72 Suburbs in Search of a City: Anthony Davis to Los Angeles Lakers

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Not really replying to you two specifically, as I’ve heard others say similar, but didn’t they carve out an exemption specifically for Paul? Seems like this is more about preventing the next Paul/Klutch. Doesn’t really change the overall view of these new rules or make the NCAA less loathsome, but it’s not quite so anti-Lebron.
Here are the rules: http://www.ncaa.org/enforcement/agents-and-amateurism/agent-certification. Doesn't look there is a carve-out for Paul.

Someone named Jeff Borzello tweeted that the application process requires agents to "agree to cooperate with the NCAA in connection with its investigation and analysis of possible rules violations, even if the alleged violations are unrelated to [their] NCAA-agent certification."

I have to wonder if everything else was an attempt to hide this very important sentence.

View: https://twitter.com/jeffborzello/status/1158866709979308032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1158866709979308032&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aseaofblue.com%2F2019%2F8%2F7%2F20757906%2Fncaa-introduces-new-rules-for-agents
 

HomeRunBaker

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Not really replying to you two specifically, as I’ve heard others say similar, but didn’t they carve out an exemption specifically for Paul? Seems like this is more about preventing the next Paul/Klutch. Doesn’t really change the overall view of these new rules or make the NCAA less loathsome, but it’s not quite so anti-Lebron.
The NCAA specifically included “bachelors degree” in their requirement. There is only one prominent agent that I know of who everyone knows does not hold a bachelors degree and that is Paul.

I doubt it affects Klutch a ton as there is either a) a workaround by having another “agent” under the Klutch brand for the player to sign with and b) an NCAA player who wishes to retain his eligibility isn’t likely to be the target of Klutch anyway. I doubt Klutch is all that interested in signing up the Jordan Bones or Jaylen McDaniels, the type of players this rule is designed to potentially retain at the college level.
 

djbayko

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The NCAA specifically included “bachelors degree” in their requirement. There is only one prominent agent that I know of who everyone knows does not hold a bachelors degree and that is Paul.

I doubt it affects Klutch a ton as there is either a) a workaround by having another “agent” under the Klutch brand for the player to sign with and b) an NCAA player who wishes to retain his eligibility isn’t likely to be the target of Klutch anyway. I doubt Klutch is all that interested in signing up the Jordan Bones or Jaylen McDaniels, the type of players this rule is designed to potentially retain at the college level.
Yeah, it’s easy enough for Klutch to get around this. I assumed the rule was to prevent students from being represented by their know-nothing parent / uncle.
 

GBA

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From a Bleacher Report article (just the first I clicked on in a quick google search):“Per Rothstein, the new rules include an exception for Klutch Sports' Rich Paul, who does not have a bachelor's degree but has become one of the most powerful agents in basketball.” (https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2848716-ncaa-reportedly-changes-criteria-rules-for-nba-agents-rich-paul-excluded.amp.html)

Might be inaccurate, but if true it seems less anti-Paul than anti-future Paul/Uncle Leonard.

Agree with those saying the “must cooperate with investigations” part in the real news maker here.
 

Tony C

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Anyone else just grown incredibly tired of lebron? Whining about the new ncaa agent rule, forcing david griffin to go on tv to apologize because he's so damn sensitive, warning everyone he's going off this season. Like dude, just stop.

Looking forward to his complete collapse. Father time is undefeated.
No. And are you sure he's the sensitive one? I hadn't even heard of the ncaa thing -- looks like you're the one bending over backwards to find things about which to be offended and whine.

I do get tired about fans complaining about greatness. Never understood it/never will. I may not root for the Bulls/Jordan or Curry/GS or LeBron/numerous teams or.....whomever -- it's just a joy to watch great players. Never understood the hatred they engender.
 

Kliq

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No. And are you sure he's the sensitive one? I hadn't even heard of the ncaa thing -- looks like you're the one bending over backwards to find things about which to be offended and whine.

I do get tired about fans complaining about greatness. Never understood it/never will. I may not root for the Bulls/Jordan or Curry/GS or LeBron/numerous teams or.....whomever -- it's just a joy to watch great players. Never understood the hatred they engender.
I don't think it is that hard to understand that someone can be impressed by LeBron's consistent high level of play, durability, well-rounded game and championship success while also being annoyed by his passive-aggressive off-court personality, consistent franchise hopping and team building strategies, and legendary complaining to referees.
 

