The Lebron Thread | 2021 & Offseason

[MyUniBroDavis]

Wtf is this ending lol

[kayess]

Bron has 100% confidence in his jumper right now.

Yeahp. Absolutely horrendous shot selection but it's great that he has that confidence which will hopefully translate in the playoffs.

It's hard to root for tbh if you keep gunning like that (even if you're like 45%+ from that)

Yeah he's in much more of a scorer/gunner mindset so far this season.

Also lmfao what a **** show of an ending, LeBron and AD both

I think it's fine because LeBron will do his usual make the best possible play thing when it matters. Having massive confidence in his jumper is a huge part of that though, means they can't really take anything away.

Also, wtf happened I turned it off at 88-83??

[yoyoboy]

Two clutch 4th quarter closeouts in a row. Certainly helping his MVP case in the eyes of the media and casual fans.

Started the game 3-11, then went 8-9 the rest of the way

No reason he shouldn't be the early season MVP front runner right now. He's taking a lot of jumpers, but I don't feel he's coasting. He's doing a lot of little hustle things + good stuff on defense. Would suck if the team's overall chill vibe cut into his MVP chances

Embiid has played better on a team that has performed better so I’d say he’s the clear frontrunner. Trae, Jokic, and Steph have been better individually as well.

LeBron and AD really haven’t been that impressive thus far this season tbh. They’re clearly taking it easy. I’m fine with it because preserving themselves for a title run is far more important than chasing another MVP award.

[homecourtloss]

Lol at that ending and LeBron just turning it on and off whenever he wants.

You see the team missing KCP’s offensive dynamism (althetism, cuts to the basket, oeak outs, shooting) and Caruso’s defensive energy.

But, on a very positive note for the Lakers, Kuzma has turned into a plus player and impacting the game even if he’s not making shots. Lakers are playing their best defense this year with him on court.

[Greyhound]

I know this is a broken record but god damn it's absolutely insane how hard it is for Lebron to get a call around the rim. He has to get absolutely mauled to get a whistle, meanwhile if you breathe near guys like Dame or Trae when they're taking a three it's an automatic 3 shot foul

Did you see that one turnover at the end of the game? LeBron was hacked like three times before the ball came loose.

It was comical.

[Lakers LeBron]

Bron has 100% confidence in his jumper right now.

Yeahp. Absolutely horrendous shot selection but it's great that he has that confidence which will hopefully translate in the playoffs.

It's hard to root for tbh if you keep gunning like that (even if you're like 45%+ from that)

Yeah he's in much more of a scorer/gunner mindset so far this season.

Also lmfao what a **** show of an ending, LeBron and AD both

One thing that's great about following LeBron is that every season is distinct and shows off a different style. He's mastered so many different aspects of the game that he can fill in almost any role for a team. Last year the team needed a point guard so LeBron stepped up, dominated the ball, and led the league in assists. This year we're seeing more jumpshooting and off-ball play as he works around Gasol, Schroeder, and Harrell.

It never gets boring.

[MisterHibachi]

Two clutch 4th quarter closeouts in a row. Certainly helping his MVP case in the eyes of the media and casual fans.

Started the game 3-11, then went 8-9 the rest of the way

No reason he shouldn't be the early season MVP front runner right now. He's taking a lot of jumpers, but I don't feel he's coasting. He's doing a lot of little hustle things + good stuff on defense. Would suck if the team's overall chill vibe cut into his MVP chances

Embiid has played better on a team that has performed better so I’d say he’s the clear frontrunner. Trae, Jokic, and Steph have been better individually as well.

LeBron and AD really haven’t been that impressive thus far this season tbh. They’re clearly taking it easy. I’m fine with it because preserving themselves for a title run is far more important than chasing another MVP award.

How have the Sixers performed better? Lakers were 2nd in net rating heading into tonight's games and are now first in the West. The others don't have the team records to be front runners right now, and Steph has played like 3 good games.

[toodles23]

I know this is a broken record but god damn it's absolutely insane how hard it is for Lebron to get a call around the rim. He has to get absolutely mauled to get a whistle, meanwhile if you breathe near guys like Dame or Trae when they're taking a three it's an automatic 3 shot foul

Did you see that one turnover at the end of the game? LeBron was hacked like three times before the ball came loose.

It was comical.

Yeah it was pretty ridiculous.

Two clutch 4th quarter closeouts in a row. Certainly helping his MVP case in the eyes of the media and casual fans.

Started the game 3-11, then went 8-9 the rest of the way

No reason he shouldn't be the early season MVP front runner right now. He's taking a lot of jumpers, but I don't feel he's coasting. He's doing a lot of little hustle things + good stuff on defense. Would suck if the team's overall chill vibe cut into his MVP chances

Steph and Trae have both put up huge numbers so far so they're in the conversation, but I think he's going to have the media narrative going for him this year after finishing 2nd last year and winning the ring/FMVP. Plus I think the voters are aware of the importance of MVPs for players legacies and it doesn't feel right that he "only" has 4.

