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LeBron James

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Let's hope this town is big enough for the two of us.

On one hand the Cavs don't usually rest on the front end of back-to-backs it seems. However I'm sure they'd rather play him in a home game against the 3 seeded Wiz..

Well, let's hope they decide to sack up and play/win both games so no one gets screwed over. As this, probably just like you, is my one game I am going to (live in Cbus)..
 
Well, let's hope they decide to sack up and play/win both games so no one gets screwed over. As this, probably just like you, is my one game I am going to (live in Cbus)..

I'm actually in the Youngstown area so games are much more accessible for me.

However, I'm going to be in the Charlotte area this weekend and have made it a goal to see the Cavs in every arena over the coming years. This will be my first. Maybe I should have been conservative and went for upper bowl tickets, but where's the fun in that?
 
Like the father Lorenzo said in The Bronx Tale

You don't fool with a mans family
 
Alternative LeBron: "I'm sick and tired of hearing about sitting out this past Saturday, so let me napalm this fucking idiot no one can stop talking about."
 
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2698613-metrics-101-the-top-5-nba-defenders-at-every-position

Bleacher report did a breakdown of the five best defenders at each position using advanced metrics. LeBron somehow came in fifth amongst small forwards despite almost never contesting shots at the rim, hardly ever running back on transition, generally taking defensive possessions off, and being surrounded by poor defenders. Imagine when he actually exerts consistent effort on that end...the Cavs defense will start to look more respectable.

Unsurprisingly no other Cav was even an honorable mention. On the other hand the Spurs had a bunch of guys on the list even though Leonard somehow didn't make it.
 
This is true in some ways but it seems incomplete - I think you have to add to this that Lebron is extremely crafty around the basket in terms of how he stretches himself out to make layups, and sneaks around people to reach the backboard. Earlier in his career he was either dunking or elevating and floating in an almost Jordanesque way to make these interior shots. But as his athleticism has declined a bit and he is less aerial, his technique around the basket has improved enormously in terms of making layups and little bank shots from close to the basket. He has totally mastered the use of his off hand in making layups, he has all kinds of spin moves, he has a sort of shoulder dip into the defender to get space for the layup (linked a video below describing that move), he is phenomenally accurate at laying it in when he is moving at high speed toward the basket, etc. Concretely, he is shooting a percentage from 0-3 feet that is very close to his career high (he is at 77.5% this year from 3 feet and in), and his 0-3 feet percentage is higher than it was early in his career when he was dunking all the time. I would bet Lebron has one of the highest shooting percentages in the league on contested layups. (Of course Kyrie is also tremendous at this, I wonder sometimes if LBJ is learning some tricks from him too).

With that said, I agree that Harden has a better handle and is better at changing speeds, and that makes him a more effective penetrator in the half court. But Lebron is tremendously effective once he does get close to the basket, more so than Harden -- compare LBJ's shooting percentage from 0-3 of 77.5% to Harden's percentage this year of 69%. (Although foul shots might even this out some, not sure how those are handled in the stats).

Here is the video of that shoulder dip move:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ2uMdeZHjg
Bro I like to bully ball a bit when I drive but I never realized I was doing it wrong the whole time jumping off my outside foot!!!! Thank you so much for this, no joke I can't wait to try it out
 
Yep in 30 years kids who never saw LeBron play will be comparing him to their generation's best and MVPs will be part of the discussion.

I have a feeling LeBron is going to get the MJ treatment in those conversations. I.e. he didn't get the award because people got tired of voting for him. Only way people will be able to explain Rose, Durant, Curry, etc. winning the award over him.
 
Taking Harden off the Rockets and putting LeBron in his place would absolutely lead to more wins for the Rockets. LeBron would also be out of gas by the end of the season playing that system. But the system they play leads to teams overachieving in the regular season more often than not.

This line of thinking never made sense to me, and it only seems to apply to Dantoni. When Dantoni wins, it's because of the "system." When he loses in the playoffs it's because the system "stops working." It ignores the fact that what the Warriors run is essentially a hybrid of those SSOL teams. And that the Spurs reinvented themselves with a lot of what that offense does.

Why can't people acknowledge that a system works/doesn't work when players buy in and execute? It's not about the system being untenable, it's about the players buying in and having more talent than the other team.
 
I have a feeling LeBron is going to get the MJ treatment in those conversations. I.e. he didn't get the award because people got tired of voting for him. Only way people will be able to explain Rose, Durant, Curry, etc. winning the award over him.
Rose - yes
Durant - maybe
Curry - Naw... LeBron was not the regular season MVP either of those years.
 
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2698613-metrics-101-the-top-5-nba-defenders-at-every-position

Bleacher report did a breakdown of the five best defenders at each position using advanced metrics. LeBron somehow came in fifth amongst small forwards despite almost never contesting shots at the rim, hardly ever running back on transition, generally taking defensive possessions off, and being surrounded by poor defenders. Imagine when he actually exerts consistent effort on that end...the Cavs defense will start to look more respectable.

Unsurprisingly no other Cav was even an honorable mention. On the other hand the Spurs had a bunch of guys on the list even though Leonard somehow didn't make it.
Just read this. The difference in rankings between all four stats (the latter two of which are not advanced stats) really demonstrates how little we know about quantifying NBA defense.

Also, this has been written numerous times (and @David. has made this critique of defensive metrics), but Kawhi's defensive metrics are low this season for two reasons. First, Danny Green and Dedmon are succeeding unusually well at their positions, thus the seeable impact of Leonard's defense is slightly lessened. Second, teams are putting Kawhi's man in the corner and not involving him in the offense. This is not well reflected by DRPM whatsoever.

Point being, if these rankings don't view Kawhi as a good defender, they really shouldn't be trusted. Kawhi is the best perimeter defender in the NBA right now, and the best I've seen in years. LeBron is the best team defender I've ever seen.
 
This line of thinking never made sense to me, and it only seems to apply to Dantoni. When Dantoni wins, it's because of the "system." When he loses in the playoffs it's because the system "stops working." It ignores the fact that what the Warriors run is essentially a hybrid of those SSOL teams. And that the Spurs reinvented themselves with a lot of what that offense does.

Why can't people acknowledge that a system works/doesn't work when players buy in and execute? It's not about the system being untenable, it's about the players buying in and having more talent than the other team.

Warriors only won because Kyrie broke his knee.
 

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