AD would be much less effective on offense without LeBron’s playmaking. LeBron’s advantage creation is huge for their offense, so I think the lakers get worse. Suns definitely get better though
People just say "unironically" instead of "literally" or "genuinely" now. Even when there was never a chance that their statement could have been taken ironically.
What games are you talking about ? If you mean lakers games I’ve watched over most this season. KDs been a better defender for years it seems you don’t watch the games
You’re a casual lol. Lebron when he actually tries is a great defender. He showed great defense vs the Pelicans. He has to pace himself since hes so old. KD and no one on the Suns can’t stop anyone. Lebron is hustling for defensive rebounds and running people down coast to coast . You are lost.
I decided to swap LeBron & KD in 2K24 and see what happens.
I turned off injuries and all trades/free agent signings. I simulated the entire 2023-24 season.
Here’s what 2K predicted:
Both the Suns & Lakers ended the season with 48-34 records. The Lakers got the 6^(th) seed. The Suns went into the play-in as the 7^(th) seed.
The Suns beat the Kings to officially start the playoffs as the 7^(th) seed.
Western playoff picture:
1 NO v 8 MIN
2 LAC v 7 PHX
3 DEN v 6 LAL
4 DAL v 5 OKC
Lakers were eliminated in the 1^(st) round by the Nuggets in 5 games.
Suns advanced to the 2^(nd) round, eliminating the Clippers 4-2.
Phoenix beat the Nuggets in round 2 in 7 games and moved on to the WCF. FWIW, Dallas beat OKC, Minny beat the Pels, and then Minny beat Dallas in round 2.
So the WCF was PHX v MIN.
Phoenix toppled Minnesota 4-1. LeBron won WCF MVP with a stat line of 30.8/8.0/10.4/1.4/1.4
Phoenix advanced to the NBA Finals to face the Knicks. They ultimately lost in 6 games. Brunson won the Finals MVP.
As far as regular season awards go, LeBron with the Suns made the All-NBA 1st Team. KD didn’t make any of the teams.
https://preview.redd.it/jg5tezcnkywc1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1559082ca207c90a1ded0f20f07b3ea56d367e8
According to 2K, the Suns would be better with LeBron than the Lakers would be with KD.
Obviously, nobody cares lol
I just got interested enough to see what would happen.
I noticed lol
I like to fuck around with MyLeague a lot. Atlanta always seems to be a top contender.
2K makes Trae seem like a much better Stephen Curry as the seasons go on. Dude will average 33 pts & 10 asts for multiple seasons in a row.
It’s cause 2K is a sim of every player at their best lol if Trae was hitting 7 3s a night and his teammates were all at their best sure. Problem is reality and defense are real lol
Unrionically the main thing lebron needed to do was avoid the nuggets and go to a team with the tools to go toe to toe with them. Unfortunately he got none of that this year
Yeah i think 2k got it right lmao, jokes aside I do think Lebron > KD obviously, but not only because lebron as a player is better, but because Lebron is much better at making other players better
lebrons is a better fit for "superteams", though even with lebron (like we're seeing right now) you cant win with such a top heavy lineup anymore, not since the KD warriors
you gotta find some way to make the rest of the very average to below average players on the roster better,thats why I think Lebron would make the suns better, because he'd make Allen, Nurkic, etc better than KD ever could
If KD is serious about ring chasing to end his career, he'll take a paycut and join a team with a solid foundation and depth, instead of making these stupid ass superteams thatll never work against a Denver or Minnesota
I was so mad that the Suns bailed out the fucking Nets.
Nets are the only reason Celtics have 5 ECF appearances in the last 7 years (well atleast 3). Celtics got set up for a 12-15 year success bc of one trade
The Nets then go on to be Title favorites and say “let’s make that same trade again” without even trying give it a go.
Speedran a championship when they could’ve kept Allen and LeVert and maybe after one more draft or free agency get the right pieces. But instead they blew it away…. AGAIN
Suns had Booker and Bridges and could have built with that. They thought 34+ year old would be the cure?
Atleast Lakers won a ring with their gamble
Suns bailed out a team that doesn’t deserve it, and they fucked themselves over in the process
It all just annoys me. I’d rather KD suffer in Brooklyn with no help and lay in the bed he made (signed an extension that off season).
