|
Post by Cyno on Mar 7, 2019 21:40:12 GMT -5
What should be a big accomplishment in LeBron passing Jordan on the scoring list is somewhat swept under the rug thanks to the Laker woes Which is weird, because a lot of what Kobe did those last years were still a big deal on those awful, awful teams. It's weird what expectations do, especially when all the talk this off-season was how much of a shitshow this "Meme Team" would be. That's because Kobestan was already established and the the folks in Temecula don't want to hear any nonsense about how good Lebron is.
|
|
|
Post by OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 on Mar 7, 2019 21:43:36 GMT -5
So (unfounded) conspiracy theory time. With the Lakers FO more or less throwing in the towel for this season, I kind of got this feeling that the Lakers will miraculously get really lucky at the Draft Lottery. Hahahah if we get Zion, the Captain would jump from the Brooklyn bridge.
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 7, 2019 21:47:24 GMT -5
So (unfounded) conspiracy theory time. With the Lakers FO more or less throwing in the towel for this season, I kind of got this feeling that the Lakers will miraculously get really lucky at the Draft Lottery. Hahahah if we get Zion, the Captain would jump from the Brooklyn bridge.
|
|
|
Post by sfvega on Mar 7, 2019 21:52:18 GMT -5
Bold prediction: Knicks end up with RJ Barrett who turns out to be Tim Hardaway Jr 2.0
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 7, 2019 21:57:11 GMT -5
Bold prediction: Knicks end up with RJ Barrett who turns out to be Tim Hardaway Jr 2.0 The sad part is that is not entirely wrong
I think RJ has big time potential as a scorer in this league and the only other person with superstar potential besides Zion but scoring isn't easy in the NBA see Brandon Ingram
RJ could either be the THJ type of scorer where he shoots 40% off 20 shots or the Devin Booker type of scorer where he's a guy who could put 25ppg on you a night and be a threat to score 50
|
|
|
Post by sfvega on Mar 7, 2019 22:00:17 GMT -5
Bold prediction: Knicks end up with RJ Barrett who turns out to be Tim Hardaway Jr 2.0 The sad part is that is not entirely wrong I think RJ has big time potential as a scorer in this league and the only other person with superstar potential besides Zion but scoring isn't easy in the NBA see Brandon Ingram RJ could either be the THJ type of scorer where he shoots 40% off 20 shots or the Devin Booker type of scorer where he's a guy who could put 25ppg on you a night and be a threat to score 50
I don't think he'll be the caliber of Booker, but then again, I didn't think Devin Booker would be the caliber of Devin Booker. Loved him as a pick for the Suns, but I thought he was more of what Gary Harris is whenever he's healthy than the elite scorer he has been.
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 7, 2019 22:06:15 GMT -5
The sad part is that is not entirely wrong I think RJ has big time potential as a scorer in this league and the only other person with superstar potential besides Zion but scoring isn't easy in the NBA see Brandon Ingram RJ could either be the THJ type of scorer where he shoots 40% off 20 shots or the Devin Booker type of scorer where he's a guy who could put 25ppg on you a night and be a threat to score 50
I don't think he'll be the caliber of Booker, but then again, I didn't think Devin Booker would be the caliber of Devin Booker. Loved him as a pick for the Suns, but I thought he was more of what Gary Harris is whenever he's healthy than the elite scorer he has been. He'll end up somewhere in the middle I think RJ will. You don't need to be a 25PPG night scorer to matter in the NBA but you're play will determine how you are ranked as we see with Klay
If Knicks somehow got KD and Kyrie and RJ got drafted. I'd probably bring him off the bench to be comfortable because he's featured a lot and it's going to be an adjustment in the NBA not being the 1st or 2nd featured option on the team
If anything the measurement of rookie scorers right now is Trae Young. He was looking real bad early in the season but has found his groove. It helps he can take as much shots as he wants on a bad ATL team
|
|
|
Post by sfvega on Mar 7, 2019 22:08:23 GMT -5
Which is weird, because a lot of what Kobe did those last years were still a big deal on those awful, awful teams. It's weird what expectations do, especially when all the talk this off-season was how much of a shitshow this "Meme Team" would be. That's because Kobestan was already established and the the folks in Temecula don't want to hear any nonsense about how good Lebron is. I've never understood that mindset. Like Kobe ain't coming back. Why are people out there rooting against a guy on their own team? Who is their best player? I get not wanting the circus that comes with him, but the theme of "LeBron ain't shit" in a segment of that fanbase. If Rizzo became a Cardinal in baseball, I would be a fan of the guy. I wouldn't go around telling everyone how he isn't Pujols. There's a difference between an appreciation for the past and living in it.
|
|
|
Post by Father Dougal McGuire on Mar 7, 2019 22:16:53 GMT -5
Here is a question.
