Lebron in the Mix

It’s pretty amazing that Lebron “Rushmore” James is still demanding this much attention as a free agent.

I’ve been advocating the idea of him going to the Pistons.  Yes, there are a lot of teams out there that could use LBJ.  When I made that suggestion for instance, that was before the Sixers acquired Brown.

Still, I can totally see Lebron helping the Detroit win a championship, because more than anything last postseason they needed another superstar scorer.  More than on any other true ‘contender’ in this conversation, King James’s defensive deficiencies would have been mitigated in the Motor City, you know, before they lost Stewart

That’s why it’s kinda hard for me to envision him on the Nuggets or Timberwolves.  If this was prime, still-interested-in-playing-defense Lebron, him + Jokic would definitely win a championship.  And I guess with Watson around and moving James to the 3, it might work.  But then, what’s going to happen to Cam Johnson?  And you have to presume that Christian Braun isn’t particularly exuberant about sticking around.  You helped dudes win a championship, but now they’re more interested in signing a former rival.

With the T-Wolves, taking nothing away from Gobert + McDaniels, but the defensive burden, as a starting 4, would be too much.  Remember that the Spurs and Thunder are still out there.  You wouldn’t want, for instance, “the Highlander” being stuck in a situation where he has to defend Wemby during a history-defining possession.

LEBRON A SIXER?

That’s one of the reasons why, out of the teams he suggested, the Sixers may make the most sense, because he’ll not only be in the East but playing alongside Jaylen Brown.  It remains to be concluded, but Brown may be one of those Kawhi types who can elevate an entire team’s defense.  Lebron + Embiid being tasked with defending the box isn’t ideal and may not happen consistently anyway given Joel’s health.  But I think inspiration + talent can carry this squad through.  The Sixers haven’t won anything of late but still are one of the most respected franchises in the league.

It isn’t only about if James can still play at a high level.  It’s about, at his age and with his résumé, what would inspire him to play defense every time he’s on the court?

Son is in his 40s.  He can just forget shit for a couple seconds like ‘oh shit Lebron, dude just ran right by you’.  So you don’t want to put him on a team where he might get bored halfway through the season.

You wouldn’t want to put him on a squad, like the two aforementioned, where there’s a possibility that they could still be mediocre.  You know what I’m saying?  He’s going to take a below-average contract.  So you don’t want December rolling around and dude is like ‘man, I’m not getting paid anyway, so fuck it’.

SHOUTOUT TO DAVION MITCHELL

I also like the Heat, and this is something I would really like to point out in this post.  Notice when Lebron, via Rich Paul, was giving a shoutout to Miami’s roster, the first player he mentioned wasn’t Bam or Giannis but Davion Mitchell.  That, my friend, is inspiration.

Also, even more than the Pistons were last season, we have to now presume that Miami is a defensive juggernaut in the post.  Andrew Wiggins is another above-average defensive player I think.   The way dudes’ G core got gutted these past couple of seasons isn’t ideal.  But defensively, remember that Bam and Giannis can also play the perimeter.

A NAKED FACE

The reason I don’t think a reunion with the Cavs would work comes down to two words - the Beard.  There’s no reason to have both Lebron and Harden on the same squad, because both are (divas and) best on the ball.  It also kinda puzzles me sometimes how the Beard is still demanding near-max money, while Westrbook and CP3 can’t even get a contract.  I’m thinking maybe it’s because of his passing ability(?).

On paper, Lebron (and Bronny) back in Cleveland would work, but they would have to shave the Beard.  And I don’t even mean forcing him to play the 2 or come off the bench or anything like that -  I mean not even like having dude on the roster, because it’ll just be a distraction.

Lebron could help mitigate the fact that even though Cleveland has twin towers, they’re not necessarily a team that’s known for its ability to dominate the post offensively.  Allen is a defensive player, and Mobley plays more like a 3.  And you know, I’m tired of Evan bashing already.  Maybe that’s what he actually needs, unc.

It’s kinda strange how the Cavs have never just entrusted Spider with the point.  But that being said, having Lebron by his side makes more sense than Harden, even if they did make (and got embarrassed in) the Conference Finals.

