View Full Version : Better athlete: LeBron James or Blake Griffin?
TennesseeFan
10-19-2010, 06:41 PM
Two similar players in my opinion, freak of nature athletes.
I think down the road, Blake Griffin's athletic peak will surpass LeBron's.
KenneBell
10-19-2010, 06:43 PM
Please stop. :facepalm
I'm pretty sure Lebron is superior in almost all aspects of athleticism except maybe strength since Blake is bigger.
Lebron is quicker and more agile. He also has a higher vertical and better body control.
Darius
10-19-2010, 06:46 PM
Blake is probably on par when it comes to leaping, power and explosion but in no way has the full LBJ package of agility/quickness and body control.
TennesseeFan
10-19-2010, 06:47 PM
I'm pretty sure Lebron is superior in almost all aspects of athleticism except maybe strength since Blake is bigger.
Lebron is quicker and more agile. He also has a higher vertical and better body control.
Have you not watched BG play? :rant
tpols
10-19-2010, 06:49 PM
They might be similar as athletes but lebron possesses skills that very few people of his size and athleticism have: that is he can dribble phenomenally in the open court, has great court vision, and he can slash to the hole and finish with the best to ever play.
BlueandGold
10-19-2010, 06:50 PM
Have you not watched BG play? :rant
No one has except Oklahoma or NBA pre-season fans.
Foster5k
10-19-2010, 06:50 PM
I question Blake Griffin's durability. Lebron has remained super athletic and durable at the same time. He rarely if ever gets injured, unlike Blake Griffin.
But, no, Blake isn't a better athlete than Lebron.
Willkill24
10-19-2010, 06:56 PM
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k121/chismtony/bitchslap/computerslapped.gif
the GIBBET
10-19-2010, 06:57 PM
They are numbers 1 and 2 in the league right now in athleticism.
But Lebron gets the nod because he has better coordination in terms of dribbling, shooting, etc.
the GIBBET
10-19-2010, 06:58 PM
People who think this is a dumb question are pretty retarded. It's actually pretty close.
thejumpa
10-19-2010, 07:03 PM
It's actually pretty close.
How do you figure?
ZenMaster
10-19-2010, 07:06 PM
They might be similar as athletes but lebron possesses skills that very few people of his size and athleticism have: that is he can dribble phenomenally in the open court, has great court vision, and he can slash to the hole and finish with the best to ever play.
This.
As pure athletes they're probably pretty close, but Bron got PG like skills and Griffin doesn't.
Jr Llaban
10-19-2010, 07:08 PM
People are vastly underrating Blake's dribblings skills. But of course, LBJ is still the #1 athlete in the league.
FindingTim
10-19-2010, 07:09 PM
I can't think of any current athlete in any sport that compares to Lebron's size/athleticism combo.
can you?
airchibundo507
10-19-2010, 07:09 PM
some people need to watch a few more Griffin highlights
Kid has higher hops than Amare and Howard.
lefthook00
10-19-2010, 07:10 PM
LeBron can play like Kobe/Wade. Can Blake? There's your answer.
evilmonkey
10-19-2010, 07:12 PM
No...
Blake Griffin has vertical, power... and moves pretty decent for his size...
But Lebron? He is ranked by NBA.com as the #2 best athlete in NBA history (behind Wilt Chamberlain). He has the best combination of:
speed
quickness
vertical
power
agility
durability
conditioning
SIZE
in NBA history.... (if not, name me another :confusedshrug: )
He gets up the highest + he is probably the fastest guy in the NBA to at what....
6
YouCallILose
10-19-2010, 07:13 PM
Griffin is the more explosive leaper but LeBron is faster in the open court. And just for the record neither of these guys are close to being the most athletic guys in the league. They just happen to have ungodly athleticism for guys their size.
G-train
10-19-2010, 07:14 PM
They are numbers 1 and 2 in the league right now in athleticism.
But Lebron gets the nod because he has better coordination in terms of dribbling, shooting, etc.
