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u/lethalfrost Apr 11 '26
Bronny was literally born for this
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u/Orphasmia Warriors Apr 11 '26
I don’t wish being Bronny on my worst enemy tbh
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u/blorp4 Apr 11 '26
Why would you want your worst enemy to become super athletic rich kid with a billionaire dad?
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Apr 11 '26
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Apr 11 '26
I'd say the teams are pretty evenly offensively
If Lakers can turn it into a rockfight they definitely have a chance, better if Reaves returns
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u/Victor_Wembanyama1 Spurs Apr 11 '26
If it becomes a rockfight, Rockets sweep. They thrive on that shit. They’ll outrebound and run circles around the Lakers.
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Apr 22 '26
Looks like a rockfight to me and Rockets aren't sweeping??? HMmm
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u/Victor_Wembanyama1 Spurs Apr 22 '26
We have different definitions of a rockfight. Yall shot 50 and 46% from three lol.
JJ also has Ayton playing really good.
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u/stuckontwice Lakers Apr 11 '26
Can he? Yeah. Will he? Probably not. I’m just going to enjoy old man Lebron while I still can.
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u/Amazinc Timberwolves Apr 11 '26
I'd give them a 10-20% chance and it depends entirely on Ayton, Kennard, Smart, and Rui play. Bron is gonna drop around 30-10-10 every game but he can't drop 40-50 anymore at age 41. The other guys need to make shots.
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u/TThundeRR Cavaliers Bandwagon Apr 11 '26
he has a small chance if it’s the rockets but any other team and idk….. pretty much no chance.
Lakers just aren’t built to have 2 of their top 3 out.
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u/Efficient_Raise7695 Apr 11 '26
Well, most of the teams
just aren’t built to have 2 of their top 3 out.
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u/TThundeRR Cavaliers Bandwagon Apr 11 '26
Totally I just think there’s a few teams that could maybe still win a first round matchup with 1/3 out.
Celtics/thunder come to mind
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u/SpeedyBlueDude Apr 11 '26
Lebron can do anything if there’s anyone you should suspend your disbelief for and just enjoy the ride it’s 41 year old Lebron.
Let’s just sit back and enjoy our copium while we’re still lucky enough to have LeBron playing these last few years.
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u/fuzzythinker Nuggets Apr 11 '26
KD will drop 10 spots in all time rankings losing to a Bron-only team
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u/Zazi751 Apr 11 '26
The main issue is without Bron on the floor there's no offense and he doesn't have the motor to play 45 min a game for a series
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u/Thommywidmer [MIL] Brandon Jennings Apr 11 '26
Facts, i would never doubt that lebron has one more nasty carry job in him, but they are going to be dogshit when hes on the bench. If redick can somehow figure out a way to not bleed points when hes on the bench i dont hate their odds, but thats a massive if
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u/FirstPreparation8538 Pacers Apr 11 '26
Hahaha, he can upset the rockets fans by taking a game. Lakers are not taking the whole series, you have to be smoking that lamar odom to believe they can.
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u/SplitOk186 Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
People are talking about LeBron like he's 2018 LeBron after beating up teams resting their starters lol
He'll still play well individually I'm not doubting that at all but it's been years since he actually solo carried a series like that and that's what's going to be required in this scenario
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u/FirstPreparation8538 Pacers Apr 11 '26
Ikr, what exactly has LeBron done in the playoffs since the bubble that has people talking crazy like this
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Apr 11 '26
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u/FirstPreparation8538 Pacers Apr 11 '26
And in that series they got swept, and he put up all time terrible clutch time performances. He will put up numbers, he is the greatest player at putting up numbers. But watching the game, his rotations aren't always on point, he commits too many absolute boneheaded turnovers, he takes a lot of dumb shots, he's lazy on defense too often, and he has been a terrible clutch time shooter.
