The LeBron Thread 2021 Off-Season Edition

[Gooner]

And if the lakers are great he will give no credit and he will find weak excuses why they are great like in the 2019-2020 season when he said the lakers weren't going to make the playoffs before that season.

Welcome back, I saw you disappeared after Lakers defeat to Phoenix.

Last time I saw you was like 10-12 months ago or so...

I'm not a regular poster.

[Homer38]

Welcome back, I saw you disappeared after Lakers defeat to Phoenix.

Last time I saw you was like 10-12 months ago or so...

I'm not a regular poster.

same for me...over 6700 posts for me since 2013 for me and 5600 messages for you since 2018.And it's not me who does hot takes or things like that

[Gooner]

A lot of panic signings by LeBron, this will not close the gap between Lakers and Phoenix, but health will determine a lot as always.

Gap, that’s cute.
LOL

Phoenix knows how it feels to beat the Lakers, and they did it in their first playoff run. They are the team to beat in the west alongside Golden State. Westbrook and LeBron are horrible fit, it's Houston all over again.

[Homer38]

Last time I saw you was like 10-12 months ago or so...

I'm not a regular poster.

same for me...over 6700 posts for me since 2013 for me and 5600 messages for you since 2018.And it's not me who does hot takes or things like that

Gooner just take the L.

[dcstanley]

There's no way Dennis is just gonna be brought back, right?

[Homer38]

A lot of panic signings by LeBron, this will not close the gap between Lakers and Phoenix, but health will determine a lot as always.

You’ve certainly been right a lot in the past. All you takes on Giannis for example certainly came to fruition.

My stance on Giannis still hasn't changed.

Giannis is on pace to be a all-time great(like top 15 players at the end of his career).

[PistolPeteJR]

Schroder to NY is dead. They're getting Kemba.

[Gooner]

You’ve certainly been right a lot in the past. All you takes on Giannis for example certainly came to fruition.

My stance on Giannis still hasn't changed.

Giannis is on pace to be a all-time great(like top 15 players at the end of his career).

It's impossible to compare players from different eras, but the fact that Giannis is becoming the face of the league with all those accomplishments is very disappointing for me as a basketball fan. My opinion on him doesn't change, but my opinion on NBA basketball has changed a lot over the years.

[Slava]

Schroder to NY is dead. They're getting Kemba.

Looks like some kind of MLE deal is the best available for Dennis. It also increases the Lakers' leverage in asking for a pick if they have to facilitate an S&T in return.

That dummy Griffin has Satoransky and Graham starting in the backcourt for the Pelicans. He can have Schröder and return our 2024 pick back.

[KTM_2813]

Nunn is amazing for 10/2.
Westbrook is a do or die type of move, and can ''kill'' Lakers chances, but can work with this roster IMHO
Ellington is decent, although may not work in the playoffs
Bazemore is 8th-9th rotation piece on average team
Melo can be helpful in RS, but needs to be benched once the playoffs come
Ariza is washed up, but these 3&D role players use to find a spark once they arrive to the contender, so I have a hope
THT for a fair salary, but he needs to step up if he wants to be MLE-level worthy
Howard was so so in Sixers and won't work here on bigger minutes due to fit, so he's barely a factor (still better than Harrell)
Monk can be decent for RS, but he's no defender nor high IQ player

Good offseason for the Lakers, I don't think leaving KCP and Kuzma is a factor right now. Caruso, I am afraid, isn't replaced yet.

But they clearly lack players with a safe two-way production in typical playoff rotation. Ellington, Melo, Monk, Nunn, THT are all question marks considering their inexperience/lack of defense.

The dream would be finding some primary defender on 1-2 position to replace Caruso with last vet spots/TPE (Bradley?).

KCP isn't a loss that big because although he was good (and probably better as a player), he's never been really efficient primary defender on 1-2 position, even in '20 it was Caruso who made the biggest damage to Lillard. Lakers certainly lacking this type of a characteristic right now, because it's a reach to expect THT fullfil his D potential in one offseason

For RS:
Westbrook, Ellington, LeBron, Davis, Gasol
Nunn, THT, Bazemore/Melo, LeBron, Dwight
Westbrook, Ellington, Ariza, LeBron, Davis
Westbrook, Monk, Bazemore/Melo, Ariza, Davis

But iit looks much better than last year IMHO, Lakers have a personnel to make work:

1) LeBron-Westbrook-Davis (Ellington, Gasol, or smallball with AD and shooters)
2) 2nd unit around LeBron (Nunn-THT-Bazemore-Dwight)
3) 2nd unit around Westbrook-Davis (Ellington-Ariza-Monk)
4) good depth to give AD fair share as a 4 (Howard)

I agree with a lot of your points, but I dunno, I just think that Westbrook is such a destructive player. On offense, the opposing team doesn't even guard him when he doesn't have the ball (which wrecks spacing) and on defense, he doesn't give you much. I think he's going to end up killing the Lakers, but I could always be wrong, I have been wrong many times before, and I will be wrong many times again... We'll see.

