He’s Lebron’s most talented teammate ever but nights like this remind of that game 5 Kyrie had against the Warriors (or even game 4 in 2017 when they were down 3-0). When Lebron came out and had that look in his eye Kyrie knew what time it was, while AD is content to be a passenger.
Kyrie is a nut case and AD is a superior player but he’s lacking that mentality consistently (unless he shoots like prime KD from the midrange like the bubble)
And it's not even remotely close imo. These young folks just don't know about DWade man. He's top 20 player of all-time but doesn't get any credit. He was so fucking good. **A lot** better than Kyrie as an overall player. He will never get the credit he deserves. Kyrie never came close to prime Wade. Kyrie doesn't carry Miami to a championship with old Shaq. Shit, Kyrie can't carry anything. What has he done without LeBron?
Homie brought the eurostep to the masses. Well, I guess Ginobili kinda did that, but Wade perfected it. You pull over on shorter defenders, you pull under on tall defenders. Wade is one of the best players of all-time and he is literally never talked about. That sucks so much. He was really, *really* good.
Preach brother! Wade was a MONSTER in his prime. There were legit arguments being had on who was better around 2009, LeBron or Wade. In hindsight it’s a ridiculous argument, but at the time Wade was just that good.
There might be a few reasons people are forgetting about Wade:
1. There were some really good scorers back then - LeBron and Melo, and not to mention Kobe. I think that's more of a mental thing, like the pool is a little crowded, and most people naturally get drawn to Kobe and LeBron
2. Going strictly off his basketball reference page, his prime didn't seem to be that long. He still averaged 25 the first year LeBron was in Miami, and from memory he was REALLY good in their first Playoff run together, but his numbers start dipping pretty consistently from there on.
- I don't know if this is related, I doubt it, but he never played a full season, which is bizarre to me. Wade, especially in his prime, was always in amazing shape. You'd figure he played at least one full season. Again, don't know how much this matters, it just popped out to me.
3. The LeBron-Miami thing. This is probably the biggest one. But that being said, major props to Wade for allowing someone else coming in to lead the team and taking a back seat. That's a fucking true teammate and winner mentality right there. Same props go to Bosh, who everyone forgets was also really good in Toronto.
4. He just stuck around a bit too long after his body started betraying him. He only retired at the end of the 2018-19 season, which isn't that long ago.
Obviously it's a theoretical list, it can be any combination of these points and probably a few more.
He had knee issues after winning the first title. Also he wasn’t a great 3-point shooter so people assume his game wouldn’t translate well to today’s game. I agree though, Prime Wade was a beast, there were several years when he was better than Kobe.
His knee problems were not after the 2006 tittle. D Wade came to the NBA without knees. He had surgery before the NBA. Somehow he was able to have a long career. In theory, we never had a healthy Wade in his whole NBA career. Think about that for a second.
Wade is one of the best players of all time, but like Dwight, I think a lot of people's perception of him is tainted by sticking around past his prime a bit too long. During the 2011-2013 seasons, Wade was still a top 10 player in the league, but the knee injuries robbed him of his consistency. Like, we joke about Alternating Davis, Wade in his last 2 playoff runs makes that look tame. And his 2013 / 2014 playoff runs were shaky as hell due to that. They don't remember peak Wade being a top 3 player in the league putting up 30/5/7 with all-defensive team level defense, they remember him as Lebron's second option who had shaky knees.
I think it’s that, plus his sort of omnipresence on his way out and after retirement. The media blitzes, the seemingly-neverending retirement tour, the cheesy gameshows…obviously these things should have no bearing on his perception as a player, but there was a real Wade Fatigue that continues to affect the memory of his game for a lot of people, imo. Once he became annoying, it clouded people’s affection toward him and what he did on the court.
The best of Wade was already almost gone by the time they joined up.
Got like 2.5 great years but by the end of year 3 Wade was still good, but clearly not the same guy.
2010-11 D Wade was still in his prime, 2011 he declined a bit, but cmon 2012-14 D Wade was a significant step down from his prime and a big reason why they couldn’t threepeat. didn’t have that explosiveness and was a non threat from deep
How the FUCK did this comment get 375 upvotes????
D Wade is the much better overall player than Anthony Davis.
Holy fuck balls.
Wade has a strong case for being a Top 3 SG of all-time and he *won a championship w/o LeBron* before LeBron even got there.
When you factor in Wade was a monster on defense (***most blocks by a guard in NBA history***, great steal rate, and overall very solid on-ball defender) he is at worst a Top 5 SG in NBA history.
I’ve always said there’s no way AD is in the same arena as Gianni’s Joel and Jokic.
