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Scouting Report
LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. It may have taken longer for some to realize it but if last season wasn’t enough to convince them, then basketball isn’t the sport they should be watching. James has every conceivable talent you could ask for in a basketball player and his dedication to remove all weaknesses from his arsenal has paid off in the form of back-to-back MVP awards in the past two seasons.
James finished second in the league in scoring last season with 29.7 points per game and had he chosen to play in the final six games of the regular season, he likely would have won his second career scoring title. James’ speed in the open court is breathtaking, his ability to get by his defenders with ease is hard to understand, his defensive abilities are often underrated and his spotty jumpshot has started to come around a bit over the past two seasons. In other words, there isn’t a lot that James can’t do and what he can do, he does at a rate and efficiency that we have only seen from Michael Jordan.
According to Synergy Sports Technology, James was the 20th most efficient offensive player in the league last season, scoring 1.07 points per possession on 2396 offensive plays. James did most of his work in one-on-one sets with the Cavs, and though he will likely do much less of this in Miami, his stunning efficiency in isolation is something to fawn over. James scored .97 points per possession on 758 plays while shooting 42% from the field, and that percentage would have been much better if he didn’t try to push the limits with his jumpshot too often with fadeaways and contested pull-ups.
James will likely be playing in the pick and roll more often with the Heat this season, which should produce outstanding results. With Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson setting the screen for him, James accounted for 1.02 points per possession in the pick and roll, the seventh best rate in the league. With Bosh and Udonis Haslem rolling alongside him, Mike Miller spotting up and Wade ready to catch and shoot or drive, LeBron’s efficiency in the pick and roll or pick and pop may set a new standard in the NBA because he is so good at finishing at the rim himself as well as finding the open shooter or cutter.
LeBron was also effective from the outside last season, as he shot 40% from 16-23 feet for the second straight season. That isn’t a great number, but take away the aforementioned unnecessary fadeaways and contested jumpers and you have a better percentage. The one area of James’ game that is still susceptible to criticism is his game between 10-15 foot range, where he shot just 32%.
Most believe the next step for James would be to add a post-game, something he could utilize within that range, but according to Synergy, going to the post is already an effective option for James. On 152 post-ups, LeBron scored 1.08 points per possession, the 14th best mark in the league, and shot 53%. Expanding his post-game to the point where he can turn a few of his long two’s into more post-ups is a good idea, but James is already adept in the low-post because of his strength. His success in the mid-range, or lack thereof, is also apparent at the charity stripe where he shoots just 77%. That’s a decent number and is certainly not a massive detractor because of what else he brings to the table but it can improve.
James’ efficiency last season was off the charts as he added nearly nine assists and seven rebounds to go along with his 29.7 points. LeBron’s PER was 31.19, which is the sixth best mark in the history of the NBA. James is the only player in the history of the league to post a top five PER, with the only other being Michael Jordan.
LeBron’s passing makes him just as unique as his amazing athleticism does. And when you combine the two as well as his six-foot-nine frame and his unbelievable court vision, you get one of the best if not the best passers of all-time. James averaged close to nine assists last season and could see an increase in his numbers thanks to his new teammates. 194 of James’ assists came on three-pointers last season and with Miller now roaming the wing, LeBron should continue to create a number of good looks from deep. And if he runs the pick and roll with Bosh as well as I think he will, his 329 assists on dunks or close shots total from last season should go up.
Defensively, James has made strides over the past three seasons and has turned himself into one of the best defensive players in the entire league. In fact, when he is locked in and guarding the opposing team’s best offensive player rather than roaming and gambling for steals, I think James is the most effective one-on-one defender in the entire league. According to Basketball Prospectus, James had a godlike defensive multiplier last season, holding his man to 72% of their normal production, which is as good as you’re going to get at the wing position and is a good way to look at LeBron’s effectiveness in a one-on-one scenario.
According to Synergy, James ranked fifth overall in isolation defense last season, holding his man to just .6 points per possession and 31% shooting from the field. Again, just sterling numbers that are reserved for the best in the league on the defensive end. Overall, James ranked as the 60th best defender by allowing just .84 points per possession and holding his man to 38% shooting from the floor. LeBron’s defense in the pick and roll was his lone weak spot on that end of the floor last season, which could be do in large part to Shaquille O’Neal being the big man on the pick and roll, forcing James to do too much. Chris Bosh isn’t a great defender but he is mobile and can stay with his man on the role and when Udonis Haslem comes in, James will be defending alongside one of the best in the league, which should help James defend the pick and roll this season.
When it comes to the boards, James is outdone by nine or so players at his position but only Gerald Wallace can match James’ athleticism and instincts when it comes to rebounding. As the best rebounder on the team in Miami, James could see his rate go up as well as his average, and if that happens the triple-double some think he can average will become a lot more realistic.
James is the league’s best player without question and he will have his best chance to win an NBA championship this season with Miami. No matter what you think of him as a person for doing what he did this off-season, never forget that LeBron is the best player in the NBA, the best passer and athlete ever, one of the most dominant scorers ever and one of the funnest players to watch in the history of the spot. Put what he did this summer behind you and enjoy him this season because if he lowers the number of long jumpers he takes while averaging the same amount of assists or rebounds as he did last season if not more, James may have the most efficient season ever.
