Why won't Lebron play as the 6th man?

[90sgoat]

He'd clearly be more valuable in such a role.

[Full Court]

Coach has no balls.

[Kblaze8855]

Whatever trolling and stupid dishonest numbers based to arguments, anyone would make for a laugh being way better than whoever would start is the only reason anyone has ever needed.

That said, of course, it got my mind spinning, trying to decide who the best player was who ever came off the bench in more than a spot situation. Duncan I think did it one or two times. But like…a good stretch?

There have been Hall of Fame sixth men types like Hondo, Kevin Mchale, and James worthy. Manu types. But the only top-tier legend I can remember doing it for an extended period of time is Larry Birdd when he came back from injury early in his career. Might’ve been 1982. He was well established as being Larry Bird. He came back and was off the bench, but still playing big minutes and the team looked incredible so they just stuck with it for a little while.

To try to make some of this trolling I’ll ask This…


If Lebron did come off the bench for like a month right now…where would he rank in terms of all time bench players?


Young Bird
Young Hondo
Mchale
Prime Manu
Old Mcadoo

Current Lebron.

Put em in order.

[Neal Romer]

To try to make some of this trolling I’ll ask This…


If Lebron did come off the bench for like a month right now…where would he rank in terms of all time bench players?


Young Bird
Young Hondo
Mchale
Prime Manu
Old Mcadoo

Current Lebron.

Put em in order.

1. Current Lebron

2. I dunno, the rest of em in whatever order, I cant call it, and it doesnt matter anyway cuz they're not Lebron

[Kblaze8855]

Yea it was 82. A top 3 player in the league came off the bench for 19 games




"I have nothing against being a sixth man. I'm one of those people who says it doesn't matter who starts the game as much as who finishes it," Bird said. "If being a sixth man was good enough for Frank Ramsay, John Havlicek, Paul Silas, and Kevin McHale, just to name a few, it was good enough for me. If I was going to be a sixth man all the time," Bird added. "I think it would've been a great role, but everybody knew that wasn't going to happen."


They had played well the last few games he was out and he and the coach didn’t wanna disrupt it. They won 10 in a row with him off the bench. By the end of the year, they had a percentage equivalent to a 74 win season in the games he came off the bench.

[Kblaze8855]

1. Current Lebron

2. I dunno, the rest of em in whatever order, I cant call it, and it doesnt matter anyway cuz they're not Lebron


It miiiiiight be

Bird
Peak Manu
Current Lebron
Young Hondo
Young/Old Mchale
Young Worthy

Bird and Manu were in their primes.

That said…I don’t know that prime Manu is as good as washed Lebron but they fight for number 2.

[Neal Romer]

It miiiiiight be

Bird
Peak Manu
Current Lebron
Young Hondo
Young/Old Mchale
Young Worthy

Bird and Manu were in their primes.

That said…I don’t know that prime Manu is as good as washed Lebron but they fight for number 2.

'Washed' Lebron is still an easy call here, no disrespect to Ginobili.

Between him and Bird it's tough to say. Bird always had a squad. Lebron's never had one. So you have to figure if current Lebron had even half the 86 Celtics he'd have repeated as IST champ and be cruising to another NBA title.

[Kblaze8855]

Though I didn’t agree, there was a contingent of people arguing prime Manu against Kobe LeBron McGrady, Pierce, and all the prime wing superstars of that time. If LeBron weren’t an established player and appeared at his current level playing for someone like the hornets, while an unknown Manu did the same thing somewhere like the Pacers?

I’m not sure those discussions wouldn’t be had.

[Neal Romer]

Though I didn’t agree, there was a contingent of people arguing prime Manu against Kobe LeBron McGrady, Pierce, and all the prime wing superstars of that time. If LeBron weren’t an established player and appeared at his current level playing for someone like the hornets, while an unknown Manu did the same thing somewhere like the Pacers?

I’m not sure those discussions wouldn’t be had.


Well, one of those guys is not like the others.

And that guy would obviously be Lebron.

And that's not, like, me doing shtick.

[Kblaze8855]

There was a good Run of Manu versus whoever that began before he actually came to the NBA with a gigantic topic from some European fan on here who was claiming Manu was European Kobe in like 2001. The issue bubbled gently for a good 7-8 years before we acted like it never happened.

[Neal Romer]

There was a good Run of Manu versus whoever that began before he actually came to the NBA with a gigantic topic from some European fan on here who was claiming Manu was European Kobe in like 2001. The issue bubbled gently for a good 7-8 years before we acted like it never happened.

It's a hard comparison to make with those other wings because Manu came from a European league culture that doesnt emphasize individual statistical dominance, and that was clearly never his focus here in the States. And you could even say the same thing of Duncan and TP. Any three of those guys could have 'produced' more statistically to look more 'alpha', but it was never necessary to do so. Hell Lebron could score 50 every night if he wanted to, but he chooses not to.

Those other guys you mentioned... it felt more like they consciously strove for their ppg ceiling, and hit it. So if you just go by statistics and things like 'all nba' or whatever (which are generally voted on based on statistics) it makes it look like theres a clear hierarchy. But when it comes to other winning things like balance, intangibles, defense, knowing when NOT to force it, which are things that tend to go underappreciated, it's certainly a lot closer than it seems.

Our minds like to have concrete progressions, like "this guy is the best, this guy is second, this guy is third" but in reality it doesnt work like that. Sometimes guys really are interchangeable practically speaking. So yeah I think you absolutely could argue prime Manu can help a team win to a roughly equal extent as Pierce, McGrady, maybe Kobe, or any of those other guys you mentioned, save for Lebron.

[90sgoat]

Not trolling, if Lebron wanted to maximize Laker success he'd come off the bench and win the bench game.

He is only a good starter now, but he'd be the best 6th man. I haven't looked into the number on how good or bad Lakers are on the bench.

6th man is a position that can add to your resume too.

[RRR3]

It miiiiiight be

Bird
Peak Manu
Current Lebron
Young Hondo
Young/Old Mchale
Young Worthy

Bird and Manu were in their primes.

That said…I don’t know that prime Manu is as good as washed Lebron but they fight for number 2.
I don't think current LeBron impacts the game as much as prime Manu. If it was last year, I'd still take LeBron over him easily, but man he has fallen off this year. Not surprising though.

[Chick Stern]

Why didn’t the OP just type “Hodor”?

[3ba11]

https://media.tenor.com/xyZjn-M9EW8AAAAM/preacher-agram.gif

[ILLsmak]

even if it was better for him to play fewer minutes, he'd still start. Guys want stats on their starts.

"LeBron James has started almost all of his NBA games, starting 1,678 out of 1,679 games over his 20-season career. He's only come off the bench twice, the last time being on December 11, 2007."

He came off the bench twice in one game, tho, crazy.

But still, that shit ain't happening.

-Smak