Strictly getting this information from another board: "They just showed a stat that shows Lebron James is 2-15 in his career on game winning or tying shots with 10 seconds left he just missed a FT that could tie. He is the ANTI-CLUTCH." Is that true? If so, the boy needs to learn how to hit clutch shots, that is important in being an elite player.
it must be true cuz that announcer dude or whatever they call it sitting and saying "oh what a play"...... lebron is 2-15 and melo is 7-11
Carmelo is clutch. He'll hit you the big shot when you need it, you can't say the same for LeBron. Could it be that LeBron has some sort of a curse that'll be with him for a good portion of his career, such as T-Mac not getting out of the 1st round? Very interesting to think about. What I don't understand is, he was wide open for a 3, why did he pass that up for Pavlovic (spelling is wrong, I think)? Was he trying for his triple double?
na curses dont exist, t-mac WILL lead the rockets past 1st round someday and lebron will hit more game winners in his career... i dont get it too, there is lebron wide open 3, and there is pavlovic another guy wide open 3... but pavlovic missed 2 previous freethrows and it should establish the fact that he cant shoot! and lerbon said he doest really carre about his stats he would trade a 50 pt for a win
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting K8B:</div><div class="quote_post">Carmelo is clutch. He'll hit you the big shot when you need it, you can't say the same for LeBron. Could it be that LeBron has some sort of a curse that'll be with him for a good portion of his career, such as T-Mac not getting out of the 1st round? Very interesting to think about. What I don't understand is, he was wide open for a 3, why did he pass that up for Pavlovic (spelling is wrong, I think)? Was he trying for his triple double?</div> Neither player is clutch IMO. LeBron just doesnt have the Kobe/MJ type of killer instinct to put away games, alot of times down the stretch he passes too much when he should take a shot. Melo is just a plain old volume shooter so you can't expect him to hit that many clutch shots, but he does hit some (you're bound to hit a few if you take every last second shot though)
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">Neither player is clutch IMO. LeBron just doesnt have the Kobe/MJ type of killer instinct to put away games, alot of times down the stretch he passes too much when he should take a shot. Melo is just a plain old volume shooter so you can't expect him to hit that many clutch shots, but he does hit some (you're bound to hit a few if you take every last second shot though)</div> I heard, I'm not sure because I didn't see the end of the game, that Melo is 7-11 so far in his career when the game is on the line. That is the makings of a very clutch player.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting K8B:</div><div class="quote_post">I heard, I'm not sure because I didn't see the end of the game, that Melo is 7-11 so far in his career when the game is on the line. That is the makings of a very clutch player.</div> I'm just speaking off of what I've seen. I haven't watched him all that much but hes on national TV quite a bit. He just doesnt seem to hit many big shots from what I've seen.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting K8B:</div><div class="quote_post"> Could it be that LeBron has some sort of a curse that'll be with him for a good portion of his career, such as T-Mac not getting out of the 1st round? Very interesting to think about. </div> Yes, that must be it. Depending on how you define "clutch" situations, LeBron comes off as very clutch or very "anti-clutch." For example, 82games.com shows every player's numbers in the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter and overtime, when neither team is ahead by more than 5 points. LeBron has been spectacular overall in such situations. http://www.82games.com/0506/05CLE8E.HTM Per 48 minutes, he's averaged 38.5 points on 55.4 efg% and 7.8 assists. He's struggled from the free throw line, however (only 68.4%). But still, overall it's very good. A big reason for his effectiveness is that he doesn't settle for jumpers in that situation (only 49% of his shots are jump shots), and he's one of the best at finishing close the basket. Compare this to Kobe, who's widely considered (with some justification) as the best clutch player in the game. http://www.82games.com/0506/05LAL7E.HTM Kobe averages 45.6 points per 48 minutes in these "clutch" situations, but shoots a very poor 41.4 efg%. He does do a very good job at getting to the line (16.5 free throw attempts per 48 minutes), and is generally pretty good at converting (80.5%). Amazingly, 86% of his shots are jumpers and he's struggled on converting inside shots (only 30 efg%, compared to LeBron's 68.4 efg%). He only gets 4.0 assists per 48 minutes, and doesn't rebound as well as LeBron either in the clutch. People like to focus in on the last shot in games and tend to forget what happened in the minutes preceding the last shot. If I'm down to one play and I need a single shot to win or tie the game, of course I'd pick Kobe over LeBron. He's proven. But if the situation is picking between the two with, say, 5 minutes on the clock and it's a tight game -- I'd favor going with LeBron.
