As a Lebron fan, things I don't appreciate of Lebron

[retaxis]

Ive been following Lebron since he was drafted in 03 and still do however I often say I am an NBA fan not a player fan. I like the whole product however Lebron is still my favourite player in the NBA. Every player has their pros and cons and here is what ticks me off about lebron.

1. Poor ball handling skills, Lebron bounces the ball too high in the air and does not have that swagger and quick moves that elite ball handlers have at the guard position. Perhaps its his short wing span? Who knows one thing is for sure he bounces the ball like he picked up basketball as a second sport.

2. Lebron is all tough talking leader stuff but he isn't willing to be rude to his team mates and demand excellence from them. He asks them to follow him and then expects them to do more in the end. Lebron can be confusing at times especially in clutch moments when everyone expects lebron to look for his own shot (including team mates) and then he ditches the ball out to an unsuspecting team mate.

3. Lebron is a mechanical player unlike some of the more pure basketball players like the Wades, Kobes, Melos, Durants etc. His movements are not fluid but blocky and therefore he does not have a good pump fake game either.

Despite this Lebron is still the best player in the game however like I said before, he looks like one of those people who picked up basketball as a second or third sport and never got the fluidity and ball handling skills down like some of the other great guards e.g. MJ, Kobe, Magic, Wade etc. He is still a great player but if he had focused and improved his actual basketball skills on a more fundamental level and improved his game/mentality as such he could easily have 3 championships by now and possibly more.

Give Lebrons body to a Kobe/Mike/Magic mentality/skills for example and they will come at you all game until they wear you and your backup down to the ground while dancing around you. Lebron approaches basketball like its a different sport sometimes..

[Akrazotile]

Ive been following Lebron since he was drafted in 03 and still do however I often say I am an NBA fan not a player fan. I like the whole product however Lebron is still my favourite player in the NBA. Every player has their pros and cons and here is what ticks me off about lebron.

1. Poor ball handling skills, Lebron bounces the ball too high in the air and does not have that swagger and quick moves that elite ball handlers have at the guard position. Perhaps its his short wing span? Who knows one thing is for sure he bounces the ball like he picked up basketball as a second sport.

2. Lebron is all tough talking leader stuff but he isn't willing to be rude to his team mates and demand excellence from them. He asks them to follow him and then expects them to do more in the end. Lebron can be confusing at times especially in clutch moments when everyone expects lebron to look for his own shot (including team mates) and then he ditches the ball out to an unsuspecting team mate.

3. Lebron is a mechanical player unlike some of the more pure basketball players like the Wades, Kobes, Melos, Durants etc. His movements are not fluid but blocky and therefore he does not have a good pump fake game either.

Despite this Lebron is still the best player in the game however like I said before, he looks like one of those people who picked up basketball as a second or third sport and never got the fluidity and ball handling skills down like some of the other great guards e.g. MJ, Kobe, Magic, Wade etc. He is still a great player but if he had focused and improved his actual basketball skills on a more fundamental level and improved his game/mentality as such he could easily have 3 championships by now and possibly more.

Give Lebrons body to a Kobe/Mike/Magic mentality/skills for example and they will come at you all game until they wear you and your backup down to the ground while dancing around you. Lebron approaches basketball like its a different sport sometimes..


Dude Lebron is like 5 inches taller than Wade: Of course hes gonna dribble the ball higher up. Hes probably 60 pounds heavier than Kobe. Obviously hes not gonna be as graceful in his movements.

Lebron has been playing basketball and handling the basketball all his life. It's clearly not a matter of being something he hasnt worked on. He's just not built to handle the ball like a 6'3 200 pound guard. Hes 6'8 270. Wtf do you want??

Compare his ball handling to other players his size. Comparing it to guys lower to the ground and far lighter is an extremely pointless criticism.

[lilteapot]

Ive been following Lebron since he was drafted in 03 and still do however I often say I am an NBA fan not a player fan. I like the whole product however Lebron is still my favourite player in the NBA. Every player has their pros and cons and here is what ticks me off about lebron.

1. Poor ball handling skills, Lebron bounces the ball too high in the air and does not have that swagger and quick moves that elite ball handlers have at the guard position. Perhaps its his short wing span? Who knows one thing is for sure he bounces the ball like he picked up basketball as a second sport.

