If LBJ could guard 1-5 why was he on Iggy and Barnes

[tpols]

How did Iggy play? 8 points?

That's why. If he went on the other players, you would have asked why he wasn't guarding Iggy.

Yea because iggy is about to drop 40 on them if he switches to curry.


Facts are iggy is not an elite offensive player, hes an elite defensive player.. thats it. David Lee and Curry are both elite offensive players.

Lebron cannot guard curry because hes quick and he can shoot.. so the rose treatment wont work.. hell get jason terry'ed.

Lebron probably could guard david lee but would never take the challenge for a whole game.. just how he says hell participate in the dunk contest but never do it, can score 60 at will but never does it, will not rest until cleveland has a championship etc. its the same thing with his defensive versatility.. somethin he can so easily do but never really does it.

[red1]

Its a real world argument. Thats all it is.

When I say Tony Parker can guard point guards....it means the point guards there for him to guard.

I do not mean Magic Johnson or Oscar robertson.

When I say Lebron can guard centers...ive...glanced at centers and made an obvious observation.

They suck.

It really is quite simple. If you ask me if he could do an acceptable job on Shaq....the answer is no.

And the moment you show me Shaq in the current NBA ill factor him into the question. Centers may never return the way they were.

Wont mean in 2144 the Lebron of his time should be judged by what he might do if he had to guard Kareem. Kareem wont by around.

If he can guard the 2144 centers who suck.....its accurate to say he can guard centers.

What might happen in 1994 wont matter one bit. And it doesnt now.

This is all well and true but if you want to get technical even now he cant guard all centers. You dont need a shaq or kareem to dispute the original statement. Yes he can guard some centers, maybe even most centers when you factor in all of the players that dont get much burn. But can you see him guarding Hibbert? Duncan? Drummond? Even Davis? Essentially it all comes back to the same thing, he can guard garbage tier centers aka todays crop. But even jordan, a 6'6 guard could do it so it really doesnt mean much.

[red1]

So if you cant guard every player......but can guard most of them....it isnt fair to say you can guard those guys?

You go play ball tomorrow....new city. Never played there. You can handle 20 of the 30 guys out there easily.

5 give you trouble. 5 light you up.

I should tell people you cant play defense in this city?

You know full-well what the intentions are when someone on espn for example says that lebron can guard all positions.

[Droid101]

Put bran on Pekovic for a whole game. See what happens.

[iamgine]

And not Curry or Lee
Curry 36/12/4 13-22 shooting 8-153PT
Lee 32/14/3 13-17 shooting

And have Chalmers guarding Iggy?

[pauk]

@Kblaze....

For guys 6'8 and under nobody can guard Centers or 5 positions all in all more effectively than Lebron can (and has proved) at his best.... the only guys in that kindof effective versatility in NBA history actually were only Scottie Pippen & Dennis Rodman.... so i wouldnt say its not so unique Kblaze.... Marion, Battier? I can guard all 5 guys aswell, but as effectively as Lebron can or Pippen/Rodman could? Come on now.....

@Red1...

It doesnt mean that Lebron is a shut down defender on Centers.... it just means that he sure can do it better than anybody 6'8 and under today, no matter who that Center is.... even if its horrible, it sure is at least less horrible than what any 6'8 and under guy would be able to do..... get it?

[Kblaze8855]

Why exactly should Lebron be the one player in NBA history who has to be able guard 100% of a position well for it to be said he can guard that position?

Mark Jackson not being able to guard Magic in the post doesnt mean he cant guard pointguards.

It means Magic is a star and a freak of nature.

Lebron can probably guard....330-340 players in the NBA and not be a mismatch likely to result in an eruption.

If you dont find that impressive so be it. But it is flat out true to say Lebron can defend 5 positions.

It just is.

The issue is how much you care/what that means.

Not if he can do it.

06 Boris diaw could probably guard 300 people.

Dont make more of it than need be and its nothing to argue about.

Doesnt change the facts.

[Kblaze8855]

@Kblaze....

For guys 6'8 and under nobody can guard Centers or 5 positions all in all more effectively than Lebron can (and has proved) at his best.... the only guys in that kindof effective versatility in NBA history actually were only Scottie Pippen & Dennis Rodman.... so i wouldnt say its not so unique Kblaze.... Marion, Battier? I can guard all 5 guys aswell, but as effectively as Lebron? Come on now.....

You dont know shit about NBA history.

Ive seen people you wouldnt know if they slapped you guard points and bigmen as well as or better than Lebron.

Rodney Mccray wasnt nearly Lebrons size and he did work on HOF power forwards and would turn around and keep superstar guards out of the lane.

Dont come talking like you really looked into the best all around defenders of the damn 60s because you feel Lebron was slighted.

Satch Sanders guarded Jerry West, Oscar, baylor, Wilt, and Willis Reed.

