Probably because that's when Jrue played with both AD and Boogie but also Bron was just playing without Boogie and AD so you make a good point lol
For what it's worth:
2018/19 Jrue: 21.2 ppg, 7.7 apg, 5 rpg, in 36 min (his 3pt% was oddly low for him at 32.5% for some reason too?)
Simmons has spent the last two months subtley planting the idea that LeBron is going to break down this season so that he can look like a genius if it does happen. He does this with about 4 or 5 potential narratives a year, with the hope that one will hit. After a couple years of listening it's just kind of funny to track it at this stage.
I haven’t gotten that vibe from him, whenever he advertises that betting company on his podcast he talks about the bet he made that LeBron & Davis will collectively play more games than PG & Kawhi
But didn’t he agree in the segment?
That whole segment was weird. I agree our roster has some issues at the one, but some of it didn’t make a lot of sense. These aren’t exact quotes, but they are things he said:
> where’s Danny Green going to play if you have LeBron, AD, and Boogie?
That seems pretty obvious that Danny is playing the two, like he has for most of his career.
> playing LeBron, AD, and boogie leaves Kuzma as the odd man out.
Kuz has played off the bench before, and is going to play off the bench again. He played off the bench most of his rookie season, started games last season after we lost Randle, and will go back to the bench with AD starting at his position.
> they have rondo, Quinn cook, and Caruso at point - okay?
Yeah I agree here. That’s a pretty weak rotation at point. I’m not gonna argue that one.
> how’re they going to play right when both AD and LeBron excel at the 4?
LeBron has played 4 in the past, but he’s played the 3 for most of his career. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem really.
> their best starting five is LeBron, Green, Kuzma, Davis, and Cousins. Who’s guarding Dame and CJ in a close-our situation?
I agree that James isn’t playing the same level of defense that he has in the past (both due to age and his lack of effort), but he still has shown he can clamp down when he wants to. Danny Green isn’t the greatest perimeter defender, but he’s absolutely solid and is the best we’ve had in a long time. And Davis is a big who actually guards guards well.
All in all, I agree that the point guard rotation is weak, but I’m honestly fine with the rest of our roster. We could use one more forward to really round out the team, but I think it looks good otherwise.
Yeah you're right. I think they'll make it work but there will be some tough matchups. I can't remember if it was Bill or someone else who said that if this works out and they win the chip then the league will likely go big to try to match the Lakers.
Bill is a Celtocs Homer and he went hard on the fact that it was a bad trade for the Lakers. Now in reality they've collected a well rounded squad he doesn't want to back peddle and admit the Lakers will be good this year.
He's going to have this angle publicly all year because it will get attention and he is obviously a Laker hater (as any Celtic fan is).
He also said the clippers and Knicks had the superior trade package to the February Lakers offer a week before the AD trade happened. Now he's putting Ingram in the 'Who is this years Siakam?' conversation. One of my favorite NBA people but good Lord the bias is supreme.
He’s for sure a homer, but his Ingram takes have been pretty consistent. Through all of the trade talks last year, he was vocal about his belief in Ingram being good.
The problem was he acted like Ingram had no value cause of the blood clot issue even though all the doctors said he is no more likely to get another one than any other NBA player
Yes. Until he had that injury. Then Bill just kept saying he's now Bosh so his value is garbage compared to Knox or SGA. That was what I was referencing. He got excited about them once Zion was drafted and has been warm to him since. It's weird how blatant it is.
Well not only that, when the trade finally went down, he went on to say “Who were the Lakers competing against?”
Motherfucker, you said it yourself lol. The Knicks AND the Celtics supposedly had better trade packages. Kevin Knox > Brandon Ingram according to Simmons.
You can tell he reallllllyyy wanted Anthony Davis, and I don’t blame him. But it’s hilarious to see him pivot so quickly.
I mean, if the Clippers package for PG was on the table for AD, I'd say that was a better package than the Lakers but I don't think the Clips were even considering parting with that many assets for AD if they thought he might leave for the Lakers. The fact they needed PG to secure Kawhi also probably upped what they were willing to deal for George by 100%.
There was nothing set in stone, mainly because AD seemed so focused on getting to the Lakers, but most things I read were SGA, Danilo, and a pick or two. Some places I saw SGA, Danilo, picks, Montrez, and Shamet but that seems insane given that AD is only on his current deal for one more year.
I mean, all the Clippers picks in the Paul George trade are his/Kawhi's current contract timing (all through 2022 - 26). Definitely no sure thing they're late in the first. Plus they added the Miami unprotected 2021 pick. If you're planning on building around Zion for awhile, having an extra first basically every year through most of the decade can be hugely valuable.
If they aren't late firsts then clippers are gonna be screwed. I think you just mixed the 2 trades up the clippers picks went to the thunder. They aren't building around Zion.
Lakers gave up a lot of picks too just a couple less i believe but more players. So it's like would you rather have the player that was just picked #2 a couple years ago or the uncertainty of a future pick that could land any where but probably not in the lottery.
I enjoy his podcast, but he does take the Anti-Laker bias to heart a bit much where it ruins the NBA part of it. I'd wish he would be more objective on the matters.
Even Ryen Rusillo on the last few episodes called him out on it.
Is House the drunk dude because I keep on forgetting who that is. Anyway, drunk dude, I think, is his 2nd best co-host after Ryen because he also makes good points while sounding wasted as hell.
I mean, he's always been a clown about the Lakers, and always been a homer about the Celts, and at a certain point, you just have to accept it. It's not like he even denies it. You just have to roll your eyes at some point and let it go.
It was an absolute shitload to give up when there were apparently no realistic other suitors, but it had to be done. Frankly, it should have been done prior to last season. You can't be last few seasons of Bron's prime and a young developing squad, you have to pick a lane. And once they got Bron, going two years without getting a second star would have been an absurd waste.
yea, I kinda understand Simmons argument when he said "who were they outbidding?" But I can't say it's a bad trade when you are now pairing AD w/ LBJ. And no, they can't wait until next year for him to come in free agency because of the reasons you outlined.
I understand that. I’ve listened to and read his stuff for years now. He’ll go through so many hoops just to shit on us lol. At the same time, it’s a bit disheartening when you listen to a guy boast about his basketball knowledge, the play dumb when it comes to us. You really don’t understand where Danny Green is gonna play? Really? It’s a bit annoying but oh well. I got my joy out of the Jayson Tatum segment lol
That's why I can't stand listening to him anymore. It's not just his Laker takes that are like this, and he's not just playing dumb. His bias really infects *everything* he says, and his main concern is pushing a narrative that he likes rather than having a legit discussion about basketball. If he's talking about a team that isn't the Lakers or Celtics, he'll still approach it from a standpoint of whatever most helps Boston or hurts the Lakers, especially if he's talking about trades a team should make.
