The Official NBA Season Thread: I’m like Jayson Tatum in the Olympics I'm not playing

[ballinsam23]

Monte Ball. Biedrins blocking everything. I feel like Carl Landry ain’t miss from mid range.

Biedrins was my guy. That game had that block animation and I swear he used to block everything.

 

[dacomeup]

Quarter of the season last year 23 games:

22/8/8 on 47/34/68 that's more than serviceable starter level production.

Westbrook Stats Without Lebron In 2021-2022 | StatMuse

Russell Westbrook averaged 22.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists in 23 games without LeBron James in 2021-22.

www.statmuse.com

Yea yea, they didn't win much but neither did they even Bron and AD were there either, that's kinda not my point.

He looks like he doesn't belong in the league everywhere else. I think there's a happy medium that could be obtained but no one is interested in even trying to make it work. They need to move him.

Let’s be honest for a second though. Those stats were the definition of the empty calories he’s been doing basically since the MVP season.

Is there really a happy medium for a Point Guard on the decline/past his athletic prime (which his game was heavily dependent on), awful shooter, awful defender, ball dominant and refuses to move, set screens or anything on offense? Like what’s the happy medium for finding a way for this guy to look good. His best bet is to beat up on second units at this point. And his ego won’t allow that to even happen. It’s extremely difficult to play high level winning basketball with a guy like that, as we’ve seen since he’s been past his athletic peak.

 

[P C H]

Let’s be honest for a second though. Those stats were the definition of the empty calories he’s been doing basically since the MVP season.

Is there really a happy medium for a Point Guard on the decline/past his athletic prime (which his game was heavily dependent on), awful shooter, awful defender, ball dominant and refuses to move, set screens or anything on offense? Like what’s the happy medium for finding a way for this guy to look good. His best bet is to beat up on second units at this point. And his ego won’t allow that to even happen. It’s extremely difficult to play high level winning basketball with a guy like that, as we’ve seen since he’s been past his athletic peak.

You hit a certain age as a point guard where it simply does not matter that you can put up numbers with an insane usage rate if you cannot impact winning.

Really no one can get away with that at a certain age, but especially guards, given the lack of impact that they provide defensively.

 

[dacomeup]

You hit a certain age as a point guard where it simply does not matter that you can put up numbers with an insane usage rate if you cannot impact winning.

Really no one can get away with that at a certain age, but especially guards, given the lack of impact that they provide defensively.

Exactly, and he’s never been a guy who did the little things. Which makes it all the more insane that Pelinka thought trading him made any sense, given Bron’s the Point Guard anyways. Would be great for there to be a secondary ball handler wit Bron, but he absolutely needs to be able to shoot.

 

[datznasty]

Why not just bring back Howard to play the 5?

 

[lawdog1]

Dwert remains unemployed, correct?

 

[MVP]

Let’s be honest for a second though. Those stats were the definition of the empty calories he’s been doing basically since the MVP season.

Is there really a happy medium for a Point Guard on the decline/past his athletic prime (which his game was heavily dependent on), awful shooter, awful defender, ball dominant and refuses to move, set screens or anything on offense? Like what’s the happy medium for finding a way for this guy to look good. His best bet is to beat up on second units at this point. And his ego won’t allow that to even happen. It’s extremely difficult to play high level winning basketball with a guy like that, as we’ve seen since he’s been past his athletic peak.

Call them empty calories or whatever you want but he was effective as a regular season player in those years post MVP for every subsequent team for the Lakers (except when Bron is there). Why is that the case? I'm not subscribing to the case that he became washed overnight cause even as last year showed even Bron wasn't there he did find a way to impact the game albeit not as much on the W/L side as in previous stops.

Let me ask you this as well is Bron putting up empty calories now as you termed things cause his numbers aren't impacting the game anymore as they used to kinda alluding to wavycrocket point earlier. It's not on the supporting cast, cause y'all said it was TRASH 3-on in 2020 too but AD was a different monster that season. That's honestly what everything really boils down to with the Lakers at the end of the day.

You aren't saying any new info, Russ has always been ball dominant, a bad shooter, non screen setter, situational defender, stubborn, etc. That's on him.

