Lebron in NBA

[VCFAN]

When Lebron gets a couple years into the league and gets used to the NBA what kind of calibre player do you think he will be.

The next Mike and take the league by storm
or will he be a T-Mac, Vince and Kobe player
or just another jalen rose, shereef abdur rahimm player who will average low 20's in ppg.

[LoveItLive2004]

T-mac Kobe type

[BIG GREEN]

Yep..t-mac, kobe type...or if he's lucky..a little more than that..but no one can "be like Mike ©®".

I'm rooting for him to be almost as good as michael jordan...but i know it's too soon for someone to match his glory.

[EGarrett]

It looks to me like Lebron will be more of a pre-injury Penny Hardaway or Grant Hill-type player. A big, athletic playmaker who rebounds, runs the break, passes and scores when needed. With all the pressure on him, I don't think he'll reach that level though for a few years. I can't see him working as much as he needs this early with all the people telling him how great he is. In time, I'd say he'll probably average around 22, 8 rebounds and around 6 assists.

[Andrew]

I'm going for a mix of what's been said thus far - pre-injury Penny/pre-injury Hill-like player, but with Kobe/T-Mac/Vince-like hype.

It's not as if LeBron hasn't faced some talented competition in high school, but he's going to face much more of it in the NBA. He probably won't struggle, but he may not be as dominant as expected. Few rookies have exceptional rookie seasons where they are instantly among the NBA's best (in terms of statistical production, at least).

[Rens]

Penny and Hill had that kind of hype. I think they are pretty logical comparisons.

I heard LeBron doesn't have the first step of a Kobe or T-Mac, he might become a player in the mold of Ray Allen maybe, with worse outside shooting?Maybe a less fat Antoine Walker, but also with worse outside shooting? (Or at least less...)

[thesport]

James will struggle in his rookie campaign and who can doubt that? Kobe did...so did T-Mac. They had to struggle to learn the game and to get where they are today. I've yet to see a highschool rook jump into the NBA and tear it up from day one.

Anyway, I can see James playing a Magic Johnson type of game. He can be versatile, to where he doesn't have to just play the PG position but can also play the other four positions on the court. He'll need to develop a go-to move that he didn't necessarily need to have at the highschool level due to insufficient competition. In time I can see him averaging 20-25 ppg, 8-9 apg, and 8-9 rpg. He might even average a triple-double for one or more seasons when he reaches his prime.

Then again...he might be a bust...don't rule anything out people.

[TheBob]

In time I can see him averaging 20-25 ppg, 8-9 apg, and 8-9 rpg. He might even average a triple-double for one or more seasons when he reaches his prime.

Then again...he might be a bust...don't rule anything out people.

So your prediction is that he'll either be good or bad?

[f.t.w.]

I've yet to see a highschool rook jump into the NBA and tear it up from day one.

whud about KG?

i like the hill and penny comparisons, but he's got hops more like kobe and t-mac. you ever seen hill or penny take the ball under their leg before dunking in a game?

[Tony]

I've yet to see a highschool rook jump into the NBA and tear it up from day one.

whud about KG?

... or Amare?

I agree with the penny/hill comparisons... all the hype is going to hurt this kid... especially after getting 10 million upfront from a 90 million shoe contract... i know i myself wouldn't even try playing well if i got that kind of money... you could live off that for the rest of your life without even touching a basketball...

[EGarrett]

whud about KG?

10 points and 6 rebounds isn't exactly tearing it up.

i like the hill and penny comparisons, but he's got hops more like kobe and t-mac.

Wow...how soon we forget. Penny used to be a heckuva leaper before his injury. Grant Hill had around a 40" vertical also...he caught an alley-oop with one-hand at the top of the square in college. Check a tape. That's why Hill was able to average 9 rebounds a game from the small forward position...his insane athleticism.

you ever seen hill or penny take the ball under their leg before dunking in a game?

Have you ever seen Kobe or T-Mac do it? Just because a player doesn't do it...that doesn't mean they couldn't.

When we say he could be a pre-injury Penny or Grant Hill...we're taking his athleticism into account. Lebron's vert was measured at 37"...the same as Kobe's and right around Grant and Penny's when they were healthy...

[air gordon]

personally i think it's silly to speculate how good a player will be especially since he hasn't even faced NBA competition

or to even compare him to current/past nba greats

i'm not saying it's wrong to do so, after all this is a forum and everyone is entitled their own opinion

i just think all this talk is just contributing more to the hype Lebron James is getting (weren't people complaining on this board about him being overhyped?)

[Shep]

James will struggle in his rookie campaign and who can doubt that? Kobe did...so did T-Mac. They had to struggle to learn the game and to get where they are today. I've yet to see a highschool rook jump into the NBA and tear it up from day one.

i can doubt that. He will be going into a shit team that will instantly make him the go to player on the court, and will also give him 35-40 minutes every night. Kobe got 16 minutes a game in his rookie year, Tmac got 18.

all the hype is going to hurt this kid

sometimes hype is needed. if you put all this hype on a player entering the league, then he knows he has it to live up to, if not, he might not feel any pressure to get better

[rUsTy]

yes but all the hype coul make him feel 10 ft tall and made of steel aswell so he wont bother to improve because everyone else thinks he's all that already so he'd just think well why do i need to improve and he'll start to think he's invincible and start getting into strife

[Shep]

yes but all the hype coul make him feel 10 ft tall and made of steel aswell so he wont bother to improve

this makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever. all the hype is saying that he's gonna be the next tmac or the next kobe or whatever, and he'll obviously have to improve to get to where those players are at

[Nel]

The difference between t-mac/kobe is that Lebron James is in the starting lineup of the cavs. Maybe it will just take him one or two years to become a superstar.

[Andrew]

And that's a significant difference - Kobe, T-Mac and KG were really projects - talented but still a little raw, with allowances made for their youth and a plan to bring them along slowly - especially with Kobe, who started only one game in his second season despite increased minutes and production.

In contrast, LeBron is bordering on "saviour" status - a player who holds the fortunes of the franchise in his hands, even before he's played a single minute. Most other high school players are projects and future stars - LeBron is already expected to be a star player from his first professional game, and he'll have the opportunity to live up to those expectations.

In that respect, the chances of disappointment are high, but so are the chances of proving himself worthy of the hype. I don't think he'll live up to the far-fetched hype. But I think he will meet, and possibly exceed the more realistic expectations.

[EGarrett]

Hmmm...well assuming he plays around 20-30 minutes per game (he won't be in shape to do any more)...I'd estimate his averages as around 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per.

[Wall St. Peon]

EG, sounds about right, but I think he might get a few more points, probably 15 or so. At best he may have a rookie season like Caron Butler's last year with a few more assists and a lower shooting percentage...

[Andrew]

Given the way rookies have performed in recent history, there's a good possibility that will be the case. But LeBron might be the player who can break that trend. As a realistic benchmark, consider Jamal Mashburn. Drafted by a team in the NBA's basement (the 1993/1994 Dallas Mavericks), where there was an opportunity for him to play (79 games, 73 starts, almost 37 minutes per game). It resulted in decent numbers (19.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.4 apg).

It's quite possible that LeBron will be much the same, perhaps having a slightly higher RPG average, and depending on how Silas runs things, a couple extra or a couple less PPG.

Of course, the player I used as an example (Mashburn) had college experience, and rookies usually aren't granted 35+ minutes per game these days. But with LeBron, I think that rule may be broken, as it was with Michael, Larry and Magic, and other players who had rookie seasons that could be compared to more established players.