DJnVa

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No. And are you sure he's the sensitive one? I hadn't even heard of the ncaa thing -- looks like you're the one bending over backwards to find things about which to be offended and whine.

I do get tired about fans complaining about greatness. Never understood it/never will. I may not root for the Bulls/Jordan or Curry/GS or LeBron/numerous teams or.....whomever -- it's just a joy to watch great players. Never understood the hatred they engender.
Because people are able to separate the on-court/off-court stuff?

I mean, most people posting here love what Schilling did on the field for the Sox, but really, really dislike him off the field.
 

djbayko

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Because people are able to separate the on-court/off-court stuff?

I mean, most people posting here love what Schilling did on the field for the Sox, but really, really dislike him off the field.
Right, it's not about failure to recognize or appreciate greatness.

Also, minor quibble, but some of his on court stuff is objectionable as well, especially if you count between the whistles.
 

Sam Ray Not

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And a more major quibble with the G38 comp: a whole lot of the stuff he does and says off the court (charitable work, social commentary, parenting, e.g.) is highly commendable.
 

InstaFace

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Lebron the public figure and role-model is awesome. I find it hard to fathom how anyone could have a bad word for how he conducts himself as a person or professional. The guy grew up poor and unsophisticated and has taught himself everything he needs to know to be a global brand and move in some very subtle businesses, while also not becoming an asshole. He seems to be a great husband and dad, and constantly gives back in dozens of ways. Any criticisms of him off-court - even including Twitter - probably say more about the critic than about Lebron himself.

Lebron the on-court personality strikes me as a whiny nuisance, half of whose game is predicated around ugly and cynical call-drawing, flinging himself at the basket, throwing his hands in the air and getting angry. And that's despite him being a gifted passer and shooter. If I'm going to watch iso-ball, at least give me Giannis who is beating people with athleticism rather than bail-out calls.

The two views are not dischordant, any more than an opinion of "Schilling gets a lifetime pass from me due to 2004 & 2007, up to the point where he runs for office and/or starts negatively impacting the lives of other normal people in non-sports ways" would be.
 

Tony C

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Because people are able to separate the on-court/off-court stuff?

I mean, most people posting here love what Schilling did on the field for the Sox, but really, really dislike him off the field.
What is wrong with his off court behavior? He's great on the court (sure...he whines some, but whatever). What is wrong with his off-court behavior? I can't imagine a better representative.

Not like I have a LeBron poster in my room. But he's plain and simple great on the court. And pretty exemplary off the court.
 

DJnVa

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What is wrong with his off court behavior? He's great on the court (sure...he whines some, but whatever). What is wrong with his off-court behavior? I can't imagine a better representative.
I don't care much, but you're asking why some people may care. The stuff regarding David Griffin seemed kinda cringe-worthy, but to each his own.
 

DJnVa

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You may want to "New York Times" that headline.
He's talking about Lebron's commentary being commendable as compared to G38.

EDIT: Unless you're saying to make that a bit more clear because it could be misread.
 

Kliq

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What is wrong with his off court behavior? He's great on the court (sure...he whines some, but whatever). What is wrong with his off-court behavior? I can't imagine a better representative.

Not like I have a LeBron poster in my room. But he's plain and simple great on the court. And pretty exemplary off the court.
I guess I should clarify, that when I say off-the-court stuff, I was referencing more of the basketball off-the-court stuff, not LeBron as a general human being because that would be very unfair since I don't know him at all, and what we can tell is that he is a reasonably thoughtful, family-first guy.

But LeBron the basketball player has been basically a paragon of franchise dysfunction for at least the past three seasons.
 

ElUno20

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No. And are you sure he's the sensitive one? I hadn't even heard of the ncaa thing -- looks like you're the one bending over backwards to find things about which to be offended and whine.