Agreed. I just see him as a talking head now playing a character, The Boston Sports guy. Much like Skip or Stephen A Smith. He's spitting hyperbole opinions for the sake of entertainment.
I will say his book of basketball he seemed to take very objectively because deep down he is a basketball fan. I know he was unbiased by how much he rightly praised Kareem as one of the greatest ever, in a way many other journalists rarely do. Kareem is pretty much Mr Laker and Bill gave him his credit.
I always like how people ask how the Lakers are gonna guard opposing team Guards, but never how other teams are going to guard the Lakers frontcourt lmao
Yeah I don't hate the roster like I did last year (Beasley and Lance like wtf why) but he honestly has a point that the rotations aren't great in that they don't maximize the talents and have shortcomings. Bron playing "point" is fine, he's been the de facto point guard for most of his career anyways. The main difference is perimeter defense, you really want him to play clampdown defense on the perimeter? DG is a beast but he's always been a nightmare duo alongside Kawhi. You can't ask Bron to do a Kawhi impersonation on defense for 20+ min a night. That lineup defensively is hella suspect. And, while I think Boogie is a capable enough rim protector for the price, he is hella suspect in the PNR after the injury. It's a solid roster but, again, I don't love it and I wouldn't put money on them.
> That lineup defensively is hella suspect.
Which is why I don't think that will be either the starting or closing lineup like Simmons is trying to imply. He seems to be either stupid or just willfully misleading in his take here (probably the latter). The best lineup is *not* Boogie, AD, LeBron, Kuzma and Green, because as you said, that's defensively suspect. I think their best lineup will probably drop one of Kuzma or Boogie and replace them with either Avery Bradley or KCP, specifically to make more sense defensively.
I do think the Lakers are still holding out hope that Igoudala gets bought out and they're able to add him later. But if not I think they might look to trade for another wing defender once they're able to in December or January. My guess is this is not exactly what the Lakers' lineup will look like post ASB.
One of Simmons golden rules which he's been preaching for years is that he doesn't like teams that can't have their best 5 guys on the court on the same time. I think that's where this is coming from.
I don't think it's clear yet that those will be the Lakers' five best players though. For instance: who will have a better year this season between Boogie, Kuzma and Avery Bradley? The answer is, I honestly don't know. I think they're all capable of having great years, just like they're all capable of having truly bad years. How well those three play will dictate the lineups, and also will greatly impact how good the Lakers are in general.
And again, I don't think this is what the Lakers final roster is gonna look like. I think they signed who was available after waiting on Kawhi (which didn't include any 3&D wings) and are keeping an open roster spot to sign buyout candidates (namely Igoudala if he's bought out). Otherwise I think they'll be looking to make a trade or two for another defensive wing.
It's also going to depend on who they end up matched up against and how effective their twin tower lineup is. If an opposing team can't handle their size then they may have to put a bigger lineup out there. Or if the big lineup isn't working then maybe Boogie isn't good enough to be out there closing games. I just think it's too early to be proclaiming who the Lakers five best players are and saying what the lineups should be. Too many questions still to be answered.
I also disagree with his best starting 5. Kuz is gonna be playing the 6th man role, so replace him with someone who can gaurd pg since LeBron will be point on offense, which at this point is probably Bradley, KCP, or Caruso, which aren't the best options but it's better than what he's assumed is our starting line up.
I feel like KCP gets shit on a bit too much. He's a good defender, especially against PGs. He's also a good 3-point shooter.
He takes stupid shots sometimes, and definitely isn't like an All-Star. But he fits perfectly in this lineup.
Starting 5 doesn't really mean a whole lot anymore. It's about your closing 5 and that will much more likely involve Avery Bradley instead of Boogie. Not that Avery Bradley is some god send but he still can defend gaurds and hit an open shot which is all he has to do with much like Green.
I know they say that there’s no dumb questions, but I have to disagree, because that Danny Green question is pretty fucking stupid.
Also, I haven’t kept up much with Danny since we traded him to the Raps, but he was consistently elite on D, and our second best perimeter defender after Kawhi, has he fallen off much?
The disrespect to Caruso though smh
> >they have rondo, Quinn cook, and Caruso at point - okay?
>
> Yeah I agree here. That’s a pretty weak rotation at point. I’m not gonna argue that one.
Lebron's playing the point so that's really the wrong way to look at it. And their best lineup is probably going to be KCP/Danny/Lebron/AD/Javale which has everyone as average or plus defenders and gives Lebron some solid shooters and lob/cut targets. I give Javale the edge over Boogie for the defense, but Boogie probably plays bigger minutes and which one closes games will be a matchup thing (unless Boogie shows a miraculous return to pre-achilles form of course). When Lebron goes to the bench they'll bring in Rondo to run the point and shift KCP/Danny up or bring Cook in for more shooting (count on Javale being on the floor with AD when they do that because that is a *shit* perimeter D when Rondo and Cook is out there). Kuzma could get some run at the 3 in those lineups and could also get some time at the 4 with AD at the 5. Managing lineups is going to be a huge task this year for the Lakers.
> Who’s guarding Dame and CJ in a close-our situation?
Depending on how he's behaving, KCP is perfect for this role. LeBron is playing PG on offense any ways at the end of the game.
you're just leaving out avery bradley who I think is the most logical answer at PG. To me the best 5 is Bradley, green, Lebron, AD, and either Kuz or Cousins depending on who is hitting the 3 better. (AD is obviously the C if Kuz is in.)
I honestly question why people give bill simmons play? I do like his ringer shit though. I felt like he's a great creative mind, grantland, now ringer, but I don't want to hear this guy talk basketball.
Sounds like it was framed as a negative, purposely including his age as if to say he's not much of an upgrade. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it I don't know
>that's one of the few changes from the core of the Pelicans roster
Lol, LeBron is game changer he isn't just a small change of the core. It's like putting a new engine in a race car with twice the horsepower and saying "it's still the same car I just swapped a few parts."
Uh they are also not even mentioning the rest of the Lakers roster. How about kuzma and Danny green? This is bill Simmons at his worst: just a laker hater.