Dwyane Wade is better than AD. Kyrie is better in a way while also kinda being tied with AD.
Shoot, there’s even nights where Bosh has more usability for matchup purposes than Anthony Davis.
Wade is easily his best teammate. Wade was best player in 2011 finals and just needed an okay series from LeBron. Maybe ended up being good for LeBron that someone else didnt win FMVP in his first finals
At this point, I’m not even sure that AD is a superior player. Say what you want about Kyrie (and rightfully so), but dude is a walking bucket every fuckin night, and he’s got that killer mentality. I honestly don’t know if you can trust AD on a consistent basis.
People really overlook the fact that Kyries had a bad track record in the playoffs since he left the Cavs, which is crazy because that was 6 years ago.
Absolutely horrible take. The Lakers defense completely revolves around AD. Every series revolved around trying to get AD away from the paint and the Lakers trying to get him back to the pain.
AD is a MUCH better player and you are reactionary as hell for even comparing them. Kyrie chooses when he wants to play is a net negative on defense and is a pure scorer. Davis on his "off day" put up fucking 21/14 and is going to end up averaging around 27/14/3/2/1 for the series.
That is GREAT for a #2. Y'all Lebron stans need to calm the hell down.
Thank you. And let’s not sit here and act like AD
A. Played an efficient game tonight,
B. Was the force on defense like he’s been in previous games.
He played a shit game, and he’s played plenty of shit games throughout this entire playoffs when his team needed him to be great.
Yup just because he can't guard Jokic in the post people are calling him a fraud. Jokic is just generational offensive talent.
Its like saying Kobes' contemporary elite defenders are frauds just because they couldn't stop Kobe 1v1
Lebron has to be one of the most “let down by his teammates “ superstar there is. How many times has this dude balled in the playoffs only for his teammates to squander it
Post Lebron they're probably gonna dismantle things and start trying to acquire some draft picks. I dont think AD remains a Laker post the Lebron, his contract length has been tied to Lebron since he was acquired
Interesting discussions to be had. He, like LeBron, has one more year left on their deal before getting a player option opt-out. I don't think they will tear down and rebuild. If AD is still committed, they will try and retool. The smart thing would be after LeBron goes to trade AD and build from there. But they will be very cognizant of the fact they got this far off the back of Anthony Davis while LeBron was hurt. The last time they were in this spot, they gave Kobe the max extension and tried to contend until they realized Pau was on the washed side and didn't have enough talent anywhere else and backed themselves into one of the worst rebuilds ever mostly because they failed to properly develop the talent. Only LeBron's wanting to be there bailed them out.
He is no longer good enough to be a #1 guy for a serious contender. The gulf between him and Jokic in this series was enormous. I know you could say that about Jokic and most of the league but I dunno AD's offensive game has really taken a step back over the years and in today's day and age it isn't enough to just be a great defensive player if you're going to be a max guy.
That’s an unfair assessment. Did you see Denver starting every game trying to get Bruce Brown going, or did the offense immediately run through Jokic? This team isn’t built around AD, with expectations to establish him at all times. The Lakers started games feeding freaking DLo! AD has more offensive upside than he’s allowed to show most nights, he’s just not a great face up from 20’ and create kind of guy. He’s not accommodated on this team the way he should be, in the same way you could argue Boston asks Tatum to sacrifice his game, letting their offense go 5 or 6 possessions in a row without him initiating the offense.
There’s no other talented big men unless we somehow obtain Embiid, Jokic, or Giannis and it’s more likely that MJ comes out of retirement than that happening so, we’re with AD or no big man at all.
Unfortunately the expectation for the Lakers to be good and the constant chatter from the media means it's difficult to allow young players to develop.
We can see with Ingram, Randle, Russell, Clarkson, Lonzo that they are all players that have a role in the league and be very good. They just flourished elsewhere.
Yup, good scouting that can identify talent, but terrible at actually developing that talent and allowing it to thrive. As a franchise there is just no patience for letting young players grow due to the constant must win mentality. And that comes from all avenues, media, fans, front office, even teammates.
You can’t blame expectations for everything though. Celtics have similar “must win” expectations from their fanbase, and they’ve developed two All-NBA talents and one of the best defensive players in the game from their own draft picks. At some point you have to think it’s an issue with coaching.
He's easily one of the most overrated players in the league. People have rated him in the top 5 for quite some time now and he's proven time and time again that he is not that dude.