I do get tired about fans complaining about greatness. Never understood it/never will. I may not root for the Bulls/Jordan or Curry/GS or LeBron/numerous teams or.....whomever -- it's just a joy to watch great players. Never understood the hatred they engender.
Bullshit. I love lebron's game and have always appreciated watching him. What I've grown completely sick of (this has built for the last decade) is his constant need to be blown, have the spotlight on him, and the outrage that ensues should anyone dare criticize him.

This has nothing to do with his role politically as a successful black man in this increasingly shitty country for minorities. I love that he pisses off the fox news types of the world. But that doesnt mean i cant be disgusted when he sends word through his cronies that david griffin needs to go on tv and apologize for being honest. Or when he blows up his teams chemistry by trying to trade all the players and insultingly plays the "who me???" card.

I can feel both ways about him. It's not black and white.
 

Bernie Carbohydrate

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It isn’t binary, for me it is trinary (is that a word?):

1. LeBron the player. My favorite active NBA star. Brilliant, tough, determined, transcendent. Despite slowing down a bit he can still impose his will on a game or even an entire playoff series. I hope he plays another 10 years because even a fat, slow LeBron will be one of the best passers in the league. I despise the Lakers but still look forward to seeing this hoops genius do incredible things on the court. We are lucky to have been able to witness his talent. I wish he’d been a Celtic.

2. Citizen LeBron: Again, exemplary. His school in Akron. Millions of dollars to charity, and advocacy in NE Ohio. Takes his stand even when he might make more money protecting his brand. The guy has integrity and uses his fame for good. Appears to be a fantastic husband and father.

3. LeBron the GM: [Barkley Voice]: Turrible. Won a ring in Cleveland (see #1 above) but had a chance at a mini- dynasty if he’d been willing to think 3-5 years out instead of being in annual mode. Cluttered the roster with useless old guys and locked his last team in cap hell. Glad he’s going to nuke the Lakers future.
 

mauf

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It isn’t binary, for me it is trinary (is that a word?):

1. LeBron the player. My favorite active NBA star. Brilliant, tough, determined, transcendent. Despite slowing down a bit he can still impose his will on a game or even an entire playoff series. I hope he plays another 10 years because even a fat, slow LeBron will be one of the best passers in the league. I despise the Lakers but still look forward to seeing this hoops genius do incredible things on the court. We are lucky to have been able to witness his talent. I wish he’d been a Celtic.

2. Citizen LeBron: Again, exemplary. His school in Akron. Millions of dollars to charity, and advocacy in NE Ohio. Takes his stand even when he might make more money protecting his brand. The guy has integrity and uses his fame for good. Appears to be a fantastic husband and father.

3. LeBron the GM: [Barkley Voice]: Turrible. Won a ring in Cleveland (see #1 above) but had a chance at a mini- dynasty if he’d been willing to think 3-5 years out instead of being in annual mode. Cluttered the roster with useless old guys and locked his last team in cap hell. Glad he’s going to nuke the Lakers future.
I agree with this, but would add that LeBron seems like a difficult teammate — certainly no worse than Jordan was, but probably the most difficult among the game’s current top 10 players. This is a recent development; he seemed well-liked in Miami and in his first stint in Cleveland, but in the past three years, he has spawned far more than his share of drama.
 

Devizier

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I agree with this, but would add that LeBron seems like a difficult teammate — certainly no worse than Jordan was, but probably the most difficult among the game’s current top 10 players. This is a recent development; he seemed well-liked in Miami and in his first stint in Cleveland, but in the past three years, he has spawned far more than his share of drama.
Might be generational; in both Cleveland-2 and Los Angeles he was pretty eager to jettison the young guys and bring in veterans and/or personal associates.
 

Tony C

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and if I wanted to say that maybe he's under a particular microscope, perhaps I might note this thread and post like this? :)
It isn’t binary, for me it is trinary (is that a word?):

1. LeBron the player. My favorite active NBA star. Brilliant, tough, determined, transcendent. Despite slowing down a bit he can still impose his will on a game or even an entire playoff series. I hope he plays another 10 years because even a fat, slow LeBron will be one of the best passers in the league. I despise the Lakers but still look forward to seeing this hoops genius do incredible things on the court. We are lucky to have been able to witness his talent. I wish he’d been a Celtic.

