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2018-2019 Around The NBA thread

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Tubs023 said:
They are not bad at all and if you have followed Lebron's career you have seen this movie before. Actually looking at there schedule I'm surprised they are 7-6. It should be worse. I don't expect consistent basketball from them until after the all-star break but yet they will he over .500. They most likely will end up anywhere from the 7th seed to the 3rd seed. If they stay out of the bracket with Golden State they can possibly make it to the western conference finals. They have already beat Portland and Denver the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the West and LeBron is playing like his typical November pace which is nowhere near playoff LeBron.
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I have followed Lebrons career from the get go. Their schedule has not been hard at all. They havent even traveled East yet. They cant stop anybody. Lebron is playing too many minutes. Most of those role players are well, to put it nicely, not very good. Western Conference Finals? You are right about Lebron pulling some rabbits out of his hat, but i just dont see it with that roster. I see you are in Cali. So im assuming you are a Lakers fan then? You like guys like Lance, Rondo, Ball, Tyson Chandler, Caldwell Pope? You see that bunch helping Lebron get to the WCF for a hard fought battle with GS?
 
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JayDD1972 said:
I have followed Lebrons career from the get go. Their schedule has not been hard at all. They havent even traveled East yet. They cant stop anybody. Lebron is playing too many minutes. Most of those role players are well, to put it nicely, not very good. Western Conference Finals? You are right about Lebron pulling some rabbits out of his hat, but i just dont see it with that roster. I see you are in Cali. So im assuming you are a Lakers fan then? You like guys like Lance, Rondo, Ball, Tyson Chandler, Caldwell Pope? You see that bunch helping Lebron get to the WCF for a hard fought battle with GS?
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His team in LA this year is better than the roster in Cleveland that he took to the Finals last year. Outside of Golden State there isn't a team in the West that scares me in a 7 game series against Playoff LeBron.
 
MediumBaller said:
His team in LA this year is better than the roster in Cleveland that he took to the Finals last year. Outside of Golden State there isn't a team in the West that scares me in a 7 game series against Playoff LeBron.
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I can't say I agree with any of this.

There are 5 or 6 teams out West that I believe would defeat the Lakers handily in a 7 game series.
 
Derek said:
I can't say I agree with any of this.

There are 5 or 6 teams out West that I believe would defeat the Lakers handily in a 7 game series.
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Who do you think would beat them? Portland and Denver are the 2 and 3 seeds right now and LA has beat both of them. Houston is currently a mess. The Lakers' biggest problem has been their defense and adding Tyson Chandler has improved their D a bunch. If you think that LeBron has declined considerably then that position makes sense, but if one thinks he can still kick it into playoff LeBron mode I don't see the argument for 5 or 6 teams being able to handily beat them.

As for his team this year being better, I think there's a strong argument for that. In the playoffs last year the Cavs had ten players average 15 or more minutes per game: LeBron, JR, Kevin Love, George Hill, Jeff Green, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance, Kyle Korver, Rodney Hood, and Jordan Clarkson.

The Lakers this year also have ten players averaging 15 or more minutes per game: LeBron, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, JaVele McGee, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Tyson Chandler, and Caldwell-Pope.

The second group is better than the first, imo. With all the spacing concerns the Lakers have 5 guys shooting at least 35% from 3 while in the playoffs last year the Cavs only had 2 guys do that.
 
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LeBron is a different animal in the playoffs, not sure about beating everyone besides Warriors, but it wouldn't be as easy for the other teams as most people think. Let the Lakers get into the playoffs and if he really wants to put up a fight, even knowing he has no chance later on against the Warriors, it'll be fun to watch.
 
MediumBaller said:
Who do you think would beat them? Portland and Denver are the 2 and 3 seeds right now and LA has beat both of them. Houston is currently a mess. The Lakers' biggest problem has been their defense and adding Tyson Chandler has improved their D a bunch. If you think that LeBron has declined considerably then that position makes sense, but if one thinks he can still kick it into playoff LeBron mode I don't see the argument for 5 or 6 teams being able to handily beat them.

As for his team this year being better, I think there's a strong argument for that. In the playoffs last year the Cavs had ten players average 15 or more minutes per game: LeBron, JR, Kevin Love, George Hill, Jeff Green, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance, Kyle Korver, Rodney Hood, and Jordan Clarkson.

The Lakers this year also have ten players averaging 15 or more minutes per game: LeBron, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, JaVele McGee, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Tyson Chandler, and Caldwell-Pope.

The second group is better than the first, imo. With all the spacing concerns the Lakers have 5 guys shooting at least 35% from 3 while in the playoffs last year the Cavs only had 2 guys do that.
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The roster thing is arguable, I'll give you that. Last year's team blew, and wouldn't have made it out of the first round out west either.

I think the Warriors, Thunder, Jazz, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Rockets all handle them easily while the Nuggets, Clippers, and Spurs probably beat them as well.
 
Derek said:
The roster thing is arguable, I'll give you that. Last year's team blew, and wouldn't have made it out of the first round out west either.

I think the Warriors, Thunder, Jazz, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Rockets all handle them easily while the Nuggets, Clippers, and Spurs probably beat them as well.
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Pretty much what i was thinking. I would flip flop Memphis with Denver, but that is quite the tall task even for Lebron with that roster.
 
JayDD1972 said:
Pretty much what i was thinking. I would flip flop Memphis with Denver, but that is quite the tall task even for Lebron with that roster.
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I actually think Denver might match up the best with Golden State of all the teams out West, but I'm not sure I love their match up with LA.

I'm a big Denver fan though.
 
Derek said:
I actually think Denver might match up the best with Golden State of all the teams out West, but I'm not sure I love their match up with LA.

I'm a big Denver fan though.
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It is all going to be pretty fun to watch thats for sure.
 
JayDD1972 said:
I have followed Lebrons career from the get go. Their schedule has not been hard at all. They havent even traveled East yet. They cant stop anybody. Lebron is playing too many minutes. Most of those role players are well, to put it nicely, not very good. Western Conference Finals? You are right about Lebron pulling some rabbits out of his hat, but i just dont see it with that roster. I see you are in Cali. So im assuming you are a Lakers fan then? You like guys like Lance, Rondo, Ball, Tyson Chandler, Caldwell Pope? You see that bunch helping Lebron get to the WCF for a hard fought battle with GS?
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JayDD1972 said:
I have followed Lebrons career from the get go. Their schedule has not been hard at all. They havent even traveled East yet. They cant stop anybody. Lebron is playing too many minutes. Most of those role players are well, to put it nicely, not very good. Western Conference Finals? You are right about Lebron pulling some rabbits out of his hat, but i just dont see it with that roster. I see you are in Cali. So im assuming you are a Lakers fan then? You like guys like Lance, Rondo, Ball, Tyson Chandler, Caldwell Pope? You see that bunch helping Lebron get to the WCF for a hard fought battle with GS?
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I disagree with you on everything you said with qualifiers except they have no shot as presently constructed to compete with the Warriors. Also, I'm from Ohio but currently live outside of the country. Not a Lakers fan more so a Cleveland and Ohio State fan. Love LeBron but don't particularly care for the LA move but grown people live their own lives so I don't hate. Lastly, only time will tell where this team is heading. In about ten more games their will be sufficient evidence where this team is heading which then can lead to a debate with sustenance.
 
Lebron by himself gives him an edge over most teams, but he has more to overcome getting to the WCF than he did last year.

It's going to be very hard for the lakers to win even a single playoffs series.
 
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