***Official 2022-2023 NBA Thread***

[dirk digler]

Can't believe the regular season starts tonight. Just seemed like the Finals ended a couple weeks ago.



Philly vs Celtics: 6:30PM CST TNT

GSW vs Lakers: 9:00PM CST TNT

[DJ's left nut]

So - we willing to concede that the Lakers are going to pull this out DESPITE LeBrons 4th quarter performance rather than because of it?

His teammates won this game. James shot was off, he was turnover prone and his defense was...well, LeBrons defense.

Schroder, Russell and obviously Davis (who dominated this game) won it.

[KC_Connection]

What a win for LeBron. Steals home advantage in this series immediately.

Just need AD to play like that for 3 more games and they'll take this one.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

So - we willing to concede that the Lakers are going to pull this out DESPITE LeBrons 4th quarter performance rather than because of it?

His teammates won this game. James shot was off, he was turnover prone and his defense was...well, LeBrons defense.

Schroder, Russell and obviously Davis (who dominated this game) won it.

LeBron went 22-11-5 with 3 blocks as a near 40 year old and you're criticizing him. The hate is real.

[KC_Connection]

That was also actually LeBron's best defensive effort all year probably. He blocked several Curry shots and affected several other shots at the rim. Was a small glimpse of what he used to do out there.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

LeBron went 22-11-5 with 3 blocks as a near 40 year old and you're criticizing him. The hate is real.

He put up 24 shots, went 1-8 from three and has as many turnovers as his entire team COMBINED.

It was Russell who hit the biggest shot of the night and Davis who they counted on for buckets and who anchored the defense.

Lebron was the 4th best player LA had tonight. They needed everything he had, but this wasn't a win for James - it was a win for the Lakers. A team you have done nothing but malign played damn well.

[Iconic]

Vanderbilt was such an underrated pickup by the Lakers. He's going to be a huge problem for Steph all series.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

That was also actually LeBron's best defensive effort all year probably. He blocked several Curry shots and affected several other shots at the rim. Was a small glimpse of what he used to do out there.

It was as it's been his entire Laker career - intermittent.

He picks his spots. Which is probably wise - but that's who he is defensively these days.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Iconic

Vanderbilt was such an underrated pickup by the Lakers. He's going to be a huge problem for Steph all series.

And Rui, who will vanish in the box score, made a couple big early buckets to support Davis and keep LA close even when they were struggling to find their footing.

It's a genuinely good team.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

He put up 24 shots, went 1-8 from three and has as many turnovers as his entire team COMBINED.

Other than AD, LeBron was the only other guy on the Lakers to even play well for the 1st half of that game. He faded in the 4th quarter, but that's sort of what 40 year olds who are asked to play 40 minutes in a playoff game generally do. His overall impact was still very positive.

Lebron was the 4th best player LA had tonight. They needed everything he had, but this wasn't a win for James - it was a win for the Lakers. A team you have done nothing but malign played damn well.

LeBron was easily the 2nd best player on the court for the Lakers tonight considering overall impact. Russell was good offensively in the 2nd half after no showing in the 1st half (other than airballing a wide open corner 3 on a LeBron pass as the Lakers were collapsing), but does absolutely nothing defensively.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

And Rui, who will vanish in the box score, made a couple big early buckets to support Davis and keep LA close even when they were struggling to find their footing.

It's a genuinely good team.

Rui barely played tonight though (11 minutes). I think that was partly because Vanderbilt was wreaking so much havoc on Steph. They need to try to match minutes as much as possible even if he doesn't provide anything offensively.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

It was as it's been his entire Laker career - intermittent.

He picks his spots. Which is probably wise - but that's who he is defensively these days.

It has to be intermittent. He's nearly 40 years old and being asked to play 40 minutes a game every two days in the NBA playoffs. Everything is about conserving energy at this point in his career, it's the only way they can possibly make this run.

On that point, I half expect both LeBron and AD to go through the motions in a few days after the major effort they gave today to get home advantage back. They were incredibly gassed at the end of the 4th there.

[KC_Connection]

Does LeBron make his teammates worse or not? LeBron haters always switch the narrative depending on the game result. https://t.co/6SEnfq7881

— Barry (@BarryOnHere) May 3, 2023

Indeed they do Barry.

[KC_Connection]

Outside of the KD years, Steph & the Warriors are now…
7-8 vs LeBron in the postseason.
44-18 against everyone else.

— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 3, 2023

Now that's a stat.

[smithandrew051]

3 Warriors hit 6 3’s each and they lost, while the Lakers combined for 6 total 3’s.

Warriors can’t feel good about that.

[tyecopeland]

Originally Posted by smithandrew051

3 Warriors hit 6 3’s each and they lost, while the Lakers combined for 6 total 3’s.

Warriors can’t feel good about that.

Yes, but the Lakers negated a lot of that by shooting 23 more free throws. The free throw discrepancy won't even out as much as the 3 point shooting will but that's how they made the difference up in game 1.