LeBron's Latest

[TheoShmeo]

LeBron has let it be known that he views the current version of the Cavs to be severely lacking. Specifically, they need a point guard.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18545504/nba-lebron-james-continues-full-court-press-cleveland-cavaliers-front-office

If you don't want to give ESPN.com a click, here's a sampling:

During the slow burn, he uttered a stream of expletives, saying things like "We top-heavy as s---" and "We need a f---ing playmaker" and "It's been a s---ty 2017 so far."

....

"[The Spurs] have bodies," James said. "For the most part, all championship-contending teams has got guys that are ready to step in. Knock on wood, what if [Irving] goes down? For two weeks. Let's say two. What if I went down for three weeks?"

....

"I don't got no time to waste. I'll be 33 in the winter, and I ain't got time to waste," said James, who turned 32 in December.

"I just hope that we're not satisfied as an organization."

Viewed most favorably, he very well might be right about the personnel on his team. And his window is not forever. That's all I got.

Viewed most negatively, he's effectively disrespecting his teammates, giving the team an excuse to lose if nothing happens and risking going to battle in the playoffs with a team that he's called inadequate if the Cavs refuse to add to their payroll or are simply unable to add a suitable point guard. He's also making it all about him.

Viewed with NE/Boston sports fan glasses, I cannot imagine any team leader in recent years being so negative about his teammates or so focused on himself. The closest is David Ortiz, who had various times clamored for more thump in the line-up. He even advocated for EE this year as his replacement. Still, the volume on LeBron's complaints and the self-focus goes beyond anything we ever heard from David, and by a good amount.

Tom Brady is the closest comp regarding being a star with a relatively short shelf life (at least arguably), and the idea of Tom ever saying anything like this is inconceivable. (Giselle is another matter).

None of this comes as much of a surprise to LeBron critics. I of course get how extremely talented he is and his list of other worldly plays is obviously long. That block on Iguodala was enough to make even the biggest LeBron Haters applaud, albeit briefly. But this set of comments is exactly why I think some fans will never like this guy.

This may have been discussed in another thread. I've been pretty Pats focused and might have missed it.

Am I being opportunistic here? Does this move the needle for anyone who was previously a LeBron Fan or indifferent to him on this level?

 

[DJnVa]

One argument I heard is that despite his otherworldly talents, people wanted to judge him by the number of rings he had, so he's going to do whatever he needs to (South Beach, speaking out like this, etc.) to maximize those chances. Your mileage may vary if this was the right forum for that--it's not like he doesn't have the ear of everyone in the organization.

How much value did he add to that team? If they have to spend more $$$ to do this, they are still WAY WAY WAY ahead.

 

[Buffalo Head]

A pro athlete speaking his mind, not saying what people want to hear, damn the consequences? Some people might find this kind of thing refreshing.

 

[rhopkins2323]

I don't see why he has to speak out publicly. It's as though he's making an excuse just in case he loses in the upcoming playoffs. He's a smart enough guy to know this isn't the right approach, but he just can't help himself when it comes to excuse making. His teammates must feel disrespected with these comments.

He had excuses in his first stint in Cleveland as he was the only all-star on the roster, but this year Kyrie is having his best season of his career. Kevin Love is back to being the 20/10 he was with Minnesota. Does Lebron really expect to have the best "Big 3" in the game as well as the best bench? I find it amazing that he can complain about talent publicly.

 

[TheoShmeo]

A pro athlete speaking his mind, not saying what people want to hear, damn the consequences? Some people might find this kind of thing refreshing.

I do love candor. And find it to be quite refreshing, tis true. But I've come around to the view that there are limits and sometimes refreshing turns into something quite different. Disrespecting one's teammates is one of those times.

 

[gammoseditor]

Through Lebron's entire career he's shown us he's a child that acts out when things don't go his way. He was called a King as a child and acts like he thinks he is one. I don't think this should change anyone's opinion of him.

He's still one of the best all time and I'd take him on the Celtics in a heartbeat.

 

[Kliq]

It seems like a strange comment to make since the Cavs second best player is their point guard. I suppose he wants more of a facilitator to get guys involved, but does that require moving Kyrie to the 2? I don't know if that is even a good idea since Irving needs the ball in his hands to be at his best. LeBron has always been the chief facilitator on the teams he has been on and it has always seemed to work out.

