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

[J_Posse]

Quote: Originally Posted by TMagic

Just further looking into LeBron's legacy... He has only had two losing seasons in his entire career. One was his rookie season. And the other was last year where he had his first major injury. That's insane to me. Is there anybody else that can claim anything close to that?

*Cough*Tim Duncan*cough*

Official HQ of Bills Backer/Spurs Nation

[Hassan Darkside]

*Cough*Robert Horry*cough*

[cima]

LeBron same dunk 18 years apart. His elevation in HS is ridiculous

https://streamable.com/98erks

[ehh]

On a serious note, how many more years do people think LeBron will play? Is it crazy to say he's got another 6-8 years in him? He's the most indestructible athlete I've ever seen and clearly still the best player in the world. If he wants to hang around after his prime I don't see why he can't play until he's 44-45, unless his body magically starts falling apart. Load manage him, keep him on as a player/coach, give him 20 mpg in the regular season and play him more in the postseason.

[cima]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

On a serious note, how many more years do people think LeBron will play? Is it crazy to say he's got another 6-8 years in him? He's the most indestructible athlete I've ever seen and clearly still the best player in the world. If he wants to hang around after his prime I don't see why he can't play until he's 44-45, unless his body magically starts falling apart. Load manage him, keep him on as a player/coach, give him 20 mpg in the regular season and play him more in the postseason.

I don't think 40 is out of the question. I still feel his next "prime" or next "transition" is going full Magic Johnson. Scoring drops to maybe 18-20 PPG but still putting up 10+ APG. I don't see any reason his game can't evolve into that other than would he WANT to play like that?

[ojandpizza]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

On a serious note, how many more years do people think LeBron will play? Is it crazy to say he's got another 6-8 years in him? He's the most indestructible athlete I've ever seen and clearly still the best player in the world. If he wants to hang around after his prime I don't see why he can't play until he's 44-45, unless his body magically starts falling apart. Load manage him, keep him on as a player/coach, give him 20 mpg in the regular season and play him more in the postseason.

While I don't think he's still far and away the best player in the world I think, avoiding injury, the level of play we saw from him this season is sustainable for at least another 2-3 years, and All-NBA level play until he's probably 40 maybe longer who knows. It's weird because his first step and shifty-ness was never amazing for the level of athlete he was, but it's regressed so much (it's obviously his back because you can tell how stiff-backed he plays now, he can't maintain a low dribble, etc) but he's just been able to adjust his game to the point that it doesn't really matter.

It's crazy because I remember back when he was with Miami I had just joined OS, I was late to the party, but people were on here even then talking about how much he was slowing down, and that he wouldn't last, and he wouldn't be much when his insane athleticism faded, and even I wasn't sure what he would look like 4-5 years from then either. But he's just so refined. The people that used to argue he wasn't "skilled" like the all time greats because he didn't have Kobe footwork and whatever other excuses they used to make look really dumb right about now lol.

As insane of an athlete as he's been his well rounded skill set and high level IQ have trumped even that.

[ojandpizza]

Adding to what I said it's also hard to pin point an end game for him when he's been able to change and alter what he does so many different ways. Like he's maintained best player in the world level of play through 2-3 different shifts in how the league itself has transitioned. He's won at the highest level with different types of coaches, teammates, systems, and roles for himself. Obviously every team he plays on adopts some form of adapting to him, that's typically the result of being the best player on the team regardless.

The only guy I can really think of to compare that to is how Duncan played through all types of league shifts as well. But even with him it was all under one coach, mostly a similar cast with him, and not sure he really held that MVP level of play for nearly as long..

So it does make you wonder. When something else on him slips does he have yet another change he can make to his game that just completely negates that.

[lilteapot]

I thought by this time he'd have changed the way he plays, being a lot less ball dominant and playing out of the post more. I doubt it will change with AD on his team now but I'm looking forward to seeing how and if he will adjust in an effort to extend his career. More off ball movement? Becoming more of a play finisher instead of always initiating offense? I guess a lot depends on if they re-sign rondo or manage to get another floor general.