ESPN: Lebron's "right way" era vs. Kobe's "hero ball"

[Dr.J4ever]

The Bulls playing 'hero ball' averaged more assists per game than the Spurs last year in 4 out of their 6 Championship years while playing at slower paces. If anything, a team like the Spurs isn't doing anything new or revolutionary... they're playing more like a team from the mid 80s (think a homeless man's version of the Showtime Lakers or Larry's Celtics).

These nigguhs acting like passing the ball is some new, never before heard of concept

A1 was always a top assist guy in the NBA. Would you consider him a PG that distributes the basketball very well?

It's not in the assist stats. It's the pass that leads to assist passes that's important which is more indicative of team play.

[DonDadda59]

A1 was always a top assist guy in the NBA. Would you consider him a PG that distributes the basketball very well?

It's not in the assist stats. It's the pass that leads to assist passes that's important which is more indicative of team play.

So now it's about Hockey assists... regular assists don't count? Isn't that convenient because now we can overlook the fact that the league averaged more APG in the mid 90s than teams do now. And speaking of 'hero ball' you have guys like James Harden living at the free throw line because all he does is barge his way into the lane thanks to the lax perimeter rules. Same with Steph Curry AKA midget Reggie Miller. These guys would've never sniffed the top 15 scoring leaders list back then.

[sammichoffate]

The irony is that "hero ball" will probably get more praise for an individual's career, like Kobe and MJ. Meanwhile, the Lebron's "right way" is criticized because of him stacking the deck in his favor in order to inflate his individual stats up. The Spurs are the middle ground compared to both of these methods because they have stars that get individual praise while playing "the right way".

[stalkerforlife]

5 > 2

[Akrazotile]

Kobe got 14 reasons why he disagrees

[Artillery]

The Bulls playing 'hero ball' averaged more assists per game than the Spurs last year in 4 out of their 6 Championship years while playing at slower paces. If anything, a team like the Spurs isn't doing anything new or revolutionary... they're playing more like a team from the mid 80s (think a homeless man's version of the Showtime Lakers or Larry's Celtics).

These nigguhs acting like passing the ball is some new, never before heard of concept

2014 Spurs are actually more balanced than those 80s teams seeing as they actually play defense. Also the three ball is a much bigger part of the game now than it was back then.

Mid-range iso-ball is useless in the modern NBA. Ball movement and three point shooting are more important(not to mention more enjoyable to watch)

[guy]

A1 was always a top assist guy in the NBA. Would you consider him a PG that distributes the basketball very well?

It's not in the assist stats. It's the pass that leads to assist passes that's important which is more indicative of team play.

Ummm that still usually results in higher assists for a team.

One player with high assist totals doesn't indicate much, but if the team overall has high assist totals that's saying something.

[3ball]

Cavaliers star LeBron James drove into the lane and passed to a wide open Donyell Marshall in the right corner for a potential, game-tying 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left rather than taking the shot himself.

but lebron was never greater than he was IN THAT SAME SERIES in game 5, where he scored 48 points, including 25 out of his team's last 28 points.

but today's game reduces the need for him use the individual brilliance it took to be great like that; the spacing has made ball movement more effective and successful than used to be, so passing it around for an open shot makes more sense than using superman skill to take over.

thanks NBA for reducing the amount of individual greatness required in players.

Marshall missed, the Pistons won and James was bombarded with criticism after, which essentially stated that Bryant and Jordan -- two old-school, hero-ball gunners -- never would've passed in that situation, that if he were a real winner, a true champion like them, then he would have had the chutzpah to take that shot with the game on the line.

Except Jordan passed it in this same spot TWICE - he passed to Kerr in 1997 Finals, but also made the hockey assist to John Paxson - on the Paxson play, it was Jordan's lack of hesitation to give the ball up that led to Paxson being wide open - if Jordan hesitates at all, the defense recovers.

Jordan's decision-making in crunch time DWARFS that of Lebron - just look at their turnover rates - Jordan turned it over 40% less - and Jordan only turned it over on a game-deciding possession twice in his entire career... otoh, we've seen lebron turn it over a ton in crucial spots, in part due to his aforementioned, less successful, ball-dominant style of play.

"I go for the winning play," the then-22-year-old James said after. "If two guys come at you, and your teammate is open, then give it up. Simple as that."

ESPN's lack of high level understanding of basketball, causes them consider lebron is a "smart" basketball player for thinking pass-first when the game is on the line, but they ignore lebron's suboptimal, less successful ball-dominant style of play, which is suboptimal, less successful, and therefore less smart than Jordan and Kobe's off-ball style.

The winning play is the smartest play, even if it isn't the gutsiest play. The quality of shots is as important -- if not more important -- than the quantity. Efficiency is the emphasis, the measuring stick for possessions, players and teams.

