What if your least favorite player signs with your favorite team (LeBron to L.A.?)

[Ramhusker]

Well, it is what it is. I'll ignore him as much as possible and hope the Lakers start winning again. It's going to take more than him to win championships again though.

 

[TSFH Fan]

View: https://twitter.com/espn/status/1071642963036520448


View: https://twitter.com/taniaganguli/status/1071616744798740481

 

[Karate61]

Thanks LeBron. It's been a great season!

Maybe leave and screw up some other team next year?

 

[FaulkSF]

Thanks LeBron. It's been a great season!

Maybe leave and screw up some other team next year?

We got one part of the dysfunction out of Laker town, hopefully Pelinka (LeBron) can work up a trade to move LeBum off the Lakers.

 

[dieterbrock]

Thanks LeBron. It's been a great season!

Maybe leave and screw up some other team next year?

Yeah....
That didn't work out as expected, huh?
Add LeBron James and win 2 more games than previous year...
Yikes

 

[FrantikRam]

It's hard to believe that people dislike James. I'm from CLE (though have been a Lakers fan because of the Rams affiliation) and up until his decision to go to MIA nobody in town disliked him because he is actually a pretty down to Earth type. He's wealthy and world famous but still goes home and rides bikes for his charity that provides a lot for kids in the community he grew up in and plays with kids on schoolyard basketball courts.

I think the impression that people have is from the media/interviews and that's only a sliver of a glimpse because he is a fairly private guy.

All that said..........

I question his decision to go to LA because even with him I don't think he's going to get them past HOU or GS. They will need to add more to that roster. Yeah there is always a punchers chance with him on the floor but versus the Rockets and Warriors that chance is a lot slimmer with the Lakers roster. It's probably worse than the Cavs were last year.

The Lakers won 35 games last year which is proof that they have little on the roster. If the goal is to get back into the playoffs then this will accomplish that but if that is the goal then I question what Magic is doing. Is he waiting until next year to add the other piece or pieces?

I hope Magic has something else up his sleeve. If he does we may see a few more years of one of the greatest rivalries in American sports.........perhaps only the Yankees v Red Sox is as historical.

I think he will finish his career back home by the way.

This is such a good post.

LeBron is probably the most polarizing athlete of this lifetime. IMO the only one that had a shot was Jordan - but the difference between MJ and LeBron is social media. And that's what makes LeBron so damn impressive. The issues people have with him are comical TBH. It's mostly fans of teams he's beaten consistently or Kobe/MJ fans that feel threatened by his legacy.

The only negative quality people seem to have against him is how he has no problem talking himself as the best - but I would argue that every athlete should think that, so that doesn't bother me at all, and The Decision - which he has admitted was a mistake (the way he did it). He seems like a great husband and father, which are the two most important things - after that he seems like a down to earth guy as you allude to. He does so many good things and has used his platform in a way that is transcendent.

 

[FrantikRam]

Yeah....
That didn't work out as expected, huh?
Add LeBron James and win 2 more games than previous year...
Yikes

They most likely would have made the playoffs if he hadn't gotten hurt - but either way, he signed for four years. That's the longest contract he's signed since 2010 (and even then he only played for Miami for four years) - that alone tells you that he knows this was going to be a process and more of a longterm thing.

 

[dieterbrock]

They most likely would have made the playoffs if he hadn't gotten hurt - but either way, he signed for four years. That's the longest contract he's signed since 2010 (and even then he only played for Miami for four years) - that alone tells you that he knows this was going to be a process and more of a longterm thing.

Don't know about that. They missed the playoffs by 11 games. They were only playing .588 ball when he got hurt. So even if they won 4 or 5 more games during that stretch, they still are 6-7 games out

 

[LesBaker]

And Magic exits..........I don't blame him though. That is going to be a difficult rebuild, that team needs a lot and he has plenty of other things to occupy his time. The Lakers need a guy who can do it full time. Jeannie Buss thought he would be enough to be a draw for players, but much of this generation of NBAers didn't grow up watching Magic except on highlights. IMO he knew he couldn't do that job part time and it wasn't a draw so he stepped down. They are better off this way.

The FO needsw a leader, Jeanie Buss is liked by everyone, but that doesn't mean she can manage the team. They have to get a real pro.

If I was the owner of the Lakers I'd be flying/driving over to Jerry West's house. Checkbook in hand.

 

[FrantikRam]

Don't know about that. They missed the playoffs by 11 games. They were only playing .588 ball when he got hurt. So even if they won 4 or 5 more games during that stretch, they still are 6-7 games out

That .588 winning percentage would put them at the 7 seed.

 

[dieterbrock]

That .588 winning percentage would put them at the 7 seed.

He only missed 17 games.
They didn’t play .588 ball after he got back. They only won 5 of the next 18 games he played
His injury isn’t why they missed the playoffs

 

[FrantikRam]

He only missed 17 games.
They didn’t play .588 ball after he got back. They only won 5 of the next 18 games he played
His injury isn’t why they missed the playoffs

You say that as if you definitively know, which is funny because players consistently come back from injury and don't play as well as they did before. Him being out also would have impacted the overall morale of the team.

