Is Lebron still in his prime?

This topic contains 32 replies, has 15 voices, and was last updated by mamadou 9 years, 2 months ago.

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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:14pm #62760

valentine
All things considered…is Lebron still in his prime?
Please dont turn this into a Lebron Bashing thread…hes a legendary player.l and not half the d@ck that people make him out to be. But thats irrelevent.
I just want to know…is he getting better….staying the same…or getting worse

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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:25pm #1042561

OhCanada-
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I think he is at the point where he has stopped initially improving and should be turning the corner to the point where he will not be able to rely on athleticism anymore. When Lebron was on his first stint with Cleveland I predicted he would regress faster than most players due to the constant beating he takes exerting his athletic abilities. It takes a toll on your body but he has done a great job conditioning and avoiding major injuries.
Lebron is still elite Lebron. The NBA is more competitive than in years past throughout the whole league and he is still thriving and will show it in the playoffs. Don’t sleep on King James.

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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:25pm #1042422

OhCanada-
Participant
I think he is at the point where he has stopped initially improving and should be turning the corner to the point where he will not be able to rely on athleticism anymore. When Lebron was on his first stint with Cleveland I predicted he would regress faster than most players due to the constant beating he takes exerting his athletic abilities. It takes a toll on your body but he has done a great job conditioning and avoiding major injuries.
Lebron is still elite Lebron. The NBA is more competitive than in years past throughout the whole league and he is still thriving and will show it in the playoffs. Don’t sleep on King James.

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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:29pm #1042563

Reptilian Monk
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He has lost a bit of athleticism but makes a huge difference and is still extremely affective He needs to improve and work on his shooting/free throws alot as they both have been broke and gotten alot worse from 2-3 years ago
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:29pm #1042425

Reptilian Monk
Participant
He has lost a bit of athleticism but makes a huge difference and is still extremely affective He needs to improve and work on his shooting/free throws alot as they both have been broke and gotten alot worse from 2-3 years ago
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:41pm #1042565

DukeDaSquad
Participant
I thought his decline was visible at the start of last season. He didn’t look good athletically until he took that week off to go to Miami. And now his jump shot is terrible but that can be worked on some more going forward because he was never this bad at any point in his career. I definitely don’t see him getting better going forward
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:41pm #1042427

DukeDaSquad
Participant
I thought his decline was visible at the start of last season. He didn’t look good athletically until he took that week off to go to Miami. And now his jump shot is terrible but that can be worked on some more going forward because he was never this bad at any point in his career. I definitely don’t see him getting better going forward
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- Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 10:17pm #1042467
  
  ballislyfe25
  Participant
  Spot on. His jump shot has been significantly worse since he left South Beach. Gone are the days of 40% from 3.
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- Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 10:17pm #1042605
  
  ballislyfe25
  Participant
  Spot on. His jump shot has been significantly worse since he left South Beach. Gone are the days of 40% from 3.
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:57pm #1042567

holefillers1
Participant
I think Lebron will transition into a PF role and average double digit rebounds. Kind of like Barkley.
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 3:57pm #1042429

holefillers1
Participant
I think Lebron will transition into a PF role and average double digit rebounds. Kind of like Barkley.
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 4:26pm #1042433

Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
Participant
There are subtle signs of decline. He can still be the best player in the world on any given night but he can’t be that player every night throughout an entire season anymore. You can definitely tell there are some games when the legs just aren’t there and you never saw that 4-5 years ago.
However, he is still pretty far off from the point where we see any dramatic decline and I think he probably has at least 5 seasons left at an elite level barring any sort of major injury. I thought during last seasons playoffs he was arguably as good as he’s ever been in his career all things considered. Lebron is such an amazing physical talent that people sleep on his basketball iq sometimes which is also at an extremely high level. He will find ways to compensate once his natural athleticism starts to go.
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 4:26pm #1042571

Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
Participant
There are subtle signs of decline. He can still be the best player in the world on any given night but he can’t be that player every night throughout an entire season anymore. You can definitely tell there are some games when the legs just aren’t there and you never saw that 4-5 years ago.
However, he is still pretty far off from the point where we see any dramatic decline and I think he probably has at least 5 seasons left at an elite level barring any sort of major injury. I thought during last seasons playoffs he was arguably as good as he’s ever been in his career all things considered. Lebron is such an amazing physical talent that people sleep on his basketball iq sometimes which is also at an extremely high level. He will find ways to compensate once his natural athleticism starts to go.
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 4:45pm #1042437

Hype Machine
Lebron was clearly the #1 player for a decade…but Ive got him at #5 this season.
Curry
Durant
Westbrook
Leonard
Lebron
So my answer is that he is declining…and maybe not as slowly as people think.
To be fair…he could slow down a lot and still be a top 20 player in the NBA in the same way Tim Duncan has.

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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 4:45pm #1042575

Hype Machine
Lebron was clearly the #1 player for a decade…but Ive got him at #5 this season.
Curry
Durant
Westbrook
Leonard
Lebron
So my answer is that he is declining…and maybe not as slowly as people think.
To be fair…he could slow down a lot and still be a top 20 player in the NBA in the same way Tim Duncan has.

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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 5:43pm #1042441

For_Never_Ever
Participant
Human beings physically and athletically slow down with age. The turning point is normally 30yrs old. The saying goes father time is undefeated. If you haven’t figured out he is slowing down now, and is at the tail end of his prime. He could still improve skills like shooting and post game, but with age he is in decline now.
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 5:43pm #1042579

For_Never_Ever
Participant
Human beings physically and athletically slow down with age. The turning point is normally 30yrs old. The saying goes father time is undefeated. If you haven’t figured out he is slowing down now, and is at the tail end of his prime. He could still improve skills like shooting and post game, but with age he is in decline now.
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 6:33pm #1042447

tuck243
Participant
LeBron’s issue is that he managed to evolve into a better player in Miami only to go back to the player he was in Cleveland. The issue there is he always relied on his jumper more while in Cleveland and it’s been a problem to his FG%. He still shows he’s a force to reckon with and I don’t see his elite athleticism falling off anytime soon. LeBron never had a quick first step, so I’m not sure why people think he’s slowing down now? He’s like Randy Moss when he runs and need about 3-4 steps before blazing pass you. Always been this way and I don’t see a difference from now and 4 years ago.
Dropping weight last year really hurt his game… He was always built to operate out of the post because he’s not a great 1 on 1 player from the perimeter. Good? Yes… But Great? No… He should’ve stayed in the post like Magic did and probably would’ve won more rings because of it.

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- Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 7:07pm #1042450
  
  For_Never_Ever
  Participant
  Lebron never had a quick first step ? Can you name five SF’s that have a quicker first step than him at his prime ? T-Mav, I think did, and Melo debatable. I’m not old enough to judge Wilkins.
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- Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 7:07pm #1042589
  
  For_Never_Ever
  Participant
  Lebron never had a quick first step ? Can you name five SF’s that have a quicker first step than him at his prime ? T-Mav, I think did, and Melo debatable. I’m not old enough to judge Wilkins.
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- Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 7:33pm #1042457
  
  alex23
  Participant
  LeBron never had a quick first step?? Gimme some of what you’re smoking though.
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- Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 7:33pm #1042595
  
  alex23
  Participant
  LeBron never had a quick first step?? Gimme some of what you’re smoking though.
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Posted on: Fri, 02/12/2016 - 6:33pm #1042585

tuck243
Participant
LeBron’s issue is that he managed to evolve into a better player in Miami only to go back to the player he was in Cleveland. The issue there is he always relied on his jumper more while in Cleveland and it’s been a problem to his FG%. He still shows he’s a force to reckon with and I don’t see his elite athleticism falling off anytime soon. LeBron never had a quick first step, so I’m not sure why people think he’s slowing down now? He’s like Randy Moss when he runs and need about 3-4 steps before blazing pass you. Always been this way and I don’t see a difference from now and 4 years ago.
Dropping weight last year really hurt his game… He was always built to operate out of the post because he’s not a great 1 on 1 player from the perimeter. Good? Yes… But Great? No… He should’ve stayed in the post like Magic did and probably would’ve won more rings because of it.

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Posted on: Sat, 02/13/2016 - 1:52am #1042484

khaled_a_d
Participant
I am not sure if I am using the right words sense ebglish isn’t my 1st language ,but I would say he in his prime but not at his peak
By that I mean he is still very good player who is playing gr8 basketball and it you can’t say he is declining yet ,but he isn’t at the very best of his career ,that is what we have already seen in Miami
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Posted on: Sat, 02/13/2016 - 1:52am #1042623

khaled_a_d
Participant
I am not sure if I am using the right words sense ebglish isn’t my 1st language ,but I would say he in his prime but not at his peak
By that I mean he is still very good player who is playing gr8 basketball and it you can’t say he is declining yet ,but he isn’t at the very best of his career ,that is what we have already seen in Miami
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Posted on: Sat, 02/13/2016 - 4:05am #1042496

surve
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My theory out of all my years of watching sports…mainly basketball and boxing is that the athletic decline for "fresh" athletes begins around 33 years of age. However….I do believe somewhere between 30-33 that their IQ and Athletic peaks meet and that is your overall prime. For instance….the best MJ to me wasnt the most athletic one. He got better after his athletic prime started to decline because his IQ rose to compensate for the dip in athleticism.
I believe the same to be true with Lebron even though some people think he will suck more as his athleticism declines…I dont believe so. I do believe Lebron is not as "fresh" as some other 30-31 year olds so I think his athletic prime is starting to slip…but it may only appear that way be because of different things like a few injuries and weight loss/gain. He is not playing like he is in his overall prime, mainly due to the jump shot. I would say if he gets some more help in Cleveland where he doesnt have to do so much on given nights…we probably still have not seen his overall basketball peak. That should come within the next year or two.
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Posted on: Sat, 02/13/2016 - 4:05am #1042635

surve
Participant
My theory out of all my years of watching sports…mainly basketball and boxing is that the athletic decline for "fresh" athletes begins around 33 years of age. However….I do believe somewhere between 30-33 that their IQ and Athletic peaks meet and that is your overall prime. For instance….the best MJ to me wasnt the most athletic one. He got better after his athletic prime started to decline because his IQ rose to compensate for the dip in athleticism.
I believe the same to be true with Lebron even though some people think he will suck more as his athleticism declines…I dont believe so. I do believe Lebron is not as "fresh" as some other 30-31 year olds so I think his athletic prime is starting to slip…but it may only appear that way be because of different things like a few injuries and weight loss/gain. He is not playing like he is in his overall prime, mainly due to the jump shot. I would say if he gets some more help in Cleveland where he doesnt have to do so much on given nights…we probably still have not seen his overall basketball peak. That should come within the next year or two.
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Posted on: Sat, 02/13/2016 - 11:05am #1042693

Hitster
Participant
LBJ is 31 years old now and is in his 13th NBA season so he has a fair few miles on the clock but will get a max deal this coming summer most likely with Cleveland. I’d say he’s still playing as well as he has ever done, of course his minutes are managed a lot better than when he was playing over 42mpg during a couple of his early years in Cleveland.
As any sportsperson gets older they maybe lose a bit of explosivness but that is compensated for by them playing to their strengths, using their IQ, their coach using them to greatest effect.
I’d say LBJ has a few peak years left, Kobe was still top level at 34, MJ at 35 and beyond if he had wanted too. Karl Malone was the prototype PF who played at an elite level until he was nearly 40 during his time at Utah. His career lasted 18 seasons at Utah plus the one in LA, so LBJ can claim to have a few more peak years left IMO.

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Posted on: Sat, 02/13/2016 - 11:05am #1042554

Hitster
Participant
LBJ is 31 years old now and is in his 13th NBA season so he has a fair few miles on the clock but will get a max deal this coming summer most likely with Cleveland. I’d say he’s still playing as well as he has ever done, of course his minutes are managed a lot better than when he was playing over 42mpg during a couple of his early years in Cleveland.
As any sportsperson gets older they maybe lose a bit of explosivness but that is compensated for by them playing to their strengths, using their IQ, their coach using them to greatest effect.
I’d say LBJ has a few peak years left, Kobe was still top level at 34, MJ at 35 and beyond if he had wanted too. Karl Malone was the prototype PF who played at an elite level until he was nearly 40 during his time at Utah. His career lasted 18 seasons at Utah plus the one in LA, so LBJ can claim to have a few more peak years left IMO.

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Posted on: Sun, 02/14/2016 - 5:59am #1042801

losnopesos
Participant
IMO if you have to ask then you already know the answer is no.
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Posted on: Sun, 02/14/2016 - 5:59am #1042662

losnopesos
Participant
IMO if you have to ask then you already know the answer is no.
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Posted on: Tue, 02/16/2016 - 9:29am #1042974

mamadou
Participant
Lowest PT of his career, lowest 3pts FG% in his career, lowest FTA since his rookie season and he’s still on pace for a 12 str8 season averaging more than 25-6-6…who else ?
He’s better on 36 mins this season than he was in his his first year with the heat…
45000+ mins at barely 31YO, 107 PO games in the last 5 years, 3 str8 OG.
I think he’s doing just fine…

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Posted on: Tue, 02/16/2016 - 9:29am #1043112

mamadou
Participant
Lowest PT of his career, lowest 3pts FG% in his career, lowest FTA since his rookie season and he’s still on pace for a 12 str8 season averaging more than 25-6-6…who else ?
He’s better on 36 mins this season than he was in his his first year with the heat…
45000+ mins at barely 31YO, 107 PO games in the last 5 years, 3 str8 OG.
I think he’s doing just fine…

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