LeBron's consistency

[Nitro]

Seeing LeBron's start this year made me think about how ridiculously consistent the guy has been the past 2 years. So, I decided to look at his game logs, and so far this year...

 

Number of games: 19

 

Games under 20pts: 0

 

Games under 5 rebounds: 0

 

Games under 5 assists: 4

 

Games under 47% shooting: 1 (shot 40% that game...only 3x this season has he shot below 50%)

 

Games of at least 20/5/5: 16

[Real Deal]

He doesn't miss anything. A lot of smart shots...I've noticed that he's taking advantage of Wade and Bosh more this season, knowing exactly where he needs to be to get off a very good, high percentage shot. In the process, though, they are feeding off of him more than they have in the last two years.

 

What's ridiculous, to me, is that the entire team is shooting nearly 50% from the floor.

 

I'm kind of shocked that Mario Chalmers isn't drilling shots at a high percentage, but then again, I think he's just sandbagging it because he's a Kansas player that knows I'm secretly rooting for him to tank.

[YugoRocketsFan]

He has also only made under 10 field goals 6x, and hes shooting 44% from the arc

[Real Deal]

The best thing LeBron has ever done? Get into the post, and develop a post game. I said it for years...I could never call LeBron the best player in the NBA until he did that, and I'm sure people didn't believe me when I said I would.

 

Getting that post game made it easier for everyone around him, allowed him to play the four (Miami can now play "small" without actually being too small), brings his percentages up even higher than before, and he's taking less threes a night than he was in Cleveland + his first year in Miami.

 

LeBron isn't as skilled as Kobe when KB was in his prime (although I'm not taking anything away from Bron, it's close now), but his size makes up for that, and for years, I never understood why he just didn't go out and work on his post game. In Cleveland, he used his athleticism more than anything else, and while it did help he was like a Karl Malone driving to the rim, it would have been significant for him to play the four against a lot of teams the Cavaliers faced during the few years they had as contenders.

 

The biggest thing his post game has done for Miami, though...it has separated LeBron and Wade as players. I felt like they were too similar in 2010-11. Sure, they made it to the NBA Finals, but it seemed like it was based on just talent alone, each taking over games, but doing so while the other stood aside...and when LeBron was having his horrible series against Dallas, it was making up for Wade's horrible series against the Bulls. Now, you have two superstar players who can play differently, and another all-star who plays off of them very, very well...and when you surround them with shooters, well...you have to give a lot of credit to Riley for constructing such a team, also.

[Nitro]

The best thing LeBron has ever done? Get into the post, and develop a post game. I said it for years...I could never call LeBron the best player in the NBA until he did that, and I'm sure people didn't believe me when I said I would.

 

Getting that post game made it easier for everyone around him, allowed him to play the four (Miami can now play "small" without actually being too small), brings his percentages up even higher than before, and he's taking less threes a night than he was in Cleveland + his first year in Miami.

 

LeBron isn't as skilled as Kobe when KB was in his prime (although I'm not taking anything away from Bron, it's close now), but his size makes up for that, and for years, I never understood why he just didn't go out and work on his post game. In Cleveland, he used his athleticism more than anything else, and while it did help he was like a Karl Malone driving to the rim, it would have been significant for him to play the four against a lot of teams the Cavaliers faced during the few years they had as contenders.

 

The biggest thing his post game has done for Miami, though...it has separated LeBron and Wade as players. I felt like they were too similar in 2010-11. Sure, they made it to the NBA Finals, but it seemed like it was based on just talent alone, each taking over games, but doing so while the other stood aside...and when LeBron was having his horrible series against Dallas, it was making up for Wade's horrible series against the Bulls. Now, you have two superstar players who can play differently, and another all-star who plays off of them very, very well...and when you surround them with shooters, well...you have to give a lot of credit to Riley for constructing such a team, also.

 

This year he really hasn't used the post game a ton...his efficiency has really come from improved off-ball movement, team offense and a jumpshot which has really been money. He's definitely using the post more than he did in Cleveland/his 1st year in Miami, but it isn't like Jordan who literally lived in the post the 2nd 3-peat. And also, even though he's technically been listed at PF, he really hasn't played it too much. Battier, Lewis and Haslem have been taking the opposing team's PF assignments, and the best perimeter defender for the opposition is still the guy who guards LeBron.

 

And Wade and him are still a little too similar. LeBron's just better at everything and gets far more usage, so Wade now gets less PnR's (his bread and butter), less ballhandling duty, less shot attempts (which ruins his ryhthm on nights where he goes like 3-13, where in the past he may start out the game like that but eventually catch fire and end with a respectable statline), and just less of everything. LeBron has improved on his weak areas while Wade hasn't, but his strengths and play style is still very similar to Wade's.

[Real Deal]

I doubt LeBron will EVER get to the point where he's living in the post during his prime. Maybe when he's closing out his career, because that would make the most sense for him...but I never expected that at any other point. Compared to Durant (just an example), LeBron is in there quite a bit...but if we bring up someone like Jordan, that's an entirely different discussion. Jordan was more unstoppable in the post, in my opinion, than he was anywhere else on the floor in the 90's. Those first few years, you couldn't prevent him from getting to the rim, but even the slightest bit of loss in athleticism, and that finger injury, put him in the post...and for me, that was the key in winning that second three-peat (along with the defense that team played, Pippen and Rodman were two players you never wanted to play against).

 

I don't see Wade struggling THAT much on offense. His defense is where I see him hurting, big time. He has taken a backseat to LeBron, though...and this year, it's clear as day, and in the process, that has allowed Bosh to step up and do his thing.

[SRV]

I think Wade's numbers are down because his minutes are down. He went from playing about 37 minutes a game throughout his career, to averaging 32 minutes these last two seasons. Wade is very streaky and needs to get his rhythm early. Factoring in those 5 minutes, and playing second option to Lebron, he is putting up a respectable 20 ppg...he could easily be up there with Lebron in scoring every night if be played more and had an easy way of getting shots. He is not getting the calls he used to get when he drives to the rim either, so he is also getting to the line less...which is a big part of his game.

Edited December 11, 2012 by SRV

[Check my Stats]

All I know is that just about every time I watch the Heat play (admittedly not as much as i would like) I want to strangle Wade. You know he is gonna turn it up in the playoffs (defensively), but it's still frustrating to watch, and I'm not even close to being a Heat fan. Guy is 30 years old and is already suffering from Kobe syndrome on defense (locks down when he feels like it or is challenged).

[SRV]

Wade has never been an amazing defender. He is very much an all or nothing guy. If he sees a steal or block opportunity, he won't think twice, but he won't shut you down for the entire game. Sure, if the challenge arises and he has to actually guard someone to win the game, he will do it, but he is not going to go crazy trying to guard someone he doesn't feel is a threat...whoever he was guarding in the Knicks game better be on his list of threats though.