NBA Playoffs

[HuskyHawk]

LeBron isn't going to Philly. Unless he radically changes his game to play PF or sit on wing and let Simmons handle the ball and Embid roam the paint, LeBron's game is not going to work with a PG that can't shoot and a dominant big man. Likewise Houston has two primary ballhandlers. LeBron is going to LA.

Kawhi is likely the interesting & widely available piece that teams that are close, Philly, Boston, Houston & LA will compete for. Who can or will make the best offer (and if its Boston it cannot include either of injured guys)?

I fear Cleveland is beating the Celtics in 6 or 7 unless LeBron runs out of gas. Right now he's energized their defense and they are going to have a chance in 4thQ tomorrow night. Game 6 is almost a guaranteed victory in Cleveland. So to win the series the Celtics likely will need to out-execute the Cavs in games 5 and 7 PLUS hope that LeBron doesn't do something extraordinary at the end. Even though the Cavs benefitted from pushing the pace the last two games, if I'm Stevens I try to push it even more at home and get LeBron cramping & sucking air. Its all about beating LeBron in the 4th Q's now.

That's a fair assessment. The Celtics did that in game 2. Lebron had a triple double, but the Cavs ran out of gas and the C's hit shots. Last night, the C's had all the chances in the world, kept getting it to 8, and simply didn't hit open looks or make the stops. Had they tied it up late, the Cavs might have unraveled a bit.

 

[the Q]

There's nowhere but Houston, Boston, Philly, or San Antonio (with Kawhi staying) that gets him over the hump. Maybe New Orleans.

NO is impossible due to cap.

Houston would require some cap gymnastics and finding someone to take both Gordon and Anderson.

Philly isn't a great fit stylistically, but interesting. (Philly could alos get Bron and then use simmons to trump all kawhi offers....not saying they will or should, just throwing it out there).

I know the answer...






...Golden State.

 

[tzznandrew]

NO is impossible due to cap.

Houston would require some cap gymnastics and finding someone to take both Gordon and Anderson.

Philly isn't a great fit stylistically, but interesting. (Philly could alos get Bron and then use simmons to trump all kawhi offers....not saying they will or should, just throwing it out there).

I know the answer...






...Golden State.

Exactly right on NO, and Philly, too. I was just imagining teams that, currently constructed or with the addition of LeBron and maybe PG could compete. I just don't see, say, LeBron-George-Ball-Ingram getting past a healthy GS. They might not get past Houston.

 

[the Q]

Exactly right on NO, and Philly, too. I was just imagining teams that, currently constructed or with the addition of LeBron and maybe PG could compete. I just don't see, say, LeBron-George-Ball-Ingram getting past a healthy GS. They might not get past Houston.

Oh I got you.

And agreed on LAL. they need Cousins in that mix. But it would have to be a S&T. And i don't know if they could even pull that off.

I think he somehow ends up in houston.

But don't ask me how they get it done, or how much money Chris Paul has to sacrifice to make it happen.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Oh I got you.

And agreed on LAL. they need Cousins in that mix. But it would have to be a S&T. And i don't know if they could even pull that off.

I think he somehow ends up in houston.

But don't ask me how they get it done, or how much money Chris Paul has to sacrifice to make it happen.

Until the draft it's hard to see what happens. But I wouldn't rule out a team doing what Ainge did when he brought in Garnett and Allen. Could a team like the Lakers sign Lebron and swing a trade for Leonard?

 

[the Q]

Until the draft it's hard to see what happens. But I wouldn't rule out a team doing what Ainge did when he brought in Garnett and Allen. Could a team like the Lakers sign Lebron and swing a trade for Leonard?

The problem with S&Ts now is the rules are more strict.

Whcih ironically has just hurt the teams losing the star players more than before.

Detroit won a title because they were able to S&T grant hill (and Danny Ainge did them a favor facilitating a deal for Rasheed).

 

[Dogdeacon]

At some point LeBron has to either be willing to 'only' be amongst the top-8 ish teams in contention and not a finals favorite OR do one-year mercenary contracts and team hop to an unprecedented, possibly legacy spoiling degree. He truly doesn't need the money (although he wants to build a massive empire, so I guess he does) so there is a world where he goes to Houston for just 18-19 because he wants to topple the Warriors whilst their current roster is intact, then 19-20 maybe tries to win one with Anthony Davis and then joins whoever he likes or fits with better between Philly & Boston etc...

