Even in Year 15 LeBron Continues to Get Better
Our Cleveland Cavaliers have won 10 games in a row and are clicking on every level. After a rough start to the season, the Cavs have finally returned to the level of play we have come to expect from them. At the center of this success is, of course, LeBron James, the best player in the NBA. James is playing in his 15th season and will turn 33 on December 30th, and while James is getting up there in age he continues to get better. So much better that he just may be having his best season 15 years into the league.
It’s no debate that LeBron has always been amazing, since coming into the NBA in 2003 he’s done nothing but exceed expectations and find new ways to amaze us, and this season he may have once again topped that. Currently, James is averaging 28 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game, all of these are higher than James’ career average of 27.1/7.3/7.1 showing us that James continues to get better this far into his NBA career.
LeBron’s stellar stat line is not the most impressive part of his current season, as he has career highs in shooting percentage. Right now James is shooting 58.3% from the field, placing him 7th in the NBA and the only non-center in the top ten. His 2-point field goal percentage is currently at 63.7% putting him 4th in the NBA and again the only non-center in the top ten. LeBron is shooting the lights out as effectively as someone who will rarely ever leave the point, but his most impressive shooting percentage may be what he is doing from beyond the arc.
LeBron is having the best season of his career from distance, his 3-point shooting percentage sits at 42.5% right now. Compare that to Steph Curry, who is currently shooting 36.8% from deep roughly 6.0% worse than James. It’s fair to say that LeBron has never been a 3-point shooter. Most of his career he’s thrived driving to the hole as opposed to settling for jumpers. But, as the NBA evolves, so does he. With the NBA now being heavily reliant on being able to score from deep, LeBron has managed to change his game to be able to thrive in the current climate. Not many players would be able to successfully change their game like that 15 years into their career. Then again, most players aren’t LeBron James.
Advanced stats have become widely popular in showing how good a player is, and these also show how great of a season James is having. The two most used advanced stats are PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) both help support how amazing James’ season is because he currently leads the league in both. Right now James has a PER of 31.1 and a VORP of 2.7. James is not only the best player in the NBA, he’s also the most valuable to his team.
LeBron James is in his 15th season of NBA play and will be 33 this month. While this would mean most players are over the hill, it’s merely the opposite for James. He outdoes himself night in and night out. He continues to adapt his game, making him great no matter what style of play is running the league. This shows that he is the best player in the NBA. While he’s getting up there in age, he has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down.
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