LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. At the moment, there is really no debating that. Maybe it’s his age. LeBron turned 28 in December, and the mid- to late-20s are great basketball prime years. Perhaps having finally won a championship has made him a better player. Whatever the case, LeBron is on an incredible hot streak.
During a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, James scored 32 points on 12 of 18 shooting. It was his fifth-straight game with at least 30 points, but there are some other players in the league who are capable of that. Shooting better than 60% from the field in each of those games, however, is amazing.
“He was playing with so much energy on both ends of the court,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Then in the last five minutes he had to take the challenge defensively against Kobe. So he was doing it at both ends of the court.
“I say this to Miami fans: don’t take it for granted,” Spoelstra said. “He’s making greatness look easy.”
It would be tough to argue against that. LeBron may not be averaging the most points per game in the league — Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant have all scored at a slightly higher level than King James — but he’s easily the most complete player in the league at the moment. Shooting better than 60% and scoring over 30 points in five straight games not only shows that his shot has been on, but also that his selection has be phenomenal.
James is averaging 6.9 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game to go along with his 27.0 points. A lot of players can drop nearly 30 points per game if they take enough shots, but LeBron is doing it all. He has emerged as the clear-cut floor leader in Miami, and the team is better off for it.
“I think he’s figured out his game and how to use his size,” Kobe told reporters after the game. “I think he’s a little more focused than when he was younger. When you’re a young player, particularly him, you expect things to happen. Your career seems like it’s endless.
“I think he’s at the stage of his career in which he’ll value each year and take the significance to his training and take the significance to focus each game.”
He’s also at a stage in his career where multiple championships are a legitimate possibility. And Spoelstra is right — he’s making it look easy.
Photo credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE
