From FanIQ via Ball Don’t Lie:
In game speed:
I wish I could slow these videos down and count how many steps LeBron took between gathering the steal and taking off for the dunk. Dr. J, Jordan, and Brent Barry ran from the opposite end of the court when they took off from the free throw line. The fact that James did this in a game is impressive enough, but even more impressive in my book, is that he did so without a full head of steam.
November 12th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Paging DeShawn Stevenson…
November 12th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Lol…
Are you trying to say that LeBron James is not “overrated?”
November 12th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Hoff, I hope you watched the entire game. What is more incredible about LeBron this year is that his defense has been game-changing. He has won games for the Cavs with defensive plays. oh and he’s shooting better from the line this year. 76% so far.
I watched last nights game three times. Obviously the first time you just focus on the score and the big plays. The second time I focused on on-ball Lebron’s defense. The third time I focused on his floor spacing, passing, rebounding, and help side defense.
I know you may ban me forever from this site for saying this, but I truly believe that he is underappreciated. He quietly drops 30-40 points on people, while dishing out assists and grabbing huge boards, and it feels like only a few people outside Cleveland are noticing. I’ve been seeing Paul Pierce for MVP on NBA.com and a bunch of sports sites.
Oh well, I’m glad you at least caught his breakaway dunk.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Tsunami,
No, I don’t buy that James is unappreciated any more than I buy that sportswriters write about LeBron’s potential departure because they’re “bored.”
I watched most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters of last night’s Cavs game. James’ improvement on the defensive end is obvious. But I’ve also noticed how his minutes have crept up and how he’s dominating the ball more and more.
And it’s hard for me to ignore his jumpshooting percentage (.296) and the quality of competition Cleveland has faced. LeBron has walked over the Bulls twice and the Bucks once.
Trust me when I say this: LeBron is going to have shoot better from outside the paint to get past the Celtics. Maybe I’m nitpicking, but that’s what I do. Although I believe James shot 8-for-16 from outside the paint last night.
:)
November 12th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
No it’s not cus they are “bored” – it’s because they hate cleveland.
2 Things.
1 – LeBron has shown more touch on his shot this year. This is evident in his free throw shooting improving, and if you watched any of last night’s game – he was draining shots 1 foot inside the three point line over outstretched arms all night. MOST of his shots were deep jumpers.
It’s early. After game 1, I read an article on FoxSports that definitely stated that LeBron James can’t shoot foul shots “ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY COUNT”. This was based on ONE GAME. If you look at Lebron’s foul shooting last year in “clutch” situations – he shot over 80%. So either someone decided to define LeBron’s FT clutchess from one game, or he just flat out lied.
So far this year we’ve heard all about how LeBron can’t shoot jumpers. Ok, he started off really bad. And yesterday he hit 50% of his deep jumpers – so just wait and see how he responds.
You bring up the Celtics all the time, and I will submit to the fact that LeBron shot very poorly in that series.
He also went for 45 in game 7 at the Garden. No one else in the NBA could do that right now.
And the Cavs lost the final minutes of game 7 because PJ Brown bailed out Boston. I think Boston’s bench is better this year, but the Cavs have a significantly higher ceiling than last year compared to the Celtics who I believe have a lower ceiling.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
2 – LeBron dominated the ball late in the game because he was feeling it from outside and had a nice pick and roll game going with Varejao. Williams, Gibson, and Szczerbiak inexplicably shot 3-22 for the game and I think 20 of those shots were wide open uncontested jumpers. So, it doesn’t bother me that he dominated the ball late in that game.
It also doesn’t bother me if he has to play 40 minutes once every 8 games.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
James has played 39 + minutes in each of Cleveland’s last 3 games.
I don’t have a problem with James taking over in the clutch — who does? — I’m talking about him taking over more and more of the offense instead of playing off the ball. We’re talking about a relatively small sample size, but it’s something I’ve noticed. It’s great to see James drop 41 points night in and night out, but I don’t think that’s what the Cavs are looking for any longer.
I read Kahn’s article at FOXSports, and he did reach in regards to LeBron’s clutch shooting percentage. But his main point was sound, James has to shoot better from the line. He’s doing that now, let’s see if it continues throughout the season.
If the Cavs have a higher ceiling this year, it’s because of Mo Williams’ potential. Williams has delivered mixed results thus far. He’s had a few good games and a few subpar games. Unfortunately, he kind of plays into Boston’s strengths too. Rondo is a touch matchup for Williams.
