LeBron still plays great at this age and his name will be in debates of GOAT after he retires. I wonder if he grabbed one more championship before retire but with this Lakers it's very very hard.
Speaking of Alperen Şengün, his performance rises in every game. He's playing more confident, take responsibility, score and rebound, he also add assists to his portfolio. That triple double wasn't random. We'll see more performances like that in the future. About the best Turkish player, he still has a long way to go. Mehmet Okur is the best Turkish player ever in NBA, Hedo was the second. Alperen has a potential to be with these two superstars if he continue his development and have better performances.
Topic: 2019 NBA Pre-Season - page 858. (Read 918873 times)
Honestly, I think serious injuries and lack of motivation are the only reasons why other NBA players (veterans) can't play as well as LeBron at 38.
Lebron James also spends lots of money on his physical conditioning since he entered the NBA. I'm sure it was discussed here in this thread way back years ago that he is spending around $1,500,000 per year on his health-related stuff. That's how serious Lebron is as he's not just building his legacy but also taking care of his endorsements. Lebron, after retirement, is truly damn rich and his hard work maintaining his good physical condition pays off.
I don't know when we can witness again a player that is still versatile and agile at the age of 38.
My closest candidate would be Giannis Antetoukounmpo.
Yeah its not a secret that Lebron James invested a lot of money to his body to make him more fot and condition every game of his career so its not surprising at all that despite of his age he can still dominate. He's full of talent that's why and he continue to put up some big shows then broke some outstanding records.
Closest is Giannis since he's strong but his 28 years old so if he didn't get any serious injury maybe he will be the next face of NBA but I also think Ja Morant have bright future to be the next face since he's so talented and explosive.
Well if he is like in his 30's and not in his top shape then suddenly dunking again, that will raise an alarm. But right now, it's normal, just like what we have seen in Vince Carter when he was in his prime.
Yeah, and there's no serious injury that happened to him yet so the question of using "drugs" should be stopped. It's just the springs. 
How about LeBron James’ triple double last night. Amazing that he’s still able to put up such huge numbers with 0 turnovers. He’s one of only three guys to ever score 45+ over the age of 35 and he’s done it more times than the other 2 combined. He’s a medical marvel the way he’s able to perform at his age. Truly something special to watch that will be looked back on someday the way we look back at Michael Jordan’s time in the league.
If they showed he made a triple double last night, they may have corrected it because he is 2 shy away in rebounds to get 10 and 1 in assists. But the amazing part is the 0 turnover and yet making 48 points. Wow! I mean, there's no good explanation for that, he is truly amazing even at his age.
He is getting closer and closer to reaching the all-time points leader, above Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 315 points left to tie. I bet the hardcore Lebron fans on Twitter are already making a countdown on every game. Another record will be broken, one that only healthy players could achieve and stay in the league to contribute every game on the offensive end. That's going to be a big celebration.
Honestly, I think serious injuries and lack of motivation are the only reasons why other NBA players (veterans) can't play as well as LeBron at 38.
Lebron James also spends lots of money on his physical conditioning since he entered the NBA. I'm sure it was discussed here in this thread way back years ago that he is spending around $1,500,000 per year on his health-related stuff. That's how serious Lebron is as he's not just building his legacy but also taking care of his endorsements. Lebron, after retirement, is truly damn rich and his hard work maintaining his good physical condition pays off.
I don't know when we can witness again a player that is still versatile and agile at the age of 38.
My closest candidate would be Giannis Antetoukounmpo.
What are they thinking? is this their way to keep everything balanced? 
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
Really?
Poor Morant, getting ambushed with a drug test for six times already in this season alone. I can't blame the NBA management if they are getting suspicious with the players this season because this season has been full of surprises and I still cannot believe that a 40 to 50 points became much easier to achieve. I remember Donovan Mitchell got an explosive night and the NBA tested him the day after.If there is one player that they were to be suspicious, it will be Lebron James, lol. He has been in the league for 20 years and still can give us highlight dunks every now and then. Vince lost everything when he enters his 20th season.