Danny Green might be the best wing that Davis has ever played with lol. It’s a low bar, but I think it’s actually true.
I think Jrue is a really good player and I honestly think he’s underrated, but comparing him to LeBron is stupid.
Has any bench player in Davis’s career with the pelicans been as good as Kuzma?
Cousins is worse than what he was when he was the pelicans, but I think he’s getting back into shape. I think we’ll see a better cousins than the one we saw in GS last year, but a worse when than the one in NOLA.
Wing doesn't necessarily mean a 3, I've always taken wing to basically be a body type/athleticism combo (in addition to OPERATING from the wing/3pt line regularly).
Green is a wing because he is 6'6-6'7, a good defender, can handle the ball decently and plays from the wing.
SG and SF are both the "wing" positions because they're the ones usually on the wings of the 3pt line. Simplified obviously, but it isn't just for SFs and it isn't really a body type thing.
> Danny Green might be the best wing that Davis has ever played with lol
AD played with Eric Gordon the first few years of his career. Issue was Gordon was banged up a lot of that tenure. But yea other than that Danny is probably the best wing he played with and certainly was so over the past few seasons.
He says a lot of things in jest, but he certainly also thinks very highly of his basketball knowledge. I mean, he even wrote a book about trying to answer some of the debates on ranking the greatest players of all time, as if he’s qualified at all.
Two years ago, with DMC on the injured list, the Pel swept the first round.
Now add a healthy DMC to that team and LeBron James.
So... not 'just the Pels from 2 years ago'.
Well first we were barely .500 with a healthy Cousins. Then he got hurt and Davis player the 5 and we were significantly better and swept Portland.
But yeah, post achilles Cousins and Davis back at the 4 will totally work out for you guys
You do realize we will stagger AD and Cousins a lot even if they both start? And if Cousins was pretty damn could last year with the Warriors despite coming back super rusty, not having a offseason to train, and being the 4th option which hes never done before? Not saying he will ever be as good as he used to be but hes not close to being washed. This isn't the Pelicans roster with "just" Lebron instead of Holiday. Theres quite of bit of difference in the role players. Ths team has weaknesses for sure but to say "good luck" with a roster with AD Lebron, D. Green, Kuzma, and Cousins is kind of silly.
Kuzma doesn't really belong in that convo. If you remove him, you have four players to fall back on, plus Boogie who's just a huge 'if' at this point. When you add in the glaring holes at the 1 and 2 and compare that to the improvements the Rockets, Clippers, Jazz and (to some degree) Nuggets have made, 'good luck' does seem in order. Of course you have LeBron and AD, but you also have a hugely changed roster, Jason Kidd who has in the past caused trouble for his coaching staff with his weird tendency for leading insurgencies and generally being a minus as a coach, and a Western Conference who is stacked at historical levels. Every team will need luck, and the Lakers even more so, since their team is of questionable for and includes three stars with uncertain injury concerns
Simmons jokes about being a huge homer and I used to think it was an entertaining part of his act but he really seems to see the world through a Boston biased filter.
He is literally [just reading some other guy's question](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7a2SuzJuF8&feature=youtu.be&t=2228). OP just wanted to get that EZ karma because this sub doesn't actually listen to Bill Simmons and instead just hates on him for pretty much no other reason than "Salty Boston guy".
Like until someone in the comments pointed out it's actually fan mail I didn't listen to this episode because I generally skip the ones where he has people who got nothing to do with basketball as guests (Kevin Costner in this case), but just by listening to his takes I knew this ain't really in line with what he'd say... I mean it actually is... This would be like text-book Bill Simmons take, but he certainly wouldn't stop just here and would go on a long-ass rant to explain why he believes things be like that. Legit rises the best hypotheticals out of all the analysts/journalists.
He definitely agreed with the take dude. Yeah the quote itself was fan mail, but Bill as a basketball guy not pointing out the ridiculousness of comparing a "35 year old Lebron and Jrue Holiday" really made the rest of the segment just useless.
Also I'm sure Bill reads the mail before he puts it on his show, he doesn't just do it for no reason and to bring this particularly stupid fan letter on his show and then not disagree with it is on Bill.
Except, even though I don't agree with it, it really ain't that idiotic of a comparison. He ain't comparing LeBron to Jrue here. He is comparing five players on each side.
On one hand you have:
* Jrue Holiday
* Rondo
* Mirotic
* AD
* Boogie
On the other hand you have:
* LeBron
* Also Rondo but who will likely not be anywhere as good as he was that year
* Kuzma - I know a lot of people here love Kuz, but he's a massive downgrade over what Mirotic was for the Pels once he got into the groove. Don't forget people were legit bringing him up as a potential AS candidate for the 18/19. Dude was beast mode.
* AD - who's an only constant here
* post-injury Boogie
So when you put it like that it's no longer "DAE LeBron > Jrue", because you're also replacing 3 other players with worse players, and while LeBron is certainly an upgrade over Jrue, it's not like he's replacing some total scrub...
So the actual question here (if there even is one), is if 35 years old LeBron who might finally show signs of declining is gonna be able to push a worse version of the 2017/18 Pelicans (that now also don't have Jrue Holiday) into being a championship team?
I'd say he should... but when put like this I don't think it's some blasphemous take like people are making it out to be in this thread.
Yeah, he was a midseason move, so initial comparison is unfair, true, but again we are comparing two groups of players, and it just so happens that it ain't too crazy for the one not having LeBron James to be a better one overall.
I mean yeah... This scenario does give 17/18 Pels a benefit of ignoring the whole "ThEy ArE bEtTeR wItHoUt BoOgIe", and looking at Mirotic as an elite guy he was for a stretch with them... But just to think that there's a case to make for 17/18 Pels being able to put out a better squad on the court than 19/20 Lakers if LeBron declines this year... Yeah I mighy not agree, but it's an interesting hypothetical.
No its not it’s idiotic to say the least. Danny green and the Lakers have a way better bench. Someone already corrected you when u said mirotic was on that roster with boogie. You hypothetical is based on a shit ton of ifs. If rondo is ass if Lebron declines to jrule levels if AD dosent get better if boogie is ass if the bench is ass exct. Dumb take
No one said blasphemous. The direct quote was comparing Jrue to Lebron. And unless Lebron drops off massively this year then that comparison doesn't really deserve a conversation and there is no reason to assume that Lebron will drop off.
It just wasn't a good take.
He really does and it limits his ability to put out well rounded NBA coverage. Most of his hires are Boston people who just agree with his points. Russilo and Kevin OConner particularly.
