LeBron's prolific rate of playoff free throw attempts

[nickagneta]

I was reading the front page Daily Babble(BTW, we really are lucky to have Steve Weinman be a contributing author here at CB) and read that LeBron had an astounding 18 for 24 game the other night en route to 41 points in the Cavs Game 3 loss. That is truly amazing. Know why? Because he was 18-24 from the free throw line. 12 trips to the charity stripe. Amazing. I thought 24 times had to have been close to a record, so I went looking.

Yeah, not even close. Shaq owns the record for most free throws attempted in a playoff game with 39. As a matter of fact, when it comes to FTA playoff records, Shaq is the king. A quick look revealed that Shaq owns the playoff records for most FTA per quarter, per half and per game, the most FTA in a series, most FTA in a career, most FTA in a post season and the most FTA per game during the playoffs in a career.

But here's the thing. LeBron's 24 FTA's the other night was the 5th most in the playoffs since 1991. LeBron already has the second highest FTA per game career number in NBA history and if he stays on his current pace cold break Shaq's most FTA in one post season mark if he plays 11 more games in these playoffs, which could happen.

Now, ordinarily a great star getting to the FT line is no big deal, but of the 5 leaders in FTA per game in the playoffs for a career, LeBron is the only non-center.

http://www.nba.com/statistics/encyc/Player.jsp?type=PER%20GAME&season=all&conf=all&team=all&position=all&age=all&height=all&active=all&exp=all&rule=all&clock=all&college=all&min=all&sortOrder=11

It makes sense to me that four dominant centers are amongst the top 5 and that Shaq leads that group. Hack-a-Shaq became a yearly playoff strategy for over a decade. He is after all the worst FT shooter amongst all of the NBA's all-time greats. But how the hell does LeBron warrant having a number of FTA per game for a career that is higher than such NBA greats as Bob Petit, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan and Michael Jordan? Is it the nature of his game or is it because of the more and more blatant officating philosophy that is "LeBron's Rules"?

I have to admit I have missed the 3 Orlando-Cleveland games because they just have no entertainment value for me considering I know that neither team could beat a fully functioning and healthy Celtics team. But I did see some of his earlier games in the playoffs and I am flabergasted with the amount of ticky tack and ridiculously called fouls that he gets and is seemingly getting at a much higher rate as each year goes by that sees LeBron without a title.

This is LeBron's fourth playoff season and his FTA per game has increased markedly each playoff season. He's gone from 9.0 to 9.8 to 12.6 to 13.7. That's an increase of 50% in FTA per game since his first playoff season. I'm sorry but I don't see that LeBron's game has changed so much that it would warrant a 50% increase in FTA. LeBron is starting to go to the line at a rate that would rival Shaq in his Hack-a-Shaq heyday. Heck in 4 playoff seasons LeBron is already closing in on being 1/3 of the way towards holding the all-time career FTA in the playoffs record.

But the problem I see is that teams were actually going out of their way to foul Shaq and send him to the line. Teams aren't going out of their way to attempt to foul LeBron. They are trying hard not to. And as I stated above I don't think LeBron's game has changed so drastically that a 50% increase in FTA would be warranted.

So this begs the question, is this proof that LeBron is getting clear preferential treatment from the refs and is something going to be done about it? I think it is getting ridiculous and as obvious as it can be and I implore David Stern to cut the crap and do something about it. It really is starting to ruin the game some as it is very clear that if LeBron dribbles toward the basket, everyone watching the game anywhere in the world knows that a foul is coming. Stop this now. It's shameful and not the way that this game is supposed to be officiated or decided.

[cordobes]

So this begs the question, is this proof that LeBron is getting clear preferential treatment from the refs and is something going to be done about it?

This is not even proof that the refs committed any kind of officiating mistake, let alone that they did it purposely to benefit James.

Any calls you feel that were truly misjudged?

[Redz]

Shaq's numbers were ridiculously inflated because of the Hack-a-Shaq game plan

[dlpin]

So this begs the question, is this proof that LeBron is getting clear preferential treatment from the refs and is something going to be done about it?

This is not even proof that the refs committed any kind of officiating mistake, let alone that they did it purposely to benefit James.

Any calls you feel that were truly misjudged?

I will only say this about yesterday's game as anything else would require going to video and I won't do that.

But yesterday there were at least 4 very questionable calls that sent James to the line off the top of my head:
- Howard's blocked 3 (worst call of these playoffs so far).
- Lebron's charge on Pietrus that was called a blocking fall
- The foul where lebron and howard bumped hips
- The Hedo on Lebron foul.

[cordobes]

But yesterday there were at least 4 very questionable calls that sent James to the line off the top of my head:
- Howard's blocked 3 (worst call of these playoffs so far).

Yeps, terrible call.

- Lebron's charge on Pietrus that was called a blocking fall

I didn't see this one.