Derrick Rose is a better athlete than Griffin. As is Anthony Randolph, Travis Outlaw, Gerald Wallace, Rajon Rondo, Terrence Williams.
I cant see how Stoudemire is worse.
Griffin would be a top 15 athlete though.
Lebron James is the best athlete, on a whole new level with speed and quickness than Griffin, with similar strength and leaping. In fact Lebron is a higher leaper off 1 foot.
Droid101
10-19-2010, 07:17 PM
Derrick Rose is a better athlete than Griffin. As is Anthony Randolph, Travis Outlaw, Gerald Wallace, Rajon Rondo, Terrence Williams.
I cant see how Stoudemire is worse.
Griffin would be a top 15 athlete though.
Um. Wat.
Most of those guys you listed are twigs.
Griffin can jump out of the building AND powerlift all the dudes you listed.
YouCallILose
10-19-2010, 07:19 PM
Um. Wat.
Most of those guys you listed are twigs.
Griffin can jump out of the building AND powerlift all the dudes you listed.
You're taking into consideration their size. If you're talking about raw athleticism Griffin isn't even top 20 in the league.
andredagiant
10-19-2010, 07:19 PM
So far, in terms of explosiveness and vertical BG has shown that he has the bunnies to hang with the best of'em, but on lebrons level? Thats another story, no doubt they are quite similar, but with the Clipper's curse, and the history of BG's injuries, I would say that he may end up being another Greg Oden...I really really really hope this does not happen, as he is one of the more exciting players to watch in this league. But as of now, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Lebron is the superior athlete, being athletic doesn't just involve hops and strength, you also have to have flexibility, speed, endurance, durability, etc. And Lebron has all of those and BG only has some.
Ikill
10-19-2010, 08:07 PM
They are numbers 1 and 2 in the league right now in athleticism.
But Lebron gets the nod because he has better coordination in terms of dribbling, shooting, etc.
what about derrick rose and Nate Robinson. Nate is the fastest quickest and jumps highest according to his draft numbers.
evilmonkey
10-19-2010, 08:08 PM
Griffin is the more explosive leaper but LeBron is faster in the open court. And just for the record neither of these guys are close to being the most athletic guys in the league. They just happen to have ungodly athleticism for guys their size.
:facepalm how does that work?
knickscity
10-19-2010, 08:09 PM
People who think this is a dumb question are pretty retarded. It's actually pretty close.
Explain.
Ikill
10-19-2010, 08:11 PM
They might be similar as athletes but lebron possesses skills that very few people of his size and athleticism have: that is he can dribble phenomenally in the open court, has great court vision, and he can slash to the hole and finish with the best to ever play.
Thats exactly what makes blake griffin so special what you listed for lebron i would even say blake griffin has better handles than lebron.
asdf1990
10-19-2010, 08:12 PM
i know everyone hates lebron now but seriously, lebron and blake griffin... this is like comparing a benz and a honda.
YouCallILose
10-19-2010, 08:16 PM
:facepalm how does that work?
You put Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook's athleticism in LeBron's body and he can dunk from between the free throw line and the 3 point line. That's how.
[QUOTE=evilmonkey]No...
Blake Griffin has vertical, power... and moves pretty decent for his size...
But Lebron? He is ranked by NBA.com as the #2 best athlete in NBA history (behind Wilt Chamberlain). He has the best combination of:
speed
quickness
vertical
power
agility
durability
conditioning
SIZE
in NBA history.... (if not, name me another :confusedshrug: )
He gets up the highest + he is probably the fastest guy in the NBA to at what....
[B]6
thejumpa
10-19-2010, 08:23 PM
You put Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook's athleticism in LeBron's body and he can dunk from between the free throw line and the 3 point line. That's how.
Umm no. Athleticism is athleticism. Derrick Rose is ungodly athletic for his size and LeBron is ungodly athletic for his size. There is no difference. No one is dunking between the free throw and 3 pt line. I don't care if you are MJ fresh out of college. That isn't happening.
