Except now the pressures are still on the players, coaches, exes. Now you go from a team in rebuild mode to a team that is instantly title contenders. Now barring no major injuries this team will have the expectations of having to be in the thick of the playoffs next season. It's still an uphill climb even with the addition of LeBron.
LeBron James returns to Cleveland
- Thread starter Slyfox696
- Start date
Except now the pressures are still on the players, coaches, exes. Now you go from a team in rebuild mode to a team that is instantly title contenders. Now barring no major injuries this team will have the expectations of having to be in the thick of the playoffs next season. It's still an uphill climb even with the addition of LeBron.
Lol. It's professional sports. Pressure is part of the game and if you can't handle it you don't belong on the elite level. Basically you're saying you'd rather have the young nucleus in Cleveland not be a championship caliber team because that's too much pressure and that is literally one of the dumbest things I've ever seen anyone put on here. No player has ever said "I think I'd rather rebuild for a little bit rather then become a title contender and play with the best player in the world."
How is adding the best player in his prime anything but a positive for any team? I do not see the logic in what JJ is saying. Every NBA player would prefer the pressure of winning a title than constant rebuilding.
Irving, Thompson, Waiters may be young but they also have at least a couple of years in the NBA under them. Hardly players that will shriek from the pressure of trying to win.
Irving, Thompson, Waiters may be young but they also have at least a couple of years in the NBA under them. Hardly players that will shriek from the pressure of trying to win.
You build for the future. Spurs brought in Duncan years ago and have over the years instilled the right pieces with him.
The chemistry between him Parker and Ginobili wasn't thrown together - they stuck together and created chemistry, built through the draft. Key contributors here and there but never marquee free agents. Nothing about them screams media attention they just show up every year to play.
They stuck together because they've believed in each other and believe in their organization.
What if in two years LeBron doesn't resign? Who would've thought he would had left Miami after two championships in four years? Long future together, huh? That's your logic.
Bulls done it = dynasty, Spurs done it = dynasty. So what's wrong with building for the long term future?
Seattle/OKC had to do it following the departures of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. They've been a perennial playoff team since. Look at the Pacers via the draft as well.
Regardless of LeBron being there or not I personally still don't see them as a championship team right now. Those Vegas odds and LeBron being back in uniform doesn't change that it's a young team that still has to jell.
You don't build for the future. You build to win. If building for the future gives you a better chance of winning then you go that route. If you have enough opportunity to be a contender, you build for the short term. How long does the build for the future last? One year? Two years? Three years? I guess you are one of those naive fans that are fooled by GMs selling rebuilding instead of trying to put out a good team.
There is no sure way for players to develop chemistry. You can throw random players together for one season and they instantly click. You can throw other random group of players together for 3 years together and they still can't read each other. I would argue Lebron, Wade and Bosh got together and created their chemistry, built through the free agency.
How a team is built makes no difference in American sports where the cities are at the mercy of the owners to move the franchises wherever they want. Miami big 3 broke up because of money. Bosh and Lebron are looking to get paid in their final big contract and Wade was giving up guaranteed money and the numbers just don't add up. Spurs Big 3 stayed together mainly because Duncan already got paid and they gambled on giving long term deals with less per year dollars than their market value to Parker and Ginobili in their prime under the old rules.
The heat and spurs are two of the better run franchises. Spurs would have done what the Heat have done 4 years ago if they could put it off. Heat won 3 titles in 9 years. Spurs won 3 in 10 years. Very similar records. What has the Pacers/OKC/Bulls done in the same time period compared to the Lakers/Mavs/Celtics? Both drafting and free agencies have their pros and cons. Trying to put over the other is just stupid. To be even able to draft well, most teams have to suck first. Spurs is an exception and not the rule.
George Steele's Barber
Advertise Here $9.95/month
Has there been any explanation regarding the length of Lebron's contract? I was kind of surprised by only two years. Here are some of the reasons I think he may have set it up this way:
1. He expects that he can get an even bigger pay day in a couple years with a new TV deal.
2. He is a good guy who wants the Cavs to have flexibility with so much young talent.
3. If he can win a title with Cleveland, NY or LA may still be in play as a future destination and a place to become a businessman after basketball.
