Is LeBron James really "Coasting"?

[Black and White]

THIS IS NOT A TROLL THREAD

Thinking about it recently, is the idea of LeBron coasting becoming more of a facade than anything? After LeBron spoke to the media in regards to the coasting statement, he said to check his next games stats, he came out and didnt drop the 35-40 points that people were expecting him to do, has LeBron's game changed to what we see now permanently? Is he actually playing at his full potential? I can't imagine someone like James talking as much as he is recently and not give it 100% to back it up.

ISH what do you guys think, is LeBron REALLY coasting? Or will the switch get flipped come playoff time?


Look at this below for an idea,


Recent stats:

vs. CHA 34/8/6 on 52%

vs. PHI 21/8/10 on 53%

vs. WSH 25/8/7 on 44%

vs. BKN 36/7/5 on 57%

vs. NY 32/5/6 on 70%

vs. NO 32/3/5 on 59%

vs. TOR 30/4/5 on 67%



Coasting?

[IncarceratedBob]

Yes. If he tried he would be averaging 32/12/10

[riseagainst]

when his stans say he is coasting, they are just trying to make him look better. It's an excuse when he plays poorly. It also glorifies him when he plays well.

[Black and White]

when his stans say he is coasting, they are just trying to make him look better. It's an excuse when he plays poorly. It also glorifies him when he plays well.

Looking at him recently it's looks like he is trying new things to score, win etc, I truly don't think he isn't giving his all to win games. That can't be coasting can it?

[bdreason]

Whole team is coasting. Wade doesn't even bother playing half the time.

[riseagainst]

Looking at him recently it's looks like he is trying new things to score, win etc, I truly don't think he isn't giving his all to win games. That can't be coasting can it?

that's the benefit of playing with the best supporting cast in the league.

[hahaitme]

Doubt he's coasting, but don't think he's going all out either.

2011 Finals
2012 Finals + Olympics
2013 Finals

The extra games have to be taking a toll. Probably a good idea not to go all out anyway, it's not like anyone else is getting 2nd seed off Miami

[Lordsteven]

true colors will be shown come april

[Black and White]

Doubt he's coasting, but don't think he's going all out either.

2011 Finals
2012 Finals + Olympics
2013 Finals

The extra games have to be taking a toll. Probably a good idea not to go all out anyway, it's not like anyone else is getting 2nd seed off Miami

I reckon the idea that he's coasting isn't accurate, fatigue could be the issue as to why he doesn't look as good as he usually does, I still think he is giving his all on the court, maybe the back is still a little hurt?

[red1]

true colors will be shown come april
you mean may and june

[Illuminati]

Whole team is coasting. Wade doesn't even bother playing half the time.

This.

Just trying to get through the season 100% healthy, focused and energized.

[JebronLames]

He didn't coast last game, but he's coasting for most of the games.

[Black and White]

He didn't coast last game, but he's coasting for most of the games.


The charlotte game?

[JebronLames]

The charlotte game?
Yeah.

[Black and White]

Yeah.

The statlines below aren't far off the charlotte game though....

[Nash]

Coasting as in he's not doing more than he should, probably because of worries about tiring himself out in the regular season or potential injuries.

He's not putting any major effort into the defence.

He's playing less minutes than before which is why his stats have dropped .5 in ppg and apg.

Miami learned a big lesson from last years winning streak. They ended up wasting way too much energy on that winning streak. It ended up hurting them. Wade for example ended up going into the playoffs injured because of the winning streak.

Lebron is naturally talented, basketball comes easy to him and that is why his numbers are still good.

Because you can't seriously think that a freak of nature athlete like Lebron is declining when just turning 29?

[NumberSix]

He's mostly coasting on defense

[j3lademaster]

Thinking about it recently, is the idea of LeBron coasting becoming more of a facade than anything? After LeBron spoke to the media in regards to the coasting statement, he said to check his next games stats, he came out and didnt drop the 35-40 points that people were expecting him to do, has LeBron's game changed to what we see now permanently? Is he actually playing at his full potential? I can't imagine someone like James talking as much as he is recently and not give it 100% to back it up.Lebron messed up by saying that, but not enough credit is given to Washington for really coming out to play that game. An inspired NBA team is scary no matter who it is, and I felt like a young team really showed a lot of character by not letting the best player in the world come in and embarrass them in their own house.

[JebronLames]

The statlines below aren't far off the charlotte game though....
I watched most of those games. He played with more effort last game.

[Black and White]

Coasting as in he's not doing more than he should, probably because of worries about tiring himself out in the regular season or potential injuries.

He's not putting any major effort into the defence.

He's playing less minutes than before which is why his stats have dropped .5 in ppg and apg.

Miami learned a big lesson from last years winning streak. They ended up wasting way too much energy on that winning streak. It ended up hurting them. Wade for example ended up going into the playoffs injured because of the winning streak.

Lebron is naturally talented, basketball comes easy to him and that is why his numbers are still good.

Because you can't seriously think that a freak of nature athlete like Lebron is declining when just turning 29?

I'm not saying his game is declining, he's a freak, but maybe its changed, and his mindset is different now.

[Black and White]

Lebron messed up by saying that, but not enough credit is given to Washington for really coming out to play that game. An inspired NBA team is scary no matter who it is, and I felt like a young team really showed a lot of character by not letting the best player in the world come in and embarrass them in their own house.

Washington won't get much credit, I posted about how balanced their game was but not much was said.

[knicksman]

This is what im saying all along that all around players are overrated. Lebron is now playing what a scorer should be so he now plays off the ball for better fg% which in turn sacrifice assists stats. It also sacrifices his rebounding for fastbreak pts. Jordan did that and managed to average only 4 assists yet his team was so dominant to win 72 games

[NumberSix]

Washington won't get much credit, I posted about how balanced their game was but not much was said.
Nah. The only reason DC looked good is because of how lazy Miami was on defense.

[Black and White]

Nah. The only reason DC looked good is because of how lazy Miami was on defense.

Miami did come out better in the second half thats for sure. But Washington def played their hearts out

[pauk]

He is taking 3 less shots a game than even his rookie year..... even his usage rate is the lowest since his rookie year.... so yea i would say he is not as agressive as he could be, at least scoring wise... This comes mostly because he probably trusts his teammates a bit more and if he is winning that way then he wont complain i guess and continue "coasting" until more is needed from his end, which most likely will be mostly in the playoffs....

[NumberSix]

He is taking 3 less shots a game than even his rookie year..... so yea i would say he is not trying his best scoring wise...
In his last 7 games he averaging something like 30PPg on 60%.

Somehow, people are acting like he's been a bum.


His assist numbers would be ridiculous if Miami's 3 point shooters weren't slumping right now.

[Black and White]

He is taking 3 less shots a game than even his rookie year..... even his usage rate is the lowest since his rookie year.... so yea i would say he is not as agressive as he could be, at least scoring wise...

But could that be due to a mindset change? Maybe he is looking to get the team involved rather than be aggressive?? That wouldn't equate to coasting.

[knicksman]

in order to protect your FG%, the less shots you take the higher the %.

[NumberSix]

But could that be due to a mindset change? Maybe he is looking to get the team involved rather than be aggressive?? That wouldn't equate to coasting.
I agree with you for once.

He's hitting guys who are wide open. The shooters are just slumping right now.

[NumberSix]

in order to protect your FG%, the less shots you take the higher the %.
He's 3# in PPG.

[Black and White]

I agree with you for once.

He's hitting guys who are wide open. The shooters are just slumping right now.

Exactly, maybe he now believes the formula to win the 3rd title is to do it as a team, so his mindset is to look for the open guy, maybe he isn't scoring like he used to but if you have to find your teammates then you have to sacrifice that aspect of your game a little.

[NumberSix]

Exactly, maybe he now believes the formula to win the 3rd title is to do it as a team, so his mindset is to look for the open guy, maybe he isn't scoring like he used to but if you have to find your teammates then you have to sacrifice that aspect of your game a little.
He's not going all out playoff mode on offense, but I wouldn't say he's coasting. He's playing what you would expect for the regular season.

The whole team is definitely coasting on defense though. LeBron included. You can't be MVP with lazy defense.