2. Citizen LeBron: Again, exemplary. His school in Akron. Millions of dollars to charity, and advocacy in NE Ohio. Takes his stand even when he might make more money protecting his brand. The guy has integrity and uses his fame for good. Appears to be a fantastic husband and father.

3. LeBron the GM: [Barkley Voice]: Turrible. Won a ring in Cleveland (see #1 above) but had a chance at a mini- dynasty if he’d been willing to think 3-5 years out instead of being in annual mode. Cluttered the roster with useless old guys and locked his last team in cap hell. Glad he’s going to nuke the Lakers future.
Not that anything wrong with this post -- at all, most of it is pretty much spot on. I post it just to note the sort of scrutiny he faces. And agree in particular that LeBron as GM was a disaster in Cleveland. That said, my only disagreement is that don't think that's necessarily the case in L.A. To the contrary, as "GM," he clearly saved the Lakers from the incompetence of Magic/Pelinka/Rambii, Buss et al. Specifically in re getting AD there and also in re the secondary players who signed. I definitely think saying he's nuking the Lakers' future is...wrong.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Might be generational; in both Cleveland-2 and Los Angeles he was pretty eager to jettison the young guys and bring in veterans and/or personal associates.
His teams have always gone older because in the current iteration of the NBA, and as last season showed, veterans win championships not kids.
 

PedrosRedGlove

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and if I wanted to say that maybe he's under a particular microscope, perhaps I might note this thread and post like this? :)
Not that anything wrong with this post -- at all, most of it is pretty much spot on. I post it just to note the sort of scrutiny he faces. And agree in particular that LeBron as GM was a disaster in Cleveland. That said, my only disagreement is that don't think that's necessarily the case in L.A. To the contrary, as "GM," he clearly saved the Lakers from the incompetence of Magic/Pelinka/Rambii, Buss et al. Specifically in re getting AD there and also in re the secondary players who signed. I definitely think saying he's nuking the Lakers' future is...wrong.
He faces a high level of scrutiny but much of that is brought on himself in a way. Is there another player in modern sports that has seemingly influenced and dictated roster building on their team the way Lebron has?

Wanting veterans over youngsters is one thing but Lebron seems to be very specific and often shortsighted in who he wants to play with. I'm not sure what he's done differently in LA. The midseason drama didn't help anything, and LA paid the full premium price for AD, it's basically the same thing he had Cleveland do for Love in 2014.
 

the moops

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Wanting veterans over youngsters is one thing but Lebron seems to be very specific and often shortsighted in who he wants to play with.
I think nearly every player in the league would take winning a championship vs setting up their team for future success. It's just that Lebron has that pull, and nobody else does
 

HomeRunBaker

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He faces a high level of scrutiny but much of that is brought on himself in a way. Is there another player in modern sports that has seemingly influenced and dictated roster building on their team the way Lebron has?

Wanting veterans over youngsters is one thing but Lebron seems to be very specific and often shortsighted in who he wants to play with. I'm not sure what he's done differently in LA. The midseason drama didn't help anything, and LA paid the full premium price for AD, it's basically the same thing he had Cleveland do for Love in 2014.
He won Championships in multiple cities with completely different rosters. What I’m not sure about is why his team building is being criticized. It sounds more personal than sound analysis.
 

Sam Ray Not

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LOLakers. AD, JaVale and LeBron (who should be a full-time big at this stage of his career) is more than enough to cover 48 minutes at C in today's NBA, imo. Beyond being a clubhouse cancer, DHo would instantly piss off JaVale and (in the minutes he played) force AD, LeBron, and Kuzma out of their optimal positions. DO IT.



I mean, DeMarcus presented some of the same issues, but he at least he could shoot, pass and space the floor.
 

HomeRunBaker

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LOLakers. AD, JaVale and LeBron (who should be a full-time big at this stage of his career) is more than enough to cover 48 minutes at C in today's NBA, imo. .
You've repeated this but I have no idea what this even means. He carried a young a flawed Laker team to the 4th best record in the WC as mostly a 3 (and quite a few minutes as a 2 in a 3-big lineup) prior to slipping on a wet spot and injuring his groin.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html
 

bowiac

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LeBron went 28-27 in games he played. At the time he got hurt, the Lakers had a point differential of all of +2.2. They were in 4th place, and a whopping 2 games out 9th place.

Good thing this year's team isn't flawed I guess?
 

mauf

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LeBron went 28-27 in games he played. At the time he got hurt, the Lakers had a point differential of all of +2.2. They were in 4th place, and a whopping 2 games out 9th place.

Good thing this year's team isn't flawed I guess?
LeBron’s strategy was obviously to punt his first year in LA. In hindsight, perhaps that was a mistake — the Warriors didn’t end up being the invulnerable juggernaut we all anticipated, and the Lakers’ young players lost a lot of value during that year. But since winning in 2019-20 and beyond was always the goal, I’m not sure we can draw judgments based on a bridge year where LeBron’s teammates were defined largely by who was willing to take a one-year deal with no real shot at a ring.
 

HomeRunBaker

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LeBron went 28-27 in games he played. At the time he got hurt, the Lakers had a point differential of all of +2.2. They were in 4th place, and a whopping 2 games out 9th place.

Good thing this year's team isn't flawed I guess?
Ah the beauty of +/- to show that LeBron is league average lol. He clearly wasn't the same player over the second half after missing 6 weeks with the groin and the team was finished by then. I am confused by this supposed decline to where LeBron is a 4/5 now. This board may have an aneurysm when the Spurs sign DeRozan to a max extenion.
 

bowiac

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"If you ignore all the times LeBron played bad, he's still good enough to carry a team by himself." Got it.

But you're correct, I'm less making a point about LeBron being a 4/5 now, and more expressing surprise that people still believe in the myth of the 2019 Lakers.
 

bowiac

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LeBron’s strategy was obviously to punt his first year in LA. In hindsight, perhaps that was a mistake — the Warriors didn’t end up being the invulnerable juggernaut we all anticipated, and the Lakers’ young players lost a lot of value during that year. But since winning in 2019-20 and beyond was always the goal, I’m not sure we can draw judgments based on a bridge year where LeBron’s teammates were defined largely by who was willing to take a one-year deal with no real shot at a ring.
I don't believe that 34-year-old LeBron's strategy to was to "punt a year". He played every game until he got hurt. I'm gonna sound like Michael Wilbon here, but as good as LeBron is, father time really is undefeated. We'll never know for sure, but it seems dramatically more likely to me that LeBron, after defying aging into his mid 30s, simply couldn't be the same guy anymore at age 34, at least not in the regular season. That's not a shock or anything - that's just how aging works. Everyone loses a step eventually, even the GOAT.
 

mauf

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I don't believe that 34-year-old LeBron's strategy to was to "punt a year". He played every game until he got hurt. I'm gonna sound like Michael Wilbon here, but as good as LeBron is, father time really is undefeated. We'll never know for sure, but it seems dramatically more likely to me that LeBron, after defying aging into his mid 30s, simply couldn't be the same guy anymore at age 34, at least not in the regular season. That's not a shock or anything - that's just how aging works. Everyone loses a step eventually, even the GOAT.
You can question the wisdom of LeBron punting a year, but I don’t think there’s much doubt that was the plan — he had to know last year’s Lakers would be no better than the Cleveland team he was leaving, and would actually be worse if the young guys didn’t develop (which is of course what happened). Either that or the original plan was to sign PG13 and trade the young kids for a third star, but they got blindsided when George re-upped in OKC. (Which I doubt, as I suspect we’d have heard about it.)
 

lovegtm

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Ah the beauty of +/- to show that LeBron is league average lol. He clearly wasn't the same player over the second half after missing 6 weeks with the groin and the team was finished by then. I am confused by this supposed decline to where LeBron is a 4/5 now. This board may have an aneurysm when the Spurs sign DeRozan to a max extenion.
Bowiac referenced the Lakers' pre-LeBron-injury +/- precisely to avoid your objection. The point is that the pre-injury Lakers were a decent team, but not as good as "4th in the West" makes it sound.

It's also inaccurate to say that the team was finished when he came back: in his first game back on Jan 31, they beat the Clippers to move within one game of the 8th seed. Everyone expected them to roll from that point on, and instead they fell out of the playoff race.

I agree that he wasn't the same player when he came back, but the fact that he wasn't able to come back strong from that injury isn't a great sign going forward.
 