2. Lebron is all tough talking leader stuff but he isn't willing to be rude to his team mates and demand excellence from them. He asks them to follow him and then expects them to do more in the end. Lebron can be confusing at times especially in clutch moments when everyone expects lebron to look for his own shot (including team mates) and then he ditches the ball out to an unsuspecting team mate.

Give Lebrons body to a Kobe/Mike/Magic mentality/skills for example and they will come at you all game until they wear you and your backup down to the ground while dancing around you. Lebron approaches basketball like its a different sport sometimes..

For a Lebron fan, you seem to not know him very well. He is just as hard on his teammates as anyone. He is constantly yelling at his teammates on the court and calling them out for their mistakes.

[90sgoat]

Good post brah, all is correct. Lebron simply lacks skill unfortunately.

He also has a very obnoxious personality (narcissist), which holds him back from growing as a player.

I think the biggest problem with Lebron is the false hype from the media. He is Charles Barkley or Karl Malone and the problem is that in this weak era, that is all we get. We don't get any Kareem or Wilt or Bird or Magic or Jordan or even Shaq. We only get Karl Malone. That's just something we have to live with.

[Mr. Jabbar]

its good to see more and more big time lebron fans are beginning to take dumps on lequit's chest

[Akrazotile]

For a Lebron fan, you seem to not know him very well. He is just as hard on his teammates as anyone. He is constantly yelling at his teammates on the court and calling them out for their mistakes.


It doesnt even matter anyway. There's no one way to be a leader. Tim Duncan and Steve Nash dont snarl and yell at people, and theyre considered two of the finer leaders in the game.

It's just the quintessential internet "bros" that obsess over players projecting some combative alpha shtick.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Agreed on most points. Unlike some stans of other players on here, I don't mind admitting certain weaknesses to LeBron's game. The one that bothers me the most is not getting back on defense after a fall, or complaining to the refs. Sometimes he does this on crucial plays and it makes me want to tear my hair out. Obviously, this is something a lot of players do but people don't take notice when it's not a superstar doing it. It doesn't make him not the best player on the game, or my favorite, but everyone has flaws.

[Nuff Said]

Dude Lebron is like 5 inches taller than Wade: Of course hes gonna dribble the ball higher up. Hes probably 60 pounds heavier than Kobe. Obviously hes not gonna be as graceful in his movements.

Lebron has been playing basketball and handling the basketball all his life. It's clearly not a matter of being something he hasnt worked on. He's just not built to handle the ball like a 6'3 200 pound guard. Hes 6'8 270. Wtf do you want??

Compare his ball handling to other players his size. Comparing it to guys lower to the ground and far lighter is an extremely pointless criticism.
KD and Blake handle the ball much better imo. Lebron just ain't built for it.

[J Shuttlesworth]

KD and Blake handle the ball much better imo. Lebron just ain't built for it.
KD obviously has great handles, but Blake's handles are pretty suspect IMO.

Even if it looks flashier, he's still pretty turnover prone when handling the ball.

[ISHGoat]

Agreed on most points. Unlike some stans of other players on here, I don't mind admitting certain weaknesses to LeBron's game. The one that bothers me the most is not getting back on defense after a fall, or complaining to the refs. Sometimes he does this on crucial plays and it makes me want to tear my hair out. Obviously, this is something a lot of players do but people don't take notice when it's not a superstar doing it. It doesn't make him not the best player on the game, or my favorite, but everyone has flaws.

Yes but a lot of the time he gets back so late that he is in great cherry picking position because the other team rushes up a shot 4v5, so he's not actually giving up that many points by doing this.

My gripe with him is his retarded turnovers when hes so obviously trying to force a pass because he lacks the proper moves to pump fake for the foul when he is in a bad spot.

[3ball]

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/9-01-2015/8Fa7R_.gif


Lebron is still a great player but if he had focused and improved his actual basketball skills on a more fundamental level and improved his game/mentality as such he could easily have 3 championships by now and possibly more.


Very true - but you omitted Lebron's poor shooting in the OP, which hurts his ability to shoot well at high shot volume.. It's a statistical fact that Lebron isn't capable of good efficiency at high shot volume, since he's horrible at the additional midrange required of high volume shooting (seen above).

27 shot attempts per game (the amount Lebron averaged in 2015 Playoffs) cannot be achieved on all 3-and-D - good midrange is needed to shoot well at this volume.. Accordingly, Lebron's career 37% midrange efficiency precludes him from ever shooting well at very high volumes - this is a statistical fact.

