Ive always just wanted to have a game that fits any style of play or any era, he said. He's not for everyone but Harden's steady diet of free throws and 3s nearly toppled the 2017 Warriors. You have the most points scored ever, youre the best basketball player to ever touch the court.. To finish off a comeback in this series, the Memphis Grizzlies are going to need a lot more of it. (Credit to NBA.com and basketball-reference for statistics and House of Highlights for GIF). Among 60 players averaging at least 4.9 shots per game within five feet of the basket, here are the five most efficient scorers this season. Bonus issued as site credits. WebLatest on Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James including complete game-by-game stats on ESPN Where would LeBron go if he wanted to own the mid-range a la Kobe/MJ/KD? Now? So, its fine. Im willing to play 48 [minutes], Davis said. Related Articles As recently as a few weeks ago, the team looked destined for a Western Conference Finals rematch with the Denver Nuggets one that looked particularly advantageous given Jamal Murrays torn ACL. Some stats were available earlier in the ABA. Caris LeVert absolutely has interest in re-signing. The four-time MVP is averaging an embarrassing 18.5% from downtown, which is the lowest in his 20-year career. James finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, shooting 5-of-17 overall and 1-of-9 from 3-point range. But the pressure is no greater than in a Game 7 and in the heat of the moment, no player has scored like Durant who can get his from any spot on the floor against one, two or even three defenders. He was selected to play in 18 All-Star games. James mid-range game particularly his fadeaway is beautiful when The answer is LeBron, remarkablybut hes less than halfway to Wilt Chamberlains total. A deadly sniper from downtown, he also might be the craftiest around the rim finisher. 30, he'd be in the thick of the MVP discussion. Its just an example for every player to put the work into his craft.. ESNYs 2023 MLB Preview: Giants are a New York rival again. Irving's recent scoring exploits showcase on-ball wizardry unrivaled by anyone in league history. In 17 regular season contests, he averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game while hitting 48.4 percent of his shots overall and 41.4 percent of his attempts from 3-point range. That's not a very efficient way to distribute shots for a player who is best playing downhill. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Lisa Leslie, the retired W.N.B.A. LeBron James is averaging around 30 points per game in his age-38 season; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged around 23 points in that season, and he fell off sharply afterward. ClickBank's role as retailer does not constitute an endorsement, approval or review of these products or any claim, statement or opinion used in promotion of these products. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combine to score nine early points in overtime to lead the Lakers to a Game 4 win over Memphis on Monday night. No longer could an NBA great have their own unique style of play. LeBron James Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Los Angeles Lakers Forward LeBron James He shares that durability, plus creativity and talent, with Abdul-Jabbar, who played from 1969 to 1989. He has a total of 53 Badges in which 5 of them are Hall of Fame Level. Add in LeBron's evolution as a 3-point shooter he's quietly become one of the NBA's best at making step-back 3s and it's apparent that James can beat opponents in more ways than even Jordan. Before there was Durant, there was Gervin. Players cant simply attack the basket on every possession. Hes only 208 points behind Karl Malone (he should pass him in the coming month) at No. The series between the Lakers and the Grizzlies could only come down to one thing only: the dominance of LeBron James. Maybe not that much, but every shot is valuable, and there might be better alternatives. history. Eligibility restrictions apply. James averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game in the finalsbecoming the first person to lead all five statistical categories for players on both teams in the finalsand was unanimously named finals MVP. ESNYs MLB 2023 Preview: Can the Texas Rangers take over the AL West? Whether he's attacking in isolation, posting up or cutting off ball, James is most effective when he's inside. But for the most part, LeBron has stopped taking so many mid-range shots and is instead doing most of work inside where he's a lot harder to defend. LeBron's rebuttal: With the game on the line, Durant's reputation can't match LeBron's results. a mid-range jumper, And yet during a six-year stretch in which he won six straight scoring titles, the Big Dipper averaged nearly 10 more points than anyone else. James finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, shooting 5-of-17 overall and 1-of-9 from 3-point range. At his best, he uses his size and speed to bully defenders, get optimal position and either score or get to the line. frame is something none of us has ever laid eyes on before. In the Finals, James averages over five more points than Abdul-Jabbar with a whopping 8-1 advantage in 40-point games. James and the Lakers were getting avalanched. It didnt seem like anyone could. I can only