[Black and White]

He's not going all out playoff mode on offense, but I wouldn't say he's coasting. He's playing what you would expect for the regular season.

The whole team is definitely coasting on defense though. LeBron included. You can't be MVP with lazy defense.

The defense will tighten up soon, I wonder if he is looking to trade-off some defense to get early looks on fast break?

[Black and White]

I watched most of those games. He played with more effort last game.

And he didn't try against the Wizards??

[GrapeApe]

As others have mentioned, the coasting is on the defensive end. The Heat have the most efficient offense in the league. They've played more games than any team in the league over the last 3 years and they're not exactly a young group. They HAVE to pick their spots during the regular season, LeBron included. It can be frustrating as a fan but I completely understand and agree with it.

[JebronLames]

And he didn't try against the Wizards??
He coasted. Lol.

[Black and White]

He coasted. Lol.

Well if he did then that is a stupid thing to do considering what he said (I don't think he coasted that game) not the second half at least

[tmacattack33]

Don't know, don't care.

I'll see what happens in May.

82 game is hilariously too big. It needs to be 42 at the max.

[pauk]

But could that be due to a mindset change? Maybe he is looking to get the team involved rather than be aggressive?? That wouldn't equate to coasting.

Not exactly getting his team more involved by handling the ball & focusing on assists/passing/creating for them much more but by allowing them due to do stuff by themselves more often, usage rate sure confirms that... for example Chalmers handles the ball much more & has a bigger usage rate than last year, as a result averages a career high in assists at this moment, more ppg & fga than last year ..... same deal with Norris Cole.... he is letting his PGs do their job & grow, while keeping the ball moving more often...

This works against him only when his teammates are doing bad and they are now all of the sudden down ~20 points in the 3rd/4th, because only then does he know they maybe wouldnt be in that hole if he was agressive scoring wise instead from start to finish.... He is just trusting in his teammates & his ability to make shots when its really time, turning it on whenever he likes, when they are in that hole and he cant deliver enough then they lose instead.... unless its now to late to try take control of the game.... thats how they losed a couple of games this eason...

Logically he has nothing more to prove during the regular season individually, he just wants to stay as fresh as possible, sometimes he might go chucking when he feels like it or when he is on fire/heatchecking, but overall he will just do the necessary things to win.... he can because he can impact the game any way... just win the games & stay healthy until its playoff time....

Call it coasting if you like.... but its just a good strategy which only he can get away with, call it "hibernation prior to playoffs"... :P

[NumberSix]

Honestly, how much does it really matter? It's completely irrelevant what seed they get.



Honestly, if they were REALLY smart, they'd get the 8th seed. Knock Indy out round 1 and coast for a month. Well rested for the finals.

[Black and White]

Not exactly getting his team more involved by handling the ball & focusing on assists/passing/creating for them much more but by allowing them due to do stuff by themselves more often, usage rate sure confirms that... for example Chalmers handles the ball much more & has a bigger usage rate than last year, as a result averages a career high in assists at this moment, more ppg & fga than last year ..... same deal with Norris Cole.... he is letting his PGs do their job & grow, while keeping the ball moving more often...

This works against him only when his teammates are doing bad and they are now all of the sudden down ~20 points in the 3rd/4th, because only then does he know they maybe wouldnt be in that hole if he was agressive scoring wise instead from start to finish.... He is just trusting in his teammates & his ability to make shots when its really time, turning it on whenever he likes, when they are in that hole and he cant deliver enough then they lose instead.... unless its now to late to try take control of the game.... thats how they losed a couple of games this eason...

Logically he has nothing more to prove during the regular season individually, he just wants to stay as fresh as possible, sometimes he might go chucking when he feels like it or when he is on fire/heatchecking, but overall he will just do the necessary things to win.... he can because he can impact the game any way... just win the games & stay healthy until its playoff time....

Call it coasting if you like.... but its just a good strategy which only he can get away with, call it "hibernation prior to playoffs"... :P

I get what you are saying, but what if he actually isn't coasting, maybe he has purposely decided that Rio and Cole will handle the ball because he is fatigued from the long seasons he has had? Maybe this is how it will be, offensively there isn't much case to suggest he is coasting, defense yes, but I still think he is playing close to his potential.

