By contrast, James's career postseason scoring average is nearly two points higher than during the regular season and increased from the regular season in six of his last seven playoff appearances. Below were his attributes and badges. The four-time MVP is averaging an embarrassing 18.5% from downtown, which is the lowest in his 20-year career. While he cooled off a bit, he still hit 49.6 percent (5.5 attempts per game) in the playoffs, a clip few players have been able to match this regular season. As the chart above indicates, the percentage of all field goal attempts from the mid-range has dropped from 30.3% to just 13.1% over the past decade as more and For all of Harden's playoff warts, it's tough to argue against his brutally efficient isolation scoring. Hes simply amazing, and its this amazing quality thats naturally spurred on comparisons to Michael Jordan the man, who in many eyes, is the greatest to ever lace them up on the hardwood. Whos number one then? He was averaging 28.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in such games. He gets the final spot over the likes of Tracy McGrady, Stephen Curry and Bob Pettit thanks to four scoring titles during an era rich with talented scorers. Davis started the postseason hitting an absurd 25-41 (61.0 percent) of his mid-range attempts. Robby Sabo is a co-founder, CEO and credentialed New York Jets content creator for Jets X-Factor - Jet X, which includes Sabo's Sessions (in-depth film breakdowns) and Sabo with the Jets. The Lakers will only go as far as ageless wonder LeBron James takes them. receiving yards total: seemingly unreachable. The third-best scoring average in league history, Baylor was Eurostepping long before anyone knew what the Eurostep was. Ja Morant recovered from his rough Game 4 with 31 points on 13-of-26 shooting, 10 rebounds and seven assists. So, its fine. For us to relax would be asinine, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said before the game. Abdul-Jabbar accumulated many of his points by perfecting his signature shot, the sky hook. The LA Lakers are taking on the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, and LeBron James' playoff 3-point percentage could play a huge part in determining the series. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. It turns out that numbers can lie or, more precisely, obscure the truth. In Jamess rookie season, 2003-4, he took 2.7 3-pointers a game. Of the 29 players, only one Julius Randle is actually shooting a better percentage from three than the midrange (41.7, 40.8), but some arent too far off. Some of the strategy is because teams in the 21st century use analytics to determine the most probable way to score the most points, typically with 3-pointers or dunks. Its an interesting time to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan. Jamess made shots have been 53 percent 2-pointers, 10 percent 3-pointers and 36 percent free throws. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. In 17 regular season contests, he averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game while hitting 48.4 percent of his shots overall and 41.4 percent of his attempts from 3-point range. LeBron James. This season, dozens of players take more than that by themselves each game. MEMPHIS It doesnt happen often, LeBron James team losing a closeout game in the playoffs. Myles Look for the market for James to really heat up the next week, but once James hits free agency dont expect him to take a ton of time to make the decision. Before you stop reading, this isnt another essay about how three is greater than two, the mid-range is dead, and the analytics are always right. There's never been a player with his combination of size and skill. Over 600 players in NBA history have played in multiple Game 7s. He was especially good range from hitting from the midrange during the postseason. We have to come ready to play and ready to pour everything we have into this moment.. Ja Morant: 31 PTS 10 REB 7 AST pic.twitter.com/DhpqGMhzK2, The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 27, 2023. Had a fourth-quarter shoulder injury not sidelined Kennard, Dillon Brooks, a lightning rod for controversy in this series, may not have been back out for the fourth quarter. So, no pressure. has developed over the last 50 years. When we saw him completely take control of high-pressure games in the 1990s, everything we knew about a great NBA player changed. WebLeBron James has averaged at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 15 different seasons. It's one thing to rack up scoring titles or gaudy averages on the back of the regular-season grind. Field-goal percentage: 52% LeBron is attempting 20.1 shots per game and is making 52% of them. In 2019, James surpassed Jordan's career tally of 32,292 points to move into fourth place on the all-time list. About 70 percent of Abdul-Jabbars made shots were 2-pointers, with 30 percent free throws. Washed up strong safety and 400M runner. Durant has averaged more points than every single one of them. Open jumpers either missed badly or rimmed out, but the Lakers stayed close and again had the chance to take the lead with four minutes left in the third quarter. LeBron James (Additional Stats) - NBA player profile page from WhatifSports No one has been able to consistently replicate his shot. All of those signature moments just kept adding to the legacy. He previously worked at The Salt Lake Tribune covering the Utah Jazz and Utah Utes. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MA/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. He has won the Rookie of the Year award, 4 MVP awards, 4 Finals MVP awards and 4 NBA championships. James, at 38, is one of the oldest players in the league and in his 20th season. They were the NBAs best team at home during the regular season at 35-6, setting a franchise record for wins in their building. WebOverview Stats Game Log Splits Bio. Iverson's 29.7 playoff scoring average is second in NBA history behind only No. James, with the good timing of being able to start this journey at 18 years old, is still proving every day just how much he has left, scoring 40 points on several nights this season and almost reaching 50 in a January game against Houston. WebLatest on Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James including complete game-by-game stats on ESPN James? While the 9-year veteran is a better shooter than this number suggests (33.0 percent a year ago), hes never proven himself to be a reliable long-range threat. Taking a closer look, LeBron James' version of 'The Last Dance'? NBA analyst believes 4x NBA champion has attained Athlete Nirvana. Last season, the number was about three times that. SEO: XL Media. NAME. Irving's recent scoring exploits showcase on-ball wizardry unrivaled by anyone in league history. LeBron James has deemphasized mid-range shotattempts, Cavs players also realize they were punked in the first round. His second best year was in 2009 where he shot 45.3 percent from midrange attempting 243 shots. If LeBron starts working on his 3-pointers, he might get a chance to be closer to the top five shooters in this year's playoffs. ORB, DRB, STL, BLK, DRtg, BPM, VORP, and per 100 Poss stats since 1973-74. The series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 6, which is set for 10:30 p.m. WAIT! Those guys were spectacular tonight, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. Back in 2018, favorite toy estimated that LeBron would finish with an average career total of 39,847 points, with a 48 percent chance to reach 40,000. While James hasnt decided yet whether to pick up his player option, sources close to the situation tell ESPN that he has no intention of hearing elaborate pitch meetings from teams. Cavs Reacts Survey: J.B. Bickerstaff under pressure? Los Angeles Lakers news fromFanSided Daily, Cleveland Cavaliers: Debunking 3 myths of a failed season, NBA Power Rankings Week 20: Philadelphia 76ers streak in the penultimate week, 50 Greatest Players Without a Championship, 50 Greatest Players Not In The Hall of Fame, Most Clutch Player From Each Teams History, Best Shot Blocker From Each Teams History, The Heat and Lakers threaten to throw the NBA playoffs into chaos, NBA Rumors: The Lakers are expected to target an All-Star point guard, 5 things the Lakers must do to complete an upset of the Grizzlies, The 2023 playoffs loom large for LeBron James legacy, Is Anthony Davis playing tonight? The next big decision for James is what is he going to do this offseason. His 32 60-point games are over five times as many as anyone else. LeBron's rebuttal:There's a compelling case that James simply has more tricks in the bag. Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant brings the ball up court during the first half of Game 5 in a first-round NBA playoff series against the Lakers on Wednesday in Memphis. Duncan Robinson caps off the top five with 76.5%. The fadeaway and quick-pivots all from a mid-range post or face-up is now a mythical quality thanks to Jordan and his six NBA Championships. Detlef Schrempf.5858: 61. He's still taking 30.9 percent of his shots in the mid-range, but he's taken 49.3 percent of his shots at the rim. For the Lakers this season, James isnt getting the wins he wants, but hes still third in scoring (29.4 ppg) behind only Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid while adding 8.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. Bonus issued as site credits. As we fade out to farther in the perimeter, his field goal percentage drops from the elite 73.3% at 0-3 feet to 42.4%, 36.7% and 38.5% at 3-10 feet, 10-16 feet and 16-23 feet respectively. Desmond Bane, the guy the Lakers couldnt stop in Game 4, stayed hot. By the time he hit his 20th year, he was no longer as dominant as he had been. His career averages (27.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.4 apg) closely mirror every year of his career with only minor deviations. Doesnt matter what uniform, doesnt matter what year, doesnt matter how old.. Bane hit his first shot, a mid-range jumper, to start the first quarter and fittingly ended it with a three, giving him 14 points in the quarter. Deposit bonus requires 25x play-thru. Joe Vardon is a senior NBA writer for The Athletic, based in Cleveland. It ties his sixth-highest mark. Latest update for Suns at Lakers. He's not for everyone but Harden's steady diet of free throws and 3s nearly toppled the 2017 Warriors. James is averaging a team-leading 24.0 points and Davis is averaging 19.5 points going into Wednesdays potential close-out game at FedEx Forum in Memphis. 