Id say if its the 4rth Quarter I will go with Kobe. =) Damn if its the whole season Id go with da Kobe!
Durvasa, stats are good and all but when it comes down to it; leborn isn't clutch. i'm an LBJ fan and the past 3 games have been horrible. Frankly i'd take Lebron in the first 3q but Kobe in the 4th or even just the last minute, any day.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm just speaking off of what I've seen. I haven't watched him all that much but hes on national TV quite a bit. He just doesnt seem to hit many big shots from what I've seen.</div> You say he isn't clutch and then you follow that up by saying you havn't seen him that much this year. Why don't you ask Rockets fans if he's clutch. Don't forget to ask Dallas and Phoenix fans too. The kid is still only 21, he's got a long career ahead of him. I mean, didn't you see the game last night when he made a move and got the go ahead dunk with 20 seconds left?
^I know LeBron is still young and has many more years, but I think he lacks a killer instict, too. They're somethings you can't teach: size and killer instict. I don't blame James for not having one; only a select few have one, but I just don't see James ever being a feared clutch player like Kobe or Horry.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Johnnybrasco:</div><div class="quote_post">Durvasa, stats are good and all but when it comes down to it; leborn isn't clutch. i'm an LBJ fan and the past 3 games have been horrible. Frankly i'd take Lebron in the first 3q but Kobe in the 4th or even just the last minute, any day.</div> When it comes down to what? If your answer is what actually happens in games (versus our perception/subjective memories), than statistics are paramount. A stat is nothing but a recording of specific things that happen in games. My point is that there's more to being clutch than hitting the last shot (granted, that's very important). Overall this season, I'd say LeBron has been very good in clutch situations, if we look at it in a broader sense. LeBron has been perhaps too passive in the closing possessions of the last few games, but that he'd trust his teammates to hit an open shot instead forcing a tough jumper over defenders is what makes him special. It makes him look bad when the results aren't good, of course. This 2-for-7 number on last shots isn't really that big a deal at this point. Jordan missed a ton of these kind of shots as well. Surely, there were times where he was only successful on 2 of his last 7 "last shot" attempts. It's just too small a sample to be really significant. Edit: Ok, LeBron is apparently 2-for-15. That's a little different, but I still think it's too early to make a big deal out of it at this point. I wonder how many go-ahead or game-tying assists LeBron has had.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm just speaking off of what I've seen. I haven't watched him all that much but hes on national TV quite a bit. He just doesnt seem to hit many big shots from what I've seen.</div> So if you haven't seen much of him why would you question him? I seen a lot from Melo and the guy is certainly clutch. Trust me on this.
LeBron seems like he's afraid to shoot the ball when the game is on the line. Why in the world would you pass the ball to Sasha Pavlovic when you the game is the on the line? If LeBron wants to be one of the best to play the game, then he has to hit some big shots when he has the chance!
This is why I say that Wade is better than Lebron. Wade has that clutch instinct that guy's like Jordan and Kobe have that allows a player to hit big shots in the dieing minutes. Some guys have this clutch ability, some don't. Kobe, VC, Tmac, Bibby and AI all have a knack for hitting big shots, while other great players or shooters such as Ray Allen and Arenas never have been very clutch. It's not something that a player can develop, either they have it or they don't. Now in this new generation of players, Wade, Melo and Ben Gordon have all already separated themselves as being great go-to guys down the stretch, Lebron has not. Lebron will probably always put up the big stats because he's a stat-whore (passed up the 3 to try and get the triple-double), but Wade and Melo will be the winners of that draft class. If he continues this streak of losing and poor play down the stretch in games, Lebron's name will never be mentioned in the same sentence as MJ's.
He will become a clutch player sooner or later. It just takes more time and opportunity to establish that feat. Most of the Cavaliers win's this season have been won with a double digit margin. And all the close games have been on the road, it is extremely diffictult for any player to perfom in the clutch away from home.
