The series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 6, which is set for 10:30 p.m. According to ESPN when James does hit free agency he doesnt want big elaborate pitches from teams. 10 scoring titles (most all-time) 30.1 PPG in regular season (most all-time) 33.5 PPG in postseason (most all-time) It's pretty simple: nobody won more scoring He hasnt officiallyopted out of next year with the Cavs but that is the exception. In every year of his career since 2004, James has averaged no fewer than 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. That includes the stars, who are the ones supposed to take the lead and make an impact on their teammates. Hes only 208 points behind Karl Malone (he should pass him in the coming month) at No. Whos number one then? How far this ultimately goes depends on how committed Tyronn Lue is with using James in different ways. You got to be able to adjust, man, he said. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant gets past Lakers forward LeBron James for a layup in Game 5 during the first half of Game 5 on Wednesday night in Memphis. WNBA all-time (since 1997) unless otherwise noted. Nobody during his generation came close to matching his dominance as a scorer. James? A deadly sniper from downtown, he also might be the craftiest around the rim finisher. James finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, shooting 5-of-17 overall and 1-of-9 from 3-point range. That is a substantial improvement from last season, when he was thrilled to be near 43 percent on jumpers. The series between the Lakers and the Grizzlies could only come down to one thing only: the dominance of LeBron James. In addition to the sketch of your Soulmate, you will receive a complete description of characteristics and qualities of this person that will help you connect when you are at the right time with this person. James entered play with a career record of 40-10 in games where his team could end the series with a win, according to StatMuse. a mid-range jumper, The NBA record is 47.4 percent by the 2021 Phoenix Suns. He just doesnt possess the right pieces around him that allow his unique and phenomenally talented skill-set to flourish 100 percent of the way. WebLeBron James has averaged at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 15 different seasons. LeBron James had statistically one of his best regular and postseasons ever. They had to have that closers mentality or ultimately pay the consequences as LBJ does to this very day. Chamberlain critics claim his preposterous numbers are inflated, merely a product of his generation. He's never been a dead-eye shooter, but his decline this year has been notable. Chamberlain's video-game numbers will never be matched. LeBron's rebuttal: With the game on the line, Durant's reputation can't match LeBron's results. Over 600 players in NBA history have played in multiple Game 7s. The third-best scoring average in league history, Baylor was Eurostepping long before anyone knew what the Eurostep was. Giannis Antetokounmpo: (78.0 percent, 9.6 attempts per game). Web4/30 It seemed as though the Warriors had all the momentum after winning three straight games to go ahead 3-2 in their first-round series against Sacramento, LeBron James, Michael Jordan. All trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective owners. LeBron James has played 20 seasons for the Cavaliers, Lakers and Heat. Should the Los Angeles Lakers panic over their playoff situation? And James, the player who saved the Lakers at the end of regulation and in overtime Monday, couldnt make a positive imprint in his first chance to close out the Grizzlies. (click on chart to see every dot). Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. I think everyone in our generation knows Kareem almost as a myth because we probably never watched him play, said Diana Taurasi, who holds the W.N.B.A.s career scoring record with nearly 9,700 points. 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. Micah Adams is an Assistant Managing Editor at The Sporting News. But when these shots go in at roughly equal rates, it becomes REALLY hard to tune out the math. James left after making only five of 17 shots and one of nine from three-point range. Its a travesty among all travesties. Durant has averaged more points than every single one of them. Host: Underdog Jets Podcast with Wayne Chrebet and Sabo Radio. It didnt seem like anyone could. LeBron James has won 65.0 percent of the time in his career. The best percentagefor Bryant was in 1998 where he shot 47.4 percent from the field but he only attempted 19 shots that year. It's one thing to drop 40 in Game 5 of a 1st round series up or down 3-1. Iverson's 29.7 playoff scoring average is second in NBA history behind only No. Taking a closer look. 1 seed for Division 1 baseball playoffs, High school tennis: Southern Section playoff pairings, High school baseball: Southern Section playoff pairings, Dig this: Long Beach States Mason Briggs could be next big thing at libero, Kentucky Derby storylines: Training death puts early pall over Churchill Downs. First and foremost, erase any notion that you may have about Kobe being a better scorer than LeBron. They got to talk about something. How many 3s has LeBron made? 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Grant Williams, MarJon Beauchamp, Miles McBride and Miles McBride are all shooting 100% from long distance. Desmond Bane, the guy the Lakers couldnt stop in Game 4, stayed hot. Few 3-pointers were taken in the N.B.A. It all comes down to his shooting ability. Eligibility restrictions apply. Do you already hate MLBs pitch clock? In 2019, James surpassed Jordan's career tally of 32,292 points to move into fourth place on the all-time list. LeBron, as a way to counteract his jump shot becoming less effective, has largely abandoned the mid-range game altogether. 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. By simply getting James looks inside, the Cavs' offense becomes less bogged down and harder to stop. After the loss, Ham said hed use all options Friday to give the Lakers the best chance to end the series on their court. 