In the Finals, there was no danger in letting Lebron shoot 39% at 33 fga, so there was no need to take the ball out of his hands to prevent the high volume.. Lebron's inability to have good efficiency at high volume allowed the Warriors to permit his secluded 1-on-1 clearouts all series long - it was part of their exploitative strategy.. They never double-teamed to take the ball out of his hands - no one has ever gotten such secluded clearouts, probably in history., So there's no excuse for Lebron's 39% shooting (other than him not being capable of good efficiency at high volume).

Lebron's lack of midrange ability didn't just prevent him from good efficiency at high volumes and subsequent double-teams, but it prevents him from being as good in the 80's, when midrange was the primary option remaining in the absence of the 3-pointers necessary to make screen-roll/drive-and-kick mathematically worthwhile.





Give Lebrons body to a Kobe/Mike/Magic mentality/skills for example and they will come at you all game until they wear you and your backup down to the ground while dancing around you.


Kobe and Magic might prefer Lebron's physique, but it wouldn't be better for MJ - if MJ had Lebron's physique, he wouldn't be a good two-foot leaper, which helps to mitigate traffic and take off with power in tight spots:

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11635478&postcount=48
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11635477&postcount=47


Also, Lebron's larger, bumbling physique is too slow compared to MJ in pretty much every spot, except maybe a full-on sprint (and even that, we don't know - there are reports of MJ with a 4.4 40).. MJ's physique is optimal for a hooper.

[Hey Yo]

KD and Blake handle the ball much better imo. Lebron just ain't built for it.
Blake and KD don't handle the ball with expectations of possibly making a great pass.

KD has better handles but Blake does not.

LeBron's great passing and play making ability makes up more than enough for his shoddy handles.

[SpaceJammeR]

his handles are fine for a guy his size. his leadership is great, guys want to play with him and follow him to other teams. can't say that about many players. my knock on him is his 1on1 skills. he needs to work on more go to moves to get more separation or better shots.

[90sgoat]

Lebron's 'handles' = travel

[kennethgriffin]

Dude Lebron is like 5 inches taller than Wade: Of course hes gonna dribble the ball higher up. Hes probably 60 pounds heavier than Kobe. Obviously hes not gonna be as graceful in his movements.

Lebron has been playing basketball and handling the basketball all his life. It's clearly not a matter of being something he hasnt worked on. He's just not built to handle the ball like a 6'3 200 pound guard. Hes 6'8 270. Wtf do you want??

Compare his ball handling to other players his size. Comparing it to guys lower to the ground and far lighter is an extremely pointless criticism.

hakeem and durant are graceful though

[outbreak]

Ive been following Lebron since he was drafted in 03 and still do however I often say I am an NBA fan not a player fan. I like the whole product however Lebron is still my favourite player in the NBA. Every player has their pros and cons and here is what ticks me off about lebron.

1. Poor ball handling skills, Lebron bounces the ball too high in the air and does not have that swagger and quick moves that elite ball handlers have at the guard position. Perhaps its his short wing span? Who knows one thing is for sure he bounces the ball like he picked up basketball as a second sport.

2. Lebron is all tough talking leader stuff but he isn't willing to be rude to his team mates and demand excellence from them. He asks them to follow him and then expects them to do more in the end. Lebron can be confusing at times especially in clutch moments when everyone expects lebron to look for his own shot (including team mates) and then he ditches the ball out to an unsuspecting team mate.

3. Lebron is a mechanical player unlike some of the more pure basketball players like the Wades, Kobes, Melos, Durants etc. His movements are not fluid but blocky and therefore he does not have a good pump fake game either.

Despite this Lebron is still the best player in the game however like I said before, he looks like one of those people who picked up basketball as a second or third sport and never got the fluidity and ball handling skills down like some of the other great guards e.g. MJ, Kobe, Magic, Wade etc. He is still a great player but if he had focused and improved his actual basketball skills on a more fundamental level and improved his game/mentality as such he could easily have 3 championships by now and possibly more.

Give Lebrons body to a Kobe/Mike/Magic mentality/skills for example and they will come at you all game until they wear you and your backup down to the ground while dancing around you. Lebron approaches basketball like its a different sport sometimes..

Agree. Lebron is still the best player in the league (although the gaps getting shorter as he ages) but aesthetically now that he's lost some of his explosiveness and power he isn't the most pleasing to watch.

He does chew out team mates though but with his leadership he doesn't seem to stand up during crunch time and yell at people when it matters.