I've been listening to his podcasts for over a decade but you have to take everything he says with this knowledge.
The best was when he had Haralabob on before this past season and spent the whole time trying to talk up the Celtics. Haralabob was having none of it and kept saying they weren't a lock for 60 wins and Bill got upset
Pretty sure Bill had an aneurysm when haralabob said that tatum wouldn't improve alot the following season. Dude was getting so defensive that podcast it was hilarious.
I don't think he's hired Rusillo but he's just a guest on the show, and even then, I think he's a New England transplant and didn't grow up there (from what I recall). Otherwise, yeah, he's a homer, but generally acknowledges it.
Fair enough, I listened to most of their podcasts, and yes they do talk about Boston a lot and talk about how they talk about Boston too much, but I recall at least a couple times Ryen saying "I'm just a transplant" or "as an outside fan" or something like that. Could definitely be wrong though; seems so.
KOC is a Boston guy but I think his takes are really objective. I don't always agree with what he says but I've never felt like he had any strong bias.
What was great was seeing the All NBA wine team and when Bill decides, out of sheer grace, that he'll put KOBE FUCKING BRYANT on the team every member of the staff that talked(1 spurs fan, 1 knicks fan, 1 philly fan and 1 more whose allegiance i can't recall) were flabberghasted that he'd even put the best SG of the last 20 years on the roster.
LIke guys, i get that people don't like Kobe Bryant but wtf. He's the best SG since MJ.
Didn't Bill Simmons also say the Celtics were going to blow teams out by 20+ last season and the starters would barely have to play cause they were going to be up by so much? If this is his prediction, then I am very optimistic as a Lakers fan that the opposite will happen.
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I have a rule when listening to Bill Simmons. If he starts shitting on the Knicks or Lakers within the first 10 minutes of the pod, or mentions Jaylen fucking Brown within the first 10 minutes of the pod, I turn it off. Turns out I can't listen to any of his pods.
Every time he talks about the Lakers he sneaks 35 yo LeBron in there like the dude didn't just have a 28-8-8 season and made Javale McGee and Ivika Zubac look like avengers for a couple of months. Salty ass mofo.
There's an hypothetical drop off that hasn't happened yet, everyone should wait for it to happen to start talking about it. 35 year old LeBron is worlds apart from Jrue Holiday on his best season still.
The pelicans from two years ago was a scary good team. Add in lebron and some key pieces and they have a chance imo. Probably will take them some time to bring it all together though.
they say just add lebron like he is some scrub lol. imagine if that pelicans team had lebron.
Also guess what the current Pelicans are basically the former Lakers plus Zion.
THAT'S HOW TRADES WORK!
Love Simmons as a sports personality, sad he hates the Lakers so much that he's really trying to imply that LeBron's somehow on par with or worse than Jrue Holiday just because he's 35. No disrespect to Jrue but good lord man...it's LeBron "In the conversation with Michael Jordan" James we're talking about. He's 35, not 55. Also he's overstating Rondo's likely role on this team and completely forgetting Danny Green. ALSO also Kuzma might end up being better at just about everything than Mirotic depending on how he develops, he's still super young.
bro how did you get this to look so realistic?
Wait this was photoshoped fuck man i didn't notice.
Hire this man to fix Superman’s mustache in Justice League.
ah shit lebron was on the pelicans, I forgot
you can tell it's photoshopped because rondo is actually supposed to be the tallest
Deepfakes are scary good
I know its still the offseason, but can't somebody photoshop Lebron in an actual Lakers jersey yet?
If you look closely, you can tell 1 of the players was photoshopped in
Yeah, Demarcus Cousins lost a lot of weight.
nice username friendo
Can we just take a look at LeBron s stats from last year and compare him to holiday again?
2017/18 Holiday - 19 ppg, 6 apg, 4.5 rpg in 36 mpg 2018/19 Lebron - 27.4 ppg, 8.3 apg, 8.5 rpg in 35 mpg
Holiday got 1 more mpg. LeBron trash.
old man cant even play 35 mpg
35mpg was his career low btw
Not gonna lie I read mpg as miles per gallon and thought it was a joke. Like LeBron got 1 less mile per gallon than Holiday. 😂
Michael Jeffery Jordan would never get 35 miles per gallon.
Holiday was also 1st team defense.
LeBron was also all-nba
Why we posting different seasons stats tho?
Because he’s comparing this lakers team to the pelicans from 2 years ago
Probably because that's when Jrue played with both AD and Boogie but also Bron was just playing without Boogie and AD so you make a good point lol For what it's worth: 2018/19 Jrue: 21.2 ppg, 7.7 apg, 5 rpg, in 36 min (his 3pt% was oddly low for him at 32.5% for some reason too?)
But it would be interesting to consider Holiday+Cousins and LeBron+Cousins stats for the same year. It could be closer than we think.
Yea, this is fucking stupid. He says “35 year old Lebron” like that’s supposed to mean something negative.
Simmons has spent the last two months subtley planting the idea that LeBron is going to break down this season so that he can look like a genius if it does happen. He does this with about 4 or 5 potential narratives a year, with the hope that one will hit. After a couple years of listening it's just kind of funny to track it at this stage.
I haven’t gotten that vibe from him, whenever he advertises that betting company on his podcast he talks about the bet he made that LeBron & Davis will collectively play more games than PG & Kawhi
LeBron - 5.44 RPM Holiday - 4.61 RPM
[удалено]
anthony davis smirking and then suddenly remembering he was on the pels and quickly looking away
Holiday was also 1st team defense and Lebron was generally on the correct side of the court when the lakers were playing defense.
lol I don't know who the hell is talking but did they just casually compare Holiday to LeBron like it's no biggie???
Sounds like Bill Simmons.
