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So far I would give Jordan the edge because his scoring arsenal did not really have any significant flaw, unlike Lebron who is a poor mid-range shooter.
Lebron was a poor mid-range shooter. I think he made a lot of us (myself included) stick our feet in our big mouths after he stepped up after a poor shooting game.
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Originally Posted by BajanYankee
How would Jordan respond to a defense packing it in? Make jump shots?
Yeah, that's what he did. To his credit, Wade also shot pretty well the last couple of games.
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Originally Posted by EugeneOnegin
Even though Lebron consistently comes up big in big games, he can be too tentative at times.
I think those days are over. He clearly wasn't too tentative when he was ballin' out of control against the Spurs in crucial moments. Look back to the thread I posted above again and see how many people chose the Heat to lose that series. I think many of us underestimated how much Lebron has developed as a player.
The one question I had about Lebron coming into the League was whether he would be the type of player who really works to improve his game. I initially thought he might be the type to rely too much on his athletic gifts, but it seems to me that he's working hard to improve his footwork, technique and all around basketball skills. He's applying himself to the game the same way Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning apply themselves to their respective crafts.
Lebron was a poor mid-range shooter. I think he made a lot of us (myself included) stick our feet in our big mouths after he stepped up after a poor shooting game.
I would say Lebron has worked himself to be a good mid-shooter, but the strength of his game still lies in his driving game and in the open court. When teams cut off his penetration, the onus then falls to creating offense mainly off jumpshots and I think that's where his confidence occasionally wanes. In simple terms, his jumpshot is more a compliment to instead of a staple of his offensive arsenal. Kobe and Jordan, specifically second 3point Jordan, were/are more natural shooters and being relegated to jumpshots depending on how the defense plays them doesn't make them seize up or lose any confidence. Both of them could also generate alot of offense out of the midpost( 96-98 Jordan especially was absolutely lethal out of the post), while Lebron has improved in that regard he is certainly not a natural post player and still developing in that regard.
Having said all that, he's considerably better shooting the ball than even 5 years ago and has sought to address well-chronicled holes in his game, to his credit.
I would say Lebron has worked himself to be a good mid-shooter, but the strength of his game still lies in his driving game and in the open court. When teams cut off his penetration, the onus then falls to creating offense mainly off jumpshots and I think that's where his confidence occasionally wanes. In simple terms, his jumpshot is more a compliment to instead of a staple of his offensive arsenal. Kobe and Jordan, specifically second 3point Jordan, were/are more natural shooters and being relegated to jumpshots depending on how the defense plays them doesn't make them seize up or lose any confidence. Both of them could also generate alot of offense out of the midpost( 96-98 Jordan especially was absolutely lethal out of the post), while Lebron has improved in that regard he is certainly not a natural post player and still developing in that regard.
Having said all that, he's considerably better shooting the ball than even 5 years ago and has sought to address well-chronicled holes in his game, to his credit.
I agree with all of this. I just don't think he's a "poor mid range shooter" or that his midrange game constitutes a "significant flaw" in his game (those are the quoted words). His recent performance in the Finals put those myths to rest. He's proven that he can consistently knock down mid range jumpers now, which makes him that much tougher to defend.
I also think Lebron James Alpha Dog has fully emerged and we won't see any more moments of timidity from him. We all gave Lebron a tough time for things he was doing at 26, 24, and 23 years of age. He was just a kid then. But he's not a kid anymore. Who knows if he'll go on to equal or better Kobe or MJ in Championships (he might just do it in MVPs), but the one thing that's certain is that this is his time. It's his League now. We can officially say that Lebron James is indeed "the man."
I agree with all of this. I just don't think he's a "poor mid range shooter" or that his midrange game constitutes a "significant flaw" in his game (those are the quoted words). His recent performance in the Finals put those myths to rest. He's proven that he can consistently knock down mid range jumpers now, which makes him that much tougher to defend.
I also think Lebron James Alpha Dog has fully emerged and we won't see any more moments of timidity from him. We all gave Lebron a tough time for things he was doing at 26, 24, and 23 years of age. He was just a kid then. But he's not a kid anymore. Who knows if he'll go on to equal or better Kobe or MJ in Championships (he might just do it in MVPs), but the one thing that's certain is that this is his time. It's his League now. We can officially say that Lebron James is indeed "the man."
True, I don't think he's a poor mid-range shooter *now* by any means. I have seen my share of *great* midrange shooters to not place him in that category.
As far as MVPs go, I have no doubt he will eclipse Jordan's total and perhaps set a record. When you look at his primary competition, you may get someone like Durant sneak one in, or even Rose if he returns to form and the Bulls remain an elite team. I don't see Melo ever getting one, and I'm not convinced that Howard will return to 2011 levels and he's sharing the load with Harden now. That's who you'd assume is his primary competition. The league otherwise is in a state of transition, with the big names of the 2000's in the twilight of their careers,so overall I'd say the MVP award is Lebron's to lose for the next 4 years at least.
LeBron. I'm a lifelong Lakers fan but have never been able to tolerate Kobe. Simply an unlikeable guy to me. That said, I still think LeBron is better. He makes a team better. Kobe makes himself better. That works with a strong team around to pick up the messes but when it's an average team they go no where. LeBron lefts an average team up. It's the same reason I take Magic over anyone else.
I agree with all of this. I just don't think he's a "poor mid range shooter" or that his midrange game constitutes a "significant flaw" in his game (those are the quoted words). His recent performance in the Finals put those myths to rest. He's proven that he can consistently knock down mid range jumpers now, which makes him that much tougher to defend.
You mean his recent performance in Game 7? He wasn't hitting those shots the first 6 games and he largely shied away from taking them. He struggled with his jumper for the most of the finals and that's with the Spurs giving him the Rondo treatment- sagging off of him and daring him to shoot.
I don't think one good shooting performance means he's suddenly a great mid-range shooter. He shot 40.7% from 10-15 feet this year and didn't show much confidence in his mid-range jumper until game 7. In comparison, he shot 46.0% from 16-23 feet and 40.6% from the 3-point line.
He's often off balance when he shoots and has his elbow on his shooting arm too far out (a la Noah but not as extreme). This lack of consistency makes him a pretty inconsistent mid-range shooter at best. Further out, his form is usually better. Some of his mid-range struggles are probably due to his size and strength as well, but throughout his career he has often shot a higher percentage from the 3-point line than he has from mid-range.
Whether that new-found confidence will carry over into next season and into another finals appearance remains to be seen. I thought all his demons had been exercised after the 2012 finals but some of them resurfaced in 2013.
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