LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

That's true. He is at Shaq level right now. But I think it's a little because his drives are kind of awkward, if you know what I mean...

 

this team currently sucks as you know but better than last year. Miles better.

 

Lebron needs to keep being the screener like he was yesterday down the stretch. His gravity will give Russ/Dennis/Reaves good angles to score if the pass isn't there. It's way better than him being the ball handler as he's to slow to get by anyone from up top. I hope we keep doing that predominantly moving forward

 

not to mention lebron on the short roll is terrifying. i mean, people fear draymond there. think about what lebron can do with a slight advantage catching on the move in the middle of the floor. death.

lebron's a good pop option, too, as i think he can catch and hit a three well enough to force the defense to scramble. so yes, i agree--more lebron as screener. he and AD need to be setting lots of screens (and receiving them, too).

 

Yeah, I’ve been annoyed by the no-calls, but I kinda get it.

Feels like over half of his drives are doomed to fail UNLESS he gets the call. It’s like he doesn’t have the lift or athleticism to actually score on the drives, and is fully reliant on awkwardly drawing contact and hoping he gets bailed out by the refs.

Great game yesterday… but it’s because his three point shot was falling. That’s certainly a step in the right direction, and I do expect him to be a much more efficient shooter than he was early in the season, but it’s not something I want to rely on. I’m more interested in seeing him change his style on offense. Less iso and dribbling out the clock until he’s forced to chuck a shot. More attacking easy, looking for cutters, playing off ball as the screener, etc (which to his credit, it does seem he was a bit better in that regards too)

THIS should never happen:

 

I agree, that's what we need to avoid. I'm very encouraged however that after he scored his 37th point with 7 minutes left, he went to set up as a screener for the PG. He only took two more shots for the rest of the game, but his gravity as a screener opened up the offense for everyone else. I hope that remains consistent as it makes things easier for not only him in the short roll, but the entire team as opposed to him dribbling out the clock and shooting a step back three.

 

Probably why they both wanted Russ? Too bad his lack of shooting and his athletic decline negated that hope.
Reaves and Schroeder are both really underrated PnR ballhandleres and Reaves game is getting better and better. Still you need Schroeder to be OKC Schroeder to work in the playoffs?

Lebron on the screener is terrifying it could still work? Usually the screener is the lesser offensive option but in this case the gravity maybe so high that even very good defensive teams like Boston might find it difficult. Lebron was never meant to be the hero ball type but he's been so good as the PG for title teams that teams have never put him with a classic PG with him just scoring types. But that also allows you to use guys as PnR ballhandlers that you not normally do: Hield with Lebron screening would be very difficult for teams to contend for example which wouldn't work nearly as well without a guy like Lebron setting the screen

 

*cough*terryrozier*cough*

with lebron and AD setting screens, a guy like rozier not being a "true" pg matters very little.

 

yeah yeah yeah …. but @ZenMaster is going out of his gourd wanting a true point guard.

 

Sounds like you think he’s washed, completely? Along with hating him. If healthy …. seriously?

 

No hate. I just don’t like his masterminding off the court.
I never once said he’s washed. He can be great on offense some nights, but equally as bad on defense on others.
I did say it’s time for AD to be the number one option on offense since he decided to enter Beast mode.
No need to paint with such a broad stroke.

 

Exactly how Shaq was treated.

 

Maybe I've misunderstood but nearly every time you post about the guy it's a negative and you seem as if you can't wait until he's gone, since you don't like the way he often likes to play the game. And with the constant negative nicknames. ** The "let's see what he can do against a real team" sounded questioning what he has left of his game enough, to me, to ask the question. But sorry, I'm not a fan of broad brushing myself. Happens too much around here.

** Plus you "like" a lot of sirron's posts when he's truly hating on him.

 

Lebron needs to score 16 against IND to get to within 1000 of Kareem's all-time mark. He'll do that, and, because nice even numbers like 1000, combined with the drama of the ALL TIME SCORING RECORD I suspect the "circus" atmosphere around this issue will begin to ramp up.

"And with that free throw, ladies and gentlemen, Lebron is now within 750 of the all-time scoring mark. Enter our Arby's competition to guess the game, date, and quarter when Lebron passes Kareem's mark and you'll win free Arby's for life. Text 1730663554 in order to enter..."

Or some s*** like that.

I'd rather we win the game. If he stays healthy, he'll pass Cap soon enough. But it will be sad if we're fighting for a play-in at the time.

 

Well, I can dislike a player while at the same time not hating him.
You can like him all you want. I choose not to respect people who are narcissistic, proven liars, and choose not to take responsibility for their actions. Just because he chose the Lakers, doesn’t mean I have to like him and I would never tell anyone else that they have to love a grown man based on his basketball talent.

 

I’m not a fan either per se. See, it’s easy to assume things. I guess the “right” question would have been did you think he was washed … along with intensely disliking him? That make your annoyance any better?

 

Why do you even care if I like another grown man?

 

I don’t aside from reading about it here constantly. Why do you have the need to keep bringing it up, how much you don’t with the subtle and not subtle shots at him? My question was about if you thought he was too washed to do the same thing against “a real team”.

 

He plays for the Lakers. I reserve the right to share my opinion of the so called “King.”
I never said the dude was “washed.” I have said he barely plays defense anymore. I also never said he couldn’t do it against a good team. I just don’t get excited when he does it against a team projected to have one of the worst records in the West, who were also missing two of their starters. Again, I ain’t stopping you from waiving your Pom Poms for him.