LeBron James

[fujikuro]

This team needs another playmaker. We have multiple guys who are scorers or rebounders. We just have basically one legit playmaking passer on the team now. There's got to be another guy out there who can pick up some of that slack that the Cavs can go get.

 

[LeShaq]

This team to me is still totally reliant on Lebron. If he plays like ass (like he has the last 2 games, relatively speaking) we are just toast period. If he sits a game it's like an automatic loss.

It's amazing with the payroll we have that we still live or die on LBJ.

This is why LeBron should easily win MVP, and a guy like Durant (great stats) should have no shot at MVP this year.

When LeBron sat in the Indy game, I'm sure he wanted to rest but it was also a "tryout" for Kyrie/Love to lead the team. Fail. Although, to be fair, Kyrie/Kevin have been growing in that regard since the Indy game.

It's not an accident that Kyrie nor Kevin never led a team to the playoffs until LeBron came into their lives. And I say that as someone who respects both Kyrie and Kevin, and as someone who hopes that they can develop more into the leader role so as to help LeBron extend his playing career.

 

[The Red Viper]

We lost and he had some lame-ass turnovers but some of his moves, in terms of those spin moves to the basket was absolutely beautiful to watch!

 

[buzzdog]

Lebron can play excellent at certain moments and he can play like shit in other moments in the same game and same quarter.

He goes from doing a highlight reel defensive play or break-away dunk, but then on the next possession he might completely ignore execution of a simple help rotation. He loses his man completely at times, and there are too many defensive possessions where he gives minimal effort. He's almost ADD at times.

I understand he can't go all out for every possession over the course of a long season. But what he can do is he can keep his mind engaged defensively, he can ensure that he's at least in the proper position defensively, he can keep track of his man defensively as well as keep his man boxed out, and he can communicate defensively. These are just pillars of smart basketball that don't necessarily require maximum physical effort, but they do require mental focus.

When Lebron fails to do these things, and when he is overtly lackadaisical then it rubs off on the whole team in terms of effort and focus.

The other thing Lebron can improve on without having to expend a large amount of energy is ball security. He gets extremely complacent about dribbling through traffic at times, about failing to protect the ball, and trying to thread the needle with passes when a safer simpler option is available. I'm not saying he should never thread the needle on passes but when you go to that too often it can backfire and have a stifling effect of causing empty possessions.

The guy can be completely masterful when he keeps the right approach. I think at his level of maturity he'll figure out when to show a little more intensity without burning himself out in the regular season. The whole team follows his lead and when we suck the way we have the last few games you can probably trace it back to how Lebron is setting the wrong example in a few critical areas of focus and lack of simple smart, efficient basketball mentality.

 

[scopedog]

I have to think by this point he probably finds the regular season a bit mind numbing. And I have to think mental fatigue/mentally burning out is becoming a real issue that needs to be considered.

This is why I think Jordan was likely helped quite a bit by being able to retire for a time. People act like he'd have won 8 straight, but I actually think he might not have won 6 if he didn't have that break not only for his body but for his mind.

Just saying its honestly getting harder and harder for me to even blame LeBron for this sort of thing, especially early in the season. Its too bad our shorthanded team seems incapable of operating and keeping the ship on course without him constantly at the helm. Its like people play with LeBron long enough and no matter how good they are they get reduced to some osmosis shit where they mimic his moods and energy level.

 

[Jscc]

Its too bad our shorthanded team seems incapable of operating and keeping the ship on course without him constantly at the helm. Its like people play with LeBron long enough and no matter how good they are they get reduced to some osmosis shit where they mimic his moods and energy level.

The gift and curse of LeBron's unique talent/presence. A team molds around him because he can do everything and anything. Take the mold out of the equation and you get a shapeless mess. Doesn't matter if you used plastic or gold to fill it.

 

[jon connor]

I have to think by this point he probably finds the regular season a bit mind numbing. And I have to think mental fatigue/mentally burning out is becoming a real issue that needs to be considered.

This is why I think Jordan was likely helped quite a bit by being able to retire for a time. People act like he'd have won 8 straight, but I actually think he might not have won 6 if he didn't have that break not only for his body but for his mind.

Just saying its honestly getting harder and harder for me to even blame LeBron for this sort of thing, especially early in the season. Its too bad our shorthanded team seems incapable of operating and keeping the ship on course without him constantly at the helm. Its like people play with LeBron long enough and no matter how good they are they get reduced to some osmosis shit where they mimic his moods and energy level.

Yep I always laugh at the people that act like MJ woulda won 8 in a row no problem. The reality is taking a break helped him a lot for the second 3peat. If he didn't take the break, it's possible he could've won 8 but it's just as likely that he could've ended up with less than 6.

 

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Le Turnover needs gone. He'll be ok and I agree that the team follows his approach. I just don't like it. Especially a team with Kyrie and Love. If Lebron is being non-productive, for whatever reason, I would expect Love and Irving, Irving especially, to strap the team on his back and get us a win. Oh well. Again, this team was made for the playoffs and they have the ultimate QB/Starting pitcher for that. It just sucks to watch such bad play from the team and Lebron right now.