Except Jordan played way smarter than Lebron ever has - again, just look at lebron's higher turnover rate and how his ball-dominant style can reduce his teammates.

it is not "smart" basketball to play in a way that prevents teammates from being able to play tot their strengths - and throughout lebron's career, his ball-dominance from the forward position has done just that... When your SMALL FORWARD dominates the ball like a point guard, it puts everyone else out of position.

The end result is basketball is being played smarter, more efficiently and more selflessly than at any point in the game's history. For proof, rewatch how the San Antonio Spurs surgically dismantled James and the Miami Heat in the 2014 Finals with precision passing that led to numerous wide-open shots, such as Marshall's.

exactly - the SPURS played great, smart basketball by not holding the ball and moving it quickly... Otoh, Lebron just dominated the ball and did the OPPOSITE of these things that the Spurs did.

In fact, Scott recently called Kobe Bean Bryant "the last of a dying breed."

he's the last of "cadillac" SG's, in that they can do everything - guys like Kobe, Jordan, Drexler, Tmac - the game in previous eras required guys to have the highest leve of 1-on-1 ability in their repertiore, because ball movement was not as effective in their day...

so those SG's had all the highest level of sophistication and skill in their game - i.e. post game, off-ball game, mid-range pull-up game, turnaround jumper game - things that today's 3-and-D stiffs don't have, because the ball-movement has made it easier for them, so they don't need these skills anymore.

we've been over this - the NBA has gone from individual brilliance to ball-movement and open shots - the NBA is now just play-finishing.... that is not better than what Lebron had to do in game 5 of 2007 ECF.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

*Yawn* More bullshyt to hype up LeBron and today's superstars. TEAM basketball and skills were at their absolute pinnacle during late 80s and early 90s.

[Haymaker]

Kobe has won his way, Bron has won his too, that doesn't mean one or the other is wrong. There's so much more to basketball than that trivial ESPN bullshit.

[DonDadda59]

2014 Spurs are actually more balanced than those 80s teams seeing as they actually play defense. Also the three ball is a much bigger part of the game now than it was back then.

'86 Celtics had the #3 ranked offense and the #1 ranked defense bruh. Learn your History before making a fool of yourself.

Mid-range iso-ball is useless in the modern NBA. Ball movement and three point shooting are more important(not to mention more enjoyable to watch)

Again, I can easily spot the people who never watched basketball pre Decision 1.0 because they talk out of their ass about things they clearly know nothing about. Let me reiterate- the league in the 90s averaged more team APG than teams in the 00s-10s despite playing at similar and some times slower paces. There was more ball movement then. With the exception of Jordan, the game was dominated by ultra skilled and efficient bigs. Today you have shot-jacking, foul drawing wings like Steph Curry, James Harden, and Mr. 37%be himself leading the league in scoring.

If you find that more enjoyable to watch, more power to you

[Genaro]

It's all about the results. If a guy make the shot with 2 guys guarding he will get praised but if he misses he will be criticized. Same with the passing, if someone passes and the other guy make the shot everybody will talk about him as a great leader, made his teammates better ,etc. Now if he misses (like the Lebron and Marshall situation) the guy will be seen as chocker.
This same ESPN bashed Bran in 2007 for this play so don't come at me with hypocrite columns to talk about the right play. The right play is the ball going through the net.

[chazzy]

And speaking of 'hero ball' you have guys like James Harden living at the free throw line because all he does is barge his way into the lane thanks to the lax perimeter rules. Same with Steph Curry AKA midget Reggie Miller. These guys would've never sniffed the top 15 scoring leaders list back then.

Curry doesn't live at the FT line. Imagine him with a shortened 3pt line though

[Mr Exlax]

If you actually played basketball, you should hate hero ball. You have to have teammates that are ok with not getting to shoot and hang their hats on being garbage men and defensive specialists. If not, they're not gonna consistently give 100% effort.

[DonDadda59]

Ummm that still usually results in higher assists for a team.

One player with high assist totals doesn't indicate much, but if the team overall has high assist totals that's saying something.

Exactly. Even when Iverson had his best assist numbers, the Sixers were always bottom of the league in terms of team APG, usually in the 20-25th spot.

People just watch Jordan highlights and think that was all the offense was then. If you watch BULLS highlights then you'd see how they ran the triangle to perfection with intelligent, crisp ball movement (which again, is why they averaged more APG than the Spurs do while playing at slower paces). There was a guy on youtube who had highlights of the Bulls championship runs, not just MJ highlight reels, that really focused on the team as a whole. I think his page disappeared though. I think Alan Flowers was his name.

*Yawn* More bullshyt to hype up LeBron and today's superstars. TEAM basketball and skills were at their absolute pinnacle during late 80s and early 90s.

Exactly. The Spurs are just a lite version of a mid 80s team with more 3 point shooting. They're not doing anything new or revolutionary, if anything they're 'regressing' and look what they did to the Superfriends last year.