Will Lebron overtake Karl Malone in the overall points scored list?
Right now it's:
LeBron - 32,311
Malone - 36,928
*Bonus question - Can he beat Karem's 38,387
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 7, 2019 22:27:40 GMT -5
Here is a question. Will Lebron overtake Karl Malone in the overall points scored list? Right now it's: LeBron - 32,311 Malone - 36,928 *Bonus question - Can he beat Karem's 38,387 It all depends if he can keep up his 27PPG over the next 4 years than he will surpass Malone. Kareem is a toss up but it's not farfetched
LeBron at worst has scored 1,700 points a season (this season he won't reach that). If he can keep up with his averages then he's on the path for Malone.
|
|
|
Post by sfvega on Mar 7, 2019 22:29:09 GMT -5
Barring LeBron getting badly injured or just completely breaking down due to the mileage, he's gonna pass Mail Man no question.
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 7, 2019 22:32:07 GMT -5
Barring LeBron getting badly injured or just completely breaking down due to the mileage, he's gonna pass Mail Man no question. Yea he's got at worst 5 more years left in his career and while he may not play at a high level past age 36 or 37 by then he will be very close to Malone
I think he passes Malone in 3 seasons
|
|
|
Post by Toilet Paper Roll on Mar 7, 2019 22:47:33 GMT -5
Barring LeBron getting badly injured or just completely breaking down due to the mileage, he's gonna pass Mail Man no question. Yea he's got at worst 5 more years left in his career and while he may not play at a high level past age 36 or 37 by then he will be very close to Malone
I think he passes Malone in 3 seasons
Saying "at worst" he plays until 39 seems awfully optimistic. I'd give him 100% chance of two more years with declining odds every season after.
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 7, 2019 22:52:22 GMT -5
Yea he's got at worst 5 more years left in his career and while he may not play at a high level past age 36 or 37 by then he will be very close to Malone
I think he passes Malone in 3 seasons
Saying "at worst" he plays until 39 seems awfully optimistic. I'd give him 100% chance of two more years with declining odds every season after. He's 34 years old and his current Lakers contract takes him to 37 years old
LeBron is slowing down yes (while still putting up the same numbers) but unless he fully breaks down I don't see him retiring until he's 40
|
|
|
Post by Toilet Paper Roll on Mar 7, 2019 23:40:43 GMT -5
Saying "at worst" he plays until 39 seems awfully optimistic. I'd give him 100% chance of two more years with declining odds every season after. He's 34 years old and his current Lakers contract takes him to 37 years old
LeBron is slowing down yes (while still putting up the same numbers) but unless he fully breaks down I don't see him retiring until he's 40
That’s 20+ years and rarified air. Especially playing at a high level. I’m not sure LeBron is wiling to play three seasons averageing 14 points a game and being the fifth wheel. He’s also putting up the same numbers whole missing a bunch of games
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 7, 2019 23:56:25 GMT -5
He's 34 years old and his current Lakers contract takes him to 37 years old
LeBron is slowing down yes (while still putting up the same numbers) but unless he fully breaks down I don't see him retiring until he's 40
That’s 20+ years and rarified air. Especially playing at a high level. I’m not sure LeBron is wiling to play three seasons averageing 14 points a game and being the fifth wheel. He’s also putting up the same numbers whole missing a bunch of games LeBron will average 14 PPG at 40, not at 35 or 36 unless he gets a major injury
|
|
|
Post by Cyno on Mar 8, 2019 1:49:23 GMT -5
The biggest part of his game that's suffered since his injury has been on defense. Offensively, he's still as good as he's been even with the groin injury. So unless he's just not putting in the effort defensively with how bad the rest of the Lakers team has been, I'd still say he could be an all-NBA caliber offensive player. Just means he won't be the dominant two-way threat he's been his entire career.
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 8, 2019 1:56:34 GMT -5
The biggest part of his game that's suffered since his injury has been on defense. Offensively, he's still as good as he's been even with the groin injury. So unless he's just not putting in the effort defensively with how bad the rest of the Lakers team has been, I'd still say he could be an all-NBA caliber offensive player. Just means he won't be the dominant two-way threat he's been his entire career. Well his defense hasn't been top quality in 2 years ,meaning he can't guard elite scorers anymore (KD, Steph, Kyrie etc) but now he's not even playing good defense.