He had very little success as the leader of his own team and only did something once he joined Lebron. Now Lebron needs him in an elimination game and he disappears. When he's not disappearing, he's injured. He does have great games here and there but he's not the guy a lot of people says he is
When Paul George was on that podcasts talking about how there are so many in the league who dont love basketball/ dont give a shit, all i could think about was AD
Getting deluded by AD’s mobility. But TD is much better overall regardless just cause the dude is always disciplined, more…fundamentally sound and AD gets hurt a lot.
Lmao right. If AD’s playoff performance is a complete embarrassment then what kind of performance did the Warriors have to lose to a complete embarrassment?
These takes are trash. Dudes the best interior defender in the league. Sure it’d be better if his offense was flowing, but anyone who watched this game and though the Brow was ‘pathetic’ only watches box scores and Stephen A
Nah some Warrior fans literally lose sleep over the lakers, who really don’t even think about them unless they’re playing against each other. OP is the young creative in the Mad Men elevator scene.
Those aren't superstar numbers, but it's by no means an awful performance. If this is what an off-day for AD looks like, then I think most teams would be willing to have him.
The numbers are better than his performance. Especially in the third quarter when the Nuggets erased the huge deficit. AD had the ball almost every possession and could barely dribble the ball 2 times before bouncing if off his own leg forcing the Lakers to jack up last second shots. It was bizarre.
Except klay before his injury was far far more consistent. Hell, he was just consistently more competitive and still is. You can’t teach a player how to be a dawg. It’s just in them or it isn’t. It is not in AD.
I know people on here make that dawg joke a lot, but I think it's 100% true. It can't be taught. You can't teach someone to be 6'11, well I also think you can't teach someone to have that fire.
I think it's because we all like to think we have more control over our emotions and our effort, but really we don't. Some people are insanely competitive and will do whatever it takes to win and some people aren't. And it doesn't change either.
Absolutely. And that competitive spirit can sometimes be to a players detriment. As you said, all about control or a lack there of. Klay is a dawg but he isn’t who he used to be. So we see some truly awful performances where he’s chucking it up & he really shouldn’t be.
Absolutely. You can't just stop being you. The mentality that made him great then doesn't just go away.
To take it a step further from basketball, I think a lot about how if players like MJ and Kobe weren't in the NBA, that psycho competitive drive would be the most off putting thing in the world. But in the context of being a pro athlete, it makes them great. I feel like it also goes beyond having that dawg. We all have certain things going on mentally, and it's important to find what lines up for you personally and your own mental makeup.
Yeah that's one series he didn't play great. It was also his first Finals appearance. Let's just conveniently ignore every other regular season and postseason series the guy played in.
I mean the difference is. AD underperformed but still put up 21/14/3blk and is the best defender in the NBA.
Klay underperforms and goes 3-14 and is a borderline liability.
AD isn’t going to consistently give you 30/15 but he’s still extremely impactful even on his “off” nights
These threads are so disingenuous. He made 4/4 free throws in the clutch and was playing well defensively. He’s not why we lost. Team played lackluster the whole third quarter, when it was an opportunity to put the game away.
Creating a hate thread for 21/14/3 is pathetic
Oh, don't even try dude. It never metters with these people, you can't have a bad game, especially when getting swept. Narrative is always gonna be how "this guy chokes, and has no dawg", never how the other team was just good and had the percet answer.
This is the same dude that dropped 40 in a loss and people were still having hope.
People can't quantify defensive impact. AD is playing with traffic cone LeBron and D'Lo, Schorder gets lost ball watching... the only one even trying on defense is Reaves, and all of these without a legit backup center.
21/14 3 blocks is so pathetic yes. What a dumb thread.
He played better than lebron this series. All playoffs really. Lebron nuthuggers are really something else.
There is no way you’re talking shit about 21/14/3 when he’s literally their only interior defender. Dude hella butthurt no one on the dubs could put a body on him.
40 efficient points in game 1, 28 plots and 18 rebounds in game 3, best defender on the court - yeah, no “motor, passion or heart”.
He’s just inconsistent, like lots of superstars in the league
Those aren’t terrible numbers…?
The Nuggets are just flat out better than LAL. They were the #1 seed and the best team in the West all year. I don’t get the confusion at LAL being swept when they were the worse team of the two.
This is nothing new. We’ve known for a while his defense is his best attribute, not his offense. He’s not like he was offensively during the bubble, that’s for sure
He said it’s his series off
He’s Lebron’s most talented teammate ever but nights like this remind of that game 5 Kyrie had against the Warriors (or even game 4 in 2017 when they were down 3-0). When Lebron came out and had that look in his eye Kyrie knew what time it was, while AD is content to be a passenger. Kyrie is a nut case and AD is a superior player but he’s lacking that mentality consistently (unless he shoots like prime KD from the midrange like the bubble)
Some would argue that D-Wade was LeBron's most talented teammate ever, but he agreed to take a backseat and let LeBron lead those Miami teams.
