King James Gospel
Fansided

Requirements For LeBron James To Be Better Than Michael Jordan

By Quenton S. Albertie

Jan 2, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) slam dunks during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) slam dunks during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 30, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) looks on during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. The Spurs won 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) looks on during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. The Spurs won 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

The Rest Of The Pack

Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Russell Westbrook

Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are three other players who are vying for the title of best player in the league.

Leonard, who was an elite defender with great work ethic and solid statistics coming out of San Diego State, has become one of the best offensive players in the league at 25 years old. Surrounded by the legendary coach Gregg Popovich, Lamarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and a solid mix role pieces, Leonard is in a position to win it all this year. The Spurs execute better than any team in the league and have the size inside to make the game difficult for the Cavs.

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James wouldn’t be in an enviable position either. In another NBA Finals series against the Spurs, James would be matched up against Leonard, the player who believes James guards him best. The “LeBron Stopper”, although James was never truly ineffective but more inefficient when guarded by Leonard, became the name for Kawhi. There’s a distinct possibility that given a defeat of the Cavs in a Finals series, Leonard could claim the mantle of best player in the league with a strong performance.

Harden and Westbrook, for all their abilities offensively, don’t come up with the game-changing defensive plays that Leonard and James do. Nonetheless, these two are consistently triple-double threats and are taking it upon themselves to make a play nearly every possession. If a Finals series were to take place against either team, there’s a distinct possibility that the Cavs would win by cutting off the head of the snake.

In this case, that would mean putting their best perimeter defenders on Harden or Westbrook. Liggins would be the players guarding Harden or Westbrook for most of the game although James would likely guard either in late game situations, as the best players often do.