OLD BUT SPRY

One of the reasons GM Lebron hasn’t been as successful in recent years is due to embracing these sorta nostalgic, dream team movements instead of thinking more logically.  He and D-Wade won Olympic gold in 2012, immediately became NBA teammates and proceeded to win a couple of championships.  Well, they were both in their prime then.

Lebron and Carmelo have won a number of golds together, but by the time they teamed up stateside, both were in like twilight years type shit, besides having another relative agemate, Russell Westbrook, around.  That didn’t work at all.

Lebron recently won a highly-competitive gold medal alongside Curry.  Despite being surrounded by a bunch of younger players, it took Rushmore’s heroics - besides Steph’s magic - to emerge victorious.  So the first thing we as NBA fans were thinking is like ‘wow, what if they played on same the team?’  And yeah, I believe Lebron thinks like that also, like he doesn’t have common sense sometimes.  But the moment has passed.

The Warriors are the quintessential example of why you can’t embrace the geriatric movement in the modern NBA.  Or let me say that if they’re insisting on staying old, then they shoulda just kept Klay around (instead of doing him dirty).

Jimmy Butler isn’t the problem per se but more like the scapegoat.  Some of these dudes, when they get hurt like that, you sometimes kinda wonder like  why don’t you just retire already?  You know, you’re a sportsman, and you have to think about how your ridiculously-large contract is going to affect the team if you can’t play.  Meanwhile, you’re a journeyman type shit.  You know what I’m saying?  Once it becomes like every time you’re watching a dude you’re afraid he’s gonna get hurt, like Paul George or some shit, then maybe it’s just time to retire or at least take a pay cut.   Having Lebron in town isn’t such a bad idea if Butler were replaced by a younger star.  And as for Kristaps, don’t even get me started.

CONCLUSION

Nothing is written in stone, and Philly has taken some (non-Brown related) losses this offseason, losing Grimes and Oubre.  But out of every squad on Rich Paul’s list, they seem the most logical as they currently stand, if LBJ wants to win an instant championship.  They’re still not a perfect match though, and that shows how much James's expectations may be unrealistic, at least in a single season.  You don’t want to put him in a situation where your team’s fate is up to his defense - unless he’s really, really inspired - night after night.

From Heroes to Zeroes: LAL + GM Lebron

I'm glad that I came across at least one article, via Yahoo!Sports, questioning what all the excitement is about concerning the Lakers' recent moves.  The fans have the freedom to express what the mainstream media cannot, that this incoming iteration of LAL is arguably "worse than last season's squad", which is saying a lot.

And in my eyes, that's not even the biggest problem, i.e. the quality of the roster per se, because some offseasons are more successful than others.  Nor is the fact that outlets like NBC have actually given the Lakers an offseason "A" for acquiring the likes of Walter Kessler, Quentin Grimes and whoever TF Sandro Mamukelashvili(?) is.  Anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm not into dissing players, so that previous sentence is not meant to be a dig against anyone.  But this is the Lakers, for crying out loud.  In days past, they made headlines for acquiring the likes of Kobe, Shaq, Gasol and Lebron - all-time greats.  And now, re-signing Austin Reaves and poaching a C-lister from the Jazz are supposed to be big deals?

As for Kessler, I've only heard positive, or let me more specifically say promising things about him these past couple of years.  It also seems that he spent most of last season injured.  Why they would want to pair a player with a concerning injury history with Doncic, who knows.  But let me say that Walker's name has never been in the headlines more than it has these past couple of weeks.  And it's never particularly inspiring when an NBAer is more popular as a free agent than he is as an actual player.  Those kind of scenarios usually end with someone being overpaid.

Also, wasn't he restricted?  So if he's so great - worthy even to be the center on the Lakers, the franchise that employed the greatest Cs of all time - why isn't anyone asking why the Jazz didn't match the offer?

THREE WHITES DON'T MAKE A RIGHT

Also, let me ask the burning question in my mind - you're actually trying to tell me that LAL is going to start three or four Whiteboys?  I don't know who Mamukelashvili is but, based on his last name, I'm presuming he's White(?).  Really, Los Angeles?  Talk about breaking away from tradition.

