Hangtime84 wrote:RCM88x wrote:Hangtime84 wrote:Lebron offensive best year was this one statistically. His defensive decline has already happened.
His defensive peak was probably 2016, most certainly it was the best defensive playoff run of his career. His decline on that end was pretty overstated this season, it was more to do with opponents and roster construction than anything he did worse.
Miami Lebron was flying all over the place defensively and was crazy smart helpside.
2016 was undoubtedly the best defensive playoff run of LeBron's career. It was historical. His Miami Heat years don't even come close to it, box +/- aside (his DBPM at 5.8 was a career high in the playoffs). Personally, I'm not an enormous fan of BPM and DBPM. I feel better looking at RPM but the way cats throw RPM numbers out these days is just ridiculous. They clearly don't understand what they're doing. Still, his DBPM shows a career high in the 2016 playoffs and I don't think it can be completely discounted considering his man-to-man defense numbers were historical.
I suggest you examine LeBron's man-to-man defense via SportVu tracking.
In the 2016 playoffs (21 total games), LeBron had a WHOPPING -14.0 net differential. Guys he faced up against normally shot 45.9%FG, whereas when he was the man guarding them, they shot 31.9%FG. That's right, LeBron held all of his guys in the 2016 playoffs to 31.9%FG. -14.0 net differential.
And the scary part about it is he did it from everywhere on the court. Beyond the arc? -12.6 net differential. They shot 36.7 from 3pt range, but when LeBron guarded them, they shot 24.1% from 3pt range.
Inside the arc? -13.9 net differential. They shot 50.5% normally, but only 36.6% when guarded by LeBron.
Inside the paint? A SCORCHING -23.5 net differential. Opponents that LeBron defended normally shot 61.3% in the paint, but with LeBron actually guarding them, they shot 37.9% IN THE PAINT.
Miami/Evil LeBron was incredible, but none of his defensive performances can measure up to what he did in the 2016 NBA playoffs.