Maga_1
10-19-2010, 09:13 PM
you didn't make thread about this :facepalm
Rekindled
10-19-2010, 09:42 PM
griffin = better leaper, stronger , more explosive
lebron= way faster in open floor
You put Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook's athleticism in LeBron's body and he can dunk from between the free throw line and the 3 point line. That's how.
i see your point. Thats a good way of putting it.
The dung beetle is supposedly the strongest animal in the world as it can pull 1,140 times its own weight. Using that logic would nate be the most athletic in proportion to his body size?
donald_trump
10-19-2010, 11:22 PM
griffin = better leaper, stronger , more explosive
lebron= way faster in open floor
:oldlol:
what a blatant lie.
griffin recorded the same vertical as a guy like michael beasley. he was also the same speed as him down the court. for bench press they recorded pretty much the same number of reps.
are you seriously telling me then that michael beasley is stronger than lebron and more explosive seeing as he put up the same measurements as blake?
TennesseeFan
10-19-2010, 11:33 PM
This.
As pure athletes they're probably pretty close, but Bron got PG like skills and Griffin doesn't.
This thread is about athleticism, not skills.
TheAnchorman
10-19-2010, 11:36 PM
I dont see why theres even a thread about this lol
Griffin is a better 2 foot leaper than Lebron, that's about it. Stronger? I doubt it. But he is an elite level athlete no doubt. If he stays healthy, what will make him great though is his work ethic.
OmniStrife
10-20-2010, 10:29 AM
You put Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook's athleticism in LeBron's body and he can dunk from between the free throw line and the 3 point line. That's how.
Rose / Westbrook are athletic mostly to the fact that they are small.
I doubt they'd be as springy at LeBron's weight.
PaPaK
10-20-2010, 10:44 AM
by the way, is BG considered black or white?
madmax
10-20-2010, 11:34 AM
LOL at the thread starter and other morons saying it's close:roll: Lebron is in his own league athletically - seriously, are these people even watching games?:facepalm
Sound and Fury
10-20-2010, 03:46 PM
Watched Blake Griffin in person last week. My thoughts watching him at the time:
1. He's not being physically overwhelmed by opposing 4's and 5's. On the flip side, he's not physically overwhelming them, either (like, say, Shaq was doing in his rookie year). So his strength is no worse than average for a big man, but he's not ridiculous strong.
2. His interior footwork is excellent and he is very adept at using spin moves - especially off of one or two dribbles - to free himself in traffic. Had trouble finishing after the spin moves, however - not sure if that is a function of "rust" in his game due to long layoff and working himself back into shape.
3. Had one really "WOW" moment where he reached behind his head to catch an underthrown lob pass that transitioned immediately into a wicked tomahawk dunk - in the middle of three defenders.
4. Sets solid and effective screens. Clippers ran several sets for Baron Davis with a double-pick on top with Kaman and Griffin, and Griffin's screens were almost always better.
5. Tends to get boxed out easily on the offensive glass. Also did not really affect shots on the defensive end; for someone with his size and quickness, there should be more blocks and "changed shots." Since both of these are generally "high-risk, low-reward" maneuvers in terms of knees, it's possible he doesn't trust his knee yet.
6. Never really saw him dribbling in traffic or the open court more than a single "power dribble" in the post - difficult to judge ballhandling skills from the sample I saw.
7. Never saw him taking shots outside of 3-4 feet; on the one hand, I suspect he doesn't have a trustworthy jumper yet, but on the other hand, shot selection is encouraging.
In summary, Blake Griffin appears to be a very good athlete; he was never physically overwhelmed, even by bigger players, and was very mobile for a player his size. He has the capacity to make the occasional jaw-dropping play (the tomahawk dunk), and is likely to become a very good player.
It is possible he has the athleticism LeBron has based on some of his flashes, but if he does, he's not using it as constantly as LeBron does - perhaps shaking of "rust" or not trusting his knee, but there's definitely a gap between the level of sheer physical dominance of the two, and Griffin is the lesser of the two in that regard. Having the athletic ability and not using it is the same as not having it in terms of results. LeBron wins.