I'm actually an Austin Reaves fan.  He's the only young player, i.e. draftee I can think of, off the top of my head, who excelled under Lebron - so much so that I'm wondering if he'll continue to do so without him around.  But one of the concerns, with both him and Luka in the backcourt, has been defense.  Remember, this is now a guard-oriented league.  And L.A.'s braintrust totally failed to address that concern, even losing Marcus Smart in the process.

Let me further say, even though it may sound like I've been Luka bashing these last couple of posts, that I'm not.  Even from the time he was a rookie, I've been saying that Doncic is the most naturally talented player in the NBA.  He isn't the tallest or strongest or fastest, but it's almost as if he was born with a basketball in his hands.  Luka Doncis is the Lionel Messi(?) of the NBA.  But what became obvious a couple of seasons ago, when the Mavs made the Finals, was that he doesn't have the endurance of a traditional NBA superstar.

I'll admit that towards the end of last season, surprisingly to me, the Lakers did begin looking like contenders.  That is until Doncic, once again, found himself on the injury list at the most inopportune time.  Shouldn't they have at least tried to address that reality during this offseason?  When Luka inevitably goes down, you're trying to tell me that Reaves + Kessler + Grimes is going bring home the gold?  LMAO.

DAMN THAT LEBRON

I mentioned Lebron in the title, so you may be wondering what does all of this have to do with him?  Well he's the one who, imo, either directly or indirectly, has been most responsible for leading the Lakers down a path whereas, in the next couple of years, they may not be the premiere franchise in the NBA anymore, i.e. the one that children most fantasize playing for.  By 2030, that may rather be the Spurs.

LBJ does deserve credit for helping facilitate that championship in 2020 and most notably in that regard, recruiting AD.  Amidist all of that, LAL, if I remember correctly, lost Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle.  That was pretty much their future.  But, in true GM Lebron fashion, even if those guys had stuck around there's no guarantee they would have won a championship, so they had to go.  Or put otherwise, King James is definitely more concerned about today than he is tomorrow because, if he was actually concerned for the future of the franchise, he would have tried to develop those young players instead of discarding them.

He did the same thing, if you'll remember, in Cleveland, sacrificing a rookie Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love.  Again, a championship, so what can you say?  But after the fireworks were finished, how many years did it take for the Cavs to become competitive again?  Lebron seems to know what it takes to win an instant championship, but after that, good luck.

Let's not also forget Miami.  If dude actually had patience, it would have been best if he stayed there throughout the years.  In 2014, the Big Three Heat had a down season (by their standards), in that they made the Finals and lost.  Although there were other factors, I think that, more than anything, is what pushed Lebron away, i.e. believing that he would better off alongside a young Kyrie Irving (who, if I remember correctly, won All-Star MVP that season) and also understanding he would have more personnel influence back home in Cleveland.  Either way, the Heat have made the Finals a couple of times since he left but have never looked as formidable.

Previously with Cleveland, when Lebron led them to the Finals in 2007, imo that's the greatest achievement of his career (besides his longevity).  But he had to leave and come back before they eventually won.  And when he left, oh my goodness were the Cavs garbage.  They had to get three number one picks in four years(!) before he was able to rationalize coming back.

Lebron has been in L.A. for eight seasons but only won one championship.  Idk if that actually classifies as a success story by Lakers' standards.  Magic won as a rookie.  Shaq + Kobe did it in four years.  And Kareem, I think it took him awhile to win in L.A., but by the time it was all said and done, he won five.

And the problem wasn't that King James came to L.A.  The problem is that, with his will exerted, they weren't able sustain a formidable roster.  Secondly, with Lebron aging and other franchises realizing what time it was in terms of him making and breaking franchises, less and less were compelled to pay the max to acquire him.

