The LeBron James- 23-24 NBA Playoffs & Off-Season Thread -(NO PERSONAL ATTACKS & BAITING)

[rk2023]

lol if both KD & LBJ go down 0-3,

It happened.............Steph and Cp3 missed playoffs. Kawhi and Harden getting sonned by Luka.

2020 era is officially here. The 2010s Nba is dead

Feels somewhat surreal to be honest, but father time is undefeated.

LeBron is still a top 10 player. I don't think Steph is nowadays and I don't think KD is either(or he's on the cusp of it).

They’re all in a 6-11 range imo, along with AD Tatum and Kawhi. The only problem is that these players are close to each other in terms of impact / Win Probability Added than they are to any of Jokic, Embiid, Giannis are when those three are clicking. Same goes to Luka (who’s somewhat struggled to start the PS) and Shai.

Any of the former grouped players needs to have a very good 2-5 and 1 swing player off the bench to beat Denver. Of course, Boston could (I don’t think they will) - but it seems like the Clips or Phoenix would be made fodder with just like is happening to LAL right about now.


Biggest difference this series has been the gaps in 3-5 performance:

Rui, Dlo, Reaves - 32 PPG on 47.6% TS

Gordon, Porter, KCP - 56 PPG on 73.5% TS

I take this as a sign that you could still field a outside contending shot team with James/Davis, but one of the top stars with an elite cast of role players (even this with Tatum) is a more valuable formula.

[capfan33]

Ok, but shouldn't the bar be higher for a starter? He has 3 more points in the series than Peyton Watson

To some extent, yes, but role players don’t always play well (if they always played well, they wouldn’t be role players!), so in any given series there’s likely to be some role player(s) on a given team that do not play well, and that’s especially true in a series against a superior team. Perhaps if they played the series over again, Rui would play fine but Taurean Prince wouldn’t play as well as he has. Or maybe both would play well, or both would play badly. With role players there’s just a good deal of variance. A bad series from a role player doesn’t mean they’re actually bad players. And, again, in this instance it is compounded by the fact that Rui has a particularly tough ask here, since a lot of what he’s being asked to do is directly opposing major strengths for the Nuggets. He’s being asked to rebound against an elite contested-rebounding team, and he’s taking the Jokic assignment defensively a decent bit. This is not easy, and a solid NBA player can pretty easily look bad in those circumstances.

I'm sorry I don't get what are you saying here. 6'9 sturdy guy can't rebound against the Nuggets, fine. What can he do otherwise? Not a high iq or high intensity guy, not efficient in iso, has been missing a lot of open 3s and lay ups. Not a screen setter. Sounds like a bottom tier playoff player to me.

Same applies for Dlo. And if that's your 2 starters you won't win against top level teams

Yea idk how you can watch the games and conclude that Rui/Dlo have much to offer for any high level team. Dlo outside of game 2 including last year is 3-30 from 3 against the Nuggets. And his main attribute is shooting/scoring. Rui is kind of the same, if his shots not falling he doesn't offer a lot. Like these are spot minute guys against certain matchups, not starters on a team with anything close to title-aspirations. And pretending there comparable in anyway to KCP/Gordon/MPJ is not a serious take.

[DorianRo]

Ehh... The team has just given up after Game 2 . .. But when their "leader" says, "its just basketball" and looks checked out what can you expect?

[thebigbird]

The worst part of LeBron losing in the playoffs is definitely all the trolls coming out of their nine-month hiding.

[The High Cyde]

The worst part of LeBron losing in the playoffs is definitely all the trolls coming out of their nine-month hiding.

Kinda hoping he retires soon so I don’t have to read stupid hate posts every time honestly. The obsession is insane. Most scrutinized and criticized athlete of all time since he was in freaking high school, and there won’t be another like him. I just can’t fathom why people get up in the morning just to revel in his failures, it’s absurd and I’m tired of it. No one would be doing this to another top 1-3 player in any other sport.

[Ian Scuffling]

Ehh... The team has just given up after Game 2 . .. But when their "leader" says, "its just basketball" and looks checked out what can you expect?

It IS just basketball...and how does he look "checked out"? And I'm sorry, even if true, it isn't, we're not talking elementary or high school kids. These are professional adults, who are being paid millions of dollars to do a job. The fault lies with them for not doing their jobs, not on the "leader". Now, don't get caught up with this, we'll agree to disagree, but again, how has he looked "checked out"?

[DorianRo]

Ehh... The team has just given up after Game 2 . .. But when their "leader" says, "its just basketball" and looks checked out what can you expect?

It IS just basketball...and how does he look "checked out"? And I'm sorry, even if true, it isn't, we're not talking elementary or high school kids. These are professional adults, who are being paid millions of dollars to do a job. The fault lies with them for not doing their jobs, not on the "leader". Now, don't get caught up with this, we'll agree to disagree, but again, how has he looked "checked out"?

Well.. If its "just basketball" clearly it isn't that important and they shouldn't be getting paid these BS overinflated salaries. I mean NBA players get paid like 10x more than any other pro league. Hes admitting his own profession is pointless.

How does he look checked out. Well He isn't playing much D and he hasn't boxed out one player since. Which is why AG Is getting Rodman rebounds and 29-30 point games. AG. I mean come on. They're making him look like a superstar

[nzahir]

Off topic, but anyone know what jacket Bron was wearing in G2 press conference

[letskissbro]

Ehh... The team has just given up after Game 2 . .. But when their "leader" says, "its just basketball" and looks checked out what can you expect?

It IS just basketball...and how does he look "checked out"? And I'm sorry, even if true, it isn't, we're not talking elementary or high school kids. These are professional adults, who are being paid millions of dollars to do a job. The fault lies with them for not doing their jobs, not on the "leader". Now, don't get caught up with this, we'll agree to disagree, but again, how has he looked "checked out"?

