LeBron's Playoff Run

[longtime lurker]

Lebrons game 6 against Bpston is EASILY the best game this whole year

Lol yeah I don't know how anyone can dispute that. In terms of context and having your back to the wall. Game 6 Lebron was amazing.

[The Iron Fist]

Except Bird never averaged 30 a game. Barkley hit it on the head the other night. He said we've never asked a superstar to do all the things LeBron's asked to do.

A superstar never asked us to witness and check his stats either.
As another poster said, despite all the stats, there really isnt a "wow" moment. Add to the fact that Chalmers and Battier are carrying him and well, you know, its really not that big of a deal.

[guy]

Actually Phil Jackson said it best. LeBron is much different from Kobe and MJ because Kobe and MJ are strictly score first mentality players. You expect Kobe to average 10 rebounds when he's played with Shaq, Bynum and Pau?
You expect Wade to consistently be effective. Who else will get the Heat assists. Only LeBron is capable of consitently doing that. Bosh is an alright rebounder but if LeBron doesn't rebound, nobody does.

The Heat have no choice but to ask LeBron to do everything.

Jordan has had championship runs where he's put up more ppg and apg then Lebron is putting. Other players have had championships runs where they put up more of 2 of ppg, apg, or rpg. Lebron isn't doing EVERYTHING. He's doing alot and he's putting up alot of great numbers cause he's just dominant. But he's not not getting help.

[comerb]

Not really imo.
Yeah the stats are good but I've never really felt that "wow" moment during these finals.

Did you even watch game 6 against the Celtics?

[The Iron Fist]

Did you even watch game 6 against the Celtics?

Do you even know what "the finals" are?

[comerb]

Do you even know what "the finals" are?

Did you watch last night where he hit a 3 in the waning minutes while barely able to walk?

****in haters

[caliman]

If I had to say what are the most memorable moments in the Playoffs this season they go as follows....


1. Rondo's game 2 performance

2. Westbrook's game 4 performance

3. Lebron's game 5 performance

4. Clippers' comeback Game 1 against Grizzlies

5. Spurs sweeping 1rst 2 series

6. Wade's game 4 performance

So you would put Rondo's and Westbrook's performances above LeBron's even though they lost? And his came in a much bigger game, staving off elimination on the road? That's curious to say the least. Hell, I would put LeBron's 40/18 in Game 4 against Indiana over what Rondo and Wesbrook did.

[ShaqAttack3234]

It's a great run, but as others have pointed out, you can make similar statements about other runs.

How many players have averaged over 30/15 in a playoff run of at least 15+ games like Shaq did in '01? Kareem in '74 is the only one aside from Shaq. Or 20+ games like Shaq did in '00? None. Or a championship run? Also None.

In fact, how many have averaged over 25/15 for championship runs? Aside from Shaq in '00 and '01, you only have Moses in '83(in 13 games) and Kareem in '71(in 14 games).

How many have averaged 20/15/5 in 15+ playoff games like Duncan did over 24 playoff games in '03? Wilt in '67 over 15 playoff games, and nobody else. Duncan also averaged 3+ bpg, Wilt obviously did too, though they weren't officially kept. Duncan was just shy of 25 ppg too at 24.7 ppg.

Michael Jordan is also the only player to average 35 ppg in 15+ playoff games in both '90 and '93, '93 obviously being the only title run. And he was at 35/7/6 in '93, and 37/7/7 on 51% in '90.

Hakeem Olajuwon actually pretty much did the 30/10/5 thing on 50% with averages of 33 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 4.5 apg on 53.1% shooting in 22 playoff games in the '95 playoffs vs vastly superior competition to what Lebron is facing.

It's a remarkable run, but such statistical requirements don't mean much. I mean is it more impressive than 25/15/5/3 like Duncan in '03(on 53%)? Or more impressive than MJ's 31/6/8, 52% '91, his 35/6/6, 50% '92 or 35/7/6, 48% '93? Shaq's back to back 30-31/15+/3+/2+, 56-57 FG% runs?

We've seen some incredible playoff runs, but if Lebron goes on to win the title, it wouldn't crack my top 5 for title runs with MJ's first 3peat, Hakeem;s back to back, Shaq's '00 and '01 and Duncan's '03 making up the top 8 in no order.

It would either be 9th or 10th, around the same spot as Kobe's '09 run. But if you go back further than the 90's, you have to consider Bird's '86(very consistent) as well as '84, definitely Kareem's '80 run, and Wilt's '67.

[Tenchi Ryu]

So you would put Rondo's and Westbrook's performances above LeBron's even though they lost?

Celtics won in 86 and people STILL consider MJ's 63 point game one of the best moments of the postseason that year

[caliman]

Celtics won in 87 and people STILL consider MJ's 63 point game one of the best moments of the postseason that year

I can see that, being as how MJ set the scoring record and all.

But does what Rondo and Westbrook did in losses trump what LeBron did in an elimination game on the road? No, and it really isn't close. Five years from now no one will remember that Rondo and Westbrook scored 40 in a playoff game. But everyone will remember what LeBron did in Game 6 in Boston.

[raid09]

Celtics won in 87 and people STILL consider MJ's 63 point game one of the best moments of the postseason that year

Yes... but let's not compare Jordan's game to Rondo's game 2.

I felt LeBron was equally as dominant in game 6, and brought home the win in an elimination game.

[AK47DR91]

I'm not even gonna take the three Eastern Conference series into consideration because he was on God mode last year too. He has owned the East in the past 5 years, even if he didn't win all the series(because of his shitty teammates).

It's his Finals appearances that have been a major disappointment.

This Finals performance is on Shaq's three-peat level and Jordan's first three-peat level.

[The Iron Fist]

Did you watch last night where he hit a 3 in the waning minutes while barely able to walk?

****in haters

What does that have to do w the celtics in game six though?

[BEAST Griffin]

As another poster said, despite all the stats, there really isnt a "wow" moment.

I agree. He needs the Kobe scowl and shoot a fade away over two defenders. He just doesn't have that Kobe killer instinct that makes you go "WOW".

[Da_Realist]

You're mainly talking about just championship runs right?

How many players have averaged 31/6/8 on 52% like Jordan in 91?

How many players have averaged 22/8/12 on 54% like Magic did in 87?

How many players have averaged 26/10/7 on 50% like Bird did in 86?

Lebron hasn't done any of those. They've all put up dominant statlines. Its arbitrary though when the criteria is that specific. So that doesn't mean much. Lebron is putting up an all-time great playoff run though.

This.