But I don't think that's the case/plan due to image, $ and empire building. LeBron needs to resign himself to see the big picture and embrace a long-term approach of 3-5 years of contention. So he goes to LA with PG13 accepting they probably can't win immediately but over the next few years they use LA to recruit & amass a roster of young and old guys that can contend with Philly-Boston in 2020-23 as the final chapter of his career. The West is wide open after the Warriors become unable to pay all 4 in 19-20, so just skip next year although still have a contending roster. The big picture is LeBron and his teams CANNOT keep making decisions based only on THIS year of contention because that isn't sustainable and it ultimately leaves a dumpster fire like Cleveland Part 1 & soon to be Part II that he has to flee.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I could absolutely see LeBron in Philly.

The big argument against Philly is LeBron’s role in the offense. Apparently he is very interested in playing more off-ball. We assume that LeBron prefers to dominate the ball but in reality he has done that out of necessity more than anything his whole career.

Simmons is clearly the point for Philly but he isn’t a ball-dominant guard through whom the entire offense runs like with Russ, or Harden before this summer’s acquisitions, or Kyrie, or LeBron right now. He’s a ball mover and a facilitator who just gets the offense going. I think LeBron with his elite court vision, basketball IQ, general knowledge of how his movement affects the defense’s shifting and rotation in relation to the ball, and passing ability would make him deadly coming off the wing from a kick-out or swing pass; competent 3-point shooter, can cut or drive and finish, can make that second or third or even fourth pass. Not to mention his mere presence on the wing will keep a defender out, opening passing/driving lanes for Simmons and Embiid. He would still be the best and most important player, but he will do it in a different way without having to dominate the ball. Then on the defensive end he will have more energy as well.

And then Simmons gets to develop with that kind of offensive weapon.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I could absolutely see LeBron in Philly.

The big argument against Philly is LeBron’s role in the offense. Apparently he is very interested in playing more off-ball. We assume that LeBron prefers to dominate the ball but in reality he has done that out of necessity more than anything his whole career.

Simmons is clearly the point for Philly but he isn’t a ball-dominant guard through whom the entire offense runs like with Russ, or Harden before this summer’s acquisitions, or Kyrie, or LeBron right now. He’s a ball mover and a facilitator who just gets the offense going. I think LeBron with his elite court vision, basketball IQ, general knowledge of how his movement affects the defense’s shifting and rotation in relation to the ball, and passing ability would make him deadly coming off the wing from a kick-out or swing pass; competent 3-point shooter, can cut or drive and finish, can make that second or third or even fourth pass. Not to mention his mere presence on the wing will keep a defender out, opening passing/driving lanes for Simmons and Embiid. He would still be the best and most important player, but he will do it in a different way without having to dominate the ball. Then on the defensive end he will have more energy as well.

And then Simmons gets to develop with that kind of offensive weapon.

You are right that last 2yrs crazy high usage rates of Harden (36.1%, 34.1%) & Russ (33.2%, 40.8%) aren't comparable to Simmons (22.2%) because he does move the ball. But guess who is #2 in the league for 17-18 right between those two guys?
Embid was at 33.9%! That's who LeBron (31.6%) doesn't fit with LeBron should aspire to a point-forward ala Larry Bird and needs to be paired with shooters. Just can't see those 3 on the court together AND more importantly I think both Simmons and Embid don't want LeBron because they'd have to sublimate their games more than LeBron would. Lastly the other parts everyone thinks is necessary for this to work change Philly's outlook from team building to win now = hasn't been their plan and shouldn't be LeBron's.

 

[superjohn]

People saying Lebron wouldn't be a good fit for Philly are nuts, that team would absolutely dominate.

 

[Rocktheworld]

You are right that last 2yrs crazy high usage rates of Harden (36.1%, 34.1%) & Russ (33.2%, 40.8%) aren't comparable to Simmons (22.2%) because he does move the ball. But guess who is #2 in the league for 17-18 right between those two guys?
Embid was at 33.9%! That's who LeBron (31.6%) doesn't fit with LeBron should aspire to a point-forward ala Larry Bird and needs to be paired with shooters. Just can't see those 3 on the court together AND more importantly I think both Simmons and Embid don't want LeBron because they'd have to sublimate their games more than LeBron would. Lastly the other parts everyone thinks is necessary for this to work change Philly's outlook from team building to win now = hasn't been their plan and shouldn't be LeBron's.