[red1]

dunno if hes coasting but he is definitely balding

[NumberSix]

I get what you are saying, but what if he actually isn't coasting, maybe he has purposely decided that Rio and Cole will handle the ball because he is fatigued from the long seasons he has had? Maybe this is how it will be, offensively there isn't much case to suggest he is coasting, defense yes, but I still think he is playing close to his potential.
Rio just got back. He's been out.

[moe94]

He has great stats = tried

He has average stats for his standard = coasting

No such thing as a bad LeBron game. Get with it.

[pauk]

I get what you are saying, but what if he actually isn't coasting, maybe he has purposely decided that Rio and Cole will handle the ball because he is fatigued from the long seasons he has had? Maybe this is how it will be, offensively there isn't much case to suggest he is coasting, defense yes, but I still think he is playing close to his potential.

We shall see in the playoffs.... all he cares & prepares for right now is just that, championships...

[navy]

Whole team doesnt give a **** to be honest.

[Black and White]

We shall see in the playoffs.... all he cares & prepares for right now is just that, championships...

Curious to know if that back injury is still there. What do you think?

[Wang Zhi Zhi]

Doubt he's coasting, but don't think he's going all out either.

2011 Finals
2012 Finals + Olympics
2013 Finals

The extra games have to be taking a toll. Probably a good idea not to go all out anyway, it's not like anyone else is getting 2nd seed off Miami
this. dude has to be tired by now

[Black and White]

this. dude has to be tired by now

So you would suggest he is not coasting, he is fatigued?

[pauk]

Curious to know if that back injury is still there. What do you think?


Lebron is better now than ever before and he is very healthy.... im pretty sure he could drop more PPG or whatever you wish than ever before..... but again what he does now is just due to only caring & preparing only for championships and because not much more than 26-7-7 @ 58% FG, 16 fga has been overall needed from him to win... aint really that bad anyways...

[Black and White]

Lebron is better now than ever before and he is very healthy.... im pretty sure he could drop more PPG or whatever you wish than before, i could guarantee that..... but again what he does now is just due to only caring & preparing only for championships... and you know, 26-7-7 @ 58% FG, 16 fga... aint really that bad anyways...

His numbers are still good, but remember how he said that his back makes it hard to walk sometimes, maybe he is hiding it??

[oh the horror]

So you would suggest he is not coasting, he is fatigued?



No doubt in my mind. I don't care how much of a machine he is.



Multiple finals runs, 2 championships and the summer Olympics?


Not to mention Lebron has always done A LOT on teams in general.

[Black and White]

No doubt in my mind. I don't care how much of a machine he is.



Multiple finals runs, 2 championships and the summer Olympics?


Not to mention Lebron has always done A LOT on teams in general.

Exactly, so the notion that he is coasting can be thrown out the window then?

[JohnFreeman]

A lot of team members and different people are saying he is fatigued

[VIntageNOvel]

if by coasting you mean losing a step, then yes

[Wang Zhi Zhi]

So you would suggest he is not coasting, he is fatigued?
I think he is somewhat coasting because he is fatigued, in the playoffs we'll see a whole new LeBron

[Black and White]

I think he is somewhat coasting because he is fatigued, in the playoffs we'll see a whole new LeBron

I wonder how much Spo will rest him in April

[AintNoSunshine]

He would be a damn fool if he's taking regular season games as seriously as in the playoff, at this stage of his career, after all these basketball he's played year in and year out.

Coasting? Not really. Can he play a lot better and harder? Absolutely.

[SamuraiSWISH]

LeBron, and the whole team is CLEARLY conserving energy for the playoffs. And rightfully so. 4 straight Finals trips? That's an extremely difficult thing to do. That's called strategy. I don't mind if they conserve their energy in the brutal winter months of the season.

[Lebron23]

LeBron, and the whole team is CLEARLY conserving energy for the playoffs. And rightfully so. 4 straight Finals trips? That's an extremely difficult thing to do. That's called strategy. I don't mind if they conserve their energy in the brutal winter months of the season.


This

and Lebron said he's gonna play in the 2014 FIBA World championship. He has been playing non stop basketball since the 2010-11 NBA Season.