I mention the Celtics all the time because they’re the barometer. It’s not about the Bucks, Bulls, or anyone else in the East. It’s great to see James playing well. But I look at what he does against the Bulls or Bucks and ask myself if the Celtics would allow that type of performance. When LeBron is knocking down jumpers like last night, he’s indefensible. But he hasn’t been consistent shooting the ball thus far.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
He’s averaging under 37 minutes a game. That is more than 4 minutes less than his career average.
He was playing off the ball last night. A bunch of those deep jumpers came off passes. He had two alley oops (obviously off the ball) and a bunch of nice curls.
He did not dominate the ball AT ALL in the 1st half.
It doesn’t make sense to say in one line that you didn’t like that he wasn’t playing off the ball, and then in the next line you say “it’s good to see him drop 41, but it’s not what the Cavs need.”
Well, if he’s playing off the ball, naturally he’s going to be more of a scorer and less of a facilitator. So we should see MORE points from LeBron if he’s finishing plays instead of starting them. It’s what Charles Barkley has been saying since 2005 – “LeBron needs to be ‘finishin’ deez plays, not stahtin dem.”
The Cavs so far have been a team in transition. I still don’t like their lineups, they are desperate for another big man, and Mo Will and Boobie Gibson have been ice cold from distance. The point is, last year, this Cavs team would be 2-6 right now given the way they have played. Yes, their wins have been against mostly weak teams although I think Indiana is a playoff team and Chicago will battle Miami for the 8th spot.
But last year’s Cavs team was very poor in the regular season – and turned it up in the playoffs. The same thing will happen again. Last year, going INTO the playoffs, the Cavs were 16th in the NBA on ESPN’s power rankings. And they were the ONLY NBA team to have a positive point differential against the World Champion Celtics.
And it’s really not about LeBron being defend-able or not. It’s about the Cavs making the right decisions in the half court. They have the talent now, that if Boston wants to send Tony Allen and Paul Pierce at LeBron, he will get rid of it. And the Cavs SHOULD have the pieces to swing the ball and find the open shooter.
Now, I say this with a sense of anxiety after watching last night’s game. The Cavs offense got whatever they want whenever they wanted it – and they didn’t knock shots. So we’ll see if that improves.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I know that Brown did a good job of limiting James’ minutes in Cleveland’s first few games of the season. So the 37 minute average doesn’t surprise me. I’m talking about the recent trend, and James has played 39 + over the past 3 games.
You said, “It doesn’t make sense to say in one line that you didn’t like that he wasn’t playing off the ball, and then in the next line you say it’s good to see him drop 41, but it’s not what the Cavs need.”
I never said that the Cavs didn’t “need” LeBron to drop 41. Obviously, that is what’s needed in order to beat the Bulls and Bucks at this point. And that’s precisely the problem. The Cavs are still too over-reliant on LeBron. He needs to play off the ball more. I still see him handling the basketball too much.
I said it’s good to see LeBron drop 41 from an individual standpoint, but that’s not what the Cavs are looking for any longer.
What’s the point of adding a player like Mo Williams if you’re not going to decrease James’ workload?
You said, “Well, if he’s playing off the ball, naturally he’s going to be more of a scorer and less of a facilitator. So we should see MORE points from LeBron if he’s finishing plays instead of starting them.”
Why does LeBron have to be more of a scorer off the ball? Why can’t Cleveland’s offense run through Mo Williams in little bit more? Isn’t that why the Cavs traded for Mo? To be honest, I haven’t seen a lot of chemistry between James and Williams. Williams seems to play better when LeBron goes to the bench.
Tsunami, we could go round and round all night. You’re a big Cavs fan, you’re always going to look at things with a glass half-full approach. I’m always going to look for weaknesses.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I look for weaknesses too.
Let’s change the topic.
What is GOING ON with the Laker’s DEFENSE!?!?
My gosh every time I watch a game not a single player stands out on the Lakers – and they are winning games by 20!
Their defense has been SICK.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
They are playing the ultimate team basketball right now
November 12th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Yeah, the Lakers are my squad, but they’re really playing on another level right. Although CP3 put together a nice run at the end of tonight’s game.
LA’s defense is nothing short of stifling. Their strong-side zone is really unique. A lot of people compared it to the Celtics, but the Celtics play more man-to-man defense, they just overload the strong side.
It’s still early, but I don’t think the Lakers are going to let up. They have that ever-important chip on their shoulder after being humiliated in Game 6 of the Finals.