I don't think his handle is that bad it's his footwork that's poor imo.

Part of the criticisms on his game now could come from the fact he was able to be dominant without ever having to refine his game at a younger age. Most guys don't have the natural gifts and talents he came up with so they have to refine and learn ways to get by in the NBA which then help them out as they age.

[mehyaM24]

1) too nice/relaxed at times

its crazy to me one of THE greatest elimination players, and clutch players of this era (backed by empirical evidence & data) can just be randomly passive.

like, shoot the ball or take it to the rim and draw some fouls.

when he's on fire with his shot, and just passes it off to a guy who doesn't even want the ball.. WTF

and i'm not even talking about making the 'right play' - when lebron is just free flowing with his team. i mean when he has the ball, can't be stopped, and breaks his own rhythm by dumping it off to another player.


as a lebron fan this infuriates me.


2) shaky jumper in spots

this past finals is what i'm talking about. he was garbage from outside the paint. where is the guy who was nailing jumpers in his sleep the 2 seasons prior? i hope he comes back this season and takes a page off of his 2013 self.

[SyRyanYang]

Didn't Magic also dribble fairly high? Lebron's a pretty good ball handler for his size even though he isn't as flashy as KD.

[outbreak]

Didn't Magic also dribble fairly high? Lebron's a pretty good ball handler for his size even though he isn't as flashy as KD.
I think it's more his footwork not his handles that make him look awkward at times.

[CTbasketball92]

Ive been following Lebron since he was drafted in 03 and still do however I often say I am an NBA fan not a player fan. I like the whole product however Lebron is still my favourite player in the NBA. Every player has their pros and cons and here is what ticks me off about lebron.

1. Poor ball handling skills, Lebron bounces the ball too high in the air and does not have that swagger and quick moves that elite ball handlers have at the guard position. Perhaps its his short wing span? Who knows one thing is for sure he bounces the ball like he picked up basketball as a second sport.

2. Lebron is all tough talking leader stuff but he isn't willing to be rude to his team mates and demand excellence from them. He asks them to follow him and then expects them to do more in the end. Lebron can be confusing at times especially in clutch moments when everyone expects lebron to look for his own shot (including team mates) and then he ditches the ball out to an unsuspecting team mate.

3. Lebron is a mechanical player unlike some of the more pure basketball players like the Wades, Kobes, Melos, Durants etc. His movements are not fluid but blocky and therefore he does not have a good pump fake game either.

Despite this Lebron is still the best player in the game however like I said before, he looks like one of those people who picked up basketball as a second or third sport and never got the fluidity and ball handling skills down like some of the other great guards e.g. MJ, Kobe, Magic, Wade etc. He is still a great player but if he had focused and improved his actual basketball skills on a more fundamental level and improved his game/mentality as such he could easily have 3 championships by now and possibly more.

Give Lebrons body to a Kobe/Mike/Magic mentality/skills for example and they will come at you all game until they wear you and your backup down to the ground while dancing around you. Lebron approaches basketball like its a different sport sometimes..

1. For someone who handles the ball the amount of time that he does, he only averages about 3 turnovers a game for his career. That's actually pretty legit for a point guard. LeBron doesn't have Kobe or MJ or KD handles, but I'd say he's great for his size, at least solid overall.

2. He's not a jerk like Kobe or MJ, but he has no issues pulling teammates aside (see kyrie irving) and telling them what's good. Tim Duncan isn't that way either, a lot of people aren't. Means nothing, its just superficial overcompensating macho non-sense.

3. I think you're overstating this a bit. In his first cleveland run he was a graceful as anyone that size can be. Also, he can hit all the fadeaway off balance jumpers after running down the court jumpers that all the other all time great perimeter players can. He's got incredible body control nd he's ambidextrous. He rarely looks that awkward to me. Also, I think you're going way too far by suggesting that he didn't work as hard as Wade, Kobe, MJ, etc. There's no way to know that. He's been losing quickness for years now (since 2011) and yet he's still a top tier scorer. You can only do that by having the offensive know-how to adapt your game (and yes... being bigger than everyone).

[DoctorP]

Ive been following Lebron since he was drafted in 03 and still do however I often say I am an NBA fan not a player fan. I like the whole product however Lebron is still my favourite player in the NBA. Every player has their pros and cons and here is what ticks me off about lebron.