LA_Showtime
10-20-2010, 03:46 PM
LeBron James is obviously the better athlete, but you could definitely argue that Griffin is more explosive.
ILLsmak
10-20-2010, 03:52 PM
I question Blake Griffin's durability. Lebron has remained super athletic and durable at the same time. He rarely if ever gets injured, unlike Blake Griffin.
But, no, Blake isn't a better athlete than Lebron.
Yeah that's exactly it. If Blake came in and didn't get injured then we could talk about this... but since he did who knows what affect it had on his game or will have in the future.
-Smak
I think one of his best "showcase" games was vs Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament. I remembered this clip where Jonny Flynn missed what would have been an epic dunk, and they threw it down to Blake who just demolished the rim and then turned to the crowd as if to say "see, that's how you do it."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnVC_t2ufR4
Same game as the "kiss the backboard" dunk too.
Ikill
10-20-2010, 04:04 PM
a better comparison would be Blake Griffin vs Dwight Howard vs Amare
Pointguard
10-20-2010, 04:17 PM
I think its close. But to be honest, if Lebron did Blakes workout he'd probably be just as strong as well. They are both freak athletes.
a better comparison would be Blake Griffin vs Dwight Howard vs Amare
That's a toss up between Griffin and Howard.
Amare and Dwight couldn't do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjx8PCvZg5w
But Griffin probably couldn't do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz5HaAxP3cM
LeBron is clearly the better athlete.
But to laugh at the OP? :no:
Griffin is an awesome athletic specimen as well.
Most complete athlete after LeBron? That would be close among... off the top of my head:
Griffin
Josh Smith
Iggy
Amar'e
Dahntay Jones is also athletically outstanding
LeBron is clearly the better athlete.
But to laugh at the OP? :no:
Griffin is an awesome athletic specimen as well.
Most complete athlete after LeBron? That would be close among... off the top of my head:
Griffin
Josh Smith
Iggy
Amar'e
Dahntay Jones is also athletically outstanding
I'd say you HAVE to throw Dwight Howard into that mix. What doesn't he have? (I guess body control). Did you see him race Maurice Green in the 400 relay on Shaq VS? He smoked him! Granted, Mo is retired, but still it was shocking!
I'd say you HAVE to throw Dwight Howard into that mix. What doesn't he have? (I guess body control). Did you see him race Maurice Green in the 400 relay on Shaq VS? He smoked him! Granted, Mo is retired, but still it was shocking!
Yup, not as quick/agile as the others, but he belongs in there.
After LBJ, in no order:
Griffin
Josh Smith
Iggy
Amar'e
Dahntay
Dwight
Thad Young
K-Mart
Terrence Williams
Shannon Brown?
Nate? (maybe 3 yrs ago Nate?)
Rose?
Westbrook?
Shannon Brown?
Nate? (maybe 3 yrs ago Nate?)
Rose?
Westbrook?
Too small compared to the others
Too small compared to the others
Eh, yeah, its still kind of hard to keep Brown and Rose off that list
Ikill
10-20-2010, 05:25 PM
Too small compared to the others
Well if you talking about athleticism combined with size yeah but just athleticism the four he named would be the most athletic players in the NBA.
Well if you talking about athleticism combined with size yeah but just athleticism the four he named would be the most athletic players in the NBA.
Well I see what you mean and they're outstanding, but athleticism includes strength and power, so pure guards can't compete with bigger guys.
Noyze
10-20-2010, 05:32 PM
Since when is "jumping" the only aspect of being an athlete? Is this comparison serious? Pretty sure LeBron "runs" a hell of alot faster then Blake Griffin
eliteballer
10-20-2010, 05:36 PM
It pretty much comes down to this...both are players in PF bodies, but one can play on the perimeter, and thats not necessarily because of skills.