 

[buzzdog]

Lebron did all the things he needed to do last night. The team followed his lead. Well done.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Does he look slower to you? the blueprint against him should be to switch every PnR and let the big guard him.
He often settles for the 3 and when he tried to take Nogueira to the basket last night he barely got past him. I don't know if it is a matter of chill or not but it's obvious to me that he doesn't have the same burst of speed (in the regular season at least).
His vertical leap is still beastly though. Other than that, he played a very good game.

 

[buzzdog]

I think he has all his physical abilities at his disposal when he really needs them.

IMO the outside jumpers are simple lazy heat checks that show his true level of intensity which is still on the low side, which is appropriate for December.

 

[I'mWithDan]

Does he look slower to you?

A lot of this is a function of us watching him nearly every night of his career. Is he slowing down? I mean, sure....he's 31 and a lot of miles on his legs. But the ceiling he's coming down from is so high in the stratosphere, that he's still going to be really effective. I have friends who cheer for other teams and only catch the Cavs every so often and they always say "I can't believe how good LeBron still is." I think even a slight slip is more obvious if you have seen his peak every night for 10+ years.

I also think he still has those extra gears, we saw it in the finals, it just takes a lot more energy to get to them. When he was younger, he could always hit that highest gear no matter how tired he was or in many cases, how little he tried to get to it. At this point in LeBron's career, a lot of what he does is self preservation. Which makes it even more amazing he is still THIS good (23, 9 and 8) when he's trying not to overextend himself.

Not sure how many people realize this but if he can sustain the 20/9/8 stat line, he'd become only the 2nd player in NBA history to do that. Oscar did it 5 times....and LeBron is doing it at 31/32, after 13 NBA seasons. It is crazy.

 

[Gravy]

Lebron is smart he understands his age and milage , he isnt going run across the court for a chase down block in December anymore. He will save that for May/June. What he will do is, use his knowledge/IQ to the best of his abilities and vocalize for other people to maybe make up for that. Offensively it seems to be working, but the Defense isnt there yet, I think this team 1. Has the hangover still...and 2. Just doesn't have the pieces to play the same D they did last year (losing Mozgov and Delly)

With JR out now, im interested if Miami picks up someone. Is Chalmers signed?

 

[Kbiz]

Has LBJ slowed down? Of course he has. He has lost a bit of athleticism, which shouldn't be much of a surprise considering his age, coupled with the wear and tear his body has endured.

It's tough to predict how his game will age. There are few players to compare him to throughout NBA history. For chrissakes, he's only missed roughly 30 games throughout his entire career due to injuries. Few players take care of their body like James. He is truly a perfectionist in almost every sense of the world. He literally lives to get better at basketball each day. The man needs no motivation, which is rare in this day and age when money is thrown around like it grows on trees.

That one day where we see a decline in his on-court ability shouldn't necessarily be feared. he could easily be moved to the 4, creating a mismatch for almost every team in the NBA. His strength and speed, coupled with his intellect, will make him as close to an impossible guard at the 4 this league has seen. Consider that for a second. In LBJ's twilight years, he could still be shaping how the game is played. We've all bitched how LBJ has never established a consistent jumper but when player's age, usually their jump shot is the first to suffer. The rest of their game tends to fall off after that, which could be due to a myriad of reasons not necessarily physically-related (loss of purpose/identity, will to perform at a high level, etc.) With LBJ, he's perfected almost every other intangible associated with being a complete NBA player. His game is set up to age gracefully.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Has LBJ slowed down? Of course he has. He has lost a bit of athleticism, which shouldn't be much of a surprise considering his age, coupled with the wear and tear his body has endured.

It's tough to predict how his game will age. There are few players to compare him to throughout NBA history. For chrissakes, he's only missed roughly 30 games throughout his entire career due to injuries. Few players take care of their body like James. He is truly a perfectionist in almost every sense of the world. He literally lives to get better at basketball each day. The man needs no motivation, which is rare in this day and age when money is thrown around like it grows on trees.

That one day where we see a decline in his on-court ability shouldn't necessarily be feared. he could easily be moved to the 4, creating a mismatch for almost every team in the NBA. His strength and speed, coupled with his intellect, will make him as close to an impossible guard at the 4 this league has seen. Consider that for a second. In LBJ's twilight years, he could still be shaping how the game is played. We've all bitched how LBJ has never established a consistent jumper but when player's age, usually their jump shot is the first to suffer. The rest of their game tends to fall off after that, which could be due to a myriad of reasons not necessarily physically-related (loss of purpose/identity, will to perform at a high level, etc.) With LBJ, he's perfected almost every other intangible associated with being a complete NBA player. His game is set up to age gracefully.

Yeah, It's just annoying to see that Giraffe Noguiera be able to stop his penetration.
I kinda the miss the old dominant LBJ from the 1st stint, it was so fun to watch in the RS. And I agree, I think his days as a perimeter player that initiates the offense are limited in a sense that he is going to be much more effective as the roll man, especially if the other team switches the PnR now since it just stagnants the offense.
Although, i'm not sure that switching tactic will be that effective in the playoffs.