2 all-time, and 1,667 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Joel Embiid has the highest per-minute scoring average in NBA history. One reason for that is because of his inefficiency to knock down attempts from beyond the arc. Chart showing the share of 3-pointers, 2-pointers and free throws by all players over time. Last year, LeBron took 36.9 percent of his shots in the mid-range and 36.6 percent of shots at the rim. The lines on the court have had different dimensions, and referees let Abdul-Jabbar endure body blows from opponents that today would easily earn James a chance at free throws. DAngelo Russell mirrored his performance from late in Game 4 early in the second half, scoring eight straight points out of halftime to make it a one-point game, but the Lakers never could grab the lead. 7, 2023. An explosive finisher early in his career, Jordan evolved into the most deadly mid-range scorer ever with his patented turnaround fadeaway over either shoulder becoming his signature shot. Chamberlain's video-game numbers will never be matched. LeBron also has a habit of settling for long twos when teams switch a big onto him in the pick and roll. Then this definitely wont help, ESNYs 2023 MLB Preview: Pirates are a continually sinking ship, Mets, Yankees games on Apple TV+ wont be free, but there are loopholes, Dont get your hopes up about MLB making changes to new rules, City of Philadelphia perpetrates another Santa Claus-related sin, Heres how pitch clock, shift ban have impacted MLB spring training games. And there's never been a scorer with his ability to do it efficiently at every level, as evidenced by his career true-shooting percentage which is by far the best in NBA history by any of the players with 25,000 career points. If you sort every single scoring champion in NBA history by field goal percentage, Abdul-Jabbar ranks first and second. He is a University of Maryland alum. 10 scoring titles to one speaks for itself as does the all-time mark in both the regular season and playoffs. Also read: LeBron James' version of 'The Last Dance'? NBA analyst believes 4x NBA champion has attained Athlete Nirvana, Be the first one to comment on this story. And yet during a six-year stretch in which he won six straight scoring titles, the Big Dipper averaged nearly 10 more points than anyone else. AST% since 1964-65. Kobe Bryants PER is top 20 all time, but LeBron James is No. If LeBron James had the mid-range game of MJ or Kobe, hed be the best basketball player who has ever graced planet Earth. LeBron James has won 65.0 percent of the time in his career. When he gets across, he's fed a pass inside and scores an easy two points. The Lakers made only 10 of 39 from three-point range. Memphis beat the Lakers 116-99 on its home floor Wednesday night in Game 5, extending the first-round NBA playoff series to a sixth game in Los Angeles on Friday night. Beyond simply looking at an all-time leaderboard, how does The King stack up with the legends typically in the conversation? Chart showing the share of 3-pointers, 2-pointers and free throws by Abdul-Jabbar and James over time. He set the record in 1984 and finished his career five years later with 38,387 points. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? These guys definitely played with the force we were talking about before the game.. Davis went to the bench for a quick breather, and after Reaves missed a floater, the Grizzlies scored on their next three possessions to begin the defining stretch of the game. Line chart showing career points for the top 250 scorers in N.B.A. Looking at James shot charts from those seasons, its difficult to recognize them as the same player. He hasnt officiallyopted out of next year with the Cavs but that is the exception. If he gets doubled inside, LeBron can pass out to a shooter - Dellavedova, Smith,Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love,Channing Frye, etc. Hes only 208 points behind Karl Malone (he should pass him in the coming month) at No. Lebron James is one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. history. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combine to score nine early points in overtime to lead the Lakers to a Game 4 win over Memphis on Monday night. This year, LeBron has flipped those numbers. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). His midrange shots now account for just 23% of his field goal attempts, and he even gets a slightly higher percentage of looks at the rim as a 37-year-old (43%) than he did as a 27-year-old (40%). See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. For the next decade, the shot was considered a novelty, a break glass in case of emergency kind of heave. What is LeBron James' playoff 3-point percentage? It didnt seem like anyone could. 2. LeBron will play better, Davis said. Gambling problem? Last year, LeBron took 36.9 percent of his shots in the mid-range and 36.6 percent of shots at the rim. You might also be interested in reading this: How many game-winners has LeBron James made in his career? Abdul-Jabbar, the former center for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, held the record for nearly 40 years. LeBron James had statistically one of his best regular and postseasons ever. This idea mixed with LeBron so close to the brink of losing his fifth NBA Finals are the main reasons. A run to undo a 17-point first-half deficit got them all the way within a point in the third quarter before the Memphis Grizzlies smothered them in a matter of possessions. Yet after passing Karl Malone for second on the NBA career scoring list, squaring his sights on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record, pumping in 29.8 points per game (his most in over a decade) and contending for the scoring title in his 19th season, James is forcing us to ask whether he might actually be the greatest scorer of all-time. This is OK. Say it with me, this is OK. James doesnt have to be the beautiful shooter you believe an NBA great needs to be. Host: Underdog Jets Podcast with Wayne Chrebet and Sabo Radio. Heres how Basketball-Reference sees the seeding playing out: While things are a bit precarious, the entire basketball world knows that IF LeBron James and Anthony Davis can get back to 90-plus percent of themselves by playoff time, Los Angeles remains one of the top championship favorites. Even