THE WANING DAYS OF KOBE

Now, let's compare what's happening with Lebron to the elder Kobe days with the Lakers.  By the time Bryant retired, LAL was very much garbage.  He was surrounded by young, unproven players, none of them even having B-list status the way I remember it, but he didn't demand out or that the franchise trade them to surround him with other superstars.  He understood he was old and embraced it with class, looking towards the next generation instead of trying to win as many championships as possible.

Even if Lebron wins another ring, will it really make a difference?  He'll then have five, which still isn't as many as Jordan (or Robert Horry).

Also, is King James really going to play on a veteran's minimum?  When I read that, I almost started crying.  Or let me say the first thing that came to my mind is that, why doesn't he just retire instead of settling for something like that?  Lebron is too great (and rich presumably) to be paid like someone who's lucky to have a contract.  He ran the Lakers masterfully during the Second Round, but they had no chance against OKC, even if Luka were healthy.

Anyway, the point being made is that Kobe actually left Los Angeles better off than Lebron did, because at least after Bryant's retirement, they were still the Lakers that we know and love.  You know, they still had hope type shit.  They were still the most desirable destination in the NBA - so much so that a prime Lebron signed with them, even though they weren't contenders at the time.

You can't say that shit now, folk.  Post-Lebron, we've gone from the days of Shaq + Kobe to Doncic + Kessler, with the media implying that the latter pair is just as promising.  That's why sometimes I have a hard time respecting the mainstream, because it feels more like they're telling you what you want to hear (or what they're being paid to say) rather than the truth.

CONCLUSION

But maybe embracing this mediocrity will eventually lead to LAL chasing Wemby, if and when he ever becomes available.  And just in case I'm not able to get off another post before LBJ makes his decision, I'm still advocating him going to the Pistons more than any other team.

Dear Lakers, Just Focus on Wemby

We live in the age of positivity thinking, prosperity gospel and shit like that.  When motivational speakers are indirectly berating us, one of their favorite themes is harping on this idea that we don't actually know what we're worth.  That's one of the reasons life if unfulfilling, because we don't know how valuable we actually are.  Something like that comes to mind when I look at the Lakers these days, how they're settling for C-listers instead of going after the best of the best.

THE FUK HAPPENED?

Traditionally LAL is a contender, and even if they aren't for a couple of seasons, it's only a matter of time before they pull off a blockbuster move and get right back up there.  They poached Shaq from Orlando, even though the Magic weren't garbage, and I'm sure they could have paid him just as much, if not more, than the Lakers.  They had the foresight to trade a borderline allstar C (Divac) for a popular yet unproven rookie (Kobe) - a move so bold that braintrusts to this day don't have the balls to do shit like that.

And if you look at the championships they've won over the last six decades, there's been some exceptional roster construction, but it ain't exactly rocket science.  LAL had Chamberlain, Kareem, Shaq, Gasol and AD holding down the middle.  The first three are literally the most dominant players in NBA history.  Pau is an international legend.  And as for Davis, sometimes I feel like he should retire, but either way, he's still the best C of his generation and a future hall of famer.

That isn't meant to be a knock against Ayton, Hayes or anyone else currently manning the 5 in L.A.  When the Lakers traded AD for Luka, when everyone else was gasping like it was some type of coup, I was like 'are you sure?'

It's bad enough that they let GM Lebron rule for half a decade.  But at least he was astute enough to bring in AD, while Anthony was still sorta in his prime, and they won that championship together.  Remember, the Lakers practically gutted their roster to get Davis.  I didn't really favor that move, sacrificing their future like that, but at least they were being true to the organization's winning tradition, going after the best C in the league.

Also keep in mind, if I remember correctly, that Lebron had nothing to do with the Luka trade.  There may be issues when it comes to LBJ exerting his influence over roster decisions, but he's probably wiser in that regard than LAL's current braintrust.

LAKERS DEVIATE FROM TRADITION

So now you have Luka saying something like he needs an "A-list" center.  Duh.  The Lakers already figured that shit out before you were born.  But I believe there were a couple of factors that led to them making their biggest trade in over 20 years without getting a premiere big in return.

One was the widespread belief that the NBA has 'gone small'.  TF does that mean anyway, in a league where the average height is 6'7"? 

