Situational Awareness Series: Stopping LeBron

[zubi.anaba]

KO arm-bar

Or submarine him the way he did against Indiana in the playoffs.

When??

[manl_lui]

no one can stop LeBron, and I'm glad that we got swept. In my honest opinion, if you want to be the best, you gotta go through multiple road blocks in order to succeed. I see Cleveland being a powerhouse in the East or at least for another year or two. That being said, playing against the best will only help you grow quicker and mature quicker (in the right environment, players and coach in which I think we have)

Players like Smart and Crowder who are so competitive and such hard works will only build form their failures. Last year when we are in rebuild year 1, everyone was saying how hard we played despite being a crappy team. Year 2, we continued to play hard and sneaked into the playoffs. I am optimistic as to what we will see in year 3. Stevens has got this team playing VERY VERY hard and overachieving.

We aren't going to be contenders that quickly, so I hope we face Cleveland again if we were to make playoffs.

[Kane3387]

To beat lebron.

First you have to have a game changing talent like Steph curry and like kawhi Leonard was in the finals last year. You have to have a guy that can score whenever he wants. Tony Parker actually played this role a bit too.

Second you have to have 4 guys that keep the entire defense honest. What I mean is at least four guys that will make you pay if you leave them open.

Third you have to have good rim protection. Indiana was successful against Miami back in the day when Hibbert protected the rim. Tyson was when Dallas beat Miami. Duncan and splitter. GS lacked rim protection at times but it was really offset by the injuries to love and Irving. If those guys are healthy GS loses the finals.

Fourth you need to have lots of guys who can defend lebron. Keep guys fresh. They need to be solid defensively. GS had Barnes iggy green klay. SA had Leonard, green and even diaw. Dallas had brewer Marion Stevenson.

If you don't have all four of those and lebron has a pretty healthy supporting cast then you won't beat him. Every team that has ever beat lebron in the playoffs has had these four things.

[manl_lui]

To beat lebron.

First you have to have a game changing talent like Steph curry and like kawhi Leonard was in the finals last year. You have to have a guy that can score whenever he wants. Tony Parker actually played this role a bit too.

Second you have to have 4 guys that keep the entire defense honest. What I mean is at least four guys that will make you pay if you leave them open.

Third you have to have good rim protection. Indiana was successful against Miami back in the day when Hibbert protected the rim. Tyson was when Dallas beat Miami. Duncan and splitter. GS lacked rim protection at times but it was really offset by the injuries to love and Irving. If those guys are healthy GS loses the finals.

Fourth you need to have lots of guys who can defend lebron. Keep guys fresh. They need to be solid defensively. GS had Barnes iggy green klay. SA had Leonard, green and even diaw. Dallas had brewer Marion Stevenson.

If you don't have all four of those and lebron has a pretty healthy supporting cast then you won't beat him. Every team that has ever beat lebron in the playoffs has had these four things.

TP, great analysis.

[Hemingway]

A few points:

1. LBJ is very good. You can't really stop him just hold him back a bit. We've played some great D on him in the past with PP and Bass. Crowder has the size and skills to guard LBJ about as good as you can hope for.

2. The way to beat LBJ is mentally. We need a Rodman. Remember Bulls vs Heat? Zo was clearly a better player than Rodman but Rodman could take him out of games. Thats the only way to stop LBJ in the short term.

3. Ok it's pie in the sky and I'll get made fun of for it, but here is to hoping we can get him in green somehow some way. He is clearly the best player by a lot. Any teams best chance to win a title in the next half decade would be to get LBJ. How long will he wait for a ring in CLE and how bad would things have to go for him to leave? Pie in the sky, but it is an internet messageboard.

[TheFlex]

Smart
Turner
Crowder
Jerebko
Amir

3 guys who can hop on LeBron at any point in a position, plus one of the biggest/toughest/most determined defensive guards in the league, plus a very good defensive big. Offensively, Turner is a competent ball handler, Smart and Crowder play well off the ball (and hopefully will improve this season) and Jerebko/Johnson pose a versatile PnR/PnP/PnF (pick and fade) duo.

[littleteapot]

not literally, but we got a deep bench and 5 fouls a person..

Dwyane Wade?

[ahonui06]

Team effort.

P.S. Boston should also bring back Delonte West in some capacity so we can play mind games with LeBron haha.

[slamtheking]

I don't think you can stop LeBron, but you can limit his effectiveness by not double teaming and give him the jump shot.

Now he's still a good enough shooter to kill you, but at least he doesn't kill you in foul trouble or assisting. Play him straight, switch on lick and rolls and give him the jumper, but make sure he has no open teammate to pass too. If he makes the shot, try harder, but at least his teammates are not in rhythm.

Easier said than done, but to me it makes sense.

this is the approach I would take.  That and the KO-Arm bar.  Or better yet, the Mchale clothesline

I think we could throw a number of defenders at him during the game so that they're fresh - Turner, Crowder, Jerebko and even Smart.  I think the key is to keep everyone on their own man as much as possible and cut off Lebron's passes to open shooters.  Similar to the early philosophy of beating Jordan --> let him get his but shut everyone else down.