ESPN: Can Lebron's Super Friends Join Together in 2018 (Lebron, CP3, Wade, Melo)

[Moranis]

As usual discussing these guys people really seem to underestimate how old they are and how fast they are declining.

Wade will be 36 at the start of next season! If he has an injury prone season I wouldn't be surprised to see him retire. Last year was the 4th year in a row his minutes declined down to under 30mpg and he shot a career low from the field at 43% (and obviously still not a 3 point threat at 31%). His assists were the lowest of his career and his ppg were the lowest aside from his rookie year. This year he will probably be at 26-27mpg and maybe average 14 or 15. In 2018-2019? Probably 25mpg and 12 points per game off the bench.

Lebron will be 34 in the 2018-2019 season. I think he will still be an all-star but I personally don't think he will be one of the top 10 players next year (3rd team all-NBA is my guest)

Carmelo will also be 34 and will continue to decline. He will no longer be an all-star player.

Paul is the hardest to predict as he has already started to struggle with injuries and the history of small point guards is not good.

It wouldn't shock me if the Banana Boat team used all their cap on those 4 guys and ended up as a 7 seed. Kind of like when the Rockets had all these superstars at the end of their career in 98-99 and got knocked out in the first round..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998%E2%80%9399_Houston_Rockets_season

A lot of their success will be dictated by where they end up.  I mean if it is Houston and the Rockets are able to keep not only Harden, but Capela and Gordon that would be a pretty good squad overall.  If it is a team like the Lakers that is able to keep Ball and Ingram, that provides them some young talent to help bridge the rigors of a long season.

But yeah at the end of the day, the success of that team will more less be related to the drop off or lack thereof of James and Paul.  If those two remain fairly similar to what they were last year, then that team should be pretty good especially if it is Houston and Harden is there.  Not sure they beat the Warriors, but certainly wouldn't count them out, if James and Paul start showing real signs of regression though then that team won't be a real contender even with Harden (I think they are better than the Rockets team you have as a comparison especially if Harden is on the team with them).  that said, I just don't see the Rockets as a real possibility since I don't think James is going to play for the MLE or something like that next year.

[Roy H.]

I mean, if Houston trades for Carmelo, and then Lebron / Wade sign for basically free, it's a fascinating team.

Lebron would be giving up something like $30 million though.  Assume Anderson and Ariza get traded:

Capela / Nene
Carmelo / Mbah a Moute
Lebron / Tucker
Harden / Gordon
CP3 / Wade

That would be one of the most interesting collections of talent ever.

These guys are "interesting" also...but I don't see either group hoisting a banner.

...I'll leave it to everybody's creative opinion of who is who 



Rak

I used the words "fascinating" and "interesting" on purpose, haha. 

[Bucketgetter]

CP3                              Curry
Wade                            Klay
Harden            >           Iggy
Lebron                          KD
Melo                             Draymond

As far as death lineups go. And Capela is better than whatever trash the Warriors throw out there as their traditional center (Zaza, West, McGee)

Where did Harden come from, he's not in the original question.

I'll take Drammond, Steph, KD, and Klay over Lebron, CP3, Wade, and Melo any day!

Go back and read the post directly above mine, then delete your own post.

[Bucketgetter]

CP3                              Curry
Wade                            Klay
Harden            >           Iggy
Lebron                          KD
Melo                             Draymond

As far as death lineups go. And Capela is better than whatever trash the Warriors throw out there as their traditional center (Zaza, West, McGee)

sorry but there is no way that 4 superstar MVP / Hall of famers in their prime lose to 4 declining superstar with who often get injured, and some of them have serious character, defending issues. My money would be on GSW all day long.

First off, Draymond and Klay are not superstar MVPs or Hall of famers.

Second, Harden is not a declining superstar who often gets injured. Neither is Lebron.

[makaveli]

CP3                              Curry
Wade                            Klay
Harden            >           Iggy
Lebron                          KD
Melo                             Draymond

As far as death lineups go. And Capela is better than whatever trash the Warriors throw out there as their traditional center (Zaza, West, McGee)

sorry but there is no way that 4 superstar MVP / Hall of famers in their prime lose to 4 declining superstar with who often get injured, and some of them have serious character, defending issues. My money would be on GSW all day long.

First off, Draymond and Klay are not superstar MVPs or Hall of famers.

Second, Harden is not a declining superstar who often gets injured. Neither is Lebron.

yes they are, klay a top 2 shooter of all time, brilliant scorer, underrated defender, a superstar, two time NBA champ and a future hall of famer
green a defensive powerhouse, utilmate swiss army knife player, again two time champ, a superstar and a future hall of famer
you maybe forgetting that these guys are 27 years young.

harden and lebron were mentioned in the part with serious defensive and character issues.

[bopna]

Who cares...they are old as dirt by then and will be lucky to get out of the semis in the brutal western conference.
If they join forces in the east theyd be massacre'd by the Celtics...😊😊😊

[moiso]

CP3                              Curry
Wade                            Klay
Harden            >           Iggy
Lebron                          KD
Melo                             Draymond

As far as death lineups go. And Capela is better than whatever trash the Warriors throw out there as their traditional center (Zaza, West, McGee)

sorry but there is no way that 4 superstar MVP / Hall of famers in their prime lose to 4 declining superstar with who often get injured, and some of them have serious character, defending issues. My money would be on GSW all day long.

First off, Draymond and Klay are not superstar MVPs or Hall of famers.

Second, Harden is not a declining superstar who often gets injured. Neither is Lebron.

yes they are, klay a top 2 shooter of all time, brilliant scorer, underrated defender, a superstar, two time NBA champ and a future hall of famer
green a defensive powerhouse, utilmate swiss army knife player, again two time champ, a superstar and a future hall of famer
you maybe forgetting that these guys are 27 years young.

harden and lebron were mentioned in the part with serious defensive and character issues.

