"Double teams create a 4-on-3 off the ball" - Lebron James

[3ball]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZOzilY8o14&t=01m15s

Accordingly, it's a false narrative that teams don't double Lebron because he's such a good passer, since all double teams create a 4-on-3 that spurs ball movement, as Lebron said himself above

4-on-3's are bad for any defense, not just when Lebron gets doubled.

So when Stan Van Gundy says they didn't double Lebron, it's a legit knock - lebron's 38/8/8 certainly kept the Cavs competitive, but another player's 38/8/8 would've come with double-teams, thus freeing up teammates so they perform better, while opening up ball movement and more effective attack/pressure - this would've allowed victory (as they were heavily-favored to do)

Essentially, other greats would've caused the Magic defense to adjust more and double-team, thus winning the series easily as the heavy favorite.
.

[3ball]

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Coaches' statements on guarding Lebron and MJ:

Chuck Daly:

It doesn't entail me playing you, necessarily.. It's our 5.... playing... you"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gCMWuCdsGQ&t=27m41s


Stan Van Gundy:

We didn't double Lebron and played him straight up - so we could stay at home on teammates"

^^^ Pretty stark contrast...

[bigkingsfan]

Reported to da police.

[sdot_thadon]

Yeah, we know. You love Lebron.

[SouBeachTalents]

.
Coaches' statements on guarding Lebron and MJ:

Chuck Daly:

It doesn't entail me playing you, necessarily.. It's our 5.... playing... you"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gCMWuCdsGQ&t=27m41s


Stan Van Gundy:

We didn't double Lebron and played him straight up - so we could stay at home on teammates"

^^^ Pretty stark contrast...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S1Gp2iwos0&t=

[3ball]

Yeah, we know. You love Lebron.

Lets see how much you know about basketball

Why have teams opted to not double-team Lebron? We know it has nothing to do with his passing because double-teams create a 4-on-3 off-the-ball, which hurts ANY defense.

So why have teams opted to play Lebron straight up?

[ImKobe]

3Ball you have to be honest here. Rules were different in the 90s. Wouldn't MJ have a bunch of 3-point specialists around him in this era to space the floor for him as well?

The issue though would be that you couldn't play man defense on Jordan under today's rules so Jordan would probably average either 8-10 assists or 40+ points a game in his prime (depending on how defenses guarded him) if he played the same amount of minutes on a per game basis. That's why Jordan is better than Lebron though. You could get away with playing man defense on peak Lebron (even sagging off him to force him into jump shots) while you would never get away with doing the same to MJ. Imagine playing zone on Jordan and not expecting him to kill you from the perimeter.

[Hey Yo]

3Ball you have to be honest here. Rules were different in the 90s. Wouldn't MJ have a bunch of 3-point specialists around him in this era to space the floor for him as well?

The issue though would be that you couldn't play man defense on Jordan under today's rules so Jordan would probably average either 8-10 assists or 40+ points a game in his prime (depending on how defenses guarded him) if he played the same amount of minutes on a per game basis. That's why Jordan is better than Lebron though. You could get away with playing man defense on peak Lebron (even sagging off him to force him into jump shots) while you would never get away with doing the same to MJ. Imagine playing zone on Jordan and not expecting him to kill you from the perimeter.

Jordan did imagine that and said what would have happened.

But there was one that might be bothersome, the zone defense. It was the topic du jour at last month's All-Star Game, and Jordan was making an impassioned plea before the competition committee that had gathered to consider rules changes to enliven the NBA game. Jordan spoke passionately. If teams were able to play zone defenses, he said, he never would have had the career he did.

[tpols]

its a dead horse bro.

most people know lebron is a phony... he had GOAT potential... but ended up being a bitch.







no need to rub it in more than 1000 times.

[ImKobe]

Jordan did imagine that and said what would have happened.

Imagine thinking that's actually what would have happened

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDwJPY-Nneg

Prime Kobe was TORCHING zone defenses, you could argue that 06-08 Kobe saw the most defense out of any perimeter player in NBA history and those are his peak years while having little to no offensive help around him.

Now imagine playing the same defense against peak MJ while he actually has shooters around him. Yes, the zone defense would have been issue for MJ on terrible teams but he still would have put up Kobe numbers.

And can we agree that Kobe would have put up MJ's numbers in the 90s?

[sdot_thadon]

Lets see how much you know about basketball

Why have teams opted to not double-team Lebron? We know it has nothing to do with his passing because double-teams create a 4-on-3 off-the-ball, which hurts ANY defense.

So why have teams opted to play Lebron straight up?

You can't resist banging the same stupid drum can you? The reason teams don't double Lebron, regardless of what your deformed view of reality tells you is the same as it's always been. When you double Lebron you run the risk of what I call an "avalanche game". These are the games when half the team has a hot shooting night due to getting practice level looks because you're doubling Lebron. It's a thing that has happened routinely throughout his career and why his lesser talented teams can sometimes look the part of worldbeaters.