[Trollsmasher]

His numbers are still good, but remember how he said that his back makes it hard to walk sometimes, maybe he is hiding it??
That was at the beginning of the season when his movement and athleticism was visibly hindered.

He looks pretty much alright at this point, apart from a minor injury here and there.

[k0kakw0rld]

He's 3# in PPG.
Ether :bowdown: :applause:

[SamuraiSWISH]

and Lebron said he's gonna play in the 2014 FIBA World championship. He has been playing non stop basketball since the 2010-11 NBA Season.
He did? When? And why? Thought he said he was done with Team USA type stuff after the 2012 Olympics? Where truth be told he saved us from defeat by himself in 3x games.

[J Shuttlesworth]

He definitely is and you see it more obviously on the defensive end. He always seems to be the last to get back and he isn't playing his best man to man. He doesn't seem to be putting his full energy into scoring. Don't see him slashing all the time... see him passing a lot.

[J Shuttlesworth]

All time greats don't coast while in their supposed prime.

So pick your poison, LeBron dickeaters.
LeBron is GOAT. He's beyond the all time greats. He knows what's going on in the league around him and knows that a championship is the #1 priority for him. What does he have to prove? 4 MVP's, 2 straight FMVPs, only 29 years old. Eastern conference is so weak this year, it allows him to coast and still get #1 or #2 seed.

Don't forget this dude is superhuman and has hardly missed any games over the years and has had 3 straight finals runs. He's smart enough to give himself the rest in the season since he knows he needs his legs fresh for the playoffs. This is a Popovich mentality. Kobe would be playing 48 minutes a game until he's exhausted and chuck his team out of making the playoffs in his prime. LeBron transcends all time greats by understanding how to maximize his physique with a season of basketball. Too bad Kobe always let his competitive nature get in the way of his intellectual abilities.

Thanks, russwest for reminding us that all time greats don't coast in their prime, while THE all time great DOES, because GOAT gon GOAT :applause:

[cos88]

All time greats don't coast while in their supposed prime.

So pick your poison, LeBron dickeaters.


when you play olympics, nba finals 4 time in a row, when you have the second seed assured in january and when everybody around gets injured for weeks and months ( how is westshit this days :lol ) it's better to coast you hobo.

[russwest0]

when you play olympics, nba finals 4 time in a row, when you have the second seed assured in january and when everybody around gets injured for weeks and months ( how is westshit this days :lol ) it's better to coast you hobo.

So glad I don't have this pathetic logic.

[Trollsmasher]

So glad I don't have this pathetic logic.
Yeah, that would mean that you actually have some logic.

[fpliii]

All time greats don't coast while in their supposed prime.

So pick your poison, LeBron dickeaters.
I don't have anything against LeBron, but you're one of my favorite posters to read. :cheers:

[k0kakw0rld]

All time greats don't coast while in their supposed prime.

So pick your poison, LeBron dickeaters.
Most all time greats didn't get the chance to play in 3 consecutive NBA FINALS.
That's a lot of games and your body needs rest or you will feel it later on. He better coast now knowing that he will get to the playoffs, anyway.

[eriX]

i seriously think lebron should just give up on the mvp race all together and actually coast for the rest of the season. Let beasly take some more minutes off him and let the whole team have some decent minute distribution amongst all of them cause they are the oldest team in the league.

[knicksman]

if your competition is the team that almost beat you in the playoffs, do you think its good to coast? Just face it stans, lebron is declining and having the same career path as bird. Thats what you get for trying to be selfish hogging all the stats.

[catquickspider]

He is getting old.

I remember Kobe slowing down a lot athletically after he turned 29. He looked old at age 30 during the 2008 Olympics.

Wear and tear and father time. Sometimes you just can't go at 110% person like you used to.

[BoutPractice]

In a sense he is, but if he wasn't his production would tail off towards the end of the playoffs due to fatigue, so it's not like he could consistently drop a 30 point triple double without some kind of downside.