I do like his comment about the Spurs though. The Spurs have a deep bench of talent because their system maximizes talent. How many guys over the years have been good on the Spurs and scrubs everywhere else? They also carefully construct their team through the draft and stashing guys overseas, Cleveland was never built that way, they had Kyrie and Thompson, signed LeBron in FA and traded assets away for Love, Smith, Shumpert, Korver, etc. They also gave max contracts to guys like Thompson while San Antonio found veterans on the cheap and again maximized late-round talent. I'm not necessarily saying Cleveland's team building has been bad because it has been clearly very effective, but you can't compare your depth to San Antonio because the organization has been set-up so differently.

My issue with LeBron hasn't really been his public approach, though I've had my qualms with him here and there, he seems like an enjoyable guy off of the court 95 percent of the time. I just don't like the way he conducts himself on the court. For a player as talented as he is, I don't find him very enjoyable to watch. Too often he just rams through defenders and if he doesn't get a foul call he bitches to the refs. He bitches to the refs more than any player in the NBA and he also at the same time gets as many calls and benefit of the doubt non-whistles as any player in the NBA. It might just be a matter of personal taste but he always comes across like a dick.

 

[leetinsley38]

How about Green for the right to swap in 2021 or 2022 as a framework? Would Lebron go for that? Not a facilitator but could help with decent minutes. Lebron will be gone by then so won't really care about that pick. Frees up some minutes for JB and keeps the pipeline of future unprotected firsts flowing from teams w aging stars.

 

[ElcaballitoMVP]

Who the hell is Lebron mad at? He's the one who put this team together.

And no, Gerald Green is not the guy Lebron's looking for. In no world does he get you a first round pick (or swap).

 

[ElUno20]

LeBron does a version of this every season. If Love would have hit one of his 200 open 3s in the 4th quarter against the Spurs, he wouldn't be whining.

 

[Kliq]

If LeBron didn't let his man score 41 points he wouldn't be whining either.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

LeBron does a version of this every season. If Love would have hit one of his 200 open 3s in the 4th quarter against the Spurs, he wouldn't be whining.

Every season? Isn't this like the third time this year he's said this? Also, when he said it in December he said it was the last time, so I guess it wasn't.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18419056/lebron-james-says-cleveland-cavaliers-need-point-guard

 

[bosox4283]

How much did signing Tristan Thompson to a max contract hinder the team's flexibility? Each time I see his box score, I wonder if Cleveland could have found that production in another area and invested the money in a different asset.

 

[ElUno20]

Every season? Isn't this like the third time this year he's said this? Also, when he said it in December he said it was the last time, so I guess it wasn't.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18419056/lebron-james-says-cleveland-cavaliers-need-point-guard

Yeah. He does some version of a fake motivational speech or some action every year. Remember the year he took a 2 week break because he was so stressed out from carrying the load? And he had to let everyone know how stressful it is so his teammates could feel like shit?

The Cavs are still going to the finals. He knows it. He's just trying to give his guys a boost so they can step up and he can coast a little more

 

[nighthob]

Great, Boston can draft Smith or Ball and James can join the Celtics next year for some more titles.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Could Cleveland work out a deal for Rubio? Would Rubio be a good fit? He wouldn't need shots.

 

[nighthob]

Well, something along the lines of Rubio/Muhammed/draft pick for Irving would work. Cleveland could just look around at an upgrade at the SG spot after.

 

[Kliq]

How much did signing Tristan Thompson to a max contract hinder the team's flexibility? Each time I see his box score, I wonder if Cleveland could have found that production in another area and invested the money in a different asset.

Yeah but Thompson had LeBron's agent so they had to sign him to a max deal. I say that, but Thompson might be worth his money in the current cap situation, specifically because he has been a matchup problem for GS and that is who the Cavs should be designed to beat.

 

[Devizier]

The killer contract on the Cavaliers is the one they gave J.R. Smith.

Shumpert is overpaid, too, but at least he's got a positive impact on the defensive end.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Well, something along the lines of Rubio/Muhammed/draft pick for Irving would work. Cleveland could just look around at an upgrade at the SG spot after.

