LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

As I've said countless times, Kuzma is a total waste of a roster space and a position on the court. Jared Dudley would have been 100x more useful. Anyone care to argue against that? Dudley plays better defense, is a better passer, and shoots the ball at a more efficient rate. Kuzma is seriously that one kid who always gets minutes and then you find out the coach is his father. He sucks, plain and simple. Every other team watching Kuzma has a smile on when they see Kuzma waiting at the announcer's table. As for Rondo, yeah he sucks but at least he earned his spot in the NBA. Kuzma earned nothing. His Instagram is filled with posts about him ignoring the haters and striving to be great but every game, he is living proof of why social media is fake news.

 

^ total waste of a roster space? Have your qualms with Kuz, but total waste at less than $2M in roster space? Yeah that’s funny.

 

Too harsh on Kuzma but I actually agree with you that Vogel messed up with his rotations. He got scared into not using Dwight and then when he want small ball with Lebron at the 5 he had Rondo in there. Would have been better with Dudley who got better size and strength.

 

Okay, break it down to basketball. No more trashtalking.

What do you like about Kuzma's game? IDGAF about his contract. He's a negative when he is on the court so $2 million is just paper money.

 

Is he a net negative? Pretty sure the stats indicate otherwise when he’s playing with Lebron and AD. Pick and choose what you want, but I see a 25 year old scorer that most nights takes 6-10 shots per night. I also see a guy that is trying to help create, when really we should be running more sets for him to catch and shoot. Change my mind.

 

man james is getting blocked on a regular basis these days

 

I'll be glad to change your mind.

1) He's a net-negative when he's on the court due to the fact that he doesn't contribute much other than when he jacks up shots. The problem with that is he's never consistent and you can either get 20 or 5 with the same amount of shot attempts. Name one thing he does above average. I will wait.

2) I see a 25 year old with zero potential to be a better player. His basketball mechanics are terrible, a toddler has more muscle than him, and he is more concerned about his social media presence and "all-talk, no action" theatrics than actually figuring out how to be a better player. One of the biggest concerns of him during the offseason was highlighted by himself in learning how to redefine his shot. He's shooting at a terrible efficiency and has made no improvements in his game.

3) Trying to help create? No one is asking him to create. He's the one who keeps forcing terrible plays thinking he can pump the crowd up but it results in a poor possession. Catch-and-shoot stats you say?

https://gyazo.com/3aa76e891e2fae89331b7d2a22032b6d

He's ranked one of the lowest on the team.

How about for the league? He's way below average. Take a look at this data where Kyle Kuzma is shooting 35.4% in catch-and-shoot 3PA.

https://i.gyazo.com/cfdb1850fbd84592fce702f5bdc822bc.png

Take a look at Marcus Morris.

Did we seriously hold up trade talks with Knicks and allow a COMPETITOR to get him because we wanted to keep Kyle Kuzma? Give me a break. I don't even need to change your mind. You can't name a single thing Kuzma does above average at other than you recommending he get more catch-and-shoot opportunities. He doesn't need more opportunities. He needs to earn them. Stop giving this clown 25-30 minutes per game. Rob's choice to stick with Kuzma may have been our biggest mistake this season in which we have seen the Clippers get better and better and we stood pat because Kyle fricking Kuzma has convinced them that he's better than he really is.

 

I have to get up early, so I have to cut this short:

1) your opinion. Stats show a + rating when he’s with AD and Bron. Sorry, I’m not accepting weak rebuttals with biased opinions here. You can keep waiting for your internet to speed up.

2) Refer to point 1. You see “zero potential to become a better player?” Sorry, but that absurd and I won’t waste my time here.

3) You actually missed my point entirely. He’s not a natural creator but is making an effort. I appreciate that. I’d rather they insist on getting him more open looks. Thought that was clear.

also, not sure what those stats were trying to show as in on my phone, but Morris has been a mediocre player for what, 7-8 years? He is what he is and I’m not trading a starting guard and one of our best young assets for him. If you would, that’s your mistake.

seriously, if you’re giving up Kuz and Green for Morris, then this conversation is over because I’m laughing. Dude has become more overrated than Covington on this board.

 

Your responses are weak. Get to sleep because you need it. Stats show a + rating when he's with AD and Bron? I can get a + rating with AD and Bron. What does he do WITHOUT Bron and AD? Are you seriously judging a player by how well they play with two top-five players alongside him? That's the most absurd criteria.

What potential have you seen? What improvements were made from rookie to third season? I see you're great at not actually naming any of them because well, I can't blame ya, there isn't any. I guess he's gotten better at posting on social media?

I didn't miss the point. You don't know how to write correctly. Open looks? He's not a catch-and-shoot or spot up shooter. I gave you his stats in those shots. He's below average by a wide margin. Marcus Morris is at 48% in catch-and-shoot threes. You didn't really look or care to so I'm not giving you another second of my time. Good day.

 

Considering Lebron and AD will play 36 MPG, I’d say it does matter how players perform with them and saying otherwise is silly.

where were you in this forum last game when Kuz was grabbing boards? Hitting 3s? Nowhere. Because you and like 2-3 others are only in this thread when it fits your agenda. It’s pretty obvious.

I don’t know how to write correctly? Read my post and learn how to read correctly. I literally said I looked but I’m on my phone and it didn’t come through properly.

most of your post was asking snide rhetorical questions with no substance. Morris is a better catch and shoot 3 guy than Kuz? Sure. 7x better? I guess you’re not a math person.

