With LeBron James aging and KD hurt, where's a ring chaser to go?

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Regardless of if the Raptors knock off the Warriors for the franchise’s first championship in their history or the Warriors come back from the near dead to continue their dynasty, this was the most pivotal year in decades.  Three of the biggest names in the NBA lost a little luster this season.

Is LeBron morphing into Uncle Drew?

LeBron James may still be the best player in the NBA, but if he is, the decision isn’t so clear cut.  James’ 2018-19 stats look pretty much in his career numbers with a couple of exceptions.  LeBron played in only 55 games and his age was a career high of 34.  Whether it was because of playing with an injury or some other factor, LeBron wasn’t the defensive force he was in years gone by.

James wasn’t able to elevate the Lakers has many thought he would.  Based on his age and likely descent of his career arc, its likely LeBron isn’t the talent magnet he was in years gone by.  Would I want him on my team?  No doubt.  Would I want him at max salary for more than three years? No.  You can tell LeBron is really declining if the Bulls make a deal for him.

Is KD's current ceiling the roof?

Kevin Durant tried to play hurt and got a ruptured Achilles for his efforts.  He could well be out for all of next season.  Where he will eventually wind up is up in the air.  Just how good he will be coming off a major injury at 31 or 32 is also a concern.  Will he get a max contract?  Probably.  Will he put up numbers worthy of it?  Probably not.  Most importantly, can he be the centerpiece of a championship team when comes back?  Don’t count on it.

Quitters never win.  Well, in the NBA maybe they do.

And then there’s Anthony Davis.  Davis emerged from the 2018-19 season in far better physical shape than either LeBron James or Kevin Durant but still comes away somewhat tarnished from the 2018-19 season.  While Davis’ stats once again were impressive, the way he tried to dog his way out of New Orleans was not.  When did quitting on your team become an accepted negotiating ploy?  Davis is the most fought over commodity in the NBA as of now.  He wants to go to the Lakers or Knicks.  Ultimately look for the Lakers to pony up whatever the Pelicans demand from the Lakers for Davis.  Zion Williamson may not have AD to play with, but he’ll be surrounded by talent.  I think I’ll find myself rooting for the Pelicans next season.

So, what's left?

So where is a ring chaser to go?  Probably Golden State, though that’s not the slam dunk it was recently.  How about joining James Harden in Houston?  Nah.  Who wants to watch James Harden dominate the ball all year only to come up short in the playoffs?  Maybe talented players will decide to work for a ring rather than chase one.  Just kidding.  That’s not the mentality in the NBA now.

MJ's real legacy

Can you imagine Michael Jordan wanting to join Magic Johnson or Larry Bird?  No, he wanted to be them not join them.  That’s one of the things the NBA used to have that I miss.