LeBron "Offense Killer" James

• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  Taking my Cleveland blinders off for a second to post this.
  
  1. LeBron has the most potential and upside of any basketball player in the history of the game. He could name the number of championships he wants.
  
  2. LeBron will NEVER win a championship. He is the single laziest extremely talented player in the history of the game. I can admit that i didn't want Miami to win, but will also admit that his style of play still drives me nuts. He does the same thing as he did in Cleveland... Stand outside the 3 point arc, wait to the ball, drible out the shot clock, and take a stupid shot. This is why he will never win a championship because he is an offense killer. How does he possibly convince himself that his laziness doesn't hurt the team? How can his teammates and coaches not jump his shit for this. How can someone of his talent rationalize not moving without the ball and not going to the ball and not getting it downlow where no one can handle you. He is the epitome of laziness. And it drives me nutsto watch him play like this even though I can't stand him anymore. He will never change either which is why he will never win a championship. Jordan and Kobe must laugh at him standing around. Dude could average 50 pts a game and 30 ft's a night if he wasn't so damn lazy.
• BR1986FB

  Lebron is an average "off the ball" player. When he has the ball in his hands he can make things happen (when he's not killing ants at the top of the three point arc.
• Wooball

  

  I agree w/ most of this. It makes me laugh when people bash Mike Brown or Coach "Spo" because they can't "figure" out how to get Lebron involved in the offense. LBJ just refuses to do anything without the ball in his hands, especially late in the game. Also, w/ his unwillingness to play in the post, he allowed the Mavs to stay in that zone and clog up driving lanes. Dwade and Chalmers would penetrate and get swarmed, and a few times kick out to LBJ for a wide open 3, but he would pass it off, or pump fake and drive right back into the clogged lane, successfully killing that possession.
• se-alum

  

  Next year will be the telling season for LeBron and company. I think they felt entitled this year, and played that way most of the time. Honestly, if not for the Rondo injury, they probably don't get past Boston. I certainly hope they never win a title. Gilbert said it best, there are no shortcuts.
• sleeper

  

  This is something I never understood about Lebron, even when he was a Cav. The guy is literally unstoppable driving to the basket, and he settles for long range jumpers.
  
  The Heat won't win a title with the current roster, which is sad when you have 2 top 5 players.
• ksig489

  Even funnier is the talk that he is an all world defensive player. He got eaten alive by much smaller players from the Mavs...Jason Terry made him look like a clown.
  
  He also was shut down by smaller guys. I loved watching the times when Jason Kidd got stuck on him and completely took him out of the game.
  
  
  People want to compare James to Jordan?
  
  Maybe to Michaels son Jefferey...but NEVER to Mike. Not even on the same planet.
• BR1986FB

  sleeper;800457 wrote:This is something I never understood about Lebron, even when he was a Cav. The guy is literally unstoppable driving to the basket, and he settles for long range jumpers.

  
  A lot of it, I think, is his subpar free throw shooting, especially at "go time." When the game is on the line I don't think he wants ANY part of that pressure.
• se-alum

  

  BR1986FB;800460 wrote:A lot of it, I think, is his subpar free throw shooting, especially at "go time." When the game is on the line I don't think he wants ANY part of that pressure.

  Bingo. Magic, Wilbon, and Barry talked about it last night. It's like he has a "not going to be my fault" attitude. Instead of taking on the pressure, he shy's away from it cause he don't want to be the guy that missed the free throw that would've won the game.
• jhay78

  

  No excuse for LeBron not getting to the free throw line in the 4th quarter of these games. Dude can get by anyone off the dribble, is built like Karl Malone, and is nowhere to be found in the 4th quarters. Even if his shot isn't falling, he needs to put pressure on the defense, impose his will a little more, and get to the free throw line at the very least.
• BR1986FB

  jhay78;800698 wrote:No excuse for LeBron not getting to the free throw line in the 4th quarter of these games. Dude can get by anyone off the dribble, is built like Karl Malone, and is nowhere to be found in the 4th quarters. Even if his shot isn't falling, he needs to put pressure on the defense, impose his will a little more, and get to the free throw line at the very least.

