I start this thread so we as fans can discuss why the New Orleans Pelicans should be Lebron’s choice as the organization to finish his career with. I think the evidence is simple. If Lebron wants to win championships, he won’t be returning to Cleveland. Whatever organization he joins has to be able to compete with Golden State.
The candidates:
Philly: If he joins Philly, he will be competing with the Celtics in the east for a spot in the championship yearly. I don’t see an inexperienced team of Lebron, Simmons, and Embiid having a legit shot against the Warriors.
LA: Quite simply, Lebron, George, and Ball will not beat the Warriors in a 7 game series. It’s just a 2 man team.
Houston: Paul, Harden, and Lebron is a formidable lineup, but that is 3 ball dominant wing players on a team that lives and dies by shooting 3 pointers. Good candidate but not the best.
New Orleans: Trading Hill, Moore, Ajinca, and a 2019 1st round pick for Lebron who opts into his final year on his contract for us to re-sign Cousins is Lebron’s best option to win a championship. Lebron can be ball dominant and we can thrive with Davis, Cousins, and Holiday playing off of him. This lineup is championship caliber and the most formidable matchup for the Warriors with 3 excellent defenders. Mirotic fills in as a starter until Cousins is healthy then he becomes our 6th man/3rd big. Sign Rondo for the MLE and Clark to a veteran minimum deal and we are set.
Lineup
PG: Rondo/Jackson/vet min PG scorer
SG: Holiday/Clark
SF: James/Miller
PF: Davis/Mirotic/Diallo
C: Cousins/Okafor
Lebron Sales Pitch
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06-09-2018, 12:44 PMDarkhorse985Lebron Sales Pitch
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06-09-2018, 12:52 PMjprdbulldog20
I wish we were a candidate
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06-09-2018, 12:57 PMDarkhorse985Why can’t we be? We have the talent that can’t be ignored.Quote:
Originally Posted by jprdbulldog20
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06-09-2018, 01:02 PMSilver NailA move like this gives him a chance to further expand on his legacy. Perhaps 10 straight finals appearances, rings with 3 different teams, and both conferences.Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkhorse985
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06-09-2018, 01:41 PMPelicanidae
I agree that if his primary concern was winning, it would be either here or (if Kawhi and Pop both stay) in San Antonio. Unfortunately, there's a lot to consider, including family (he has two sons old enough to give their say), and also money; there's a good chance he'll just want to stay in Cleveland to supermax next year. The appeal of staying East has to be strong as well, can't see him wanting to let Kyrie take over the East after the way things went down with them.
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06-09-2018, 01:42 PMtdcreator
He’d be crazy to not consider it and now talking heads are starting to talk about it. Financially it will be tough but I think anything can happen. If we do manage to keep niko, I’d prob try to flip him for some depth or if the Cousins to Washington sign and trade could happen. I think that Lebron would only come if cousins and AD are here though.
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06-09-2018, 01:47 PMDefensiveMind
Understand this.... it’s the longest of shots. I wouldn’t be surprised if not a single member of the media spent a single sentence talking about the Pels and LeBron.
However, this conversation needs to be had by our local coverage team, our bloggers, and our fan base. Reject anyone who tries to tell you how fool hardy this conversation is. Legitimacy starts first with results and progresses based on your own expectations. It’s time to continue to show the world that NOLA is,can and will be a place where quality basketball can be found year in and year out. If we take it serious, “they”will take us serious, and even if LeBron James never comes closer than a time zone away, remember he’s not the only fish in the sea looking for a new home this summer with a winner.
So in conclusion, make your arguments loud, passionate, sensible and shout them out to whoever will listen. It’s go time, baby!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk -
06-09-2018, 02:08 PMtdcreatorDilly Dilly!!Quote:
Originally Posted by DefensiveMind
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06-09-2018, 03:03 PMHoustonPelicans
If we wait for Lebron to become a free agent, we can trade Hill, Ajinca, Liggins and 2019 1st and will be able to give Lebron a contract starting at $24.6M. Think he will take a paycut to play with AD, Boogie, Jrue and Rondo?
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06-09-2018, 03:09 PMMythrol
I simply don't think Philly is an option. He doesn't fit with them. They don't have enough shooting to space the floor and in the playoffs will get killed by the Warriors as they pack the paint and dare LBJ and Simmons to shoot jumpers.
I could see Houston as an option but there's not enough ball to go around. Houston already tries to stagger CP3 and Harden as much as possible because of this. Add LBJ, another ball dominate player, and there will be issues.
If he was just looking at best fit then I think the Pels are a contender. We have the shooting to surround him, we have the defensive players so he can rest some on defense and not constantly have to give his all on that side, with Cousins we also have two superstars that can take over and carry the weight offensively. Plus he can be on ball or off ball as much as he wants because of Jrue's flexibility. -
06-09-2018, 06:00 PMsoggymossLebron will not take anything less than a max, hes already said that..Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonPelicans
He wants to own a franchise one day, cant do that taking paycuts -
06-09-2018, 06:38 PMDroopyDawg
Its fun to dream I guess.