Just because you dont know them doesnt mean they didnt exist. When Isay plenty can do it and do it as well its because I watched them do it or looked into evidence of them doing it. Im not talking out of some emotional attachment to one guy. Give that a shot.

[red1]

Why exactly should Lebron be the one player in NBA history who has to be able guard 100% of a position well for it to be said he can guard that position?

Mark Jackson not being able to guard Magic in the post doesnt mean he cant guard pointguards.

It means Magic is a star and a freak of nature.

Lebron can probably guard....330-340 players in the NBA and not be a mismatch likely to result in an eruption.

If you dont find that impressive so be it. But it is flat out true to say Lebron can defend 5 positions.

It just is.

The issue is how much you care/what that means.

Not if he can do it.

06 Boris diaw could probably guard 300 people.

Dont make more of it than need be and its nothing to argue about.

Doesnt change the facts.

Good post. I do find that impressive but what I dont find impressive is when people start giving undue credit and I can already see the slippery slope. Today we say lebron can guard centers. 10 years down the road we will be arguing whether or not lebron can lock duncan down and believe me there will be posters who will argue in favour of the second view. Lebrons ability to guard centers has more to do with the current era and less to do with lebron being some otherworldy defensive beast like some would argue.

[Bigsmoke]

Yea because iggy is about to drop 40 on them if he switches to curry.


Facts are iggy is not an elite offensive player, hes an elite defensive player.. thats it. David Lee and Curry are both elite offensive players.

Lebron cannot guard curry because hes quick and he can shoot.. so the rose treatment wont work.. hell get jason terry'ed.

Lebron probably could guard david lee but would never take the challenge for a whole game.. just how he says hell participate in the dunk contest but never do it, can score 60 at will but never does it, will not rest until cleveland has a championship etc. its the same thing with his defensive versatility.. somethin he can so easily do but never really does it.

LEbron had enough on his plate as it is. U want him to dictate the offense, rebound, play help defense, defend his man, and make sure Curry and Lee dont go off?

Pippen was even a better defender than LeBron and u gotta be kidding if u u dont think dude was apart of moments where Barkley, Mashburn, Payton, and ect exploded

[SHAQisGOAT]

@Kblaze....

For guys 6'8 and under nobody can guard Centers or 5 positions all in all more effectively than Lebron can (and has proved) at his best....

Rodman

@Kblaze....
the only guys in that kindof effective versatility in NBA history actually were only Scottie Pippen & Dennis Rodman.... so i wouldnt say its not so unique Kblaze.... Marion, Battier? I can guard all 5 guys aswell, but as effectively as Lebron can or Pippen/Rodman could? Come on now.....

Bobby Jones is another, adding to his elite off-ball d, and...

You dont know shit about NBA history.

Ive seen people you wouldnt know if they slapped you guard points and bigmen as well as or better than Lebron.

Rodney Mccray wasnt nearly Lebrons size and he did work on HOF power forwards and would turn around and keep superstar guards out of the lane.

Dont come talking like you really looked into the best all around defenders of the damn 60s because you feel Lebron was slighted.

Satch Sanders guarded Jerry West, Oscar, baylor, Wilt, and Willis Reed.

Just because you dont know them doesnt mean they didnt exist. When Isay plenty can do it and do it as well its because I watched them do it or looked into evidence of them doing it. Im not talking out of some emotional attachment to one guy. Give that a shot.

Rodney McCray, now there's a name you don't hear much at all, sad because he had a great defensive peak in the late 80s. Seen him guard Bird, playing PF then defending some guards....
Dudes like him, Dan Roundfield, Paul Silas, Van Lier, Paul Pressey.. overlooked af.. and I'm only talking on the defensive side right now.

[Johnny Jones]

[Scholar]

Obviously, Barnes and Iggy were switching between the 5 positions. Sometimes Iggy was playing Center and LeBron was guarding him there. Other times, Barnes was playing PG, so LeBron had to guard him there.


Duh. Don't you f*ck nikkas know nothin' about nothin'?

[tpols]

LEbron had enough on his plate as it is. U want him to dictate the offense, rebound, play help defense, defend and man, and make sure Curry and Lee dont go off?

Pippen was even a better defender than LeBron and u gotta be kidding if u u dont think dude was apart of moments where Barkley, Mashburn, Payton, and ect exploded

Its just funny cuz you can say this about any offensive superstar ever.. they cant put as much into D as a role player true.

But Lebron gets praised as he can guard any big man ever when he blocks tiago splitter once.. or denies David West the post off a switch once.. and flops when he starts getting physical with him.

Ok. Lebron can temporarily cover a switch at an average level for each given position.. the way people talk about it though youd think he was just shutting everyone down.. hes one of those defenders thats good at many things but not great at one, but people wanna act like hes great at all.

[Levity]

just curious, everyone whos saying lebron can guard centers, is it because he can front them like he did against pau back in 11-12 season. or does he actually let these guys try and back him down or let them post up on him. legit question, cause i havent seen the latter, but i also dont watch too many heat games.