 

So does the other 12 minutes disappear? 36+12 = 48. Are you using some sort of ancient mathematical system we haven't learned yet? LeBron and four bums off the streets will likely be a + rating. But you're not even following. From a basketball perspective, Kuzma is a net-negative player because he does nothing at an average level. Rebounding for his position/size is below average, shooting is below average, and his playmaking/defense are not even worth mentioning. You're still focused on +/- when that wasn't even what I was out to prove. But so far, your only stance is his +/- is good because he plays with Bron and AD. Gee, that sure means a whole lot. By that logic, we should go ahead and sign J.R. Smith.

Where was I when Kuz had one of those rare games where he grabbed all those rebounds? You're looking at a few games when I am looking at the total picture. I'm sorry but I don't care if Kuzma has one or two good games for every 3-4 bad games. If that's what you consider good, then you have low standards.

"I also see a guy that is trying to help create, when really we should be running more sets for him to catch and shoot. Change my mind."

This is what you wrote. I replied by saying that he is forcing terrible plays by trying to create for others. No one is asking him to create for others. They're asking him to score the ball but he does so inefficiently. You reply back by saying that he's at least making an effort. So where are you having trouble comprehending what I wrote? I summed it up by stating that Kuzma is actually a very poor catch-and-shoot player and you simply ignore it because you have no objective evidence to counter it.

Stop, buddy. Your only argument is Kuzma is on a cheap contract. I don't care about his contract. He doesn't deserve to be on the court so his contract is meaningless. Ever heard of sunk cost?

And by no means did I claim Morris was 7x better at shooting the ball at Kuzma. You're just using strawman fallacy arguments. Marcus Morris would have provided us size, a capable wing defender, a better shooter, and simply has more dog in him than the chihuaha we have in Kuzma. All bark on Instagram but no bite in the game. Not only did we lose out on Marcus Morris because we chose to keep Kuzma, but the Clippers end up snagging him as our direct competitor. Thanks Kuzma, your $2 million contract was well worth it.

 

did you know Morris has never shot better all around in his career than Kuz in his worst season so far? Tell me more about how bad Kuz’s shooting is please.

Maybe I’ll address the rest tomorrow, but you make assumptions like “nobody is asking” Kuz to work on creating for others. I’d say it’s pretty obvious he’s being asked to try and create, but just because you’re unable to see it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

 

"Did you know"

Is that some sort of answer I can't spend two seconds to Google and only you could? I never implied Marcus Morris had a better FG% (which is honestly irrelevant considering Lou Williams has only shot above 45% FG once and he's easily one of the best scorers in the league). Marcus Morris is a visibly better defender, shooter, and provides a mentality that we desperately need. He fits our team. Kuzma doesn't. The reason Kuzma, in his defense, has looked awful is due to the fact that he's being forced to play above his capabilities on a championship-contending team. You know what? Maybe he needs to be on a different team where expectations are low. But from what I've seen, he doesn't fit our current team. Kyle Kuzma generates his own hate. He brags on Instagram and showboats his improvements but in the game, he withers.

 

If it was Kuz for Morris straight up then we might be on the same page, though I still think it’s mostly marginal. When a guy has been one thing for 8-9 year and suddenly exceeds his numbers on a trash team, I’m going to follow the previous years. And things bring me back to the salary cap, the idea of Kuz PLUS our starting SG for Morris is a a joke. We’ve been going back and forth on Kuz, but the deal was Kuz AND our starting SG. That’s a no from me dog.

 

That's a yes from me, dog. You're looking at this incorrectly. Warriors signed KD four years ago. The problem wasn't just that they signed KD but also, that they eliminated another team from having KD. They knocked out two stones in one. Clippers got another player that poses a problem for us. If it were Marcus Morris going to the Pelicans or Dallas, I wouldn't honestly care. Yeah, he's going to help them but they aren't in position to beat us regardless. Clippers are. But if you truly think Kuz and Morris are separated marginally in terms of how good they are, there is nothing to be had. There is no evidence you have to support that. If you do, bring it.

 

It’s actually Kuz vs. Morris - Harkless. I’m not concerned with that transaction. I believe that if the Clippers end up beating us, they would have done so with Harkless (and Kawhi, PG, and Lou). I’ve brought this up throughout the day and have yet to see anything to convince me that Morris is a significant upgrade from Harkless

 

My question to you is why aren't you doing your own research? Do you need someone to baby you up?

It's easy to see why Marcus Morris is a huge upgrade.
For one, he's 4th in 3 point shooting efficiency.
https://www.espn.com/nba/stats/player/_/table/offensive/sort/threePointFieldGoalPct/dir/desc

For two, he's shooting 48% in catch-and-shoot threes. Clippers generate 24 catch-and-shoot 3PA per game. With Marcus Morris, they will become the best team at catch-and-shoot threes considering Harkless wasn't a shooter. Clippers are also arguably the best three point shooting team in the NBA with Marcus Morris.

Harkless is a good defender but he's very limited offensively. Marcus Morris is capable of getting his own shot and that forces LeBron and others to adjust to him on the court as well. More scoring threat = Kawhi, PG, and others are more open.

I'm sorry. Which part makes you wary that it isn't a significant upgrade? They made themselves better and eliminated the Lakers from making the Lakers better. It's two-fold. Two-for-one type of deal. If we had Harkless and we could have gotten Marcus Morris for him, are you truly telling me it wouldn't be a significant upgrade? Stop it. You're lying to yourself for saying otherwise.

 

I love Kobe, as much as the next man here but you might consider changing that sig bro.

 

passive af

 

Hater