There’s no such thing as a smooth transition when a generational talent like LeBron James leaves.
We languished for years after Magic.
We struggled when Shaq left and that was WITH Kobe already in the fold.
We were one of the worst teams in the league once Kobe hung em up (actually even before then when he shredded his Achilles)
CLE, MIA, & CLE again all took a steep dive after LeBron departed.
It’s impossible to quickly fill that vacuum after the entire franchise has been built around him. It ain’t just the stats…it’s the leadership, the gravitas, the willingness to be the Lightning Rod, the example set every day, the commitment, etc. You can’t just plug a dude like Kyrie in there and believe things will keep on rolling on schedule. The front office should already be laying the groundwork for a full-on rebuild because that’s what we’re staring at right now even if Lebron finishes out his 2 years. Hold on to the young, cheap, athletic talent and try to accumulate more draft picks instead of giving them away (already gave away one for what is beginning to look like a bad haul in the Russ deal).
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1661428767414444032
Frankly, I can’t see a scenario where LeBron actually retires this summer. I think he just got caught in a moment of his mortality as a player and was honest. But he’s not going to turn down $97M over the next two years. How he plays the next two seasons will determine whether he then retires or not.
When you look at the age of the remade roster, the Lakers are going to be ina much better situation when LeBron leaves than they were when Magic and Kobe left. If LeBron left this season, the Lakers with AD, Reaves, Hacimura, and $45M in cap space would be in a pretty good spot to rebuild. Sign Kyrie to replace LeBron and you’re ready to go.
I think what we’re seeing could happen this summer if LeBron retires is exactly the end game the Lakers have to create for when LeBron actually retires. Make sure team has cap space to replace LeBron with another superstar in free agency. Bottom line, I think Lakers s/b in great position post-LeBron.
Kyrie is nowhere near being a replacement for LeBron and AD just aint the guy to take the mantle of leadership. It’s so much more than just salary cap & stats. You so often hear talk of teams rebuilding on the fly but you very rarely see it actually come to fruition. Spurs transition from Robinson to Duncan is the closest I can think of off the top of my head.
If we were talking about LeBron James a few years ago, that would be true but Kyrie Irving today would probably be a better fit next to Anthony Davis than the injured version of LeBron we had this playoff run. I keep hearing the game is about wings but when you look at who’s winning championships, it’s still a guard’s league and will remain so.
My point is the Lakers would be in a much better situation if LeBron left right now than they were post Magic or Kobe. The difference is what you have left on the team and the cap space situation. Were LeBron to leave, the Lakers would be a very attractive landing spot for free agents. That was not the case when Magic or Kobe left as you pointed out.
Once again, you’re talking salary cap & stats while I’m talking intangibles. This ain’t a video game. In fact, it’s easier to replace AD because he doesn’t have any of the intangible qualities of a generational talent of a Lebron, Kobe, Shaq, or Magic. It’s literally salary & stats in his case.
I’m not trying to minimize how unique LeBron’s talents and ability to impact other players are but I disagree with your and most people’s depiction of Anthony Davis. His defensive impact is unique in today’s offensive oriented league. His ability to anchor a team defense is just as important in today’s game as James’ smarts and experience.
But as we saw in this last series, James and Davis are not unbeatable and, in fact, they were not even good enough to beat Jokic and Murray. Run that series back 10 times and I still think the Lakers win 6 of them but the point is the league has gotten better since the bubble but not the Lakers and primarily due to the injuries and play of their two stars.
Tom..you’re still talking about on court stuff. Is AD a leader? He hasn’t shown it. Does he set the tone for the entire organization? He hasn’t shown it. I could go on but frankly I’m tired of listing all his shortcomings in those types of areas. He just ain’t that dude. B-Ball skills are unquestioned. It’s the other stuff where he lacks. Him & Jason Tatum…very similar. Then you have a guy like Jimmy Butler who has proven to be the opposite. Not an all time great talent but those intangibles are through the roof.