No one has the overall impact on a game that LeBron has. But he has issues he needs to overcome in pressure situations.
Yes, if it was so easy, everyone would be doing it. Don't be obtuse maintaining an average like that is no easy task.
its true, fg percentage can be misleading. You don't realize defenses double to the T and game around players like Kobe and Drose. Efficiency is important, but watch the games live, watch the games objectively. And in terms of frustrating the defense, attacking and keeping the on the toes, and even just devastating the defense, sort of taking air out of their tires by the way you play, no one compares to Kobe and Rose. That is something you can't measure as them to being so skilled(kobe), and so uniquely athletic and attack at the moment with growing skill(rose) that the mental impact, devastation, and change that the other team has to make for them. So if they make the shot or not, they change the entire game, the game plan, and hte court spacing for their teammates. The fact that in the biggest moments, they attack more and change the game even more makes them that much more great. Lebron is the best at filling it up, he can do everything, but beyond hollinger and stats, mental game and competing in the fourth is necessary to be great(greatness is not a stat) And you see common ground. From Shaq to mike brown, they talk about kobe being more serious than lebron, methodical, obsessive, anda ll that study has come to fruition with his 5 rings and how he knows how to rely on fundamentals and footwork and not get frustrated in the clutch when teams double down on you in a big stage adn there are different mental pressures. Also for Drose, from hs to NBA, he was never the flashy celeb, he was the quiet and hardest working player focusing on his game and it shows in how he has progressed.
Man Kobe is amazing, he has to be the BEST player in the NBA now. He is playing through an injury most of NBA players wouldn't even attempt to play with. I had great respect for him before, but what he is doing now is kinda UNREAL to me. 'No regard for human life' But damn, Mike Brown has to be the DUMBEST coach in the NBA at the same time. The guy is banged up, playing with a bad wrist has 16 seasons on his legs. It is a 66 game schedule when you pretty much don't have time to breathe. And yet he is playing him 40 minutes EVERY SINGLE GAME and expects him to score 40 every night. Fans love it, everybody does. But this is horrible. remember last year? It is all great when your legs are fresh everything is fine. But we have seen so many injuries already, why would he take that risk? Sacrafice some games because you are a PLAYOFF team, who cares about RS. Hey, even Derrick Rose is sitting games out to rest as the Bulls know what their goal is. Kobe can do it for few more weeks, but he will have ANYTHING in the tank in the postseason if this continues. And I don't care how strong mentally and great his is. Bad coaching.
What is mike brown going to do? Tell kobe to sit out? I am pretty sure kobe tells mike brown what to do.
Kobe is out to prove something this year no matter what Mike Brown and pundits think. He'll play as many minutes and take as many shots as he wants to. The problem is magnified by the Lakers needing him to do this to win games.
What he can do is to play him for 32 not 42 minutes. That would help IMO. But I am allright with that. I hate the Lakers so them comming up short again will make me only happier.
I think if you take lebron and switch him with your best player, your team is better. If u were to switch lebron and kobe, lakers are a better team because he's going to make bynum and gasol better player. Same with durant,rose, and all the others. For me its lebron.
My thoughts exatly. LeBron just gives you a overall package that is unmatched. World class offense, defense, playmaking, leader. Best player in the world.
See this is where stats are misleading. Nash is one of the best passers in the league, but he didn't make Joe Johnson better. Nash dominated the ball and drew in attention and kicked out, so this was great because he made finishers(inside and outside shooters and slashers) much better and effective, but for people who are talented and want to go to work with the ball in their hands, they become less effective with nash on their squad. Same goes with Lebron. he is a talented and willing passer, but he needs to dominate the ball and draw and kick to create and that is how he does get his assists. So this is great for a team like the cavs that he had who were essentially defense people and shooters so they spread the court for him so on. For Gasol and Bynum, apart from the high post kick to them and the occaisonal alleyoop to bynum, these guys work well with the ball in their hands in the post back to their basket. So lebron would have ot toss it in their post to them and they are both inside people(although pau can spread the court) so bynum would clog the paint for lebron to do what he does is go drive and get fouled and be dangerous of the drive. In simplified box score logic, yes he would make it better, but in a matter of cohesion, which is what really matters in putting together a team, he doesn't make sense for all the talent. That is the same with him and hte heat. You had bosh who was a 20-10 every night threat, dwade, and lebron, 2 top 10 players years ago put together, dwade and lebron essentially took turns isoing, occaisonally throwing eachother lobs. They are so great individually they were dangerous, but you could see they don't make eachother better in any way since neither spreads the court for each other. Its just not as simple as he averages 8 assists, so he is a good passer, he will make it better. Hoops is about spacing, attention, etc to create effectiveness. And people can't leave out the mental part of hoops and performing in high stress situations which he has shown not to do, that is part of greatness. Greatness is not just a stat, or PER. He has what it takes though in regards to the tools and potential, but hes still has a lot to work on too. If I wanted a title this year: Kobe If I wanted to build a franchise: 1a. Dwight 1b. Drose 2. Kevin Durant 3. Lebron James
That's great point and it is true but you know once June or even 4th period comes in you will lose every close game and would love to switch back for Kobe.
Kobe's scoring barrage isn't going to keep up. He's taking a whopping 29 shots per game in the last 6 games to bump his scoring average from 24 to 31 (a jump of 5 shots for 7 points). When his scoring average evens out to 25-26ppg, will be people still say he's the best player in the league? The Lakers are a better team with Gasol and Bynum being much more involved offensively. Lakers faced an easy schedule during Kobe's scoring barrage, but he has to allow his big men to be more involved if the Lakers are to be contenders/
Kobe isn't parrticularly close to being the best player in the game anymore... his age is showing, and the younger guys have been getting better. Much as I'd rather be able to honestly say the best player in the game right now Kevin Durant, it's probably LeBron. He's having an insane start to his season and he's increased his versatility. Top three right now are probably LeBron, Durant, and Howard in that order.
