Is LeBron James that much better?

I bet he could take you to the rack!

...N-E Ways...It's not about how good a player is. Some of the biggest busts in NBA history have been number 1 draft picks, so it's impossible to tell how good a player will be once he gets to the next level. He has been scouted since he was probably in the fifth or sixth grade, which is sadly when the top prospects are noticed these days. He's had literally thousands of guys evaluate him, and probably 95% of them have said that he's ready for the NBA. So, when that many people say he's going to the NBA, then he's going. One year from now, four years from now, it really doesn't matter. If he goes to college, he might be taking a scholarship away from somebody that might actually make something of his education besides a year or two of NBA prep.

So, he might not be THAT much better than everybody else, but he's good enough...

 

From some of the highlights Ive seen plus the game that was on ESPN, he has a suspect looking jump shot and doesnt play honest defense (likes to play the passing lanes alot?). Thats not to say he CANT play honest D, but there are questions there.

He looks to big to play SG in the NBA. He weighs something like 235. I dont think hell be able to move laterally against some of the quick SGs in the league.

I think alot of people have him pegged as a point forward playing the 3. Personally, he could have used some time in the NCAA to work on his jumper.

I am sure hell be a triple double threat in the NBA, I just dont see him as a big time scorer.

Again, this is just based on a small sampling of his play that I have seen over the last 2 years.

 

AB,

I couldn't agree with you more. Over the decades, I've seen a good handful of players who were that impressive in high school but didn't make a splash in college and then were just a whisper in the pros. LaBradford Smith is the name I always bring up.

 

wow..LaBradford Smith was unfreaking real! he was so good it was scary. best high school hoops player i've ever seen...and, as you said, he barely sniffed the NBA.

 

I know one thing, a lot of people will be hoping he fails.

I agree with Codell on his scoring ability, nothing special. I was expecting to see the next Michael Jordan or something.

 

With all the hype LeBron James is getting right now he has to have a awsome rookie season, in my opinion better than how Yao and Amare is playing right now, to match that hype. Otherwises he's going to disappoint a lot of people expecting him to come into the league and becoming the next MJ, which in itself is impossible.

 

I've only seen 2 full games of his high school team. From that limited exposure, he's got an uncanny passing skill, which will lead him to some success.

However, I agree with the sentiment that if he doesn't dazzle in his rookie season, he'll be deemed a failure.

 

Of course it looks "suspect" when he's shooting off the dribble for most of his jumpers. Kobe and T-Mac had suspect looking jumpers because they made a living off of it.

James is a good shooter, it's hard to see that because he's never open for a spot up jumper.

James would average close to 20 ppg right now in the NCAA. There aren't many players in the NCAA as good at getting their shot off. Dwayne Wade comes to mind.

 

I feel it is suspect more based on form and result than anything else. The highlights and game I have seen are of him taking a fair share of wide open jump shots (not talking off the dribble stuff). He has bad form/technique from what I remembered and he missed badly.

Also, I think alot of the complicated zones that are run in the NBA will temper some of his passing skills. I don't see him getting to the basket quite as often or easily. NBA players are much bigger and stronger than high school kids.

I am not dissing James at all. I just think its unfair that so many are proclaiming him as a savior and as a player that will change the game of basketball.

 

LaBradford Smith was 6'3" and all he could do was jump out of the gym. Everything else about his game was average for college.

LeBron is 6'8". Scouts say he is a combo of Magic and Jordan. Also, I don't think most of these High Schools kids come from the number one ranked High School team in the nation.

And as far as his defense against other kids, maybe the kid is just bored. His team is a road show and they haven't lost. I don't know what he will do in the NBA, but he is definitly special.

 

what?? did you see him play?? he could do more than jump...a lot more.

 

The one thing that everyone comments on about James, outside of his size, his athleticism, his skills, is the way he sees the floor.

You can watch him and see that he already sees plays develop a cut or move before everyone else, even before his own teammates.

Kidd has that ability.
TJ Ford has that ability.

All the great play-makers have that ability.

All of his other skills and talents are pretty average NBA-wise, but they can certainly be improved upon.

But his floor vision, that's just a gift.

James should be a great one if he keeps his ego in check and works on his game like Kobe does.

But I'd still draft Yao Ming over him 24-7-365 (366 during leap years).

 

Another comparable you can do is with Carmelo Anthony. Lebron is suppossed to be better than him (they're friends I think), and Anthony (from Syracuse) has had a fantastic freshman year and woudl also be a very very high pick, imo. NBAdraft.net, never right on the money in retrospect, yet still a good source for predictions, has Anthony going third, with the foreigner Milicic at 2.

 

LeBron could most likely dominate in the NCAA level. Carmelo is dominating and blows by almost everyone. It's safe to say that LeBron has at least Carmelo's speed, body, and hops.

Yes, the Melo and James friendship has been well-documented in magazine and internet articles.

I can't say that it's fair to say that James will never be a special scorer. Against better competition, James is averaging more than McGrady was while in high school, and look how he's scoring now. McGrady didn't have much of a jump shot so it is premature to think that he'll never improve.

If his weight of "240" may be too big, I wouldn't get worried. I'm betting he only weighs 220 right now, and even if we weighs 240, you see how he jumps. On "The Life" it showed Dujuan Wagner working on lateral movement, and his trainer said he gained 25% more speed in a few months. LeBron can always improve on that if it's a concern.

 

LeBron can score posting up, facing up, whatever way you want him to score. That is why he is the closest HS "sure thing" in a while.

As another poster noted, LeBron has great court vision/awareness and is a damn good passer.

Also, he did school the Cavs (illegally) this summer. I know it's the Cavs, but still.

In the one game I saw of him vs Oak Hill, I was impressed that he was shooting jumpers off the dribble, and attempting other more difficult shots. This means that he will be more NBA-ready than most kids his age, or even from college.

There are a lot of dominating HS players who just drive the ball at will, and as a result do not have a good jumper off the dribble, or other ways to score. LeBron seems to have worked on his game to where he could be ready to contribute in the NBA sooner than later.

It will take him a while to become a good defender though, more than likely.