Lebron had a bad series... Deal with it!

[dankok8]

His stat line was mediocre:

23.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg (1.2 o), 8.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.3 bpg on 56.4 %TS (-0.8 rTS) with 4.2 topg

He couldn't take over the games late, couldn't inspire his team not to get blown out, and couldn't make a difference on defense. We can use age as an excuse or his injury or AD's injury or whatever. The Suns also missed a healthy Chris Paul. The Lakers were betting favorites coming into the series and lost... to a merely good but not great team.

Bottom line is "the King" didn't deliver.

Deal with it!

[Pip' N Rodman]

He had the GOAT playoff series for an 18th season player

Prove me wrong, and he was injured dummy :oldlol:

[SouBeachTalents]

That would still blow away literally all but a handful of other 36 year old players statlines

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

That would still blow away literally all but a handful of other 36 year old players statlines

Yeah true, but there are a number of 36 y/o back then, who would've put up better lines now. In today's game everyone eats.

[dankok8]

That would still blow away literally all but a handful of other 36 year old players statlines

I agree but I thought we are judging him by the GOAT standard.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Those stats are actually twice as good as how he actually performed. Game 5 and game 6 were blowouts and he got most of his points in garbage time.

[WhiteKyrie]

He had the GOAT playoff series for an 18th season player

Prove me wrong, and he was injured dummy :oldlol:

Injured means you’re not playing. If you’re on the court, there’s no excuses.

Can’t have a both ways.

You can’t hold it against Kobe for not making the playoffs in 2005, when he was playing hurt and missed large chunks of the season.

You can’t hold it against Michael Jordan for only playing 17 games and being in baseball shape for the 1995 playoffs. After two years of playing baseball.

You can’t hold it against him for not making the playoffs in 2002, at 39 years old, after atrophy of three years of not playing basketball, which is way worse for you than continuing to stay in shape and play basketball. And then also breaking ribs during his come back, and then injuring his knee during the second half of the year.

LeBron stans are such cowards, much like the guy they slurp, that they always have to shift the goal post, and an ever-changing narrative to help boost the esteem of their favorite player

[HBK_Kliq_2]

His win share per 48 is the real truth on his performance:


.089

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Those stats are actually twice as good as how he actually performed. Game 5 and game 6 were blowouts and he got most of his points in garbage time.

And this.

Boxscore watchers, like that idiot comparing Beal to Kobe, are unable to contextualize numbers. They don't understand the game nor have been watching long. Anyone whose seen Bron's career knows that he is a shell of himself. The statline is probably the lowest of his career, but actually watching Lebron play, his impact looked far worse.

[ArbitraryWater]

okay, who cares?

he's in year 18 and the best year 18 player ever.

nothing to detract from

[1987_Lakers]

MJ at 36 - retired
Russell - Retired
Bird - Retired
Kareem - 21/7/5
Kobe - 22 on 37% shooting
Magic - 15/6/7

LeBron at 36 played better than any other player in NBA history.

[SouBeachTalents]

MJ at 36 - retired
Russell - Retired
Bird - Retired
Kareem - 21/7/5
Kobe - 22 on 37% shooting
Magic - 15/6/7

LeBron at 36 played better than any other player in NBA history.
Just for perspective, here's how the other ATG's performed at 36 in the playoffs

Jordan: Retired
Russell: Retired
Shaq: 15 ppg on 40%
Magic: 15 ppg on 39%
Bird: Retired
Hakeem: 13 ppg on 43%
Kobe: Missed the playoffs

Even the guys who performed better or comparably like Kareem, Wilt & Duncan lost with very talented teams. With any context, a 36 year old who was clearly hindered by injury losing with his only good teammate missing half the series shouldn't even be that noteworthy of a result. If you held the vast majority of other ATG's to the same standard they'd be 100x more worthy of criticism

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Just for perspective, here's how the other ATG's performed at 36 in the playoffs

Jordan: Retired
Russell: Retired
Shaq: 15 ppg on 40%
Magic: 15 ppg on 39%
Bird: Retired
Hakeem: 13 ppg on 43%
Kobe: Missed the playoffs

Even the guys who performed better or comparably like Kareem, Wilt & Duncan lost with very talented teams. With any context, a 36 year old who was clearly hindered by injury losing with his only good teammate missing half the series shouldn't even be that noteworthy of a result. If you held the vast majority of other ATG's to the same standard they'd be 100x more worthy of criticism

Right but Mike retired at 35 on top of the world (10 scoring titles, 6 FMVPs, 5 MVPs). With "context" do you think he falls of a cliff, just a year later? Kobe came off an achilles tear, which realistically retired him in 2013. Kareem put up 22 playing alongside Magic. And probably averages more in today's game.

I agree that Bron is the best 36 year old. But if we're going to talk about injuries and context, we should do that with all of those players.

[dankok8]

There are several players like Kareem, Wilt, Duncan and Malone who at age 36 were definitely better than Lebron in this playoffs...

[1987_Lakers]

There are several players like Kareem, Wilt, Duncan and Malone who at age 36 were definitely better than Lebron in this playoffs...

That is not saying much considered LeBron was no where close to 100%, a healthy LeBron at 36 was getting MVP buzz, nobody you listed can say the same except maybe Karl Malone.

[dankok8]

That is not saying much considered LeBron was no where close to 100%, a healthy LeBron at 36 was getting MVP buzz, nobody you listed can say the same except maybe Karl Malone.

