Great Simmons Article:

[Killakobe81]

Starts on Flacco but has some great insight on advanced stats, the eye test and Lebron's decline: For full story click here (http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-tale-of-two-flaccos/).

Some highlights:

On Lebron's decline ... Every instinct I had — confirmed from 40-plus years of watching basketball and attending games — told me that something looked unequivocally different about LeBron James. Common sense told me that Apex LeBron had gone to Apex Sports Heaven — not just because of LeBron’s insane amount of minutes/mileage/wear and tear from his first 11 seasons (especially these last four), but because it’s impossible to be ALL CAPS GREAT indefinitely. Nobody has pulled it off for more than a few years. Nobody. You can’t be the league’s best offensive player AND defensive player for eight months a year, every year, for a solid decade. Even the NBA’s G.O.A.T. walked away from professional basketball for 20 months, in his prime, because he was mentally and physically worn down.7 Real greatness has a shelf life.

On the eye test and using numbers to back up what you see

Here’s a case where I didn’t even need to research the numbers, even if nearly all of LeBron’s 2014-15 numbers back me up. For six solid years, you could have taken any non-NBA fan to any LeBron game — your mom, your 7-year-old son, a foreigner, an alien, whomever (as long as they were a blank slate with basketball) — watched 15 minutes and asked that person to pick out the best player. And I don’t care who else was out there. Every time, they would have pointed to LeBron. In 2015, that’s not a sure thing anymore. Depending on the night, they might point to Harden, Westbrook, Durant, Davis, Curry … I don’t know. That’s one of the best things about this season. It’s an Alpha Dog In Flux season. Anyway, it makes me happy that the Eye Test still matters, even if it has become an increasingly undervalued way to discuss sports. When the right numbers back up what you’re seeing, even better. That’s the sweet spot. Intuition plus actual evidence

Thoughts? I still think if healthy he still is the best I bet BS does too but is the decline as real as many say on here?

[baseline bum]

Starts on Flacco but has some great insight on advanced stats, the eye test and Lebron's decline: For full story click here (http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-tale-of-two-flaccos/).

Some highlights:

On Lebron's decline ... Every instinct I had — confirmed from 40-plus years of watching basketball and attending games — told me that something looked unequivocally different about LeBron James. Common sense told me that Apex LeBron had gone to Apex Sports Heaven — not just because of LeBron’s insane amount of minutes/mileage/wear and tear from his first 11 seasons (especially these last four), but because it’s impossible to be ALL CAPS GREAT indefinitely. Nobody has pulled it off for more than a few years. Nobody. You can’t be the league’s best offensive player AND defensive player for eight months a year, every year, for a solid decade. Even the NBA’s G.O.A.T. walked away from professional basketball for 20 months, in his prime, because he was mentally and physically worn down.7 Real greatness has a shelf life.

On the eye test and using numbers to back up what you see

Here’s a case where I didn’t even need to research the numbers, even if nearly all of LeBron’s 2014-15 numbers back me up. For six solid years, you could have taken any non-NBA fan to any LeBron game — your mom, your 7-year-old son, a foreigner, an alien, whomever (as long as they were a blank slate with basketball) — watched 15 minutes and asked that person to pick out the best player. And I don’t care who else was out there. Every time, they would have pointed to LeBron. In 2015, that’s not a sure thing anymore. Depending on the night, they might point to Harden, Westbrook, Durant, Davis, Curry … I don’t know. That’s one of the best things about this season. It’s an Alpha Dog In Flux season. Anyway, it makes me happy that the Eye Test still matters, even if it has become an increasingly undervalued way to discuss sports. When the right numbers back up what you’re seeing, even better. That’s the sweet spot. Intuition plus actual evidence

Thoughts? I still think if healthy he still is the best I bet BS does too but is the decline as real as many say on here?

LeBron definitely looks like he has declined from last year. He doesn't seem to finish at the rim the way he did last year. Dude needs to get back on Wade's PEDs. I don't think it's even close; Davis is the best player in the league now.

[sook]

Durant has been the best player the last 2 season imo. Lebron's decline has been glaring this season, but the drop that made him surrender the best player on the planet title was earlier imo .

[RsxPiimp]

Lebron is still #1. Can't judge a player on a 20+ game sample. He's not the same athletic freak but he'd still shit on anybody in the league. Look at his numbers, that's still freaking ridiculous for someone having an off season.

