The Decision - Second Edition

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

He became just the eighth player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists per game for an entire season last year... the other seven: Kareem, Baylor, Wilt, Barkley, Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo and Oscar Robertson... all Hall of Famers. Not to mention he was third in win shares last year, above Curry, Harden, Griffin, Paul, Lowry and Noah. This isn't your normal All-Star power forward. This is a guy doing things no power forward has ever done before. Love set an NBA record last year, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 100 3-pointers in a single season. Please stop undervaluing a big time talent, who keep in mind, is still only 25-years old.

The "well he's never made the playoffs" statement was EXACTLY LIKE how people would say "well KG can't get his team past the first round how good could he really be?"

Of course the very first year he's traded and given good players, he wins a championship. Nobody will ever remember KG as the guy who couldn't his team out of the first round. Just the same as nobody will remember Love as the guy who couldn't make the playoffs when he gets with a better team

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

You're right, cam, I am fed up with Love's attitude. After putting up with his stupid comments to the press in the past, he completely lost me last December. I finally understood why he will never be a winner, just like Melo will never be a winner. I continued to enjoy watching him stuff the stat sheet (and grimace when he whined about calls rather than bust back on defense, not put in enough effort on defense, and not show leadership late in games), but I enjoyed watching him like I enjoy watching Anthony. They are stat-producing stars, but they are not winners.

And don't think the rest of the league doesn't know this. It's a close fraternity and they're aren't many secrets. We may make fun of Kurt Rambis, but NBA legend Phil Jackson thinks highly enough of him to add him to the Knicks' staff. And everyone in the league knows about the negative comments Rambis made about Love when he coached him. If a guy is truly a superstar, his coach doesn't talk that way about him.

Your point about Love not being a #1 is very true. In fact, if a deal with the Cavs is made, he may even turn out to be #3. But at best he is the second best player on a good team. And I don't know that a guy who is can't be number one on a good team brings back 3-4 young, top 4 picks in a trade. I hope that Cleveland is stupid enough to gut their young talent for a #2 at best, because I think Flip could really do a lot with those young guys and it would be great fun to watch them develop. And the Cavs are not known as an especially well-run franchise, so maybe they do it. But at this point, the Cavs' fans' Kool-Aid tastes a little better than the Kool-Aid being served on this board.

[Lipoli390]

I have really tried to like LeBron since the asinine way he handled "The Decision" 4 years ago. But here we go again. LeBron is once again acting in a way that makes him hard to like. I understand opting out and exploring his options. I understand talking with Pat Riley. I understand taking some time to talk with friends and family and think things through. But this is becoming ridiculous.

It has been more than a full week since LeBron opted out. Nothing special is going to happen to the Heat roster at this point. In the meantime, the Cavs have given up significant assets to clear the necessary roster space for the purpose of signing LeBron, which must have been prompted by communications from LeBron's camp to the Cav's organization. So what does LeBron do? He says nothing, spends the day playing golf with Dwayne Wade and hosts a party in Miami as he prepares to head for Brazil. Meanwhile, teams and players, including LeBron's own teammate twist in the wind waiting for a decision. And again, LeBron's home community in the Cleveland area twists in the wind as LeBron's actions have rekindled the hopes and aspirations of thousands of fans. There can be no legitimate reason for LeBron to continue delaying an announcement at this point. Either LeBron is the ultimate drama queen or for some reason he actually hasn't made up his mind, which makes him seem pathologically flaky.

At this point, any decision other than a decision to return to Cleveland will cement LeBron's legacy as a jerk.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

He became just the eighth player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists per game for an entire season last year... the other seven: Kareem, Baylor, Wilt, Barkley, Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo and Oscar Robertson... all Hall of Famers. Not to mention he was third in win shares last year, above Curry, Harden, Griffin, Paul, Lowry and Noah. This isn't your normal All-Star power forward. This is a guy doing things no power forward has ever done before. Love set an NBA record last year, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 100 3-pointers in a single season. Please stop undervaluing a big time talent, who keep in mind, is still only 25-years old.

The "well he's never made the playoffs" statement was EXACTLY LIKE how people would say "well KG can't get his team past the first round how good could he really be?"

Of course the very first year he's traded and given good players, he wins a championship. Nobody will ever remember KG as the guy who couldn't his team out of the first round. Just the same as nobody will remember Love as the guy who couldn't make the playoffs when he gets with a better team

I'm not a big KG guy, but it's absurd to compare his ability to win to Love's. KG led his team to the playoffs year after year, and Love hasn't done it yet. There's got to be a reason for that. Yes, KG had a good supporting cast the year they got to the West finals, but the rosters were terrible in his other years. And yet the Wolves still made the playoffs. Comparing Love to Garnett is absurd, because they are completely different in their contributions to a team. The better comparison for Love is Anthony, incredible stat stuffers and bona fide stars who can't take their team to the next level.

