The LeBron James - 21-22 Regular Season Thread - New Thread Soon Part 2

[homecourtloss]

The fact that they are -8 with AD on the floor and -8.5 with Westbrook is pretty amazing. Roster construction sucks, but these two are playing below any reasonable expectation. Better now than latter, though. They need a couple of trades if they wanna be in the playoff mix

Westbrook is Westbrook but AD’s zero impact the last two years is (and for that matter, meh impact for a star player in the 2020 regular season) is concerning. I thought this could be his year at 28 years old in which he should be pealing, but isn’t.

Lakers With AD on court:
104.8 ORtg, 106.8 DRtg, -2.0 per 100 possessions

Lakers With AD off court
110.2 ORtg, 104.5 DRtg, +5.6 per 100 possessions

Sizable minutes played with him off court, too.

He currently has horrible defensive contest numbers and his team defense hasn’t been anything to write home about either.

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203076/defense-dash/

With Westbrook off court, he’s struggled to help keep the offense afloat though the defense is better

AD on court, Westbrook off court
98.3 ORtg, 100.6 DRtg

[Bergmaniac]

Westbrook just refuses to adapt to his declining athleticism and is painful to watch. And his defensive decision-making has somehow gotten worse over the years when it was pretty poor to begin with. Almost always ballwatching, ignoring his man and getting lost on rotations. Such a disastrous deal for the Lakers, I don't know what they were thinking. He really wasn't good for most of last season and his contract is one of the worst in the league. And the fit with LeBron is obviously horrible.

[homecourtloss]

‘Melo won’t finish the season shooting 52%-53% from three but 45%+ looks possible with that stroke. Not sure where the lakers would be without his shooting.

Three pointers made

1. Steph Curry, 34
2. McCollum, 33
3. ‘Melo and Hield, 32

Three pointer attempts

1. Steph Curry, 91
2. Graham, 80
3. Hield, 79
25. ‘Melo, 65

[loveandbeer]

I just struggle to understand what the upside was for the WB trade. How does any basketball mind realistically envision that Big 3 to work? The Hield trade would've been so much better...

[Mos_Heat]

I just struggle to understand what the upside was for the WB trade. How does any basketball mind realistically envision that Big 3 to work? The Hield trade would've been so much better...

I think it goes back to the Schroder trade, when Lebron asked for another ballhandler and Pelinka picked the wrong guy. So LeGM decided to do the work himself and picked even the worse one

[Mos_Heat]

The fact that they are -8 with AD on the floor and -8.5 with Westbrook is pretty amazing. Roster construction sucks, but these two are playing below any reasonable expectation. Better now than latter, though. They need a couple of trades if they wanna be in the playoff mix

Westbrook is Westbrook but AD’s zero impact the last two years is (and for that matter, meh impact for a star player in the 2020 regular season) is concerning. I thought this could be his year at 28 years old in which he should be leaking, but isn’t.

Lakers With AD on court:
104.8 ORtg, 106.8 DRtg, -2.0 per 100 possessions

Lakers With AD off court
110.2 ORtg, 104.5 DRtg, +5.6 per 100 possessions

Sizable minutes played with him off court, too.

He currently has horrible defensive contest numbers and his team defense hasn’t been anything to write home about either.

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203076/defense-dash/

With Westbrook off court, he’s struggled to help keep the offense afloat though the defense is better

AD on court, Westbrook off court
98.3 ORtg, 100.6 DRtg

Yeah, that's the main problem. They thought they have 2 top 10 players, but with Lebron's injuries they might have 0

[Slava]

For all of Westbrook's mistakes, which are to be expected, his production is not bad for a third option. AD, on the other hand looks lethargic on defence and nowhere near what he was in 2020.

[Gooner]

LeBron has a philosophy of getting the most talent possible and then figure it out. But you can't do anything with Westbrook, he is who he is. This is not D-Wade or Kyrie Irving who are both very efficient players. LeBron only has a couple of years left in the league and he decided to bring Westbrook's bad contract to the table. Baffling decision making.

[McBubbles]

For all of Westbrook's mistakes, which are to be expected, his production is not bad for a third option. AD, on the other hand looks lethargic on defence and nowhere near what he was in 2020.

20/8/8 on 49TS% with 5 turnovers a game is bad production for a 3rd option. It means he's being allowed to do too much whilst being bad at it.

[LukaTheGOAT]

Watching and discussing this Lakers' team is taking years off my life. Can't imagine what it is doing for whatever length there is left in Lebron's career.

[trickshot]

For all the doom and gloom when I see them I tend to come away thinking there's a winning formula somewhere but not as constructed.

However why did they assemble the laziest vets in the league?

[trickshot]

You guys are gluttons for punishment watching this trash team when LeBron doesn’t play. Wtf is this from Westbrick??

Read on Twitter

?s=21

more shocked this only became a talking point today. He does this on every other possession. He really is out there doing his own thing. Is also part of why he seems to be nowhere to be found when the other team is lighting it up from outside. I don't know if you can implement a defensive scheme with Russ.

He takes this flaw to another level when he's asked to run the offense, like he's back at OKC. He just gives himself the free safety role mid-possession. Westbrook heavily strains the entire defense system who are now playing 5 on 4 and wondering why 2 guys are always open.

Then there's the play where he leaves a shooter mid possession to go triple team a driving player in the paint when there are already 2 bigs there who have the threat covered.

