NBA Player Power Rankings: Kevin Durant Surpassing LeBron?
4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Last Rank: No. 3
Position: Small Forward
Age: 31
Slash Line: .505/.271/.718
Season Averages: 35.9 MPG, 24.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 1.0 3PM
Even in what’s been commonly described as a down season, LeBron James is Top 5 in the NBA in scoring and shooting better than 50 percent from the field. It’s yet another sign of James’ under-appreciated consistency as a scorer, as well as his uncanny ability to attack the rim against zone defenses and the verticality rule.
At 31 years old, James continued his unbelievable ascension of the all-time scoring list by passing Kevin Garnett for the No. 16 spot.
James is shooting as well as one would expect him to given the rise in the importance of the 3-point shot, and that is a significant factor. He’s also converting well below 75 percent of his free throws, which is a dreadful mark for a player averaging 6.9 attempts from the charity stripe per game.
None of that has changed the fact that he’s scoring with borderline elite volume and overall efficiency, however, and that cannot be taken away from The King.
James and the Cavaliers have elevated their team play to another level under Tyronn Lue, winning five of six, including a blowout of the San Antonio Spurs. The 31-year-old’s numbers still aren’t on-par with what’s expected of him, but he’s becoming more of a distributor under Lue.
Down season or otherwise, James has been one of the Top 5 players in what can only be described as a wild and explosive 2015-16 regular season.
Next: The Scoring Machine