Video breaks down LeBrons lack of Finals effectiveness

[Imyremeshaw]

His team lost 4-1 and got blown off the floor 3 straight games...what stats are being argued against? I'm not exactly hearing people go on and on about his Herculean individual effort in this series.

I agree, Im just tired of hearing the Lebron narrative of not having enough of his teammates help. LeBron's Finals this year were a lot like Durant's 2012 Finals. Yeah, his efficiency was great and his stats look pretty good on paper, but the rest of the game just wasn't there. His defense was mediocre, his play-making wasn't the same, and he was a turnover machine. Also, LeBron was clearly outplayed by Leonard in the two biggest games of the series on Bron's home court, he's a role player but looked like an All-Star in games 3-5 with LeBron defending him. Although unlike LeBron, for Durant's performance, he has the explanation of not being in his prime yet and inexperience/still learning the playoff ropes. LeBron was just inconsistent throughout the series outside of that great game 2. His lack of a killer instinct and passiveness in moments when the team needed him to step up was clearly an issue.

 

[ghostwriterx]

I agree, Im just tired of hearing the Lebron narrative of not having enough of his teammates help. LeBron's Finals this year were a lot like Durant's 2012 Finals. Yeah, his efficiency was great and his stats look pretty good on paper, but the rest of the game just wasn't there. His defense was mediocre, his play-making wasn't the same, and he was a turnover machine. Also, LeBron was clearly outplayed by Leonard in the two biggest games of the series on Bron's home court, he's a role player but looked like an All-Star in games 3-5 with LeBron defending him. Although unlike LeBron, for Durant's performance, he has the explanation of not being in his prime yet and inexperience/still learning the playoff ropes. LeBron was just inconsistent throughout the series outside of that great game 2. His lack of a killer instinct and passiveness in moments when the team needed him to step up was clearly an issue.

Lebron needed to do more/be better and so did his teammates. The two aren't mutually exclusive you know.

 

[FTBS]

I agree, Im just tired of hearing the Lebron narrative of not having enough of his teammates help. LeBron's Finals this year were a lot like Durant's 2012 Finals. Yeah, his efficiency was great and his stats look pretty good on paper, but the rest of the game just wasn't there. His defense was mediocre, his play-making wasn't the same, and he was a turnover machine. Also, LeBron was clearly outplayed by Leonard in the two biggest games of the series on Bron's home court, he's a role player but looked like an All-Star in games 3-5 with LeBron defending him. Although unlike LeBron, for Durant's performance, he has the explanation of not being in his prime yet and inexperience/still learning the playoff ropes. LeBron was just inconsistent throughout the series outside of that great game 2. His lack of a killer instinct and passiveness in moments when the team needed him to step up was clearly an issue.

Bron has to take his medicine and take responsibility for what he did and didn't do. He's the man so the blame/credit goes to him, that's fair.
However we gotta be real, the overriding narrative since 2010 is that Bron teamed up with two allstars/future HOfers/however you wanna put it in their primes. It sure as hell didn't look it in the Finals. All I ask for is consistency. If you wanna make it all about Bron then make it all about Bron when they win and lose. If you wanna belabor the "ran to two all-stars to get him over the hump" piece then you gotta talk about those two all-stars when they lose and they play poorly to boot.

 

[GetSomeMoney]

:nydahell:

ya, they do.



:nydahell:

you're seriousy surprised that people are analyzing how a team trying to 3-peat with the best player in the league lost?

One or even two threads, no, but like 15+ threads, yeah. That doesn't seem a little excessive? But anyway, carry on, just making an observation.

 

[Rekkapryde]

I fukking hate you skip bayless ass nikkas....word to errthing

I thought it was just jokes.....but it aint looking that way.....

 

[Shogun]

One or even two threads, no, but like 15+ threads, yeah. That doesn't seem a little excessive? But anyway, carry on, just making an observation.

Heat nation been trolling these boards for three years. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction

 

[madness]

Also, LeBron was clearly outplayed by Leonard in the two biggest games of the series on Bron's home court, he's a role player but looked like an All-Star in games 3-5 with LeBron defending him.

leonard scored 22 points...2 of them were with lebron guarding him

 

[madness]

and let's just cut the whole lebron needed to be more aggressive b.s. out...bron couldve averaged 40 a game and lost (like he did in 09 vs. orlando) and still wouldve gotten the blame. wade just had a worse finals series than bron did in 2011...the same guy yall cried about lebron teaming up with

 

[Dwight Howard]

Dudes keep saying "well the Heat lost by 20 if Bron scored 10 more they would still lose by 10". I never looked at the situation like that. We all know basketball is a game of momentum. Although 10 extra points wont make up the difference statistically had Bron been more aggressive he could have influenced momentum more. Like game 5. He goes for 31 10 and 5. Problem is 17 and 8 came in the first which means he had 14 and 2 in the other 3 quarters. Thats not gonna win games, he has to be more balanced of a scorer. His scoring mentality is nowhere near aggresive as it should be.

 

[Imyremeshaw]

leonard scored 22 points...2 of them were with lebron guarding him

And games 3 and 4?

