By Chris Palmer | ESPN The Magazine
41
360
51
Email
Print
Carmelo AnthonyMike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesNight in, night out, LeBron James puts as much effort into defense as offense.
LeBron James' unique combination of size, speed and strength gives him a superior advantage on offense. Because of those skills and physical gifts, he has convincingly claimed the title of the game's best player and built an impressive MVP collection to go with a long list of lofty accomplishments.
In fact, he's won virtually every individual award for which he has been eligible except Defensive Player of the Year. The impressive physical tools and keen basketball understanding that made him one of the game's best offensive players help him equally on the other side of the court. With a commitment to defense, which began four or five years ago, constant film study and irreplaceable effort, James has become of one the game's best defensive players.
James is the only player averaging 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per game and the first to do it in four years. Of the eight defensive play types tracked by Synergy Sports, which include defending the pick-and-roll, post-ups and isolations, James rates as excellent or very good in half of them. Of the three players who finished ahead of him last year in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, none rate excellent or very good in more than three categories. James anchors a defense that most believe will help Miami capture its second straight title.
But James should win Defensive Player of the Year this season too.
Heat assistant coach David Fizdale helped break down James' unique defensive skill set and how it makes him one of the most effective defensive players in the game.
"His natural physical ability, his dimensions and ability to move side to side and go vertical puts him in a position to guard so many different guys," says Fizdale, the Heat's fifth-year assistant.
"He'll do anything to stop the other team from scoring," he says. "When he's locked in, there are very few players who can impact the game on defense the way he does."
Let's take a closer look at how James is getting it done on defense.
Defending the pick-and-roll
LeBron James
ROBYN BECK/AFP/GettyImagesJames won't let any pass come in easily.
James is equally adept at thwarting both the ball handler and the roll man when it comes to stifling the NBA's bread-and-butter play. James thrives when attacking the ball handler and preventing the play from developing. He is sixth among forwards in points per possession allowed (minimum of 100 plays) when guarding the pick-and-roll ball handler.
"A lot of times he blows up pick-and-rolls on his own with how aggressively he is on the ball," says Fizdale.
James is also excellent at getting over the screen, arguably the most important ingredient in successfully shutting down the pick-and-roll. Getting through the screen in a timely way means less time the screener's defender has to hang around before getting back to protect the rim. Beating screens also prevents James' big from being on the wrong end of an unfavorable matchup.
"Because of his size and effort, LeBron is one of the hardest guys in this league to screen," says Fizdale.
Transition defense
Martell Webster
Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty ImagesJames can catch anyone in transition and block shots from behind.
On the break, James has made his defensive reputation largely in part because of his stellar blocks. His come-from-behind chase-down swats have filled highlight reels.
Transition defense brings out two of James' most effective skills. First, his breakaway foot speed. James is arguably the NBA's fastest player in the open floor. His closing speed and ability to time a block from behind allow him to routinely surprise players who think he's too far away from the action to make a play.
This is all set up by James' second effective skill: the ability to seamlessly to go from offense to defense.
"Most guys have a lull of about one second when the ball changes sides," Fizdale says. "That's all you need to gain an advantage, but with LeBron, there's no lull. He reacts immediately to a change of possession."
Thanks in large part to James, the Heat's transition defense ranks third in points per possession at 1.03. Fast breaks happen so quickly many players won't exert themselves at all. James' approach is quite the opposite.
"When it comes down to it, transition defense, it's all about effort," says Fizdale. "You just don't see guys run as hard as LeBron every single possession."
Weakside/Help
LeBron James
Victor Baldizon/NBAE/Getty ImagesJames is an excellent help defender.
James rarely misses a defensive assignment, whether it's his or a teammate's man who has broken free and is headed for the basket or spotting up for a perimeter jump shot. James loves to hawk the ball and use his physicality but is in his true comfort zone on the weak side, where he can stalk passing lanes and direct traffic. He feasts on ball reversal and errant skip passes, lying in wait like an NFL cornerback looking for the interception.
"He sees plays develop very well. He's just one of those guys who sees things happen," says Fizdale. "He's got an unbelievable knack for reading a passer's eyes and making a jump on the ball."
James also is at his most vocal calling signals and barking out instructions to others when he can see the entire floor from the back of the defense.
"He's the quarterback of our defense," says Fizdale.
James also has done an excellent job staying out of foul trouble without sacrificing aggressiveness. Sixty-four times this season he has had two or fewer fouls in a game.
"He doesn't put himself in compromising positions because of his ability to move his feet," says Fizdale. "He's got a great wingspan and more often than not beats you to a spot."
Guarding the post
Kevin Durant
Robert Mayer/US PresswireJames doesn't let anyone back him down on the block, especially Kevin Durant.
On the block, the goal is prevention -- don't let the offensive player catch the ball in his sweet spot.
"I don't care who you are," says Fizdale, "but if you let scorers in this league catch the ball in their favorite spots, they're going to score."
Guarding the post is the single phase of the game where James can use his strength most effectively, often punishing opponents who seek position by getting low and putting his full weight into their back or side.
"I remember him being so physical with Pau Gasol once. He was so determined not to even let him touch the ball," Fizdale says.
James' goal is to make the catch as hard as possible for the offensive player so he has difficulty getting into a fluid shooting motion. When fronting, James will get as low as he can to push his man off the block, forcing him to repost, which chews up valuable seconds off the shot clock. It also makes the entry pass even more difficult, usually forcing the passer to lob a soft, floating pass since James has already taken away the angle for a bounce pass. A high, floating pass takes longer to get there and allows the help defense to arrive a split second sooner, leaving the post player with few options. James is fifth in the league in points per possession allowed in post-up situations at 0.48.
In all, it's James' effort, on top of his elite physical skills, that separates him from the rest of the league.
"Nobody fights harder for position than LeBron," Fizdale says. "Nobody."