[IG2]

Must be impossible to get up for short-handed Memphis for a team that's already in total coast-mode. And it showed. What a fugly game. LeBron played an effective game, but he wasn't moving all that well. AD's now shooting 41% from 3 at over 3 attempts per game this season. Can't really leave him open anymore.

Wanna see this team play a solid opponent soon so we get to see a decent effort from them. Spurs and Bulls up next, so it will be a while.

[MyUniBroDavis]

Lol at that ending and LeBron just turning it on and off whenever he wants.

You see the team missing KCP’s offensive dynamism (althetism, cuts to the basket, oeak outs, shooting) and Caruso’s defensive energy.

But, on a very positive note for the Lakers, Kuzma has turned into a plus player and impacting the game even if he’s not making shots. Lakers are playing their best defense this year with him on court.

Something worth noting

What makes the lakers team so much better in the playoffs outside of Bron turning it on is that The lakers identity is a lot adjustments game planning using ADs versatility, but they’ve spent the year so far mostly practicing base coverages vs game planning hard.

The fact we have a top 5 defense with AD coasting on that end, even more so than usual (although he kind of turned it on today) is really exciting. The only negative player defensively is Harrell when he plays the 5 and prolly tucker, but we will see less of Harrell there and tucker is improving steadily.

Tucker I’m assuming is bad defensively because I feel he misses rotations but his man D has been solid and even if it is a small sample he does have the second best on court def rtg in the team

When looking at us vs the clippers/bucks/nets

The nets just don’t seem to be great defensively, and I think we can beat them because of that

The clippers so far have been bad on defense and lue is a much more offensive adjustment coach that made a few good calls against the warriors in 2016. It might change in the playoffs through, and we know they have the roster to be elite on defense

Bucks are the bucks, but don’t seem as dominant on defense and offensively we will be better in the postseason

Suns and 76ers look good, but Suns obv aren’t a threat and I feel we still need to see more from the 6ers

We are gonna see an uptick in threes for AD I feel

[MyUniBroDavis]

I love that ADs jump shot is now like KDs, but I don’t like that he’s taking more middies than KD does lol

That being said while he throws an errant pas here and there I’m really liking how his playmaking looks. He’s no Jokić or anything but he’s made a few good passes here and there, looking more comfortable and I know Gasol teaching him a bit

[homecourtloss]

I know this is a broken record but god damn it's absolutely insane how hard it is for Lebron to get a call around the rim. He has to get absolutely mauled to get a whistle, meanwhile if you breathe near guys like Dame or Trae when they're taking a three it's an automatic 3 shot foul

Did you see that one turnover at the end of the game? LeBron was hacked like three times before the ball came loose.

It was comical.

Par for the course. Lakers after tonight will be bottom 3 in free throw rate and of course James will be have one of the lowest FTr given usage and shots at the rim.

[MyUniBroDavis]

I know this is a broken record but god damn it's absolutely insane how hard it is for Lebron to get a call around the rim. He has to get absolutely mauled to get a whistle, meanwhile if you breathe near guys like Dame or Trae when they're taking a three it's an automatic 3 shot foul

Did you see that one turnover at the end of the game? LeBron was hacked like three times before the ball came loose.

It was comical.

Par for the course. Lakers after tonight will be bottom 3 in free throw rate and of course James will be have one of the lowest FTr given usage and shots at the rim.

AD really taking less than 4.5 free throws a game is really weird lol

[yoyoboy]

No reason he shouldn't be the early season MVP front runner right now. He's taking a lot of jumpers, but I don't feel he's coasting. He's doing a lot of little hustle things + good stuff on defense. Would suck if the team's overall chill vibe cut into his MVP chances

Embiid has played better on a team that has performed better so I’d say he’s the clear frontrunner. Trae, Jokic, and Steph have been better individually as well.

LeBron and AD really haven’t been that impressive thus far this season tbh. They’re clearly taking it easy. I’m fine with it because preserving themselves for a title run is far more important than chasing another MVP award.

How have the Sixers performed better? Lakers were 2nd in net rating heading into tonight's games and are now first in the West. The others don't have the team records to be front runners right now, and Steph has played like 3 good games.

Philly has a better record and the best record in the NBA. The difference in net rating is negligible after tonight (+9.8 versus +9.1) while Philly is 6-0 with Embiid and +22.1 with him on the court. He’s averaging 23/12/3, shooting on 63% TS, and anchoring the best defense in the league. I don’t see how LeBron has any argument whatsoever. By his standards he’s been very pedestrian so far.

[trickshot]

Yeahp. Absolutely horrendous shot selection but it's great that he has that confidence which will hopefully translate in the playoffs.

It's hard to root for tbh if you keep gunning like that (even if you're like 45%+ from that)

Yeah he's in much more of a scorer/gunner mindset so far this season.

Also lmfao what a **** show of an ending, LeBron and AD both

One thing that's great about following LeBron is that every season is distinct and shows off a different style. He's mastered so many different aspects of the game that he can fill in almost any role for a team. Last year the team needed a point guard so LeBron stepped up, dominated the ball, and led the league in assists. This year we're seeing more jumpshooting and off-ball play as he works around Gasol, Schroeder, and Harrell.