1. Poor ball handling skills, Lebron bounces the ball too high in the air and does not have that swagger and quick moves that elite ball handlers have at the guard position. Perhaps its his short wing span? Who knows one thing is for sure he bounces the ball like he picked up basketball as a second sport.

2. Lebron is all tough talking leader stuff but he isn't willing to be rude to his team mates and demand excellence from them. He asks them to follow him and then expects them to do more in the end. Lebron can be confusing at times especially in clutch moments when everyone expects lebron to look for his own shot (including team mates) and then he ditches the ball out to an unsuspecting team mate.

3. Lebron is a mechanical player unlike some of the more pure basketball players like the Wades, Kobes, Melos, Durants etc. His movements are not fluid but blocky and therefore he does not have a good pump fake game either.

Despite this Lebron is still the best player in the game however like I said before, he looks like one of those people who picked up basketball as a second or third sport and never got the fluidity and ball handling skills down like some of the other great guards e.g. MJ, Kobe, Magic, Wade etc. He is still a great player but if he had focused and improved his actual basketball skills on a more fundamental level and improved his game/mentality as such he could easily have 3 championships by now and possibly more.

Give Lebrons body to a Kobe/Mike/Magic mentality/skills for example and they will come at you all game until they wear you and your backup down to the ground while dancing around you. Lebron approaches basketball like its a different sport sometimes..

I liked your critique. I didn't really agree with the second sport thing, I think he just doesn't have that ballerina-type of coordination with his body. LeBron uses his strength as a crutch more than speed and misdirection. Thanks for sharing, I will read your stuff again.

[Fire Colangelo]

Don't understand why you have to yell and be ***** to teammates to be a great leader.

[iamgine]

Lebron can be confusing at times especially in clutch moments when everyone expects lebron to look for his own shot (including team mates) and then he ditches the ball out to an unsuspecting team mate.

Why is that confusing? That's actually the perfect time to dish the ball, when the other team don't expect it. Regarding his teammate not expecting it, that's on them, they should be ready.

[sdot_thadon]

My biggest annoyance was whatever arrangement he and wade had in miami. You could literally see the baton passed during some games as to say ok I got 30, your turn. I suppose that's necessary when you have 2 franchise players who get along but still was pretty annoying.

About his handles, they have gotten rougher over the past few years I agree. Specifically his ball security would look shaking at times. When he was younger it didn't seem as much of an issue. Still gets the job done but he could tighten those handles up if he's going to be top of the key down most of the time again. And that jumper....

[WayOfWade]

Pretty good points brought up, I like all 3 of them and think there is some real substance to them. What are his actual weakpoints though skill wise? Obviously his jumper isn't always on target, he's turnover prone, and apparently doesn't shoot well if he shoots a lot (unless you're Charlotte). He is an incredible passer for someone of his size and position, he has shot over 35% from three the past 4 seasons so that's not really a weakness; he's pretty good at rebounding, I have absolutely no idea about his defense though, haven't seen him play live in 2 years. Anything else?

[LAZERUSS]

He's been a loser everywhere he has been, and his former teams have challenged for numerous titles.

[3ball]

He's been a loser everywhere he has been



..............................................Prob lems with Lebron's Game


The stats prove Lebron isn't capable of good efficiency at high shot volume

We didn't need the 2015 playoffs to prove Lebron's inability to shoot well at high volume - the NBA's player-tracking stats show that Lebron is horrible at the additional midrange required of high volume shooting.

27 shot attempts per game (Lebron's average in 2015 Playoffs) cannot be achieved on all 3-and-D - good midrange is needed to shoot well at this volume.. Accordingly, Lebron's career 37% midrange efficiency precludes him from ever shooting well at very high volumes - this is a statistical fact.

Lebron's poor efficiency at high volume dooms his chances of winning a CHAMPIONSHIP while shooting high volume - he simply isn't capable of winning a ring while high shooting volume.


Lebron's poor efficiency at high volumes mean he doesn't require a double-team

He hasn't been double-teamed for the last 3 Finals, most obviously in 2015.. There's no danger in letting Lebron shoot 39% at 33 fga, so there was no need to take the ball out of his hands to prevent the high volume in the 2015 Finals.. Lebron's inability to have good efficiency at high volume allowed the Warriors to permit his secluded 1-on-1 clearouts all series long - it was part of their exploitative strategy.. The best option for ANY defense is to allow low percentage shots over and over..