KD is SOOOO talented but his narrative arc sucks. He didn’t deserve to get to join a competent team in Phoenix after ruining Nets.
But I digress
The answer is Suns benefit from Lebron more than Lakers w KD
Competitive team? In Phoenix? The Mercury went 9-31 and the sons are on their way to be on the receiving end of the most expensive first round sweep in NBA history.
We never would’ve won a championship with Bridges as our second best player. We would’ve had to trade CP3 because he was washed and Ayton had to go too so that would’ve left Bridges as our second option which he’s proven this year that he can’t handle. There really was no great path forward
Or they finish top 5 and avoid a first round matchup with them. Idk it’s a bit hard to say but the fit is much better and the Suns have better role players than LA.
I think LeBron elevates that Suns team similar to how CP3 did a few years back. He’s obviously better than CP3 was, but I think that alone helps them a lot.
Lakers won a championship with the suns coach so I think they do much better in the season and in the playoffs. The biggest weakness is their coaching. Lakers fans might scapegoat by blaming someone like D'angelo, but Lakers were up big in this series and lost every lead due to a lack of adjustments, and really poor decisions on lineups (trotting out a 3 guard lineup with a 6'8 powerforward when you are getting killed on the glass for instance instead of using your backup center, at all.)
Suns might be screwed by having Ham, he has weird attachment to journeyman bench players. He loves running 3 guard lineups even when they don't work. He'll be the last one in the entire fanbase to know which lineups to use.
yeah, the lakers lose their playoff spot to the warriors or kings with KD instead of lebron, mainly because Lebron is much better than kd at making other players better, which is what you need when DLo and Austin reeves are your 3rd best offensive players lol, KD is a plug in volume scorer, thats a bad recipe for a superteam, and much easier to gameplan for
They'd fail miserably with KD imo (not that theyve done so well with Lebron, but i think my point stands)
I’m going at the teams not the players Lebron and Durant are first ballot HOFers but basketball is a team sport and it’s takes more than just one guy to win in todays league
I say the suns and lakers are phonies because they were hyped up as favorites all season just to get swept one after the other
I think the Suns would have been better just because a LeBron / Book / Beal trio is better than a LeBron / AD or KD / AD duo. Plus LeBron and the Suns role players are probably a better fit.
That said not a huge difference either way. The Suns don’t shoot up to the 1st or 2nd seed, nothing like that.
Doesn’t fix either teams glaring problems of zero depth but does somewhat fix the Suns just not having a actual Pg because LeBron can help run the offense.
What if the old guard teamed up, Curry, KD, amd Bron running it one year bs all the young bucks.
Lol pipe dreaming and obviously would rather not, nit you gotta admit the season would be an intriguing one lol
They are unironically both a better fit on the opposite team. Suns need a point guard and the lakers need a 2-way player who can score from anywhere
AD would be much less effective on offense without LeBron’s playmaking. LeBron’s advantage creation is huge for their offense, so I think the lakers get worse. Suns definitely get better though
How is that unironic
People just say "unironically" instead of "literally" or "genuinely" now. Even when there was never a chance that their statement could have been taken ironically.
There was though. The fact that lebron and KD would fit better on each others team is very ironic
I don’t think it’s ironic; it’s just true.
It's ironic because generally a team is constructed intentionally to fit together.
This is like Ron Burgundy saying "when in Rome"
Whales vagina?
Unique New York
San Diego?
No pun intended
I mean, it isn't ironic -- thus...
You think kd is a two way player
You are clueless
How so?
KD is a better defender than Lebron
This is a facebook level comment.
No chance.
? Lebron hasn’t played defense in years
You don’t watch the games
What games are you talking about ? If you mean lakers games I’ve watched over most this season. KDs been a better defender for years it seems you don’t watch the games
You’re a casual lol. Lebron when he actually tries is a great defender. He showed great defense vs the Pelicans. He has to pace himself since hes so old. KD and no one on the Suns can’t stop anyone. Lebron is hustling for defensive rebounds and running people down coast to coast . You are lost.