Sam Ray Not

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You've repeated this but I have no idea what this even means.
“Big” = 4 or 5. The premise is that older/slower LeBron in today’s NBA should generally be playing with only one other big man as opposed to two. Or is that too complex to understand?

To recap: since LeBron’s traditional numbers have been great as ever the last couple of seasons, it’s reasonable to assume that the significant drop-off in positive impact on the scoreboard we’ve seen the last two seasons is due to defensive decline — the type that befalls most players as they enter their mid 30s. The advanced stats together with eye-test suggest that mid-30s LeBron is increasingly a defensive liability. More specifically, I’d argue that he’s no longer suited to chasing quick guards and wings around the perimeter.

On the other hand, he remains 6-9 with a 7 foot wingspan and strong as an ox. That’s perfectly big-man-sized in today’s NBA. We’re talking Draymond, PJ Tucker, Siakam — none of whom typically play alongside two big men, and all of whom were key cogs on the three most effective teams in the NBA the last couple seasons.

Older/slower LeBron as the Lakers’ Draymond/Tucker/Siakam doesn’t seem particularly controversial to me. Assuming James-AD-Kuzma-Green as givens in their most used lineups, I'm arguing that Rondo, Cook, KCP, Bradley, Daniels, even Caruso would all be a much more effective Player #5 than an defensively unswitchable, offensively lane-clogging traditional C like Dwight Howard.

In terms of roster construction, I could see wanting to add one more traditional C as "JaVale backup" in the event of injury, but for a guy who's likely to be a full-time towel-waver / scrimmage dummy, I'd stay pretty far away from a wannabe superstar who's an awkward personality fit on a good day.

(Edit: removed snark).
 
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bowiac

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You can question the wisdom of LeBron punting a year, but I don’t think there’s much doubt that was the plan — he had to know last year’s Lakers would be no better than the Cleveland team he was leaving, and would actually be worse if the young guys didn’t develop (which is of course what happened). Either that or the original plan was to sign PG13 and trade the young kids for a third star, but they got blindsided when George re-upped in OKC. (Which I doubt, as I suspect we’d have heard about it.)
Maybe we're talking past each other. I don't think the plan was a "punt", as in, "take it easy for a year and then come back stronger at age 35." I think LeBron's plan was simply that he's entered a new phase of his career where he's prioritizing things other than winning. That's why he went to the Lakers in the first place. That's a pretty reasonable plan given he's in his mid 30s and has already done a lot of winning.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Ah the beauty of +/- to show that LeBron is league average lol.
Unlike the beauty of using counting stats to show that he was exactly the same player at 34 he was at 28? (And fwiw, the quote you were replying to didn't cite his +/- or posit that LeBron was league average.)
 
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PedroKsBambino

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I think reality was not that Lebron wanted to punt, but that he wanted to be a Laker and the pieces he wanted to have join him so it wasn’t a punt decided not to come/weren’t available.

Then, Looking at “what next” before last season, I’d guess is his understanding with FO was they’d look to upgrade at the deadline—which would make them dangerous in playoffs. That is precisely how it played out—they just couldnt close the deal for Davis and lebron was hurt so it’s all over for 2019. But, not a plan last summer to punt either.
 

nighthob

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Ah the beauty of +/- to show that LeBron is league average lol. He clearly wasn't the same player over the second half after missing 6 weeks with the groin and the team was finished by then. I am confused by this supposed decline to where LeBron is a 4/5 now. This board may have an aneurysm when the Spurs sign DeRozan to a max extenion.
I mean in the modern NBA (ball handler/wing/big wing/big man) LeBron’s clearly in the big wing category. His days of being a defensive stopper are long past. To be brutally frank, Davis would be more effective chasing around smaller wings than LeBron. Put another way, LeBron/Davis is their best bet at the 4/5 (even before the Boogie injury). But they do have a severe lack of D at one of the wing spots (the one Kuzma’s playing).
 

HowBoutDemSox

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10,103
There is no way the Lakers are signing Dwight Howard, right?

I mean that would be crazy. And not in a good way.
He’s actually a member of the Grizzlies currently (which was a surprise to me too), so I guess it would be a trade of some kind.