LeBron saves all his energy for offense and can still keep that level for at least another 2 years but he hasn't been a 2 way player in 2 years and I think this season with the injury has people seeing it for themselves
He can still put up 25 in his sleep with no problem but him guarding the teams best player is over and he may not even guard the team 2nd best player
|
|
|
Post by sfvega on Mar 8, 2019 4:54:06 GMT -5
The biggest part of his game that's suffered since his injury has been on defense. Offensively, he's still as good as he's been even with the groin injury. So unless he's just not putting in the effort defensively with how bad the rest of the Lakers team has been, I'd still say he could be an all-NBA caliber offensive player. Just means he won't be the dominant two-way threat he's been his entire career. Well his defense hasn't been top quality in 2 years ,meaning he can't guard elite scorers anymore (KD, Steph, Kyrie etc) but now he's not even playing good defense.
LeBron saves all his energy for offense and can still keep that level for at least another 2 years but he hasn't been a 2 way player in 2 years and I think this season with the injury has people seeing it for themselves He can still put up 25 in his sleep with no problem but him guarding the teams best player is over and he may not even guard the team 2nd best player
Yeah, last time I saw LeBron go all out on D was that game 7 block. Even that season, he rested on his laurels defensively. This season, he doesn't even show the bare minimum effort. I do agree with you, he is doing that strategically, but it is harder for a guy of his size who, while still explosive, is not as quick as he used to be. His newer skill set is more skewed towards being a roving small ball post defender. But even then, you only have a finite number of hops left in those feet/ankles/knees. So there's really no efficient spot for him to kinda hide in this league full of young 6'9/6'10 guys with a 7'4 wingspan and hops who are shooting from 18-25 feet from the basket. It's hard enough to stop those guys with fresh legs, but also his muscle structure which has helped him for so long is now hindering him. He looks more like an older Malone than an older Kobe physically, or even a more comparable point forward post-prime Pippen. The older he gets, the more space he's gonna need to get that shot off (which has never been an especially quick release). He might be done right now as an elite scorer (we'll see next season), but unless the wheels fall off, he's passing Malone pretty easily.
|
|
Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
FANatic
You can either sink, swim, or be the captain....Long live the cheif
Posts: 113,490
Member is Online
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 8, 2019 9:27:31 GMT -5
Well his defense hasn't been top quality in 2 years ,meaning he can't guard elite scorers anymore (KD, Steph, Kyrie etc) but now he's not even playing good defense.
LeBron saves all his energy for offense and can still keep that level for at least another 2 years but he hasn't been a 2 way player in 2 years and I think this season with the injury has people seeing it for themselves He can still put up 25 in his sleep with no problem but him guarding the teams best player is over and he may not even guard the team 2nd best player
Yeah, last time I saw LeBron go all out on D was that game 7 block. Even that season, he rested on his laurels defensively. This season, he doesn't even show the bare minimum effort. I do agree with you, he is doing that strategically, but it is harder for a guy of his size who, while still explosive, is not as quick as he used to be. His newer skill set is more skewed towards being a roving small ball post defender. But even then, you only have a finite number of hops left in those feet/ankles/knees. So there's really no efficient spot for him to kinda hide in this league full of young 6'9/6'10 guys with a 7'4 wingspan and hops who are shooting from 18-25 feet from the basket. It's hard enough to stop those guys with fresh legs, but also his muscle structure which has helped him for so long is now hindering him. He looks more like an older Malone than an older Kobe physically, or even a more comparable point forward post-prime Pippen. The older he gets, the more space he's gonna need to get that shot off (which has never been an especially quick release). He might be done right now as an elite scorer (we'll see next season), but unless the wheels fall off, he's passing Malone pretty easily. LeBron is not that down hill runner no more. He’s taken a lot more jumpshots and they go in at a decent rate but if he’s not driving the lane like he used to than teams will play him closer. He doesn’t have that first quick step and you can see the lift isn’t as much there anymore as he doesn’t hit them signature LeBron dunks. He’s been able to mask this stuff pretty well over the last few years but this season it’s apparent and showing more often. LeBron “hides” in the post. He’s purely a help defender and even then guys aren’t scared because they know he’s not jumping to block. I’m just a fan and I’ve been noticing it since after they won the title in Cleveland, I can imagine professional scouts and teams is picking up on this heavily. All of this factors in to players wanting or not wanting to join LeBron. Joining LeBron when he’s an animal is one thing but joining LeBron when he’s still a great top rank player but with clear faults is another. LeBron refuses to change his game around the team which is going to hurt others and when those L’s come the media isn’t noticing LeBrons diminishing game He’s still a top player in the game but the question has to be asked from the media eventually is LeBron declining. This season is going to be blamed on the injury but next season there won’t be. He’s still putting up the same numbers but if you watch the games the impact just isn’t the same
|
|