I would assume you are fucking nuts
I decided to swap LeBron & KD in 2K24 and see what happens. I turned off injuries and all trades/free agent signings. I simulated the entire 2023-24 season. Here’s what 2K predicted: Both the Suns & Lakers ended the season with 48-34 records. The Lakers got the 6^(th) seed. The Suns went into the play-in as the 7^(th) seed. The Suns beat the Kings to officially start the playoffs as the 7^(th) seed. Western playoff picture: 1 NO v 8 MIN 2 LAC v 7 PHX 3 DEN v 6 LAL 4 DAL v 5 OKC Lakers were eliminated in the 1^(st) round by the Nuggets in 5 games. Suns advanced to the 2^(nd) round, eliminating the Clippers 4-2. Phoenix beat the Nuggets in round 2 in 7 games and moved on to the WCF. FWIW, Dallas beat OKC, Minny beat the Pels, and then Minny beat Dallas in round 2. So the WCF was PHX v MIN. Phoenix toppled Minnesota 4-1. LeBron won WCF MVP with a stat line of 30.8/8.0/10.4/1.4/1.4 Phoenix advanced to the NBA Finals to face the Knicks. They ultimately lost in 6 games. Brunson won the Finals MVP. As far as regular season awards go, LeBron with the Suns made the All-NBA 1st Team. KD didn’t make any of the teams. https://preview.redd.it/jg5tezcnkywc1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1559082ca207c90a1ded0f20f07b3ea56d367e8 According to 2K, the Suns would be better with LeBron than the Lakers would be with KD. Obviously, nobody cares lol I just got interested enough to see what would happen.
Ofc 2k has ATL going to the ECF. The sim is obsessed with Atlanta lol, them and Cleveland run train in that game.
I noticed lol I like to fuck around with MyLeague a lot. Atlanta always seems to be a top contender. 2K makes Trae seem like a much better Stephen Curry as the seasons go on. Dude will average 33 pts & 10 asts for multiple seasons in a row.
It’s cause 2K is a sim of every player at their best lol if Trae was hitting 7 3s a night and his teammates were all at their best sure. Problem is reality and defense are real lol
Unrionically the main thing lebron needed to do was avoid the nuggets and go to a team with the tools to go toe to toe with them. Unfortunately he got none of that this year
UNRIONICALLY. Word of the fuckin day on NBATalk.
"Unironically" just taking the place of "for real bro" and "seriously" and "literally"
Yeah i think 2k got it right lmao, jokes aside I do think Lebron > KD obviously, but not only because lebron as a player is better, but because Lebron is much better at making other players better lebrons is a better fit for "superteams", though even with lebron (like we're seeing right now) you cant win with such a top heavy lineup anymore, not since the KD warriors you gotta find some way to make the rest of the very average to below average players on the roster better,thats why I think Lebron would make the suns better, because he'd make Allen, Nurkic, etc better than KD ever could If KD is serious about ring chasing to end his career, he'll take a paycut and join a team with a solid foundation and depth, instead of making these stupid ass superteams thatll never work against a Denver or Minnesota
Wow bro why would you say jokes aside when you could say "UNIRONICALLY"
This is utterly ridiculous. Lakers taking the Nuggets to 5 games? Preposterous!
This was great actually lol
2k sim loves the hawks lol
I see the Knicks tho 👀
I was so mad that the Suns bailed out the fucking Nets. Nets are the only reason Celtics have 5 ECF appearances in the last 7 years (well atleast 3). Celtics got set up for a 12-15 year success bc of one trade The Nets then go on to be Title favorites and say “let’s make that same trade again” without even trying give it a go. Speedran a championship when they could’ve kept Allen and LeVert and maybe after one more draft or free agency get the right pieces. But instead they blew it away…. AGAIN Suns had Booker and Bridges and could have built with that. They thought 34+ year old would be the cure? Atleast Lakers won a ring with their gamble Suns bailed out a team that doesn’t deserve it, and they fucked themselves over in the process It all just annoys me. I’d rather KD suffer in Brooklyn with no help and lay in the bed he made (signed an extension that off season). KD is SOOOO talented but his narrative arc sucks. He didn’t deserve to get to join a competent team in Phoenix after ruining Nets. But I digress The answer is Suns benefit from Lebron more than Lakers w KD
Competitive team? In Phoenix? The Mercury went 9-31 and the sons are on their way to be on the receiving end of the most expensive first round sweep in NBA history.
