Hypothetically if you replaced Rondo with LeBron, how many games would we win?

[LarBrd33]

We won 25 games last year.  Expert consensus seemed to be that we'd win about 26 this year.  So for the sake of argument, let's say this is a 30 win team max. 

Purely hypothetical question here.  If you replaced our very best player, Rajon Rondo, with LeBron James, how many games would we win?   We'd still be a collection of mediocre players with zero interior defense, but how much does haven't a phenom scorer impact the rest of the team?  How much does having the ball flow through LeBron impact the surrounding players.  More or less than having Rondo? 

Removing Rondo still leaves us with a solid 4 guard lineup of Smart, Bradley, Thornton and Turner.  What's our starting lineup?

PG - Smart
SG - Bradley
SF - James
PF - Sully
C- Oly
... Green off the bench?  Or do you move Sully to center again and start Green at PF? 

Anyways...  assuming this was a 30 win team with Rondo... how many games would it win with LeBron? 

[zimbo]

 

[LarBrd33]

I'll put you down for 50

[mr. dee]

I'd hate to say it, but we will reach the finals even with that lineup. Although, I would trade Lebron's mental toughness for Rondo's anyday of the week. Rondo's leadership is evident tonight.

[Q_FBE]

Replace Jeff Green with Lebron James and how many games would we win?

[zimbo]

Replace Jeff Green with Lebron James and how many games would we win?

I know right? LarBird is anti-Rondo. It's just getting corny.

[LarBrd33]

Replace Jeff Green with Lebron James and how many games would we win?

Having a guy who can consistently put up 30 points, 8 boards and 7 assists night in and night out ? .. Jeff Green on his very best night is LeBron on an average night.  The team would win about 55+... But if you removed our very best player from this team and replaced him with LeBron, I still think it goes from bottomfeeder lotto squad to one of the best teams in the Eastern conference.

[blink]

We won 25 games last year.  Expert consensus seemed to be that we'd win about 26 this year.  So for the sake of argument, let's say this is a 30 win team max. 

Purely hypothetical question here.  If you replaced our very best player, Rajon Rondo, with LeBron James, how many games would we win?   We'd still be a collection of mediocre players with zero interior defense, but how much does haven't a phenom scorer impact the rest of the team?  How much does having the ball flow through LeBron impact the surrounding players.  More or less than having Rondo? 

Removing Rondo still leaves us with a solid 4 guard lineup of Smart, Bradley, Thornton and Turner.  What's our starting lineup?

PG - Smart
SG - Bradley
SF - James
PF - Sully
C- Oly
... Green off the bench?  Or do you move Sully to center again and start Green at PF? 

Anyways...  assuming this was a 30 win team with Rondo... how many games would it win with LeBron?

Is this a flippant response to the triboy 'who is better dirk or rondo' thread?  if so, brilliant.

[LarBrd33]

Replace Jeff Green with Lebron James and how many games would we win?

I know right? LarBird is anti-Rondo. It's just getting corny.

Rondo's great.  He's our best player.  I'm not anti-Rondo at all.  Do you have an opinion about this hypothetical, zimbo?  Do you think it would remain a 30 win team?

[Celtics18]

How about if we replaced Phil Pressey with Lebron?

98?

[KCattheStripe]

50. You could play AB/Smart/James without having to worry about size and suffocate teams on defense. Or, even scarier, AB/Smart/Green/James/ Zeller and just run teams out of the gym.

[RJ87]

I'd say 40-45 wins. There's still no rim protection on that team. LeBron can do a lot, but he's at his best when he's surrounded by shooters and can do what he wants in the paint. I think he could drag that team to the playoffs in the East, go out in round 1 and then LeBron holds a TV special and takes his talents somewhere else.

[LarBrd33]

How about if we replaced Phil Pressey with Lebron?

98?

I can see none of you are taking this question seriously, because you think my intention is to insult Rondo.  I'm not trying to insult Rondo here.  I genuinely want to have a conversation about basketball positions and the importance of consistent scoring.  This team is going to struggle this year, because night in and night out, they have nobody they can rely on for consistent buckets.  Rondo will do what he does brilliantly... find open men and rack up the assists.  When the mediocre shooters are streaking, it's going to look glorious (game 1 vs the nets and the end of the game tonight)... but when the mediocre shooters clang them, the team is going to struggle.  They'll have nobody they can feed the ball to and rely on them... it's going to be a guessing game.  Dish it to Sully.. is he feeling it?  Nope.  Hmm...try Oly.  Nope.  Try Bradley.  Nope.   Try Smart.  Nope.  Throw turner in there and see how he does... Nope.  Try Sully agin.  Nope.     My question is, how much does that change when you add a guy who you can consistently rely on to get you buckets every single time he steps on the court.  I genuinely want to know if you guys think it matters... if you replaced Rondo with LeBron, do you think this continues to be a 30 win team... or not?

Follow-up question for anyone bold enough to answer it without the snark... if you replaced our very best player, Rajon Rondo, with an elite interior defender... say Marc Gasol, for instance... Does the loss of Rondo offset the addition of the elite interior defender?  Say it left our lineup as PG - Smart, SG - Bradley, SF - Green, PF - SUlly, C - Gasol... with Oly off the bench.  Still a 30 win team?   You'd be fixing the team's most glaring weakness (interior defense), but losing it's strength.  Which is... I don't know.  What is our strength?  Having a point guard who can find open men?  I'd say our guard defense is great, but it seems Smart's prescense offsets the potential loss of Rondo in that hypothetical.

[KCattheStripe]

Follow-up question for anyone bold enough to answer it without the snark... if you replaced our very best player, Rajon Rondo, with an elite interior defender... say Marc Gasol, for instance... Does the loss of Rondo offset the addition of the elite interior defender?  Say it left our lineup as PG - Smart, SG - Bradley, SF - Green, PF - SUlly, C - Gasol... with Oly off the bench.  Still a 30 win team?

Hard to say, Gasol and Conley feed off each other so well I'm not sure how well Gasol would function without an elite to very good playmaker. It might not have any effect, but I'm not sure.

[zimbo]

Too bad LeBron only plays with stacked teams. 

I'd rather have Bosh anyway.