March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

[BleacherBum2310]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Easy Steph for me.

[Sportsforever]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Paul Pierce...just no. James Harden is a great scorer (with some help from the officials), but there is NO way I'd take him over LBJ.

[Anthraticus]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

"The best" discussions are always so boring/useless/tiresome.

[Vni]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

It's Andre Ingram now.

[ojandpizza]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Paul Pierce

[Themayorofawsometown]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Paul Pierce

Zaire disagreesIMG_20190406_102021.jpeg

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[J_Posse]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Giannis or Kevin is/are the best player in the NBA. If KD threepeats, then this is now his league.

If, if Giannis can get to the Finals and topple the Warriors well this is his league, now...

I'm most interested to see how LeBron handles no longer being the best. Does he take a mentor role and switch up his playing style (ala Tim Duncan & Dirk)?

Or is his ego too big to accept a lesser role (ala Kobe, Carmelo & AI) to the detriment of himself and the Lakers????
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[Themayorofawsometown]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

...

I'm most interested to see how LeBron handles no longer being the best. Does he take a mentor role and switch up his playing style (ala Tim Duncan & Dirk)?

Or is his ego too big to accept a lesser role (ala Kobe, Carmelo & AI) to the detriment of himself and the Lakers????
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You talking like he ain't still at minimum a top 5 player in the league

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[ojandpizza]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Giannis or Kevin is/are the best player in the NBA. If KD threepeats, then this is now his league.

If, if Giannis can get to the Finals and topple the Warriors well this is his league, now...

I'm most interested to see how LeBron handles no longer being the best. Does he take a mentor role and switch up his playing style (ala Tim Duncan & Dirk)?

Or is his ego too big to accept a lesser role (ala Kobe, Carmelo & AI) to the detriment of himself and the Lakers????
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Unless he just comes back next season and is something completely different than what we've seen up until this point, he's not in a position to have to make that type of decision yet.

I'm still not sold on him not being the "best" player. Until he proves otherwise, which the season he doesn't have the chance to, I don't think there is any player who jumps to the level that Bron and KD do when the playoffs start.

Giannis has a chance to show that this year, as I think if all you're looking at is the regular season he is easily my vote as the "best".. But even he has to show he can reach that type of level against that level of competition. We don't really know if he can go out and dictate the outcome of playoff games just yet. Whether that ends in a title or not, I don't think losing to a team like GS that has more talent and more playoff experience will really decide that for Giannis.

[gfunkadelphia]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Durant


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[cima]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Bump.


Looks like Kawhi is the easy answer right now with KD's injury.


Will LeBron re-claim the throne this year at age 35 or do some think he never lost the throne?

Edit 9/15/20: LOL this dude had me fooled

[3304Life]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

I think this year is his best shot at that fifth MVP. If it isn’t now, it isn’t ever. I actually think if he’s given full control of the offense, playing almost exclusively as a point guard on offense, with shooters around him, he can average a double double this year. I think they can allow Davis and McGee to control the boards, outlet it to LeBron and let him work. As he’s getting older and doesn’t have that unbelievable blow by speed he always had, the half court isn’t as easy for him because a lot of those kickouts to the perimeter relied on him penetrating and the gravity of the defense. So if they play at a higher pace, he can get up in assists. He averaged 9 with a cast mostly made up of bums in his final year in Cleveland.

As for best in the world? I doubt it now. He’s still gonna have nights where it looks like it but I think it’s been passed off to Kawhi now. Maybe AD could emerge as the best if he has a great season here because he should definitely be in that conversation while we don’t know how KD will be going forward.

[ojandpizza]

March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Kawhi is absolutely amazing on a team that has all the pieces to do everything he doesn’t.. when all he has to worry about is being a lock down defender on a team’s 2nd or 3rd best player and efficiently get you 20-30 every night..

But I think that there are a handful of players who have more all around or complete games.. just purely “two-way” maybe not, but two-way doesn’t encompass lots of areas of a a players game because people only look at how many points you scored and your direct man to man defense.

I think AD, possibly still a healthy KD, and if LeBron goes back to where he was, Giannis.. those guys do more and provide more impact IMO.. and I think Curry demands much more attention from opposing defensive schemes as well. He’s tough because it depends on how much credit you give him for the trickle effect it has on all his teammates, and how much you detract for being a one dimensional defender.

I think we are at a point where there just might not be a “the best”, handful of guys lobbying for that crown is how I see it..

Kawhi is more of a Kobe-Pippen cross type player. He doesn’t take the volume of shots as Kobe so he’s much more efficient, but he’s not nearly as dominant or polarizing of a scorer. He has a lot of Pippen traits, but much less in the point-forward mold. He seems to add something every year though, ready to see what that all looks like when he’s around that 30 years old mark. Seems to be when it all comes together for most greats.

That said if we are playing the still developing card, if Giannis gets a jumper it’s over. Guys like AD and Embiid also have unmatched traits but they are never healthy.


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[Jukeman]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Bron never lost it not even to KD...


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[AlexBrady]

Re: March 2019: LeBron James is no longer the best player in the world. So who is?

Letting LeBron run the point would be disastrous. He dominates the ball and only looks to make kickout passes that he hopes will be transformed into assists.

I have said this for many years now but LeBron should be EXCLUSIVELY a finisher, setting screens and rolling to the rim.

Double doubles, triple doubles, ect. None of that matters.