JN61 wrote:TwoStarz wrote:JN61 wrote:If you think LeBron isn't complete liability on defensive end, especially when games comes down to last few minutes, I have bad news for you.
I think I trust Lebrons IQ on the defensive end more than anyones on that team, sans maybe Dwight. But yes, you keep telling us how bad his defense is when he doesn't WANT to play it because that is totally comparable to a guy trying to play it, but just completely incapable due to their tiny brains like your guy Westbrook and Carmelo.
Which is perfectly portraited by the defensive stats. Carmelo, while has been historically speaking bad defender is actually trying to defend. Same with Westbrook (he has several games this year where he stopped opponent's best player. Like George), they both try. Lebron doesn't. This is reflected in their defensive rating which for Lebron is worse than these 2 players; 112.4 vs 109 and 109.
If we expand this to clutch time, where the game matters the most and players must be the most locked in on the last 5 minutes of the game on +/-5pts of 5 minutes of the game Lebron posts horrific 118.2 DEFRTG, Carmelo at 108 and Westbrook at 108.6. 4th quarter for this year Lebron is posting 117.1 DEFRTG this year and if they are up more than 10 points he basically doesn't play defense at all and has almost 121 rating allowing easy comebacks for other teams. Only time Lebron has been having ok numbers was when he was hidden behind Davis earlier this year.
When Lebron played the center the numbers are even worse; last 5 games he is posting 124.2 DEFRTG. Last 10; 113.6. Last 15; 118. He basically can't play center at all he wanted to play. He is total layup line for opponent or opponent spreads the floor and gets 3-4 wide open 3 pointers per game which he doesn't even bother to contest.
The idea that Westbrook tries on defense is absolutely comical. Lebron has been far better even though he's 37 years old playing **** center as a 6'8" guy - if you actually think he should be rotating out to shooters AND protecting the rim on every possession, at 37 years old with 62,000 minutes under his belt, you must think he's the GOAT by an order of magnitude. Also, individual DRTG is beyond meaningless, which I'm assuming you know but are using it anyway to further your agenda.
The only time Westbrook tries is when he's defending a guy on the ball. For the most part he's a disaster on that end - extremely lazy, constantly falling asleep and losing his man off the ball, chasing potential rebounds before the shot even goes up and leaving guys open, he has horrible positioning off the ball anytime the team is in rotation, obviously can't protect the rim as a declining 6'3" guard... there's really not much positive you can say about him on that end.