[Coolbreeze44]

Lebron is doing it to himself again. With the way he is dragging this out, he is going to be ridiculed no matter what decision he makes. I thought he would have learned with the original "Decision".

Choose a $100 million dollar contract already

[Coolbreeze44]

He became just the eighth player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists per game for an entire season last year... the other seven: Kareem, Baylor, Wilt, Barkley, Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo and Oscar Robertson... all Hall of Famers. Not to mention he was third in win shares last year, above Curry, Harden, Griffin, Paul, Lowry and Noah. This isn't your normal All-Star power forward. This is a guy doing things no power forward has ever done before. Love set an NBA record last year, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 100 3-pointers in a single season. Please stop undervaluing a big time talent, who keep in mind, is still only 25-years old.

The "well he's never made the playoffs" statement was EXACTLY LIKE how people would say "well KG can't get his team past the first round how good could he really be?"

Of course the very first year he's traded and given good players, he wins a championship. Nobody will ever remember KG as the guy who couldn't his team out of the first round. Just the same as nobody will remember Love as the guy who couldn't make the playoffs when he gets with a better team

I'm not a big KG guy, but it's absurd to compare his ability to win to Love's. KG led his team to the playoffs year after year, and Love hasn't done it yet. There's got to be a reason for that. Yes, KG had a good supporting cast the year they got to the West finals, but the rosters were terrible in his other years. And yet the Wolves still made the playoffs. Comparing Love to Garnett is absurd, because they are completely different in their contributions to a team. The better comparison for Love is Anthony, incredible stat stuffers and bona fide stars who can't take their team to the next level.

I hate KG but I agree with this post

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I generally have liked and respected LeBron in the past, but I have to agree with recent posts that his behavior is making me angry. He must have given the Cavs some kind of strong commitment to entice them to make their cap clearing moves, and to drag this out for days after the Cavs complied is shameful behavior. If the recent reports that the Gilbert letter is the reason he is balking, that makes me dislike him even more. Gilbert is a nitwit...get over the letter, and do the right thing. Enticing Cleveland to make cap clearing moves and then backing out would constitute one of the biggest prick moves in the history of sports.

[Lipoli390]

Lebron is doing it to himself again. With the way he is dragging this out, he is going to be ridiculed no matter what decision he makes. I thought he would have learned with the original "Decision".

Choose a $100 million dollar contract already

I agree, Cool. Now we hear that LeBron is hesitating because of lingering feeling related to Dan Gilbert's angry letter 4 years ago. That has to be a joke or the silly musings of a bored reporter. How can LeBron take things to this point where the Cavs clear cap space for him and a respected reporter reports from a reliable source that LeBron is gong to Cleveland only to hesitate at the last minute over a letter that's been around for 4 years!!??

[Monster]

Love hasn't won? Who was he supposed to win with? We have been over this tons of times. Love hasn't had talent I don't care how annoyed you are with him etc you can't get around that not to mention the poor organizational issues and bad coaching.

Rambis is likely a very good teacher of the game I said that when he was here in minny. He was also to guy who wanted Darko to be the focal point of an offense and Love had to defer to Darko. DARKO. Rambis has a job because he is likely a good teacher and he has lots of experience with the triangle. Maybe he can tell Fish how not to screw up running the Triangle. Lol Rambis said nice things about Love but like other people he always seemed to sell him short.

People rip these stars no matter what they do. Lebron is a jerk because the league is twisting in the wind. Its his fault because THE ENTIRE LEAGUE is waiting on him? Ok. The finals were over less than a month ago. That's really not a long time to make a really big decision which what he is doing is. I actually think Lebron gets how big of a deal it is where he goes that looked really clear to me watching the decision. I mention that because back to Love. Nothing he can do will look good. He gives the Wolves a heads up and he is a jerk-hole wanting out. He keeps quiet and opts out next year he would be ripped for that too. All of these superstars have big egos and aren't perfect people. Let's get something straight though nothing they do will be good enough and none of these guys are perfect probably not even Durant.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Lebron is doing it to himself again. With the way he is dragging this out, he is going to be ridiculed no matter what decision he makes. I thought he would have learned with the original "Decision".

Choose a $100 million dollar contract already

I agree, Cool. Now we hear that LeBron is hesitating because of lingering feeling related to Dan Gilbert's angry letter 4 years ago. That has to be a joke or the silly musings of a bored reporter. How can LeBron take things to this point where the Cavs clear cap space for him and a respected reporter reports from a reliable source that LeBron is gong to Cleveland only to hesitate at the last minute over a letter that's been around for 4 years!!??

It's a world gone mad! And I'm starting to wonder if I'm crazy for getting so absorbed in this silly drama. Geez, I just want to watch basketball and cheer for my Wolves, and instead I get this soap opera.

Bob Cousy, where are you when we need you?