Lebron can't carry a team anymore: Still the best player in the league though

[3ball]

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Even though MJ scored 5-10 ppg more than Lebron in the playoffs, MJ still averaged more assists in his prime and thru the same age than Lebron:


6-Year Prime - Per Game Playoffs:

JORDAN 1988-1993: 34.6 ppg.. 1.6 oreb.. 5.1 dreb.. [COLOR="darkred"]6.6 apg[/color].. 2.3 stl.. 0.9 blk.. 50.5 fg.. 58.3 ts.. 120 ORtg
LEBRON 2009-2014: 28.1 ppg.. 1.5 oreb.. 7.1 dreb.. [COLOR="darkred"]6.1 apg[/COLOR].. 1.8 stl.. 0.9 bpg.. 50.4 fg.. 59.9 ts.. 118 ORtg



6-Year Prime - Per 100 Possessions Playoffs:

JORDAN 1988-1993: 44.2 pts.. 2.0 oreb.. 6.6 dreb.. [COLOR="darkred"]8.5 ast[/COLOR].. 3.0 stl.. 1.2 blk.. 50.5 fg.. 58.3 ts.. 120 ORtg
LEBRON 2009-2014: 37.1 pts.. 2.0 oreb.. 9.3 dreb.. [COLOR="darkred"]8.1 ast[/COLOR].. 2.3 stl.. 1.2 blk.. 50.4 fg.. 59.9 ts.. 118 ORtg



Playoffs Thru Age 30:

Jordan: 34.7 ppg.. 1.6 oreb.. 5.1 dreb.. 6.6 apg.. 3.3 tov.. 2.3 spg.. 1.0 blk.. 50.1 fg.. 58.1 ts.. 119 ORtg
Lebron: 28.2 ppg.. 1.5 oreb.. 7.2 dreb.. 6.7 apg.. 3.5 tov.. 1.7 spg.. 0.9 blk.. 47.3 fg.. 56.5 ts.. 114 ORtg..


Finals Thru Age 30:

Jordan: 36.3 ppg.. 6.6 rpg.. 7.9 apg.. 3.4 tov.. 2.0 spg.. 0.76 bpg.. 52.6 fg
Lebron: 26.4 ppg.. 9.6 rpg.. 6.9 apg.. 4.0 tov.. 1.8 spg.. 0.54 bpg.. 44.6 fg



For their careers, Lebron has a tiny assist edge (no edge if you consider turnovers), but his edge will vanish as he gets older and reaches MJ's retirement age:


Career Playoffs:

Jordan: 33.4 ppg.. 1.7 oreb.. 4.7 dreb.. 5.7 apg.. 3.1 tov.. 2.1 spg.. 0.9 blk.. 48.7 fg.. 56.8 ts.. 118 ORtg
Lebron: 28.2 ppg.. 1.5 oreb.. 7.2 dreb.. 6.7 apg.. 3.5 tov.. 1.7 spg.. 0.9 blk.. 47.3 fg.. 56.5 ts.. 114 ORtg..


Career Finals:

Jordan: 33.6 ppg.. 6.0 rpg.. 6.0 apg.. 2.8 tov.. 1.8 spg.. 0.65 bpg.. 48.1 fg
Lebron: 26.4 ppg.. 9.6 rpg.. 6.9 apg.. 4.0 tov.. 1.8 spg.. 0.54 bpg.. 44.6 fg



There's never been a #1 option that scored 5-10 ppg more on better efficiency and wasn't considered the FAR better player - this is especially true considering old Jordan scored a far higher proportion of his team's points than prime Lebron, especially in the 4th:



[COLOR="White"]..........[/COLOR][COLOR="Red"]Percentage of team points scored while player was on floor[/COLOR]


[COLOR="White"]........................[/COLOR]RS[COLOR="White"].....[/COLOR]RS 4th[COLOR="White"]...[/COLOR] PO[COLOR="White"]....[/COLOR]PO 4th[COLOR="White"]....[/COLOR]Finals[COLOR="White"]..[/COLOR] Finals 4th


JORDAN 1997.... 36.0..... 40.1..... 37.7..... 46.3...... 40.9...... 50.4
JORDAN 1998.... 36.3..... 42.1..... 39.7..... 48.8...... 43.6...... 49.1



LEBRON 2009.... 35.0..... 39.3..... 41.5..... 42.4
LEBRON 2010.... 34.6..... 44.4..... 32.6..... 40.3
LEBRON 2011.... 32.0..... 32.8..... 28.1..... 30.7...... 21.4...... 14.8
LEBRON 2012.... 34.2..... 33.8..... 34.5..... 34.9...... 30.0...... 33.3
LEBRON 2013.... 32.1..... 32.1..... 30.6..... 36.0...... 29.3...... 39.1
LEBRON 2014.... 33.1..... 38.2..... 35.3..... 32.1...... 39.6...... 29.5
LEBRON 2015.... 30.1..... 38.9..... 35.0..... 42.4...... 40.0...... 44.5
LEBRON 2016.... 32.4..... 40.0



Imagine if we had stats from MJ's prime...
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[pauk]

Curry isn't in a situation where he has to heavily dominate the ball and distribute b/c he plays with someone like Draymond. However, when neccessary, he's shown he can dominate the game with his vision and passing as well.

If you think he's "just hitting 3 pointers" then you're more delusional than your opening post already suggests.

The supporting cast has to also be good enough to hit those shots, if you see Cavs/Lebron play he is creating wideopen looks for Love/Irving/Smith/Delly/everybody.... they brick...

