2 of Amerika’s Most Wanted: The Official GOAT franchise Boss Angeles Lakers 2019-2020 season thread

[murksiderock]

bron doesnt wanna guard him man

I don't believe that, g. And I especially don't believe that if he continues to up his defensive play...

Don't tell me it isn't pleasantly surprising how he's performing defensively the first two weeks of the year...

Neither of them will be guarding each other for the majority of any game. In this case its who do you favor in the few moments that they would check each other in crunch time, and I disagree with you, I think Bron would want that assignment. Last time Bron played D at this level, he always took the top guy on the other team in high stakes playoff moments...

I don't begrudge anyone who favors Kawhi in that matchup based on the sum of what we've seen in the last year...

 

[Osmosis]

You sure about that?

Let's start with this. Bron not gonna guard Kawhi for full games, but if Bron is playing the way he looks the first two weeks defensively, yes, he can take Kawhi in crucial clutch 4thQ moments...

While we at it, let's just mention again that while Giannis clearly got exposed, it's not like Kawhi was defending him all game long either. The Raptira had great help D and Kawhi took him 1v1 a few times in clutch moments and won that battle, but he wasn't man up on Giannis the whole game of any game that series....

So the statement you made can easily be reversed:

LeBron appears to be heating up and playing himself back into pre-injury GOAT mode on offense, and he's playing the best defense he's played in 5-6 years (so far). Who on the Clippers is strong enough to guard him for a whole series if his play continues to ascend back to where it was?

•please don't say Paul George, there's literally a shytload of evidence from multiple years and multiple series of LeBron doing PG dirty, as recently as '18 playoffs. If the old Bron is back, PG need a battery in his back, he does not want that issue...

•you can say Kawhi, but Kawhi hasn't had to defend LeBron for a series while also being a team's primary offensive threat. It's never happened. It'll be interesting to see Kawhi defend Bron with the responsibility of being a #1 on the other end too, but it's not gonna happen because they gonna switch him and PG and Trez on Bron, and again, he didn't even check Giannis 1v1 outside of crunch time last year...

He not checking Bron unless its crunch time 1v1, and I have my doubts, that if the LeBron I think is on the way back, Kawhi not doing shyt to that/this version of Bron that he did to Giannis...

You just mentioned two guys that at their best are more than capable defenders. Kawhi slipped defensively last season in the playoffs but if he’s healthy and exerting effort on that end he can make things tough on Bron. PG was even better than Kawhi defensively last season and he’s another guy you can throw at Bron. I think PG is more suited to guard Bron now than ever before because Bron isn’t really gonna blow by defenders at his age, especially a guy like PG.. Bron is more methodical/probing and less explosive so physical guys with lateral quickness like Kawhi and PG are the prototypes to guard him. Bron at this age is better against guys he can overpower.

The point is though the Clippers have two elite defensive wings with size to make things difficult for Bron. Who do the Lakers have for Kawhi and PG? Bron can turn it on but he’s not the same and shouldn’t be tasked with that responsibility at his age. Danny Green can check one of them but he’s probably too slight for Kawhi. KCP got his ass cooked by Kawhi on opening night. Lakers need a strong physical defender like Iggy to take on that challenge.

 

[murksiderock]

You just mentioned two guys that at their best are more than capable defenders. Kawhi slipped defensively last season in the playoffs but if he’s healthy and exerting effort on that end he can make things tough on Bron. PG was even better than Kawhi defensively last season and he’s another guy you can throw at Bron. I think PG is more suited to guard Bron now than ever before because Bron isn’t really gonna blow by defenders at his age, especially a guy like PG.. Bron is more methodical/probing and less explosive so physical guys with lateral quickness like Kawhi and PG are the prototypes to guard him. Bron at this age is better against guys he can overpower.

The point is though the Clippers have two elite defensive wings with size to make things difficult for Bron. Who do the Lakers have for Kawhi and PG? Bron can turn it on but he’s not the same and shouldn’t be tasked with that responsibility at his age. Danny Green can check one of them but he’s probably too slight for Kawhi. KCP got his ass cooked by Kawhi on opening night. Lakers need a strong physical defender like Iggy to take on that challenge.

You make great points but my point was that I don't understand the scoffing at who could check Kawhi. They probably will get another wing defender by trade deadline, and honestly I'd expect AD to get some burn defending George or Kawhi, especially if one of them is cooking...

If Bron continues to trend in the direction he's going, he's gonna be a tough check for Kawhi and PG as well. I don't get the pessimism of Lakers fans on here when it comes to Bron. He's getting some of his speed, explosiveness, and strength back. By the time playoffs roll around if he's where I expect him to be, I don't expect the Clippers to shut him down...

They just have more bodies they can throw at him but again, I fully expect the Lakers to get another wing defender, and/or Kuz to play himself back up to par and be able to be at minimum a sufficient defender, and/or see AD take Kawhi or George as assignment should they meet in the playoffs...

 

[Voice of Reason]

AD really shut down Aldridge

 

[Lakerman0834]

U mean Friday and

That Heat game would be a loss. If anything rest him Tuesday against the Bulls.

I still think if they just limit him to 30 mins on Tuesday (if that) he should be ok. Just can't play him 35+ mins or he'll settle down the stretch.

Ya meant tuesday. Cant see bron sitting out vs his former squad

 

[THE MACHINE]

Breh, I'm definitely having a moment.

I never though I'd live to see the day where 29 three point attempts per game ranks 26th At the turn of the millennium the average was about 13.5, now its 33

 

[Long Live The Kane]

On the feeding Dwight in the post talk...we don’t even want it put into his head that he’s some kinda priority for post touches cause he’ll fukk around and revert back to old habits... sulking cause he think he’s prime Shaq down there and having it affect his energy game

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Fukk all that. Feed him

From RealGM

No way he can sustain this level.

His season so far has:
- the 3rd greatest season Blk% of all time
- the 8th best season defensive rating of all time
- the 60th best season offensive rating of all time

Now I still think its going to how he handles guys bigger than him.

Boban gave him problems on Friday. Can he deal with Embiid?

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

Fukk all that. Feed him

From RealGM


Now I still think its going to how he handles guys bigger than him.

Boban gave him problems on Friday. Can he deal with Embiid?

Those size matchups was where we needed Boogie. I think with the right scheme we’ll be fine.

 

[Karume]

 

[Rekkapryde]

AD really shut down Aldridge

Aldridge is a bum. Channing Frye with a mid range

 

[Karume]

This fukk bum Lethal shooter needs to be banned from our facilities. AD/Bradley/KCP all bricking their shots. @Karume @Sccit yall need to expose this bum on the gram

I don't want to necessarily put this all on you, but could you figure out who all his clients are? Perhaps we could keep track of their shooting percentage and use that.

 

[CrookedAzzNikka]

Shannon on fire

Skip hatin as usual

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Lakers need to hire Snoop to call the games

 

[Sinnerman]