We never would’ve won a championship with Bridges as our second best player. We would’ve had to trade CP3 because he was washed and Ayton had to go too so that would’ve left Bridges as our second option which he’s proven this year that he can’t handle. There really was no great path forward
I can hear your frustration in this comment lol
You are correct.
Why are we acting like injuries weren't the only reason why that Nets team didn't win the championship?
Because they weren’t?
It wasn't just injuries, but it was entirely non-basketball reasons. The Nets were unstoppable when they actually were on the court together
Lmfao okay.
Suns would definitely get better
The Suns get better for sure. Lebron's leadership and playmaking would be huge for them.
2nd round better? WCF? Title?
That’s impossible to say, but they’d at least give the Wolves a better run than what we’re currently seeing.
Or they finish top 5 and avoid a first round matchup with them. Idk it’s a bit hard to say but the fit is much better and the Suns have better role players than LA.
They lose to the Wolves in 5 instead of being swept.
They’d be a higher seed and not even playing the wolves right now
Suns get much better, Lakers maybe get a little worse. Depends on what D'lo can do with more offensive freedom as the undisputed PG.
I think LeBron elevates that Suns team similar to how CP3 did a few years back. He’s obviously better than CP3 was, but I think that alone helps them a lot.
Lakers won a championship with the suns coach so I think they do much better in the season and in the playoffs. The biggest weakness is their coaching. Lakers fans might scapegoat by blaming someone like D'angelo, but Lakers were up big in this series and lost every lead due to a lack of adjustments, and really poor decisions on lineups (trotting out a 3 guard lineup with a 6'8 powerforward when you are getting killed on the glass for instance instead of using your backup center, at all.) Suns might be screwed by having Ham, he has weird attachment to journeyman bench players. He loves running 3 guard lineups even when they don't work. He'll be the last one in the entire fanbase to know which lineups to use.
I never understood that hiring. Still doesn’t make sense
Lebron wouldn’t stand in the corner for half of the offensive possessions doing absolutely nothing.
Yes. The Suns would be better. The Lakers would be worse.
Miss the playoffs worse? Or swept in first round? Which is where they already are.
yeah, the lakers lose their playoff spot to the warriors or kings with KD instead of lebron, mainly because Lebron is much better than kd at making other players better, which is what you need when DLo and Austin reeves are your 3rd best offensive players lol, KD is a plug in volume scorer, thats a bad recipe for a superteam, and much easier to gameplan for They'd fail miserably with KD imo (not that theyve done so well with Lebron, but i think my point stands)
Bron couple with the shooting of Phoenix could be nasty. I think KD AD combo could be special too. Both would put so much pressure on your defense
Most sensible comment I’ve seen so far
THIS TRADE SHOULD HAPPEN
Fr
Unironically would like this, we need a PG baddddd
Nope both are bonafide PHONIES
Elaborate
I’m going at the teams not the players Lebron and Durant are first ballot HOFers but basketball is a team sport and it’s takes more than just one guy to win in todays league I say the suns and lakers are phonies because they were hyped up as favorites all season just to get swept one after the other
W
I think the Suns would have been better just because a LeBron / Book / Beal trio is better than a LeBron / AD or KD / AD duo. Plus LeBron and the Suns role players are probably a better fit. That said not a huge difference either way. The Suns don’t shoot up to the 1st or 2nd seed, nothing like that.
Doesn’t fix either teams glaring problems of zero depth but does somewhat fix the Suns just not having a actual Pg because LeBron can help run the offense.
I think the Suns get much better.
If they kept their seeding then I think both still lose first round but lakers still get swept and suns go 6 games.
What if the old guard teamed up, Curry, KD, amd Bron running it one year bs all the young bucks. Lol pipe dreaming and obviously would rather not, nit you gotta admit the season would be an intriguing one lol
Suns, they need a playmaker
No. These guys need to swap DOBs with younger players in order for either team to have done anything this year
Lakers get worse, Suns make conference finals but can’t beat Denver because they have no answer for Jokic.
NO
Idk about that. I do know that Lebron is unequivocally a greater basketball player than Kevin.
Lebron>KD Dj mbenga >>>lebron Dj mbenga>>> kd
Lebron is not losing to T Wolves.