to dare him to shoot he has the ability to make them pay. His jumper has been on this postseason.

[Joey Wheeler]

All the bickering about who deserves more credit etc.. on this team has gotten so draining. Like can't we wait until after the season concludes to discuss who should win FMVP and what that would mean to each players legacy? Really quite annoying honestly. Still a lot of games that need to be played.

People are discussing Finals MVP before a single game of the Finals has actually been played

This wouldn't even be a thing if Jordan hadn't won 6. In reality, both Lebron and AD could feasibly be the best player over a 4-7 game stretch and it demonstrates absolutely nothing.

[Ian Scuffling]

Ahhh, the usual suspects kvetching about a bad game by Lebron. He's human after all. But, this is why he wanted so badly. For the first time in his career, he can lean on someone else for once. What a loser

[GSP]

I'm a little worried about Spo or Stevens game planning against LeBron to be honest. Houston and Denver have both shown they can make him really uncomfortable trying to score in the half court when they pack the paint for his driving lane and go under the screen on the PnR to dare him to take the pull up three, and both teams have even better coaching and even better personnel to execute the scheme.

Did Houston really make him uncomfortable? I dont remember that. As for Denver its been 2 games and game 1 was over early on too. Seems like a big stretch.

[xb3at band1tx]

Yeah to me HOU was the Bron series lol

He laid his stamp down in that series and I don't think he was at his full gear.

[Joey Wheeler]

I'm a little worried about Spo or Stevens game planning against LeBron to be honest. Houston and Denver have both shown they can make him really uncomfortable trying to score in the half court when they pack the paint for his driving lane and go under the screen on the PnR to dare him to take the pull up three, and both teams have even better coaching and even better personnel to execute the scheme.

They have ? Can't even imagine what would have happened in the Houston series especially if Lebron was "comfortable"

[GSP]

I'm a little worried about Spo or Stevens game planning against LeBron to be honest. Houston and Denver have both shown they can make him really uncomfortable trying to score in the half court when they pack the paint for his driving lane and go under the screen on the PnR to dare him to take the pull up three, and both teams have even better coaching and even better personnel to execute the scheme.

They have ? Can't even imagine what would have happened in the Houston series especially if Lebron was "comfortable"

Yeah not sure what thats about lol. yoyoboy has taken Ig2's mantle as the resident pessimist

[Joey Wheeler]

Click on this link to see all of his tweet who doubted of the lakers all year long!

Read on Twitter

This is funny!

Just saw this now.



This might be the single worst basketball take ever

[xb3at band1tx]

I'm expecting Denver's best punch tmrw (sans Refs)

Confident Bron has a bounce-back half.