if these shots have been inefficient, how much damage can roughly three shots per game really do? It all comes down to his shooting ability. James finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, shooting 5-of-17 overall and 1-of-9 from 3-point range. A deadly sniper from downtown, he also might be the craftiest around the rim finisher. Bane, who had been relatively quiet for most of the first three games, ran his defender, Austin Reaves, through bruising screen after bruising screen, Memphis physicality getting its best perimeter scorer going. LeBron's rebuttal:Can the greatest scorer in NBA history really be someone who ranks outside the top 20 in playoff scoring average? (Credit to NBA.com and basketball-reference for statistics and House of Highlights for GIF). Do yourself a favor and Google "Bird left-handed game.". Giannis Antetokounmpo: (78.0 percent, 9.6 attempts per game). Table showing the scoring totals for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lebron James, broken down by type of shot. Like KD, Iceman won three straight scoring titles and four in five seasons. LeBron's rebuttal: With the game on the line, Durant's reputation can't match LeBron's results. Brooks shot 3-of-15 and 2-of-10 on 3s in Game 5, continuing a disturbing trend through the series. In 17 regular season contests, he averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game while hitting 48.4 percent of his shots overall and 41.4 percent of his attempts from 3-point range. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & resort (KS). Thats still a shot he can hit, but his more recent sweet spot is from beyond the arc on the left side StatMuse tracks him at 37.2% from that zone, where he can unleash his stepback three. 30 games) that have averaged at least two 3-point attempts this season, only two are shooting worse from downtown than Davis 28.6 percent. The 37-year-old never has a huge individual dip in his production. This isn't to say that James won't stop shooting jumpers and that he won't occasionally jack up a lazy jumper. (click on chart to see every dot). That is a substantial improvement from last season, when he was thrilled to be near 43 percent on jumpers. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. 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If he had the ability to, nothing would stop him. LeBron James' criticism of NBA Play-In game comes across as hypocritical, NBA play-in: 3 ways the tournament could lead to total chaos, Lakers News: LeBron James's return could come Friday night vs. Kings. Abdul-Jabbar took at least one 3-pointer in each of his 10 seasons with the shot at his disposal. Hachimura finished with the best plus-minus rating: a minus-18. Some stats were available earlier in the ABA. In 2011-12 for the Miami Heat, he averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists on his way to his third MVP award. As Dellavedova drives to the opposite corner, LeBron cuts with the help of a sort of lazy J.R. Smith screen. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Could others do more? Subscribe to Stathead , the set of tools used by the pros, to unearth this and other interesting factoids. In fact, the gap from Chamberlain to second was wider than the gap from second to eighth. And yet, James feels that he has not received the reputation of being a great scorer. And if you cannot have a growth mindset on how you can find ways to get better with the team, then youll get left behind.. Hes not doing it by scoring 12 points a night and just hanging on, said Philadelphia 76ers Coach Doc Rivers, adding, Its just an extraordinary record and its an extraordinary way that hes gone about it., Of the top 250 scorers, share of each players made shots that were , How LeBron James Outscored Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and All the N.B.A. But when these shots go in at roughly equal rates, it becomes REALLY hard to tune out the math. His greatness has hurt his own cause in the eyes of many uneducated basketball onlookers. LeBron is the youngest player to reach 30,000 points at 33 years old. James averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game in the finalsbecoming the first person to lead all five statistical categories for players on both teams in the finalsand was unanimously named finals MVP. SEO: XL Media. Even if they dont start hitting mid-range shots, they will still be incredibly impactful on the court. Now that you've seen the cases laid out for five of the greatest ever, who is actually on top? The Lakers scored only two more points over a nearly six-minute stretch in which Memphis push its lead from one to 25. ESNYs MLB 2023 Preview: Can the Texas Rangers take over the AL West? Ja Morant, the guy the Lakers couldnt stop in Game 3, attacked and told them they were too small.. The do-it-all forward, who entered the NBA with the "more Magic, than Michael" mantra, has never been singled out for his scoring prowess despite consistently ranking among the league's most prolific scorers. Here, Matthew Dellavedova brings up the ball and James heads off toward the left corner. The result has been that LeBron is shooting 51 percent from the field, although his true shooting percentage has roughly stayed the game. WebLeBron James on NBA 2K23. James had a head start on catching Abdul-Jabbar because he was drafted out of high school, which wasnt allowed in Abdul-Jabbars day. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. And on the biggest stage, Jordan always grabbed the Bulls by the horns as he led Chicago outright in scoring in 32 of his 35 NBA Finals games.
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