KD somehow played high level winning basketball with that same guy who was more athletic sure but the same traits and ego was there. PG, Beal and Harden all had some of their very best years individually with him as a teammate. Russ is culpable for not checking his ego and playing better but he's not the first superstar all time great player to not be willing to change his role. His skillset is limited in what he can do on the floor and for that it's on himself, but the Lakers and Bron haven't really tried to make it work at all.

 

[had pants]

 

[Raji Lowenthal]

So Russ' shouldn't change his game that's been so successful in getting teams to the dance. Makes sense..

 

[MVP]

So Russ' shouldn't change his game that's been so successful in getting teams to the dance. Makes sense..

That's not the point. Of course in theory he should, but he's not going to. Part of it is ego and the other is he's not going to become a shooter overnight or be a lockdown defender (although his effort on that end last night was really good).

Bron can though and has a different points of his career. He can play more off ball and be a finisher. He's choosing not to, partly to get his numbers which is fine, but it's also not helping the team maximize whatever managed roster this is asking with AD being scared to take the reigns.

 

[dman14]

Lakers need to move without the ball more. Too much standing around. They do not have the personnel to have bron create and dish to shooter. Ham has to get creative with his offense. This looks like last yr all over again

Russ should play with the second unit more. Give him the opportunity to be the primary playmaker

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

Rust went 0-11, but let's talk about Bron.

Disgusting discourse. Just nasty right now.

Never understood the line of reasoning that Bron should sacrifice, because he's good enough too, and Rust can't. FOH. You top 75 make it happen.

 

[P C H]

Not to rag on Bron, but you can't want to win a title an absolve yourself from certain facets of the game just because you're old.

You don't get a NBA championship pass because you're trying to win a title at 38 years of age. He's been hemorrhaging points and defensive possessions for awhile now.

If the goal is to win an NBA title, and you want to be on the team averaging 30, playing 35 minutes a night, then the expectation should be that you defend too. With respect to winning a title, no one cares that you're 38, man. If it's that much of a burden then **** it get out of the championship business.

I get that you shouldn't 'expect' that out of Bron but the game is the game. If the Lakers and Bron are serious about trying to win a title with him as the team's best player, then more should be demanded of him defensively.

 

[MVP]

Rust went 0-11, but let's talk about Bron.

Disgusting discourse. Just nasty right now.

Never understood the line of reasoning that Bron should sacrifice, because he's good enough too, and Rust can't. FOH. You top 75 make it happen.

Bron said out of his own mouth he was going to though and didn't/hasn't.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

At this point Russ can either drag you up to 35 wins

Or drag you down to 35 wins.

 

[wavycrocket]

Not to rag on Bron, but you can't want to win a title an absolve yourself from certain facets of the game just because you're old.

You don't get a NBA championship pass because you're trying to win a title at 38 years of age.

If the goal is to win an NBA title, and you want to be on the team averaging 30, playing 35 minutes a night, then the expectation should be that you defend too. With respect to winning a title, no one cares that you're 38, man.

I get that you shouldn't 'expect' that out of Bron but the game is the game. If the Lakers and Bron are serious about trying to win a title with him as the team's best player, then more should be demanded of him defensively.

God forbid I say this.

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

BRON played off the ball to start last season and it was awful so he said **** it and went back to what he knows. He was spotting up and sitting in corners while Rustle looked him off and hit the side of the backboard. I ain't making no excuses for a dude who refuses to accept accountability for his ****tiness.

 

[wavycrocket]

BRON played off the ball to start last season and it was awful so he said **** it and went back to what he knows. He was spotting up and sitting in corners while Rustle looked him off and hit the side of the backboard. I ain't making no excuses for a dude who refuses to accept accountability for his ****tiness.

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

Not to rag on Bron, but you can't want to win a title an absolve yourself from certain facets of the game just because you're old.

You don't get a NBA championship pass because you're trying to win a title at 38 years of age. He's been hemorrhaging points and defensive possessions for awhile now.

If the goal is to win an NBA title, and you want to be on the team averaging 30, playing 35 minutes a night, then the expectation should be that you defend too. With respect to winning a title, no one cares that you're 38, man. If it's that much of a burden then **** it get out of the championship business.

