LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

In a game where both teams scored 140+ points, yes I believe Mamba would have recorded close to a triple-double with 50 points, locking down Derozan on defense, and icing the game with 2 made FT's at the end

 

Have to manage his mins better; no other way around it. He sat out of practice a couple of days ago and watched; I'm thinking more of that of and probably during the season at some point.

First things first, though. Let's start knocking out some wins...

 

Maybe, but what about a 90 point game?



Forget Derozan.. Lamarcus is our star player FT kryptonite.

#KobeStansYUNoEverFaultUrGoad

@Lakeshow85 i agree it starts with the defense and Bron ain't got that juice...but he's no small ball 5 and what Kuz and him are forced to do is criminal to our defense. That 15th roster spot needs to address that.

That being said, today's game pace has taken off so giving up 110 to a team can still mean we played good defense. We reaching on defense, plus the refs showing no love so that explains us giving up about 130 a game (the free throw disparity had been ridiculous).

Also as bad as Bron is on that end, you look at what Cleveland is doing defensively this year (dead last) and he led that team's core to the Finals in spite of that.

 

I give him credit for getting us into OT and wanting to take those FT's, but he choked and lost the game. There's no need to sugarcoat what happened.

I'm judging him as a Laker and not on his past accolades. Quite frankly, he's been lackluster, especially on defense. I give him a C+ for the past 3 games.

I'm hoping he'll turn me into a fan, but he hasn't made it easy.

 

nice rest for the King. tomorrow crush the joker

 

Missing layups? He missed 3; and still not knocking down the 3 with regularity yet.

Outside of that, he was very good.

 

He's still trying to figure out the youngns and how to play best off them.

Not worried...just keep calibrating, condition yourself into efficient high rate minutes as the season progresses, don't slip up and show bad precedence to the youngns on D and come correct in May.

 

He's deadly with that precise backhand bounce pass down low to cutters like Kuz. Those two are really playing well off one another.

 

Well he did have all those extra bricks from the charity strip, layup line and 3pt arc laying around...

#highlyresourcefulcharacter

 

LeBron is the only player I'm not complaining about. He's played well. Obviously he's going to coast, and not play balls out on defense, but we knew that coming in. Kobe did the same thing in his 16th year.

Like @therealdeal said, if we're getting 27/8/8 from him, we can't complain. Those are better numbers than almost anyone in the league. And that's not even counting all the defensive attention he attracts to get our guys open looks.

 

Yeah he's doubled in the post a few times when maybe it hasn't been needed. Perhaps he doesn't trust our small ball lineups to hold down the fort at the 5, and I don't blame him entirely for thinking that.

But James isn't the reason we're giving up so many ppg on defense.

 

I encourage others to watch the most recent episode of Backstage: Lakers.

He may not have the constant motor on defense and overhelps at times, but dude talks and continues to talk to our young guys on that end and from the bench.

I had no idea how much of a verbal leader he already is with the youngns. Obviously that's something we can't really experience on a telecast, but that alone earns him minutes on defense cause he almost plays it like a linebacker.

Granted they showed the Portland game and the home opener, so he's clearly enthusiastic and feeding off the crowd's energy to begin the season. But I was impressed with it and I hope he's just as demonstrative and vocal as the long season progresses.

Then you add Rondo in there and I hope it rubs off on some of our kids. I've seen Zo physically push his teammates into better defensive positions, but I hope he can learn to be as verbal as our vets.