apparently he has a terrible record in the clutch (he is like 2-15 on game winning/tying shots). Last night vs. Denver he aborted huge - he passed up open or single covered shots to win or tie in the final seconds twice (and the ball ended up in the hands of little used Sasha Pavlovic). Then he managed to make/miss an FT and get his own board (great play) -- then he went on to miss the tying free throw. I think LeBron is a great player but he's got to fix this.
He is still young but he needs to improve on his late game skills. He had a open 3 and passed it up to some scrub name Pavolich.
he's still extremely young, 21, but he has to know that he's the MAN on that team. they NEED him to takeover late in games and take the big shots. not pass the ball to little used reserve players. this is HIS team and the sooner he realizes that the better off he'll be.
I know this is a bit overused in sports, but I don't think Lebron has "it". He's just lacking that clutch factor...I like to compare him to Mike Vick. Both are walking highlight reels, but I just don't see either of them absolutely carrying their team to a title (NFL is more team-oriented, so this is more targeted to James).
Rinse, lather, repeat. We talked about this after the Kobe-LeBron game. LeBron outplayed him during regulation, showed better skills (as if it's possible to show better skills than Kobe)...but when it came down to crunch time, Kobe showed us why he has 3 rings and LeBron hasn't made the playoffs yet. Make no mistake -- LeBron is going to eventually eclipse Kobe, T-Mac and all the greats in this league right now. But for now, he needs to learn a thing or two about being clutch and making the big shots when it counts.
This kid doesn't know how to win yet (or lead for that matter). Too much (pressure, responsibility, hype, attention etc.), Too soon. From this point forward, his ability to develop a mental toughness will decide whether he will be a Great Player, or a Great Talent.
I agree. And in Lebron's case, I wonder if he made the wrong decision ultimately. If he had went to college, he would have undoubtedly been in a great program with a winning heritage which could have helped him to develop this mentality. In the NBA, he went to a scrub and had everything put on his back.
he needs to work on his shot. that game last week is perfect example of what separates kobe from lebron. Kobe has a consistent jumper that makes all the difference. My brother and father and I were just talking about this sunday.
LeBron is still a guy who likes to pass and make the right play. If you want one last shot, you take Kobe. But for the whole game LeBron is the more complete player. He needs to develop a go-to move. A turnaround jumper like Jordan had, perhaps.
Interesting ... yeah, a point could be made that this could be a result of him missing college experience. But that doesn't mean he isn't going to learn it - with time, he will become a clutch player too. After all, T-Mac didn't go to college (and neither did Kobe, for that matter).
He is makin more than 100millions by skippin the college. I dont think Lebron will feel he make the wrong decision... IMO, as of now, Lebron is a very good basketball player but he is simply overhyped by the media like espn etc.
This is a 21-year-old player in his third year in the NBA. Give him more time. When Kobe was Lebron's age, he was averaging less than 20 points a game.
He's a great talent who puts up great stats, but still not a great player, because to be so you got to be a finisher and have that killer instinct that all great players have. In that aspect, he's a step behind Dwayne Wade, and on par with Melo. I really do think and still maintain that Wade was the best player from that draft in that he might not put up the biggest numbers, but I think he will be a winner throughout his career because he has that type of attitude. Lebron folds easily under pressure, and has repeatedly shown signs of that for all three seasons he's been playing in the league. Sure, he's still young, but I am one of those people that believes you either have "it" or you don't, and by "it" I mean a player who can and often is the difference between a win and a loss. Wade has it, Lebron doesn't, at least not yet.
Actually he didn't make the right play in his last 3 game in which all of them were last second shots. He was wide open or was single coverage but he decided to pass the ball, not once but several times. You pass the ball if your're used as a decoy or is double teamed. It would also help if he would knock down them freebies. I knew he was gonna miss that last shot in the Lakers game after seeing him bite his nails with fear in his eye. Its one thing to do whats right and giving your team the best chance to win, but if your're the franchise player, its your resbonsibility to carry your team in the winding moments of a close game...he needs to develope a killer instinct like Kobe and T-Mac to take over the game.
I think it'll come with time. His ability for someone his age is already unprecedented. Remember when a young Kobe was throwing up those airballs against Utah?
