Defending Lebron James: Double team vs Straight up

The Numbers

Jun 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

A quick peek at a box score that reads 44 PTS, 8 REB and 6 AST would lead most fans to a simple conclusion.  Dominance.  Although this conclusion isn’t entirely mistaken, Lebron’s efficiency was well below career averages.

Lebron’s true shooting percentage this season was 57.7%.  Lebron’s Game 1, which consisted of 18-38 from the field, 2-8 from 3pt and 6-10 from the line, created a true shooting percentage of 51.9%.  To put these numbers in perspective, Stephen Curry’s TS% this season was 63.8%.

These numbers are still very good, relatively speaking, but what makes lebron so special is his ability to facilitate for teammates.  Not only can Lebron navigate to any spot on the floor, manipulating and attracting the defense, he is also an incredibly gifted and willing passer.

By playing Lebron as close to straight up as any team in recent memory, the Warriors sought to limit open shots for the Cavs teammates. The gambit was ultimately successful. Although Lebron ended with a respectable 6 assists, the Cavs struggled to get open looks from behind the arc for much of the night.

We can quickly breeze past Lebron’s points in transition.  To say Lebron is unstoppable in transition is like saying Steph Curry shoots the ball pretty well.  Outside of a sniper in the top deck, no one in that arena is stopping Lebron on the break.  The only realistic way to limit those opportunities is for the Warriors to play efficient on the offensive end.  How well the Warriors take care of the basketball will ultimately dictate how much damage Lebron does in transition.

Next: What LeBron Did