The Lebron '20 Thread (Pt. 7)

[limbo]

AD is better than Giannis. Holy hell aside from maybe peak Durant I can't think of a player that would be better next to Bron.

I'm pretty sure even Durant wouldn't be better than AD next to Bron...

Nevermind that there's a huge defensive gap between the two, offensively, Davis just works with LeBron better because he's able to play beter around the paint than Durant. He's a bigger finishing threat off an inside pass, better rebounder, better low post player, bigger threat as a screener as well, because he can pop like Durant can, but Durant can't roll as effectively as Davis can, he doesn't have that power to bully people.

Durant is better at creating his own offense, but when you have Bron on your team, that matters way less. And it's not like AD is bad at creating his own offense either.

Durant also has some weird isolation tendencies and is generally more ball dominant than Davis. Davis is able to get to the line over 10x per game without dominating the ball as much. He's just a more physically player than Durant.

[JVL]

I firmly believe an assembled Big 3 doesn't work, especially with grandpa LeBron. Golden State pulled it off because they drafted Steph, Klay, Draymond. Miami pulled it off because LeBron was in his prime but I also haven't forgotten the constant struggles they had to put ring-chasing vets next to Bron/Bosh/Wade.

The current Lakers model is already rough in having 2 max superstars and trying to surround them with depth and the right talent.

If Lakers win they probably won't have that much trouble upgrading roster depth. The value of some role players went up dramatically in my opinion, compared to what they were worth before the season started.
They'll need a third guy who can take scoring load off Lebron and have Lebron play an even bigger distributor role to set up AD. AD might be the best Robin to ever exist when it's all said and done, but I don't think he's that great of a Batman for a team with title aspirations.

[frica]

AD is no #1, but he's one hell of a #2.
Few players could complement a superstar as well as Davis.

Durant is better if basketball was just about carrying a bunch of scrubs the farthest.
But AD is better on a championship team. Defence and off-ball scoring always translates.

[dcstanley]

I mean Dwight and Markieff are minimum guys and they're key rotational pieces in the finals. If Beal was obtainable (he isn't), the Lakers would likely cruise to a championship. I'm sure they could fill the roster out with competent role players that are willing to take a ring chasing discount.

Of course, they don't really need him but I'll be honest in saying I don't like this roster's chances to repeat. I think they need another ball-handler/shot-creator since Rondo is a prime regression candidate.

[limbo]

Watching AD dominate to a historic level this postseason has made me go back in hindsight and realise just how god awful Wade and Bosh were for supposed all-stars, Top 10 level players, in 3/4 of the Heatles Playoff runs they played together...

Like somehow, both of those guys struggled averaging 15 ppg in the 2013 PS, and this is straight up in the first two rounds of the Eastern conference against some middle of the pack teams... This was whilst playing with peak shooting version of LeBron (58% FG, 38% 3pt) and other elite shooters like Allen, Battier, Mike Miller... also Chalmers was a decent shooter and Bosh himself was technically a stretch 4 at the time, and Wade still averaged 13.5 ppg on 52%TS... Jesus... almost 40-year old Ray Allen averaged more points than Wade in the 1st round, and Norris Cole who wasn't even an NBA level player wasn't far behind Wade's total in round 2...

I have some sympathy for Bosh because he was an oversized SF asked to play Center with Battier by his side, against frontcourts like Noah/Boozer/Deng, Hibbert/West/PG and the Celtics/Spurs... dude was doing his best just to stay alive out there, and offensively he was relegated to 3rd wheel spot up shooter because they need to bring out all the rim protection.

But damn... People always said LeBron stacked his deck when he choose to go to Miami, but seeing LeBron play with this Lakers cast now, and even some od those Cleveland casts in 2016 and 2017 specifically, gave me new found appreciation for the Miami version of LeBron... That team had such a lack of size and rim protection that they had to give Joel 'stone hands' Anthony proper minutes and resurrect Birdman from the grave... and Wade simply didn't show up as much as is required from a guy that's filling up the role of the 2nd in command offensively. Kyrie did that a lot better, to say nothing of AD who is taking it to a whole different level.

[Homer38]

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[Mos_Heat]

I mean Dwight and Markieff are minimum guys and they're key rotational pieces in the finals. If Beal was obtainable (he isn't), the Lakers would likely cruise to a championship. I'm sure they could fill the roster out with competent role players that are willing to take a ring chasing discount.

Of course, they don't really need him but I'll be honest in saying I don't like this roster's chances to repeat. I think they need another ball-handler/shot-creator since Rondo is a prime regression candidate.

They will probably give Dwight BAE and Kieff won't have a strong market, so he might take vet min for the next szn.

I generally agree, if they win it would be very tough to repeat.

[Homer38]

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[Homer38]

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[Dupp]

Dwight with a lot of unselfish extra passes to AD under the rim. Really great game by all bar the last quarter.

[Homer38]

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One of the best duo ever for a single season

[MisterHibachi]

As I said before the series, the Nuggets are a better team and tougher match up for the Lakers than the Heat. Jokic and Murray are a special duo, and I think people are still underestimating them.

[kayess]

As I said before the series, the Nuggets are a better team and tougher match up for the Lakers than the Heat. Jokic and Murray are a special duo, and I think people are still underestimating them.

