"Poll question: Philly: would you welcome Bron in free agency?"
The stage seems to be set for that move to be a possibility. Had Philly advanced to the conference finals - I think the likelihood would be very low - but the most plausible scenarios right seem to be: Philly, Houston, L.A. (although I've never bought into that), or remaining in Cleveland.
Curious as to how Philly fans would perceive a prospective Bron free agent signing.
Poll result (11 votes)
No - Let The Process Play Itself Out - Don't stunt growth
4. "it's just the stark reality of today's NBA" In response to Reply # 1
you've got to have multiple all-stars/HOF'ers to even dream about a ring - let alone a Finals appearance. With Boston stockpiling assets - Bron to Philly would put them on a more even keel w/ Boston.
52. "that was always the NBA" In response to Reply # 4
even the Pistons in 2004 who seemed like the exception to the rule, were just late in receiving their due recognition. Chauncey and Ben will both be in the HoF at one point, and the 06 team had 4 All-Stars.
there arent any finalists in my life without a hall of famer, and outside of the 8 seed 99 Knicks, only the 2003 Nets and 2007 cavs didnt have a secondary all star (even tho K Mart and Mo Williams would later earn nods)
incidentally, both of those teams beat comparatively better Piston teams to get there
those were also the last year pre-Sheed, and first year post-Ben......and now im annoyed.
6. "Bron would play off the ball. He's masterful off the ball" In response to Reply # 3
just as he is running point. He has even noted that he'd prefer to play more off the ball in the later stages of his career as it can prolong his career (by absorbing less mileage). That said - Simmons is not a ball dominant guy - so Bron would share in the ball-handling responsibilities - he just wouldn't have to carry all of that responsibility.
Simmons' education would be expedited immensely under Bron's tutelage.
37. "I think we can be sure sharing the ball is not an issue" In response to Reply # 3
He shared it with Wade and Kyrie and they had a big involved in both places also. Simmons needs to learn how to play off the ball much better, but he would still handle it plenty. There would also be a decent number of minutes each game where their minutes wouldn't overlap; play them 20-25 minutes together and another ten or so apart so one of them is always on the floor (old Jordan/Pippen tactic, also Harden/CP3 now).
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
8. "um. Cleveland is a really bad team. " In response to Reply # 7
Unless they can attract some prized free agents (yes plural) - this team as is currently constituted cannot compete for a title.
No superstar in their 15th year (soon to be 16) should have to carry an inferior team in this kind of manner. Bron ain't gonna stick around and carry an inferior team like it's 2007 - nor should he.
10. "We've been over this." In response to Reply # 9
I don't think it was egregious to entertain packaging Ky and Love for Melo/PG & Bledsoe. Ky took great exception to that even being considered - and he had the right to do that. But he didn't have the foresight to get out - it wasn't a free agent year and he didn't choose Boston. He was fortunate as could be that the Cavs front office is inept AF. He was shipped to Boston - the most competent and well-run organization in the Eastern Conference for a box of damaged goods.
And that's yet another reason why Bron should move on. He accomplished the unthinkable - nothing left to prove or do in Cleveland.
17. "Naw. Durant would rather be Lebron this summer. " In response to Reply # 16
It's why he's cozying up and cool with Bron all of a sudden, he seeing the light
Durant got his ring. He'll get a few more with this gang
But ain't nobody remembering Durant as an all-time great, which is sad, because he's actually all-time (as in, top 10) talent
Lebron down 3-1 against a 73 win team? That's how you get remembered
And now? Lebron 33 and is box office in first round series...people care about his first round buzzer beaters than they will Durant in this NBA Finals
Lebron leaving Miami to get that ring is the greatest basketball story ever, sorry. Don't nobody remember a single thing about any of them Duncan rings. We only remember the Kobe ones when Shaq was rim rattling.
>go explain why melo wasn't as good as tatum at age...ever.
Too late, you should have made the post about Tatum that you made about Jabari
You didn't think Tatum would be this good.
Love is love, tho
----------------------------
O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"
18. "brace yourself...this gonna sting. " In response to Reply # 17 Wed May-09-18 11:56 PM by Basaglia
> >It's why he's cozying up and cool with Bron all of >a sudden, he seeing the light > >Durant got his ring. He'll get a few more with this >gang > >But ain't nobody remembering Durant as an all-time great, >which is sad, because he's actually all-time (as in, top >10) talent > >Lebron down 3-1 against a 73 win team? That's how you >get remembered > >And now? Lebron 33 and is box office in first round >series...people care about his first round buzzer >beaters than they will Durant in this NBA Finals > > >Lebron leaving Miami to get that ring is the greatest >basketball story ever, sorry. Don't nobody remember >a single thing about any of them Duncan rings. We >only remember the Kobe ones when Shaq was rim rattling.
nice read, but bron bout to get his ass beat by KD again with everyone watching.
>>go explain why melo wasn't as good as tatum at age...ever. > > >Too late, you should have made the post about Tatum that >you made about Jabari > >You didn't think Tatum would be this good. > >Love is love, tho
THREE years ago, bro. i'm not asking if you're mad. i'm telling you you're mad. he's better than melo. only difference between him and bari is two knee surgeries. if he'd gotten hurt averaging 13 on the years, you and that miserable 'cuse fans would laugh like morris days at the suggestion. now we see he's BETTER. and bari will prove to be better, too, if he can stay healthy. WALKED DOWN!
