Chron: Barkley comments on Rockets improvement and Griffin

People forget Carmello is only a few months older, has great court vision, can pass, and ALREADY shoot lights out.

Often people who can't shoot never become great shooters. Think of Jason Kidd and Gary Payton, they worked like hell and became good shooters, but certainly not the kind of impossible to defend kind of shooters & scorers.

Personally I think people are way too dismissive of his lack of shooting touch. It is not automatic even with a great work ethic it changes drammatically. Lebron might become a good shooter if he stays hungry and has great work ethic--but if even if he does have that attitude and winners mentality as Kidd/Payton show he may never be a "great shooter". Who knows, maybe Lebron just becomes a bigger Jason Kidd or Scottie Pippen if he maintains that hunger and ethic (big IFs), great player yeah, but certainly not the kind of dominant force equal to the hype he is getting.

 

Sorry but I definitely think Lebron is gonna be better than Carmelo, probably by the end of the second year in the L. People that are saying Carmelo's only a couple of month older and so much better need to realize that Carmelo is really near his ceiling. His athleticism is just not gonna put him in the top 5 players in the NBA at any given season, he'll be a solid sf that can give you 18 - 22 pts, all star even, but will never be dominant. Think Glenn Robinson, Clifford Robinson, Keith Van Horn and maybe even Allen Houston. Greater shooters, good knowledge of what to do in a game, will never be dominant enough to take one over when needed.

Lebron, once he finds his shot will be amazing, he's already playing pretty well, passing and rebounding wise.

 

I think Lebron will be good/great NBA player he just needs more experience and work on his shot a little more( alot more) but he'll do fine I see him adjusting during the season and finishing strong. Plus you got to keep in mind shooters are born but scorers are built.

 

Kidd still doesn't have a very good shot. He's a better scorer now. But how many years did it take for Kidd to become a serious scoring thread?

He was already an accomplished college player when he entered the NBA. He didn't shoot better than 40% until his third year. His best shooting year was his 5th year in the NBA at 44%.

 

It is much easier to look in hindsight. Why do people think because Kobe/T-Mac was bad in their first years, LeBron will be like Kobe/T-Mac later on? For every KG, there are five K Brown out there. Every "Next Jordan" has busted so far.

I am sure LeBron will be a good player. I just don't see him a top 5 players, while Shaq, Duncan, KG, Yao, Kobe, T-Mac are still playing.

 

Tell that to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I'll take either over the more athletic Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill or Tracey McGrady.

We will just have to see I guess. I rather have the good athlete with great shooting and scoring instincts than the great athlete with good shooting/scoring. I think it is wash who has better court vision and feel, Lebron's may be outstanding, but so was Carmelo's against better competition.

Further Carmello is a 19 year old who was a freshman in college last year--how can he possibly be at his ceiling.

It sure will be fun to watch.

 

i think carmelo will win ROY, and is better than lebron this year. carmelo is very fundamentally sound, possibly from the benefit of one year in college. the person that mentioned glen robinson, allen houston etc. is right on, carmelo will score, and maybe even carry his team, but i dont see him dominating like the true great ones. lebron is not as fundamental, but he is a freak. he is 6 '8, and it looked like he could touch the top of the back board in this one dunk contest i saw him in. he has uncanny court vison, and that magic johnson flare in him. when he settles down, learn what he lacks, jumpers etc, gains more experience and becomes a 6 year veteran when hes...what...24??? *omg* THEN, he will dominate and become a GREAT ONE. this is because he is UNIQUE, like yao carmelo is more NBA ready, will rin ROY and will have a brilliant career, but lebron, just like yao, have a chance, or potential, to use their UNIQUE abilities to become one of the GREAT ones ala magic, bird, chamberlain, shaq, hakeem *notice pattern here* they all have unique abilities, melo will be a very good player, and u can take that to the bank, lebron maybe a very good player one, or just a average player one day, but he is one of the rare players that have a chance to become GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRReat!