Lakers @ Suns Sunday game thread 2-25-2024

[Mainstreet]

LeBron is gonna LeBron. The craziest stat was that it was the first time ever in AD's career (rookie season was 2012) that he played 40+ minutes in an NBA game and did not earn a single trip to the foul line.

Interesting. I didn't know that. Is Lebron ever going to decline?

He looks as big, strong and athletic as ever, plus he is a better 3-point shooter. Presently he is shooting .401 from that range.

 

[Dback Jon]

Not what I am saying. He's a huge guy who drives to the rim a lot and usually gets hacked along the way. Obviously, not every foul is called, but his entire career at least one call has been made each game where he's played extended minutes. He isn't a flopper like LBJ.

Your wording left you wide open to that

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah I call bull on that. Most nights it's the Suns beating themselves now, no matter how valid the Ref thing USED to be.

I agree the reality is that most nights the Suns beat themselves but people here are still complaining about refs in droves on game threads.

Also, the ref thing wasn’t valid before anyway. We had only one player, Booker, who ever sought contact on that team. THAT was the reason we were amongst the league low teams got FTs, not some kind of NBA hatred/conspiracy theory.

 

[CardNots]

Ironic since the Suns are among the teams who take more foul shots per game than the Lakers and are also known to whine about free throw disparity quite a bit.

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A bad officiated call is just bad regardless of overall free throw stats.

It just seems the Suns have received more than their fair share at the worst possible time.

 

[taz02]

Fans of most teams probably feel like they are getting all the bad calls.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Interesting. I didn't know that. Is Lebron ever going to decline?

He looks as big, strong and athletic as ever, plus he is a better 3-point shooter. Presently he is shooting .401 from that range.

LeBron has declined significantly. Pay close attention to him throughout a game and you will see him just standing around doing nothing for long stretches on both ends. That is his version of load management within the game and he of course load manages by taking games off as well.

He certainly is athletic for his age, but it doesn't hurt that he is allowed to use zero agility and just bulldoze his way through defenders on his way to the basket. The best part of that is that he hardly ever gets called for offensive fouls, but actually gets fouls called in his favor quite often when he does that.

 

[Mainstreet]

LeBron has declined significantly. Pay close attention to him throughout a game and you will see him just standing around doing nothing for long stretches on both ends. That is his version of load management within the game and he of course load manages by taking games off as well.

He certainly is athletic for his age, but it doesn't hurt that he is allowed to use zero agility and just bulldoze his way through defenders on his way to the basket. The best part of that is that he hardly ever gets called for offensive fouls, but actually gets fouls called in his favor quite often when he does that.

I understand Lebron is coming up for a huge contract soon. He certainly is impressive at his age.

I wonder if the Lakers will give him a huge multi-year contract.

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[NoelPHX]

I understand Lebron is coming up for a huge contract soon. He certainly is impressive at his age.

I wonder if the Lakers will give him a huge multi-year contract.

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Wouldn't pay him that at all.

 

[Mainstreet]

Wouldn't pay him that at all.

Lebron has a player option next season for $51,415,938 so it will be interesting to see what happens.

My guess is he wants one more contract.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I understand Lebron is coming up for a huge contract soon. He certainly is impressive at his age.

I wonder if the Lakers will give him a huge multi-year contract.

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They would be handcuffing themselves with another big contract for him. He just doesn't have the same impact on winning that he had in the past.

 

[Mainstreet]

They would be handcuffing themselves with another big contract for him. He just doesn't have the same impact on winning that he had in the past.

It will be interesting if Lebron decides to leave the Lakers over money and what team might be willing to trade for him.

There always seems to be some team that will step up to the plate.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It will be interesting if Lebron decides to leave the Lakers over money and what team might be willing to trade for him.

There always seems to be some team that will step up to the plate.

If the 9 figure contract demand is accurate, I don't see why anyone would trade away assets just to fork out that kind of money for anything less than a superstar in his prime. And Lebron hasn't been a superstar in his prime for almost a decade now.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Yeah I call bull on that. Most nights it's the Suns beating themselves now, no matter how valid the Ref thing USED to be.

We agree with you. Doesn’t change the fact that if you read gameday threads most a replete with complaints about the refs and conspiracy theories about the nba hating the suns. Even in the face of facts.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

LeBron is gonna LeBron. The craziest stat was that it was the first time ever in AD's career (rookie season was 2012) that he played 40+ minutes in an NBA game and did not earn a single trip to the foul line.

Because he played soft. Happens with him from time to time.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

We agree with you. Doesn’t change the fact that if you read gameday threads most a replete with complaints about the refs and conspiracy theories about the nba hating the suns. Even in the face of facts.