31. "RE: ***facepalm***" In response to Reply # 30
>>He is essentially late career Karl Malone who actually >>succeeded with ring chasing. > >I really hope you're not so mad that you believe this.
Why is it off-target? Golden State had won 73 games and a championship before Durant. KD is nice to have - a very expensive and shiny assault rifle - but not necessary. They don't need KD - they've won w/ out him.
33. "Karl Malone was 40 and at the ass-end of his career on the Lakers" In response to Reply # 31
It was a Hail Mary to hitch himself to any wagon that might give him a chance to give him a ring before he retired.
>Why is it off-target? Golden State had won 73 games and a >championship before Durant. KD is nice to have - a very >expensive and shiny assault rifle - but not necessary. They >don't need KD - they've won w/ out him.
KD was in his prime and was/is a perfect fit for the Warriors' system. The Warriors were going to make him a pitch that off-season no matter what. Good to great teams try to get better under any circumstances.
64. "the reason we can't find an apt comparison is because there isn't one" In response to Reply # 56
>The closest comparison is LeBron leaving Cleveland in his >prime to join a Miami team that had already won a chip.
Again - that's not really close. The point was made earlier this week that the only move similar to this has to be traced back to Moses joining Dr. J - and even that falls short of this as Moses & Dr. J were never bitter rivals who competed in conference finals against each other.
It's ok to acknowledge that this was a free-agent move in its own class - which resulted in the most talented team arguably to ever be assembled -- and good for you as a Warrior fan because I'm sure it's really fun to watch -- but it's also true that the degree of difficulty in their title-runs since acquiring KD is fairly low - but I wouldn't really care about that if I was a Warrior fan.
It's now up to the other stars in the League to take notice and understand the landscape accordingly - much as CP3 did.
>Burner Account Durant is pretty good > > > > >but cmonnnnn lol. He got even better once he came here and >you know it.
He didn't get better - the game just got easier because he gets so many more wide open looks. It's not so hard when you have 3 all-stars around you, 1 other two-time MVP, and the two deadliest shooters in the game.
49. "I gotta chime in, here..." In response to Reply # 40
it wasn't to this degree, because we had Serge...who at one point actually played like a rim protector...and Steven inside, but KD absolutely played defense. I remember telling people he could play defense this way...way before he left...and was met with laughter. He always had this in him.
...I'm from the era when A.I. was the answer, now they think ai is the answer - Marlon Craft
54. "yeah my use of 'never' was a bit strong lol" In response to Reply # 49
>it wasn't to this degree, because we had Serge...who at one >point actually played like a rim protector...and Steven >inside, but KD absolutely played defense. I remember telling >people he could play defense this way...way before he >left...and was met with laughter. He always had this in him. >
but you're right. He always had it in him. I admittedly didn't watch him then nearly as much as I do now
They had Adams and serge. Maybe if we still had a rim protecting center like Bogut, KD's impact on the defensive end would be different.
44. "nope, LeBron did it, took the team over and got rings." In response to Reply # 36
then he took another team over and got a ring*.
He'll do it again, and he'll still be miles over Burner Account. Which is why he should never be mentioned in the same sentence unless you're taking bets on who will cut all of their hair off first
65. "eh i dunno i think that starts at a conclusion and works backwards" In response to Reply # 44 Sat May-12-18 03:08 PM by ConcreteCharlie
it isn't like lebron joined cleveland as it was, he kept one guy and re-shaped the entire roster. he took it over but he didn't exactly sustain his dominance over it, did he?
durant went to GS to win but he became the alpha there anyway. he was their best player in each of the past two seasons and that's a bigger challenge than being the best player on a team built specifically for you (more competition, less transparent opportunity).
lebron had the homecoming component and lots of other cool stuff but long term it wasn't really sustainable. durant made a business decision that's like amazon buying walmart or some shit, he saw the opportunity to form a weapon of immense power and he did it. he has pulled his weight and then some.
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
34. "Is this a serious question? Who the fuck is voting no?" In response to Reply # 0
I mean, I saw a fairly large survey of Lakers fans and probably two thirds of them said no. But they are notoriously pompous and consistently wrong so I just disregarded that.
Are there saboteurs afoot here? Or are some of you seriously debating that one of the greatest players in history with no significant sign of slowing down can improve this booger-filled roster with lots of promise but next to no leadership?
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
41. "Phlly should welcome Bron if he's interested" In response to Reply # 0
If I'm Bron, I'm hesitant tho.
I don't see Philly beating GSW even with Bron. I don't believe there is any team he can go to that gets him past them. He might have a better chance than with the Cavs but still not a very good chance.
If he goes to Philly and they lose to Boston however which is a real possibility I think he would get fried. If he stays in Cleveland and gets beat by either Philly or Boston, not as much since he's stayed with his home town that doesn't have enough around him. At least that's how I see that narrative going down.
His other option is to go to LA, take a struggling team and make it an instant playoff team. Could he get past GSW or even the Rockets in playoffs? With PG and other pieces, maybe but probably not.
66. "I didn't vote, but if I was a Sixers fan, it would be an easy NO" In response to Reply # 0
LeBron isn't going to be great forever, and this is a team with a big window extending way beyond his...but bringing him in could completely sabotage their ultimate development.
The other part of this is, I think the years of tanking has already stunted this team's development, and installed a culture that their current coach has his hands full trying to repair.
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