The LeBron James Thread

[J_Posse]

Quote: Originally Posted by King_B_Mack

This is one thing I hate. LeBron can't guard all 5 positions. LeBron can't guard Gasol, neither one of them. He can't guard Howard, he can't guard Lopez. The only centers he can guard in this league is dudes that happen to be running at center for their squad like Bosh or Garnett. True centers would eat LeBron's lunch which is why we never even see it.

King, I rarely disagree with you but that statement isn't entirely true. I haven't seen LeBron do it in the NBA, but he's definitely guarded both Gasol brothers during the gold medal runs of Team USA. He could likely do it in the NBA as well, yet that would be counterproductive since LeBron would exert too much energy and they have more than a few legitimate big men on Miami .

[BringTheHeat]

Congrats to LeBron. Now go and get that second chip

[DIESEL]

Quote: Originally Posted by King_B_Mack

This is one thing I hate. LeBron can't guard all 5 positions. LeBron can't guard Gasol, neither one of them. He can't guard Howard, he can't guard Lopez. The only centers he can guard in this league is dudes that happen to be running at center for their squad like Bosh or Garnett. True centers would eat LeBron's lunch which is why we never even see it.

So he can only guard 80% of the centers in the NBA?

Sure it is not the preferred match up for the Heat so they wouldn't make him guard the C if it's not necessary. But to say he can't do it is a bit much.

You're not watching closely if you have never seen him do it. LBJ spent plenty of time guarding Tyson Chandler and Kendrick Perkins in the playoffs last year. And I'm pretty sure you have seen him guard D. Rose. So I would call that being able to guard all 5 positions.

[King_B_Mack]

My thing is the people that go out of their way to make LeBron the best defensive player in the league by saying he should win the DPOY award every year or get up in arms when he doesn't win it. LeBron's defense is overrated. While very good and among the best in the league it's more of a stretch think no other defender in the league is remotely close to LeBron's level than to think he can't guard all 5 positions. Yeah, he could probably guard the Tim Duncans or Marc Gasols of the world in spots of the game but is he going to come out and effectively do it every minute he's on the floor? Yeah he shut down Derrick Rose for the last two minutes of a game, would he do that if he played Derrick the whole game? Tony Allen, Luol Deng, Shane Battier these guys and more have to take the toughest matchups on the floor through the entire game, every game and are effective but LeBron should just win Defensive Player of the Year every year because for two to five minutes throughout the course of a couple games a year he shuts someobody down, possibly out of position?

[The 24th Letter]

I think that's officially every part of LeBrons game that has been called overrated, lol

In you guys opinion, does he do anything at an elite level? Or is he just a freak athlete who is able to do everything average?

[RedSceptile]

I think what makes LeBron's defense so impressive is that not only will he as people say "guard your best player" but he'll also go ahead and put up 27/7/7 on the other end. He puts such effort (you can't say the dude does not put out effort) yet is able to still get his it's pretty impressive. You look at most of the "top tier defensive guys" in the league and save maybe Paul George and to an extent Deng I guess none of them are both the focal point of their offensive attack and other team's defensive schemes while playing extremely high level defense to boot. It's been a while that we've really seen a wing player (because most big men have the benefit of not having to guard on the perimeter most of the time) do this and do it pretty damn good.

I'll give James his credit he is not the best defender in the league perimeter wise (I think that goes to Tony Allen I watch dudes he defends and he just INFURIATES the living hell out of them) and he's not the best post defender but he does it all so well that it almost makes him look like the best. Do I think he should have won DPOY this year? Maybe, maybe not. It was hard to say this year but I'll definitely say he should without a doubt be in the running if he keeps playing at this level.

Just keep trolling 'Bron.

[King_B_Mack]

Quote: Originally Posted by The 24th Letter

I think that's officially every part of LeBrons game that has been called overrated, lol In you guys opinion, does he do anything at an elite level? Or is he just a freak athlete who is able to do everything average?

That's not even a knock at him though 24th, it's just ridiculous how people have gotten about LeBron's defense though. Like I said he is definitely among the top defenders in the league, no question but guys acting like it's not even close he's the best defender in the league and his defensive workload isn't even the same as a few other guys in the league? That's like if a guy shooting 75 percent from three point range was getting heralded as the best three point shooter in the game but he's taking like 250 less shots than a Steph Curry or Ryan Anderson or Ray Allen.

Also not necessary to ask if he does everything average, nobody said that. LeBron is elite in attacking the rim, nobody has his ability to get to the basket and finish like him. I also think he's an elite level passer and has better court vision than most guys running point in the league.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Lebron probably CAN guard all 5 positions but I still think the sample size is too small to say he can guard Centers as well and effective(there is a difference) as he can guard any other position and that's probably where King is coming from.

So while I won't say Lebron can't guard Centers, I don't think there's enough evidences to say that he can do it with no problem and we probably never will be able to see if he ever can since he doesn't need to.