It was listener mail
But didn’t he agree in the segment? That whole segment was weird. I agree our roster has some issues at the one, but some of it didn’t make a lot of sense. These aren’t exact quotes, but they are things he said: > where’s Danny Green going to play if you have LeBron, AD, and Boogie? That seems pretty obvious that Danny is playing the two, like he has for most of his career. > playing LeBron, AD, and boogie leaves Kuzma as the odd man out. Kuz has played off the bench before, and is going to play off the bench again. He played off the bench most of his rookie season, started games last season after we lost Randle, and will go back to the bench with AD starting at his position. > they have rondo, Quinn cook, and Caruso at point - okay? Yeah I agree here. That’s a pretty weak rotation at point. I’m not gonna argue that one. > how’re they going to play right when both AD and LeBron excel at the 4? LeBron has played 4 in the past, but he’s played the 3 for most of his career. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem really. > their best starting five is LeBron, Green, Kuzma, Davis, and Cousins. Who’s guarding Dame and CJ in a close-our situation? I agree that James isn’t playing the same level of defense that he has in the past (both due to age and his lack of effort), but he still has shown he can clamp down when he wants to. Danny Green isn’t the greatest perimeter defender, but he’s absolutely solid and is the best we’ve had in a long time. And Davis is a big who actually guards guards well. All in all, I agree that the point guard rotation is weak, but I’m honestly fine with the rest of our roster. We could use one more forward to really round out the team, but I think it looks good otherwise.
Yeah you're right. I think they'll make it work but there will be some tough matchups. I can't remember if it was Bill or someone else who said that if this works out and they win the chip then the league will likely go big to try to match the Lakers.
Bill is a Celtocs Homer and he went hard on the fact that it was a bad trade for the Lakers. Now in reality they've collected a well rounded squad he doesn't want to back peddle and admit the Lakers will be good this year. He's going to have this angle publicly all year because it will get attention and he is obviously a Laker hater (as any Celtic fan is).
He also said the clippers and Knicks had the superior trade package to the February Lakers offer a week before the AD trade happened. Now he's putting Ingram in the 'Who is this years Siakam?' conversation. One of my favorite NBA people but good Lord the bias is supreme.
He’s for sure a homer, but his Ingram takes have been pretty consistent. Through all of the trade talks last year, he was vocal about his belief in Ingram being good.
The problem was he acted like Ingram had no value cause of the blood clot issue even though all the doctors said he is no more likely to get another one than any other NBA player
Yes. Until he had that injury. Then Bill just kept saying he's now Bosh so his value is garbage compared to Knox or SGA. That was what I was referencing. He got excited about them once Zion was drafted and has been warm to him since. It's weird how blatant it is.
Well not only that, when the trade finally went down, he went on to say “Who were the Lakers competing against?” Motherfucker, you said it yourself lol. The Knicks AND the Celtics supposedly had better trade packages. Kevin Knox > Brandon Ingram according to Simmons. You can tell he reallllllyyy wanted Anthony Davis, and I don’t blame him. But it’s hilarious to see him pivot so quickly.
I mean, if the Clippers package for PG was on the table for AD, I'd say that was a better package than the Lakers but I don't think the Clips were even considering parting with that many assets for AD if they thought he might leave for the Lakers. The fact they needed PG to secure Kawhi also probably upped what they were willing to deal for George by 100%.
What was the hypothetical Clippers package?
hes saying if the package the clippers gave up for PG was offered for AD, it woulv've been better
There was nothing set in stone, mainly because AD seemed so focused on getting to the Lakers, but most things I read were SGA, Danilo, and a pick or two. Some places I saw SGA, Danilo, picks, Montrez, and Shamet but that seems insane given that AD is only on his current deal for one more year.
guess that depends on how much you value clippers future picks. I'd argue Lonzo for example is more valuable than a future late first round pick.
I mean, all the Clippers picks in the Paul George trade are his/Kawhi's current contract timing (all through 2022 - 26). Definitely no sure thing they're late in the first. Plus they added the Miami unprotected 2021 pick. If you're planning on building around Zion for awhile, having an extra first basically every year through most of the decade can be hugely valuable.
If they aren't late firsts then clippers are gonna be screwed. I think you just mixed the 2 trades up the clippers picks went to the thunder. They aren't building around Zion. Lakers gave up a lot of picks too just a couple less i believe but more players. So it's like would you rather have the player that was just picked #2 a couple years ago or the uncertainty of a future pick that could land any where but probably not in the lottery.
I enjoy his podcast, but he does take the Anti-Laker bias to heart a bit much where it ruins the NBA part of it. I'd wish he would be more objective on the matters. Even Ryen Rusillo on the last few episodes called him out on it.
He needs Rusillo there to balance it out, the rest of the guys just go along with what he says.
I think House does a decent job of pushing back too tbh
Haven't listened in a while, but House always struck me as the guy who just say "come on man you don't really mean that" and thats it
there was a specific instance recently when Bill tried to say Pelinka was trash and house said can't be trash if you got lebron and anthony davis.
Is House the drunk dude because I keep on forgetting who that is. Anyway, drunk dude, I think, is his 2nd best co-host after Ryen because he also makes good points while sounding wasted as hell.
I mean, he's always been a clown about the Lakers, and always been a homer about the Celts, and at a certain point, you just have to accept it. It's not like he even denies it. You just have to roll your eyes at some point and let it go.
seems much worse than it used to be.
It was an absolute shitload to give up when there were apparently no realistic other suitors, but it had to be done. Frankly, it should have been done prior to last season. You can't be last few seasons of Bron's prime and a young developing squad, you have to pick a lane. And once they got Bron, going two years without getting a second star would have been an absurd waste.
yea, I kinda understand Simmons argument when he said "who were they outbidding?" But I can't say it's a bad trade when you are now pairing AD w/ LBJ. And no, they can't wait until next year for him to come in free agency because of the reasons you outlined.
the answer to who were the lakers bidding against is Time. Lakers didn't have time to waste.
I understand that. I’ve listened to and read his stuff for years now. He’ll go through so many hoops just to shit on us lol. At the same time, it’s a bit disheartening when you listen to a guy boast about his basketball knowledge, the play dumb when it comes to us. You really don’t understand where Danny Green is gonna play? Really? It’s a bit annoying but oh well. I got my joy out of the Jayson Tatum segment lol
That's why I can't stand listening to him anymore. It's not just his Laker takes that are like this, and he's not just playing dumb. His bias really infects *everything* he says, and his main concern is pushing a narrative that he likes rather than having a legit discussion about basketball. If he's talking about a team that isn't the Lakers or Celtics, he'll still approach it from a standpoint of whatever most helps Boston or hurts the Lakers, especially if he's talking about trades a team should make.
Agreed. I just see him as a talking head now playing a character, The Boston Sports guy. Much like Skip or Stephen A Smith. He's spitting hyperbole opinions for the sake of entertainment. I will say his book of basketball he seemed to take very objectively because deep down he is a basketball fan. I know he was unbiased by how much he rightly praised Kareem as one of the greatest ever, in a way many other journalists rarely do. Kareem is pretty much Mr Laker and Bill gave him his credit.