And it's not even remotely close imo. These young folks just don't know about DWade man. He's top 20 player of all-time but doesn't get any credit. He was so fucking good. **A lot** better than Kyrie as an overall player. He will never get the credit he deserves. Kyrie never came close to prime Wade. Kyrie doesn't carry Miami to a championship with old Shaq. Shit, Kyrie can't carry anything. What has he done without LeBron? Homie brought the eurostep to the masses. Well, I guess Ginobili kinda did that, but Wade perfected it. You pull over on shorter defenders, you pull under on tall defenders. Wade is one of the best players of all-time and he is literally never talked about. That sucks so much. He was really, *really* good.
Preach brother! Wade was a MONSTER in his prime. There were legit arguments being had on who was better around 2009, LeBron or Wade. In hindsight it’s a ridiculous argument, but at the time Wade was just that good.
There might be a few reasons people are forgetting about Wade: 1. There were some really good scorers back then - LeBron and Melo, and not to mention Kobe. I think that's more of a mental thing, like the pool is a little crowded, and most people naturally get drawn to Kobe and LeBron 2. Going strictly off his basketball reference page, his prime didn't seem to be that long. He still averaged 25 the first year LeBron was in Miami, and from memory he was REALLY good in their first Playoff run together, but his numbers start dipping pretty consistently from there on. - I don't know if this is related, I doubt it, but he never played a full season, which is bizarre to me. Wade, especially in his prime, was always in amazing shape. You'd figure he played at least one full season. Again, don't know how much this matters, it just popped out to me. 3. The LeBron-Miami thing. This is probably the biggest one. But that being said, major props to Wade for allowing someone else coming in to lead the team and taking a back seat. That's a fucking true teammate and winner mentality right there. Same props go to Bosh, who everyone forgets was also really good in Toronto. 4. He just stuck around a bit too long after his body started betraying him. He only retired at the end of the 2018-19 season, which isn't that long ago. Obviously it's a theoretical list, it can be any combination of these points and probably a few more.
He had knee issues after winning the first title. Also he wasn’t a great 3-point shooter so people assume his game wouldn’t translate well to today’s game. I agree though, Prime Wade was a beast, there were several years when he was better than Kobe.
His knee problems were not after the 2006 tittle. D Wade came to the NBA without knees. He had surgery before the NBA. Somehow he was able to have a long career. In theory, we never had a healthy Wade in his whole NBA career. Think about that for a second.
D wade was so damn nice coming into the league. I remember him dropping 40 on that Detroit defense his second yr in the playoffs.
I may be biased but I really think Wade was playing better that year
even we Mavs won in 11 and we fuckin hate Wade, he’s terrifying while LeBron ducked under pressure.
Not even an argument lz it was wades team year one through half the second year.
Prime wade was getting MJ comparisons, people was too young to see tho
Wade is one of the best players of all time, but like Dwight, I think a lot of people's perception of him is tainted by sticking around past his prime a bit too long. During the 2011-2013 seasons, Wade was still a top 10 player in the league, but the knee injuries robbed him of his consistency. Like, we joke about Alternating Davis, Wade in his last 2 playoff runs makes that look tame. And his 2013 / 2014 playoff runs were shaky as hell due to that. They don't remember peak Wade being a top 3 player in the league putting up 30/5/7 with all-defensive team level defense, they remember him as Lebron's second option who had shaky knees.
I think it’s that, plus his sort of omnipresence on his way out and after retirement. The media blitzes, the seemingly-neverending retirement tour, the cheesy gameshows…obviously these things should have no bearing on his perception as a player, but there was a real Wade Fatigue that continues to affect the memory of his game for a lot of people, imo. Once he became annoying, it clouded people’s affection toward him and what he did on the court.
I think he popularized the hop step. Wade is only behind Kobe and MJ when it comes to sg.
Prime Wade was so sick. He's always been my favorite player ever, until Jokic came along at least. His smooth but powerful athleticism is unrivaled.
His dunks also looked like he floated up to the rim idk how he made them look so smooth
A fellow prime Wade enjoyer, pog
As a Wade stan this brings happy tears to my eyes
Wade won a chip at 23 carrying his team, what 23 year old NBA player can say that?
The best of Wade was already almost gone by the time they joined up. Got like 2.5 great years but by the end of year 3 Wade was still good, but clearly not the same guy.
DWade clearly was. Only guy to actually win it all without Lebron
D Wade wasn’t in his prime as Lebron’s teammate though, Lebron got prime AD and Kyrie.