imagine somebody who can be the all-time leading scorer in NBA history who doesnt get the credit of being a scorer, said Anthony. Bryant is the closest we'll ever see to Jordan. But if your best trick in the bag is better than anyone's best trick, that's saying something. Email: robby.sabo[at]jetsxfactor.com. It wasnt until Scottie Pippen matured and Jordan developed his mid-range game that Chicago started reeling off NBA titles. Moreover, its my contention that Jordan changed everything. What is LeBron James' playoff 3-point percentage? He could be the first player to score 40,000 points. The best percentagefor Bryant was in 1998 where he shot 47.4 percent from the field but he only attempted 19 shots that year. James doesnt do it the mid-range way. James is averaging a team-leading 24.0 points and Davis is averaging 19.5 points going into Wednesdays potential close-out game at FedEx Forum in Memphis. The fadeaway and quick-pivots all from a mid-range post or face-up is now a mythical quality thanks to Jordan and his six NBA Championships. If he gets doubled inside, LeBron can pass out to a shooter - Dellavedova, Smith,Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love,Channing Frye, etc. Tonight I was s, NBA playoff results: Jimmy Butler makes Heat history, LeBron James makes the tough shots. Kobe Bryants PER is top 20 all time, but LeBron James is No. star, said James can do some of everything. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. In Jamess rookie season, 2003-4, he took 2.7 3-pointers a game. Ages given are the players ages on Feb. 1 of that season. All trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective owners. By contrast, James's career postseason scoring average is nearly two points higher than during the regular season and increased from the regular season in six of his last seven playoff appearances. This is the mark that reveals just how efficient a player is when shooting the ball. While his efficiency on threes (35.4%) is a little down from his percentage 10 years ago (36.2%), it makes sense that James averages would level out now that hes taking more than three times as many 3-point attempts (7.9 per game). Nobody during his generation came close to matching his dominance as a scorer. How far this ultimately goes depends on how committed Tyronn Lue is with using James in different ways. A James team hadnt lost a closeout game since April 27, 2018, when the Pacers clobbered Cleveland in Game 6, only to lose to the Cavs in Game 7. introduced the 3-pointer in the 1979-80 season, halfway through Abdul-Jabbars career. 4. There's never been a player with his combination of size and skill. James had a head start on catching Abdul-Jabbar because he was drafted out of high school, which wasnt allowed in Abdul-Jabbars day. His 3-point shooting has been a massive Is this just a blip driven by small sample size, or has LeBron struggled from the mid-range the last few years as well? Hell adjust. He was especially good range from hitting from the midrange during the postseason. No player in league history has scored more points and no player in league history has a more unstoppable shot than the skyhook. He set the record in 1984 and finished his career five years later with 38,387 points. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? In fact, the gap from Chamberlain to second was wider than the gap from second to eighth. While Jordan perfected the mid-post fadeaway late in his career, James, too, added an unguardable step-back jumper. No one has been able to consistently replicate his shot. The reason for the ghastly confusion has nothing to do with some of his questionable off-the-court decisions, such as The Decision. It has nothing to do with flopping or his perceived whining on the court. He's still taking 30.9 percent of his shots in the mid-range, but he's taken 49.3 percent of his shots at the rim. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Baylor was the first sky-walking, above-the-rim perimeter threat. The Grizzlies staved off elimination in this first-round series by handling James and the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-99, in Game 5 on Wednesday behind 33 points from Desmond Bane. Iverson's 29.7 playoff scoring average is second in NBA history behind only No. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra once said of James: I just think you can book it every year 27, 8 and 7. There's no denying that young MJ was a force of nature when driving, but even he can't rival James's physicality and ability to put his head down and get to the cup whenever he wants. And yet, James feels that he has not received the reputation of being a great scorer. Those guys were spectacular tonight, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. This idea mixed with LeBron so close to the brink of losing his fifth NBA Finals are the main reasons. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. But he never tried more than three in a single season and he made only one: in 1986-87. His blend of unique talents and quickness to go along with a beastly 68, 250 lbs. Is LeBron James the greatest scorer of all-time? Jamess made shots have been 53 percent 2-pointers, 10 percent 3-pointers and 36 percent free throws. WebFind detailed LeBron James Stats on FOXSports.com. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. A 4-time MVP thats larger than life and always in contention, seeking all there is to offer in Los Angeles by playing for the Lakers after a delivering a title and dominating for the hometown team. Click here to skip down to our full list of the top 15 greatest scorers in NBA history. And on the biggest stage, Jordan always grabbed the Bulls by the horns as he led Chicago outright in scoring in 32 of his 35 NBA Finals games. For the next decade, the shot was considered a novelty, a break glass in case of emergency kind of heave. Ultimately, while James often says hes humbled to be listed among the greats, his desire to shape his legacy still drives him he still wants the respect he believes hes still due. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame receives No. Perhaps this shouldnt be overly surprising. Also read: LeBron James' version of 'The Last Dance'? NBA analyst believes 4x NBA champion has attained Athlete Nirvana, Be the first one to comment on this story. LeBron's rebuttal:If you line up their combined 16 Finals appearances, James owns the five highest-scoring averages and eight of the top nine. Kyle Goon is a Maryland native who kept traveling west in search of stories. The idea that LeBron doesnt possess a picturesque jump shot confuses many of the fanboys who love and adore MJ and Kobe Bryant. WebLeBron James has averaged at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 15 different seasons. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? history. Look for the market for James to really heat up the next week, but once James hits free agency dont expect him to take a ton of time to make the decision. Chart showing the share of 3-pointers, 2-pointers and free throws by all players over time. You might also be interested in reading this: How many game-winners has LeBron James made in his career? Last year, LeBron took 36.9 percent of his shots in the mid-range and 36.6 percent of shots at the rim. I just think the biggest thing is what hes done to transition his game to this stage of his career in terms of his shooting, Coach Frank Vogel said. The top four players off the Lakers bench Dennis Schroder, Rui Hachimura, Troy Brown Jr. and Malik Beasley struggled. It was his lowest field-goal percentage (29.4 LeBron scoring more at the rim is a net positive for the Cavs. Throughout his entire career, LeBron James has always avoided being labeled a scorer. Durant has averaged more points than every single one of them. Memphis forces a Game 6 after a dominant Game 5 performance over the Lakers. Its an interesting time to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan. 33.3 percent on threes is better than 40.0 percent on twos). Our team will get better and Friday is another opportunity to close the series.. LeBron James is shooting 36.9 percent on 3.3 mid-range shots per game this season. James really had to carry more weight this last year because of the struggles of the rest of the Cavs team. Founder: Elite Sports NY - ESNY (Sold in 2020). Swanson: LeBron James, Lakers are much better in closeout win, as promised receiving yards total: seemingly unreachable. debate. They were the NBAs best team at home during the regular season at 35-6, setting a franchise record for wins in their building. LeBron James, on the other hand, has none of these mid-range qualities at his disposal. One of the major trends this season for LeBron James has been the decline of his jump shot. His career averages (27.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.4 apg) closely mirror every year of his career with only minor deviations. A decade ago, James would hammer opponents from the left baseline with turnaround jumpers. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). Reaves hit a three, James got an easy basket and Davis had a three-point play to start the comeback. For all of Harden's playoff warts, it's tough to argue against his brutally efficient isolation scoring. LeBron's rebuttal:There's a compelling case that James simply has more tricks in the bag. 3. Throughout the entire series, the Lakers have struggled to shoot the basketball from long distance. Web4/30 It seemed as though the Warriors had all the momentum after winning three straight games to go ahead 3-2 in their first-round series against Sacramento, LeBron James, Michael Jordan. The Lakers, faced with shutting down their best players or trying for the miracle comeback, chose the latter. Rule changes designed to give players freedom of movement throughout the court mean defenders cant try to stop James from scoring with some of the more aggressive moves they would have been allowed to use against Abdul-Jabbar. In the mind of all basketball purists, this is incredibly wrong. His reliability from a long distance could be something that separates Los Angeles from Memphis. LeBron James is better than those two guys. And I kind of just relayed that same message to him tonight. 2. He's also taking six percent fewer threes (excluding corner threes, where his percentages are roughly the same) than he did last year. Myles No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. James, at 38, is one of the oldest players in the league and in his 20th season. LeBron, as a way to counteract his jump shot becoming less effective, has largely abandoned the mid-range game altogether.
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