Rocketswin2013
06-15-2014, 05:22 PM
Title.
He crushed the rest of the league in PER last season with a 31.7, just shy of his career high. He shot a ridiculous 56.5 percent from the field. He scored more points in the paint per game than anybody else in the league. He dished out more assists than most point guards. He registered a higher rebound rate than Marc Gasol and Robin Lopez. Defensively, he's tall, quick and strong enough to guard just about anyone in the league, and he almost did.
And if all that wasn't enough, consider this: He now wields one of the most potent jumpers in the league. Only Jose Calderon averaged more points per spot-up play than James, according to Synergy Sports.
Most efficient spot-up players, 2012-13 regular season(Min. 100 plays)
Player Plays Points PPP
Jose Calderon 187 281 1.50
LeBron James 143 195 1.36
Kyle Korver 224 301 1.34
Steve Nash 114 153 1.32
Stephen Curry 226 294 1.30
James' name pops up near the top of all the jump-shot leaderboards for last season. And that includes the unguarded catch-and-shoot category, in which he effectively shot 73.1 percent once you account for the added value of 3s. Only five players were more lethal with open shots. While he couldn't find his shot in the Finals until the very end, he ended up converting 37.5 percent of his 3s in the postseason, which is well above average. (For perspective, Kevin Durant shot 31.3 percent from deep in the playoffs.)
LeBron James continues to raise the bar
1. He's shooting 3s like Ray Allen.
First, a little story: Several of the team's finest shooters would participate in a shooting contest every day after practice during the season. This has been a daily ritual for years now, but Allen's presence raised the stakes for Miami's sharpshooters such as Mike Miller, James Jones, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers and other ambitious players.
So, one day after a long shooting competition that wrapped up a preseason practice, Allen walked over to the waiting media huddle, wiped off his sweat with his jersey and began fielding questions.
Predictably, here was the first query: So, did you win the shooting contest?
Allen shook his head and laughed, "Nope. LeBron did, believe it or not."
This has happened a few times. Allen comes over to the media and he admits that James has beaten him in a shooting contest. Wait -- James consistently beating arguably the greatest 3-point shooter in a shooting contest? How is this possible?
I asked myself the same question late Monday night after watching James hit 3-point shot after 3-point shot against the poor Rockets. On the night, James scored 38 points with 15 of those points coming from beyond the arc. James is now shooting 52 percent (13-for-25) from downtown on the season, just shy of Allen's 54 percent rate.
When it comes to the 3-point shot, James has never enjoyed a hotter start. His previous high in 3-point percentage through eight games was back in 2006-07, when he shot 43.8 percent (14-for-32). This serves as a helpful warning sign, because that season, James shot 30.5 percent from downtown the rest of the way. It's a small sample size, indeed.
But it's worth watching as the season wears on, since this sort of efficiency is new ground for James. Put it this way: Guess how many 3-point shots James had made eight games into last season?
Zero.
He had a shaky NBA Finals but then made up for it with the GOAT scoring Game 7. GOAT wing season IMGHO.
He crushed the rest of the league in PER last season with a 31.7, just shy of his career high. He shot a ridiculous 56.5 percent from the field. He scored more points in the paint per game than anybody else in the league. He dished out more assists than most point guards. He registered a higher rebound rate than Marc Gasol and Robin Lopez. Defensively, he's tall, quick and strong enough to guard just about anyone in the league, and he almost did.
And if all that wasn't enough, consider this: He now wields one of the most potent jumpers in the league. Only Jose Calderon averaged more points per spot-up play than James, according to Synergy Sports.
Most efficient spot-up players, 2012-13 regular season(Min. 100 plays)
Player Plays Points PPP
Jose Calderon 187 281 1.50
LeBron James 143 195 1.36
Kyle Korver 224 301 1.34
Steve Nash 114 153 1.32
Stephen Curry 226 294 1.30
James' name pops up near the top of all the jump-shot leaderboards for last season. And that includes the unguarded catch-and-shoot category, in which he effectively shot 73.1 percent once you account for the added value of 3s. Only five players were more lethal with open shots. While he couldn't find his shot in the Finals until the very end, he ended up converting 37.5 percent of his 3s in the postseason, which is well above average. (For perspective, Kevin Durant shot 31.3 percent from deep in the playoffs.)
LeBron James continues to raise the bar
1. He's shooting 3s like Ray Allen.
First, a little story: Several of the team's finest shooters would participate in a shooting contest every day after practice during the season. This has been a daily ritual for years now, but Allen's presence raised the stakes for Miami's sharpshooters such as Mike Miller, James Jones, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers and other ambitious players.
So, one day after a long shooting competition that wrapped up a preseason practice, Allen walked over to the waiting media huddle, wiped off his sweat with his jersey and began fielding questions.
Predictably, here was the first query: So, did you win the shooting contest?
Allen shook his head and laughed, "Nope. LeBron did, believe it or not."
This has happened a few times. Allen comes over to the media and he admits that James has beaten him in a shooting contest. Wait -- James consistently beating arguably the greatest 3-point shooter in a shooting contest? How is this possible?
I asked myself the same question late Monday night after watching James hit 3-point shot after 3-point shot against the poor Rockets. On the night, James scored 38 points with 15 of those points coming from beyond the arc. James is now shooting 52 percent (13-for-25) from downtown on the season, just shy of Allen's 54 percent rate.
When it comes to the 3-point shot, James has never enjoyed a hotter start. His previous high in 3-point percentage through eight games was back in 2006-07, when he shot 43.8 percent (14-for-32). This serves as a helpful warning sign, because that season, James shot 30.5 percent from downtown the rest of the way. It's a small sample size, indeed.
But it's worth watching as the season wears on, since this sort of efficiency is new ground for James. Put it this way: Guess how many 3-point shots James had made eight games into last season?
Zero.
He had a shaky NBA Finals but then made up for it with the GOAT scoring Game 7. GOAT wing season IMGHO.