How as weight loss impact Lebron and Carmelo's game?

[Clench123]

Not so much Melo because he's never relied on size to get things going.  Lebron is a different case.  You could clearly see that he has regressed.  He's not as explosive as he's being all these years.  He has the ball more now, so I don't think the excuse of being on a new team would work here.  We all saw the same thing happened to Kendrick Perkins.  Nobody can convince me that Perkin's deterioration has nothing to do with that huge weight loss.  I would even argue that it's the main reason for it.  The same is happening to Lebron and maybe to a lesser extent, to Melo.  What do you think?

[Fafnir]

Do you think Perk losing weight robbed him of his quickness, his vertical, and his athleticism? I think it was multiple knee injuries and age.

I'm guessing its something similar for LeBron, wear and tear along with age.

[Clench123]

Do you think Perk losing weight robbed him of his quickness, his vertical, and his athleticism? I think it was multiple knee injuries and age.

I'm guessing its something similar for LeBron, wear and tear along with age.

It's too rapid though, isn't it?  I thought deterioration supposed to be gradual, not swift.  This wasn't the Lebron that we saw last year.  The same thing with Perkins that year.

[RJ87]

Do you think Perk losing weight robbed him of his quickness, his vertical, and his athleticism? I think it was multiple knee injuries and age.

I'm guessing its something similar for LeBron, wear and tear along with age.

Yeah, I think losing weight would have the opposite effect. Taking weight off of your knees is better longterm.

I don't think anything is ailing Lebron physically, I just don't think he's locked in yet. Whether that is because he's saving himself for the postseason or there's some other stuff going with that team is up for debate.

[jambr380]

I pretty much think that unless you're a center who fully depends on size and strength to clog up the middle (ironically this sounds like Perk), it is always a good idea as a basketball player to lose weight as you age. A heavier Lebron moving forward would be a much more lethargic one. He probably saw what happened to guys like Shawn Kemp and Derrick Coleman and thought, 'no way man!'.

Maybe he needs to adjust to his new weight, but it will certainly help him play at a high level as he progresses well into his 30s.

So basically, good for him.

[Ed Hollison]

It's unfair to point fingers at certain players in particular and say "That guy's clearly on drugs!", but at the same time we shouldn't be naive. The NBA's PED testing policies are a joke. In recent years when watching Lebron on TV, we all marveled at how he was just so physically dominant over the best athletes in the world. Often times I would wonder how on earth he could keep so much muscle mass over the course of an NBA season, given how grueling 82 games plus practices and playoffs would have to be from a cardiovascular/aerobic point of view. Well, maybe the answer is that Lebron isn't from another planet. Maybe he's just a supremely gifted athlete, who on his God-given talents alone would have been in line for the Hall of Fame, but lept into otherworldly territory with the help of some chemical supplements. It would make sense that a guy at some point -- for instance, entering his 30s and transitioning to a new team and stage in his career -- starts thinking long-term about his body and his health. And at that point, you'd have to come up with an explanation as to why you just dropped a bunch of weight, which is where the whole "I'm cutting carbs" thing comes in.

This might sound conspiracy-theory-ish, but isn't that one of the more likely explanations for what we're witnessing?

Again, somewhat unfair to point fingers at particular guys -- half the league could be juicing, who knows --  but we should start being real about this.

[D.o.s.]

You know how I always talk about how there's evidence players decline around 30, and while the decline is different for each player it's still inevitable?

Well, uh.

[Vox_Populi]

You know how I always talk about how there's evidence players decline around 30, and while the decline is different for each player it's still inevitable?

Well, uh.

I guess the biggest thing is how rapid it's been. He doesn't even seem to be the same guy he was in the Finals. Or maybe he is and he's just limiting his explosiveness.

