# Lebron James is a Terrible Defender: NOT



## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

I can think we can officially put this myth to bed. A few games ago he completely shutdown S. Jax in the second half holding him to zero points after Jackson went off for 17 point in the first half against Snow and Sasha.

Of course in the Phoenix game he had that game changing block on Barbaso

Today he had another 2 huge defensive plays to seal the game against the Nets. Great defense and it came at a crucial time in the game


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## remy23 (Aug 15, 2002)

Good post. You're preaching to the choir here (but guys on the general board probably need to hear this because the myth is alive and well on the outside). Nobody is calling LeBron the Defensive Player Of The Year but like you said, he's not a scrub.


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## KingoftheCourt23 (Jul 20, 2005)

Totally agree. He has definetly improved his D from last year. I think his offensive game is such so far advanced that people expect his D to be there two. I know he will continue to improve on D and become better overall. People need to recognize that he is an elite player even if you dont want him to be. Put the excuses away and give the man some respect!


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## Benedict_Boozer (Jul 16, 2004)

It's mostly Denver (Melo) fans hating on his defense, most people have accepted the fact he is improving defensively. 

He has the ability to turn games around on both ends, he's really come light years defensively even from last year.


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## GM3 (May 5, 2005)

He was doing it all today, good game by LBJ, but I want to see how he does in the playoffs.


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## CHKNWANG321 (Sep 3, 2005)

Yah, in the past it seemed like Lebron was resting on defense, now he is going all out on defense. Making huge plays during key situations.

We also need to give some mad props to sasha for his nice defense versus VC tonight


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## LBJthefuturegoat (Nov 13, 2004)

CHKNWANG321 said:


> Yah, in the past it seemed like Lebron was resting on defense, now he is going all out on defense. Making huge plays during key situations.
> 
> We also need to give some mad props to sasha for his nice defense versus VC tonight


I agree sometimes he looks lost on defense others it's purely effort. It was kind of disheartening last year when the effort was just not there on that end. This year is different he is getting better and better *and* his effort is there it's only a matter of time before the haters will be silenced.


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

I want to see him check Wade tonight.


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## remy23 (Aug 15, 2002)

^ E. Snow will check Wade (due to Hughes being injured).


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## Larry Hughes for Retirement (Jul 5, 2004)

Sasha on Payton
Snow on Wade
LBJ on Posey


As for Snow i hope we dare Wade to shoot the long jumpers just like Phoenix did. He is best when he creates in the lane, just dare him to shoot the deep jumper. Because if we body him up, he will go by anybody


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## CHKNWANG321 (Sep 3, 2005)

LBJ to LJ for 3 said:


> Sasha on Payton
> Snow on Wade
> LBJ on Posey
> 
> ...


 Those are pretty good matchups for the Cavaliers. Im guessing both Sasha and LBJ will get some chances against Wade also


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

*hmmm*



remy23 said:


> ^ E. Snow will check Wade (due to Hughes being injured).


Are you sure? I hope you remember last time Snow tried to check him, Eric ended up having to get aircasts for those broken ankles


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

*Re: hmmm*

LeBron hasn't been a bad defender for weeks. He's now solidly above average more consistently. And like the last couple games, is starting to learn when to pick his spots defensively during momentum shifts.


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## remy23 (Aug 15, 2002)

*Re: hmmm*

LBJ seems better laterally now. His north-south speed was always top notch but the east-west is coming along too.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

*Re: hmmm*

Following the nice D on S. Jax and against Marion and Phoenix. We have the nice D against Jefferson: <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysptblthbody1 align=right><TD class=yspdetailttl align=left width="18%" height=18>Name</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="6%">Min</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="8%">FG</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="8%">3Pt</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="8%">FT</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="8%">Off</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="6%">Reb</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="6%">Ast</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="6%">TO</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="6%">Stl</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="6%">Blk</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="6%">PF</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="8%">Pts </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 align=right><TD align=left> R. Jefferson</TD><TD>45</TD><TD>6-15</TD><TD>1-2</TD><TD>6-7</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>19 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

*Re: hmmm*

LeBron James' offensive exploits are well-chronicled. The kid is the NBA's third-leading scorer (30.9 points a game), is tied for 13th in assists (6.5 a game) and as Miami coach Pat Riley puts it, "goes to the basket like a runaway freight train." 