[lefty]

:lol advanced stats
:lol scam

[Killakobe81]

Durant has been the best player the last 2 season imo. Lebron's decline has been glaring this season, but the drop that made his surrender the best player on the planet title was earlier imo .

BS does mention that he stopped trying on defense since the year before ...
I have argued he has been overrated on that end overall and at times he seems like Pippen but often times he was sometimesy like Kobe/Mj on that end. I still reserve judgement until I see him healthy this year he is still #1 with a * ...

[Splits]

:lol advanced stats
:lol scam

:lmao det avi

[Mori Chu]

He's still averaging 25.2 points, 7.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, .488 FG%, and 37% from three. Not bad for a "down" year. I think he's pacing himself and nursing some chronic overuse injuries, but the Cavs are still ecstatic to have the guy and he's still probably the best player in the NBA.

[Killakobe81]

He's still averaging 25.2 points, 7.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, .488 FG%, and 37% from three. Not bad for a "down" year. I think he's pacing himself and nursing some chronic overuse injuries, but the Cavs are still ecstatic to have the guy and he's still probably the best player in the NBA.

But that is why BS is arguing the eye test matters. his numbers are still elite, but he doesnt look like the freak he was even at times last year ...in fact I give Spurs all the credit in the world ...but I kept waiting for a Lebron moment in the finals that never came.

[313]

Niggas mailing it in on defense, and he doesn't have a good defensive team to cover it up anymore. On offense he's absolutely garbage off the ball, often times just standing around, and when he has the ball in his hands he just tries to charge his way into the paint but without the PEDs he's struggling to even do that. We all know the nigga never any go to moves, but at least now he can shoot the three. It should save him from having a really ugly decline.

[sook]

BS does mention that he stopped trying on defense since the year before ...
I have argued he has been overrated on that end overall and at times he seems like Pippen but often times he was sometimesy like Kobe/Mj on that end. I still reserve judgement until I see him healthy this year he is still #1 with a * ...
Yup, maybe he's just coasting. So when the post season starts he'll just surprise everybody with the sneak attack.

[UZER]

I don't see the Greg Simmons article.

[Killakobe81]

the article is linked in above or is that a joke I missed?

[in2deep]

that AC game in San Antonio where Lebron was THE ONLY player to succumb to the heat and cry like a little girl was the eye test to me.

[baseline bum]

It's OK, he's going back to Miami to raid Wade's stash

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12138531/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-heads-miami-rehab-back-knee

[Killakobe81]

It's OK, he's going back to Miami to raid Wade's stash

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12138531/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-heads-miami-rehab-back-knee

Saw that, LOL.

[trypldubl]

I don't see the Greg Simmons article.

:lol I thought that for a second too when I first scanned the title.

[TDMVPDPOY]

8 straight years on PED or whatever shit, playing in the pathetic east division against shitty players...

lol GOAT my ass

[DMC]

Kobe lover still trying to lower the bar.

[midnightpulp]

But that is why BS is arguing the eye test matters. his numbers are still elite, but he doesnt look like the freak he was even at times last year ...in fact I give Spurs all the credit in the world ...but I kept waiting for a Lebron moment in the finals that never came.

Even if a Lebron moment came, even if two or three came, it would not have made a difference. Lebron could've averaged 40 points per and Miami still loses the series. Spurs were just on another planet. Furthermore, Lebron played a fine series, but even averaging 28 points on great efficiency is going to look as if you had an average series when the other team is blowing you out.

As for this year, yeah, Bron has declined, but he's still a top 3 player when healthy.

[Venti Quattro]

As for this year, yeah, Bron has declined, but he's still a top 3 player when healthy.

If Durant didn't go down with an injury he would be the clear-cut best player in the world now. But with an injury that cast doubts over his career in the long-term, I think LeBron still is #1 tbh

[pgardn]

But that is why BS is arguing the eye test matters. his numbers are still elite, but he doesnt look like the freak he was even at times last year ...in fact I give Spurs all the credit in the world ...but I kept waiting for a Lebron moment in the finals that never came.

It never came because one team was soooo much better than the other.
What exactly did you expect to see, what moment?
Lebron still made some great plays.

[HI-FI]

Shits not as easy when you don't have Biogenesis down the road on speed dial. That Ruud AC left its mark.