 

[Big Boss]

I agree, Im just tired of hearing the Lebron narrative of not having enough of his teammates help. LeBron's Finals this year were a lot like Durant's 2012 Finals. Yeah, his efficiency was great and his stats look pretty good on paper, but the rest of the game just wasn't there. His defense was mediocre, his play-making wasn't the same, and he was a turnover machine. Also, LeBron was clearly outplayed by Leonard in the two biggest games of the series on Bron's home court, he's a role player but looked like an All-Star in games 3-5 with LeBron defending him. Although unlike LeBron, for Durant's performance, he has the explanation of not being in his prime yet and inexperience/still learning the playoff ropes. LeBron was just inconsistent throughout the series outside of that great game 2. His lack of a killer instinct and passiveness in moments when the team needed him to step up was clearly an issue.

Durant showed up in the 2012 finals, it was james harden(6th man of the year) who didn't.

 

[WheresWallace]

This video is more of an indictment against Spo than LeBron.

Came in to say this exact thing. Especially when he highlighted the Ray Allen play that didn't work and turned into a LeBron ISO. Spo is a bad coach especially when it comes to team defense and discipline.

Oh yeah the dude who made the video probably played JV when he was a senior in highschool...FOH.

 

[Imyremeshaw]

leonard scored 22 points...2 of them were with lebron guarding him

According to Synergy stats, LeBron spent significant time guarding two guys in the series, Leonard and Parker (2=made 2, 3=made 3, +1=and1, X=miss, T=turnover, F=foul):

Guarding Leonard:

G1: 2,X,T (2 points, 1 turnover, 3 plays)
G2: 2,F,F (2 points, 2 fouls, 3 plays)
G3: 3,T,2,T,3,3,2+1 (14 points, 2 turnovers, 7 plays)
G4: 2,F,X,2,3,X,2,2 (9 points, 1 foul, 8 plays)
G5: 2,X (2 points, 1 play)
---
Overall: 29 points, 3 fouls, 3 turnovers, 22 plays

Guarding Parker:

G1: no plays
G2: no plays
G3: F,F (0 points, 2 fouls, 2 plays)
G4: X,2 (2 points, 2 plays)
G5: 2,2,X,X,X,X (4 points, 6 plays)
---
Overall: 6 points, 2 fouls, 0 turnovers, 10 plays

He guarded Leonard terribly in games 3 and 4.

Leonard did a great job of guarding Lebron on iso plays which is why the Spurs didn't need to double and help take Heat initial plays away

Kawhi Leonard On Lebron (NBA finals Series):

Isolation: X,F,F,2,X,T,X,F,X,2 (4 points, 3 fouls, 1 turnover, 10 plays)
P&R Ball Handler: 3,F,3,T,2,T,3,3,X,T,2,X,X,X,X,X,3 (19 points, 1 foul, 3 turnovers, 17 plays)
Post-Up: T,2,2,2,F,F (6 points, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 6 plays)
P&R Man: 2,2,2 (6 points, 3 plays)
Spot-Up: X,2,X,3,F (5 points, 1 foul, 5 plays)
Off Screen: N/A
Hand Off: T (0 points, 1 turnover, 1 play)
---
40 points, 7 fouls, 6 turnovers, 42 plays

though Leonard was terrific guarding LeBron on isos.

 

[madeyoulook]

One thing the video mentioned that I noticed myself was how if the Heat's initial play was snuffed out how they were dead in the water. Compare that to San Antonio who would get their initial play wiped out and would either immediately reset and start another play or they just had options built in to extend the plays. And you're dead on that no matter what Lebron did it probably wouldn't have been enough cause that Spurs offense was shredding the defense. So while I personally would've like to see Lebron more aggressive as San Antonio was on runs I don't think it would've made much of a difference at all.

Plus I think the Spurs defense fukked with Spo's head by constantly switching up what they were doing and how they were playing Lebron and took them completely out of their offense. You can tell Spo can't make in-game adjustments so if you hit him with something they aren't expecting it just throws everything off for the Heat. Spo's a beast if he has a game to counter you but in game he just gets lost.

That is when Lebron's "better than magic johnson playmaking and court vision" is supposed to take over

dude can barely do anything without the pick n roll
he would be ineffective running a real offense

blame spo tho

 

[madness]

According to Synergy stats, LeBron spent significant time guarding two guys in the series, Leonard and Parker (2=made 2, 3=made 3, +1=and1, X=miss, T=turnover, F=foul):

Guarding Leonard:

G1: 2,X,T (2 points, 1 turnover, 3 plays)
G2: 2,F,F (2 points, 2 fouls, 3 plays)
G3: 3,T,2,T,3,3,2+1 (14 points, 2 turnovers, 7 plays)
G4: 2,F,X,2,3,X,2,2 (9 points, 1 foul, 8 plays)
G5: 2,X (2 points, 1 play)
---
Overall: 29 points, 3 fouls, 3 turnovers, 22 plays

Guarding Parker:

G1: no plays
G2: no plays
G3: F,F (0 points, 2 fouls, 2 plays)
G4: X,2 (2 points, 2 plays)
G5: 2,2,X,X,X,X (4 points, 6 plays)
---
Overall: 6 points, 2 fouls, 0 turnovers, 10 plays

He guarded Leonard terribly in games 3 and 4.

okay?

joe johnson busted lebron's ass at times in the nets series...nobody cared. you want the man to play 40+ minutes every game, score 35-40 a night, facilitate for his teammates, rebound and play lockdown defense? unrealistic. jordan never had to do it, neither did kobe. but suddenly everyone expects lebron to.

you know what wouldve happened if leonard doesn't go off? parker, diaw, green, duncan, ginobili or mills do. lebron couldve morphed into tony allen on defense this entire series and the heat still wouldve gotten blown out.