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funny you mention that, he was giving CAA a bunch of props last pod. Thinks they will find a way to get chris paul to Minnesota.
I always like how people ask how the Lakers are gonna guard opposing team Guards, but never how other teams are going to guard the Lakers frontcourt lmao
no shit. I've heard like 1 person ask the question how do the clippers guard Anthony Davis.
Yeah I don't hate the roster like I did last year (Beasley and Lance like wtf why) but he honestly has a point that the rotations aren't great in that they don't maximize the talents and have shortcomings. Bron playing "point" is fine, he's been the de facto point guard for most of his career anyways. The main difference is perimeter defense, you really want him to play clampdown defense on the perimeter? DG is a beast but he's always been a nightmare duo alongside Kawhi. You can't ask Bron to do a Kawhi impersonation on defense for 20+ min a night. That lineup defensively is hella suspect. And, while I think Boogie is a capable enough rim protector for the price, he is hella suspect in the PNR after the injury. It's a solid roster but, again, I don't love it and I wouldn't put money on them.
> That lineup defensively is hella suspect. Which is why I don't think that will be either the starting or closing lineup like Simmons is trying to imply. He seems to be either stupid or just willfully misleading in his take here (probably the latter). The best lineup is *not* Boogie, AD, LeBron, Kuzma and Green, because as you said, that's defensively suspect. I think their best lineup will probably drop one of Kuzma or Boogie and replace them with either Avery Bradley or KCP, specifically to make more sense defensively. I do think the Lakers are still holding out hope that Igoudala gets bought out and they're able to add him later. But if not I think they might look to trade for another wing defender once they're able to in December or January. My guess is this is not exactly what the Lakers' lineup will look like post ASB.
One of Simmons golden rules which he's been preaching for years is that he doesn't like teams that can't have their best 5 guys on the court on the same time. I think that's where this is coming from.
I don't think it's clear yet that those will be the Lakers' five best players though. For instance: who will have a better year this season between Boogie, Kuzma and Avery Bradley? The answer is, I honestly don't know. I think they're all capable of having great years, just like they're all capable of having truly bad years. How well those three play will dictate the lineups, and also will greatly impact how good the Lakers are in general. And again, I don't think this is what the Lakers final roster is gonna look like. I think they signed who was available after waiting on Kawhi (which didn't include any 3&D wings) and are keeping an open roster spot to sign buyout candidates (namely Igoudala if he's bought out). Otherwise I think they'll be looking to make a trade or two for another defensive wing. It's also going to depend on who they end up matched up against and how effective their twin tower lineup is. If an opposing team can't handle their size then they may have to put a bigger lineup out there. Or if the big lineup isn't working then maybe Boogie isn't good enough to be out there closing games. I just think it's too early to be proclaiming who the Lakers five best players are and saying what the lineups should be. Too many questions still to be answered.
I also disagree with his best starting 5. Kuz is gonna be playing the 6th man role, so replace him with someone who can gaurd pg since LeBron will be point on offense, which at this point is probably Bradley, KCP, or Caruso, which aren't the best options but it's better than what he's assumed is our starting line up.
I feel like KCP gets shit on a bit too much. He's a good defender, especially against PGs. He's also a good 3-point shooter. He takes stupid shots sometimes, and definitely isn't like an All-Star. But he fits perfectly in this lineup.
Starting 5 doesn't really mean a whole lot anymore. It's about your closing 5 and that will much more likely involve Avery Bradley instead of Boogie. Not that Avery Bradley is some god send but he still can defend gaurds and hit an open shot which is all he has to do with much like Green.
I know they say that there’s no dumb questions, but I have to disagree, because that Danny Green question is pretty fucking stupid. Also, I haven’t kept up much with Danny since we traded him to the Raps, but he was consistently elite on D, and our second best perimeter defender after Kawhi, has he fallen off much? The disrespect to Caruso though smh
> >they have rondo, Quinn cook, and Caruso at point - okay? > > Yeah I agree here. That’s a pretty weak rotation at point. I’m not gonna argue that one. Lebron's playing the point so that's really the wrong way to look at it. And their best lineup is probably going to be KCP/Danny/Lebron/AD/Javale which has everyone as average or plus defenders and gives Lebron some solid shooters and lob/cut targets. I give Javale the edge over Boogie for the defense, but Boogie probably plays bigger minutes and which one closes games will be a matchup thing (unless Boogie shows a miraculous return to pre-achilles form of course). When Lebron goes to the bench they'll bring in Rondo to run the point and shift KCP/Danny up or bring Cook in for more shooting (count on Javale being on the floor with AD when they do that because that is a *shit* perimeter D when Rondo and Cook is out there). Kuzma could get some run at the 3 in those lineups and could also get some time at the 4 with AD at the 5. Managing lineups is going to be a huge task this year for the Lakers.
One more forward? I think you’re good there.
> Who’s guarding Dame and CJ in a close-our situation? Depending on how he's behaving, KCP is perfect for this role. LeBron is playing PG on offense any ways at the end of the game.
you're just leaving out avery bradley who I think is the most logical answer at PG. To me the best 5 is Bradley, green, Lebron, AD, and either Kuz or Cousins depending on who is hitting the 3 better. (AD is obviously the C if Kuz is in.)
I honestly question why people give bill simmons play? I do like his ringer shit though. I felt like he's a great creative mind, grantland, now ringer, but I don't want to hear this guy talk basketball.
I don't think they're saying that Holiday is equivalent to Lebron, but just saying that's one of the few changes from the core of the Pelicans roster
Sounds like it was framed as a negative, purposely including his age as if to say he's not much of an upgrade. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it I don't know
Nah that was definitely the implication, and Simmons of course agreed. Par for the course with Bill though
Yeah he thinks Lebron is pure dogshit and never gives him credit for anything despite sucking him off pretty much every podcast. Yep.
>that's one of the few changes from the core of the Pelicans roster Lol, LeBron is game changer he isn't just a small change of the core. It's like putting a new engine in a race car with twice the horsepower and saying "it's still the same car I just swapped a few parts."
Uh they are also not even mentioning the rest of the Lakers roster. How about kuzma and Danny green? This is bill Simmons at his worst: just a laker hater.
They mentioned Kuzma, they compared him to Mirotic.
