LeBron James Isn't Human, And At Some Point, We're Gonna Look Stupid.

[LB3533]

A lot of athletes who have had a history of unnatural steroid abuse also had a number of various injuries and their bodies have broken down over their careers.

Lebron does not fit the bill, yet.

[StartOrien]

I saw a stat that during this streak lebrons played 48 clutch minutes. In that time hes scored 48 points w/ 18 rebounds and 16 assists.

[indeedproceed]

I saw a stat that during this streak lebrons played 48 clutch minutes. In that time hes scored 48 points w/ 18 rebounds and 16 assists.

Totally normal guy. Basically an accountant.

[mmmmm]

A lot of athletes who have had a history of unnatural steroid abuse also had a number of various injuries and their bodies have broken down over their careers.

Lebron does not fit the bill, yet.

I don't think we know if that is cause or correlation.

There are many anecdotal stories of athletes getting on PEDs _because_ of injuries.   In other words they start taking them to try to heal.

I don't recall if Bonds broke down a lot over his career.  Or Clemens.  They both certainly had injuries, but nothing that matches your characterization.    Guys from the old Steelers teams (that are now known to have been rampant PED users) DO match your characterization.

Conventional wisdom is that Ken Griffey Jr's career would have been better off - less time lost to injuries - if he HAD taken PEDs.   No proof he didn't, of course.  But conventional wisdom is that the fact that he lost so much time is a suggestion that he didn't.

For all we know, there are lots of PED abusers who have never suffered any injuries or obvious side effects that have just flown under the radar.   And of course, not all PEDs are created equal.  They don't all do the same things to the body.

My suspicion is that PED abuse is more rampant in the NBA than most folks want to admit.

[mmmmm]

I saw a stat that during this streak lebrons played 48 clutch minutes. In that time hes scored 48 points w/ 18 rebounds and 16 assists.

and ... the more amazing stat is that during this 23-game streak, Lebron has committed a grand total of just 34 fouls (despite playing almost 900 minutes).

That's about 1.3 - 1.4 personal fouls per 36.

Michael Jordan - famous for being treated with kid gloves and the 'Jordan Rules' never averaged less than 1.7 PF/per 36 in his whole career.  In fact, he only dropped below 2.0 twice, late in his career.

Jordan was, apparently, a slow, clumsy brute compared to Lebron.

[RyNye]

Uh, saying he is better than a computer perfect program is just a blatant lie. Did you read Zach Lowe's article?

The "ghost" players represent the idealized rotations of players based on the Toronto Raptors playbook and what the coaches want to see done. They do not represent some "perfect" basketball abstraction (since such a thing doesn't exist, at least not yet).

The point of the program is for the coaches to compare what happens on the court versus their expectations and what the players SHOULD be doing.

That Lebron James is athletic enough to make up for mistakes on defense is already well known, and he isn't the only one. All this is saying is that James is a good defender and athletic; hell, it doesn't even say anything about how he compares within the Miami Heat system. The focus of the article is rather specific in how it breaks down the Raptors system, and what the source of the "ghost" players are.

In other words, this is all hyperventilation based on absolutely nothing.

[wahz]

as far as the ped use, the best data seems to suggest that the steroid based ped's would be the ones that might cause injury through avasular necrosis, or decreased circulation to some joints, while the growth hormones don't do that, but might cause liver and kidney damage AND tumors on the jaw like Lebron had removed a few seasons ago

[indeedproceed]

Uh, saying he is better than a computer perfect program is just a blatant lie. Did you read Zach Lowe's article?

The "ghost" players represent the idealized rotations of players based on the Toronto Raptors playbook and what the coaches want to see done. They do not represent some "perfect" basketball abstraction (since such a thing doesn't exist, at least not yet).

The point of the program is for the coaches to compare what happens on the court versus their expectations and what the players SHOULD be doing.

That Lebron James is athletic enough to make up for mistakes on defense is already well known, and he isn't the only one. All this is saying is that James is a good defender and athletic; hell, it doesn't even say anything about how he compares within the Miami Heat system. The focus of the article is rather specific in how it breaks down the Raptors system, and what the source of the "ghost" players are.

In other words, this is all hyperventilation based on absolutely nothing.

It actually does say LeBron James outperforms the expectations represented by the ghost players by sustaining aggressive help defense much more regularly than normal players.

Ultra-aggressive help defense is really hard work. Replay that clip and watch how far DeRozan's ghost has to move as the Knicks swing the ball. That's brutal, and it's not a coincidence that the only team that consistently mirrors the help defense of its ghosts is Miami, Rucker says. The Heat have three of the best wing defenders in the league in Shane Battier, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade, and the latter two are among the NBA's most gifted pure athletes. James can mimic DeRozan's hyperactive ghost in a way no other player can, Rucker says. "LeBron basically messes up the system and the ghosts," Rucker says. "He does things that are just unsustainable for most players."

And I wasn't hyperventilating. If I was, you'd know. I'm a big guy, lots of lung space. You would've heard.

[ianboyextreme]

I dont care what that shows, but i've seen enough paul pierce jumpers in lebrons face to know that he does not play perfect defense or anywhere near it.

Dude is a very overrated defender. Hes above average but not at all a dpoy candidate.

Avery Bradley probably blows the ghost circles out of the water.

