Where was Wade's "it factor" when LeBron was saving his ass at both ends of the court against the Bulls? If LeBron doesn't shut down Rose and carry them in that series, I think public perception of James/Wade is very different. Where was Wade's "it factor" in the '07 playoffs? If the it factor gets you swept in the first round while talent takes you to the NBA Finals, I'll take talent all day long.
if that's your argument, where does Lebron's talent go in the fourth for 80% of his big games? He failed miserably often with Cavs in the fourth and is a regular failure with the Heat in the fourth. It's not as bad as the media presents it, but it's obviously there.
I think this is all spot on. Wade and Kobe certainly have proven to have the clutch factor, and the mentality that they want the ball in crucial situations. Bron has not at all. I'm not sure I put Durant into the Wade/Kobe category though. Great scorer and player, but I haven't seen enough of him in the clutch to put him in with Wade and Bryant.
I guess I should clarify. I still put Kobe well above anyone in the league and Wade comes in a distant second. In a distant third behind Wade is Durant. He wants to carry his team, he knows that's his role and he's working himself into it. Lebron has never shown me he has any idea how to handle himself when it's time to completely take over at the end of the game. If I need a superstar, I'll take someone with slightly less talent that's willing to put a team on his back.
Again, in the Eastern Conference Finals LeBron played his best in the fourth. There were multiple instances where he would score like 8-10 straight points for the Heat and come back and force Rose (35% for the series, 17-56 the last two games) into a bad shot. This was while Wade was throwing up 6-for-16 nights and committing two turnovers for every assist. I'm not saying LeBron is the most clutch guy in the world, but without him Wade would never be in the Finals to show off his "it factor" anyway.
Have I not already said that Wade is better in the Finals as long as he has someone else to get him there?
As opposed to Cleveland without LeBron? That doesn't change the fact that Wade can't get out of the first round without another Hall of Famer on his team.
Why did the second-grader have to be retarded? Why not pro-tarded, instead? And I'll give you the point that everyone - read: EVERYONE - knows that LeBron has shitty work ethic and has no heart. I don't know who is being secretive about saying that, or who you believe to have cornered the market on that info, because as you say, it is so well and widely known as to be self-evident. The best player in the league? You're high. And, yes, it is perfectly reasonable for people to wonder why he, being the physical mismatch he is, has just now began to worry about his post game. But to be fair, when you disappear in the clutch, and expose yourself as a coward, there has to be a lot more to worry about than playing the post. He's a player who owes his fame to two things: Being a physical freak, and the Nike PR division. Period.
Sounds like IT to me. And, no, these questions won't go away if he wins a ring, or several. Once the coward label is applied, it never falls off or fades. Comparing him to Peyton is lunacy. Comparing him to MJ is blasphemous.
His career stats since the day he entered the league prove you are just as wrong as Aman. The answer lies in the middle.
My all-time favorite LeBron play: Lebron Got Dunked On; Nike Confiscates Video Footage : The Hoop Doctors The one you'll never see. Thanks, Nike!
that clip was absolutely everywhere. And there's countless NBA stars that have the same thing happen to them every summer.
And we're not. All I've said is that LeBron is unquestionably the better basketball player and that the clutch/"it" factor only matters if you're in a position to be clutch--which without LeBron, Wade wouldn't be.