Can anyone who's a good scorer draw this level of attention? Sure, but can everyone whip the pass with the speed and power that he does to give the shooter "that " much more cushion to shoot? Not really. Most good coaches would take their chances with Lebron beating him alone rather than let an entire team gain confidence throughout the course of a series. Watch games man, stop making stupid number based assumptions when you havent bothered to watch any games. How's your police investigation going by the way tekashi?

[3ball]

3Ball you have to be honest here. Rules were different in the 90s. Wouldn't MJ have a bunch of 3-point specialists around him in this era to space the floor for him as well?

The issue though would be that you couldn't play man defense on Jordan under today's rules so Jordan would probably average either 8-10 assists or 40+ points a game in his prime (depending on how defenses guarded him) if he played the same amount of minutes on a per game basis. That's why Jordan is better than Lebron though. You could get away with playing man defense on peak Lebron (even sagging off him to force him into jump shots) while you would never get away with doing the same to MJ. Imagine playing zone on Jordan and not expecting him to kill you from the perimeter.

MJ already averaged 8 or 11 assists in his prime (1989 season and 1991 Finals)

So if he averaged 8 apg today, that would be the same as his 1989 season.

Also, I'm not sure what your point is - are you saying today's spacing would prevent teams from doubling Jordan?... i.e. it's a lot harder to double-team when the defenders are spaced-out and have to travel further distances to double?

I would agree with this - but the extra space would make MJ so devastating as a scorer that it would still be worth it to double team him - defenses would be driven insane on how to guard a 6'6" westbrook that can shoot - essentially, a much better scorer than Harden last year, who averaged 36 ppg..

So pick your poison - an automatic score from MJ in today's spaced out court, or a punitive 4-on-3 when you double him.. Lebron doesn't force defenses into this decision because he isn't an automatic bucket like MJ was

[ImKobe]

MJ already averaged 8 or 11 assists in his prime (1989 season and 1991 Finals)

So if he averaged 8 apg today, that would be the same as his 1989 season.

Also, I'm not sure what your point is - are you saying today's spacing would prevent teams from doubling Jordan?... i.e. it's a lot harder to double-team when the defenders are spaced-out and have to travel further distances to double?

I would agree with this - but the extra space would make MJ so devastating as a scorer that it would still be worth it to double team him - defenses would be driven insane on how to guard a 6'6" westbrook that can shoot - essentially, a much better scorer than Harden last year, who averaged 36 ppg.. Pick you poison - an automatic score from MJ in today's spaced out court, or a punitive 4-on-3 when you double him.. Lebron doesn't force defenses into this decision because he isn't an MJ/rich man's Harden level a scorer like Kobe or MJ

Yes, even more so than Lebron because Jordan's far less predictable.

Jordan's not just a 6'6 Westbrook who can shoot, he's a 6'6 Westbrook with Kawhi's hands and a GOAT mid-range jump shot. It's like if you combined Kobe and Kawhi and added 10 inches of vertical.

[3ball]

You can't resist banging the same stupid drum can you? The reason teams don't double Lebron, regardless of what your deformed view of reality tells you is the same as it's always been. When you double Lebron you run the risk of what I call an "avalanche game". These are the games when half the team has a hot shooting night due to getting practice level looks because you're doubling Lebron. It's a thing that has happened routinely throughout his career and why his lesser talented teams can sometimes look the part of worldbeaters.

Can anyone who's a good scorer draw this level of attention? Sure, but can everyone whip the pass with the speed and power that he does to give the shooter "that " much more cushion to shoot? Not really. Most good coaches would take their chances with Lebron beating him alone rather than let an entire team gain confidence throughout the course of a series. Watch games man, stop making stupid number based assumptions when you havent bothered to watch any games. How's your police investigation going by the way tekashi?

Sorry, double-teams create 4-on-3, which creates the "avalanche" of ball movement/swinging the ball and open jump-shooting regardless of who is doubled.

The "Lebron is too good a passer to double-team" is dumb and false.

He simply isn't a good enough shooter to double-team.. period.. he isn't a quick-hitter scorer.. he isn't a threat to hit 2 or 3 quick jumpers in a row to galavanize his team and win the quarter going away..

Lebron doesn't have it like that.. All his scores are long, lumbering dribble forays that take forever and ultimately don't put defenses on their heels/wear them down like defending against potential quick-hitter scoring.. So teams are fresher guarding Lebron - he doesn't wear them down/blunt their attack, so they often get hot and run his weaker brand off the court.. Lebron's style doesn't win the attrition battle against the best teams
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[Turbo Slayer]

Haters keep on hating.





KING JAMES. #StriveForGreatness