Will failing to win the ring this year be Lebron's biggest failure aside from 2011?

[PickernRoller]

Miserable.

[3ball]

And, yet, if Lakers do win, this knucklehead will give all the credit to Anthony Davis. Funny how if they lose, though, LeBron will be the big failure. You're so transparently pathetic.

If the Lakers go from lottery to championship after the addition of AD, then AD should get credit

If the Lakers lose, then it's hard to know who to blame because they lost last year

That's why an all-time great can't miss the playoffs because then they can't take credit when there's a big addition and they subsequently make it...

It's no different than Kyrie missing playoffs in 2014, and getting zero credit in 2015 - Lebron is now in that boat

[3ball]

Yes, pointing out that the team lacks shooting...in an era in which there might not be something more important...is just crazy.

Great comment.

Anything else?

It's Lebron's fault that the Lakers lack shooting

If lebron himself was an elite shooter, then the Lakers would have 2 elite shooters in the starting lineup and be fine

But Lebron isn't an elite jumpshooter - it's one of his flaws, so he should take some blame for the Lakers' shooting woes

But the reality is that the Lakers supposedly added sufficient shooters this year, so any underperformance can potentially fall on lebron if it persists

[DMAVS41]

It's Lebron's fault that the Lakers lack shooting

If lebron himself was an elite shooter, then the Lakers would have 2 elite shooters in the starting lineup and be fine

But Lebron isn't an elite jumpshooter - it's one of his flaws, so he should take some blame for the Lakers' shooting woes

But the reality is that the Lakers supposedly added sufficient shooters this year, so any underperformance can potentially fall on lebron if it persists

No, that doesn't make sense...

[3ball]

No, that doesn't make sense...

Why not

[DMAVS41]

Why not

Because Lebron would never play the role of "shooter" consistently on this team even if he could shoot much better.

He's too valuable doing what he does. Doesn't mean his lack of shooting isn't a flaw...it is for sure...but it also isn't like he's just a terrible range shooter either. If he gets back to normal...he'll be somewhere around 34% from 3...and a lot of those 3's come on non "wide-open" situations.

The other players I referenced playing the "shooter" role and need to convert more open shots for anyone with a brain to call this team "complete"...

Current 3 point percentages outside of Lebron;

Green - 41%
Bradley - 29%
Rondo - 20%
Kuzma - 31%
Davis - 27%
Caruso - 26%
KCP - 30%
Cook - 33%
Daniels - 32%

Nobody with a brain is claiming that is optimal in this league. Nobody...

[egokiller]

Why not

It obviously does since 1 elite shooter +1 elite shooter =2 elite shooters

[IllegalD]

And, yet, if Lakers do win, this knucklehead will give all the credit to Anthony Davis. Funny how if they lose, though, LeBron will be the big failure. You're so transparently pathetic.

If AD ends up being Finals MVP isnt that how its supposed to work?

Or, let me guess. If AD wins Finals MVP you'll flip flop on everything you ever said/thought about Kobe's "sidekick rings" because all of a sudden you don't want it to apply to your lover LeBron.

[ImKobe]

If AD ends up being Finals MVP isnt that how its supposed to work?

Or, let me guess. If AD wins Finals MVP you'll flip flop on everything you ever said/thought about Kobe's "sidekick rings" because all of a sudden you don't want it to apply to your lover LeBron.

"but look at his numbers against the Clippers/Rockets doe", after shitting on Kobe's 00-02 rings for the past 10+ years.

[RRR3]

"but look at his numbers against the Clippers/Rockets doe", after shitting on Kobe's 00-02 rings for the past 10+ years.

00: absolutely carried by Shaq. Check the stats.

02: confirmed rigged.



We’ll give him 01 as a legit ring (still not a ring as the best player ofc) but Shaq was still the man in the finals.

[Lebron6]

Won the GOAT chip. I'm sorry folks, but this guy is on another level.

LeGOAT

[RRR3]

Actually, a slightly higher percentage of LeBron’s 2PT fgs throughput his career were assisted than Kobe’s. LeBron’s 3s are much less assisted than Kobe’s though. But it’s not like LeBron spams 3s so...

