The LeBron James Thread

[jeebs9]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

1 on 1 hes bad.

I don't think people have notice but the NBA isn't a one on one league anymore. Notice how there aren't any lock down defenders anymore. We have guys who play in great defensive systems.

Rules changes are to blame. That's why it's impossible to actually shut someone down one on one.

But without LeBron the Heat couldn't play like they do (SMALL).

He not defensive player of the year.

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[ojandpizza]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I don't think people have notice but the NBA isn't a one on one league anymore. Notice how there aren't any lock down defenders anymore. We have guys who play in great defensive systems.

Rules changes are to blame. That's why it's impossible to actually shut someone down one on one.

But without LeBron the Heat couldn't play like they do (SMALL).

He not defensive player of the year.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

Realistically, rule changes or not, there has never true been a "lockdown defender".. It's impossible to guard the best scorers in the league, one man has never shut those elite scoring talents completely down.. Holds true now and all the way back to Russell vs. Wilt, individually great scoring stumps great defense every time.

[ojandpizza]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I'd like to know what you consider overrated and bad defensively.

He shouldn't win DPOY for the biggest reason being that his team hasn't played nearly as well defensively. But if a wing player were to win the award (which pretty much never happens, Moncrief, Robertson, Jordan, Payton, and Artest are the only perimeter players to win the award) but if it were to go to a wing player if not Paul George would the next in line not be LeBron?

He completely changes the way his team plays defensively. He can defend anybody on the court, he can switch on to big men, and he allows Miami to play small ball. He allows them to use the defensive scheme they use.. That can't be said about nearly any other wing player. Teams don't plan their defenses are their small forward. It's always the big man who determines your defense. Shot blockers allow your perimeter defenders to gamble all game long, see Westbrook, and solid rotational big men allow perimeter defenders to play up close on their man because if they get beat off the dribble they can funnel their man into help defense, see Gasol or Noah.. And some give you the best of both worlds like Roy Hibbert who is my personal choice for the award this season..

Did you even watch the Heat and Clippers game to understand why the comments about him winning DPOY were even brought up? He guarded 1 through 5, played Collison, Crawford, Jordan, Griffin, guys who would be nearly impossible match ups for almost any other small forward defensively. He finished with 3 steals, 8 rebounds, hustled for his signature chase down block, and basically sealed the game by setting up for a charge in the last minute.. There is literally nothing you could ask a player to do defensively that he doesn't do.. Last years finals are another example, switching on to Parker, guarding their big men, protecting the rim even on a Splitter dunk.. Like what more exactly do you think he should do?

Is he an elite on ball defender? No but the guys who are like Bradley and Allen those guys are specialists. Their are on ball defenders and great at it, basically like Kyle Korver is a 3 point shooter and great at it.. He always has solid defensive stats, and good defensive ratings, I know at one point this season his opponents were only scoring on 31% of their shots and under 30% in pick-n-roll situations and under 30% in post up situations.. He's not the leagues best at any one thing but he's in that top group at literally every thing..

Is he this years defensive player of the year? No I don't think he is, I think last year was probably his one shot at the award..but he's made 5 straight all defensive first teams, likely 6 this season, and according to the GM survey before this season he was ranked 2nd as the best overall defender in the league and second in best perimeter defender in the league.. That's by NBA GM's, not by guys like us.

So just curious what is it that makes him "overrated"? He's never won DPOY, he's not considered the best defender in the league, what's there to point to that makes him overrated? Nobody has really been labeling him anything defensively that stands out as even being remotely undeserving. Unless I'm missing something?

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Anybody catch a clip of the interview he did with Steve Smith that's airing right after All Star Weekend?

He talked about when he and Wade were frustrated at 9-8 in their first year together and questioning whether it would work out and also talked about when he thought he could embrace going heel only to admit it started to wear on him. Sounded like it should be a good one based on that clip so I'm interested to see the rest of it.

Was actually a bit surprised to hear him say that he wasn't sure the Miami move would work out after that rough start to the season.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Saw that. looking forward to the rest of the interview...

[jeebs9]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I think any player would of thought the same thing in that situation. It was pretty tough at that point. Especially they were built up to take over the league. But I also want to say. That was a totally different LeBron. That was the LeBron that got everything easy. It wasn't until after that season did he really grow up in my opinion.

[lilteapot]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

1 on 1 hes bad.

Oh what a riveting argument. Because he can't guard Durant who is a freakishly talented scoring machine and has some issues against Melo who is a great iso player, he's a BAD defender? At what point do you stop blaming the defender and start giving the offensive player some credit?

[ojandpizza]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Oh what a riveting argument. Because he can't guard Durant who is a freakishly talented scoring machine and has some issues against Melo who is a great iso player, he's a BAD defender? At what point do you stop blaming the defender and start giving the offensive player some credit?

He actually defended Durant very well that last game. Yes he had like 33 points, but he had 5 free throws, 3 or 4 transition lay-ups, 4 three balls one with LeBron all on him (maybe could have even been a foul), one on a switch defender, and the other two were just pull-ups from a couple feet behind then line.. He hit an off balanced one legged runner... There was really only 2 or 3 times where he made a move and actually got LeBron off balance defensively and scored.. The rest weren't anything bad about how he defended him and open layups on the break.. And he never beat LeBron off the dribble to the rim in that game either..

But like everyone else said you don't stop a great player 1 on 1, nobody in the league does than, he torched Paul George as well. He's basically a 6'10" SG, there's no defending that when he gets hot.

[BleacherBum2310]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

he said today he should be DPOY do yall agree?

hes a overrated defender imo.

This year has probably been his worst defensive season of his career. But He's not overrated. I think it's Hibbert, Ibaka or Davis.

[ojandpizza]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

This year has probably been his worst defensive season of his career. But He's not overrated. I think it's Hibbert, Ibaka or Davis.

Maybe in terms of steal numbers and block numbers, but everything else he's done has been about as good as always not much of a drop off.. And the bottom line is if the whole team struggles defensive, like they have been most of this year, he's not going to have big steal numbers because the way they play his steals revolve around others forcing guys into bad passes.

[BleacherBum2310]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I never base defense off of blocks and steal #s those often are more times than not misleading.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I really enjoyed the interview....I think one of the things that I like about LeBron is how in tuned with the game he is...seems like one of those athletes that wouldn't mind talking sports with you off the court...

[ojandpizza]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Didn't get to catch the LeBron interview thing, anybody know where I can find it or if it's online yet?

[The__Answ3r_i3]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Didn't get to catch the LeBron interview thing, anybody know where I can find it or if it's online yet?

if you have nba tv im sure they will show it again sometime this week.

[lilteapot]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

great interview, people really blew his whole rushmore comments way out of proportion but that happens when you're lebron james.