SI Players Poll, Mcgrady Lebron among most overrated

For everyone who thinks lebron is better, how long do you think he has been? When he made it to the finals against the spurs he was overrated until he got swept. People acted like he was better than Jordan. I digress, the last two seasons it's been somewhat justified. I think lebron will be better than Kobe next season. Until then he is a bit overrated.

 

So does the whole NBA.

 

definitely agree. because of his lack of offensive arsenal, lebron was only able to average 35.3/9.1/7.3 with a piddling 61.8% true shooting percentage last year in the playoffs. and only 38/8/8 against orlando. and people really thinks he's awesome?

kobe with his much more complete game was able to average 30.1/5.5/5.3 with a 56.4 TS%. if lebron could finally stop just being about the hype and get up to kobe level, he might actually get a ring one day.

 

this poll is kind of dumb, the sample size is small and the responses are too varied. Out of 176, basically you need all of 4 or 5 votes to show up in the "top 5 most overrated players."

 

That is unfair to McGrady ... I mean the dude is injured. They should have a poll say in 2006 or something when he is much closer to his prime. I'll bet he doesn't show up there.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/players/02/14/poll.0214/index.html

Sheesh.

 

he and kobe were probably tied in 05-06 when kobe put up 35 ppg and lebron put up 31/7/6. starting in 06-07 lebron has been the best player in the league. the last 2 or 3 years it hasn't even been close.

 

Haha exactly what I was thinking.

 

I could not agree with you more! I think when Lebron took his team to the finals in the playoffs in 07, that was when he became the best player in the league. From a statistical standpoint it's not even close. People that want to love Kobe for his shooting and last second shots fail to see that Lebron's fg% has always been better, his 4th quarter scoring is higher, and he has eye popping numbers in the playoffs.

In 08 Lebron's performance in the Celtic's series in a losing effort was much more impressive than Kobe's in a losing effort. Lebron put his team in a situation to win that series, even though they were awful. Even now the Cavs with Jamison and Shaq are awful compared to every other team in the playoffs that is in contention. The fact that Lebron is about to set them up for another 65 plus win season is ridiculous. My main bias to determine who is better is imagining what Lebron would do with the Lakers and what Kobe would do with the Cavs. My conclusion always ends the same The Lakers would dominate easily with Lebron (I mean barely losing any games in the playoffs Lebron with Gasol-it's over) and Kobe's Cavs would be a 50-55 win team that would lose in the second round of the playoffs!

 

Ok, I'm in no sense an LA or Kobe fan, but that's just a foolish comment. There comes a point when Luck no longer plays a part. Luck is an overly used word. If luck was a factor, then let's say a good shooter lucks out over 40% of the time. Senseless. Face it, Kobe is probably THE BEST player I've seen since Jordan. Not Jordan-esque, Kobe is his own player. Watch basketball with an unbiased opinion. You think Dream got lucky on all those dream shakes that outwitted opponents and went in? Dream was an outstanding player...just outstanding, but Jordan in my lifetime was untouchable. However, as previously stated, I'd rather the team not have to need a clutch shooter, end of game...if we're up by 20 then there's no need for it, though close games are more entertaining, especially, with a guy like Kobe. /rant

 

LeBron also got a much higher usage. And he has a team built around him for his style. Hell, he actually has a center that parks at high post to give him room down low.

I wonder how well LeBron can do when the lane is packed with 2 7fters. The outside shooters ain't that sharp to give the room. And he has to live on contested mid-range jumpers.

LeBron can have all the stats. But it's all about maximizing the team output. When your center is forced to take outside shots most of the time that won't be as efficient as Gasol and Bynum would do, it's naive to isolate LeBron's stats.

 

LeBron had miserable performance in both 07 finals and 08 ECSF. He was shooting about 35%. Kobe, while not playing great in 08 finals, at least shot over 40%.

 

LeBron's working on his second consecutive season with a PER of over 31.0.

The only two other guys who have ever broken 31 are Wilt and Jordan.

 

That's some pretty good company to be in, basketball wise at least :grin:

 

Another excellent point. Lebron has been holding back all the Cavs' centers from being the dominant post players that they're capable of being - Big Z, Scot Pollard, Dasgna Diop, Ben Wallace, etc.

Quite frankly, Lebron is just not a very good basketball player. It just looks like he is because he drives to the basket a lot and scores all the time. That's not really fair.

Stop driving, Lebron. This is basketball, people, not NASCAR.

 

LOL :grin:

 

I'm having a hard time choosing which criticism is the most appealing:

1. LeBron is unfairly helped by his bad centers (unlike Bill Cartwright or Will Perdue, e.g.)

or

2. LeBron, who just smashed all the players efficiency ratings records for an extended run in the playoffs last year, isn't able to turn it on in April and May. I mean he only grossed a paltry 37.1, which neither Wilt nor MJ ever came close to.

BTW I saw the Nike Puppets commercial again a few weeks ago, or as it was pitched around here last year, the greatest marketing blunder in american history, rivaling "Dewey defeats Truman," Crystal Pepsi, or the upside-down Curtis Jenny Biplane stamp.

 

lebron and granger are NOT overrated.

 

The point is not that LeBron holds good centers back, but that he won't be compatible with good offensive centers for his style. Shaq still got 18 ppg last year with Suns on about 60% shooting, the number is 12/56% this year. Sure, Shaq gets old and his stats drop every year, but gradually, not a slump like this year.

Kobe is more efficient in the beginning of the year, shooting around 50% when Gasol was out for injury, and he can post down low like Jordan did in his latter 3peat. Now Gasol is back, if you trade Bynum for a good 3 shooting PG, I am sure that will make Kobe more efficient. But that's not necessarily better for the team overall.

The point is, it's harder to stop an offense when you have a balanced attack. Cavs didn't have one. And the opposition can stop it one way or the other. The Spurs and Celtics chose to stop LeBron, Magic chose to stop the rest of the team. You can't praise LeBron for his stats and bash his teammates for the fact that they almost got swept. The Magic were underdog, all the experts picked Cavs to win. And now somehow they screwed it it's all roles' fault?

And for the record, I don't know if LeBron replaced Kobe they would be able to win it all. But I know for sure he won't get anything near 30 in efficiency. Does that make him a worse player?