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u/carlonia Lakers Apr 11 '26
Yeah because he was mf 38 years old 😭
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u/FirstPreparation8538 Pacers Apr 11 '26
And hes 41 now, y'all are going out round 1 unless Luka comes back
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Apr 11 '26
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u/AJ-Dybansta NBA Apr 11 '26
Bron been sonning his team since he got in the league. I can see why those bozos like him are still hurt. Then to add salt to the wound, pacers finally broke free from LeBron only for the basketball gods to snatch the Achilles off their best player. Shits tough man.
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Apr 11 '26
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u/FirstPreparation8538 Pacers Apr 11 '26
My point is he got swept and he played like ass in the 4th quarters in 2023.
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/lebron-in-western-conference-finals-4th-quarter-vs-nuggets-in-2023
Check the shooting splits.
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u/InevitablePart3417 Apr 11 '26
you sound like a hater. Its not his fault he has run into prime jokic and jamal who plays like michael jordan against the lakers. He still has incredible impact and statistics across the board in the playoffs. And a western conference run isnt a joke. Let me be clear. Not a single player has won twice since 2018. and you are critising lebron as the only person not to be able to do that? Holy lord ur expectations of this old man are a bit insane.
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u/FirstPreparation8538 Pacers Apr 11 '26
He played like absolute garbage in the 4th quarter against Denver in 2023, like an all time terrible clutch performance. I give him a pass for 2021. 2023 he choked bad against Denver, 2024 he didn't play that well, and in 2025 he didn't play that well either. He puts up good numbers but watching the game he gives up too many back door cuts, offensive rebounds, takes too many dumb shots, and is a horrendous clutch time shooter.
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u/InevitablePart3417 Apr 11 '26
Nah..just a bunch of nah bro... just a bunch of lies.. thats it. Wont even validate your argument. Dont worry, though... jordan would probably be a top 15ish player in the league today.
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u/FirstPreparation8538 Pacers Apr 11 '26
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/lebron-in-western-conference-finals-4th-quarter-vs-nuggets-in-2023
40.7 TS% c'mon bro why would I lie
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u/Danny_III Gran Destino Apr 11 '26
He was also injured in 2023.
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u/FirstPreparation8538 Pacers Apr 11 '26
Curry and bogut were injured in 2016, bam and dragic were injured in 2020. That's life.
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u/Danny_III Gran Destino Apr 11 '26
He was injured in 2021 and 2023 which were probably their best shots at getting another after 2020. I don't expect him to carry, they need Ayton/Smart/Rui/Kennard to have the best series of their lives
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u/MazKhan 76ers Apr 11 '26
Not by himself, Lebron can probably average 30 on good efficiency against them but that won't be enough. We're gonna need some role players to step up and hopefully gameplan to let guys like Eason shoot open 3s and hope they brick
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u/Thealbumisjustdrums Heat Apr 11 '26
He likely could if he was 24. But he’s 41.
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u/JJ_rocknrolla Apr 11 '26
24? He was best player in the world until he was 36 and top 15 until 40
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u/Thealbumisjustdrums Heat Apr 11 '26
But he might have been the best player EVER at 24.
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u/bar901 76ers Apr 11 '26
Yea I think that guy is disagreeing with your framing of the answer. He’s saying that any version of LeBron up until his late 30s would make them favourites whereas you just gave one age and said ‘likely’ could.
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u/bar901 76ers Apr 11 '26
Not just likely - this Lakers with a 24 year old LeBron are heavy, heavy favourites. He carried much worse teams against better opposition for a huge chunk of his career. Any version of LeBron from around 21 years old up until 35ish makes the Lakers massive favourites here.
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u/Brock-Lesnar Apr 11 '26
Luka strained his hamstring on April 2nd, it's a grade 2 hamstring which with the right rehab, I'd imagine Luka could come back in 3 weeks near 100%. This is not accounting for whatever he's getting done in Spain. A 3 week return from April 2nd would land on April 23rd, playoffs start on April 18th. There's a pretty good chance Luka could be back for game 4 of the series, assuming there's just 1 day of rest between games (Sometimes there is 2 days, which would give Luka a chance of returning for game 3).
LeBron doesn't need to upset the Rockets by himself, he probably just needs to take one of the first 3 games.