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06-09-2018, 07:34 PMKevinDavis1022
While I love the thought of having Lebron on our team, I just don't see it happening. There's quite a few hurdles to clear financially (Although if he did say he wanted to, Dell would move Heaven and Earth to make it happen). I think if he comes to the Western conference, it would be the Rockets or Lakers.
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06-09-2018, 07:50 PMDarkhorse985This mindset is what we need. The Pelicans are now a legitimate basketball destination, and we as fans need to be the loudest recognizing that. You can make this same presentation to Paul George if Lebron goes to Philly or Houston. We are a stud wing player away from being a contender to Golden State with or without Cousins.Quote:
Originally Posted by DefensiveMind
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06-09-2018, 10:59 PMTopdawg26
Get him dunk during the essence fest than give him to sign a contract with the Pels instead of his bar tab.
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06-10-2018, 12:52 AMPelicanidaeWhy would it be Lakers? He's already said he doesn't want to have to start from scratch, and if he went there it would be as scratch as you can get. They haven't made the playoffs in even longer than us (before this season) and have absolutely sucked every year. They showed some promise this year, but if you think the only thing between the Lakers and a ring (which is Lebron's only goal) is LBJ and PG13, then you're probably underestimatig how far they have to go.Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinDavis1022
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06-10-2018, 11:37 AMUNO Gracias
He is going to stay in the East. It is an easier road to the finals, and he doesn’t have to be tested until the Finals. He will go to the Celtics or the 76ers, and that team will be in the NBA Finals for the next 3-5 years.
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06-10-2018, 11:41 AMMythrolI'm not sure Lebron cares about just making it to the Finals to get embarrassed on national TV. The East is definitely an easier path but Lebron on Philly isn't beating the Warriors and depending who the Celtics trade to clear space to get Lebron I'm not sure they are competing either.Quote:
Originally Posted by UNO Gracias
The best teams are all out west. If he wants to compete he has to go to one of the best teams. -
06-10-2018, 12:03 PMUNO Gracias
Boston and Philly have the potential to be just as competitive as us, so him joining us doesn’t make him much scarier than him joining the Celts or 76ers. Sure we have AD and Jrue, but who knows what we have in Boogie because of his injury. The Celtics have two key guys coming back from injury, but their young players made an experienced Cavs team work for it. They76ers are young and have money and talent everywhere.
I think talent and an easier path to the finals is a bigger selling point than “you get to play with AD.” -
06-10-2018, 12:13 PMHoustonPelicans
Lebron brought up IQ a lot and the importance of playing with players with a high IQ. Well our Big 4 in Rondo, AD, Boogie and Jrue is one of the top 3 most collective IQ's in the league combined with their talent level. Lebron has to see that, he also brought up Rondo quite a few times in each of his last few interviews.
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06-10-2018, 12:25 PMMythrolWe have no idea what the Celtics would have to move to get Lebron on the team. We don't even know what would happen because Kyrie already demanded to be traded last time he was on a team with Lebron. The same could be said for Kyrie and Hayward anyway, who knows how they will return from injury. Players don't look at it the same way. It's the same reason AD is still insistent on Cousins signing here.Quote:
Originally Posted by UNO Gracias
Philly just isn't a good fit for Lebron at all. They have no shooting and no PG to run the offense so Lebron will again be forced to run the offense which means what? Simmons is going to play off ball? Teams will pack the paint and destroy them in the playoffs.
The east has an easier path but who knows how Philly or Boston would have done if they were in the West. It's clear they aren't competing with Golden State though.
If Lebron wants to win a title he will go to a team in the West.
Out of Boston, Philly, and the Pels we have by far the best player in AD. Boston would be an option IF they could keep Kyrie but I don't believe he would agree to play with Lebron. I don't see Lebron with Hayward, Tatum, and other young players competing against Golden State if they could even keep everyone and still get Lebron.
To win a title you need superstars. I don't see anyone on Philly that has hit superstar status yet. I see two teams in the West with two Superstars and the ability to add Lebron. Houston and Us. Lebron would probably prefer Houston or maybe Lebron is content to just coast to the Finals in the East and continue to lose while hoping for a key injury so he can win another ring.
But if he wants an actual team capable of competing against Golden State then he would pick a West team. -
06-10-2018, 12:36 PMPelicanidaeYou know, you do a really good job of outlining something that most people (not all, by any means) have been ignoring.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mythrol
The 76ers really don't have anyone of that transcendent level. They have a lot of guys who have the potential to be there, and are certainly very good players, but no one on the Anthony Davis/Healthy Boogie level of dominant talent. Embiid gets talked about as if he's prime Shaq or Olajuwon by most of the media, when he's simply not. He's looked like it, for a game here or a game there, but he's four seasons into his NBA career, has yet to play 100 regular season games, and averaged 23/11 last season. Which is definitely really good, no question, but he's not Anthony Davis. He's not Healthy Boogie.