I get that you shouldn't 'expect' that out of Bron but the game is the game. If the Lakers and Bron are serious about trying to win a title with him as the team's best player, then more should be demanded of him defensively.

That's just it. The best player was supposed to be AD with Rust handling the major ball handling duties during the season. AD got hurt and Russ stank up the joint so go for what you know.

 

[dacomeup]

Let me ask you this as well is Bron putting up empty calories now as you termed things cause his numbers aren't impacting the game anymore as they used to kinda alluding to wavycrocket point earlier. It's not on the supporting cast, cause y'all said it was TRASH 3-on in 2020 too but AD was a different monster that season. That's honestly what everything really boils down to with the Lakers at the end of the day.

He’s 38 years old. Of course he isn’t impacting the game as a Top 7 guy anymore. He’s still ridiculously good. You say it’s not all on the supporting cast, but you literally won a chip with him 2 years ago. Things have gone downhill since they got rid of the guys who were proven, high level role players and AD hasn’t touched the level he was at in the Bubble. This is all easily explainable.

KD somehow played high level winning basketball with that same guy who was more athletic sure but the same traits and ego was there

I mean, the dude was the first or second most athletic PG we’ve ever seen and a Top 75 player in NBA history. Obviously having him and KD together was good enough to overcompensate for most of their deficiencies for as long as they were healthy.

PG, Beal and Harden all had some of their very best years individually with him as a teammate.

I don’t know how true the Beal thing is, but the Harden part is flat out not true. His best years were all pre-Russ tbh. The Harden season and bubble playoff series against OKC was against a team that was literally trying to tank . They beat them in 7. you can’t win high level basketball with him playing starter minutes/role at this stage. Virtually impossible given his limitations.

His skillset is limited in what he can do on the floor and for that it's on himself, but the Lakers and Bron haven't really tried to make it work at all.

what do you mean? He’s a non-shooter who refuses to cut, set screens, etc. Literally just stands and watches and his shooting is so bad that you don’t even have to respect it. He is already blaming his injury on coming off of the bench, when THAT is the best way to try and make this work, to let him try and kill second units. It’s convenient to blame this on Lakers/Bron but this is the same guy who Russ has been his entire career. He’s just lost a step athletically and his mid range jumper is now nonexistent — making him virtually useless offensively since he can’t shoot and won’t do anything off ball.

 

[P C H]

That's just it. The best player was supposed to be AD with Rust handling the major ball handling duties during the season. AD got hurt and Russ stank up the joint so go for what you know.

But like, Even if the best player was supposed to be AD,

Lebron was always supposed to be at wort a top 5 player in the league. You cannot in one breathe say "We're serious about winning a title" and in another breathe allow LBJ to be awful defensively because of his age.

To be clear, what he's doing at his age is remarkable. Ijs more should be demanded of him if the idea still, is to win a title with him

 

[WASHED KING]

Imma need Denver to beat the brakes off GS tonight.

I can’t take no more of this. We haven’t even hit Halloween yet.

 

[wavycrocket]

But like, Even if the best player was supposed to be AD,

Lebron was always supposed to be at wort a top 5 player in the league. You cannot in one breathe say "We're serious about winning a title" and in another breathe allow LBJ to be awful defensively because of his age.

Yep.

Let’s keep it all the way real. He’s more concerned with conserving energy on the defensive end to chase stats.

LeBron is smart. Once he saw the writing on the Wall with Russ (like after game 5 last year)…he said **** it. Imma go get mine. In his mind, he didn’t see a path to winning.

They just not being honest about it. It’s blatantly obvious

 

[osh kosh bosh]

All the things you could do to make Russ more effective he essentially...refuses to do?

So what now?

 

[P C H]

Yep.

Let’s keep it all the way real. He’s more concerned with conserving energy on the defensive end to chase stats.

LeBron is smart. Once he saw the writing on the Wall with Russ (like after game 5 last year)…he said **** it. Imma go get mine. In his mind, he didn’t see a path to winning.

They just not being honest about it. It’s blatantly obvious

I don't even think this is all because the team is terrible (partly his doing) and has no chance so **** it, run it up

But you can't say "We want to win a championship with Lebron at the helm. He's still a top 5 player" but also say "We can't expect him to do x y and z because he's old like I'm sorry? what part of the game is that?