Will LeBron be a Celtic next year?

[madinmaryland]

Discuss.

[Carnage251]

1. The Celtics have a lot of high paid players already

I don't think they can afford him.

[HughBeaumont]

2. Why the hell would he be a Celtic?

The Cavs can offer him far more money and sorry to say, the overachieving Celtics are all in the autumn of their careers. Had James been 100%, this series would have ended one game ago. This has nothing at all to do with heart.

I love how all of these asshole sportswriters are blaming him and only him for the loss. Sorry, but he wasn't the only one clanging jumper after layup after jumper out there. How many assists was he robbed of while dishing to Antawn 1-10 Jamison, who not only sucked last night but for the whole series has been an offensive and defensive liability? How is it that a 7'1" building of a guy is incapable of putting a ball in a basket from 2 feet away? In and out, in and out, every damned TIME! How is it that during this series, our usually finesse backcourt turned into a bunch of bricklayers? How is it that we still have an incredibly soft as marshmallow frontcourt? Why is it that James is the only one that's expected to be aggressive and play aggressive basketball? Who's holding the rest of this team hostage?

The problems with this team go far deeper than just James' elbow or his teammates not showing up when it counts.

[hughee99]

8. If their problems go far deeper than James, you should expect that he'll leave.

James certainly wasn't responsible for the other guys who didn't show up, but since James gets a vast majority of the credit for their success, you have to expect he's going to get most of the blame for their failures. Hell, even if he was averaging 50 points and 20 rebounds, and they lost, you'd hear about how he wasn't getting his teammates involved.

I don't think James is going to Boston, but if he felt like the rest of his team (or organization) isn't doing their job, why would he stay in Cleveland either? He's carried them on his back for a while, and has probably figured out by now that he can't win a championships like that.

[HughBeaumont]

12. He could have won a championship with this team.

The problem when it comes to Boston or Orlando is his one-dimensional coach, who can't run an offense for beans. A good coach knows how to use the talent given to him and make adjustments when needed, and Mike Brown isn't one of those people. Micheal Jordan didn't have the greatest of frontcourts when he won titles, he had a great coach with a great offense.

If we're going back historically, this team's lack of success, really, can be traced to one guy: Jim Paxson. This guy had to be one of the absolute WORST GMs to be allowed to do so.

If you were a GM and had a prize like LeBron James land in your lap, wouldn't you . . . I don't know, do every single thing in your power NOT to screw it up? Here's a guy that let Carlos Boozer get away and got shiz-NIT in return. LeBron HAD a Pippen, the near-Superstar; it just wasn't known yet. But they never knew, because they didn't take the RISK.

Then there was the 2004 draft, the Cavs only Post-LBJ lottery pick. The Cavs needed, REALLY needed a point guard. They could have also used a shooting guard and a hustle PF. Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Kevin Martin, JR Smith, JOSH Smith, Al Jefferson, Tony Allen and Anderson Varejao were all available . . . aaaaaaaaand they drafted Luke Jackson. WHO? Luke played a whopping 46 games in two seasons, bounced around the NBA and now plays in Italy. Everyone else mentioned above . . .

That wasn't Paxson's first stupid draft either. Prior to LeBron, in 2001 he passed up Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson and Tony Parker and wasted his 8th pick on DeSagna Diop. Brilliance.

This guy also killed the future development of this team by trading the 2005 and 2007 draft picks for some stiff named Jiri Welsch, who shot worse than I did. You wonder why this team had to get all of it's "talent" through FAs and trades, here's a primary reason.

He'd make doctorate moves by grabbing free agents like Lucious Harris, who, of course, left his ability to shoot threes in Jersey. His frontcourt was anchored around a 7'3" klutz who's 35 on paper but is stuck with a 49-year-old body and 54-year-old reflexes.

Despite Dan Gilbert finally stepping in and firing this idiot, I just feel LeBron was set up to fail from the very start due to Paxson's bumbling, boneheaded moves. Not that Ferry was any better by overpaying stiffs like Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones and now Antawn Jamison, but this team never got a chance to develop and get young lasting talent because of this clown.

[hughee99]

13. This is what I'm saying.

There are coaching problems and GM problems. Jordan had other good players (personally, I think Pippen is overrated), but he also had a good coach who could make the necessary adjustments, and a GM who did a decent job of identifying role players.

If Lebron sees the issues as not just the currently players and their personal talent or effort, but as an organizational issue, why would he want to stay knowing that the organization isn't capable of doing what's necessary to win championships. He'd just be looking forward to more years of being blamed for all their failures.

[HughBeaumont]

14. Where would he go where he has a greater chance?

Noah isn't a D12 stopper and neither is Bosh. At least if you had Boozer or Johnson, you could make do with a semi-elite big. But as is, Dwight with slopjackers might just be the better long term plan than LeBron with a constantly competent but soft supporting cast. It's unfortunate.

Do you blow Cleveland up, unload all the bad contracts and rebuild from scratch? OKC had Durant and got lots of good young talent. Are John Wall and Evan Turner equal to Durant or James? Sorry, but I'm not seeing any "Can't Misses" in the college ranks right now - just a bunch of benchwarmers, potential prospects and NBDL'ers.

If the organization promises to redeem itself, how do they do that with no cornerstone in LeBron?

[hughee99]

15. I don't know how to fix Cleveland

but I don't think that's going to be the biggest factor in Lebron's decision, anyway. From everything you've said, it sounds like you need to start with a GM that's a better evaluator of talent, and a head coach that knows how to make adjustments. Lebron simply moving to a team that has that has a better front office and coaching staff will be an upgrade for him. James can to to any team he feels has this, since his deal will be long enough, and he's young enough, that he could go to a place that's not good now and build a team over the next 2 to 3 years. He's not 34 and needs a team that can win "right now" (like Karl Malone going to the Lakers).

I agree that the current Cleveland team MAY have been capable of winning a championship... with a GOOD coach.

[chelsea0011]

3. No...Celtics only want winners

[Iggo]

5. If that were true, then they never would've taken KG or Ray Allen.

Both those guys were losers just like Lebron before they came to the Celtics.

GO LAKERS!

[chelsea0011]

17. I was speaking about mentally being a winner. Not quitters that stop

playing when time is running down. A leader would have stopped the clock or fouled. And yes. Kobe again would be nice if the Celts get that far. It would be nice to beat the lakers again.

[Iggo]

18. That was unforgiveable they way the Cavs quit on that game.

And we're praying for the Celtics over here.

Celtics vs Lakers is real basketball.

Good Luck.

[Capt. America]

4. He'll be in Miami with Wade.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Also possible Cleveland will hire Phil Jackson. James still needs a Pippen. nt

[Demstud]

10. That would make me so happy

Phil Jackson here in Ohio with Lebron would be a dream come true for me, lol.

[Captain Hilts]

6. No. Nor a Knick. nt

[Demstud]

9. I think he will be a Bull if anything

Bulls are the only team I can think of right now that could realistically hire him and quickly compete for a championship. He might end up in New York, but I think it would be a mistake. They won't be any more likely to compete for a title than the Cavs (probably less so) and his market won't grow any as he's already world wide. One of the radio espn guys made a good point in that the only place he could expand his brand significantly would be China, and he does that by winning a championship (why Kobe is more popular than him over there). If Phil Jackson ends up somewhere other than LA, I think there's a good possibility that that's where Lebron will end up if they can afford him.

[joeybee12]

11. No, because he'll be in Boston, Home of God's Chosen and America's Team...

...and since LeBron worships Satan, he doesn't want to be near goodness and light.

[madinmaryland]

16. ...

:puke: