Official NBA 2012-2013 Season Thread

[sooperhooper]

Dbl.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

42% overally from the field is 

40% from deep is great, but from watching him play all his makes come from catch and shoot situations.

Anytime he's gotta move with the ball and then put up a shot, its over

Haha that's true. He is one of those shooters who needs to develop a midrange and shoot off the dribble game. But he should and will. 

 

[akajae]

Where's this damn post game vid?

Right here...

I told you...

you

 

[big j 33]

You didn't answer my question though. You said homie couldn't survive in the 80's. If the man who's about to win his 4th mvp in 5 years couldn't, the physical specimen that he is, who would?

He means he'd have to get tougher or develop that jumper

Lebron already developed the jumper. 

 

[durantula]

What's more difficult to accomplish, 33 straight or 72-10??

IMO 72-10, not only that they finished that season 87-13 (including playoffs) ridiculous

 

[durantula]

Lebron already developed the jumper. 

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

Bruh really sat there and singled out plays like he was detailing a crime to the feds.

That's some **** boy ****.

"I believe, and I know, that a lot of my fouls are not basketball plays," James said. "First of all, Kirk Hinrich in the first quarter basically grabbed me with two hands and brought me to the ground. And the last one, Taj Gibson was able to collar me around my shoulder and bring me to the ground.

"Those are not basketball plays. And it's been happening all year. I've been able to keep my cool and try to tell Spo, 'Let's not worry about it too much,' but it is getting to me a little bit."

"Every time I try to defend myself, I've got to face the consequences of a flagrant or a technical foul or whatever the case may be."

"It's tough. It's very tough."

This was on the same level as Wade getting suspended earlier in the year for kicking Sessions in the nuts...then the team having the audacity to release a statement complaining about how their players are treated. 

 

[sooperhooper]

Serious question: why don't to high school recruits go to the d league and get paid instead of going to college if they aren't concerned with getting an education? Also, which do you think holds more talent, ncaa or D league?

 

[srvballer]

i mean hinrich did literally tackle dude. how can anyone deny thats not a basketball play. it just sounds bad for lebron to say it after a loss .

espn acting like the heat just lost game 7 of the finals lol. i actually think in the long run its good for them they lost, get back to being focused on the long run not the short term.

took 27 whole games. but all the heat haters are back to puffing their chests

 

[nycknicks105]

Serious question: why don't to high school recruits go to the d league and get paid instead of going to college if they aren't concerned with getting an education? Also, which do you think holds more talent, ncaa or D league?

Probably the NCAA. You're around your peers and it's almost seen as something is "wrong" with you for you to be in the D-League. It's usually filled with guys who couldn't make an NBA roster during training camp, undrafted players or 2nd round rookies. Also, it's the non-conventional route if you're a HS recruit.

Look at Brandon Jennings as an example. Dude was obviously ready for the NBA straight out of High School, but college isn't for everybody and he decided to go overseas and show case his talent. Granted, he barely got any playing time out there and I heard he got scrubbed around a few times. But he still got that experience.

Going to the D-League should be someones last option.

BTW, the NBA minors doesn't work the same way as baseball. I think that's where you're getting this idea from.

 

[solefx]

I dont want to hear it from Lebron or the Heat. They get every call they want and the refs go blind everytime Wade or Bron commits fouls both on the offensive and defensive end. He's a phenomenal player but he needs to drop the act.

 

[big j 33]

Lebron already developed the jumper. 

Did I say something to amuse you?

 

[grandtheftbike]

Sessions nuts fouled wades leg

 

[ballinsam23]

Serious question: why don't to high school recruits go to the d league and get paid instead of going to college if they aren't concerned with getting an education? Also, which do you think holds more talent, ncaa or D league?

That college experience son. Aint no body getting poon like that in the damn D league.

Plus when you're a top recruit = full scholarship, random gifts, life is great. Thats > a measly 35k a year.

 

[japanair21]

Crazy *** night tonight, and really meaningful games tomorrow.

LA @ MIL
IND @ DAL.

 

[durantula]

i mean hinrich did literally tackle dude. how can anyone deny thats not a basketball play. it just sounds bad for lebron to say it after a loss .

espn acting like the heat just lost game 7 of the finals lol. i actually think in the long run its good for them they lost, get back to being focused on the long run not the short term.

took 27 whole games. but all the heat haters are back to puffing their chests

Because LeBron lowered his shoulder straight into hinrich's chest, THAT is not a basketball play, if he doesnt wrap his arms that's a charge, he chose to take the foul instead of going out like a punk and looking like this dude

 

[durantula]

Did I say something to amuse you?

You said "LeBron already developed a jumper"

 

[drewsone]

Bruh really sat there and singled out plays like he was detailing a crime to the feds. That's some **** boy ****.






This was on the same level as Wade getting suspended earlier in the year for kicking Sessions in the nuts...then the team having the audacity to release a statement complaining about how their players are treated. 

What's his face socked Blake in the nuts and didn't get suspended.. so that's what all of that was about. Lol.

 

[nycknicks105]

What's up with LeBron *****ing about defenders playing him physically?

Dude is 6'9 275 lbs and bulldozing his way to the basket with his knee high up in the air on the offense, but you can't put your hands on him when he's doing that to you?

He needs to be treated the same way Shaq did, and Dwight does now by the ref's. The NBA needs to realize that the defense needs to have something to guard against LeBron and being physical shouldn't be a punishable act.

I'm glad the refs saw it that way tonight in Chicago.

 

[jumpman91023]

Spurs WIN. GG Nuggets fans, this was a real nail biter. IDK how people are still sleeping on these guys, they are for real.

Appreciate it fam, gg to yall too.

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

This was on the same level as Wade getting suspended earlier in the year for kicking Sessions in the nuts...then the team having the audacity to release a statement complaining about how their players are treated. 

What's his face socked Blake in the nuts and didn't get suspended.. so that's what all of that was about. Lol.

Nah, the Ibaka thing happened way after. The Wade/Sessions incident happened in December.

 

[Bert.]

saw some kid at the gym who was honestly about to cry because the heat lost

 

[drewsone]

Nah, the Ibaka thing happened way after. The Wade/Sessions incident happened in December.

I thought you were talking about how they all came out and kind of tweeted that "wow so wade gets suspended but this guy socks someone else in the nuts and gets to play on"

 

[big j 33]

Did I say something to amuse you?

You said "LeBron already developed a jumper"

And what's so funny about that? It's not wrong. 

I refer back to last month.

It doesn't seem to compute.

LeBron James is shooting a career-high 56.7 percent from the floor this season. That number is mind-blowing as it is, but consider this: Most of James' shots have come on jumpers. And he's still shooting better than most guys who live in the paint.

Take a quick glance at the leaderboard and we find that James ranks eighth in field goal percentage this season among qualified players (minimum 300 attempts) alongside paint mavens such as Tyson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard. James is the only wing player of the bunch. In fact, James has attempted more shots outside 10 feet than all of the other top-10 "shooters" combined, according to NBA.com's stats tool.

James is on an absolute tear these days and it's no coincidence that the Heat have won their past 11 games, crushing opponents by an average scoring margin of 12.8 points per game, with the Cavaliers being the defending champions' latest victim on Sunday.

But describing James' run as "hot" doesn't quite do it justice. During the winning streak that dates to Feb. 3, James is shooting 65.5 percent from the floor, 43.6 percent from 3-point range and 79.3 percent from the free throw line. (Overall this season, James is shooting 56.7 percent from the floor, 41 percent on 3s and 74.8 percent on free throws.)

And contrary to popular belief, James is not doing it all on dunks and layups. Because of his sheer physical dominance and endless highlight-reel throwdowns, it's easy to assume that James' run this season has been mostly a product of a merciless desire to attack the basket. But the reality paints a much different picture. It's time we acknowledged the following:

LeBron James now has one of the most lethal jumpers in the league.

Remember those rampant airballs from James' rookie season? Forget about it; same guy, different player. Now smack dab in the middle of his prime as a 28-year-old, James has become everything we wanted him to be. As he showcased in the playoffs last season, James both possesses and embraces a dependable post game where he uses both hands with ease.

And that jumper that plagued his game for so long? As crazy as it sounds, James has developed a jump shot that has been as deadly as those of Steve Novak, Stephen Curry and Kyle Korver.

According to Synergy Sports tracking, James has shot 92 jumpers of the catch-and-shoot variety this season, which is the closest thing we have to an in-game 3-point shooting contest. He's made 48.9 percent of those attempts. When we account for the extra value of a 3-point shot, we find that he's posted an effective field goal percentage of 68.5 percent on those shots.

How good is that? Only Spurs sharpshooter Danny Green has been more efficient on catch-and-shoots. Everyone else trails Green and James in that department.

CATCH-AND-SHOOT LEADERS
James ranks among the league's best in catch-and-shoot situations (minimum 90 attempts), according to Synergy Sports tracking.

Player FG FGA FG% eFG%
Danny Green 113 238 47.5 69.5
LeBron James 45 92 48.9 68.5
Steve Novak 92 204 45.1 66.9
Manu Ginobili 56 121 46.3 66.9
Martell Webster 86 183 47 66.9

There's more. When we look at shots that have been defined as unguarded catch-and-shoots, James is shooting an insane 34-of-59, which is effectively 82.2 percent when we account for the 3-point shot. The average NBA player shoots about 65 percent at the rim. So in other words, giving James an open jumper this season has been more devastating than letting an NBA player take a layup.

It's true, catch-and-shoots represent just a small portion of the overall jumper repertoire. But even when we look beyond those types of set shots, James has been nothing short of amazing.

According to Synergy, 28 players have taken at least 400 jump shots this season. So in this sample, we're looking at the most prolific jump shooters on planet Earth -- Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Joe Johnson, Kobe Bryant and James Harden, etc.

Guess who ranks No. 1 in field goal percentage?

That's right, it's James. He's made 44.7 percent of all his jumpers, which equates to an effective field goal percentage of 52.8 percent. Going by effective field goal percentage, James trails only Ryan Anderson and J.J. Redick in this group.

But when it comes to straight conversion rate, no one's better. And get this: In 2004-05 -- the first recorded season in the Synergy database -- James ranked second-to-last in jump-shot field goal percentage among 57 players with at least 400 jumpers. He made only 34.8 percent of his tries back then; now it's up to a league-best 44.7 percent.

LEBRON'S JUMP-SHOOTING STATS
Season GP MPG FG FGA FG% eFG%
2012-13 54 38.3 3.4 7.6 44.7% 52.8%
2011-12 62 37.5 3.0 7.8 39.3% 44.3%
2010-11 79 38.8 3.6 9.0 39.8% 45.4%
2009-10 76 39.0 3.9 10.3 38.0% 45.6%
2008-09 81 37.7 3.8 10.4 36.2% 43.2%
2007-08 75 40.4 3.7 10.8 34.2% 40.8%
2006-07 78 40.9 3.3 10.1 32.4% 37.4%
2005-06 79 42.5 4.3 11.8 36.9% 43.0%
2004-05 80 42.3 3.5 10.2 34.8% 40.4%

via Synergy

This isn't fair, not from a guy with Karl Malone's size and Chris Paul's vision. We've been so accustomed to watching highlight after highlight of James driving down the lane and destroying every player in his path that we've overlooked how automatic his jumper has been this season.

How has he done it?

It hasn't been with a shooting regimen in the offseason; he simply didn't have time because of the Olympics. When you ask James about his improved jump shot, he simply shrugs and says it's just a matter of repetition. Ray Allen, arguably the greatest 3-point shooter ever, has admitted that James has beaten him multiple times in post-practice shooting competitions this season.

Coach Erik Spoelstra contends that James has trimmed the fat in his shot selection. And this checks out; James has taken one fewer shot from outside 10 feet per game than he did last season and about two fewer shots than his typical diet in Cleveland. And anecdotally, there's been fewer "dribble it up and chuck it from 25 feet" shots from James these days.

But this might just be a natural progression. When James took the world by storm out of high school, we wondered what he might look like in his prime. Well, here it is, folks. James is registering 27.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game on 56.7 percent shooting -- a stat line that has never been achieved in NBA history.

And he now wields one of the best jump shots in the game. We've never seen anything like this. So sit back and appreciate what he's doing because now more than ever, James is a shooting star.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/PerDiem-130225/nba-lebron-james-shooting-star

 

[sooperhooper]

Lebron tries to truck defenders in the paint. I wonder if he feels like that's a basketball play?