(AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Up to this point in his career, Lebron James has exceeded the unbelievably high expectations and hype levied on him coming out St. Vincent St. Mary’s Prep Academy in Akron, Ohio. Night in and night out, the 6’8” human bulldozer terrorizes opposing defenses with indefensible drives to the basket, innate passing and playmaking ability, and a vastly improved jump shot. Most of the time, he is simply unguardable. Not only does he have the size and strength of an NFL linebacker, his end-to-end speed makes him impossible to stop in the open court. Would you take a charge from that man? I think not.
Quite simply the NBA, better yet the sports world in general, has never witnessed such an athletic specimen. In addition to his physical gifts, Lebron James has an extremely high basketball IQ and a natural unselfishness that is rare with superstars. He understands the value of getting his teammates involved and does so willingly. For all the praise heaped upon the 25-yr-old reigning NBA MVP, is it possible that he has yet to reach his peak? I’m sure opposing NBA GMs and coaches pray the answer to this question is yes.
Although already a dominant force and on course to being the best small forward ever, there are still some holes in the King’s game. Lebron James has worked tirelessly over the past few off-seasons to improve his shooting touch and now is a legitimate perimeter threat. However, he has the tendency to fall in love with the “J”. He’ll knock down a few jumpers early and will continue taking the lower percentage shot and go away from his strength, which is driving to the basket. The man is a virtually automatic “And-1” when he goes to the rim and should not stray away from this. Besides, his perimeter game is not quite on Kobe’s level…yet.
Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian
Secondly, he tends to lose concentration when defending his man in half-court sets. Now, many will scream “Are you crazy? He made the 2009 NBA All-Defensive Team!” Indeed, Lebron demonstrated a commitment to playing hard on the defensive end last season and continues to make plays on that side of the ball this season. He has made multiple Sportscenter “Top Plays” lists by chasing down unsuspecting players for volleyball spike-like blocked shots. But, I’ve noticed that he will take his eye off the player he’s guarding, focusing more on helping on defense. This allows his man to break open for wide open shots.
Honestly, that’s the only so-called flaws he has in his game. I expect Lebron James to win at least three titles before his career over and he’ll definitely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is a transcendent player and personality that, like Jordan, forces you to stop everything your doing just to watch him play. I’ve yet to see him play in person. But, when I do, best believe I’ll have my camera out, ready to capture the pre-game King James powder shower spectacle. That is, of course, if I can afford to sit close enough!
