The increased efficiency of perimeter players has less to do with LeBron and more to do with the rules changes last season -- it's the very reason the rules were changed in the first place. LeBron was horribly inefficient his first season, less efficient than Michael Jordan was in his last season with the Wiz. Last season, LeBron's TS% was 55%, exactly what Kobe's career TS% is. I don't see how LeBron's game has forced other perimeter players to take their scoring efficiency up a notch. It's the rules.
To LeBron's credit, though, he's an incredible scorer this season. Not since Jordan have we seen a perimeter player score 30+ ppg on 58 TS%. Jordan did it from age 24-28, and then once more in the '95-96 season. Basically, only in his prime. LeBron's already doing it at age 21.
Lebron needs to keep doing what he's doing to help the Cavs reach the playoffs. People need to stop crying. Dude doesn't want to do the dunk contest. So what? Maybe he doesn't want to be like MJ. Maybe he wants to be like Lebron. This only re-affirms my idea that Lebron is kind of an iconoclast. He's not trying ot copy and be MJ. He's trying to destroy MJ. Tear down the golden calf, and put a new way in kids minds.
The increased efficiency of perimeter players has less to do with LeBron and more to do with the rules changes last season -- it's the very reason the rules were changed in the first place. LeBron was horribly inefficient his first season, less efficient than Michael Jordan was in his last season with the Wiz. Last season, LeBron's TS% was 55%, exactly what Kobe's career TS% is. I don't see how LeBron's game has forced other perimeter players to take their scoring efficiency up a notch. It's the rules.
To LeBron's credit, though, he's an incredible scorer this season. Not since Jordan have we seen a perimeter player score 30+ ppg on 58 TS%. Jordan did it from age 24-28, and then once more in the '95-96 season. Basically, only in his prime. LeBron's already doing it at age 21.
You're probably right, but I do believe the bar was raised at some point, because Kobe, AI, T-Mac, Pierce, and Carter all upped their game. Some of that is the rule changes, but a lot of it is shot selection. I thought we were careening off into accepting volume shooting, that the only way to average over 25ppg for a perimeter player was to jack a lot of shots. But I think that's changed.
It's not probablyt directly attributable to Lebron and Wade. But those two have essentially ushered in the new era, rule changes and all.
The increased efficiency of perimeter players has less to do with LeBron and more to do with the rules changes last season -- it's the very reason the rules were changed in the first place. LeBron was horribly inefficient his first season, less efficient than Michael Jordan was in his last season with the Wiz. Last season, LeBron's TS% was 55%, exactly what Kobe's career TS% is. I don't see how LeBron's game has forced other perimeter players to take their scoring efficiency up a notch. It's the rules.
To LeBron's credit, though, he's an incredible scorer this season. Not since Jordan have we seen a perimeter player score 30+ ppg on 58 TS%. Jordan did it from age 24-28, and then once more in the '95-96 season. Basically, only in his prime. LeBron's already doing it at age 21.
The rule changes don't have anything to do with it, players are just better this season. Some seasons, you just happen to see great perimeter players have great years all at the same time. Look at 94-95 when both Penny and Payton shot above 50% from the field (the highest of their careers). Other perimeter players had similarly better scoring efficiency that season too. It just happens sometimes, that's all.
Magic Johnson career stats; 19.5 ppg, 11.2 apg. At least 2 points per assist equals 22.4 ppg production from his passing, not including 3-pointers assisted.
that is the most ridiculous attempt at an arguement ive ever seen...LOLOL
The rule changes don't have anything to do with it, players are just better this season. Some seasons, you just happen to see great perimeter players have great years all at the same time. Look at 94-95 when both Penny and Payton shot above 50% from the field (the highest of their careers). Other perimeter players had similarly better scoring efficiency that season too. It just happens sometimes, that's all.
Sure, chance is a part of it, players entering their primes is part of it, and the rules are also part of it. The rule changes were designed to benefit athletic perimeter scorers and increase league-wide scoring. Iverson is probably the best example: he'll be 31 in June and he's having his best scoring season ever. To say the rules don't have anything to do with it is to go against what plenty of coaches and players, both past and present, have been saying.
LeBron needs to rise up