This is all I could come up with. I haven't listened to any other speculation.
Does anyone else have any thoughts?
1. He expects that he can get an even bigger pay day in a couple years with a new TV deal.
2. He is a good guy who wants the Cavs to have flexibility with so much young talent.
3. If he can win a title with Cleveland, NY or LA may still be in play as a future destination and a place to become a businessman after basketball.
This is all I could come up with. I haven't listened to any other speculation.
Does anyone else have any thoughts?
No, you just made another silly statement about LeBron.
I already know what you mean. You've made it painfully clear.
It's #1.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11207703/lebron-james-deal-cleveland-cavaliers-2-years-421-million
Tell me the long success of teams building for the short term. Look at Brooklyn last season, look at Boston few years ago and look at LA when Howard and Nash were brought in.
Your philosophy is yeah let's put together a,short term solution and have to start all over from scratch down the line.
If I'm a GM I want to put together a team that will win for the next 10 seasons even if it takes
3-4 years to get there. Not throw a team together for 3 years of success and back to drawing board.
I definitely would argue Spurs are the better franchise considering they haven't had a losing season in near two decades. That's a prime example of quality building. Although the Admiral was still a good player at the time Timmy came in, it's how well they built around him.
All jokes aside you don't have to say anything to.me. Unless you are quoting me I typically don't read anything you say. This topic is an exception. I don't dismiss your opinion or try to insult your logic so there's really not much respect I have towards you in a pro basketball discussion. If you don't like what I have to say, then DON'T say anything to me it's that simple. I have m own opinion of LeBron regardless if you disagree or find it illogical, it's not going to change.
The Cleveland situation and Brooklyn situation have exactly ZERO similarities. Brooklyn traded away multiple first round draft picks to add aging, out of their prime, former stars. They also ate up every ounce of cap room they had in doing so. Cleveland has traded away absolutely nothing and just happened to be able to sign the best player on planet Earth while he is still in his prime. They still have tons of young talent in Wiggins, Irving, Waiters, Thompson, Bennett (if he can get it together). Plus they still have three first round picks next year and cap flexibility for the next couple years. They get to win now AND grow their young talent base.
Hypothetically they could trade Wiggins/Thompson/2 first round picks for Kevin Love and still be in a great place with young talent and draft picks. Plus at that point they would be a legit title contender right away. The possibilities are endless for Cleveland with the situation they are currently in.
You have yet to type one thing in this thread that could be seen as a sane comment. Your basketball knowledge is equal to that of a 4 year old pageant girl.
And absolutely NOWHERE did I mention Cleveland in that statement. I was referencing teams going the short term route and the failures attached to it. You picked Brooklyn and completely disregarded the other teams to argue your half-ass point. The whole point of me throwing Brooklyn in was to shine light on how Lopez/Johnson/Williams have underperformed together. Throwing away your future for failure.
Example of a short term situation going wrong which is why I have been continuously saying you build for the future. Build for the future through the draft and not rely on marquee free agents.
I have been watching basketball since the early 1980s continuously. You did nothing but buy into what I was preaching all along in my last statement. By Brooklyn trading away draft picks for a short term run - they are missing out on the opportunity to build for a potential long term success.
Cleveland internally isn't ready for the pressures just yet as i said. Till Waiters is traded or accepts his role and Irving climbs off his pedestal by being put in check they won't reach their true potential just yet. Throwing LeBron in doesn't instantly put egos aside or everyone on the same page.
What the fuck is the point you are trying to make? Cleveland's situation is nothing like any of the teams you mentioned. They gave up absolutely nothing to get LeBron James. They gave up zero draft picks, zero young players, NOTHING. They simply signed the best basketball player in the world to join a young, growing roster. How have they thrown away their future in any way?