What are you talking about? All those guys except Duncan were strong MVP candidates at age 36+.

[SouBeachTalents]

Right but Mike retired at 35 on top of the world (10 scoring titles, 6 FMVPs, 5 MVPs). With "context" do you think he falls of a cliff, just a year later? Kobe came off an achilles tear, which realistically retired him in 2013. Kareem put up 22 playing alongside Magic. And probably averages more in today's game.

I agree that Bron is the best 36 year old. But if we're going to talk about injuries and context, we should do that with all of those players.
Jordan would be purely speculative. If LeBron who had been nearly indestructible up to this season could get an injury that clearly affected him, there's no way of knowing if the same wouldn't happen to a 36 year old Jordan coming off 3 straight title runs. I won't disagree if you think he still plays at a '98 level, but there's too many unknowns physically when you reach this age

[Spurs m8]

Those stats are actually twice as good as how he actually performed. Game 5 and game 6 were blowouts and he got most of his points in garbage time.

Yep.

The stats vs impact on court are not reflective of each other one.single.bit

It's actually at hilarious levels

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Jordan would be purely speculative. If LeBron who had been nearly indestructible up to this season could get an injury that clearly affected him, there's no way of knowing if the same wouldn't happen to a 36 year old Jordan coming off 3 straight title runs. I won't disagree if you think he still plays at a '98 level, but there's too many unknowns physically when you reach this age

Sure, but realistically 35 to 36 is just one year. Don't think anyone seriously thinks Jordan would become a role player :lol

Shit at 38, Wizards Jordan was getting MVP talk before busting up his knee.

[1987_Lakers]

What are you talking about? All those guys except Duncan were strong MVP candidates at age 36+.

Nobody seriously considered Wilt, Kareem, Duncan, & even Karl Malone to be the MVP of the league at 36, they might have gotten votes, but so did Peja in 2004. LeBron was a legitimate candidate to win it before the injury.

[SouBeachTalents]

Sure, but realistically 35 to 36 is just one year. Don't think anyone seriously thinks Jordan would become a role player :lol
Lol, well only the trolls of this place would say that shit :lol All I'm saying is if you told me even 3 months ago LeBron would look like that I honestly wouldn't have believed it

This was LeBron's last game before he got injured, he looks like a legitimately different player


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNglAoh8Vkk&t

[Gohan]

Sure, but realistically 35 to 36 is just one year. Don't think anyone seriously thinks Jordan would become a role player :lol

Shit at 38, Wizards Jordan was getting MVP talk before busting up his knee.

Shhhh Jordan haters don’t want to talk about this

[TheCorporation]

Post a season 18 player with a better playoff series.

Hurry

[theman93]

That is not saying much considered LeBron was no where close to 100%, a healthy LeBron at 36 was getting MVP buzz, nobody you listed can say the same except maybe Karl Malone.

Opinion and can’t be proven. He looked completely healthy to me.

[1987_Lakers]

Opinion and can’t be proven. He looked completely healthy to me.

If it helps you sleep at night.

[Pip' N Rodman]

LOL @ the idiot in this thread saying MJ > LeBron because of some hypothetical 36 year old MJ doing better than LeBron this year :oldlol:

We all saw Jordan's Wizards years, they weren't pretty

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Lol, well only the trolls of this place would say that shit :lol All I'm saying is if you told me even 3 months ago LeBron would look like that I honestly wouldn't have believed it

This was LeBron's last game before he got injured, he looks like a legitimately different player


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNglAoh8Vkk&t

Lebron definitely wasn't the same.

Don't know if you can quantify it, but not having AD (who requires a lot of defensive attention) played a big factor too.

[SouBeachTalents]

Lebron definitely wasn't the same.

Don't know if you can quantify it, but not having AD (who requires a lot of defensive attention) played a big part too.
Hindered LeBron and no AD gave the Lakers no chance to win :lol They needed LeBron & AD both healthy to have any legitimate chance of making another deep playoff run. I just find it funny the trolls are using this series to try to prove AD > LeBron, when AD without LeBron wouldn't have won this series either

[HoopsNY]

Nobody seriously considered Wilt, Kareem, Duncan, & even Karl Malone to be the MVP of the league at 36, they might have gotten votes, but so did Peja in 2004. LeBron was a legitimate candidate to win it before the injury.

36 year old Malone was putting up 26/10/4/1/1 on 51%, leading his team to 55 wins. In the playoffs he put up 27/9/3/1/1 on 52%. And keep in mind, this is at the height of the defensive era.

Utah just had the unfortunate circumstance of running into the deepest team in the game (Portland). Not to mention, he was 4th in MVP voting and won the MVP just the previous year.

Wilt was 4th in MVP voting in 1973. In 1972 he was the FMVP. It's not unreasonable to think he could win it that year, especially when he was coming off a championship and FMVP.

Kareem was on the Showtime Lakers at 36, was 4th in MVP voting, and the very next season, he won FMVP. The Lakers were in the finals that year and the previous year.

If MJ was a 25/6/5/2 player on 42% prior to injury at the age of 39, what's a 1999 MJ doing on a championship team at the age of 36, where he won MVP and FMVP just the year prior? Maybe 27/5/3/2 on 45%? That was the least offensive season in NBA history I believe due to the lockout, but he certainly would have been in the discussion for MVP, again.

The only one I would agree with you on is Duncan. And unlike Peja, the other guys are all-time greats and elite superstars.