Heh, I meant using Irving as a SG while Rubio plays point. JR Smith works. I'm not sure how much Minnesota would want for Rubio though. I'm guessing a late first round pick isn't all that enticing.

 

[nighthob]

How much did signing Tristan Thompson to a max contract hinder the team's flexibility? Each time I see his box score, I wonder if Cleveland could have found that production in another area and invested the money in a different asset.

The Cavs are paying Thompson to do all the defensive heavy lifting at the 4/5 what Portland's paying ET for half the production. That's before factoring in that the Cavs blew past luxury cap during the Summer of Love, so that's been available to them since are trades and MLE signings. The Thompson deal isn't impacting them at all.

 

[the moops]

Well, something along the lines of Rubio/Muhammed/draft pick for Irving would work. Cleveland could just look around at an upgrade at the SG spot after.

Are you a secret Minnesota super homer?

 

[nighthob]

Heh, I meant using Irving as a SG while Rubio plays point. JR Smith works. I'm not sure how much Minnesota would want for Rubio though. I'm guessing a late first round pick isn't all that enticing.

The bigger problem is matching the salaries, without saddling the T'wolves with long term deals and not sending out rotation guys. They do have enough offense elsewise that they can survive without Irving, especially if they added another scoring guard.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

New phone who dis? But there are rumors floating around the web about the Knicks offering Melo for Love. Allegedly the Cavs have already shot this idea down as they should. Still there is part of me that wants to see this train wreck in action.

 

[CSteinhardt]

They could try to get Wiggins for Love...

 

[cheech13]

They could try to get Wiggins for Love...

Cleveland would never do that deal unless they were under extreme pressure to cut salary.

 

[Ed Hillel]

The killer contract on the Cavaliers is the one they gave J.R. Smith.

The one the front office balked at, but LeBron insisted on.

 

[Devizier]

The one the front office balked at, but LeBron insisted on.

Hey, I'm not the one who said it...

 

[reggiecleveland]

Rubio would hurt their D.

Anyway this shows a difference between LBJ and MJ, Kobe, Bird. He is not great at getting his own shot compared to those guys.

To me this rant is more about the guys not making shots. He, himself is playmaker. He wants to be taking the shots not setting them up hoping Love is hot.

 

[Kliq]

LeBron can get his own shot; he is going to blow past 30k career points.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

The bigger problem is matching the salaries and not sending out rotation guys.

Without a willingness to trade Smith or Shumpert, they don't match up in trades with anyone really. Maybe Brandon Jennings from NY but I'm not sure that's the playmaker they want.

Outside of Irving and James though, the playmaking is non existent.

 

[nighthob]

I'm sure they're willing to send out Smith and Shumpert, I just don't think that either has any value to non-contenders. So it's a tough spot to be in if they want a serious distributor.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Ahh, yeah you are right. I just meant to make salaries match up. As far as valuable assets to non contenders, that cupboard is dry.

 

[the moops]

Isn't Mario Chalmers

LeBron can get his own shot; he is going to blow past 30k career points.

His point was in comparison. And I think that is true. While he certainly can get his own shot, he doesn't/can't do it to the extent of MJ, Kobe, etc.

 

[nighthob]

Yeah just keep telling yourselves that.

 

[the moops]

Yeah just keep telling yourselves that.

No need to get pissy about it. Lebron is the best basketball player on the planet. And in my mind, he is only behind MJ for greatest of all time. Doesn't mean that he needs to be the best at everything though. He can't rebound as well as Russell. Can't shoot as well as Larry. Can't pass as well as Magic. Or run a pick and roll as well as Stockton. He can't go one on one from the perimeter as well as MJ. Can't bury 35 footers as well as Curry. Etc., etc., etc.

It is fine to admit these things.

 

[DJnVa]

What am I missing about guys like Bomani Jones saying "It doesn't matter that they paid these guys all this money, the owner is rich. Spend it!!"

There's still a cap and no one will take those bad contracts off his hands.

 

[reggiecleveland]

F*** read what I wrote. Compared to MJ, Kobe, he is not as good at getting his own shot.