Honestly with Embiid’s injury history and still-developing NBA skills, his usage shouldn’t be that high and should come down. He’s not ready to be the centerpiece of an offense. Maybe in 3-5 years as LeBron starts fading...

And regardless, without LeBron or a serious free agent like Kawhi or PG13 (who on his own may not be enough), Philly won’t be ready for another 3 years. Going down 4-1 and the manner in which it happened, to that depleted Celtics team, proves that. LeBron would be the perfect buffer to get them competing and learning to win at the highest level in the post-season. Then when Embiid hits his prime and Simmons hits his mid-20s, LeBron eases off on his role. That actually won’t happen if a Kawhi or PG13 come

 

[Dogdeacon]

Honestly with Embiid’s injury history and still-developing NBA skills, his usage shouldn’t be that high and should come down.

"We love you Joel, you are now the most loved player in Philly and we want to build our team around you! Your skills are just emerging and this year we achieved our goal of making the playoffs & then surpassed it by winning round 1 handily and a competitive series vs Boston! Most agreed that as your game/stamina progresses we will be favorites in the east."

"But the Celtics are getting better so we would like you to become our #2-3 option and we will build the team around LeBron. This will mean less attention for you, fewer endorsements but we gotta hedge because of your injury history. We know you aspire to be the best player in the NBA, but instead how about being the 2nd best player on your own...errr LeBron's team? You are locked into your contract for 5 years so nothing you can really do about it."

 

[MadDogRevival]

I could absolutely see LeBron in Philly.
. . . And then Simmons gets to develop with that kind of offensive weapon.

Great post.

 

[Rocktheworld]

"But the Celtics are getting better

The Celtics haven’t just gotten better. Without their two all-star players, they took that series 4-1 and Philly straight up gave up a couple games. Boston is clearly farther ahead of the curve than Philly right now.

so we would like you to become our #2-3 option

I wouldn’t think of it as “options” given what LeBron can do coming off the ball. Embiid in a given set could be option 1 depending on how Philly wants to use LeBron to force the defense to shift and react to him to open Embiid up.

and we will build the team around LeBron.

The team is essentially built and team building is the opposite of what LeBron is interested in at this stage of his career.

This will mean less attention for you, fewer endorsements

Lol yeah right. And getting to multiple consecutive Finals (and then more once LeBron fades) won’t counteract anything.

but we gotta hedge because of your injury history. We know you aspire to be the best player in the NBA, but instead how about being the 2nd best player on your own...errr LeBron's team? You are locked into your contract for 5 years so nothing you can really do about it."

Trust the process

Maybe when he can make it through a full season, and if he isn’t dancing around on stage while out for injury, he will have more power to dictate things like this

 

[MadDogRevival]

"We love you Joel, you are now the most loved player in Philly . . . You are locked into your contract for 5 years so nothing you can really do about it."

Well, I hear your argument, and time will tell, to be sure.
I agree with Rocktheworld on this one. I think LeBron is a perfect fit in Philly, and I think LeBron on Philly is the only team that can challenge GS. Hat tip to the Celtics for their pluck and grit, but with Irving and the other injured guy, they still get dominated by GS.
LeBron on Philly is a perfect fit for a lot of reasons, many of which were listed by Rock.
Regarding personality conflict - please. The already-favored Warriors got on their knees and begged Durant to come to Oakland. Curry and Thompson and the rest knew that Durant would shade them, which he has. Thompson's HOF (and maybe Green's) legacy is made more difficult by him being there, and they didn't even need him.
LeBron's timeline is short. If you're Embiid or Simmons or any of the others, are you more happy to bring this guy on for 2 or 3 years of dominance during which you can compete for titles? Or are you more concerned with image and rank? Most guys would want LBJ in a nanosecond.
I also think LBJ would be a phenomenal teacher and leader for that group, and I think Fulz would do a lot better with a guy like LeBron working with him.
Frankly, LeBron to Philly is the only thing that can happen between now and October that gets me to keep watching the NBA for the next few years - if that move doesn't happen, nobody even pushes the Warriors for at least 3-5 years.

