King James Gospel
Fansided

LeBron James just played the best four-month stretch of basketball in modern NBA history

By Jason Timpf

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 25: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates a win after the game against the Indiana Pacers in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers on April 25, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 25: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates a win after the game against the Indiana Pacers in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers on April 25, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 03: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Kyle Korver #26 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 3, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 03: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Kyle Korver #26 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 3, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Running into an all-time great team

But then he ran into a team that no mortal man could beat, given the Cavaliers’ roster. And about a week later Kawhi Leonard leaked his desire to be traded to the press.

And just like that, it has all been forgotten. Nevertheless, I’m here to remind everybody of what we just witnessed. I refuse to let 2018 LeBron become the 2015 Spurs.

On February 7th, LeBron kicked off his run with an instant classic. Shooting 73% from the floor, he dropped a 37-point, 15 assist triple-double, including an incredible two-way sequence to win the game: A gravity-defying block of Jimmy Butler, and a fading buzzer-beater over Butler’s outstretched arm in overtime.

This started a 30-game stretch of regular season basketball that would put any MVP campaign to shame. LeBron averaged 29.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 10.0 assists, shooting 54.1% from the field and 38.9% from three. 

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As a point of reference, that is basically the stat line put forward by Russell Westbrook in his MVP season, but on a 12% higher effective field goal percentage, and with 1.5 fewer turnovers. 

The Cavaliers went 20-10 over that stretch, finishing 50-32, which was just one game worse than the Cavaliers finished the previous season with the help of Kyrie Irving.

Then, impossibly, LeBron reached another level in the playoffs, averaging an astonishing 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.0 assists.

But this is about more than just “counting stats” and percentages. LeBron did all of this while facing a degree of difficulty we haven’t seen before for a player of his caliber.

Almost every star player experiences an efficiency drop-off in the postseason.

Kevin Durant shot 4.5% (eFG) worse than he did in the regular season. Stephen Curry shot 6.2% (eFG) worse. James Harden shot 6.3% (eFG) worse. Even LeBron’s teammate, Kevin Love, experienced a precipitous drop-off, shooting 9.5% (eFG) worse than he did in the regular season.

This is normal. The postseason is not only a murderers row of elite teams, it’s also officiated differently. The advantage shifts back to the defender who is allowed a level of physicality rarely seen in November. It affects the efficiency of every player.

Just not LeBron James, who shot a 59% effective field goal percentage in the regular season, and 58% in the postseason. All while facing three of the top ten defenses in the league (by defensive rating in the regular season).