Well.. If its "just basketball" clearly it isn't that important and they shouldn't be getting paid these BS overinflated salaries. I mean NBA players get paid like 10x more than any other pro league. Hes admitting his own profession is pointless.

How does he look checked out. Well He isn't playing much D and he hasn't boxed out one player since. Which is why AG Is getting Rodman rebounds and 29-30 point games. AG. I mean come on. They're making him look like a superstar

He was asked by a reporter about playing under pressure and the pressure to win. His reply "it's just basketball" is his way of saying "it's not rocket science," meaning it's something even DorianRo could understand. At least in theory.

[thebigbird]

Ehh... The team has just given up after Game 2 . .. But when their "leader" says, "its just basketball" and looks checked out what can you expect?

It IS just basketball...and how does he look "checked out"? And I'm sorry, even if true, it isn't, we're not talking elementary or high school kids. These are professional adults, who are being paid millions of dollars to do a job. The fault lies with them for not doing their jobs, not on the "leader". Now, don't get caught up with this, we'll agree to disagree, but again, how has he looked "checked out"?

Well.. If its "just basketball" clearly it isn't that important and they shouldn't be getting paid these BS overinflated salaries. I mean NBA players get paid like 10x more than any other pro league. Hes admitting his own profession is pointless.

How does he look checked out. Well He isn't playing much D and he hasn't boxed out one player since. Which is why AG Is getting Rodman rebounds and 29-30 point games. AG. I mean come on. They're making him look like a superstar

The fact you’re saying he “isn’t playing much D” during a series in which he’s been playing outstanding defense shows you’re just in here to repeat recycled talking points completely detached from reality.

[DorianRo]

It IS just basketball...and how does he look "checked out"? And I'm sorry, even if true, it isn't, we're not talking elementary or high school kids. These are professional adults, who are being paid millions of dollars to do a job. The fault lies with them for not doing their jobs, not on the "leader". Now, don't get caught up with this, we'll agree to disagree, but again, how has he looked "checked out"?

Well.. If its "just basketball" clearly it isn't that important and they shouldn't be getting paid these BS overinflated salaries. I mean NBA players get paid like 10x more than any other pro league. Hes admitting his own profession is pointless.

How does he look checked out. Well He isn't playing much D and he hasn't boxed out one player since. Which is why AG Is getting Rodman rebounds and 29-30 point games. AG. I mean come on. They're making him look like a superstar

The fact you’re saying he “isn’t playing much D” during a series in which he’s been playing outstanding defense shows you’re just in here to repeat recycled talking points completely detached from reality.

Ok... stay delusional while Lakers get swept... 2 years in a row to the same team

[NbaAllDay]

Ignore the 2 IQ posters.

In other news, start looks eerily similar to all the other games.

I hate to be sceptical but if LA are up at halftime we already know what's going to happen.

[RRR3]

Not watching but I'm hearing Ham is already itching to blow it by playing a 4 guard lineup against Jokic/MPJ/Gordon

[toodles23]

...an iso clearout postup for Jaxson Hayes. Unbelievable. It doesn't matter that he had a mismatch, dude has no offensive skill whatsoever.

[Fadeaway_J]

...an iso clearout postup for Jaxson Hayes. Unbelievable. It doesn't matter that he had a mismatch, dude has no offensive skill whatsoever.

That was pretty special.

[RRR3]

Are they seriously gonna win another first half? I'm legitimately starting to get convinced they could beat the Nuggets with a good coach

Ham is so bad they're getting swept tho

[EmpireFalls]

Are they seriously gonna win another first half? I'm legitimately starting to get convinced they could beat the Nuggets with a good coach

Ham is so bad they're getting swept tho

It has almost everything to do with how little intensity the Nuggets seem to have in the first half. They play at about 70% intensity at best.

[homecourtloss]

Are they seriously gonna win another first half? I'm legitimately starting to get convinced they could beat the Nuggets with a good coach

Ham is so bad they're getting swept tho

The odds of being double digits up after 20 minutes of game play in 4 straight playoffs game for ANY team vs. ANY team are extremely low. Something like this would be like a +10,000 bet, maybe more. Honestly, I can’t remember a team being up by double digits near halftime in four straight games.

On that note, if you don’t have a DraftKings or FanDuel or betESPN account, create one, and then place large sums of money on Denver. I’ve made over $4000 betting on Denver on this series.

[homecourtloss]

It IS just basketball...and how does he look "checked out"? And I'm sorry, even if true, it isn't, we're not talking elementary or high school kids. These are professional adults, who are being paid millions of dollars to do a job. The fault lies with them for not doing their jobs, not on the "leader". Now, don't get caught up with this, we'll agree to disagree, but again, how has he looked "checked out"?

Well.. If its "just basketball" clearly it isn't that important and they shouldn't be getting paid these BS overinflated salaries. I mean NBA players get paid like 10x more than any other pro league. Hes admitting his own profession is pointless.

How does he look checked out. Well He isn't playing much D and he hasn't boxed out one player since. Which is why AG Is getting Rodman rebounds and 29-30 point games. AG. I mean come on. They're making him look like a superstar

He was asked by a reporter about playing under pressure and the pressure to win. His reply "it's just basketball" is his way of saying "it's not rocket science," meaning it's something even DorianRo could understand. At least in theory.

Cooked

[K9J]

0 surprise, Lakers driving towards the rim and with first aggressive steps to the paint every possession outplaying Denver.. now in the second half they will begin to take stepbacks contested from +5m with hands in their faces and the stupid TO and Denver come back to compete the final...

Mayber after 2 years they finally learn that only gordon could bother the paint and its free get points..worst escenario is pass out to open threes