 

[auror]

Embid was at 33.9%! That's who LeBron (31.6%) doesn't fit with LeBron should aspire to a point-forward ala Larry Bird and needs to be paired with shooters. Just can't see those 3 on the court together AND more importantly I think both Simmons and Embid don't want LeBron because they'd have to sublimate their games more than LeBron would. Lastly the other parts everyone thinks is necessary for this to work change Philly's outlook from team building to win now = hasn't been their plan and shouldn't be LeBron's.

There's no question they will be good. Really good. But I do wonder if they will be as good an offense as even LeBron's current Cavs team. The shooting threats of Korver, JR, Hill, and Love all at once is pretty debilitating. It allows driving lanes for LeBron and keeps people from helping out mismatches.

Say Covington's shooting regression continues and Fultz doesn't regain his form. You have to lose Redick to sign LeBron. Your shooting threat when LeBron has the ball is literally just Saric? Simmons can't shoot at all, Embiid was like 30% last year.

Maybe that starting 5 is just so massive it won't matter and they can just rotate any mismatch into the post. But the paint will be packed and driving lanes will be tough to come by.

From a modern basketball experiment, it would at least be interesting to watch. It's like an experiment to test how much spacing actually matters.

 

[Rocktheworld]

There's no question they will be good. Really good. But I do wonder if they will be as good an offense as even LeBron's current Cavs team. The shooting threats of Korver, JR, Hill, and Love all at once is pretty debilitating. It allows driving lanes for LeBron and keeps people from helping out mismatches.

Say Covington's shooting regression continues and Fultz doesn't regain his form. You have to lose Redick to sign LeBron. Your shooting threat when LeBron has the ball is literally just Saric? Simmons can't shoot at all, Embiid was like 30% last year.

Maybe that starting 5 is just so massive it won't matter and they can just rotate any mismatch into the post. But the paint will be packed and driving lanes will be tough to come by.

From a modern basketball experiment, it would at least be interesting to watch. It's like an experiment to test how much spacing actually matters.

Meh if you can’t figure out how to score with Simmons, LBJ, and Embiid on the floor, you shouldn’t be an NBA coach

 

[Dogdeacon]

You guys make a lot of assumptions about what LeBron wants and what Philly wants which all marry perfectly into a strict 3-year timeline that no one has mentioned. I simply say Philly is far from the most likely LeBron destination. Philly hasn't done anything yet to give up assets for the now and is unlikely to start so they'd have to acquire LeBron has a free agent - not sign & trade. LeBron hasn't said a thing about his next move, but bought a 25MM house in Brentwood.
Assess or give the odds of where LeBron plays next year? Bonus points for any supporting facts.
49% Cleveland - pay him the most, from Cleveland, loyalty
25% LA - house in LA, production company, rumors
10% Philly - spec
10% Houston- spec
6% The field - spec

 

[auror]

Meh if you can’t figure out how to score with Simmons, LBJ, and Embiid on the floor, you shouldn’t be an NBA coach

Definitely speculating more about the marginal difference vs. current CLE and say in the ECF against Boston or Finals against GSW. Cleveland was already a top 5 offense.

 

[champs99and04]

People saying Lebron wouldn't be a good fit for Philly are nuts, that team would absolutely dominate.

LeBron anywhere is obviously a good fit. But it isn't Durant going to Golden State where it's as if God created a player perfectly tailored to their offense. While there is reason to think LeBron could become a lethal spot-up shooter, he hasn't worked in that capacity very much in his career. Even in Miami, it was a lot of timed cuts towards the rim off Wade drives. Playing in Philly would require him to evolve. Floor spacing could be tricky, especially if they lose Redick.

But at some point brute force and talent matter more than anything else. Neither the Wade/LeBron Heat teams nor the Durant/Westbrook OKC teams were optimal from a fit standpoint, and yet they did a lot of winning. Hell, LeBron/Kyrie wasn't an ideal match, either. You'll gladly welcome some overlap in skill set for the sorts of things that are a lot harder to find - length, positional versatility, and athleticism.

People have scoffed before at the suggestion of putting Simmons on the trade block, but with the amount of talent available this summer and LeBron's window being what it is, anything has to be in play. If you can get Kawhi - secretly only five years older than Simmons - out of it, you're acquiring somebody who is a better player and a better fit. The real quandary concerns Fultz - he's a wrecking ball who may be better served toiling away on a lottery team for a couple years. Philly's problem is that everyone else knows that.