Al Thornton
10-20-2010, 05:39 PM
Since when is "jumping" the only aspect of being an athlete? Is this comparison serious? Pretty sure LeBron "runs" a hell of alot faster then Blake Griffin
they're both pretty close. griffin is the fastest power forward in the league.
sundizz
10-22-2010, 11:20 AM
Well let's discuss (these are combine numbers so obviously Dwight, Amare and Griffin all have improved physically from when these were taken)
Amare:
Height: 6'10 (with shoes)
Weight: 233
Standing reach: 9'0.5
No step vert: 32 inches
No step reach: 11'8.5
Max vert: 35.5
Max reach: 12'0
Bench: 12 (185 pounds)
Agility: 11.19
Sprint: 3.25
Dwight
Height: 6'10.5 (with shoes)
Weight: 240
Standing reach: 9'3.5
No step vert: 30.5 inches
No step reach: 11'10
Max vert: 35.5 inches
Max reach: 12'3
Bench: 7 (185 pounds)
Agility: 11.21
Sprint: 3.14
Blake Griffin
Height: 6'10 (with shoes)
Weight: 248
Standing reach: 8'9
No step vert: 32 inches
No step reach: 11'5
Max vert: 35.5 inches
Max reach: 11'8.5
Bench: 22 (185 pounds)
Agility: 10.95
Sprint: 3.28
Since they started doing this, 340 or so players thus far (Bron of course somehow managed to elude this), Griffin is the 5th strongest player tested. For 6'10+ players he had the 2nd highest agility score ever recorded (Nene was 1st). He had same score as Battier in agility. His vert is 6th best recorded for guys over 6'10.
Okay, that was just raw statistics. Simply shows Bron is clearly more athletic even by the numbers. Even though we don't know his combine numbers we can assume at this point that the only thing Griffin could beat him at is the bench press. Bron definitely is more agile, faster on a flat out sprint (ball or no ball), and his max vert off his one foot jump is very likely 38+.
Now to my real point of why this isn't really even a discussion, and that Bron's athleticism is not even a point of discussion in comparison to other humans I've ever seen.
He has the one thing that only little guys have; pure body control at high speeds. He has the ability to make running back jukes and imperceptible stutters and fakes that create open lanes. He can do this going full speed and has the handles (and hand size) that it appears he is just running by people. If you were to track his actual movement he almost always picks the right path and makes mini jukes to be able to get to full speed. His athleticism is that he controls his body the same way Steve Nash does. They both get open somehow and create space and it seems like they just run around players without them touching them. It is the reason a player like Demar Derozen and Joey Graham are not athletic the way Bron is. They don't have the agility to control their body at full speed. They can run straight lines very fast and jump very high...but that is useless without the body control and agility to give yourself the space to utilize those other attributes.
Blake Griffin I think has more of a dunk everything mentality and if he is anywhere close to the rim he just attacks. He doesn't really try and get 'open' before he does it or build up steam. He just straight jumps and hammers it down. He can dribble just fine, but again he doesn't have that sort of body control where he can dribble full speed, make mini adjustments while going full speed to get open, slow down, then speed up like Bron does. Bron has the whole package athletically that has never been seen; blazing speed, unbelievable body control, unstoppable power, and out of the building vert.
He still sucks at managing games though...doesn't know how to play a game without dominating every possession yet. Difference between him and Larry Bird, understanding what that possession means to the overall feel of the game. That's what he gets for playing AAU style ball his whole life. Sorry, hahaa had to get my shot in at him after listing all his good qualities.
Well let's discuss (these are combine numbers so obviously Dwight, Amare and Griffin all have improved physically from when these were taken)
Amare:
Height: 6'10 (with shoes)
Weight: 233
Standing reach: 9'0.5
No step vert: 32 inches
No step reach: 11'8.5
Max vert: 35.5
Max reach: 12'0
Bench: 12 (185 pounds)
Agility: 11.19
Sprint: 3.25
Dwight
Height: 6'10.5 (with shoes)
Weight: 240
Standing reach: 9'3.5
No step vert: 30.5 inches
No step reach: 11'10
Max vert: 35.5 inches
Max reach: 12'3
Bench: 7 (185 pounds)
Agility: 11.21
Sprint: 3.14
Blake Griffin
Height: 6'10 (with shoes)
Weight: 248
Standing reach: 8'9
No step vert: 32 inches
No step reach: 11'5
Max vert: 35.5 inches
Max reach: 11'8.5
Bench: 22 (185 pounds)
Agility: 10.95
Sprint: 3.28
Since they started doing this, 340 or so players thus far (Bron of course somehow managed to elude this), Griffin is the 5th strongest player tested. For 6'10+ players he had the 2nd highest agility score ever recorded (Nene was 1st). He had same score as Battier in agility. His vert is 6th best recorded for guys over 6'10.