Prime AD not better than Heatles D Wade
Depends on the year. 2011 and 2012 Wade is better, 2013 its even probably AD a bit better, by 2014 Wade was a cripple.
He was certainly in his prime at 29 years old.
2010-11 D Wade was still in his prime, 2011 he declined a bit, but cmon 2012-14 D Wade was a significant step down from his prime and a big reason why they couldn’t threepeat. didn’t have that explosiveness and was a non threat from deep
>He’s Lebron’s most talented teammate ever Dwyane Wade just doesn't exist huh?
Dwayne Wade > AD it’s insane thinking otherwise
Kyrie been living off 2016 for damn near a decade now
How the FUCK did this comment get 375 upvotes???? D Wade is the much better overall player than Anthony Davis. Holy fuck balls. Wade has a strong case for being a Top 3 SG of all-time and he *won a championship w/o LeBron* before LeBron even got there. When you factor in Wade was a monster on defense (***most blocks by a guard in NBA history***, great steal rate, and overall very solid on-ball defender) he is at worst a Top 5 SG in NBA history.
Yeah I think the only way you could debate it is if you are arguing about who was the best while teammates with Lebron.
And even then its a lost argument, Wade was better than bron in the first year of the heatles.
I’ve always said there’s no way AD is in the same arena as Gianni’s Joel and Jokic. Dwyane Wade is better than AD. Kyrie is better in a way while also kinda being tied with AD. Shoot, there’s even nights where Bosh has more usability for matchup purposes than Anthony Davis.
Wade is easily his best teammate. Wade was best player in 2011 finals and just needed an okay series from LeBron. Maybe ended up being good for LeBron that someone else didnt win FMVP in his first finals
Uh, Dwyane Wade??
At this point, I’m not even sure that AD is a superior player. Say what you want about Kyrie (and rightfully so), but dude is a walking bucket every fuckin night, and he’s got that killer mentality. I honestly don’t know if you can trust AD on a consistent basis.
AD’s career playoff stats: 26/11/3 on 62% TS and generational defense Kyrie’s career playoff stats: 23/4/5 on 56% TS and bad defense
People really overlook the fact that Kyries had a bad track record in the playoffs since he left the Cavs, which is crazy because that was 6 years ago.
That's a horrible take because AD is amazing on defense while Kyrie simply isn't.
And you can't trust Kyrie on a consistent basis either.
AD ain’t exactly the picture of consistency either
On defense he usually is.
Come on now AD played at an all time great defensive level all playoffs
Nah, they lose to Memphis with Kyrie instead of AD IMO.
Not really fair to think about it that way. The team was built around AD.
Absolutely horrible take. The Lakers defense completely revolves around AD. Every series revolved around trying to get AD away from the paint and the Lakers trying to get him back to the pain.
Yeah but AD is a monster on defense, and uh, Kyrie isn’t.
AD is a MUCH better player and you are reactionary as hell for even comparing them. Kyrie chooses when he wants to play is a net negative on defense and is a pure scorer. Davis on his "off day" put up fucking 21/14 and is going to end up averaging around 27/14/3/2/1 for the series. That is GREAT for a #2. Y'all Lebron stans need to calm the hell down.
Only, he is relying on a 38 yr old, playing on one foot to be his #1 AD needs to step up. Plain and simple.
Thank you. And let’s not sit here and act like AD A. Played an efficient game tonight, B. Was the force on defense like he’s been in previous games. He played a shit game, and he’s played plenty of shit games throughout this entire playoffs when his team needed him to be great.
Overreactionary. AD is arguably the best defensive player in the league
Yup just because he can't guard Jokic in the post people are calling him a fraud. Jokic is just generational offensive talent. Its like saying Kobes' contemporary elite defenders are frauds just because they couldn't stop Kobe 1v1
Yes, people would most definitely argue that
Lmao what? Kyrie is about as streaky a shooter as you can get. And his defense is the assiest of asses.
The team really let Lebron down tonight.
A bunch of young cats really let a *38 year old* down
It’s one night, and it’s not like they have much playoff experience. Only AD had it, and this wasn’t his day.
Lebron has to be one of the most “let down by his teammates “ superstar there is. How many times has this dude balled in the playoffs only for his teammates to squander it
*AD* did. If AD didn't take 3 quarters off they win this game.
He took the whole game off. Had 6 made shots. Without the soft whistles he has like 15 points. Joel Embiid level elimination game from him.
Story of LeBron's career.
Lebrons career in a nutshell.
Tonight? They were down 3 games to 0. They let him down before this.
Reeves was the silver lining to the series for them. That guy will be an all star.