Watching something and actually understanding the nuances of the game and how the business/player development side works are two completely different things.
Winning cures everything. The media also likes to blow small things way out of proportion. Cleveland now has a leader and a true, in his prime superstar. If their are any personality issues/ego issues, adding LeBron and making the Cavs a winning team is only going to help. Nothing negative comes from this.
Paul Bunyan's Axe
Occasional Pre-Show
Figures. Even when Lebron does the thing that everyone wanted him to do four years ago, and he still gets criticized.
JJ, I'm sorry, but the things you're saying aren't making any sense. You admit that Lebron James is the best player, and then you say that it's not good for the Cavaliers that they got him? Blasphemy. Lebron is the best player in the league because he makes everyone around him better. He's one of the best all-around players to ever play the game. He makes every one of his team mates better by being on the same court. And, you're right on one thing, the Cavs might not win the title this year. But, that's not why Lebron came there. He came there to win over the next 5 years, and this is a good situation for this.
And, let me get this straight. You think Lebron hurts the Cavs? So what do you suppose they should have done, not taken him? Would it go something like this?
Lebron: Dan, I'm ready to come home. I want to sign a max deal with the Cavs.
Dan Gilbert: No thanks Lebron. I think I'd rather suck for several more years, get some more high picks, and try to build around young, unproven players, rather thsn just getting the best player I the league. Thanks for the offer, though.
*Gilbert hangs up phone*
JJ, I'm sorry, but the things you're saying aren't making any sense. You admit that Lebron James is the best player, and then you say that it's not good for the Cavaliers that they got him? Blasphemy. Lebron is the best player in the league because he makes everyone around him better. He's one of the best all-around players to ever play the game. He makes every one of his team mates better by being on the same court. And, you're right on one thing, the Cavs might not win the title this year. But, that's not why Lebron came there. He came there to win over the next 5 years, and this is a good situation for this.
And, let me get this straight. You think Lebron hurts the Cavs? So what do you suppose they should have done, not taken him? Would it go something like this?
Lebron: Dan, I'm ready to come home. I want to sign a max deal with the Cavs.
Dan Gilbert: No thanks Lebron. I think I'd rather suck for several more years, get some more high picks, and try to build around young, unproven players, rather thsn just getting the best player I the league. Thanks for the offer, though.
*Gilbert hangs up phone*
jacdnwarrior
Championship Contender
I'm just tired of all the drama around him going from one team to the next. The decision, 4 years ago was overkill, at least this time, he did it more quietly.
If he stayed in Miami, with a few pieces he would be closer to returning to a the Finals. The big 3 got to 4 finals, 2 rings which is great, less than what they promised but still a great accomplishment. He wants to go home, that's fine. The Cavs team he heads, is not closer to his goal of winning championships than the Heat, right now. Rookies don't win, veterans do. So if Gilbert (owner) wants to do well here and not look like he dropped the ball, he better start making some deals and get LeBron the players he needs to win.
If he stayed in Miami, with a few pieces he would be closer to returning to a the Finals. The big 3 got to 4 finals, 2 rings which is great, less than what they promised but still a great accomplishment. He wants to go home, that's fine. The Cavs team he heads, is not closer to his goal of winning championships than the Heat, right now. Rookies don't win, veterans do. So if Gilbert (owner) wants to do well here and not look like he dropped the ball, he better start making some deals and get LeBron the players he needs to win.
Franchize1990
Pre-Show Stalwart
Somewhat surprised that Lebron went back to Cleveland over the Miami Heat. 4 Eastern Conference championships in a row is no easy task and to me as long as they stayed together in Miami, they were the favorites to make it out of the East. I don't know if James going back to the Cavs makes them the head and shoulders favorite in the East this year (especially if D Rose could actually stay healthy for a whole season) but they are easily top 3 in my book. Lebron has taken Cleveland teams with less talent that the current roster deep into the NBA Playoffs so it's not hard to see why the Cavs will be at or near the top for as long as he's there. Definitely makes the Eastern Conference more interesting to watch this year