And I was warning dudes like, the Warriors' dynasty was an anomaly, not the new norm.  Yes, countless players have since imitated Steph.  He made it legal for anyone bold enough to chuck from the three-point line to do so, and the way the Dubs were structured was such that you needed speed at the 5 to counteract them.  But I mean, do people even realize how unusual Curry really is, how difficult he is to actually replicate?  How many other championship teams in NBA history can you think of whose best player was a PG (not to mention that they had KD for a couple of years)?

Anyway, my belief is that LAL got caught up in the hype and actually thought they could now win with the top of the pyramid being in the backcourt instead of the front.  They're the winningest team in NBA history and apparently never won a championship that way.  But yeah, okay.

The second mistake this new ownership made was rushing the 'it's time to move on from Lebron' idea.  If that's the case, instead of doing something rash, why not just wait until his contract runs out, not re-sign him and take it from there?  LBJ only signs for what, one or two seasons at a time?

And I mean like really, think about it.  Who can you bring in to replace him?  Like 'okay, you play with Lebron now, and then when he eventually retires or leaves, we're giving you the keys to the car'.  Or even worse, 'we're snatching the keys out of his hands and giving it to you'.  Shouldn't they have chosen someone younger and/or healthier for that?  One thing I always like to point out in this argument is the fact that Dallas did not fail in surrounding Luka with teammates who complemented his strengths.

And here's the funny part.  When you look at the Lakers' performance from last season, now it appears that they're in a situation where they have to re-sign Lebron.  Or what, do you truly want to put your hopes in Luka?

You have to take the Kristaps approach with Doncic, like okay, we're a superteam when you're healthy, but we're still contenders when you're not.  His health doesn't dictate him making the most money on the team.  Nico Harrison knew that and, as time progresses, is gradually looking more like a pariah than a GM who dumbed out.

WEMBY OR BUST

So going back to this whole smallball thing, now there's actually a shortage of dominant Cs.  Dudes have been forced to focus so much on three-pointers that now, they no longer know how to post.  Or looking at it from another angle, it's less work to shoot jumpshots than to man yourself in the middle.  So if you give players the option, which are they going to choose?

And even then, there's only a handful of really good Cs and only a couple that are dominant.  One of the latter is Jokic, and I mean, I use the term dominant loosely in his case.  He's an outstanding offensive force but leaves something to be desired defensively.  And he's not winning shit unless he has a real good roster around him, and no, I don't mean Luka and a bunch of castaways.

The best of the best, of course, is Wemby.  Now, it seems unfathomable that anyone could potentially poach him from the Spurs.  As far as Lakers' comparisons go, San Antonio is the only team of the last 30 years to be just as successful, likewise winning five championships.

But let's go back to the beginning of this article.  You're the fucking Lakers, for crying out loud.

So there you are - a young, ambitious exec, trying to make a name for yourself.  You're tired of the rat race and willing to risk it all for a big raise with all the perks.  So you swallow your fears, go straight to the GM and boldly proclaim 'sir, we're the fucking Lakers. Historically, when it comes to 5s we only go after the cream of the crop. Let's pursue Wemby'. And he's like 'there's no way San Antonio is going to give him up, and they have his Bird Rights. Let's go after Ayton instead'.

Do you say 'yes sir', sheepishly walk away and pray he doesn't fire you for making a seemingly impossible suggestion?  Or do you slap his b*tch ass like he just pissed on the grave of Jerry West?

CONCLUSION

Fine, you got Luka for AD, a round of applause.  But what's the endgame?  If, say, Lebron doesn't re-sign, who are you even going to spend that extra money on?

I don't want to read anymore reports of the Lakers chasing C-listers, while the starting lineup isn't even ironed out.  If you're going to go after 'an A-list center', there's really only one who can mitigate Doncic's deficiencies, i.e. lead the team to victory even when he's hurt.

And that would be Wemby.  You've committed to Doncic, untraditionally prioritizing a 1 over a 5, so now pay the price.  Getting Luka wasn't a bad move, but now it's time to go back to the Lakers' championship formula.