"LeBron James can't rely on jumper, lets teammates pick up slack" (Links inside)

[warriorfan]

During Game 2 in the opening series against the Detroit Pistons, LeBron James created a highlight that quickly went viral when he shamed Marcus Morris for not leaving the paint to defend him just before he drilled a 3-pointer.

Morris was indeed showing James disrespect because that's exactly what he was instructed to do. And James can expect to see a lot more where that came from as the playoffs unfold.

It was the Pistons' game plan to disrespect James' jump shot and bait him into trying to prove them wrong. They didn't think he could do it and, a few shining moments aside, he didn't.

Put plainly, the league has decided James' jumper is broken and now a weakness that can be used against him. By his actions, it seems clear James has been forced to agree and is taking steps to combat it.

That is why we saw a different version of James than we've ever seen in the playoffs, a second option one that might come to define this playoff run the Cavs are trying to assemble.


"I think one of my best strengths in the playoffs," James said, "has been able to make adjustments from game to game."

This time, it was an adjustment made with the realization he can't trust his jumper like he used to. The way to exploit it was not to overpower it or deny its existence, as a younger James was sometimes known to do, but instead to exploit it.
[b]
Once again facing strategies he first saw from the San Antonio Spurs as far back as the 2007 Finals, James is relying on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to share the scoring load more than he ever has since returning to Cleveland.


Over the past two seasons, however, James' jump shooting has eroded quickly. This year, he shot just 31 percent from 3-point range, the lowest since his rookie season. During the series with the Pistons, he shot just 21 percent. The Pistons' tactics got him to take five 3-pointers a game after he'd slashed his attempts to just three after the All-Star break.

As the regular season progressed, James started abandoning his jumper. By the end, 46 percent of James' shots had come from three feet or closer to the hoop. That was far and away a career high and a jolting 13 percent greater than last season.

So it should be no surprise that James took 44 percent of his shots in that three-foot circle against the Pistons (he made 76 percent of them and just 27 percent of the rest of his shots). In last season's playoffs, he took just 30 percent of his shots in there. So it's no wonder the Pistons were trying to keep him out.


Another possibility floated by experts is, at age 31, James' legs aren't quite as strong as they used to be and he has yet to adjust for it. All that is debatable, of course.



http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2016/story/_/id/15442797/lebron-james-relies-more-teammates-jumper-fades

[Fudge]

Another meltdown in the books.

Happy birthday Fudge!

[Spaulding]

Another meltdown in the books.

Happy birthday Fudge!


What

[bitedez]

"Steph Curry can't rely on his legs, lets teammates pick up slack"

[ShawkFactory]

Still the best player on the team

[swagga]

lebron james can rely on his dick, that should be enough to win the east. finals is whole other story tho :lol

[Nick Young]

LOL ESPN with the hardcore revisionism, I thought they had given up on their "LEBRON IS GOD" narrative already.

[LongLiveTheKing]

Just like Steph can't rely on his defense and his teammates specifically Klay pick up his slack

[Nick Young]

Just like Steph can't rely on his defense and his teammates specifically Klay pick up his slack
Steph Curry plays solid defense. He leads the league in steals and also plays generally solid team defense. He is not a lock down Gary Payton defender, but he's by no means bad defensively. What makes you think he's a bad defender? Do you ever watch him play?


ALSO, whoever guards Curry is generally taken out of the game on the offensive end, as they spend all their energy on defense and have none left for offense.

[Spurs m8]

LeBron just missed a lay up.

His decline is rapid

[LongLiveTheKing]

Steph Curry plays solid defense. He leads the league in steals and also plays generally solid team defense. He is not a lock down Gary Payton defender, but he's by no means bad defensively. What makes you think he's a bad defender? Do you ever watch him play?


ALSO, whoever guards Curry is generally taken out of the game on the offensive end, as they spend all their energy on defense and have none left for offense.

His defense is good but it's a liability that's why Klay picks up the better guard all the time.

No way you mean Patrick Beverely gets taken out of the game on offense :eek:

[TheMarkMadsen]

He didn't lead his team in scoring for any game during round 1 yet his fans still act like he has no help :oldlol: :oldlol:

[IGOTGAME]

We didn't he get in the gym over the summer. This stuff is inexcusable for a player of his talent level. He is going to need to make jumpshots to win the title, he better get this fixed during these meaningless shooters

[Nick Young]

His defense is good but it's a liability that's why Klay picks up the better guard all the time.

No way you mean Patrick Beverely gets taken out of the game on offense :eek:
Steph is not a liability unless he's guarding a PG 6'4+ who can post up and punish him that way.

Klay guards the best opposing perimeter defender because Curry is the best offensive player in basketball so it makes sense to keep him fresh on that end rather than make him waste energy on defense when someone else can do it.