Similar with Simmons, he gets talked about as if he's going to be the next Lebron, but I just don't see it. He's certainly very good, but he's more like a taller Rondo than Lebron. Which is a very good, potentially hall of fame player, but it's not that top level transcendent talent. Who else do they have? Dario Saric? To me, the only way the 76ers get Lebron is if they also get Kawhi Leonard in some form of trade. Which I don't see happening.
You're right, if Lebron wants to actually win a ring, he has realistically 2 options (Rockets or us), with a darkhorse in the Spurs who might retain Leonard and get Lebron and get the whole thing Popped.
He's not going to the Celtics, I'm almost certain. -
06-10-2018, 02:07 PMMythrol
Yes that's true I wasn't thinking of the Spurs mainly because of the drama with Leonard but they could be an option just because of the history and Pop being there. That's IF Lebron is willing to give up control and allow himself to be coached by Pop. I'm not sold on that. Truthfully the Spurs still just have 1 superstar then a Jrue level talent in LMA and then aging hall of Famers who can't be expected to contribute much.
Philly has a lot of young talent and some guys who have a ton of potential but Simmons has 1 year of playing ball in the league and Embiid while in the league a long time has just over 1 season of actual ball played. Then you look at what they did in the playoffs which was their exact same game and compare that to what AD did, who took his game to another level, and it really shows you the difference in them. When you look at what was actually provided in the playoffs Jrue could be argued had just as good if not better of a playoffs and Mirotic was on a similar level as them as well. Add a healthy Cousins to that and I don't see it as even close.
I just don't see Lebron going to Philly unless they are able to make a move for another superstar as well. Boston has a better shot than them, but with Kyrie I'm not sure how they do it. Honestly I don't see the Lakers as a choice either. Paul George and Lebron aren't enough to carry that team in the West past Golden State. You need 3 superstars to get past them or 2 superstars and then multiple all star level type players.
Most importantly what Lebron needs is another player or two who can just take over scoring in a tight game. AD was #2 in scoring this past season and that's with him leaving a few games early. He's an absolute monster who takes over games. Lebron played the most minutes of any player this last season. He needs some more superstars that he can rely on so he can rest his body during the regular season. I see Houston being a team like that and I see us with Cousins as a team like that. -
06-10-2018, 02:26 PM6warddude
This we know..magic and Danny ainge are not going to give up the GM job to lebron so he can pick his team......Kyrie wanted to get the hell away from lebron and right now I don't see Kyrie checking his ego to play with lebron now....
Philly fired their GM so I can see lebron picking his team there depending on who the new GM is...
Family wise Cleveland,,los Angeles and Houston maybe the front runners.....
Lebron done a lot but maybe his new goal is to beat KD and the warriors...Lebron beat them before KD but is 0-2 against KD and his warriors....if that's the goal then lebron need a super team to do that and we give him a chance at that...
Houston is the front runner with lebron taking out the warriors...5 made 3s would have beaten the warriors...if Houston would have gone back to the pick and roll and scored some 2s maybe they would have won the game.....if Houston had a player like lebron on the team who could have scored at will when those 20 missed 3s was not falling maybe they could have won the game....now cp3, harden,lebron,gordon and ryno is a lot of money and that team will have to get adjusted and you have players like ariza saying he would play for the minimum to join the warriors but would he do that to stay in Houston to play with lebron......
Family wise I don't see the pels but ring wise I do.....jrue,lebron and AD are first team all defense...Lebron and AD are first team all offense and you add boogie and jrue.....rondo,,,jrue,,lebron,,AD,,boogie,,,moore, ,miller,,Niko,,and add 4 more ring chasers for the minimum and this team winning it all.... -
06-10-2018, 04:07 PMPelicanidaeI think that on paper, this looks, true, but it doesn't really check out as a criticism of the Spurs. They did better against Golden State this playoffs than the Cavs did, despite having the same geriatric cast and only LMA. Obviously there was no Kawhi. If they could do that, largely due to having an actual system and being coached by someone who isn't Ty Lue, then imagine Kawhi comes back + Lebron? All of a sudden, that team gains another potential combined 50/16/12 every game, which would go a long way towards tipping them over the edge.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mythrol
Also, I think Lebron would be fine under Pop's system. He played in a much more off ball way in Miami (a lot more catch and shoot/cuts, rather than ISO) and Pop has generally loosened up his strictness since LMA complained about being coached wrong. Plus, it's not like Kawhi is a playmaker anyway, so it's not like he needs to have the ball all the time either. I could see it working pretty well.