Yeah, poor Ja Morant, perhaps we haven't seen this kind of players though, standing what? 6'1" or 6'2" but can dunk taller than him.
Probably he is really gifted or the trainings he got or the advancement of sports science, not drugs in his system.
Ja Morant being tested is not really a shocking news to be honest. This is the league with some of the greatest athletes in the world and they are people who are famous for jumping really high, that's something in basketball, not required but many do.
And even in those players, he is on a whole another level, we have seen very few people like him, I mean jumping "unreal" even in the NBA level is rare, only handful has managed to shock the world even while being known as a jumper, because people expect you t jump high anyway, and breaking above those high expectations is rare. This dude could touch the top of a backboard, given the uniqueness of the situation, I can see it.
And even in those players, he is on a whole another level, we have seen very few people like him, I mean jumping "unreal" even in the NBA level is rare, only handful has managed to shock the world even while being known as a jumper, because people expect you t jump high anyway, and breaking above those high expectations is rare. This dude could touch the top of a backboard, given the uniqueness of the situation, I can see it.
Glad to see our boy playing so well. Alperen Sengun seriously has a potential to be the best Turkish player to ever play the game. Memo had an all-star selection, and Hedo had MIP if I am not wrong and he was the second best guy on a team that went to finals. So its really really hard to be up there, even though Turkey hasn't sent that many guys in its history, it was still quite obvious that two that got famous became very very good and its hard to pass that. But this kid is playing with some serious talent at 20 years old, both of those players weren't near this good at 20, so that means in the next 10 years Alperen could keep on developing, if he doesn't relax and just coasts, but instead gets better? Dude could be some high level talent for sure.
The thing with Sengun is that he is awkward so it's hard to guard him, and he will throw a lot of fakes that will make his defender off balance. And I do agree that if he keeps on developing, he could be the best Turkish player in the history of NBA and could surpassed Hedo Turkoglu. But as far as position goes, it's obvious that they are very much different but perhaps the impact they can bring to their current team is huge.Can't say either if Sengun will dominate in the league soon, yes he will surely get some improvement along the road while he plays with the veterans, but it's still too hard to say anything about the Houston Rockets because I'm thinking and inclined that we are only seeing what the management does want us to see. It's like the players can't really evolve in the time being because they chose to tank in the hopes that Victor will land in Houston.
What are they thinking? is this their way to keep everything balanced?
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
Really?
Poor Morant, getting ambushed with a drug test for six times already in this season alone. I can't blame the NBA management if they are getting suspicious with the players this season because this season has been full of surprises and I still cannot believe that a 40 to 50 points became much easier to achieve. I remember Donovan Mitchell got an explosive night and the NBA tested him the day after. 
Either way, the Lakers should call a timeout and nothing else. That was around 10 secs. left and lots of time to make a good play.
The Lakers are down by 1 and no one from the coaching staff even advises their players to call a timeout. They blew that opportunity and chances to win the game. I don't know why they thought that time and didn't decide to call a timeout.
I want the close game though that both teams managed to perform where there are lots of exchange of score leads happened.
Maybe that is due to the inexperience of the coach and his staff. But Lebron was also in the court, he could have called the time out himself since he is the most veteran player in there. Anyway, if they called a time out, they can set up an offense but the defense of Philly will also set up. Maxey and other defenders will be on court and it may be harder to execute. The Lakers are down by 1 and no one from the coaching staff even advises their players to call a timeout. They blew that opportunity and chances to win the game. I don't know why they thought that time and didn't decide to call a timeout.
I want the close game though that both teams managed to perform where there are lots of exchange of score leads happened.
Now, I really doubt the capabilities of the Lakers coaching staff. It is not yet playoffs and they are not able to make the proper calls already. That is too bad.
It seems as though the coaching staff of the Lakers has no idea what they are supposed to be doing. There are times when you look at the coaches and wonder what they are thinking. They are able to make decisions and feel as if they have a plan in place. However, that is not the case with the Los Angeles Lakers. In my opinion, the coaching staff of the Lakers looks like they are just doing things and hoping for the best.