Were Kareem and Wilt awesome at creating off the dribble? Must have since total points proves they are.

Even Lebron disagreed with your analysis. If he was confident in his ability to create he would not be asking for a playmaker.

Anyway thanks for that genius analysis that Lebron has scored a lot. Never knew that.

 

[tbrown_01923]

how many times (against the Celts) have I seen him iso at the top of the circle to take a 3, without the shake and bake to make it a quality look. Open court, awsome. Half court, a great player but not an elite shot creator. It might be a function of his teammates?!?
.
.
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Chase down block - whoa (has there been anybody better).

 

[nighthob]

No need to get pissy about it. Lebron is the best basketball player on the planet. And in my mind, he is only behind MJ for greatest of all time. Doesn't mean that he needs to be the best at everything though. He can't rebound as well as Russell. Can't shoot as well as Larry. Can't pass as well as Magic. Or run a pick and roll as well as Stockton. He can't go one on one from the perimeter as well as MJ. Can't bury 35 footers as well as Curry. Etc., etc., etc.

What I find hilarious is your comparing one of the most remarkably efficient wing scorers ever with one of the best volume scorers ever, and deciding that it's the volume scorer that was superior at getting his shot. LeBron is the same sort of player as Bryant, just a lot more efficient at it. And he didn't get that by playing with point guards creating shots for him, he did it by making the plays himself. That's just the way it is.

 

[reggiecleveland]

This is like getting annoyed if somebody said Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx were better HR hitters than Ted Williams.

 

[JakeRae]

This is like getting annoyed if somebody said Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx were better HR hitters than Ted Williams.

It's more like correctly pointing out that Rice just isn't in the same league as those guys no matter how "feared" he was.

 

[Blacken]

LeBron just killed Charles Barkley with a trident.

Long time coming, too. I like Barkley, but the half-witted shots at LeBron by pretty much any old retired fuck are lame as shit and need to end.

 

[BigSoxFan]

LeBron just killed Charles Barkley with a trident.

Long time coming, too. I like Barkley, but the half-witted shots at LeBron by pretty much any old retired fuck are lame as shit and need to end.

That...was....awesome

 

[Devizier]

A+ for taking the always necessary dump on Phil Jackson, too.

 

[ElUno20]

Holy smokes. I was expecting something tame but this is some ether

"I'm not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that," James told ESPN. "I'm not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, 'I'm not a role model.' I never showed up to All-Star Weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.

"All I've done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that."

James, whose friendships with Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony have also been called into question, recalled watching a 1993 NBA Finals game between Jordan's Chicago Bulls and Barkley's Phoenix Suns and being surprised what he saw on his screen.

"Go watch the '93 Finals when John Paxson hit the shot," James said. "Barkley and Jordan were laughing and joking with each other during one of the games while somebody's shooting a free throw. In the Finals. But, oh, nobody were friends back then."

Throw in the towel. Stop the fight

 

[Kliq]

It's quite the takedown, but didn't LeBron say in the "What Should I Do?" commercial the actual line "I am not a role model."

 

[DJnVa]

It's quite the takedown, but didn't LeBron say in the "What Should I Do?" commercial the actual line "I am not a role model."

Not in this version:

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Isn't Barkley the same guy who tried to tag on to a Rockets team to get a ring too?

 

[nighthob]

This is like getting annoyed if somebody said Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx were better HR hitters than Ted Williams.

Yeah, I mean who should I believe, the statistical analysis and my eyes or your completely (un)scientific analysis, "Kobe was teh ossums!"? (You may want to have a look at their respective shooting percentages at the rim and the percentage of their shots taken there before you continue this debate much further. I mean, sure, LBJ gets 2/3 more of his shots at the rim than Bryant did, and his finishing percentage is more than a hundred points higher, but Kobe looked so much cooler as he did it!)

I mean I say this as a Bryant fan, but James makes the shots that Bryant wasn't good enough to. When it comes to creating shots there just aren't that many guys in league history in his class. Even leaving aside his pretty unprecedented ability (for a non-C/PF) to finish at the rim (I'd say that he's basically Jordan's equal in this regard, though it's hard to know for sure since the shot data only dates to the end of Jordan's career), there just aren't many non-PGs that carry his career assist%.