Of course energy and resources management is one of the biggest taboos in the NBA (along with PEDs). The Spurs are the only team to be relatively honest about it (or at least, Popovich makes tongue-in-cheek references to the obvious). As a championship team with a long tradition of success, they know that a long term strategy is key to winning. However, the politically correct discourse that's encouraged of players is to say they always go "110%" at every single moment, which obviously is stupid and self-defeating. The goal is to win, not to inspire young kids...

[nashwade]

It'll be a shame if they stay no.2 seed and play Nets in the first round. They would be expanding a lot of energy

[#number6ix#]

I don't know if he's coasting but he damn sure is turning the ball over a lot

[Big#50]

Yes. He will be the best player in the league once again. Its early in the season. Shit gets serious fter the break. Half the league is coasting.

[2swift4u]

well it certainly looks like he's coasting at times. However I don't think he will play much different once the playoffs begin. He's goint to be more focused but he will still miss some jumpers and the defense won't allow that many easy baskets. Just the other night you could see that late in the game/OT he turned it up a notch. However he missed the last shot in RT because he took a bad shot and he's not Jordan or Kobe when it comes to difficult "last shots". And it's not like other superstars hustle every minute for 82 games.

[Solefade]

Honestly, how much does it really matter? It's completely irrelevant what seed they get.



Honestly, if they were REALLY smart, they'd get the 8th seed. Knock Indy out round 1 and coast for a month. Well rested for the finals.

would be genius lol

[jlip]

I haven't read any of the posts in this thread. So I don't know if I'm repeating anything that's been already said by others. But anyways, I don't really care for playing arm chair psychologist. Having said that, I wouldn't state that he's "coasting." I would say that he has reached that point in his career where he realizes that nothing that happens before June other than a playoff exit really matters to his legacy right now. Also, after having gone to three straight Finals, he realizes how much of a marathon this process.

But seriously, he's yet putting up 26/6.7/6.6 on an allegedly "stacked" team. What else is he supposed to be doing on a supposedly "stacked" team?

[Prometheus]

if by "coasting" you mean consciously expending less effort or "going easy" on the opponent, then hell no he's not coasting. no one f-king does that when they want to win games. but after a team wins the finals two years in a row, there's no way they're going to muster real motivation in December and January. that's just the way it is. even in the playoffs, we have seen Miami play less motivated until they get pushed, e.g. losing game 1 vs Chicago last year before destroying them by 50 in game 2 then sweeping the rest of the series.

[SpecialQue]

Since everyone's getting injured this season it makes sense for him to not play as hard during regular season games. Hell, both him and Wade could take the regular season off and, considering how weak the east is right now, they'd probably still be a top 4 team.

[Blue&Orange]

off course he is. He coasts every year in the regular season. Proven by his numbers all going up in the playoffs, specially his FG% :lol

This year of all years he can coast like hell, dude is about to lose ECF and Finals HCA, he have no worries.

[pauk]

I haven't read any of the posts in this thread. So I don't know if I'm repeating anything that's been already said by others. But anyways, I don't really care for playing arm chair psychologist. Having said that, I wouldn't state that he's "coasting." I would say that he has reached that point in his career where he realizes that nothing that happens before June other than a playoff exit really matters to his legacy right now. Also, after having gone to three straight Finals, he realizes how much of a marathon this process.

But seriously, he's yet putting up 26/6.7/6.6 on an allegedly "stacked" team. What else is he supposed to be doing on a supposedly "stacked" team?

Alienate them and go for 40-10-10! :)

But seriously, the offense is no problem for Miami, its the defensive side of the court.... they are so damned horrible there right now, did you see the game last night? Lebron/Miami kept scoring & scoring, no problem, but the Hawks were able to retaliate anything due to Miami's defense.

[riseagainst]

off course he is. He coasts every year in the regular season. Proven by his numbers all going up in the playoffs, specially his FG% :lol

This year of all years he can coast like hell, dude is about to lose ECF and Finals HCA, he have no worries.

:roll: :roll:

[Solefade]

off course he is. He coasts every year in the regular season. Proven by his numbers all going up in the playoffs, specially his FG% :lol

This year of all years he can coast like hell, dude is about to lose ECF and Finals HCA, he have no worries.


salty knicks fans knows everything about losing, especially in the playoffs. :lol