As far as Lebron himself goes, he indeed is declining, however "the best player in the world" title i am not 100% ready to give to Curry until he has proved me some things (like, his impact, want to see how he does, how his game translates to success when things go tough, ie. Draymond/Klay get injured or he plays with a bad supporting cast, will he still get that teamsuccess? Right now he is getting carried to much, even when he plays bad he still wins, even wins championship where he doesnt get a single FMVP vote), until then the superman cape i will give to Durant (he has proved himself in every situation).

[kennethgriffin]

I bet Jordan could've beaten Kobe at 18 too - Kobe was a benchwarming scrub his first couple years.

who was the better player during their respected seasons at their age:


18 - kobe by default
19 - kobe by default
20 - kobe by default
21 - jordan
22 - kobe by default
23 - jordan
24 - tie
25 - jordan
26 - jordan
27 - kobe
28 - kobe
29 - tie
30 - kobe by default
31 - kobe by default
32 - jordan
33 - jordan
34 - tie
35 - kobe by default
36 - kobe by default
37 - kobe by default
38 - jordan by default
39 - jordan by default
40 - jordan by default


total:

Kobe - 11 and 3 ties
Jordan - 9 and 3 ties



and i even gave jordan an extra one at the end since he has a birthday during the season

[Akhenaten]

ummmm try mid 30s bum. hardaway was not a rookie in 95 you dumb shit. penny was a hell of a player before the injuries. nick anderson was one of the better wings in the league at the time. 3d was one of the best shooters. their starting lineup was one of the best starting lineups ever at that point. idk what the f*ck u smoking but put that shit down. Completely embarrassed jordan in the playoffs that year.

just because everywhere shaq went they were championship contenders doesnt mean u carry a team you idiot. shaq has played with plenty hall of famers and for many hall of famers. hell every ship he won he won it under a hall of fame coach and every ship he won he played with at least 1 OTHER hall of famer. f*ck outta here im done with you

Goddamn OP got BODIED

[Hey Yo]

MJ would've carried his 1989 Bulls to the Finals if he played the 2015 Atlanta Hawks in ECF instead of the World Champions Bad Boys

He took the Bad Boys 6 games... would sweep the Hawks

Or he could have carried them if he didn't quit in game 5..... the biggest playoff game of his career up to that point.

Series tied at 2 and MJ only takes 8FGA??...Bulls lose by 9.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...905310DET.html

[STATUTORY]

no one had to carry anything in the eastern conference for majority of Bran's career, he simply benefited from being a good player in an awful conference.

He could never blow by his defender at will, that's why he needed a pick and roll his very first year in the league. His dominance is a facade

[kamil]

If you put Curry on the Lakers, he may average 27 PPG, but the Lakers are still trash. Carrying a team is more then just hitting 3 pointers, you have to do a variety of things.

Such as flopping, stiff arms, travelling between cities, collusion, getting more help, firing coaches, playing coach and GM, right?

[Dro]

I can't say Lebron is the best anymore. Steph Curry is the best player in the league now.

[aj1987]

who was the better player during their respected seasons at their age:


18 - kobe by default
19 - kobe by default
20 - kobe by default
21 - jordan
22 - kobe by default
23 - jordan
24 - tie
25 - jordan
26 - jordan
27 - kobe
28 - kobe
29 - tie
30 - kobe by default
31 - kobe by default
32 - jordan
33 - jordan
34 - tie
35 - kobe by default
36 - kobe by default
37 - kobe by default
38 - jordan by default
39 - jordan by default
40 - jordan by default


total:

Kobe - 11 and 3 ties
Jordan - 9 and 3 ties



and i even gave jordan an extra one at the end since he has a birthday during the season

[TAZORAC]

Kobe Bryant played with scrubs, but they didn't do anything, like the year he hit 81 and the Lakers missed the playoffs.

[Bankaii]

Curry is the best player in the league right now. But if you put him on an average team they get bounced in the first round.

Lebron/KD still have more of a impact in that situation imo.

[TAZORAC]

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Even though MJ scored 5-10 ppg more than Lebron in the playoffs, MJ still averaged more assists in his prime and thru the same age than Lebron:



Imagine if we had stats from MJ's prime...
.

I think I may have told you this before, but your a STAT GEEK...whats a STAT GEEK you ask? Somebody who can't analyze basketball with their own eyes, but instead runs and finds semi-relevant statistics to prove a point. Did you see the SHIT that was in the NBA when Jordan first came into the league? A bunch of tall, unalthetic, string beans. When Jordan came back to play for the Wizards, when asked WHY he said "Because guys are better now then before". Do you know how say 2010 Lebron would look in the NBA in 1990? When he's bigger, stronger, faster then everybody?

If "prime" Jordan (whenever that was) because "prime" thrown around too much around here and most of you don't even know what your talking about, but if prime Jordan played today, he'd average 24 ppg and like 4-5 rebounds.

Back to my original topic, Jordan couldn't carry a team in modern day basketball

[Deuce Bigalow]

Kobe Bryant played with scrubs, but they didn't do anything, like the year he hit 81 and the Lakers missed the playoffs.

They made the playoffs

[Inferno]

Curry isn't in a situation where he has to heavily dominate the ball and distribute b/c he plays with someone like Draymond. However, when neccessary, he's shown he can dominate the game with his vision and passing as well.

If you think he's "just hitting 3 pointers" then you're more delusional than your opening post already suggests.

[TAZORAC]

Curry is the best player in the league right now. But if you put him on an average team they get bounced in the first round.

Lebron/KD still have more of a impact in that situation imo.

Retire Kobe, put Curry on the Lakers...they don't get bounced in the 1st round, because they don't even make it to the playoffs.