He just has to learn, dont pass, im taking it, im the franchise, its my shot MJ missed 26 game winners in his career. Your going to miss some shots! MJ didnt make the playoffs till his 6th season i think so its not like Lebrons gona come straight in and start winning. Jordan learnt what to do to become a clutch player in college because he had the pressures of crowds and being given the ball to take the shot. Lebrons coming straight from high school. Give him a chance to become familiar with hitting the shot. You cant hit every shot, but he will learn what to do to HIT that final shot later in his career. He is young, give it time dont worry!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting bball_spida:</div><div class="quote_post">He just has to learn, dont pass, im taking it, im the franchise, its my shot MJ missed 26 game winners in his career. Your going to miss some shots! MJ didnt make the playoffs till his 6th season i think so its not like Lebrons gona come straight in and start winning. Jordan learnt what to do to become a clutch player in college because he had the pressures of crowds and being given the ball to take the shot. Lebrons coming straight from high school. Give him a chance to become familiar with hitting the shot. You cant hit every shot, but he will learn what to do to HIT that final shot later in his career. He is young, give it time dont worry!</div> Why does every big-time player HAVE to take the final shot? Some of Jordan's most memorable final plays were passes, not shots (to John Paxon, Bill Wennington, Steve Kerr, etc.). Just because LeBron doesn't play the same way as Kobe down the stretch, that doesn't mean he's playing the wrong way. In crunch time, the primary focus should always be getting the best shot for your team. That doesn't always mean taking the shot yourself. I'm interested in how many of those 13 misses came earlier in his career.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Some things to think about on a mid-winter day .... n While LeBron James is a marketing star, he’s got a long way to go to sniff the level of Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant. The Cavs wunderkid often gets a free pass from fans and local media because he’s homegrown. But James is a big reason why the Cavs are 0-for-this-road trip. James missed twice in the final 10 seconds in a 90-89 loss at Denver Wednesday, and was 3-of-6 from the foul line in the final 30 seconds, including a key missed free throw that would have sent the game to overtime. Hats off to ESPN for this nugget: In clutch game-winning or tying shots in the final 10 seconds, Carmelo Anthony is 7-of-11 and James is 2-of-15. Maybe that’s why James passed up a potential game-winning 3 at Denver. He had a look normally reserved for runway models and didn’t pull the trigger.</div> Lebron still not great answer at buzzer <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SAN FRANCISCO — With skills that strike like lightning, at once electric and spectacular, his combination of size and strength and quickness are unlike anything ever seen in a league that has featured Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Yet LeBron James demonstrates an easy competitive grace, making him a fantastic student, teammate and opponent. Maybe a bit too fantastic to lead a team to an NBA championship. James is blessed with the qualities of selflessness and politeness — two admirable characteristics that are, much to the detriment of God's green earth, in diminishing supply nowadays. Two characteristics appreciated within our sons and daughters and friends and neighbors. Two characteristics that don't get rings. Don't get me wrong. LeBron is highly competitive. He wants to win. He enjoys winning. But there is no sign of obsession. At least not yet. At this stage of his life, three weeks past his 21st birthday, James has no desire to be defined by winning. Cleveland's 6-foot-8, 240 pound swingman has not been gripped by the absolute need to win it all. James acknowledged Thursday, after practicing with his Cavaliers teammates at USF's Memorial Gym, that he does not buy into the theory that winning is necessary to validate greatness. "Some of the great basketball players haven't won championships, and they're still considered greats," he said. "But that's what people judge you by, winning championships. Hopefully, I'll get better every day, and my teammates will get better every day, and we'll just do the best we can." James, in his third season, has plenty of time to rethink his position on obtaining jewelry. But is it possible he lacks the mean streak essential to pushing, prodding and willing teams to the top? Killer instinct, it was called once upon a time. Jordan had it. Leaving a trail of dismissed coaches, weeping teammates and sobbing opponents, MJ was remorseless. Magic Johnson had it. He sacked coaches, was hard on teammates and harder on opponents. Magic's mantra, "Winnin' Time," suggested anything less than winning it all was failure. Tim Duncan and Chauncey Billups have it. They're quiet, as considerate as they come. They also are, especially in the postseason, bristling with intensity and bravado. Whether Shaq has it is debatable. He didn't need it in Los Angeles, for he had Kobe Bryant as a teammate. Each provided what the other needed. Kobe, the man to whom LeBron is most frequently compared, including in today's paper, has it to such excess he rarely displays sincere appreciation of his teammates. LeBron, to the contrary, may display a bit too much. "He's so unselfish — sometimes too unselfish," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. LeBron is not comfortable, not yet, with being selfish. He'd much rather underplay his impact than take charge. "I've always been a pass-first type of player," he said. "But my teammates have come to me and told me to be more aggressive, be more selfish. That's kind of hard because that's not my game. But if my teammates ask me to so something like that, I have to take it and run with it." The Cavs, having seen LeBron's prodigious talent, would like to see how badly he wants to win. He is their best hope, and they know it. Which is why they follow, generally in vain, as they did Thursday when LeBron went unreal on them. </div> LeBron needs a mean streak