Not much is said about James' play at the defensive end - except by his critics. They insist he takes plays off to conserve energy for the times when he has the ball and that he is regularly beaten in man-on-man situations. 

Scenarios in the Cavaliers last two games seem to indicate James is interested in shutting the critics up. In Saturday night's 100-95 loss to Philadelphia, James went to first-year coach Mike Brown and asked to defend high-scoring Allen Iverson in the fourth quarter. 

<script src="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s4/s4cav/@StoryAd" language="JavaScript1.1"></script><table align="right" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="250"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="5" bgcolor="#000000" width="250">







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<script language="JavaScript"> <!-- if (parseFloat(navigator.appVersion) == 0) { document.write('<IFRAME WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 MARGINWIDTH=0 MARGINHEIGHT=0 HSPACE=0 VSPACE=0 FRAMEBORDER=0 SCROLLING=no BORDERCOLOR=\"#000000\" SRC="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_sx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/{$category_letter}/{$category_whole}/@StoryAd"></IFRAME>'); } --></script> <noscript>  </noscript> It could have been embarrassing for James, a 6-8, 245-pounder who cannot match the quickness of Iverson, a 6-foot, 165-pounder capable of breaking down anyone off the dribble. 

In Monday night's 89-86 victory over Milwaukee, Brown assigned James to defend the Bucks high-scoring Michael Redd at the start of the fourth. Redd is a 6-6, 215-pound guard who can get a jump shot off quicker than a defender can extend an arm. 

Iverson and Redd scored seven and eight points respectively in the fourth quarters, but James hardly embarrassed himself. "Like all of our players, [James] has room to improve," Brown said, "but he's getting better. 

"I've said it before and I'll say it again . . . LeBron James has the ability to become a first-team All-Defensive player." 

The NBA's top four scorers of all-time - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain - were no slouches defensively. Combined, they were named first-team All-Defense 18 times. 

Jordan was an eight-time first teamer and, in 1987-88, when he averaged 35 points a game to lead the NBA in scoring, was also named its Defensive Player of the Year. It prompted then-Lakers GM Jerry West to say, "People realize Michael Jordan is the best offensive player in the game today. What they forget is that he's also its best defensive player." 

At 21, James is not close to being a standout defensive player. Playing defense is a mind-set. The game's top defenders want to do it. 

Brown said he sees a difference in James when he is defending a big-time scorer as opposed to defending one of the league's also-rans. "When LeBron is on better players," Brown said, "he tends to lock in more." 

With defenders not allowed to hand-check, it is virtually impossible for one player to contain the likes of James, Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Defending as a team becomes imperative in order to reasonably contain the league's high scorers. 

"LeBron's team defense has also gotten a lot better," Brown said. 

It's obvious James wants to quiet those who question his desire, and ability, to play defense. "I have taken it as a challenge," he said. "You've got to know when you can get up on a guy and when you have to back off him, and I'm learning. 

"I want the coach to know he can put me on a team's top offensive player."


http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/113939165839120.xml&coll=2


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## CHKNWANG321 (Sep 3, 2005)

*Re: hmmm*

great find


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

*Re: hmmm*

Never thought this would happen. Lebron on Tony Parker?

Well it worked somehow for bits:

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## KingoftheCourt23 (Jul 20, 2005)

He did a good job on Parker but also when tony got into the lane the big guys were collapsing on him and really made it hard for him to find a seam to pass or get a shot off.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Putting Bron on Parker was a good coaching move as much as anything. Because like you guys said, when he actually got by Bron, he would get collapsed on by Bron, and the two bigs, which made the passing lanes very hard to find.


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