[Beat LA]

This is what I've been waiting for with Lebron - to see how great he is as he ages, like Jordan, or was it all really down to his athleticism?  I hope that it's the latter, muahaha lol, but you should also keep in mind just how many minutes he's played over the past 4 years, so maybe he's just conserving himself, as has been said here.  Is he 30 yet!?  It is interesting, though, isn't it, when you compare him to a guy like Bird, who, after logging more and tougher minutes than Lebron from 83-84 to 86-87, decided to work out for the first time in his life at 30-31 and had the best season of his career, scoring wise, at 29.9 ppg, as he was forced to handle even more of the offensive burden with our lack of depth and the fact that our core was getting older.  Hmm...  I like Lebron's rebounding numbers this year, as well, lol. 5.3?  Ahaha.  I think that we should have a clock here on CelticsBlog that counts down the time to when Lebron allegedly turns 30, lol. 5 hours, 20 minutes, and counting...

[Celtics4ever]

Weight loss to some going off juice to others.  Isn't the league testing now for HGH?

[Timdawgg]

PEDS..LOL Celtics4ever...typed at the same time.

[clover]

It's unfair to point fingers at certain players in particular and say "That guy's clearly on drugs!", but at the same time we shouldn't be naive. The NBA's PED testing policies are a joke. In recent years when watching Lebron on TV, we all marveled at how he was just so physically dominant over the best athletes in the world. Often times I would wonder how on earth he could keep so much muscle mass over the course of an NBA season, given how grueling 82 games plus practices and playoffs would have to be from a cardiovascular/aerobic point of view. Well, maybe the answer is that Lebron isn't from another planet. Maybe he's just a supremely gifted athlete, who on his God-given talents alone would have been in line for the Hall of Fame, but lept into otherworldly territory with the help of some chemical supplements. It would make sense that a guy at some point -- for instance, entering his 30s and transitioning to a new team and stage in his career -- starts thinking long-term about his body and his health. And at that point, you'd have to come up with an explanation as to why you just dropped a bunch of weight, which is where the whole "I'm cutting carbs" thing comes in.

This might sound conspiracy-theory-ish, but isn't that one of the more likely explanations for what we're witnessing?

Again, somewhat unfair to point fingers at particular guys -- half the league could be juicing, who knows --  but we should start being real about this.

Yep.

[Surferdad]

I don't think Lebron has regressed at all. He is on a new team with lesser stars around him, a new rookie coach and an unselfishness that doesn't fit with what the Cavs need right now.

I predict that in the 2nd half of the season, Lebron will take things into his own hands and kick it up to a level that no one can touch. He is still by far BY FAR the best all around player in this league. Best defender on the team (by far), best distributor, best rebounder, best scorer.

I dislike Lebron but respect him immensely.

[Clench123]

I don't think Lebron has regressed at all. He is on a new team with lesser stars around him, a new rookie coach and an unselfishness that doesn't fit with what the Cavs need right now.

I predict that in the 2nd half of the season, Lebron will take things into his own hands and kick it up to a level that no one can touch. He is still by far BY FAR the best all around player in this league. Best defender on the team (by far), best distributor, best rebounder, best scorer.

I dislike Lebron but respect him immensely.

Hence having the ball more which would make him better than we've ever seen but that's not the case, is it.

[Surferdad]

I don't think Lebron has regressed at all. He is on a new team with lesser stars around him, a new rookie coach and an unselfishness that doesn't fit with what the Cavs need right now.

I predict that in the 2nd half of the season, Lebron will take things into his own hands and kick it up to a level that no one can touch. He is still by far BY FAR the best all around player in this league. Best defender on the team (by far), best distributor, best rebounder, best scorer.

I dislike Lebron but respect him immensely.

Hence having the ball more which would make him better than we've ever seen but that's not the case, is it.

No it's not because he is unselfish and the coach has not given him the green light to take over games. Lebron has not regressed. Folks are kidding themselves in hope that the Lebron era will end soon. That is not the case.  Duncan and Kobe are still playing at a high level in their late thirties.