- The foul where lebron and howard bumped hips

This was Howard's 3rd foul, right? Good call, IMO.

The Hedo on Lebron foul.

Can't remember this one. 

[nickagneta]

So this begs the question, is this proof that LeBron is getting clear preferential treatment from the refs and is something going to be done about it?

This is not even proof that the refs committed any kind of officiating mistake, let alone that they did it purposely to benefit James.

Any calls you feel that were truly misjudged?

So even though LeBron's game hasn't changed much, even though he is shooting slightly more from three point land than he used to, even though he is actully attempting less shots per game than he used to, even though he is continuing to lower his personals fouls per game down to ridiculous levels while now being considered an elite defender, even though his playoff totals of FTA per game are extremely higher in the playoffs than during the season you don't think this is even circumstancial evidence that LeBron is getting calls going his way?

I haven't seen every game he has played this year in the playoffs but my guess here is that he is the recipient of more questionable calls and non calls than any other player in the league.

Ron Artest, Kevin Garnett, Michael Cooper and Hakeem Olajawan are four of the best defensive players I have ever seen in my life. All DPOY candidates every year they played, almost. All averaged between 2.5-3.0 personal fouls nearly every year they have played. Yet, DPOY runner up this year, LeBron, committed only 1.7 PF/game this year while supposedly playing All-NBA Defense 1st team  quality defense? LeBron is so much better playing defense than these other players that he can play high quality defense and foul nearly half as often as these greats did some years?

Come on cor. There are countless you tube vids of LeBron travels, fouls, charges and other calls that don't go against him. Do I really need to show proof of his getting calls? I was just attempting to throw some numbers and reasoning as further proof of what is already happening and now is being reported in greater and greater numbers by analysts on ESPN, TNT, and other sports outlets. LeBron has a separate set of rules and it's coming to the point where even those with little basketball knowledge and expertise are starting to notice.

[RebusRankin]

How does Lebron's career play-off fta per game average compare to Jordan? How do his average attempts per game this year compare to Jordan's best year?

[nickagneta]

How does Lebron's career play-off fta per game average compare to Jordan? How do his average attempts per game this year compare to Jordan's best year?

For his career Michael averaged 9.9 FTA per game in the playoffs. LeBron is already at 10.5 and climbing.

In his only year averaging above 11 FTA/game in an extended playoffs, MJ averaged 13.4 FTA/game in the 1989 playoffs. He averaged over 10 FTA per game in only 3 other years where he played over 4 playoff games.

At this point, as stated above, LeBron's FTA per game for the four years he has been in the league are, consecutively, 9.0, 9.8, 12.4, 13.7.

This year LeBron is averaging going to the line more than MJ ever did in his prime in the playoffs.

[star18]

How bout the first play of the game, ref waits to see if the ball goes in when Lebron goes up against Dwight. As soon as the ball misses, oops there goes the whistle, foul call was way late.

[DanMan08]

- Howard's blocked 3 (worst call of these playoffs so far).
- Lebron's charge on Pietrus that was called a blocking fall
- The foul where lebron and howard bumped hips
- The Hedo on Lebron foul.

1 - Yea, you guys saw the replay, dont even need to comment
2 - Just as bad as the first one, textbook charge call
3 - good call only cause lebron lost the ball
4 - Not sure about this one

[star18]

The Hedo play was when Hedo got "all headband" and they called a foul.  He didn't even touch anybody he barely grazed the headband

[nickagneta]

The Hedo play was when Hedo got "all headband" and they called a foul.  He didn't even touch anybody he barely grazed the headband

Yeah, now admittedly I never saw the play but didn't Alston get all of Eddie's headband and get suspended for a game?? Aren't headbands part of the body and hence if touched a foul?

Sorry, not trying to bust them because I agree that LeBron is the recipient of an egregious amount of bad and non calls but hitting someone's head band hard enough to move it to me is considered a foul.

[CoachBo]

But yesterday there were at least 4 very questionable calls that sent James to the line off the top of my head:
- Howard's blocked 3 (worst call of these playoffs so far).

Yeps, terrible call.

- Lebron's charge on Pietrus that was called a blocking fall

I didn't see this one.

- The foul where lebron and howard bumped hips

This was Howard's 3rd foul, right? Good call, IMO.

The Hedo on Lebron foul.

Can't remember this one. 

My opinion.

1. Awful call.

2. James initiated the contact with a dipped shoulder, terrible call.

3. The hips call was correct. No problem here.

4. No contact by Hedo at all - this one got called because Basketball Jesus failed to draw iron from 15. Terrible, terrible call.

[star18]

Alston smacked Eddie in the head completely different play.  Hedo barely touched Lebron's headband on a jumper. Turk made no physical contact whatsoever.

[DanMan08]

Well you know how the officials see lebron, its impossible to block his shot or for him to miss the rim.