Refs are almost never as bad or inconsistent as fans make them out to be. Of course they do have some really bad blunders, but we haven't only been on the losing end of those blunders.

There is probably at least 2-3 fouls or non calls per game where a lot of people on the board are up in arms and I'm just thinking to myself "that was a good call..".

 

[CardNots]

Refs are almost never as bad or inconsistent as fans make them out to be. Of course they do have some really bad blunders, but we haven't only been on the losing end of those blunders.

There is probably at least 2-3 fouls or non calls per game where a lot of people on the board are up in arms and I'm just thinking to myself "that was a good call..".

They work and receive their orders from their company called the NBA.

We as fans only view the results. It is what it is…

 

[Mainstreet]

If the 9 figure contract demand is accurate, I don't see why anyone would trade away assets just to fork out that kind of money for anything less than a superstar in his prime. And Lebron hasn't been a superstar in his prime for almost a decade now.

It's hard to know. Some bloated contracts would have to be included in a trade. He could become a free agent but that's a lot of money to leave on the table, $51 million.

If Lebron became a free agent, a team could guarantee him a smaller amount of money over a multiyear contract to soften the financial hit. He would still get his money but I suspect Lebron has plans for a longer career.

Even the Lakers could do this, spread the money out, unless there is a CBA rule I'm neglecting.

 

[Hoop Head]

It's hard to know. Some bloated contracts would have to be included in a trade. He could become a free agent but that's a lot of money to leave on the table, $51 million.

If Lebron became a free agent, a team could guarantee him a smaller amount of money over a multiyear contract to soften the financial hit. He would still get his money but I suspect Lebron has plans for a longer career.

Even the Lakers could do this, spread the money out, unless there is a CBA rule I'm neglecting.

I believe there is an issue with the over 40 rule. I'm not sure how that works but I remember it being a concern with CP3.

LeBron will get his though, one way or the other. He wants to play with his son and I could see Bronnie being signed as an undrafted free agent on a sizable deal to get the 2 of them together. Bronnie will probably get a ridiculous deal as an undrafted free agent just to entice his dad to join that team.

 

[95pro]

I believe there is an issue with the over 40 rule. I'm not sure how that works but I remember it being a concern with CP3.

LeBron will get his though, one way or the other. He wants to play with his son and I could see Bronnie being signed as an undrafted free agent on a sizable deal to get the 2 of them together. Bronnie will probably get a ridiculous deal as an undrafted free agent just to entice his dad to join that team.

What's a sizable/ridiculous deal for Bronnie, best bet is at minimum imo. No way some franchise signs Bronnie on a sizeable/ridiculous deal just to acquire a 40 year old declining Lebron and his massive contract.

 

[Covert Rain]

We agree with you. Doesn’t change the fact that if you read gameday threads most a replete with complaints about the refs and conspiracy theories about the nba hating the suns. Even in the face of facts.

Yeah.....that's exactly what I was calling bull on. I was agreeing as well. Refs for the most part suck in the NBA. However, as long as they are applying that suckage evenly and we are finally getting to the FT line not much else can be done.

 

[leclerc]

My take is that I think there is a chance that some games are fixed.

 

[Joe Mama]

My take is that I think there is a chance that some games are fixed.

Monty agrees.

BTW I thought the bad call that went against New York a week ago was understandable. It was the wrong call, but I thought their response was way over the top.

The missed call that Monty Williams was so upset about last night was really bad… So much worse than the other.

 

[Hoop Head]

What's a sizable/ridiculous deal for Bronnie, best bet is at minimum imo. No way some franchise signs Bronnie on a sizeable/ridiculous deal just to acquire a 40 year old declining Lebron and his massive contract.

Bronnie will get paid to get Lebron on the cheap. He'll likely stick around in LA one more year and be overpaid but opt out to sign a minimal deal somewhere to play with Bronnie, who will make more than his dad. This has been discussed in the media for years now. Whoever wants a chance at signing LeBron on the cheap will likely draft Bronnie with a second round pick.

 

[Chaplin]

Bronnie will get paid to get Lebron on the cheap. He'll likely stick around in LA one more year and be overpaid but opt out to sign a minimal deal somewhere to play with Bronnie, who will make more than his dad. This has been discussed in the media for years now. Whoever wants a chance at signing LeBron on the cheap will likely draft Bronnie with a second round pick.

I can see it now... Phoenix will buy a 2nd round pick, draft Bronnie and sit back and watch what we wrought.

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[Superbone]

I can see it now... Phoenix will buy a 2nd round pick, draft Bronnie and sit back and watch what we wrought.

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Knowing Jones, he’ll burn a 1st on him.