LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

Wonderful what he is doing

Mad respect he has earned it

 

His longevity is truly insane.

 

I realize we are late to the game on having our full current version of the team, but just for kicks....

The Diff column has traditionally been a VERY accurate indicator of who the true contenders are. They basically excel all season long, blow out the bad teams, rarely get blown out, and win a lot of close ones. The top 6 below would be considered the biggest threats traditionally if you didn't consider their late season moves.

The Lakers finally have a positive Diff, and it's now 12th place at +1.9.

If we average +10 over our final 22 games, we'd end up about 4.1 and be looking like a real contender. Just was curious so I ran the numbers.

What will always be most important is having good health and peaking at the right time when the playoffs come around. Nice to have some proven playoff performers on our squad. Nobody wants to play us I'm sure.

 

I guess the difference between Lebron "needs to do..." and "omg, King is amazing" is....let me check the thread...... Oh yea, make more of those shots.

Again, criticism for the sake of criticism is just nitpicking.

I'm glad these guys shots were falling and they played well. We are gonna need solid play when we play the C Bags. And, what a stat 50k is for Bron. Bro is truly 1 of 1.

 

I've backed off on criticism this year because last season my frustration with hambone carried over to everyone but anyone playing for stats needs to be called out.

 

I never cease to be amazed watching this 40 year old guy go into the air and come down on the floor and just get up most of the time like nothing happened because he knows how to fall and/or is just used to it. There was a play against the Clippers where he went up to block a shot at the rim and came down in almost a full split leg position and got right back up. Testament to how hard he works on his body to stay flexible. More than that check this out last night with the charge he was willing to take from Zion with a full head of steam. Can you imagine seeing THAT dude first photo coming at you and you decide you're going to take the charge for the team? Bron IS a Big Boy himself though, not that I'm sure it helps with the pain.







.... fortunately Zion was more interested in avoiding the charge and actually scoring than trucking LeBron and with great body control slides left enough to accomplish both.





... as well James wasn't stupid about sliding a little further and picking up a blocking call plus the IMPACT. Since Zion veered a bit LeBron let the incidental contact turn his upper body. But my whole point was he was going to take the charge from that guy. Good leadership.

 

You know I don't think anyone, since I've started watching ball (80's), has maximized his body/potential and skill more than Kobe. Guys like Iverson, Spud Web, Nate Robinson and Baron Davis are guys I think of that simply out performed their physical abilities. No one maximized more than the Bean.

There have been 2 guys (since the 80's) that have been just true specimens in this game: Shaq and Bron. Back in his early days Bron was afraid of the paint. I hammered him about that all the time. In fact, I argued that I'd take Melo over Bron if you went skill vs skill at that time. And I still think Melo's game is vastly underrated by people. Anyway, I remember a game where Kobe and Bron went at it at the end of a LA/Cavs game. Kobe took Bron to the box and worked him. Bron tried to do the same and Kobe got the best of him. I argued that was the difference between maximizing yourself to be great (Kobe) and having greatness but not being able to maximize it (Bron on the block 1 v 1). Over the years he (Bron) has evolved his game and has simply just proven how gifted he truly is.

Your post reminded me of how I watched a guy too scared (imo) to bang with folks turn into a guy who would stand in front of what might be the strongest dude in the NBA going to the rock (Zion).

We use to say if Shaq had Kobe's work ethic he would of destroyed all the records and then some. Lebron has Shaq's physical gifts and Kobe's work ethic and we are witness to 20+ years of simple dominance that I can't imagine ever being matched. It's crazy.

 

Don't know if in the early years he was afraid of the contact in the paint as much as knew he didn't have the great handles and footwork like Kobe did going backwards. And that is something along with his J from outside he definitely has worked on over the years.

This guy has all the shots now including Magic's baby sky hook ... at least going to his right across the key, plus he's still got the great elevation to set it up off one leg. So ambidextrous around the rim too, and some of those running away turn around Js off one leg in the mid range amaze me with the velocity I've seen on some of them in the past that he's going away from the defender with .... almost as much as the severe fall back angle Kobe often put on his jumpers on top of the elevation and from Deep.

 

I agree with you that his handles and footwork on the block/in the paint were lacking early. That's why he never got in the block back then. That's why I said he was afraid. His first 7ish years he played for his "image" in my opinion.

One of the early knocks I had on him was he wouldn't take the last shot of a game. He wouldn't put the team on his back in crunch time. We, as fans, use to hate on him for not having a game winner for a pretty long time. I thought up until after his Miami Championship he orchestrated his game. After I think he turned into a much greater player unafraid of any failure. But that is another rabbit hole.

Now, he really is simply not stoppable if he doesn't want to be. The other day during the game they showed his stats this year are better than his MVP season as a youngster. That is astonishing considering the athleticism that has come into the league since he was drafted.

 

I agree with you guys that Lebron is a much more skilled player now. But I think he was more impactful in his earlier days when he played like Zion, and the stats prove this. He had much better WS/48, BPM and VORP numbers.

As much as Lebron is a great passer, I don't think he has the instincts of a Luka Doncic. A lot of Lebron's passes are calculated and predetermined. The difference between the two is that Lebron needs space between him and the defender to make effective passes. He's not the type that can probe and draw multiple defenders to pass out of tight spaces. That's where losing his athleticism hurts him. The rim pressure was insane and it always had the opponent on their heels. Even with defenders sagging off of him he would still blow by them to finish or find the open man. I don't think he instills that kind of fear into opponents any more. Luka does. (Lebron is scarier off-ball nowadays imo)

On defense, he was a menace. He was basically a stronger and more athletic version of Vando in the playoffs.

 

His 3 point shooting is better but no version of James was better then playoff Cleveland James in his second stint there.

Best combination of elite athleticism, skillet err skillset, and game knowledge I've ever seen. Took the Warriors having MVPs in their prime and 3 other all stars to beat him basically

Of all the stats the Finals ones are the most bonkers for James

 

First series Olynk tore out Loves shoulder too. I think they win that one of healthy.

Third one no one was beating that Warriors team.woth Durant Simply the greatest team of all time that one IMO. Maybe the greatest testament to Lebron's greatness is the Warriors which would eventually win3 titles without Durant needed add him to beat peak Lebron

 

The craziest thing is that even with Kyrie and Love out, LeBron ABSOLUTELY DID make it a series. He was borderline superman. And that's when I really did start to come around on LeBron. His finals the next year, which was as unbelievable as it was unprecedented, is what finally won me over.