Is Bill Simmons Albert Pujols/Lebron James Comparison on the money?

[HOoopCityJones]

“Anyone who thinks LeBron looks the same is fooling themselves,” Simmons said. “He doesn’t have the same impulsiveness. He looks 20 pounds lighter physically. Just his general force-of-natureness capacity — whatever you want to say — it’s not there. And he’s driving to the basket, and he’s under the rim now, and I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if he’s hurt, I don’t know if the big weight loss has affected his game or whatever. This is not a jump-to-conclusion thing. I have been watching this Cavs team since the preseason games started, and he does not look the same.”

Legit Comparison? He does seem different.

[HOoopCityJones]

Here's Mike Golic's response to Simmons comments.

http://youtu.be/-AIyr1tomHQ

[STATUTORY]

The signs were there last year. I remember there was a game after all star break where I saw Lebron visibly exit his prime right in front of our eyes and I called it.

He has no lift, no explosion off one foot now. He was always a bad two feet leaper and had a poor first step. The last thing to go will be his maximal topspeed but it's clear that he's in drastic decline mode and pretty much strictly below the rim

[HOoopCityJones]

I remember there was a game after all star break where I saw Lebron visibly exit his prime right in front of our eyes and I called it.

[lilteapot]

The signs were there last year. I remember there was a game after all star break where I saw Lebron visibly exit his prime right in front of our eyes and I called it.

He has no lift, no explosion off one foot now. He was always a bad two feet leaper and had a poor first step. The last thing to go will be his maximal topspeed but it's clear that he's in drastic decline mode and pretty much strictly below the rim

lmao this forum is a joke

[SamuraiSWISH]

Here's Mike Golic's response to Simmons comments.

http://youtu.be/-AIyr1tomHQ

Mike Golic is a dumb football player, a lineman no less. The most idiotic of all the positions. Cavemen, or monkeys could do it.

He's totally ignorant to what he's talking about in response to Simmons.

I trust Bill's basketball opinion. And in this case he is right, he's a student of the game. He understands what he's watching unlike Golic. It's not just about LeBron's raw stats.

Physically LeBron does look way different.

You'd think with weight loss he'd be more explosive, but he's not. He's playing well below the rim, not finishing drives, isn't very quick, isn't very limber in his movements, has wraps below his knees. It all adds up visually to a player who looks extremely old at the relatively young age of 29.

It brings questions to the new HGH testing that's being done this season. Such a dramatic physical difference from how he looked in June is more than unusual.

[lilteapot]

Mike Golic is a dumb football player, a lineman no less. The most idiotic of all the positions. Cavemen, or monkeys could do it.

He's totally ignorant to what he's talking about in response to Simmons.

I trust Bill's basketball opinion. And in this case he is right, he's a student of the game. He understands what he's watching unlike Golic. It's not just about LeBron's raw stats.

Physically LeBron does look way different.

You'd think with weight loss he'd be more explosive, but he's not. He's playing well below the rim, not finishing drives, isn't very quick, isn't very limber in his movements, has wraps below his knees. It all adds up visually to a player who looks extremely old at the relatively young age of 29.

It brings questions to the new HGH testing that's being done this season. Such a dramatic physical difference from how he looked in June is more than unusual.

He doesn't look that much different at all.

FFS people.

[Droid101]

lmao this forum is a joke

You're a joke. Sorry your hero is declining.

[game3524]

This isn't a shock to anyone who has followed NBA history. Guys who come into the league straight out of high school age like dogs. Kobe and KG are really the only guys who managed to play at an elite level past age 30.

Lebron knows this and that is why he left for Cleveland, he knows he can't carry the team all 82 games and then have something left for the post-season.

[Droid101]

This isn't a shock to anyone who has followed NBA history. Guys who come into the league straight out of high school age like dogs. Kobe and KG are really the only guys who managed to play at an elite level past age 30.

Old school players with old school toughness.

[DatAsh]

He doesn't look all that much different to me. Just because we haven't seen him go above the rim yet doesn't mean he can't. How many times did we see him go above the rim last year? It's not like it was an every game thing. If we still haven't seen it come all-star break, then there may be an issue, 10 games in though? I just don't think we can definitively say one way or the other.

He's playing off the ball a lot more - even more than he was last year, that I can say.

[Smoke117]

He doesn't look all that much different to me. Just because we haven't seen him go above the rim yet doesn't mean he can't. How many times did we see him go above the rim last year? It's not like it was an every game thing. If we still haven't seen it come all-star break, then there may be an issue, 10 games in though? I just don't think we can definitively say one way or the other.

He's playing off the ball a lot more - even more than he was last year, that I can say.

What the **** is wrong with you?! Using commonsense on this forum...

[KingPush]

He's been looking better every game

[SamuraiSWISH]

He doesn't look all that much different to me. Just because we haven't seen him go above the rim yet doesn't mean he can't. How many times did we see him go above the rim last year?

Alot. And he got up on his dunks too. Some highly athletic plays. Head at rim level stuff. The ones we've seen him do this year have been kind of weak. Looks like an old man with a bad back, safe landings, etc.

If we still haven't seen it come all-star break, then there may be an issue, 10 games in though? I just don't think we can definitively say one way or the other.

We're just commenting on what is happening, right now. Don't get your undies in a jack twist. You're not some voice of reason. We're not talking about Feb.

November 2014, that's what we're discussing.

[HOoopCityJones]

He's been looking better every game

If by better you mean leaning on Andy to bring em home , then yea.