This specific dynamic where Lebron UN-complicates the opponent's defensive strategy by not commanding a double-team, puts him outside of the top 15 all-time.. His inability to command a double team (due to his poor midrange and resulting inability to shoot well at high volumes) is a horrible indictment on his game compared to his peers.

Also, no one has ever gotten such secluded clearouts, probably in history, than what Lebron got in 2015 Finals.. So there's no excuse for Lebron's 39% shooting (other than him not being capable of good efficiency at high volume).


36 ppg on 39% is Lebron's absolute max capability at high shot volume

The lack of double-teaming in the 2015 Finals provided Lebron with optimal conditions to shoot the best percentage possible at the higher volume - this turned out to be 39%.. 39% is Lebron's ceiling at higher shot volume.. Again, this would never be good enough to win a championship - when MJ averaged 41/9/6/51% in 1993, it was BARELY enough for the Bulls to win because remarkably, both teams averaged exactly 106.7 ppg and 113.0 ORtg in those Finals.


Lebron's lack of midrange ability didn't just prevent him from good efficiency at high volumes and subsequent double-teams, but it also prevents him from being as good in the 80's, when midrange was the primary option remaining in the absence of the 3-pointers necessary to make screen-roll/drive-and-kick mathematically worthwhile.

Without teammates spreading the floor for him and making drive-and-kick the force it is today, Lebron would have to score from the mid-range like everyone else in the 80's - since he sucks at mid-range, we know for a fact he would be a lesser player back then.


Faster pace wouldn't help Lebron in the 80's because the stats show that pace ALWAYS slows down in the playoffs, regardless of era

Pace was 94.0 in both the 1988 and 1989 playoffs, which is lower than the 2015 playoffs (94.4).. Playoff pace was often MUCH lower, like in the mid-90's - i.e. pace was 87.4 in the 1996 playoffs.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1988.html#all_misc_stats
http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1996.html#all_misc_stats


Lebron's point-guard-style and ball-dominance turns a normally high-assisted position (sf) into a low-assisted position, thus reducing the playmaking capacity and strategic options of his teams compared to MJ's

MJ was a highly-assisted, OFF-BALL player, which maximized the playmaking capacity of the team, since teammates have more opportunity to throw him an assist.. Otoh, Lebron's low-assisted, ball-dominant style reduces the playmaking capacity of the team and his team's strategic options (Lebron MUST dominate the ball) - this monopolizing, ball-dominant style craters the stats of good teammates (Bosh, Love, Wade)... Since Lebron's teammates can't play to capacity alongside his ball-dominance, the TEAM can't play to capacity, and routinely underachieves (they lost as the 1 seed from 2009-2011... and they were blown away despite having at least equal talent in 2014).

Otoh, MJ's quick-decision, off-ball game fit seamlessly alongside any teammate, so guys like Pippen, Kukoc and Grant played at FULL capacity alongside MJ - i.e. Pippen averaged 21/8/7 in 1992, which is the same as the 22/9/6 he averaged in 1994 without MJ.. Ditto for Grant - he got 14/10 in 1992, which is the same as 15/10 he got in 1994.. When MJ came back for a full season in 1996, his off-ball game allowed him to simply add his league-leading scoring right on top of what was already there, without diminishing anything - that's the main reason the Bulls went from 2nd Round team back to 3-peat status (which is a massive jump, the GOAT impact on a team). Since MJ's teammates played to capacity alongside MJ's quick decision, off-ball game, the TEAM played to capacity, and never underachieved - Jordan NEVER lost to a team with equal or worse talent.


Lebron's suboptimal style prevents his team from playing an optimal brand of basketball (equal-opportunity).. Since Lebron's teams can't play an optimal brand of basketball, that leaves them susceptible to getting upset by less talented teams who CAN play a superior brand of basketball to overcome the talent factor.

Lebron was upset by equal or less talented teams in 2009 ECSF, 2011 Finals, and 2014 Finals - in those series, Lebron's opponent overcame a stalemate or disdavantage in talent by playing a vastly superior brand of basketball.. This never happened to MJ's teams - his teams played an optimal, equal opportunity brand of basketball, so less-talented opponents couldn't upset MJ's teams by playing a superior brand of basketball.. MJ's teams were never upset or underachieved - he simply never lost to a team with equal or worse talent in playoffs.