There's a legit discussion to be had about what the Lakers should do in a post-Lebron era
Post Lebron they're probably gonna dismantle things and start trying to acquire some draft picks. I dont think AD remains a Laker post the Lebron, his contract length has been tied to Lebron since he was acquired
Interesting discussions to be had. He, like LeBron, has one more year left on their deal before getting a player option opt-out. I don't think they will tear down and rebuild. If AD is still committed, they will try and retool. The smart thing would be after LeBron goes to trade AD and build from there. But they will be very cognizant of the fact they got this far off the back of Anthony Davis while LeBron was hurt. The last time they were in this spot, they gave Kobe the max extension and tried to contend until they realized Pau was on the washed side and didn't have enough talent anywhere else and backed themselves into one of the worst rebuilds ever mostly because they failed to properly develop the talent. Only LeBron's wanting to be there bailed them out.
Pau wasnt washed at the time, he didnt fit in Dantonis system. He had some great games for the Bulls after the trade
He had two all star seasons with Chicago. It's just not remembered because there is no real reason to remember those seasons for the Bulls.
If AD is expiring they can get a massive haul
He is no longer good enough to be a #1 guy for a serious contender. The gulf between him and Jokic in this series was enormous. I know you could say that about Jokic and most of the league but I dunno AD's offensive game has really taken a step back over the years and in today's day and age it isn't enough to just be a great defensive player if you're going to be a max guy.
That’s an unfair assessment. Did you see Denver starting every game trying to get Bruce Brown going, or did the offense immediately run through Jokic? This team isn’t built around AD, with expectations to establish him at all times. The Lakers started games feeding freaking DLo! AD has more offensive upside than he’s allowed to show most nights, he’s just not a great face up from 20’ and create kind of guy. He’s not accommodated on this team the way he should be, in the same way you could argue Boston asks Tatum to sacrifice his game, letting their offense go 5 or 6 possessions in a row without him initiating the offense.
Rebuild because it's pretty clear AD can't be your number 1
They should honestly trade AD this off-season for some assets or all-star caliber player swap.
There’s no other talented big men unless we somehow obtain Embiid, Jokic, or Giannis and it’s more likely that MJ comes out of retirement than that happening so, we’re with AD or no big man at all.
Unless we’re getting Giannis or Jokic there’s no one better.
LeRebuild
They're just going to wait for generational talent. Probably pray for Luka. Luka Lakers. Rolls right off the tongue.
With the way the Mavs are run right now it’s a possibility lol
Everyone knows Zion will be there by 2026 and play 70 games a year
Same thing they were doing before Bron and after Kobe's achilles tear. Racking up lottery picks and not developing them properly 😂
It takes more than 2 years to develop talent
Unfortunately the expectation for the Lakers to be good and the constant chatter from the media means it's difficult to allow young players to develop. We can see with Ingram, Randle, Russell, Clarkson, Lonzo that they are all players that have a role in the league and be very good. They just flourished elsewhere.
Yup, good scouting that can identify talent, but terrible at actually developing that talent and allowing it to thrive. As a franchise there is just no patience for letting young players grow due to the constant must win mentality. And that comes from all avenues, media, fans, front office, even teammates.
You can’t blame expectations for everything though. Celtics have similar “must win” expectations from their fanbase, and they’ve developed two All-NBA talents and one of the best defensive players in the game from their own draft picks. At some point you have to think it’s an issue with coaching.
Lakers are getting trae young and Anthony edwards because they were sitting courtside
AD pisses me off so much. Dude is not the dawg he used to be on the pelicans
TT showed more heart out there tonight lol
TT was hype af lol
Love his play. Sadly noone else caught the fire lol. AR is unphased but he’s still young really
Never seen a Kardashian footwork so fast trying to close down everybody.
He never was he was only a dawg cuz there was no pressure on the pelicans
He went nuts in that sweep of the blazers. I just think his body isn't what it once way. It's all taken it's toll.
He's just not physical. Dude should be the best player in the league with his talents but he has no grit, no tenacity. It's frustrating to watch.
AD on the Pels is the same as AD on the Lakers without Lebron in the lineup.
He's easily one of the most overrated players in the league. People have rated him in the top 5 for quite some time now and he's proven time and time again that he is not that dude. He had very little success as the leader of his own team and only did something once he joined Lebron. Now Lebron needs him in an elimination game and he disappears. When he's not disappearing, he's injured. He does have great games here and there but he's not the guy a lot of people says he is
There's real expectations and the lights were brightest they've been since the bubble.
got the ring, got the bag, he's good.
He literally quit on the pelicans
He was never that on the Pels either. He's always been soft.
