Woj: LeBron James regressing – for the moment –...

[FlAVaK]

...to dark days of Finals disaster against Mavericks

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--lebron-james-regressing--ndash--for-the-moment-vs--spurs--ndash--to-dark-days-of-finals-disaster-against-mavericks-071720911.html

"He missed 14 of 21 shots – ended with 15 points and five assists – and let young Kawhi Leonard manhandle him on both ends of the floor. Truth be told, Leonard has been remarkable defending James, staying step for step, using his footwork, strength and long reach to disrupt him. Sometimes, he missed jumpers. Sometimes, he failed to finish at the rim. Sometimes, James had been unwilling to pursue his shot."

[nkdlunch]

Woj didn't have the guts to omit the for the moment, for the moment :lol

[DespЏrado]

Alone with his thoughts, alone with the burden, the best player on the planet has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and no one to blame.
That ending statement is a powerful recrimination and a bleak reminder that James should not be playing this badly.

[milkyway21]

on why Miami lost game 3 :


..."They had already decided in their head that they should wrap the series up in Miami." said a fan

:lol then why win game 3 & 4, then lose game 5?

[slick'81]

It's almost as if he's hesitating at times but give Leonard and green credit they've been more then up to the challenge

[Maddog]

In LeBron's defense- he's not getting a lot of help in half court sets. Outside of Miller draining threes. Also hurts that he doesn't have a true point guard- having someone else initiate the offense and get him off picks would be helpful. I really think this is more to do with the Spurs schemes and lack of help than LeBron underperforming.
Another issue is he is averaging 41 minutes per game in the playoffs. For some reason he played 39 minutes last night. Given he is that he is running the offense, crashing the boards at 250+ pounds that has got wear

[CosmicCowboy]

pT-I8jQDQ7c

[exstatic]

There's a reason he put down the burden in Cleveland, and ran off to be with the Superfriends. He's really just a super strong version of Lamar Odom, a non-leader who just wants to play, not take the team on his back. That statement he made about wanting not to be the focus of the defense for one game was probably the truest thing that has ever come of his pie hole.

[BillMc]

More should be made, injury or not, of Wade. He was supposed to be a near-equal to LeBron when the Superfriends were made. In fact, in that Dallas series, Wade was a major wrecking ball and probably would have been Finals MVP had the Heat won it. 2 years later, Wade is just a major role player - one who is letting Danny Green get free, drain threes, and lead both teams in scoring....

LeBron hasn't been close to great, but he's still the only chance the Heat have...

[Jenks]

The people who buy into the ESPN present's Gatorade Reebok Sprite's storylines that Lebron is "50x better" than 2007 are completely retarded. He's never been as dominant as he was in 2007 since. It's not about joining the Heat and getting lazy, either. His mental collapse started in Cleveland, completely obvious when he checked out vs the Celtics.

2007, game 5 ECF. He's closer to 1/50th than 50x.

[Spurs9]

pT-I8jQDQ7c

*Unless you play Texas teams.

[UZER]

Sorry. Double post.

[UZER]

When lebron came in, I told my friends that there was something different with lebron from Kobe and Jordan, bit I couldn't put my finger on it. After watching him for awhile I figured out what it is and why it effects his clutchness. I noticed this years ago, and its still holding true.

its his shooting form. He's always been able to just rise up over anyone his entire basketball career, but his form on the jump shot is horrible. Its like he's just chucking it up. You can tell Jordan and Kobe worked on their form to the point of muscle memory to carry them through even when they're dog tired. Even Birds form, through quirky, was consistent because he didn't have to jump to shoot. Lebron has always has just been such a pure basketball talent that he hasn't had to develop that jumper because he's naturally been pretty good at it.

But when things get tight, even he knows he can't trust it because it so he looks afraid of the big moment, but he's really doesn't trust jumper. With that I mind, he's so concerned about his image, he would rather someone else miss than him so he always passes.

[TampaDude]

Of course, this means that LeBron will go HAM on the Spurs in Game 4. :lol

[Southwest Texas Fan]

Credit should also be given to Kawhi and Green as well.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Kawhi and Danny are doing great. But we're also putting all the pressure on their shooting. We're going under every pick set for LeBron, and we're sagging off of other guys on the court and making strong rotations such that someone like Bosh, Wade, Chalmers is having the ball rotated to them late in the shot clock with a long jumper to hit.

[thiste]

- LeBron James: 15 pts, 11 rbds, 5 asts, 2 stls
- Kawhi Leonard: 14 pts, 12 rbds, 2 asts, 4 stls

I think these two stat lines are pretty comparable. Again, Kawhi is 21 years old.

[wildbill2u]

Lebron will have to become their low post player and use his strength against Leonard/Green. He can do it. The question is will he do it--and will Pop then have the Spurs double down on him quick enough to force him to pass.

[UZER]

Anyone else noticed Danny Greens seems to understand Lebrons tendencies and has beat him to his spot a few times. He also blocked him once.

[Homeland Security]

Lebron will have to become their low post player and use his strength against Leonard/Green. He can do it. The question is will he do it--and will Pop then have the Spurs double down on him quick enough to force him to pass.
The help would come in such a way to deny the passing lane.

If the supposedly best player in the world can't hit practice-gym-wide-open 15 foot jump shots, then I guess he's not really the best player in the world.

[Yuixafun]

I been telling people from the start of the series...


You can improve all you want


But you are the same person in your heart.


Nail biter to the core.

[MR-Clutch]

Every time someone says things about Lebron regressing and or shying always from the moment, they're discrediting kawhi, Danny, and the spurs team D. It's truly been legendary. Lebron is taking what we are giving him, and his stat lines are a product of that D, the media is full of shit.

[TheRemix]

kawhi is the truth

[Agloco]

In LeBron's defense- he's not getting a lot of help in half court sets. Outside of Miller draining threes. Also hurts that he doesn't have a true point guard- having someone else initiate the offense and get him off picks would be helpful. I really think this is more to do with the Spurs schemes and lack of help than LeBron underperforming.
Another issue is he is averaging 41 minutes per game in the playoffs. For some reason he played 39 minutes last night. Given he is that he is running the offense, crashing the boards at 250+ pounds that has got wear

:cry He needs more help :cry

GOAT he is not. Any comparisons to Jordan are fading quickly in the rearview mirror of Leonards ride.

[Nathan89]

- LeBron James: 15 pts, 11 rbds, 5 asts, 2 stls
- Kawhi Leonard: 14 pts, 12 rbds, 2 asts, 4 stls

I think these two stat lines are pretty comparable. Again, Kawhi is 21 years old.

Kawhi didn't shoot 7-21

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

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