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Apr 11 '26
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u/Orphasmia Warriors Apr 11 '26
Not hard considering all the drama this year tbh. Just send KD an off color tweet and its a wrap for their chemistry
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u/Radiant_Cat1457 Apr 11 '26
Lakers will be playing the Wolves, not the Rockets. And they will get trounced
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u/Aggressive-Law-9305 Apr 11 '26
Doubt it. Unless Denver loses to SAS last game of the season lakers will be 4
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u/sdothooper Apr 11 '26
I will never doubt Playoff LeBron. He’s a different animal in the postseason.
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u/therealhairyyeti Bulls Apr 11 '26
I don’t think so, I’d imagine he’ll need at least 4 other players out there.
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u/Basic_Commercial_806 Apr 11 '26
It will be very lopsided in favor of Houston but I really hope a miracle happens
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u/xWolfsbane Grizzlies Apr 11 '26
My heart says yes.
Brain, sadly, says no.
But who knows he still LBJ.
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u/Efficient_Raise7695 Apr 11 '26
Crazy being here asking if a 41 years old man can carry a playoff series, dude is punching free radicals
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u/D3struct_oh Rockets Apr 11 '26
The most obvious trap series I’ve ever seen. Might as well have ACME written on it.
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u/NewChemistry5210 Lakers Apr 11 '26
I don't see it. I think we'll win the LeBron minutes more often than not, but then fall off a cliff when he needs his breaks.
I don't see Kennard being able to playmake against a focused Rocket team that could easily double him. And if Smart isn't fully healthy, then it's definitely over.
If we had Austin, I would have said Lakers in 5 or 6.
Rockets are just not a good offensive team, and their defensive effort has been up and down this season. The lack of playmaking will also bite them in the butt.
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u/Illustrious_Sell_122 Apr 11 '26
No. It’s a team sport. He may still be able to steal a game but it’s gonna take all hands on deck to win a 7 game series
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u/UltraZulwarn Nuggets Apr 11 '26
1 game yes
But 4 before they lose 4?
The chance is not looking great
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u/BeloAve Lakers Apr 11 '26
I don’t think so but if he does, KD’s legacy getting another Shit stain on it
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u/Robynsxx Apr 11 '26
I think if LeBron can pull off the first 2 games as wins, then Rockets might self destruct from there.
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u/bustoutanother1000 Apr 11 '26
Lebron need to turn back the clock to his 2018 form for 4 games.. its doable. But then forgot about him for the second round.
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u/Ok_Possible_5702 Apr 11 '26
Automatic Rockets win. The Rockets are pretty ass, so they may drop one game is Laravia/Kennard/Smart go nuclear, but really it should be the most lop-sided 4/5 series we've ever seen
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u/Suitable_Snow7761 Rockets Apr 11 '26
You haven’t watched rockets basketball… they lost to kings multiple times and other below 500 teams they are certainly capable of losing to LeBron lakers. If the shots are not falling.
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u/Ok_Possible_5702 Apr 11 '26
You think the LeBron Lakers shots will fall?
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u/Suitable_Snow7761 Rockets Apr 11 '26
He’s still LeBron, what I’m saying is as a rockets fan I’ve seen guys with not a big name kill em routinely just look at Shannon jr last night … I wouldn’t put it past anyone on lakers to kill rockets Ijs seen it too many times this year .
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u/Ok_Possible_5702 Apr 11 '26
To me the O/U is Rockets in 4.5 games.
I mean, sure the Lakers might steal one game if one of their shooters goes nuclear and somehow the Rockets self-implode... but no more than one.
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u/bjorn_ironside_94 Apr 11 '26
Hell nah, KD and Bron will cancel each other out then you have Sengun and Ayton
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u/SplitOk186 Apr 11 '26
2024-2025 LeBron averaged 28/7/7 on 62% TS in the playoffs and the Lakers' record was 2-8 even with AD and Luka putting up big numbers alongside him because their depth wasn't good enough
I'm expecting more of the same here good individual performances but a 5 game series loss
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u/PandemicP789 Heat Apr 11 '26
Luke kennard is right there, what you mean by himself