Well, that's what you and the others thought. We all have criticized coaches and players for every mistakes they have done in their career, but remember, they are always better than us. Plans and plays doesn't work every time. We can't just say, the coaching staff has no idea of what needs to be done. They actually do, they're only making bad decisions, especially when it did not work.
The Lakers may not be easy to coach, because of LeBron presence. He is the kind of player who have a huge influence in the whole management. So, that's not gonna be easy for the head coach to handle.
I agree with you that I don't think Lebron is hard to coach either. In fact, often when I see him taking coaching/directions on the sideline during timeouts and what not, he always seems to be quite intent on what's going on, always paying attention etc ( at least from what I've seen ), but, yeah it's going to take certain type of coach to be able to coach Lebron. He's not going to allow just anyone coach him, that's for sure.
It's because LeBron already knows the game too much, who won't be so familiar about how the game works if you're the oldest player in the league right now. I think that's also the reason why coaching him will be difficult for others as you need to coach him something that he doesn't know. For example, last season, I noticed that he isn't paying attention to Vogel that much because he feels like the man don't know what to do anymore, unlike now, new face and new attacking style.
How about LeBron James’ triple double last night. Amazing that he’s still able to put up such huge numbers with 0 turnovers. He’s one of only three guys to ever score 45+ over the age of 35 and he’s done it more times than the other 2 combined. He’s a medical marvel the way he’s able to perform at his age. Truly something special to watch that will be looked back on someday the way we look back at Michael Jordan’s time in the league.
LeBron was very close, but he didn't technically have a triple-double in that game because he had 8 rebounds and 9 assists. However, it doesn't really matter because his performance was phenomenal anyway. LeBron once again proved that age doesn't matter in professional sports. Honestly, I think serious injuries and lack of motivation are the only reasons why other NBA players (veterans) can't play as well as LeBron at 38.
You're right, he was a few rebounds and assists away from a triple double, but certainly a one heck of a game regardless. I imagine Lebron is up there when it comes to most triple doubles of all time ( just did a quick google search, he's #5 most triple doubles of all time at 105. Crazily enough his team Russell Westbrook is #1 at 198...crazy).
I would have to disagree that age doesn't matter when it comes to professional sports. The guys who play in their "elder" years are few and far between. Lebron is a freak of nature, and exception.
Not the first time that we have seen this kind of spectacular dunk by Ja Morant though, and maybe last season he was also tested by the NBA and all is clean. So we shouldn't be surprised if players are tested and pass because some of them are gifted athletically like Morant or even the Giannis.
And he is still in his prime though, so no question about it.
Well if he is like in his 30's and not in his top shape then suddenly dunking again, that will raise an alarm. But right now, it's normal, just like what we have seen in Vince Carter when he was in his prime.
Alot of eyes on Morant based on his high class performance in the court, dunking is considered a top level skill that worth more than a point. Temetrius Jamel is a top professional basketball player with amazing trophies added to his name. He's just 24 years with top talents in his court. So amazing to see him play with his trained skills. Everything required time and consistency in games, Ja Morant can be compared to Giannis, Lebron in NBA interms of a slam dunk. He falled into the big name category and got countless number of fans supporting him. And he is still in his prime though, so no question about it.
Well if he is like in his 30's and not in his top shape then suddenly dunking again, that will raise an alarm. But right now, it's normal, just like what we have seen in Vince Carter when he was in his prime.
He added excitement with those in your face dunks and acrobatic shots, a combined AI and DRose to me, if he will be able to maintain and he won't get any major injuries, he can still be capable of upgrading his own statue.
Still young and very aggressive, he's really gaining fans with the way he's playing the game
no longer surprise with why he's been tested, something with the level of his performance
but he keeps getting negative..
How about LeBron James’ triple double last night. Amazing that he’s still able to put up such huge numbers with 0 turnovers. He’s one of only three guys to ever score 45+ over the age of 35 and he’s done it more times than the other 2 combined. He’s a medical marvel the way he’s able to perform at his age. Truly something special to watch that will be looked back on someday the way we look back at Michael Jordan’s time in the league.
LeBron was very close, but he didn't technically have a triple-double in that game because he had 8 rebounds and 9 assists. However, it doesn't really matter because his performance was phenomenal anyway. LeBron once again proved that age doesn't matter in professional sports. Honestly, I think serious injuries and lack of motivation are the only reasons why other NBA players (veterans) can't play as well as LeBron at 38.
How about LeBron James’ triple double last night. Amazing that he’s still able to put up such huge numbers with 0 turnovers. He’s one of only three guys to ever score 45+ over the age of 35 and he’s done it more times than the other 2 combined. He’s a medical marvel the way he’s able to perform at his age. Truly something special to watch that will be looked back on someday the way we look back at Michael Jordan’s time in the league.
Will be at the Knicks game tonight, first of the season. Haven't had a chance to go Ina while so pretty jacked up even though they are only playing the Wizards. They lost by 2 Monday so hopefully they come out dogging it. They shoukd beat up on the Wizards here tonight. They need to start making a run deeper into the lead can't hang on this six line. Which brings up the trade deadline. Think they need another 3 amd d guy off the bench. That's where the Knicks suffer right now is theor short bench. Thibs is running the starting squad into the ground.
Glad to see our boy playing so well. Alperen Sengun seriously has a potential to be the best Turkish player to ever play the game. Memo had an all-star selection, and Hedo had MIP if I am not wrong and he was the second best guy on a team that went to finals. So its really really hard to be up there, even though Turkey hasn't sent that many guys in its history, it was still quite obvious that two that got famous became very very good and its hard to pass that. But this kid is playing with some serious talent at 20 years old, both of those players weren't near this good at 20, so that means in the next 10 years Alperen could keep on developing, if he doesn't relax and just coasts, but instead gets better? Dude could be some high level talent for sure.
The thing with Sengun is that he is awkward so it's hard to guard him, and he will throw a lot of fakes that will make his defender off balance. And I do agree that if he keeps on developing, he could be the best Turkish player in the history of NBA and could surpassed Hedo Turkoglu. But as far as position goes, it's obvious that they are very much different but perhaps the impact they can bring to their current team is huge.So I guess there's nothing to change with his style, he just need to improve and most probably gain some weight as well so that he won't be simply be backs out for defensive or offensive rebounds. He can shoot outside, just like the rest of the big guys that we have in the league, he just need to be consistent.
Not the first time that we have seen this kind of spectacular dunk by Ja Morant though, and maybe last season he was also tested by the NBA and all is clean. So we shouldn't be surprised if players are tested and pass because some of them are gifted athletically like Morant or even the Giannis.
And he is still in his prime though, so no question about it.
Well if he is like in his 30's and not in his top shape then suddenly dunking again, that will raise an alarm. But right now, it's normal, just like what we have seen in Vince Carter when he was in his prime.
Alot of eyes on Morant based on his high class performance in the court, dunking is considered a top level skill that worth more than a point. Temetrius Jamel is a top professional basketball player with amazing trophies added to his name. He's just 24 years with top talents in his court. So amazing to see him play with his trained skills. Everything required time and consistency in games, Ja Morant can be compared to Giannis, Lebron in NBA interms of a slam dunk. He falled into the big name category and got countless number of fans supporting him. And he is still in his prime though, so no question about it.
Well if he is like in his 30's and not in his top shape then suddenly dunking again, that will raise an alarm. But right now, it's normal, just like what we have seen in Vince Carter when he was in his prime.
What are they thinking? is this their way to keep everything balanced?
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
I think at this point they are just fucking with Ja Morant
Imagine getting drug tested almost every game just to turn out negative. They really want to catch this man red-handed, but unfortunately all of his plays in the highlight reel are natural and due to his insane talent. At this point, Grizzlies must already file a complaint against this nonsense. They're trying to single out this man for drug usage and every time they test him they're not finding anything. How is that not discriminatory in any way? I know Ja is a special talent and I'd been following him since his rookie years due to the excitement he brings to the game. But laughing hard was my first reaction when I saw this news earlier today on Facebook. I laughed hard because I was thinking if he was tested because of his insane performance or because of his confidence which is sometimes viewed as arrogance when he talks in public which made officials think that he is high.