  
  I think that's the problem though. No confidence in his late game free throw shooting.
• Heretic

  

  The thing that amazed me was how that attitude completely rubbed off on everyone else down the stretch last night. There were a couple possessions that were flat out bizarre, where they just kept passing, driving, passing, driving over and over and over until they had to force up something. It was like NOBODY wanted the responsibility of actually taking crunch time shots. When it seems like Chalmers is the most aggressive guy on your team, you have to wonder what your "Big Three" are doing. And then the final 1:20 or so...they still had some sort of shot (especially since Dallas wasn't dead on with their free throws last night), but completely quit. No foul on that possession and Dallas eats 22 seconds before turning it over to put it at 9 points with 58 seconds. And then they didn't foul until there was like 5 seconds to go and Bosh grabbed someone.
• sleeper

  

  It was like NOBODY wanted the responsibility of actually taking crunch time shots.

  This. You could tell that everyone was just passing the ball around, trying to get it to Wade. And then you had Wade trying to get it to someone else, only to have it given back to him to hoist up a garbage shot with the shot clock expiring.
• Azubuike24

  

  What I find funny is so many people both in-person and in various places online are so outspoken in criticizing LeBron. However, for the last 5 years they were on the opposite end of the spectrum and would have defended the guy and his game to no end.
• robj55

  

  BR1986FB;800452 wrote:Lebron is an average "off the ball" player. When he has the ball in his hands he can make things happen (when he's not killing ants at the top of the three point arc.

  
  He has never had to play off the ball in his life, not an easy adjustment when you've been the man since you were a kid.
• se-alum

  

  Azubuike24;800807 wrote:What I find funny is so many people both in-person and in various places online are so outspoken in criticizing LeBron. However, for the last 5 years they were on the opposite end of the spectrum and would have defended the guy and his game to no end.

  That's because in Cleveland, they done a good job of hiding the real LeBron James. Also, LeBron was criticized plenty for not taking the big shot and disappearing in big games, while in Cleveland.
• BR1986FB

  se-alum;800823 wrote:That's because in Cleveland, they done a good job of hiding the real LeBron James. Also, LeBron was criticized plenty for not taking the big shot and disappearing in big games, while in Cleveland.

  
  I was all over him (when he was in Cleveland) for not using a post move, not driving the lane instead of hoisting jumpers and his crappy FT shooting LONG before this Finals meltdown.
• se-alum

  

  BR1986FB;800839 wrote:I was all over him (when he was in Cleveland) for not using a post move, not driving the lane instead of hoisting jumpers and his crappy FT shooting LONG before this Finals meltdown.

  I don't think anyone could/can understand why LeBron refuses to incorporate a post game.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  robj55;800819 wrote:He has never had to play off the ball in his life, not an easy adjustment when you've been the man since you were a kid.

  
  That makes so sense. The only way he would have never had to play off the ball is if he brought the ball up the court every time and shot it. He wasn't a PG growing up... he should have learned a long time ago to go to the ball, not stand outside and wait for someone to pass him it.
• robj55

  

  ZWICK 4 PREZ;800866 wrote:That makes so sense. The only way he would have never had to play off the ball is if he brought the ball up the court every time and shot it. He wasn't a PG growing up... he should have learned a long time ago to go to the ball, not stand outside and wait for someone to pass him it.

  
  He has always handled the ball 90 percent of the time in the half court, make sense now. When the ball is in your hand you aren't playing off ball.
• Hb31187

  

  Hes a smart player, learning to run off screens and move without the ball shouldnt be rocket science.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  robj55;800873 wrote:He has always handled the ball 90 percent of the time in the half court, make sense now. When the ball is in your hand you aren't playing off ball.

  
  You don't play basketball by standing outside. Get your ass in position in the post and go to work. The fact that he's never done it is not an excuse... it just further proves my point that he's lazy.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  Go watch video of any of the greats and tell me how often you see them stand outside the 3 pt line and wait for the ball.. they're always posted up where the ball is coming to them or they're moving around if the ball isn't around them trying to get open.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  Him handling the ball outside the 3pt line is exactly why he's an "offense killer". They'd win 70 games a year if he played in the post and got everyone in foul trouble all night long. But he doesn't b/c that's hard work. It's easier to stand outside and play 1 on 5 and dribble and chuck up a stupid shot.
• robj55

  

  ZWICK 4 PREZ;800883 wrote:You don't play basketball by standing outside. Get your ass in position in the post and go to work. The fact that he's never done it is not an excuse... it just further proves my point that he's lazy.

  
  I'm not saying he shouldn't , I blame the coaches for not making him post up more.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  robj55;800922 wrote:I'm not saying he shouldn't , I blame the coaches for not making him post up more.

  
  
  i can agree with you there.