Thompson is very good but a top 2 shooter of all time?  When considering shooting from different spots on the floor under duress sometimes off the dribble, I'd rank him as the 3rd best shooter on his own team.

[Celtics4ever]

Not enough balls to make Melo , CP3 and LeBron happy at once.  I hope it happens because I doubt they win anything in terms of finals.   Time beats all and half of these guys you can see Father Time sinking his fangs into these guys as they age.

[Moranis]

CP3                              Curry
Wade                            Klay
Harden            >           Iggy
Lebron                          KD
Melo                             Draymond

As far as death lineups go. And Capela is better than whatever trash the Warriors throw out there as their traditional center (Zaza, West, McGee)

sorry but there is no way that 4 superstar MVP / Hall of famers in their prime lose to 4 declining superstar with who often get injured, and some of them have serious character, defending issues. My money would be on GSW all day long.

First off, Draymond and Klay are not superstar MVPs or Hall of famers.

Second, Harden is not a declining superstar who often gets injured. Neither is Lebron.

yes they are, klay a top 2 shooter of all time, brilliant scorer, underrated defender, a superstar, two time NBA champ and a future hall of famer
green a defensive powerhouse, utilmate swiss army knife player, again two time champ, a superstar and a future hall of famer
you maybe forgetting that these guys are 27 years young.

harden and lebron were mentioned in the part with serious defensive and character issues.

Thompson is very good but a top 2 shooter of all time?  When considering shooting from different spots on the floor under duress sometimes off the dribble, I'd rank him as the 3rd best shooter on his own team.

as would I, clearly Curry is better and I think most people would put Durant better as well.  And even if you disagree with Durant, Thompson is most definitely not a better shooter than Ray Allen and Steph Curry all time (I'd argue others as well but that is 2 so I can stop there). 

[chilidawg]

They'd be better off with a morning talk show.  Lebron and friends.

[SHAQATTACK]

too old by then to win without lots younger star talent

biggest payroll with least defense in history .


With AD or KD or such this group would be cannon fodder for the 25-30 year olds.

[gouki88]

CP3                              Curry
Wade                            Klay
Harden            >           Iggy
Lebron                          KD
Melo                             Draymond

As far as death lineups go. And Capela is better than whatever trash the Warriors throw out there as their traditional center (Zaza, West, McGee)

sorry but there is no way that 4 superstar MVP / Hall of famers in their prime lose to 4 declining superstar with who often get injured, and some of them have serious character, defending issues. My money would be on GSW all day long.

First off, Draymond and Klay are not superstar MVPs or Hall of famers.

Second, Harden is not a declining superstar who often gets injured. Neither is Lebron.

yes they are, klay a top 2 shooter of all time, brilliant scorer, underrated defender, a superstar, two time NBA champ and a future hall of famer
green a defensive powerhouse, utilmate swiss army knife player, again two time champ, a superstar and a future hall of famer
you maybe forgetting that these guys are 27 years young.

harden and lebron were mentioned in the part with serious defensive and character issues.

Klay Thompson isn't a top 2 shooter of all time, and he certainly isn't a "brilliant" scorer. His 3 All-Star years have basically been identical, because he hasn't really improved much.

I vehemently despise Draymond, so I'm not going to bother working myself up by getting into that.

I think you're getting way ahead of yourself.

[makaveli]

CP3                              Curry
Wade                            Klay
Harden            >           Iggy
Lebron                          KD
Melo                             Draymond

As far as death lineups go. And Capela is better than whatever trash the Warriors throw out there as their traditional center (Zaza, West, McGee)

sorry but there is no way that 4 superstar MVP / Hall of famers in their prime lose to 4 declining superstar with who often get injured, and some of them have serious character, defending issues. My money would be on GSW all day long.

First off, Draymond and Klay are not superstar MVPs or Hall of famers.

Second, Harden is not a declining superstar who often gets injured. Neither is Lebron.

yes they are, klay a top 2 shooter of all time, brilliant scorer, underrated defender, a superstar, two time NBA champ and a future hall of famer
green a defensive powerhouse, utilmate swiss army knife player, again two time champ, a superstar and a future hall of famer
you maybe forgetting that these guys are 27 years young.

harden and lebron were mentioned in the part with serious defensive and character issues.

Klay Thompson isn't a top 2 shooter of all time, and he certainly isn't a "brilliant" scorer. His 3 All-Star years have basically been identical, because he hasn't really improved much.

I vehemently despise Draymond, so I'm not going to bother working myself up by getting into that.

I think you're getting way ahead of yourself.

for me curry is number one, klay is number two.
i maybe over exaggerating some statements, but to say that he isn't a brilliant scorer after scoring like 60 points with 11 dribbles, 37 points in a single qtr, 11 3's in a playoff game etc, if that is not a superstar than i don't know who is.
you may dislike dre, like the most of the basketball world does, but that guy is a winner, like KG, you hate him if you play against him, but you would love him on your team.

[celticsclay]

Who cares...they are old as dirt by then and will be lucky to get out of the semis in the brutal western conference.
If they join forces in the east theyd be massacre'd by the Celtics...😊😊😊

Yea this is kind of how I feel about it. It would be neat to see a bunch of old players together, just like it was neat when we got Shaq, or even when Shaq was signed by Cleveland. But especially Wade at 37 next season is not going to be a game changer. Lebron will probably have a bit more. However, that team seems unlikely to beat the Warriors. Also as they guys enter their mid 30's they will all be even more one way players than they are now (once elite Paul and Lebron are regressing on defense). They also will see their minutes decline. 

[CelticsElite]

Espn was saying today they think Wade goes to LA Lakers or clippers next