Anyways, I hope Ja starts to mature a bit and becomes humble.
The difference between Ja and the other known high-flyers like Vince Carter, T-Mac, Bron, LaVine, Aaron Gordon, etc is the height. Those guys have the height and the weight while Ja is only 6'2" and weighed 79 kg. What are they thinking? is this their way to keep everything balanced?
~
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
When you are doing the unnatural, you will be tested. Didn't we see that right after Donovan Mitchell posted 71 points against the Chicago Bulls? ~
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
The next day they tested him and he even tweeted about it. The funny thing is, the NBA said the drug testing will only be done 4 times per season.
1 pre-season, 2 regular, 1 final. Ain't this too much testing Ja Morant? I mean, his leaps are extraordinary but considering how fit he is, that should be normal and we have seen it a lot of times already, so it won't be a question anymore. He can jump, no doubt.
It makes you wonder how many players will have to go thru this whenever they feel like they want to jump higher.
Not the first time that we have seen this kind of spectacular dunk by Ja Morant though, and maybe last season he was also tested by the NBA and all is clean. So we shouldn't be surprised if players are tested and pass because some of them are gifted athletically like Morant or even the Giannis.
And he is still in his prime though, so no question about it.
Well if he is like in his 30's and not in his top shape then suddenly dunking again, that will raise an alarm. But right now, it's normal, just like what we have seen in Vince Carter when he was in his prime.
What are they thinking? is this their way to keep everything balanced?
~
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
When you are doing the unnatural, you will be tested. Didn't we see that right after Donovan Mitchell posted 71 points against the Chicago Bulls? ~
Ja Morant is surely one of a kind and the fans are always looking forward to seeing him dunk on someone every time he plays. Thankfully he always has been negative and we can see more of his amazing dunks in the future. Though they are different from Vince Carter, I'm glad I'm seeing in the NBA who can actually dunk without hesitation whenever he got the chance. He really needs to do more of this because he will miss it when he gets old as Vince does.
The next day they tested him and he even tweeted about it. The funny thing is, the NBA said the drug testing will only be done 4 times per season.
1 pre-season, 2 regular, 1 final. Ain't this too much testing Ja Morant? I mean, his leaps are extraordinary but considering how fit he is, that should be normal and we have seen it a lot of times already, so it won't be a question anymore. He can jump, no doubt.
It makes you wonder how many players will have to go thru this whenever they feel like they want to jump higher.
Before rebuilding they can taste another play-off run with Bron, maybe one last time.
That's what the Lakers fans want to see even though the chances are kind of slim at the moment. But who knows as long as the Lakers are trying their best to remain alive in getting this year's playoff spot regardless if they will play on the play-in or not.
LeBron James' possibly achieving one of the toughest records in the league which is becoming the number 1 in NBA All-time Scoring leaders + Lakers competing in the playoffs will be a sweet achievement for the Lakers this season.
Anthony Davis might come back with a few games before the All-Star or early February as far as some rumor about his status is concerned.
Maybe when Davis comes back, there chances are going to skyrocket to make the playoffs. Hopefully when Davis goes back, it will not be too late for him. Although they are losing games, it's very close one and it could go either way. And it seems that the whole Lakers is somewhat getting their second wind as they are playing very high level with James and Westbrook and some of their role players.
So let's wait when is AD going to be back and hopefully he will be healthy throughout after the All Star break. He is one key figure with the Lakers, and he will have to play the second half of the regular season to stay alive their hopes of getting into another playoff together.
He will surely be back soon, the is continuously supporting his teammates although he can't play at the moment. And honestly, I like how Lebron is carrying his team, I know he is used to this so he really sees the urgency and as much as possible, they want to be in the playoffs. Also, Westbrook is getting better, so they'll surely get better with Davis coming back.
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