The Lebron '20 Thread (Pt. 7)

[Dupp]

I still think ADs a better fit for lebron at this stage of his career than curry. Currys game is also more prone to bad performances in the playoffs than AD due to his style of play. He usually has a couple of stinkers every year.


In saying that curry is great and better than AD. He’s been all time the last 6 years, even with an insane announcement of help.

[Ursusamericanus]

Dragic and bam injuries really taking a lot of shine of the Lakers finals win and taking a lot of the fun out of the series

After how bad LeBron’s luck was during his second Cleveland stint, there’s nothing in the world that would make me enjoy this potential title less than I will if it happens. I feel bad for the injured players, but I’m going to enjoy the hell outta this ring regardless.

(Assuming it happens obviously)

Same here. I almost feel he is due for a gimme* ring after running into that meat grinder known as the KD Warriors (and before that, the injuries in 2015). So I have no qualms with how nicely things have worked out here.

*Fully recognizing that the Nuggets are a very solid club.

[Heej]

I definitely think you are buggin if you're taking Curry of all people over AD? AD is the superior player in the playoffs (ie when it counts) and it's not even close.

To me Curry quite clearly had one of the highest peaks in NBA History and broke down by the end of the 16 run after the injury. People can point to the OKC series all they want, but that's not how injuries work. You can push thru them up to a certain point but once you pass that point you start deteriorating pretty quickly a la Kawhi in the 2nd round for the past 2 years now

I see things similarly to you.

But what I'll also say is that what we've seen with time is that Curry has to get into a Groove. He can't just turn on alpha mode, he has to ignite. Once he's in said Groove, he can stay there indefinitely, which is what we saw through much of the '15-16 season. But to this point in his career it's often seemed like he specifically got knocked out of it at various times in the playoffs, which has always felt pretty plausible for a small guy whose game is based on a never-before-witnessed efficient basketball skill that wasn't supposed to be able to be efficient.

I really feel like what we've seen is that younger Curry could get literally physically knocked out of his rhythm and the mid-dynasty Curry could get knocked out by deferring to someone else. When that someone else went down, after a brief stall, Curry caught fire and largely maintained it for the rest of the playoffs, which was the last meaningful basketball we saw from Curry.

So now there's a lot of questions going forward about whether these issues are something he can fundamentally get passed in the future without getting tripped up by them. I like his chances, but if he does it, it will mean he figures some stuff out that he hadn't quite figured out before.

And I note that LeBron went through his own version of this journey. He got there.

I'm with you on that about Curry needing to enter his own kind of flow state to really play, and I think he's naturally better at getting there than other guys like LBJ; but LBJs floor game even when he's not in it is just so much higher than Steph's.

Actually reminds me of an epic topic on the GB a couple years back where the OP talked about the metaphysical aspects of Steph's game that energize his teammates and how his 2016 season is an example of someone who stayed in that flow state the entire season. People were ridiculing the guy but I thought the topic was genius, personally.

Completely agree on the two criteria that take him out of it. The problem with the truly unselfish players like Curry, Harden, Bron, CP, lies precisely in that they can get taken out of their game by focusing too much on their teammates. I truly believe in 17 and 18 him playing alongside KD wasn't enough to take him out of it because it was still "his" team.

But something changed last year where it felt like the team became KDs at some point and a lot of the OG Warriors guys were uncomfortable with it. That kicked off a stretch where Curry played absolutely horrible next to KD until he went down from what I recall. And it felt like the switch kinda happened during the "I'm Kevin Durant" game in the Clippers series.

The small guard archetype does appear to be predisposed to shrinking in the playoffs, but Curry is the paragon of that archetype imo and I suppose I just see his total effect as something completely alien to NBA teams given his motor, screening, and shooting. Fwiw I used to think Harden actually had the greatest gamebreaker effect I'd ever seen from 2018 on where teams would try wacky schemes just to contain him, but things have swung back the other way for me this year after seeing what a lack of an off-ball game as a backup option did to Dame and Harden vs the Lakers.

I doubt he recaptures his peak impact anymore but he seems Duncan-esque in that he'll adjust his game into being by far the most impactful player on his team regardless. Can't see him being any worse than Dame was given how godly his off-ball game is.

[Heej]

Also, re Lebrons easy ring: my enjoyment has gone down a little because the beauty in a playoff run is in the struggle; but honestly I think I'm gonna appreciate this run more fondly than the other ones just because of how dominant and stress-free this viewing experience was from start to finish. We were due a run like this after some of the executions we had to witness. I can't imagine I'll watch another run like this where Bron was completely in control for like 90% of the games and barely had to dig into his reserve tanks.

[MisterHibachi]

Road teams wearing white is close to the worse thing about the modern NBA. I hate it

[Dupp]

I swear green can’t shoot from the corners



Lebron woth 3 turnovers already

[KTM_2813]

Ah, we’re getting disinterested LeBron tonight. This should be fun.

[MisterHibachi]

Ah, we’re getting disinterested LeBron tonight. This should be fun.

Lol what? He's been the only one that seems focused

[dcstanley]

Really thought they were gonna come out ready to put this thing away.

[MisterHibachi]

Sheesh, what a rough start for AD.

[therealbig3]

And Davis showing that he still struggles big time with double teams. And his defense has been mainly crap.

This isn't to hate on the guy, I agree he's been fantastic and he's my pick for #2 in the league this year, but to put him over peak Garnett or peak Duncan or peak Robinson? Was a little ridiculous.

[Dupp]

Teams finally doubling AD like they should

[Dupp]

Dunno why teams haven’t attacked AD like this yet

[MyUniBroDavis]

Teams double ad for one game

"Guys see thus is the first time his has ever happened"

[Heej]

AD getting fronted and doubled on the backside. Lakers gotta flash someone to the nail and let them hit AD for the lob

[trickshot]

and there's the weakness of playing predominantly through the post. Good ball denial can eat up half the clock. Half the clock gone and you haven't even gotten into your set

[MyUniBroDavis]

and there's the weakness of playing predominantly through the post. Good ball denial can eat up half the clock. Half the clock gone and you haven't even gotten into your set

Or yoy could have players that can pass in the post and not align jn a 0 iq way lol

[Dupp]

Teams double ad for one game

"Guys see thus is the first time his has ever happened"

No but we all talked about this coming into the playoffs as one of his “flaws” and teams really haven’t tried to exploit it too much.



He will adjust and dominate but still surprised we haven’t seen it applied very well all post season.

[Heej]

The easy counter is there for the taking when they play like that. It shouldn't be a weakness tbh, it should be something exploited immediately.

[The Master]

It's a first time these playoffs where defense isn't predominantly focused on LeBron.