It's entirely conceivable that they make the playoffs if he doesn't get hurt.

 

[dieterbrock]

You say that as if you definitively know, which is funny because players consistently come back from injury and don't play as well as they did before. Him being out also would have impacted the overall morale of the team.

It's entirely conceivable that they make the playoffs if he doesn't get hurt.

How is it entirely conceivable?
After he came back they lost 13 of his next 19 games where he averaged 28p, 8.5rb and 10.2as per game
They finished 11 games behind the Clippers for the LAST playoff spot.
They went 6-11 in the 17 games he missed.
They would have had to have won all 17 just to be tied with the Clippers for the last spot
His injury didn't derail the season. The team was a train wreck

 

[FrantikRam]

How is it entirely conceivable?
After he came back they lost 13 of his next 19 games where he averaged 28p, 8.5rb and 10.2as per game
They finished 11 games behind the Clippers for the LAST playoff spot.
They went 6-11 in the 17 games he missed.
They would have had to have won all 17 just to be tied with the Clippers for the last spot
His injury didn't derail the season. The team was a train wreck

Teams ebb and flow. Him being out altered the course of the season beyond just his playing ability during the games that he missed. Every win and loss in sports can impact the next game.

Had he not gotten hurt I think they would have kept playing to that level. It's not as simple as throwing out the numbers because the season could have turned out completely differently. For all we know they could have won all 17 of those games - it's highly unlikely, but once he got hurt, their season was effectively over. All we know for sure is that before that injury they were a playoff caliber team.

 

[dieterbrock]

Teams ebb and flow. Him being out altered the course of the season beyond just his playing ability during the games that he missed. Every win and loss in sports can impact the next game.

Had he not gotten hurt I think they would have kept playing to that level. It's not as simple as throwing out the numbers because the season could have turned out completely differently. For all we know they could have won all 17 of those games - it's highly unlikely, but once he got hurt, their season was effectively over. All we know for sure is that before that injury they were a playoff caliber team.

They were 3 games out of playoff spot with 25 games to go and Lebron playing MVP type ball
And they ended up 11 games out
But sure, blame the injury....

 

[FrantikRam]

They were 3 games out of playoff spot with 25 games to go and Lebron playing MVP type ball
And they ended up 11 games out
But sure, blame the injury....

His play isn't really what I'm disputing - the team as a whole was playing better before he got hurt. The team as a whole was playing worse after he got hurt.

 

[dieterbrock]

His play isn't really what I'm disputing - the team as a whole was playing better before he got hurt. The team as a whole was playing worse after he got hurt.

They lost 4 of 7 before he got hurt
6-11 without him
6-13 when he got back
But it was his injury. Yeah mkay....

 

[LesBaker]

With Walton gone I wonder who will come to LA. It's going to be a huge rebuild, the roster is shit.

I don't think it's a desirable job. Now if they get a great GM then it's a different story altogether.

It's probably going to take two more years to reshape that roster enough to contend. I don't know what big time free agents are going to be available and I don't follow college sports so I have no real knowledge of what players will be in the draft that can make a difference.

I do know that roster is for shit and they only have 3 more years of LeBron, and he won't get better with age, like everyone else he will slow down. Probably at a slower pace than a normal player because of his conditioning, but Father Time is undefeated.

I didn't like this from the start and I do not think it ends well, or with any titles.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I hate when players that I hate play for my team. I had lots of it as a Yankee fan.

Wade Boggs (but he actually was a likable guy)
Roger Clemens barf
A-Rod, barf
Jason Giambi, barf.

I'm likely missing a few. I had to get used to rooting for them but never completely got over their prior team affiliations.

I don't like when the Rams choose Ohio State players in the draft. The PSU vs OSU linebacker feud was very strong at the time and I felt Poszluzny was the better player, but kept hearing how good JL was. I couldn't see it. I think he beat Poz for some award that year too. I had a hard time rooting for JL and his drag down, but give up a few more yards tackling.

 

[dieterbrock]

I hate when players that I hate play for my team. I had lots of it as a Yankee fan.

Wade Boggs (but he actually was a likable guy)
Roger Clemens barf
A-Rod, barf
Jason Giambi, barf.

I'm likely missing a few. I had to get used to rooting for them but never completely got over their prior team affiliations.

I don't like when the Rams choose Ohio State players in the draft. The PSU vs OSU linebacker feud was very strong at the time and I felt Poszluzny was the better player, but kept hearing how good JL was. I couldn't see it. I think he beat Poz for some award that year too. I had a hard time rooting for JL and his drag down, but give up a few more yards tackling.

Of all the former Red Sox to wear Yankee pinstripes, Kevin Youklis has to be the worst.
Fortunately his tenure didn’t last very long