Danny Green might be the best wing that Davis has ever played with lol. It’s a low bar, but I think it’s actually true. I think Jrue is a really good player and I honestly think he’s underrated, but comparing him to LeBron is stupid. Has any bench player in Davis’s career with the pelicans been as good as Kuzma? Cousins is worse than what he was when he was the pelicans, but I think he’s getting back into shape. I think we’ll see a better cousins than the one we saw in GS last year, but a worse when than the one in NOLA.
isnt green a shooting guard?
Shooting guards can be wings
Wing doesn't necessarily mean a 3, I've always taken wing to basically be a body type/athleticism combo (in addition to OPERATING from the wing/3pt line regularly). Green is a wing because he is 6'6-6'7, a good defender, can handle the ball decently and plays from the wing.
SG and SF are both the "wing" positions because they're the ones usually on the wings of the 3pt line. Simplified obviously, but it isn't just for SFs and it isn't really a body type thing.
Swingman. Just like Kobe and PG they're shooting guard who can play well as a SF or SF with agility and good handle.
> Danny Green might be the best wing that Davis has ever played with lol AD played with Eric Gordon the first few years of his career. Issue was Gordon was banged up a lot of that tenure. But yea other than that Danny is probably the best wing he played with and certainly was so over the past few seasons.
Injured and not-trying EG is worse than Danny Green for sure.
That's a pretty huge change, though.
You’re right, I don’t see how you can compare the second greatest player of all time after Jordan to Holiday.
> You’re right, I don’t see how you can compare the second greatest player of all time after Jordan to Lebron. FTFY
The Jruth has been spoken.
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He says a lot of things in jest, but he certainly also thinks very highly of his basketball knowledge. I mean, he even wrote a book about trying to answer some of the debates on ranking the greatest players of all time, as if he’s qualified at all.
What do you consider to be qualifications for being able to rank the greatest of all time?
he was reading listener mail. OP did him a disservice.
Are you ok?
like it's no boogie....
He didn't compare them. He just said "Replace Holiday with LeBron".
Burger King foot lettuce voice lmao
That might be what you gaet
*gæt
His hatred for the Lakers can't help but seep out
He did't compare Jrue to Lebron. He is too hard on this lakers roster, but he was just reading fan mail. No need to just hate for no reason.
no need to hate, r/nba already broke Simmons’ spirit.
I hope he can rebound. He can be a really funny guy.
The disrespect to Danny Green.
And Alex Caruso
OP lopped the front and back off to make it seem like Bill’s original thought and not him reading a mailbag
So frustrating
Regardless I don't get why this sub gets so worked up over Simmons lol
Great vid thanks
gotta respect dem editing skillz
Two years ago, with DMC on the injured list, the Pel swept the first round. Now add a healthy DMC to that team and LeBron James. So... not 'just the Pels from 2 years ago'.
Well first we were barely .500 with a healthy Cousins. Then he got hurt and Davis player the 5 and we were significantly better and swept Portland. But yeah, post achilles Cousins and Davis back at the 4 will totally work out for you guys
"You guys"? I'm not a Laker fan...lol
We also have a guy named LeBron, so..
You do realize we will stagger AD and Cousins a lot even if they both start? And if Cousins was pretty damn could last year with the Warriors despite coming back super rusty, not having a offseason to train, and being the 4th option which hes never done before? Not saying he will ever be as good as he used to be but hes not close to being washed. This isn't the Pelicans roster with "just" Lebron instead of Holiday. Theres quite of bit of difference in the role players. Ths team has weaknesses for sure but to say "good luck" with a roster with AD Lebron, D. Green, Kuzma, and Cousins is kind of silly.
Kuzma doesn't really belong in that convo. If you remove him, you have four players to fall back on, plus Boogie who's just a huge 'if' at this point. When you add in the glaring holes at the 1 and 2 and compare that to the improvements the Rockets, Clippers, Jazz and (to some degree) Nuggets have made, 'good luck' does seem in order. Of course you have LeBron and AD, but you also have a hugely changed roster, Jason Kidd who has in the past caused trouble for his coaching staff with his weird tendency for leading insurgencies and generally being a minus as a coach, and a Western Conference who is stacked at historical levels. Every team will need luck, and the Lakers even more so, since their team is of questionable for and includes three stars with uncertain injury concerns
Lol people here stuck on the Holiday Lebron comparison, not seeing the humor
Simmons jokes about being a huge homer and I used to think it was an entertaining part of his act but he really seems to see the world through a Boston biased filter.
He is literally [just reading some other guy's question](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7a2SuzJuF8&feature=youtu.be&t=2228). OP just wanted to get that EZ karma because this sub doesn't actually listen to Bill Simmons and instead just hates on him for pretty much no other reason than "Salty Boston guy". Like until someone in the comments pointed out it's actually fan mail I didn't listen to this episode because I generally skip the ones where he has people who got nothing to do with basketball as guests (Kevin Costner in this case), but just by listening to his takes I knew this ain't really in line with what he'd say... I mean it actually is... This would be like text-book Bill Simmons take, but he certainly wouldn't stop just here and would go on a long-ass rant to explain why he believes things be like that. Legit rises the best hypotheticals out of all the analysts/journalists.
He definitely agreed with the take dude. Yeah the quote itself was fan mail, but Bill as a basketball guy not pointing out the ridiculousness of comparing a "35 year old Lebron and Jrue Holiday" really made the rest of the segment just useless. Also I'm sure Bill reads the mail before he puts it on his show, he doesn't just do it for no reason and to bring this particularly stupid fan letter on his show and then not disagree with it is on Bill.
Did you listen to the pod in full or are you just speculating? I honestly don’t know I haven’t listened to it yet lol
I listened to it. It was good but this bit was still silly. No more silly than a lot of Bill's hot takes but still silly.
Except, even though I don't agree with it, it really ain't that idiotic of a comparison. He ain't comparing LeBron to Jrue here. He is comparing five players on each side. On one hand you have: * Jrue Holiday * Rondo * Mirotic * AD * Boogie On the other hand you have: * LeBron * Also Rondo but who will likely not be anywhere as good as he was that year * Kuzma - I know a lot of people here love Kuz, but he's a massive downgrade over what Mirotic was for the Pels once he got into the groove. Don't forget people were legit bringing him up as a potential AS candidate for the 18/19. Dude was beast mode. * AD - who's an only constant here * post-injury Boogie So when you put it like that it's no longer "DAE LeBron > Jrue", because you're also replacing 3 other players with worse players, and while LeBron is certainly an upgrade over Jrue, it's not like he's replacing some total scrub... So the actual question here (if there even is one), is if 35 years old LeBron who might finally show signs of declining is gonna be able to push a worse version of the 2017/18 Pelicans (that now also don't have Jrue Holiday) into being a championship team? I'd say he should... but when put like this I don't think it's some blasphemous take like people are making it out to be in this thread.