[ianboyextreme]

Well, clearly the Heats "ghosts" need to step their game up because the Heat dont have the best defense in the league.

[ianboyextreme]

Yep...LeBron James isn't human.

That's why it will be SO SWEET once we beat him and his team in the playoffs.

Headlines to follow:

"Boston Celtics stop the Invasion from MIA."

Details:

At around Summer of 2010, a meteor crashed into the MIA region of Florida. While no injuries were reported, out of the meteor climbed a 6'8" 250 being that called himself (itself?) LeBron James.

While taking to other Earth delights like ice cream and apple pie, this being REALLY took to basketball - and developed an OBSESSION with it. He promptly joined the MIA Heat, and began his domination of the NBA landscape.

No one could stop him, and has stopped him. None of Earth's best defenses or weapons have any effect, apparently....

UNTIL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rsy_bfaZ_I

This NBA Basketball Team calling itself The Boston Celtics have stepped up to answer Earth's Call. This team has overcome many obstacles during this conflict with the inhuman LeBron, and believe, RIGHT NOW, that we have him/it in our sights.

Earth has a chance.

During this most recent conflict, this team named BOS was missing a HUGE component of their weaponry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INZ3hJjW0w4

This "Kevin Garnett" as he calls himself, was reportedly resting and recovering from previous conflicts. When asked why Earth's last defensive wall vs this inhuman LeBron was not active, the team's leader, calling himself Doc, stated:

"Our Big Weapon, called "Ticket" is recovering. While we realize that Earth needs this weapon to turn back Inhuman LeBron, Doc stated that while we may lose SOME battles....the "WAR" will be won.

When pressed by reporters as to "When" Earth will overcome the conflict called LeBron, Doc calmly responded - "In May or June of 2013."

Earth can breathe a sigh of relief. We have a chance.

haha, i like this alot. it will come to fruition.

[scaryjerry]

I dont care what that shows, but i've seen enough paul pierce jumpers in lebrons face to know that he does not play perfect defense or anywhere near it.

Dude is a very overrated defender. Hes above average but not at all a dpoy candidate.

Avery Bradley probably blows the ghost circles out of the water.

Uhh that's because he's Paul pierce? He can hit shots on perfect defense....he's also had a miserable time being anything consistent while regularly defended by Lebron....use to be an overrated defender. Not anymore.

[mmmmm]

I dont care what that shows, but i've seen enough paul pierce jumpers in lebrons face to know that he does not play perfect defense or anywhere near it.

Dude is a very overrated defender. Hes above average but not at all a dpoy candidate.

Avery Bradley probably blows the ghost circles out of the water.

Uhh that's because he's Paul pierce? He can hit shots on perfect defense....he's also had a miserable time being anything consistent while regularly defended by Lebron....use to be an overrated defender. Not anymore.

I took a look at their head-2-head stats.  It's interesting, lifetime, Pierce hasn't shot great from 2PT land in games against Lebron (just 41.8% FG%) but he's shot a healthy 36.8% from 3PT land.   With Lebron against Pierce, it is the opposite - a solid 48.6% FG% overall, but only 32.3% from beyond the arc (and only 29.4% in the playoffs).   That's probably indicative of Lebron's higher number of attempts at the rim.

Looking at just the last couple of years is interesting.   Since Lebron went to Miami, in 9 regular season games against Miami, Pierce has mostly shot very well, but for for one giant stinker:  0-10 on Feb 13, 2011 (which the C's somehow won anyway!).   He also shot 'not great' this year on the Jan 27 game, just 6 of 16 (he was slumping before and after that game, though so I doubt it was Lebron's defense).   In the other 7 games, though, he shot pretty well.   Overall, for the 9 games against Miami since Lebron went there, Pierce has shot 57 of 122 (46.7%) and 17 of 39 (43.6%) from 3PT range.  That's a very healthy eFG% of 53.7%.

In the playoffs, neither has shot particularly well in games against the other.  Including games against Lebron both at CLE and MIA, Pierce has shot just 38.2% FG% and 32.3% 3PT%.   

Lebron, in the playoffs against Pierce has shot 45% overall and just 29.4% from beyond the arc.  Lebron's playoff numbers are boosted by two huge performances in particular:  The 16 of 26 performance in Game 3 last year (loss) and of course the 19 of 26 performance in Game 6 (win).   Outside those two (huge) performances, he's been much more 'human' and mostly shot well below his regular season averages.

[Chelm]

LeBron is not human, the guy who lost 2 finals already ? Than what is Michael Jordan ?

LeBron is great player but the Heat have some flaws and are beatable. I don't know if Celtics can beat them but if they don't than i'm sure all of us will proudly say 'Man they gave a good try'

This argument has always irritated me.  Jordan lost in a playoff series 6 times in 6 years (his team won one out of 10 games in the playoffs in his first 3 years, lost in the second round once, and the ECF twice).  What does it matter if Lebron's losses were in the NBA Finals?  What you're basically asserting is that it's more impressive to lose in playoff series prior to the NBA Finals.  Terribly dumb statistic I've heard before (more commonly in the Kobe vs. MJ debate).

Lebron looks, to my eyes, more physically dominant/gifted than anyone I've ever seen in my 32 years.

[Eja117]

If you cut him doth he not bleed?