I haven't watched James and Cavs playing a lot lately, but I watched some of last night's game vs. Sonics. I don't know, maybe I am biased. I felt the guy can score, is strong, his stats look great, but the Cavs team doesn't really look that strong to me. You got Hughs and Big Z, supposed to be a very good team, but somehow they didn't give me that impression at all. Maybe because they can't play defense? Or James doesn't really make others good? I mean, his assists number is good, but didn't really give me the feeling of a leader, who gets everyone involved, brings the best out of everyone. He's just like MJ in his early years. I believe he has great potential to be great one day. But now, so many so-called experts put him above Kobe, AI, TMac, not in particular order, it's just overhyped, for my taste. His first 50 points game came at a loss to the Raptors (maybe I was wrong). The kid was really hot in the first quarter. I didn't watch the whole game, my thought was that a true leader and super star can turn it on when most needed, it would be better for him to get everybody else to play better with more confidence when the game starts, and he closes the game for the team. I guess I asked too much from a 20 years old kid, but if you are rated better than AI and TMac, that should be required. Kobe is scoring 30 some points every night, but his team is struggling. However, his 3 rings proved that he's a super star, of course Shaq played a more important role. AI led a team with the best 6th man to the NBA final. James has a lot of proving to do, before I would rate him above AI. I don't really get why people is not high on AI at all nowadays. The guy can do everything, no one can compete with him in the passion and love of the game. Every single game, he throws his banded body on the floor again and again. I guess maybe because he's been there forever, people just want new hype. I don't even know where I am really trying to get, just it bothers me to see the hype, which maybe ruins a great kid. He isn't there yet, to really lead a team, that's why I think Cavs need some veteran leadership. It would be huge if he could make others better, which he hasn't done so. On a side note, Big Z got the max (? correct me if I am wrong), really thinks he is big now, showing attitude here and there, instead of letting his game talk. But every game I watched them, he never really impressed coz he never really impacts the game at all, even sometimes he puts nice numbers. People still complain that Yao doesn't deserve a max, guess people mixed max money with top 10 or top 5 players. D. Jones can shoot 3, but his defense is just horrible, and Murray just burned him, yet he only got one foul. I am not high on the Cavs this year, but then again, maybe I just watched not enough games, and biased.
I think you're basing too much on one game that you watched. I also watched it, and Lebron could drive at will and he repeatedly got his teammates wide open 3's. Your criticism of his ability to take over is equivalent to someone watching us and seeing Tmac miss some big shots down the stretch, and then call him an unclutch player. The Cavs problem is defense. They allowed wide open 3's after 8 seconds had gone by on the shot clock. They don't have a physical presence.
Like I said I didn't watch too many games of them, but I did watch some games over the years, and I didn't mean the kid is not cluth or doesn't deliver enough assists. But my general feeling is that he didn't let other players contribute enough. Setting up for shots is different than fully utilizing others' skills. Of course you are right, defense is the biggest problem, and James shares that too. I know I am confused, on the one hand, he's just 20, he's great at this age; on the other hand, he's been called the chosen one, and rated on par or higher than other great players, then the expectation should be even higher. Anyways, I really don't know what to expect.
Lebron has the chance to be one of the greatest to ever play the game in my opinion. He's got all the tools one player can have, he's a team player, and he plays with passion. He's already a top 5 player and the sky is the limit for him.
I remember when everyone was saying the same stuff about Vince years ago.. It's much easier said than done..
Don't think he's deserving of the hype just yet. Talent and potential is obviously there and he's shown he's stronger in the mental game than most at his age, but he hasn't done anything yet to be touted as the next messiah of the nba. I actually was watching the post game show on ESPN and when the guys were already saying this guy is a better player than Duncan I couldn't help but laugh. Win a couple of MVPs and 3 rings then we'll talk. It makes it much easier to tell who's being paid to overhype a player (ESPN), and who actually sticks to their own opinion (TNT crew). You just know Charles and Kenny wouldn't be foolish enough to ever say Lebron is better than Duncan at this point.
