In fact, LeBron almost baits Dragic into passing it to Tucker by leaving that passing lane wide open. James is running alongside Dragic, but makes no attempt to get in front and block his path to the rim. Here, Phoenix's Goran Dragic runs a two-on-one with P.J. So really it's a judgment call: Is the reputation of LeBron's chase-down shot-blocking ability-which often deters a ball-handler from even attacking the rim in transition in the first place-worth the other times when his lack of hustle gives away two points?įirst, let's take a look at the art of the chase-down block, and specifically how he alters his route and speed heading back on defense. But the plays that don't make SportsCenter can lead to two points for the other team. There was an emphatic block by Terrence Jones, and a fairly nasty one by Kevin Durant (which most likely did not make ESPN’s list, as the game’s play-by-play categorized it as a layup attempt). When he does get a piece of the ball, it's nothing short of spectacular. In the playoffs, he routinely locks down the opposing team's best perimeter player in crunch time.īut all the highlight-reel plays LeBron creates by blocking shots from behind quietly ignores the sacrifice of these plays: Often he shirks his defensive responsibilities by intentionally allowing an offensive player to attack the rim, or he slows down and moves out of position to time the swat. This isn't to say that LeBron cannot normally block shots or play defense he's one of the best defenders in the league.
0 kommentar(er)