The Heat were getting torn apart by the Heat PNRs in the first... and it took all of 6 minutes for them to figure out what they were doing wrong, adjust, and just basically never give the Heat a free bucket for the rest of the game. Goran's no pushover either - guy looked like Nash-lite even during his Phoenix days, and he's recaptured some of that form in the playoffs.

By contrast - it took putting LeBron on Murray to somewhat even slow the Murray attack because nothing was really working (tbf - he was making ridiculous shots against heavy contests). The Lakers need some help if they're gonna face the Nuggets next year with everyone there improving and the Lakers mostly just getting worse (though if LeBron declines only slightly - all bets are off).

[xb3at band1tx]

As I said before the series, the Nuggets are a better team and tougher match up for the Lakers than the Heat. Jokic and Murray are a special duo, and I think people are still underestimating them.

Yeah, LA could never really slow Murray down.

Thankfully they had enough firepower to counter him and slow down Joker with dwight and brow.

[Greyhound]

As I said before the series, the Nuggets are a better team and tougher match up for the Lakers than the Heat. Jokic and Murray are a special duo, and I think people are still underestimating them.

The Heat were getting torn apart by the Heat PNRs in the first... and it took all of 6 minutes for them to figure out what they were doing wrong, adjust, and just basically never give the Heat a free bucket for the rest of the game. Goran's no pushover either - guy looked like Nash-lite even during his Phoenix days, and he's recaptured some of that form in the playoffs.

By contrast - it took putting LeBron on Murray to somewhat even slow the Murray attack because nothing was really working (tbf - he was making ridiculous shots against heavy contests). The Lakers need some help if they're gonna face the Nuggets next year with everyone there improving and the Lakers mostly just getting worse (though if LeBron declines only slightly - all bets are off).

If Bradley returns next season (and does not fall off a cliff) he will be a godsend vs. Murray.

[MisterHibachi]

As I said before the series, the Nuggets are a better team and tougher match up for the Lakers than the Heat. Jokic and Murray are a special duo, and I think people are still underestimating them.

The Heat were getting torn apart by the Heat PNRs in the first... and it took all of 6 minutes for them to figure out what they were doing wrong, adjust, and just basically never give the Heat a free bucket for the rest of the game. Goran's no pushover either - guy looked like Nash-lite even during his Phoenix days, and he's recaptured some of that form in the playoffs.

By contrast - it took putting LeBron on Murray to somewhat even slow the Murray attack because nothing was really working (tbf - he was making ridiculous shots against heavy contests). The Lakers need some help if they're gonna face the Nuggets next year with everyone there improving and the Lakers mostly just getting worse (though if LeBron declines only slightly - all bets are off).

If Bradley returns next season (and does not fall off a cliff) he will be a godsend vs. Murray.

And Boogie, if he returns, can be another option on Jokic along with Dwight. Boogie is a massive human being.

[MyUniBroDavis]

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One of the best duo ever for a single season

Dr J played 19 games
Jordan and pippen 22

Ad and bron are at 16, and at least 1 of those they def hit it if ad doesnt leave at halftime from precautions since they were up 30

[limbo]

Another aspect i forgot to mention when evaluating Miami LeBron and what makes me appreciate him more in hindsight was the ungodly amount of pressure he was playing under the time.

It's so much clear watching LeBron play right now how uncluttered his mental state is at this point of his career. This was not the case in Miami.

First it was the whole 'the decision' saga that made him the 'villain' in the eyes of NBA purists for leaving Cleveland after promising a title and creating a 'superteam', promising to deliver not 1, not 2, not 3...

Then after losing dramatically and putting in a poor display against Dallas in the Finals, the pressure of needing to deliver the title and not being called a loser/failure despite hand-picking his team grew tenfold.

2012 Playoffs roll over and you lose Bosh, Wade has injury problems and clearly can no longer play at that 2011 level, and suddenly your team is down 3-2 in the ECF...

The pressure at that point of time on LeBron to pull something our of thin air was all-time high... I don't even think the 2016 Finals comes close to it. LeBron was already a two-time NBA champion at the time, he proved he could anchor a winning dynasty. He was down 3-1 against a 73-win team... The expectation was he should lose. Everybody would lose in that situation, even MJ fans couldn't dare to think Jordan should've won that series in LeBron's place, especially down 3-1. There were no explanations, so he went wnd left it all out with no pressure, and it worked.

He wasn't supposed to lose to an ancient post prime Boston team in 2012, though. Especially not with a blank championship resume and hand-picked team that was potentially going to be blown up if they failed yet again.

Miami LeBron experienced all-time high levels of pressure, i'm not sure many figures in sports have.

This LeBron right now? He's just as focused, maybe even more, but there's no looming pressure or uncertainty anymore. He's already at the top of the basketball pantheon. His legacy is already set in stone. Now it's just about adding to it. And that's still very important... but there's not any pressure anymore. He knows who he is, he's knows how to do it, and in this specific instance, he knows there's no team out there that could win 4 out of 7 games against him and the Lakers right now... It's just about making sure the ship is set in the right direction and everyone knows what their role is, and he will take care of the rest.

[XTC]

As lame as this sounds...

The NBA needs Superteams... I honestly believe if they don't Lebron wins every year. The guy is that good.

It barely looks like hes trying out there this post season, being more of a playmaker than scorer. We clearly saw in the Nuggets series that when hes aggressive hes still by far the best player in the NBA... Scary how good this guy is at his age =/

[MyUniBroDavis]

Wait lebrons gonna go back to cleveland in 2021-2022 right?