[3ball]

Because Lebron would never play the role of "shooter" consistently on this team even if he could shoot much better.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]He's too valuable doing what he does[/COLOR].

^^^ the bolded is a misperception of what's actually going on

Lebron isn't "too valuable" doing what he's doing - he simply can't be maximized any other way

If a team with lebron wants to maximize their best player (lebron), they must keep him on-ball, even though that hurts some teammates and brand/team compared to other greats who don't need the ball as much to get their max stats

The best way to play is rampant ball movement while the star still achieves elite stats - these are the best teams - lebron lacks the skills to do this, so teams must let him dominate the ball and suffer a brand reduction, rather than put him off-ball and marginalize their best player... I guess it's better to marginalize teammates if the star lacks the skills to play without the ball

[COLOR="DarkRed"]Doesn't mean his lack of shooting isn't a flaw...it is for sure[/COLOR]...but it also isn't like he's just a terrible range shooter either. If he gets back to normal...he'll be somewhere around 34% from 3...and a lot of those 3's come on non "wide-open" situations.

.

Indeed - Durant, Kawhi, MJ, Curry, Bird, Kobe - they all took turns in the "shooting" role by letting teammates assist them for jumpshots.. but Lebron's assisted rate is very low because he lacks skills to play the shooter role or off-ball and still get elite stats

and therein lies the rub - a team with lebron can't maximize their best player (lebron) without keeping him on-ball - this reduces teammates to spot-up shooters, while also reducing brand and the team... Compare to Durant, MJ, and Kawhi, who have the skills to get max stats without having the ball as much, which allows teammates and brand to be maximized..

Just look at the numbers - it takes lebron 10 minutes of hold-time to get 30 points, compared to 5 minutes for Kawhi or Curry - this 5 minute gap represents 5 lessminutes that Lebron's teammates hold the ball, which explains their underperformance compared to curry, kawhi, or mj's teammates

Current 3 point percentages outside of Lebron;

Green - 41%
Bradley - 29%
Rondo - 20%
Kuzma - 31%
Davis - 27%
Caruso - 26%
KCP - 30%
Cook - 33%
Daniels - 32%

Aren't guys like KCP and Cook supposed to be good shooters?

Weren't all the reports that the Lakers have good shooting this year, while last year's strategy of getting ballhandlers was finally behind them?

Could it be that these guys are underachieving because the 1 ball-dominator and 4 shooter approach is a basic way to play that defenses are good at defending?

Btw, the Lakers' underperforming shooting shows how strong the duo of lebron/AD is.. it's like Magic and Hakeem teaming up, or Magic/Bird .. these Lakers should never lose

[DMAVS41]

Disagree with pretty much everything you write.

No, Lebron isn't hurting his teammates.

No, the Lakers didn't add great shooters outside of Green of course.

Do they have enough to win the title? I do think so, but I just don't see how one can call a team "complete" in this era that has an issue with 3 point shooting.

[3ball]

Disagree with pretty much everything you write.

No, Lebron isn't hurting his teammates.

No, the Lakers didn't add great shooters outside of Green of course.

Do they have enough to win the title? I do think so, but I just don't see how one can call a team "complete" in this era that has an issue with 3 point shooting.

Do you think Lebron could get elite stats if he had to play more of the shooter role or off-ball?

Of course not - he lacks the skills

So teams don't keep lebron on-ball because he's too valuable there, they keep him there because that's the only way to maximize him.. his stats would crater if you took him off-ball

But teams know that the best way to play is rampant ball movement while the star still achieves elite stats - these are the best teams - lebron lacks the skills to do this, so teams must suffer a brand reduction by letting him dominate the ball, rather than put him off-ball and marginalize their best player... I guess it's better to marginalize teammates than the star...

there isn't anything to disagree with here - it's just a recounting of what happens (teams sacrifice the best brand so they aren't marginalizing their best player, who can only get elite stats on-ball)