Okay, that was just raw statistics. Simply shows Bron is clearly more athletic even by the numbers. Even though we don't know his combine numbers we can assume at this point that the only thing Griffin could beat him at is the bench press. Bron definitely is more agile, faster on a flat out sprint (ball or no ball), and his max vert off his one foot jump is very likely 38+.
Now to my real point of why this isn't really even a discussion, and that Bron's athleticism is not even a point of discussion in comparison to other humans I've ever seen.
He has the one thing that only little guys have; pure body control at high speeds. He has the ability to make running back jukes and imperceptible stutters and fakes that create open lanes. He can do this going full speed and has the handles (and hand size) that it appears he is just running by people. If you were to track his actual movement he almost always picks the right path and makes mini jukes to be able to get to full speed. His athleticism is that he controls his body the same way Steve Nash does. They both get open somehow and create space and it seems like they just run around players without them touching them. It is the reason a player like Demar Derozen and Joey Graham are not athletic the way Bron is. They don't have the agility to control their body at full speed. They can run straight lines very fast and jump very high...but that is useless without the body control and agility to give yourself the space to utilize those other attributes.
Blake Griffin I think has more of a dunk everything mentality and if he is anywhere close to the rim he just attacks. He doesn't really try and get 'open' before he does it or build up steam. He just straight jumps and hammers it down. He can dribble just fine, but again he doesn't have that sort of body control where he can dribble full speed, make mini adjustments while going full speed to get open, slow down, then speed up like Bron does. Bron has the whole package athletically that has never been seen; blazing speed, unbelievable body control, unstoppable power, and out of the building vert.
He still sucks at managing games though...doesn't know how to play a game without dominating every possession yet. Difference between him and Larry Bird, understanding what that possession means to the overall feel of the game. That's what he gets for playing AAU style ball his whole life. Sorry, hahaa had to get my shot in at him after listing all his good qualities.
You make a good point about Lebron's body control. Pointing to the pre-draft camp measurements is kind of irrelevant tho. Dwight and Amare were out of HS, Blake had 2 years of college. If Dwight went to college for 2 years, u think he would have benched 185 for 7? :no: To me, Amare has plateaued but Dwight just keeps getting better. He could probably hit 185 for 30 now, he touched 12'3 out of HS and has since DUNKED on a 12 foot rim with 2 hands, with ease. He does hang cleans with 275. He smoked Maurice Green in the 100 on Shaq VS. I think if there is anyone on Lebron's plane in the league today from a physical standpoint, it would have to be Dwight.
sundizz
10-22-2010, 08:56 PM
You make a good point about Lebron's body control. Pointing to the pre-draft camp measurements is kind of irrelevant tho. Dwight and Amare were out of HS, Blake had 2 years of college. If Dwight went to college for 2 years, u think he would have benched 185 for 7? :no: To me, Amare has plateaued but Dwight just keeps getting better. He could probably hit 185 for 30 now, he touched 12'3 out of HS and has since DUNKED on a 12 foot rim with 2 hands, with ease. He does hang cleans with 275. He smoked Maurice Green in the 100 on Shaq VS. I think if there is anyone on Lebron's plane in the league today from a physical standpoint, it would have to be Dwight.
Concur. I think now Dwight is physically superior to Bron in athletic tests, such as bench press/power cleans etc and is probably reasonably close to him to him in a flat out sprint and vertical. He just doesn't have the body control that Bron has. No one of Bron's size ever had that Steve Nash/Allen Iverson type body control.
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