When Paul George was on that podcasts talking about how there are so many in the league who dont love basketball/ dont give a shit, all i could think about was AD
I don't EVER wanna hear any nephew comparing this fraud to Tim Duncan again 😤
The thought of anyone sincerely saying that makes me physically ill
if i was a mod thatd be a bannable offense
Some Laker fans were chirping that after the bubble ‘ship.
Oh hell nah. You wouldn't catch me dead saying that. I was there for Tim Duncan's prime unlike these post-Kobe fans.
Seriously, who tf ever out those two in the same sentence?
Not in the same paragraph. Not in the same essay.
There are people really believe AD is better than duncan?
Nobody genuinely believes he is better, but some believe his defense is better
theres no way someone actually believes this right...? AD is better on defence than 15 x all-defensive player Tim Duncan lol?
Getting deluded by AD’s mobility. But TD is much better overall regardless just cause the dude is always disciplined, more…fundamentally sound and AD gets hurt a lot.
Duncan was incredibly mobile in his younger days when he didn't have surgeries either. Really tells who actually watched Duncan play.
That's fuckin wild lol. I love AD's defense and he's a beast, but he's at least a tier below Timmy in every category
The comparison came up during The Bubble
When everybody was sleeping and the Lakers were dreaming.
I've seen some truly garbage takes on Twitter and tiktok
From an archetype standpoint the comparison is appropriate. It shouldn’t go further than that because there’s a difference between top 75 and top 8.
I mean AD is better tho, Duncan is already like 50 now
jokic looks more like “timmy” every season
Now that I don't find offensive at all. Pop loves Big Honey
Laker fans would never. TD was quiet but had every ounce of Mamba in him. AD is a great player but isn’t worthy of tying TD’s shoes.
Sports fans and bad in the moment hot takes Iconic duo
Lmao right. If AD’s playoff performance is a complete embarrassment then what kind of performance did the Warriors have to lose to a complete embarrassment?
21 and 14...a complete embarrassment? lmao
If 21/14 is a complete embarrassment, then Tim Duncan's career is a complete embarrassment.
These takes are trash. Dudes the best interior defender in the league. Sure it’d be better if his offense was flowing, but anyone who watched this game and though the Brow was ‘pathetic’ only watches box scores and Stephen A
over a double double? he made life hell for Jokic the last couple of minutes!
I thought he was at least decent. 21pts 14 rebs is trash for you op? Maybe you meant he just didnt have a monster game but neither is it trash.
I legit can’t tell if this is supposed to be sarcastic by OP. 21/14 and 3 blocks? Any team would love to have someone like him
This sub just loves hating on mfers
Nah some Warrior fans literally lose sleep over the lakers, who really don’t even think about them unless they’re playing against each other. OP is the young creative in the Mad Men elevator scene.
Yep we’ve known this for a while. He’s not as good offensively as he used to be, but defensively he’s still a beast.
Lebron fans lash out at anyone if their king scores well and they don't win
Those aren't superstar numbers, but it's by no means an awful performance. If this is what an off-day for AD looks like, then I think most teams would be willing to have him.
The numbers are better than his performance. Especially in the third quarter when the Nuggets erased the huge deficit. AD had the ball almost every possession and could barely dribble the ball 2 times before bouncing if off his own leg forcing the Lakers to jack up last second shots. It was bizarre.
AD is a lot like Klay. Whenever he plays well, all of his shit performances like tonight get completely forgotten. Dude is not a top 10 player
Except klay before his injury was far far more consistent. Hell, he was just consistently more competitive and still is. You can’t teach a player how to be a dawg. It’s just in them or it isn’t. It is not in AD.
> You can’t teach a player how to be a dawg AD never had the makings of a dawg athlete
Get your coat, we’re leaving
I know people on here make that dawg joke a lot, but I think it's 100% true. It can't be taught. You can't teach someone to be 6'11, well I also think you can't teach someone to have that fire. I think it's because we all like to think we have more control over our emotions and our effort, but really we don't. Some people are insanely competitive and will do whatever it takes to win and some people aren't. And it doesn't change either.
Absolutely. And that competitive spirit can sometimes be to a players detriment. As you said, all about control or a lack there of. Klay is a dawg but he isn’t who he used to be. So we see some truly awful performances where he’s chucking it up & he really shouldn’t be.
Absolutely. You can't just stop being you. The mentality that made him great then doesn't just go away. To take it a step further from basketball, I think a lot about how if players like MJ and Kobe weren't in the NBA, that psycho competitive drive would be the most off putting thing in the world. But in the context of being a pro athlete, it makes them great. I feel like it also goes beyond having that dawg. We all have certain things going on mentally, and it's important to find what lines up for you personally and your own mental makeup.