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. 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. NAME. Jamess brilliance put three Cavs teams in the position to play in the NBA Finals when they had no business being there. The Lakers couldnt end it. MEMPHIS It doesnt happen often, LeBron James team losing a closeout game in the playoffs. Doesnt matter what uniform, doesnt matter what year, doesnt matter how old.. James is ninth in career 3-pointers after relying more on long-range shooting as he aged (its usually easier on the body) and as 3-pointers soared in popularity. His career averages (27.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.4 apg) closely mirror every year of his career with only minor deviations. If they don't have an open shot, said shooter can a) either re-post James or b) swing the ball around the perimeter in search of an open three. Brad Davis.5870: 59. It is what it is. has won 65.0 percent of the time in his career. He is a University of Maryland alum. On NBA 2K23, this All-Time Version of LeBron James' 2K Rating is 96 and has a 2-Way Inside-Out Point Forward Build. No other than His Airness Michael Jordan. Odds and lines subject to change. We were told we wont be here in the first place, said Lakers coach Darvin Ham, whose team is the No. That said, the mid-range isnt for everyone, and its worth exploring just how much LeBron James and Anthony Davis should be embracing it. 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). LeBron was incredible in the mid-range this postseason, making 59-of-121 (48.8%) so good it would have been a playoff best % for Kobe Bryant. 33.3 percent on threes is better than 40.0 percent on twos). 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. Anthony Davis paced the Lakers on Wednesday with 31 points and 19 boards. 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. LeBron is the youngest player to reach 30,000 points at 33 years old. Chart showing the share of 3-pointers, 2-pointers and free throws by Abdul-Jabbar and James over time. ORB, DRB, STL, BLK, DRtg, BPM, VORP, and per 100 Poss stats since 1973-74. Shot Clock Range. Swanson: LeBron James, Lakers are much better in closeout win, as promised We are the original Soulmate Sketch and have been featured on TV, so you can expect high quality work from a real psychic with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Sure they were butchers on the defensive end at times, but the hall of fame talent around them covered them up nicely. SEO: XL Media. LeBron James (Additional Stats) - NBA player profile page from WhatifSports And when he's harder to defend, so are the Cavs. So, its fine. If you're staking your claim to be the greatest scorer of all-time, performance under playoff pressure has to factor in. James and the Lakers were getting avalanched. ClickBank is the retailer of products on this site. Table showing the scoring totals for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lebron James, broken down by type of shot. In the mind of all basketball purists, this is incredibly wrong. The Lakers, faced with shutting down their best players or trying for the miracle comeback, chose the latter. He was averaging 28.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in such games. One of these copycats includes Kobe: Furthermore, just take in how eloquent the mid-range game is for both guys. 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. Throughout his career, he has adapted his game to become a proficient scorer from 3-point range, mid-range and at the rim. Ive always just wanted to have a game that fits any style of play or any era, he said. Many people have found that their sketch resembles someone that is currently close in their life, their current significant other / partner, or someone they admire or have feelings for. It ties his sixth-highest mark. He set the record in 1984 and finished his career five years later with 38,387 points. Leslie described James as the most dominant point guard, two-guard, small forward and power forward all in one because of his size, speed, explosiveness and overall basketball I.Q. Below were his attributes and badges. Now that you've seen the cases laid out for five of the greatest ever, who is actually on top? James doesnt do it the mid-range way. https://t.co/so8BLzs2oApic.twitter.com/GbJdytjHmE, Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) June 25, 2018. Related Articles In every instance Jordan is first, James is second, and Bryant is third. Chart showing percentage of each players made shots that were 3-pointers and 2-pointers for the 250 top scorers in N.B.A. TOV and ORtg since 1977-78. 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. He upped Luke Kennards minutes and re-inserted John Konchar, who saw court time earlier in the season. He set a new playoff career high in Game 4 with 36 points and followed it up with a 12-of-21 shooting effort, four 3s and 10 rebounds with his teams season on the line. 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. Those guys were spectacular tonight, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. frame is something none of us has ever laid eyes on before. Abdul-Jabbar, the former center for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, held the record for nearly 40 years. 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. 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. In fact, hes a completely different player all together. 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. He's also taking six percent fewer threes (excluding corner threes, where his percentages are roughly the same) than he did last year. About 70 percent of Abdul-Jabbars made shots were 2-pointers, with 30 percent free throws. SEO: XL Media. Not only do Durant's three career game-winning buzzer-beaters pale in comparison to the seven for James, he's never hit one in the playoffs.