LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

I too have used the "lazy" adjective to describe him, and called him Snaq for his propensity for overeating. But in reality, very few people ever reach that level or sustain it who are lazy. Did he squeeze every last drop out of his professional career by being maniacally driven like Kobe? Hellz no, but very few do. That said, I still keep Kobe over him 7 days a week, but I have softened on calling the guy lazy.

 

I think this is a great example of why that description wouldn't work for most people. Skills don't always = results either. Having the ability doesn't mean it worked in the clutch. Leaves too many things open to interpretation.

 

You'd have to convince me more of a repertoire effectively with overall skill sets than Kobe. Plus Kobe could shoot a proper sky hook for his size (Kyrie ain't going there) and with the left hand away from the basket occasionally. Doubt Kyrie's footwork back to the basket with options A,B,C and D as advanced as well. Dunking moves? Size matters. Just my opinion.

 

Kyrie has very good post moves: not sure about left handed hook shot but Kyrie definitely uses English better then well anyone I've ever seen and his ballhandling is also one of those best of all times.

What makes Lebron unique is that he has a ton of skills, plus one of the greatest athletes of all time, plus one of the greatest passers of all time.

 

Yeah certainly he's extremely skilled. But over Kobe Bryant in his prime .... no way. Bryant had a larger repertoire and if(?) there was anything Kyrie could do better such as maybe handles (?), there were skills perfected that Kyrie simply couldn't do to a similar degree, or even at all, because of being a considerably smaller player. Above the rim stuff for instance. Don't know your age or if you really followed Kobe in his peak, prime years, especially if like many, and understandably so, you were a Lebron fan and then followed him to the Lakers.

 

SMH

It's like you guys don't even watch the games.

It's clearly Caruso.

 

Jesus: I watched Magic at the Forum and the greatest performance I've ever seen live in basketball is still Isiah scoring outburst nearly beating the Lakers on his bum ankle so I've seen more basketball then probably is healthy lol.

Best player I've ever seen even if I didn't like him was pre-retirement Jordan (post-retirement is pretty much equivalent to Kobe but before he became a postup player never seen a combination of quickness and explosion before or since he retired. A cobra on the basketball court)

Second best player is Lebron IMO: a more athletic version of Magic IMO but the FT's hurt. I'm going to run out of here but he's actually been quite good in the clutch except for the Dallas Finals

But in all honesty Kyrie handles are just at another level compared to Kobe and his ability to use spin is also something that is simply exceptional. He simply doesn't need to jump to put in buckets. The injuries have taken away from his athleticism but the Olympic tryouts where he was just at another level compared to even other elite NBA players. He's got so many other issues with his personality and shot selection that he'll never reach his potential but skillset best I've ever seen

 

Certain or a lot of skills then granted. Not prime Kobe or certainly prime Jordan’s total repertoire of polished skills. Let’s not forget defensive skills as well.

 

I mean if we wanna include size as a factor then Hakeem jumps into the equation: all the traditional post moves, plus the ability to shoot jumpers and off the dribble (dream shake) plus defense.

 

Yep

 

Don't get me wrong, Kyrie is a fantastic player and though he's got mental issues, him, AD, and Bron would have ruled the NBA for the next five years. It's a shame Kyrie couldn't get rid of his ego because he's the exact player we are missing in terms of spacing the floor, creating for others, and able to dominate offensively. The problem with Kyrie is mentally, he's bipolar. Physically, he's always injured. His character as a teammate just suck. Reports are he would ignore his teammates for days and then show up on random day and act like he's best friends with everyone. In terms of skill, Kyrie is easily TOP 10 for me. It's just his mentally and physically, as a player, he's on the low end of the spectrum.

 

Probably because he has to work harder as the point forward against the better teams. And this would be why the best playoff strategy against the Lakers is to put a full court defender on LeBron that will wear him down over the course of the game. clips do it every time. We need a point guard to handle this point guard duty.

Collision, put down your religious materials and come join this championship run already.

 

I would think, every single player has more trouble against a better D... no?

 

I posted somewhere earlier that would be exactly my game plan. Do the Scottie Pippen full court pressure on Magic Johnson effect. It clearly affects him. Anybody watching tape will definitely come to that conclusion. It makes us very vulnerable.

 

Hey man. This guy isn't kidding.

 

Playoffs is just a different animal. Maybe it's true that LeBron's old age has caused him to slow down and against the top defense, he can't rely strictly on his athleticism but until then, this guy is a cerebral out on the court when it comes to making the correct plays. If you give LeBron a team to play vs for seven games, he will find your weak point. I just don't think LeBron is as motivated in the regular season because he has no reason to be. The team is winning, he's trying to still preserve himself out there, and many of the games start out with LeBron taking 6-7 shots by halftime and then trying to ramp up the offense at the 2nd half. He's getting others more involved so they can stay ready when it matters.