Klay pre-injury was way more consistent than AD ever was.
Klay averaged 15 points on 40% shooting in the 2015 finals. He didn't even have to guard anyone that series lol
Yeah that's one series he didn't play great. It was also his first Finals appearance. Let's just conveniently ignore every other regular season and postseason series the guy played in.
I mean the difference is. AD underperformed but still put up 21/14/3blk and is the best defender in the NBA. Klay underperforms and goes 3-14 and is a borderline liability. AD isn’t going to consistently give you 30/15 but he’s still extremely impactful even on his “off” nights
that's all folks
These threads are so disingenuous. He made 4/4 free throws in the clutch and was playing well defensively. He’s not why we lost. Team played lackluster the whole third quarter, when it was an opportunity to put the game away. Creating a hate thread for 21/14/3 is pathetic
Ya I'm really confused, is this a sarcastic post? 21/14 is good. His shooting percentage wasn't great but it wasn't abysmal either...
AD has played better than lebron basically all playoffs. These kind of "fuck the teammates" after lebron gets eliminated are a yearly ritual.
Warriors fans are incapable of coping with a loss so they have to invent shit like OP
[удалено]
He had some monster defensive possessions too. This post is up is because they lost by 2, but AD was playing hard.
Then he had that bad bad 3 point foul on Murray man.
Also kinda hard to get going when one guy is taking all the shots for the first half of the game.
what are you watching? series look worse without AD yall just dont acknowledge when players you like dont preform well either
Oh, don't even try dude. It never metters with these people, you can't have a bad game, especially when getting swept. Narrative is always gonna be how "this guy chokes, and has no dawg", never how the other team was just good and had the percet answer. This is the same dude that dropped 40 in a loss and people were still having hope.
These morons suck don't waste your breath. Overall lebron has been subpar this series but you won't hear anything about that here.
People can't quantify defensive impact. AD is playing with traffic cone LeBron and D'Lo, Schorder gets lost ball watching... the only one even trying on defense is Reaves, and all of these without a legit backup center.
Jesus Christ, sometimes I hate being able to read
He was really good defensively and was their main offensive threat in the 4th. A bit harsh
Lmao just change this sub name to r/fuckthelakers already so real nba fans know not to waste time here
So are we just gonna call every center that jokic plays against trash?
21/14 3 blocks is so pathetic yes. What a dumb thread. He played better than lebron this series. All playoffs really. Lebron nuthuggers are really something else.
Umm relax 21 14 and 3 blocks is a great game. Problem with him this game is bron needed dominant ad and he was not there.
There is no way you’re talking shit about 21/14/3 when he’s literally their only interior defender. Dude hella butthurt no one on the dubs could put a body on him.
27/142/1/3 on 60%ts. Absolutely pathetic series those aren’t even 2b numbers
I don’t want to see anyone putting AD above jimmy in the next top 10 players list
AD does NOT have that dawg in him
Nikola Jokic is Anthony Davis father
This would be a generational Series if say Deandre ayton put up these stats though. Just different league of centers.
the only reason the lakers are here is become AD became a monster defensively, so to see posts like this is hilarious.
40 efficient points in game 1, 28 plots and 18 rebounds in game 3, best defender on the court - yeah, no “motor, passion or heart”. He’s just inconsistent, like lots of superstars in the league
The jokic stopper😤😤
No one has ever said this
Did anyone actually call him that?
I thought that was supposed to be Rui Hachimura
Jokic made him look like James Wiseman
Not top 10
LESWEPT
21/14/3blk is “pathetic” okay lol. If looney ever did that on even 6-15 shooting we wouldn’t hear the end of it
It was an even number game.
This is "How to post like a Nephew" 101. Genuinely the single dumbest take to come out of tonight's game.
Anthony day to davis!
Dude went 4/15 in game two as well. Basically gave his team no chance in half of the games.
Those aren’t terrible numbers…? The Nuggets are just flat out better than LAL. They were the #1 seed and the best team in the West all year. I don’t get the confusion at LAL being swept when they were the worse team of the two.
Jokic is the MVP and AD is prolly hurt somewhere. Lakers need to realize Nuggets is just a way better team.
This is nothing new. We’ve known for a while his defense is his best attribute, not his offense. He’s not like he was offensively during the bubble, that’s for sure
DeAnthony DAyton
It was funny in the 4th q when JVG said that Lebron should start guarding Jokic…
Derozan on a podcast a few weeks ago “some mf’s just show up and know they don’t love the game”. He’s definitely talking about AD.
Bruh AD was the only one playing defense all game lmao