 

[champs99and04]

You guys make a lot of assumptions about what LeBron wants and what Philly wants which all marry perfectly into a strict 3-year timeline that no one has mentioned. I simply say Philly is far from the most likely LeBron destination. Philly hasn't done anything yet to give up assets for the now and is unlikely to start so they'd have to acquire LeBron has a free agent - not sign & trade. LeBron hasn't said a thing about his next move, but bought a 25MM house in Brentwood.
Assess or give the odds of where LeBron plays next year? Bonus points for any supporting facts.
49% Cleveland - pay him the most, from Cleveland, loyalty
25% LA - house in LA, production company, rumors
10% Philly - spec
10% Houston- spec
6% The field - spec

I just don't see the LA thing. It would contradict everything he's historically valued during this process. It's possible he's content enough with the three championships to want to retire in Cleveland, but there's no conceivable path for them to beat Boston going forward, much less Golden State. Unless somebody like Trae Young becomes the next Donovan Mitchell, it's not an outlook that promises championships or, more importantly, even a realistic shot at one. LeBron seems to treasure the television drama series he has to himself every May and June more than anything else - pairing up with a guy like Embiid to try to dethrone Golden State and stick it to Boston a little more won't be a hard sell.

 

[intlzncster]

Boston is good enough without him.

I don't think they can run with GS. Boston doesn't have a transcendent player in Durant, an all timer. Only one of Boston's starters would be able to start for Golden State. Just one. And that's simply due to the 'hole' in GS's lineup.

 

[tzznandrew]

I don't think they can run with GS. Boston doesn't have a transcendent player in Durant, an all timer. Only one of Boston's starters would be able to start for Golden State. Just one. And that's simply due to the 'hole' in GS's lineup.

Boston has given Golden State trouble for a few years now. I think a lineup of Irving-Brown-Haywood-Tatum-Horford can give them trouble enough to pick off a few games. And if the Kings pick hits with a 2-3 next year? And then the Memphis pick?

 

[auror]

I just don't see the LA thing. It would contradict everything he's historically valued during this process. It's possible he's content enough with the three championships to want to retire in Cleveland, but there's no conceivable path for them to beat Boston going forward, much less Golden State. Unless somebody like Trae Young becomes the next Donovan Mitchell, it's not an outlook that promises championships or, more importantly, even a realistic shot at one. LeBron seems to treasure the television drama series he has to himself every May and June more than anything else - pairing up with a guy like Embiid to try to dethrone Golden State and stick it to Boston a little more won't be a hard sell.

If you view his career more as acts of a play, you can see going to LA as the last act.

ACT 1 - Cleveland - Young and strong, but hits adversity he can't currently deal with.
ACT 2 - Miami - Hero leaves to train and assemble a team.
ACT 3 - Cleveland - Returns to free his home.
ACT 4 - LA - Hero sets off for the sunset and more adventures and becomes a Knight Errant (warning TV Tropes).

 

[superjohn]

LeBron anywhere is obviously a good fit. But it isn't Durant going to Golden State where it's as if God created a player perfectly tailored to their offense. While there is reason to think LeBron could become a lethal spot-up shooter, he hasn't worked in that capacity very much in his career. Even in Miami, it was a lot of timed cuts towards the rim off Wade drives. Playing in Philly would require him to evolve. Floor spacing could be tricky, especially if they lose Redick.

But at some point brute force and talent matter more than anything else. Neither the Wade/LeBron Heat teams nor the Durant/Westbrook OKC teams were optimal from a fit standpoint, and yet they did a lot of winning. Hell, LeBron/Kyrie wasn't an ideal match, either. You'll gladly welcome some overlap in skill set for the sorts of things that are a lot harder to find - length, positional versatility, and athleticism.

People have scoffed before at the suggestion of putting Simmons on the trade block, but with the amount of talent available this summer and LeBron's window being what it is, anything has to be in play. If you can get Kawhi - secretly only five years older than Simmons - out of it, you're acquiring somebody who is a better player and a better fit. The real quandary concerns Fultz - he's a wrecking ball who may be better served toiling away on a lottery team for a couple years. Philly's problem is that everyone else knows that.

The best player in the league joining forces with the best center in the league and a 6'10 basketball savant. It's not about fit when you are bigger and better than everyone else, they would be awesome.

