Barry pair bear witness to flaws in James' game
Rick Barry has been a witness to the game of LeBron James.
But, unlike James' shoe company, he isn't ready to deify the fourth-year guard and anoint him as basketball's chosen one.
Actually, the Hall of Fame forward feels sorry that no one has taught James how to correct what he sees as fundamental flaws in James' game.
He said what is keeping James from becoming an even more remarkable player is proper coaching.
Barry made his remarks Wednesday during a conference call with reporters to promote the NBA Finals, which the San Antonio Spurs own at the moment with a commanding 3-0 lead on James' Cleveland Cavaliers. On the call were Barry and his son, Jon Barry, an ESPN commentator, along with ESPN's Bill Walton and his son, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Walton.
"First of all he has a major flaw in his shot that needs to be corrected," Rick Barry said, referring to James. "He has no idea how to use a screen effectively. The guy has been in the league four years. There's no way - I mean, what are they teaching him? How could you have a player of his stature have a major flaw in his shot without someone working on it? How can a player of his stature and his ability not understand how to set his man up and use and read a screen properly? These are basic fundamentals of the game."
What precisely is it about James' jumper that's flawed?
"He has bad form," Rick Barry said. "He had that (Game 5 against Detroit) because he happened to get hot. LeBron is a streak shooter. He can never be a great, consistent shooter because he has a major flaw in his shot that doesn't allow him to repeat the motion of shooting the basketball properly every time. It is so obvious. It is astonishing that someone hasn't corrected it."
Mike Brown has been the head coach of the Cavaliers since June 2005.
"It's probably the most irritating part of the game of basketball on the professional level, for me, is I see this amazing talent out there," Rick Barry said. "There are so many players who have so much more ability than I ever had in my career, yet they don't maximize all that ability because they have been short-changed by coaches who have not taught them fundamental principles and a concept of what this game is all about.
"As great as LeBron James is . . . (and Vince Carter) . . . these guys have achieved incredible success, but they haven't come close to fulfilling their potential because they don't understand the little nuances of the game," Barry said. "So we are shortchanging these guys as coaches and as people involved in the professional ranks by not teaching them these things."
Jon Barry has noticed another flaw in James' game, a flaw his father certainly never had - free-throw shooting.
"He doesn't look at the rim," Jon Barry said, referring to James. "He dibbles, dribbles, dribbles and then shoots. He doesn't focus on the rim. But I put a lot of it on the coaches, like my dad said. They don't put him in positions to be successful."
Both Barrys agreed that James is running pick-and-roll with the wrong player, Anderson Varejao.
"They don't help this guy," Rick Barry said about James. "I feel sorry for him. He has to work so hard. If you are going to run a pick-and-roll play, run it with (Zydrunas) Ilgauskas, who can shoot the ball for heaven's sake. Not to Varejao. There are so many other things. There is a litany of things that they don't do to help this guy out. It would be scary how good he could be if he really understood how to play the game."
Rick Barry said James had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in Game 3 against the Spurs but was "not looking good doing it."
According to Rick Barry, James is bearing the burden of "tremendous expectations," but isn't being given the tools to live up to them.
"He has an opportunity to become one of the best players of all time," Rick Barry said. "It's kind of sad to see a young man of this amazing ability and talent, who has been in the league almost four years, and he doesn't know how to do so many basic things in the game.
"Think about what this young man could do if he understood the game. I hope that he gets the proper teaching to be able to maximize the full potential he has because this guy is unbelievable
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wow, how bout both barrys just shut the up? they are just digging for more things to about lebron james, during the telecasts it seems like jon just wants to go down to the court and shoot lebron.
Bad form? Rick barry shot free throws underhanded and his son Brent shot puts the ball to the rim.
And Lebron looks at the rim plenty....when he's 8 inches above it skying for a dunk.
Everything they said is correct. It is why it has been so easy to shut him down in the Finals. You force him to be a jump shooter, and he turns into a very ordinary basketball player.
You would think, being a Spurs fan, that you would have learned that dunks are a tiny part of the game of basketball. Harold Miner and Kenny Walker were incredible dunkers. They also sucked at basketball.
SO they suck because they are not down on their knees sucking Bronze's ?
they have a right to their opinion and they are not too far off. if ppl gonna compare bronze to Jordan, ppl need to be critical and demanding as . that's what barrys are doin
when are people gonna learn Lebron is not Michael Jordan, he is Lebron James. Why does he have to be the next MJ? just because he wears #23? thats stupid.
I just hate how just because lebron was such a great prospect the media and everyone involved in it just digs for every flaw in his game. That cry baby D Wade cant shoot 3's either, but everyone jumps on his everytime he scores a basket.
I guess you have not been listening to the media which always compares Lebron to MJ.
I do agree with you, Lebron is no MJ. not even close to being as good as MJ. but tell that to the media
and Lebron >>>>>>> Wade
I guess you have not been listening to the media which always compares Lebron to MJ.
I do agree with you, Lebron is no MJ. not even close to being as good as MJ. but tell that to the media
and Lebron >>>>>>> Wade
no i agree the media always compares them, and its dumb, Lebron has never once said he wants to be MJ.
And thank you, almost no one agrees with me that LBJ>>>>>Wade
Why even wear #23? Why tattoo "Chosen One" on your back?
Lebron has bought into the hype himself. Rick Barry is right on all counts. Just cause he is being critical of LBJ doesn't make him a hater. He states clearly that he hopes LBJ gets the coaching he needs to be as successful as he can be. How is that "bithcing"?
He wore #23 his whole life, why should he change once he gets to the pros? just because the ignorant media decides to compare him to a player he plays nothing like? yeah that makes sense.
LeBron doesn't even have to posses a great 3pt shooting ability, but if he can master the midrange jumper beetween 16-20 feet, he'll be nearly impossible to defend -just like Tony. About the little nuances of the game that he needs to master to be great, well, he's just 22 fricken yrs old, and IMHO he's already in front of his development schedule.
Give him some more time & better teammates, i believe he'll figure it out sooner than later. One thing that can't be overlooked, he already has the mentality, leadership, and maturity of a champ, that's just fantastic for a guy his age IMHO.
I wouldn't say he's "above" the development schedule. Kids coming out of college at 21/22 understand the basics the barry's are talking about. From a talent and natural ability perspective, he is head and shoulders above most 22 years old. But from the fundamentals perspective, he is very immature.
This is where going straight from HS to the pros hurt Lebron. He has done well as he has on sheer talent and desire. A good college coach would have helped him a lot.
Sometimes a super talent shrugs off coaching to get better because the think their sheer physical ability and the stats that go with it are good enough.
Parker may not have the sheer physical talent of LeBron, but he's worked hard every year to become better--and he has. The TP of his first Championship is nowhere near the TP of this year.
this is why the fool should have went to the ncaa
Yeah, pass up millions of dollars and risk injury. Lebron is 22 and has plenty of years left.
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