When Lebron's teams lose to teams of equal or lesser talent, his stats are "empty", since it was his suboptimal style that allows opponents the opportunity to play a better brand of basketball

Lebron's style promoted bad chemistry with Wade.. Their well-publicized on-off stats showed the Heat were better when they were not on the floor together - suboptimal chemistry and brand of basketball between the two stars left the team open to being upset by equal or less-talented teams playing a better brand of basketball.. Anytime this happened, Lebron's stats were "empty", since his suboptimal style created the opportunity for the opponent to play a better style and overcome any talent factor.

Given his previous upsets in 2009 and 2011, we can now see that Ray allen's walk-off in 2013 merely interrupted a trend where opposing teams play a superior brand of basketball and render lebron's stats empty - they're empty whether he takes a passive 17 fga on all 3-and-D to protect efficiency (2014 Finals), or whether he doubles the fga to 34, but the additional isolations and midrange required of high volume shooting tanks his efficiency (2015 Finals).

Further evidence of suboptimal chemistry and brand of basketball, is that Bosh and Wade's stats were way down alongside Lebron.. Regardless of all these issues, the team still went 2/4 due to sheer talent - but the times they lost, their chemistry and brand of basketball was far worse than their opponent (dallas, spurs), rendering Lebron's stats empty.. The lesser brand of basketball falls primarily on Lebron's shoulders - as the franchise player, he's most responsible for the brand of basketball his teams are capable of.


Lebron is only elite as the primary ballhandler - so he can't get elite stats in an equal opportunity offense, since that requires elite ability in ALL areas, including primary ballhandler, off-ball, midrange, post and isolations.

If Lebron played for the Spurs, he wouldn't be able to get elite stats unless Popovich abandoned his equal opportunity offense and let Lebron dominate the ball - then the Spurs would come up short and you guys would be complaining how Patty Mills and Boris Diaw are garbage..

It's a shame, because if Lebron could average 33/6/6 in an equal opportunity offense like the Spurs, he'd never lose in the Finals just like MJ... But that's the whole point - he can't get elite stats in an equal opportunity offense, because he's only elite as the primary ballhandler.

Primary ballhandler is the most stat-padding position on the floor... I guess that's why MJ's stats were so insane the one time he was a primary ballhandler consistently (30/9/11 in 24 games at point guard, including a stretch of 10 triple doubles in 11 games).. That's better than Lebron has ever done in an entire career as primary ballhandler.

MJ was better at Lebron's bread and butter (primary ballhandler) and obviously he was FAR better off-ball, isolations, midrange and post.. This superior versatility as shown by elite ability in all areas is why MJ could get 33/6/6 in an equal opportunity offense, or 41/9/6/51 on high volume (33 fga).. Meanwhile, Lebron can't do either of these things (get elite stats in an equal opportunity offense or have good efficiency at high volume).
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[retaxis]

Being a lebron fan and regarding his handles Im not comparing them with the likes of AI, Kd, MJ or Kobe. If you study Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, James Harden etc they all have deadly handles at a height of around 6.6 6.7 or higher. They use their handles to score in a variety of deadly ways especially Joe Johnson who loves that floater.

[scandisk_]

It's all in his head.

1. He's quite passive at certain situations.

2. Bran really comes of as a fake ass douche sometimes. It he wants to be tough and selfish then show it. (prolly has something to do with his playful and free-spirited attitude)

the total opposite of bean, I know.

-from a bran hater

[Marchesk]

Elgin Baylor had better handles than Lebron.

Laz has Lebron's back. The Lebron family should take notice and lay off the Wilt hate. Give both their proper due.

[knicksman]

The first thing i look in a player is shooting. Its the hardest skill to learn and at the same time most important. So if you can shoot, then why would i consider you the best. Quality over quantity.

[pauk]

Oh yes absolutely... i am a huge fan aswell and think he is goat and best player in nba but i think he sux, he cant shoot, dribble, pass, rebound, defend, he also just doesnt look like a ballerina when he moves..... but i still think he is goat and best player in nba... but again just dont know why he is even in nba u know

[sd3035]

As a fan since his NBA debut, I hate to talk down on the man but I wish he weren't so coddled, could make a legit move without traveling or fouling, and wouldn't flop like a fish out of water every time someone gets near him.

Aside from that, there isn't much I can complain about other than having no jumpshot, playing traffic cone defense, or being the biggest choker since Wilt

Small things though, still a huge fan

[Trollsmasher]

his jumpshot is the most annyoing thing

it's just so inconsistent and he changes his form so often that it can really never become consistent