Not even delving into the Redick stuff or entertaining your trade Simmons talk.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I just don't see the LA thing. It would contradict everything he's historically valued during this process. It's possible he's content enough with the three championships to want to retire in Cleveland, but there's no conceivable path for them to beat Boston going forward, much less Golden State. Unless somebody like Trae Young becomes the next Donovan Mitchell, it's not an outlook that promises championships or, more importantly, even a realistic shot at one. LeBron seems to treasure the television drama series he has to himself every May and June more than anything else - pairing up with a guy like Embiid to try to dethrone Golden State and stick it to Boston a little more won't be a hard sell.

What?! LeBron made his two decisions based on combo in this order of: 1) places, 2) control and 3) teammates.
Places: He literally and famously said "I'm taking my talents to South Beach." (taxes, atmosphere v Cleveland), next "I'm coming home" (see attached story notably "always thought I'd end my career in Cleveland..."
Control: Orchestrated Wiggins/Love swap, opted for Miami in concert with Bosh & arranged via Wade
Teammates: Wade & Bosh, Cleveland's lottery pick bounty - first mentions were Kyrie (arguably emerging Wade) & TristanT (no Bosh, enter KLove).
If we are ignoring Places & Control for Philly and just looking at teammates, then Utah is actually the better fit with very similar type of teammates, namely a high quality big and emerging guard scorer. Of course he's not going to Utah.

Of course currently most of the speculation is based on LeBron's tacit admission of chasing Jordan, so everyone thinks he needs 3 more championships and in order to achieve that he's obviously got little time to waste. But again, I think that's about not one, not two but three (sorry and therefore building a dynasty and choosing a team based on longer horizon than next year's favorite. LA is a place LeBron can and will recruit whomever he wants to join him (so they choose it too, unlike Philly) and try to win in the final 5 years of his career 20-24.

SI exclusive: LeBron James explains his return to Cleveland Cavaliers

 

[Dogdeacon]

The best player in the league joining forces with the best center in the league and a 6'10 basketball savant. It's not about fit when you are bigger and better than everyone else, they would be awesome.

Not even delving into the Redick stuff or entertaining your trade Simmons talk.

Boogie and Anthony Davis offer rebuttal to both your best center in league crazy talk and bigger & better triumphs over all.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I can't believe the Rockets won 65 games. They are frauds.

No, they are the result of a coach like Mike "there's no D in" D'Antoni. This team is the apex of his system. A fun team to watch who is dominant in the regular season. However, he doesn't know playing defense is legal and he makes very few in-game adjustments. Sadly for him, the playoffs are all about defense and adjustments. I guess no one ever told him.

 

[intlzncster]

Boston has given Golden State trouble for a few years now. I think a lineup of Irving-Brown-Haywood-Tatum-Horford can give them trouble enough to pick off a few games. And if the Kings pick hits with a 2-3 next year? And then the Memphis pick?

Definitely wasn't counting on any of the future picks. That certainly changes the calculus depending on what happens with those.

RE their past success, I just think it's a different game in the playoffs. The Warriors dial it up when they want or need to.

I'm sure they could take a couple games, but I just don't see them outlasting the Warriors over 7 games. I mean, this Warriors team just took out one of the best teams in the NBA by 30.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Definitely wasn't counting on any of the future picks. That certainly changes the calculus depending on what happens with those.

RE their past success, I just think it's a different game in the playoffs. The Warriors dial it up when they want or need to.

I'm sure they could take a couple games, but I just don't see them outlasting the Warriors over 7 games. I mean, this Warriors team just took out one of the best teams in the NBA by 30.

This is why so many casual observers want the Celtics to trade away the future picks for Kawhi or even trade Kyrie or Hayward right now for the perfect fitting big. Everyone can see the Celtics are one all-star big man away from contending with the Warriors and because "I want it now" and b/c the Warriors are such a juggernaut people are impatient. But it doesn't make sense for Boston to give up what portends to be a decade of dominance to beat a team that will be together for another year tops AND likely still have a better 1-6 than Boston for that 1 year (at least more experienced & cohesive).

Its the same thing in essence with Philly, even if you add LeBron to Embid + Simmons there is no guarantee of anything left on the roster that can shoot & defend well enough to trump what the Warriors have right now. But everyone wants to play fantasy GM, does so with a 1-year horizon and assembles imaginary teams to theoretically beat the Warriors because they are unbeatable.