[nzahir]

The fact that they are -8 with AD on the floor and -8.5 with Westbrook is pretty amazing. Roster construction sucks, but these two are playing below any reasonable expectation. Better now than latter, though. They need a couple of trades if they wanna be in the playoff mix

Westbrook is Westbrook but AD’s zero impact the last two years is (and for that matter, meh impact for a star player in the 2020 regular season) is concerning. I thought this could be his year at 28 years old in which he should be leaking, but isn’t.

Lakers With AD on court:
104.8 ORtg, 106.8 DRtg, -2.0 per 100 possessions

Lakers With AD off court
110.2 ORtg, 104.5 DRtg, +5.6 per 100 possessions

Sizable minutes played with him off court, too.

He currently has horrible defensive contest numbers and his team defense hasn’t been anything to write home about either.

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203076/defense-dash/

With Westbrook off court, he’s struggled to help keep the offense afloat though the defense is better

AD on court, Westbrook off court
98.3 ORtg, 100.6 DRtg

Yeah, that's the main problem. They thought they have 2 top 10 players, but with Lebron's injuries they might have 0

Lebron is 100% a top 10 guy

He is carrying these BUMS

Without Lebron this is a bottom 5 team in the league

With him, they are in the mix for the finals

I don't know what trades to make, but we will need to make 1-2 by the deadline

Giving us a 10% chance to move Russ, please god

[Baski]

Biggest lesson I learnt from growing up is that nobody really knows what they're doing. Gives me comfort in the midst of some of these crazy FO decisions.

[Baski]

For all the doom and gloom when I see them I tend to come away thinking there's a winning formula somewhere but not as constructed.

However why did they assemble the laziest vets in the league?

I feel like you could say that about a lot of teams, but should you really have to say it so often about a contender?

[nzahir]

Biggest lesson I learnt from growing up is that nobody really knows what they're doing. Gives me comfort in the midst of some of these crazy FO decisions.

I mean I felt like 80%+ of us thought this would be an awful fit and we should have gotten Hield and kept AC and Pope

AC, Hield, Ariza, Bron, AD
Nunn, Pope, THT, Melo, Dwight
Rondo, Reaves, Ellington/Rookie, DJ. Keep 1 spot open or

Assuming Bazemore and Monk don't come here with limited time to play

Could have tried to get a big defensive wing like Gay instead of Nunn, but Nunn works here too

[NRSV]

LeBron wanted Westbrook.

He still isn’t a good GM.

[TroubleS0me]

Watch on YouTube

[Mos_Heat]

Westbrook is Westbrook but AD’s zero impact the last two years is (and for that matter, meh impact for a star player in the 2020 regular season) is concerning. I thought this could be his year at 28 years old in which he should be leaking, but isn’t.

Lakers With AD on court:
104.8 ORtg, 106.8 DRtg, -2.0 per 100 possessions

Lakers With AD off court
110.2 ORtg, 104.5 DRtg, +5.6 per 100 possessions

Sizable minutes played with him off court, too.

He currently has horrible defensive contest numbers and his team defense hasn’t been anything to write home about either.

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203076/defense-dash/

With Westbrook off court, he’s struggled to help keep the offense afloat though the defense is better

AD on court, Westbrook off court
98.3 ORtg, 100.6 DRtg

Yeah, that's the main problem. They thought they have 2 top 10 players, but with Lebron's injuries they might have 0

Lebron is 100% a top 10 guy

He is carrying these BUMS

Without Lebron this is a bottom 5 team in the league

With him, they are in the mix for the finals

I don't know what trades to make, but we will need to make 1-2 by the deadline

Giving us a 10% chance to move Russ, please god

He's a top 10 player, considering how many stars are struggling at the start of the season. I wouldn't say he's carrying the team, he's the only wing on the team who can defend and not a negative on defense, that's why they are so bad without him.

They can't wait for the deadline, there's like 4-5 players who fit the profile they need. Justin Holiday, House, Craig and 3-4 other players in a 3-6 mil salary range. If I'm Pelinka I'm trading Nunn for Holiday and Monk+DJ for House as fast as I can

[nzahir]

Yeah, that's the main problem. They thought they have 2 top 10 players, but with Lebron's injuries they might have 0

Lebron is 100% a top 10 guy

He is carrying these BUMS

Without Lebron this is a bottom 5 team in the league

With him, they are in the mix for the finals

I don't know what trades to make, but we will need to make 1-2 by the deadline

Giving us a 10% chance to move Russ, please god

He's a top 10 player, considering how many stars are struggling at the start of the season. I wouldn't say he's carrying the team, he's the only wing on the team who can defend and not a negative on defense, that's why they are so bad without him.

They can't wait for the deadline, there's like 4-5 players who fit the profile they need. Justin Holiday, House, Craig and 3-4 other players in a 3-6 mil salary range. If I'm Pelinka I'm trading Nunn for Holiday and Monk+DJ for House as fast as I can

Lets give Nunn a chance 1st

He is maybe our best 3 point shooter that is not an awful defender

There may be times in the playoffs at the end of a close game where we may sit Russ and then go AD, Bron, Nunn, and 2 of Melo, Ariza, Bazemore, THT, Reaves?

All on board on moving Monk, DJ, Ellington, and Rondo and our 2nds for better role guys