Time will tell. The talent and potential are definitely there. Nonetheless, they've been there for a number of other swingmen as well. Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady have been anointed the next Jordan by the media. Hell, the media even anointed Yao the next Wilt Chamberlain. Bottom line is, if LeBron doesn't begin to advance deep into the playoffs within the next two years, the media is going to turn on him...the same way they turned on multitudes of other potential "great ones". Do you honestly think that Amare would've been called the "next great center" or someone who will "redefine post play" if the Suns hadn't advanced as far as they did? No...he'd just be a great scoring average-rebounding PF masquerading as center. A team's success ultimately becomes the measuring stick for all players.
I don't know how you can judge James on a few games and looking at his record and then repeatedly complain about T-Mac being called a loser. The guy's a great player and he's not even 21, people jump to conclusions way too easily.
Lebron is a much more complete right now than Carter will ever be. I love Vince Carter but he is a scorer and a dunker. Lebron can do it all.
That's the way things work nowadays. A lot of it is revisionist history and media fluff. "Greatness" isn't defined just by individual talent, skill, or stats. For example, Kevin Garnett is seriously one of the best individual players of all time. He's unselfish and gets his teammates involved. He's a sick scorer and a sick rebounder. He's also an incredible athlete and whether you believe it or not...has an insatiable desire to win. Moreover, he's been loyal to his team for so many years, carrying them as far as possible with so little help. Unfortunately, if Kevin Garnett decided to retire today, who would remember him 50 years from now? People would look at his stats and say, "Oh wow...this guy was good...but just wasn't a winner." That's the reason why guys like Dominique Wilkins can't get into the Hall of Fame, which is a "travishamockery" if you ask me. I know that you can make the argument that if Garnett were "truly" great...he would be able to take his team further. The only thing I can say to refute that statement is that all "great" players had great supporting casts. Even Hakeem in 1994, despite being the only champion to have no other future HOFer on the same team...had more help than someone like Garnett has had (2003-04 notwithstanding).
Agreed about needing a good supporting cast. Duncan's stats are tremendous but when you compare them to other players with MVP seasons you would somewhat call them average if that's even possible. He's been a great beneficiary of having a great supporting cast that know their role, but you can't exclude the fact he's still the biggest reason they Spurs have pushed themselves to top of the upper echelon these past few years. That said, Lebron's had a good enough supporting cast to at the very least make the playoffs, atleast last year. They were touted to be a #6 seed then but no progress was made compared to his rookie season. Again the Cavs have made some good signings. I know they personally got two players who I thought the Rockets could have used. Damon Jones would have definitely helped open up more single coverage on Yao with his perimeter threat on offense, as well as Donyell Marshal. I don't hate James or dislike him. It's not his fault the media is hyping him up so much. I felt the same indifference when the media was announcing, McGrady, Carter, and Bryant in the same light as Jordan. However LBJ fans need to also be willing to acknowledge he's being overhyped when his team hasn't even made the playoffs in the still weaker Eastern Conference.
Oh no, I'm definitely not excluding the fact that Duncan is the biggest reason why the Spurs are so successful. I'm just a big proponent of the idea that superstar players and a supporting cast must have a symbiotic relationship to succeed. They both make each other better, and only in doing so can the superstar be considered "great" by the media/fans for generations to come. I'm just saying that LeBron's greatness won't be measured by his talent...which is off the charts. It'll be measured by how many Finals MVPs he wins.
Im impress of how he improved his game year by year. you can say that his assist regress a little but his shooting as well as his handle seeem to have improved.I remember his 1st few games in the nba and his jumpshot look so akward,but now it has a form and he can consistently go deep now and his handle looks so solid now compare his rookie year.
LeBron James is really good. I was a doubter before, now I believe he has a chance to be the best player in the league in a few years. All time greatest? I don't know. Not before he improves his defense and wins several rings.
Amen, I've been saying this for years. People love to judge a player by ring-counting because that's the easiest way. Heck, my mom could do it even though she can't tell the difference between LeBron James and James Bond. I said this before. Saying that Player X is a loser because he didn't win a championship is pretty much circular reasoning in logic. Anyone can do that without even watch a second how the player play.