[Homer38]

My stance on Giannis still hasn't changed.

Giannis is on pace to be a all-time great(like top 15 players at the end of his career).

It's impossible to compare players from different eras, but the fact that Giannis is becoming the face of the league with all those accomplishments is very disappointing for me as a basketball fan. My opinion on him doesn't change, but my opinion on NBA basketball has changed a lot over the years.

It's not good to be too stubborn about an opinion on a player

You can't minimize a player's accomplishments, no matter the era .... A player can just control what you can otherwise, I could downplay the exploits of Jordan and the Bulls in the 1990s, since they had no other powerful teams in his decade like in the 1980s with the celtics,lakers and pistons....Giannis has the best start in an NBA career since LeBron James ... Luka also has a chance but unfortunately his team is garbage right now

[PistolPeteJR]

Nunn is amazing for 10/2.
Westbrook is a do or die type of move, and can ''kill'' Lakers chances, but can work with this roster IMHO
Ellington is decent, although may not work in the playoffs
Bazemore is 8th-9th rotation piece on average team
Melo can be helpful in RS, but needs to be benched once the playoffs come
Ariza is washed up, but these 3&D role players use to find a spark once they arrive to the contender, so I have a hope
THT for a fair salary, but he needs to step up if he wants to be MLE-level worthy
Howard was so so in Sixers and won't work here on bigger minutes due to fit, so he's barely a factor (still better than Harrell)
Monk can be decent for RS, but he's no defender nor high IQ player

Good offseason for the Lakers, I don't think leaving KCP and Kuzma is a factor right now. Caruso, I am afraid, isn't replaced yet.

But they clearly lack players with a safe two-way production in typical playoff rotation. Ellington, Melo, Monk, Nunn, THT are all question marks considering their inexperience/lack of defense.

The dream would be finding some primary defender on 1-2 position to replace Caruso with last vet spots/TPE (Bradley?).

KCP isn't a loss that big because although he was good (and probably better as a player), he's never been really efficient primary defender on 1-2 position, even in '20 it was Caruso who made the biggest damage to Lillard. Lakers certainly lacking this type of a characteristic right now, because it's a reach to expect THT fullfil his D potential in one offseason

For RS:
Westbrook, Ellington, LeBron, Davis, Gasol
Nunn, THT, Bazemore/Melo, LeBron, Dwight
Westbrook, Ellington, Ariza, LeBron, Davis
Westbrook, Monk, Bazemore/Melo, Ariza, Davis

But iit looks much better than last year IMHO, Lakers have a personnel to make work:

1) LeBron-Westbrook-Davis (Ellington, Gasol, or smallball with AD and shooters)
2) 2nd unit around LeBron (Nunn-THT-Bazemore-Dwight)
3) 2nd unit around Westbrook-Davis (Ellington-Ariza-Monk)
4) good depth to give AD fair share as a 4 (Howard)

I agree with a lot of your points, but I dunno, I just think that Westbrook is such a destructive player. On offense, the opposing team doesn't even guard him when he doesn't have the ball (which wrecks spacing) and on defense, he doesn't give you much. I think he's going to end up killing the Lakers, but I could always be wrong, I have been wrong many times before, and I will be wrong many times again... We'll see.

Just do me one favour guys. I know I can't ask y'all to promise because I know y'all won't keep the promise, but try to keep the hot take conclusions on the players and the team as a whole to a minimum until at least post-ASB lol.

[Dupp]

Schroder to NY is dead. They're getting Kemba.

Which is smart. Dude can bounce back and be really good.

[PistolPeteJR]

Schroder to NY is dead. They're getting Kemba.

Which is smart. Dude can bounce back and be really good.

Yup, agreed. Schroder proved he's not a good starter and that he's not very bright.

[nzahir]

Where will Dennis end up lol

Every opportunity is closing

Dallas makes some sense

But they have Brunson, unless one will start

We need him to get us someone who can play d

[Homer38]

Read on Twitter

But I don't know if this is the case again.

[zimpy27]

Lakers should have got kemba instead of Westbrook. That fit is much nicer. Though probably didn't know it was an option

[nzahir]

Read on Twitter

But I don't know if this is the case again.

He would probably have filled a bigger need than Nunn, but maybe we steal for the minimum (doubtful). We would look like

Russ, Danny, Bron, AD, Gasol
Nunn, Monk/THT, Bazemore, Ariza, Dwight
Wayne, Melo

We got a lot of depth but not a ton of great guys there imo

Feels like if we have Danny the mle, bench would be less clustered

THT as backup pg with Monk as backup sg

Bazemore and Ariza on the wings

I don’t know when Melo plays honestly

[Greatness]

Unfortunately I see Melo getting a pretty big role just due to the fact LeBron is his buddy.

[nzahir]

Unfortunately I see Melo getting a pretty big role just due to the fact LeBron is his buddy.

So who is the odd man out?

Ariza?

Who is playing D lol