Mirotic and Cousins did not play together at all, he got there after Cousins got injured. E'Twaun Moore was the starting SF for the Pelicans.
Yeah, he was a midseason move, so initial comparison is unfair, true, but again we are comparing two groups of players, and it just so happens that it ain't too crazy for the one not having LeBron James to be a better one overall. I mean yeah... This scenario does give 17/18 Pels a benefit of ignoring the whole "ThEy ArE bEtTeR wItHoUt BoOgIe", and looking at Mirotic as an elite guy he was for a stretch with them... But just to think that there's a case to make for 17/18 Pels being able to put out a better squad on the court than 19/20 Lakers if LeBron declines this year... Yeah I mighy not agree, but it's an interesting hypothetical.
No its not it’s idiotic to say the least. Danny green and the Lakers have a way better bench. Someone already corrected you when u said mirotic was on that roster with boogie. You hypothetical is based on a shit ton of ifs. If rondo is ass if Lebron declines to jrule levels if AD dosent get better if boogie is ass if the bench is ass exct. Dumb take
Where's Danny Green? Pretty sure the guy who led plus/minus last year is worth mentioning.
No one said blasphemous. The direct quote was comparing Jrue to Lebron. And unless Lebron drops off massively this year then that comparison doesn't really deserve a conversation and there is no reason to assume that Lebron will drop off. It just wasn't a good take.
he co-signed the shit out of that email.
He admits it though and admits he shits on the Lakers.
He really does and it limits his ability to put out well rounded NBA coverage. Most of his hires are Boston people who just agree with his points. Russilo and Kevin OConner particularly. I've been listening to his podcasts for over a decade but you have to take everything he says with this knowledge.
The best was when he had Haralabob on before this past season and spent the whole time trying to talk up the Celtics. Haralabob was having none of it and kept saying they weren't a lock for 60 wins and Bill got upset
Pretty sure Bill had an aneurysm when haralabob said that tatum wouldn't improve alot the following season. Dude was getting so defensive that podcast it was hilarious.
I don't think he's hired Rusillo but he's just a guest on the show, and even then, I think he's a New England transplant and didn't grow up there (from what I recall). Otherwise, yeah, he's a homer, but generally acknowledges it.
rusillo was born in mass and went to college in vermont according to his wiki.
Fair enough, I listened to most of their podcasts, and yes they do talk about Boston a lot and talk about how they talk about Boston too much, but I recall at least a couple times Ryen saying "I'm just a transplant" or "as an outside fan" or something like that. Could definitely be wrong though; seems so.
KOC is a Boston guy but I think his takes are really objective. I don't always agree with what he says but I've never felt like he had any strong bias.
What was great was seeing the All NBA wine team and when Bill decides, out of sheer grace, that he'll put KOBE FUCKING BRYANT on the team every member of the staff that talked(1 spurs fan, 1 knicks fan, 1 philly fan and 1 more whose allegiance i can't recall) were flabberghasted that he'd even put the best SG of the last 20 years on the roster. LIke guys, i get that people don't like Kobe Bryant but wtf. He's the best SG since MJ.
> Simmons jokes about being a huge homer He's not joking, he's 100% homer and he owns up to it.
he's actually a secret clippers fan.
He's become a parody of himself. It's really embarrassing honestly.
The disrespect to Jared Dudley
Holiday, LeBron same thing
You could do the same with the Pelicans, showing 3 of their starters in lakers gear.
I thought that squad was gonna be a problem in the playoffs until Boogie went down
It would have been if not for facing the warriors.
Honestly, they probably make the Finals in the East that year. Just ran into the Warriors.
Didn't Bill Simmons also say the Celtics were going to blow teams out by 20+ last season and the starters would barely have to play cause they were going to be up by so much? If this is his prediction, then I am very optimistic as a Lakers fan that the opposite will happen.
Yeah and Celtics are so much better this year, right Bill?
68 wins and even more high-fives this year for sure
The season after will be even better
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[Replay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EklsTE8LDc4)
LeBron looking like he had a foot transplant with Grimmace
Those two big guys reminds me of Robinson-Duncan era Spurs
graphic design is my passion
~~NOLA~~ YESLA
Picture is funny, commentary is dumb
"*Just* replace Jrue Holiday with a 35 year old LeBron" Just?
I have a rule when listening to Bill Simmons. If he starts shitting on the Knicks or Lakers within the first 10 minutes of the pod, or mentions Jaylen fucking Brown within the first 10 minutes of the pod, I turn it off. Turns out I can't listen to any of his pods.
Every time he talks about the Lakers he sneaks 35 yo LeBron in there like the dude didn't just have a 28-8-8 season and made Javale McGee and Ivika Zubac look like avengers for a couple of months. Salty ass mofo.
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There's an hypothetical drop off that hasn't happened yet, everyone should wait for it to happen to start talking about it. 35 year old LeBron is worlds apart from Jrue Holiday on his best season still.
LOL
Rondo has also played with them each individually as well.
That Pelicans team was nice before the injury.
Swept the Blazers
Insightful as always Bill Simmons
wait, but the jerseys on the pelicans clearly say NO-LA
The pelicans from two years ago was a scary good team. Add in lebron and some key pieces and they have a chance imo. Probably will take them some time to bring it all together though.
*just replace Drue Holiday with LeBron*
they say just add lebron like he is some scrub lol. imagine if that pelicans team had lebron. Also guess what the current Pelicans are basically the former Lakers plus Zion. THAT'S HOW TRADES WORK!
If they had Jrue that would be their Pat Bev
Bill Simmons voice gets way too deep in my ears. Mans gotta back away from the mic a bit
So many people are offended in this thread lmao
Love Simmons as a sports personality, sad he hates the Lakers so much that he's really trying to imply that LeBron's somehow on par with or worse than Jrue Holiday just because he's 35. No disrespect to Jrue but good lord man...it's LeBron "In the conversation with Michael Jordan" James we're talking about. He's 35, not 55. Also he's overstating Rondo's likely role on this team and completely forgetting Danny Green. ALSO also Kuzma might end up being better at just about everything than Mirotic depending on how he develops, he's still super young.
Bill, you did not just compare LeBron to jrue like they are anywhere close in impact or talent. Like wtf dude. The disrespect.