That doesn't mean Curry is a bad defender. He is a solid defender. Not great, solid.

[Lebronxrings]

Another meltdown in the books.

Happy birthday Fudge!
happy birthday. May you keep slaying all these nerds on ISH for many more years. :cheers: :cheers:

[stalkerforlife]

Will the NBA and Bran allow Irving to be the leading scorer? We all know he should be.

Bran already lost one finals while being upset at a teammate for being better.

[beastee]

****ing search function?

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405694

[Chokefree]

happy birthday. May you keep slaying all these nerds on ISH for many more years. :cheers: :cheers:
LOL speak for yourself....


And its kinda sad on your birthday you are celebrating it with people you dont even know.....DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS? FAMILY? WTF what are you doing online on your birthday....

[knicksman]

Steph Curry plays solid defense. He leads the league in steals and also plays generally solid team defense. He is not a lock down Gary Payton defender, but he's by no means bad defensively. What makes you think he's a bad defender? Do you ever watch him play?


ALSO, whoever guards Curry is generally taken out of the game on the offensive end, as they spend all their energy on defense and have none left for offense.

Bran stans are stat nerds bro. I dont think they even know what defense is

[3ball]

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2016/story/_/id/15442797/lebron-james-relies-more-teammates-jumper-fades


If Lebron's jumpshot is certified broke, then what would he do in previous eras where most possessions didn't have the spacing needed to get to the rim?

He would need to pull-up from midrange, like ALL players back then - but since his jumpshot is certified broke, we KNOW he'd be a worse player in previous eras.. He wouldn't be draining jumper after jumper like Bird or Jordan.

This is what I've been saying ALL ALONG (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405161).

[NBAGOAT]

If Lebron's jumpshot is certified broke, then what would he do in previous eras where most possessions didn't have the spacing needed to get to the rim?

He would need to pull-up from midrange, like ALL players back then - but since his jumpshot is certified broke, we KNOW he'd be a worse player in previous eras.. He wouldn't be draining jumper after jumper like Bird or Jordan.

This is what I've been saying ALL ALONG (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405161).

pls Lebron would at the very least be a better Drexler who was a top 3 player in the league certain years.

[Nick Young]

ESPN is literally applauding Lebron for being lazy in the off season and not working on his jump shot for 3 off seasons in a row. He is literally being praised for being a lazy underachiever who doesn't take the game seriously enough.

[3ball]

pls Lebron would at the very least be a better Drexler who was a top 3 player in the league certain years.
Drexler was virtually NEVER top 3 in the league.

Also, since when is top 3 sufficient?... I thought we were talking about someone that you thought compared to the GOAT.. If top 3 if satisfactory for you, then just understand that he's nowhere NEAR the goat.

[NBAGOAT]

Drexler was virtually NEVER top 3 in the league.

Also, since when is top 3 sufficient?... I thought we were talking about someone that you thought compared to the GOAT.. If top 3 if satisfactory for you, then just understand that he's nowhere NEAR the goat.

Drexler was easily top 3 in 92 and most likely top 2. Lebron has countless years better than that so he would've been no2 behind Jordan for most years and not even too far behind. I'm not one of those guys who says Lebron's GOAT but he's easily top 10 all time.

[3ball]

I'm not one of those guys who says Lebron's GOAT but he's easily top 10 all time.


You don't understand old school ball and how Lebron would need a good jumpshot more in previous eras than in today's game.

In today's game, dribble-penetration occurs on every possession (often several times in a possession), so top wings like Lebron, Westbrook and Derozan don't need to be a good shooters.

But in previous eras, dribble-penetration DIDN'T occur on most possessions because teams lacked the 3-point shooting needed to draw defenders out of the paint - the resulting overcrowded paints made penetration physically impossible and forced players to pull-up from midrange, shown here (https://media.giphy.com/media/3o6ozo2gsUnmBUtTd6/giphy.gif).

Since most possessions didn't have the spacing needed to penetrate, Lebron would need a good jumpshot more than he does today.. But he doesn't have one, so things would be harder for him in previous eras.





Drexler was easily top 3 in 92 and most likely top 2. Lebron has countless years better than that so he would've been no2 behind Jordan for most years and not even too far behind.


Drexler wasn't top 3 in 1992.. But regardless, that's only 1 year.

For Lebron, he'd be behind Hakeem/Shaq for various years in the 90's, and Bird/Magic and others in the 80's.. So he wouldn't be top 3 either.

Guys like Malone, Barkley, David Robinson, and Ewing would also be ahead of him some years.. You should realize that the only reason Lebron has any rings AT ALL is because he teamed up with two other players who were top 5 in PER.
.

[aj1987]

He didn't lead his team in scoring for any game during round 1 yet his fans still act like he has no help :oldlol: :oldlol:
You sure about that, little man? You might want to check your facts.