It never gets boring.

Every time he slows down he adds something to his game to compensate. When he said he'd tell his 27 year old self he hadn't scratched the surface of his game he wasn't kidding. His game is more nuanced than ever, I'm seeing scoring moves he's never used before. I also never imagined the post fadeaway would be his go-to shot in the clutch when he first showed it off all those years ago. It looked raw at the time

[Slava]

Lol at that ending and LeBron just turning it on and off whenever he wants.

You see the team missing KCP’s offensive dynamism (althetism, cuts to the basket, oeak outs, shooting) and Caruso’s defensive energy.

But, on a very positive note for the Lakers, Kuzma has turned into a plus player and impacting the game even if he’s not making shots. Lakers are playing their best defense this year with him on court.

This is the weirdest thing, small sample and all with 209 minutes but the Lakers have 97.9 DTRG with him ON and 112.4 with him OFF. Those are Rudy Gobert numbers.

[homecourtloss]

Lol at that ending and LeBron just turning it on and off whenever he wants.

You see the team missing KCP’s offensive dynamism (althetism, cuts to the basket, oeak outs, shooting) and Caruso’s defensive energy.

But, on a very positive note for the Lakers, Kuzma has turned into a plus player and impacting the game even if he’s not making shots. Lakers are playing their best defense this year with him on court.

This is the weirdest thing, small sample and all with 209 minutes but the Lakers have 97.9 DTRG with him ON and 112.4 with him OFF. Those are Rudy Gobert numbers.

I thought there was zero chance of Kuzma being this effective defensively two years ago, but his bubble performance was indicative of something, and that’s why the Lakers extended him. He’s also in the best shape of his life, has gotten stronger, makes better rotations, and I’m assuming he’s accepted his role. Additionally, he played very, very well, alongside LeBron last year and it’s continued this year. At this point, if he doesn’t start, then the obvious rotation would be Gasol/AD/LBJ/KCP/Schroeder start, Gasol sits and instead of Trez, Kuzma comes in.

[homecourtloss]

Did you see that one turnover at the end of the game? LeBron was hacked like three times before the ball came loose.

It was comical.

Par for the course. Lakers after tonight will be bottom 3 in free throw rate and of course James will be have one of the lowest FTr given usage and shots at the rim.

AD really taking less than 4.5 free throws a game is really weird lol

Interesting thing is that Lakers aren’t taking threes [22nd in attempt rare] nor FTs at 25th in attempt rare (the TWO HIGHEST correlative elements to high ORtgs are 3p attempt rate and FTr) but are playing well offensively on talent alone while tinkering with offense. The last two games havent been good offensive showings, but watching these games, you saw them tinkering with things as far as offense initiation goes (incorporating Gasol and Schroeder), but LeBron initiating playing 5 out has been a very, very good offense.

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Updated:

LBJ+Gasol, +31.5 per 100 possessions, 125 minutes
LBJ+AD, +23.4, 144 minutes
LBJ+Schroeder, +23.0, 161 minutes
LBJ+KCP, +22.7, 107 minutes
LBJ+Kuzma, +19.5, 124 minutes [89.7 DRtg ]
LBJ+Caruso, +13.4, 20 minutes
LBJ+THT, +3.4, 42 minutes
LBJ+Matthews, +2.8, 102 minutes
LBJ+Morris, +1.0, 98 minutes
LBJ+ Trez, -3.0, 112 minutes [99.0 ORtg]

The starters and core presumptive playoffs lineups and closer lineups are playing better than ever though shoddy competition this far.

[MisterHibachi]

Confirms what I see: the starting lineup is really good.

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[Slava]

Lol at that ending and LeBron just turning it on and off whenever he wants.

You see the team missing KCP’s offensive dynamism (althetism, cuts to the basket, oeak outs, shooting) and Caruso’s defensive energy.

But, on a very positive note for the Lakers, Kuzma has turned into a plus player and impacting the game even if he’s not making shots. Lakers are playing their best defense this year with him on court.

This is the weirdest thing, small sample and all with 209 minutes but the Lakers have 97.9 DTRG with him ON and 112.4 with him OFF. Those are Rudy Gobert numbers.

I thought there was zero chance of Kuzma being this effective defensively two years ago, but his bubble performance was indicative of something, and that’s why the Lakers extended him. He’s also in the best shape of his life, has gotten stronger, makes better rotations, and I’m assuming he’s accepted his role. Additionally, he played very, very well, alongside LeBron last year and it’s continued this year. At this point, if he doesn’t start, then the obvious rotation would be Gasol/AD/LBJ/KCP/Schroeder start, Gasol sits and instead of Trez, Kuzma comes in.

I kind of like Kuzma in line ups with LeBron as he sticks to the things he's good at, like cutting and moving off the ball and playing sound defense. Its in line ups where he is tasked to be the primary scoring option that he tries to go out of his comfort zone and starts hurting the team but that's also where he needs to improve if he is betting on himself.