Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 am  |  278 responses

LeBron Fails to Impress Rick Barry

by Marcel Mutoni

For all of his obvious gifts and talents, not to mention the never-ending improvements, LeBron James continues to have his detractors. These folks we generally refer to as, what’s the word I’m looking for, oh yes, CRAZY.

Charley Rosen was among the first to walk down this dark path in an infamous column for the ‘Leader’, and now, the eternally crabby (see what I did there?) Rick Barry has decided to join him.

Barry, in an interview that aired last night, gave a scathing assessment of LBJ’s game. From the Plain Dealer (via: BergerSphere)

“He’s got major flaws in his game,” the Warriors great said in an interview airing Wednesday night. “He’s six years into the NBA. How can a man six years into the NBA with his talent have a major flaw in his shot? How can he not use screens effectively?

I watch the game very carefully, he doesn’t use screens effectively and this is not LeBron’s fault. It’s the fault of the people who are teaching him. … There is no doubt in my mind that LeBron, if shown these things, would do them, because he wants to be a great player. He wants to win a championship. As great as he is, he should be better.”

Rick Barry, I can only presume, then went on to describe all of the flaws that he found in the Mona Lisa painting.

LeBron and the Cavs visit the Bay Area this Friday, which will be the perfect opportunity for the Warriors great to personally address these “major flaws” with James — before it’s too late.

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  • http://www.lkz.ch Darksaber

    wow. Barry should be proud. His statements brought Jukai out in full effect. Haven’t seen him write this much in ages, and he stayed civilized too. Nice. Then hamas/mossad comparisons were drawn (phosphor shells. Really ryan?) and for the first time i can remember, the usually amiable Russ Bengston got straight blasted by a few linkstigators, to the point of getting insulted. Even Fotsis and his overly euroball loving views are in the mix. This is a vicious post. Rick Barry making us dance like puppets

  • http://nba.com tealish

    Z: Against what defense? And OK, fine, make it 2 seconds. My point is, I don’t care who you are — sometimes you just have to take the jumpshot.
    LeBron may be able to get to the rim 95% of the time he wants to…but he’s not an actual train going against mortals. He isn’t, no matter how many broadcasters say he is — he isn’t. Drives to the basket CAN be stopped. Sometimes he HAS to shoot from the outside, that’s a fact.
    In that 5% of the time, if I were a Cav fan, I would hope he improves on his 30% from one side of the floor. That’s just from a hypothetical Cav fan though!

  • http://www.lkz.ch/basket Darksaber

    Off topic here: i beg everyone who knows of him and enjoys reading him (even those who don’t) to go over to the worldwide follower and read Sports Guy’s latest story called “one last toss for the dooze”. i kinda had to grab a tissue cause something was threatening to leak outta my eyes! It’s a bit long (like most of his articles) but if you do not feel anything while reading that, you have my sincerest pity for being a coldhearted human.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    @ DDB: LeBron can get to the basket at will against ANY defender, by himself and you say he possesses no 1-on-1 moves? Are you high?

  • joe

    The reason he does not use screens well, is because at 6’9 270lbs, he is not made to use a screen, he is made to be a screen-setter

  • Mike

    250+ comments qualifies this topic as one of the controversies of the year.

  • Fitzy

    @ AF
    the u.s was a better team because of their physical strength and conditioning. They could wear any team down. Which covers the topic of physical attributes, but yes lebron could benefit much more if his jumper improved, a better jumper forces the defender to guard you more closely, and in lebron’s case he could just blow by the defender, a lot of the people here are talking as though a jump shot’s a bad thing

  • Mike

    Blah blah blah swept by spurs blah blah going to knicks blah blah bronze medal blah blah no rings blah blah

  • Dave

    Eboy, your kids are doomed to sleeping in the doghouse if they’re not multiple All-Stars, aren’t they?

    As for Rick Barry… how’s your D?

  • Young Chris MP3

    Ciolkstar’s 3:29pm comment: Imagine Wilt, Russell, Hakeem, Kareem, or anyone else in the history of the game defending or posting up Shaq in his prime. Diesel wins.

  • http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/ ANTONIS FOTSIS

    @Young Chris….:you are THAT young after all…(M.J has Hakeem over SHAQ and Robert Horry who played with both of them in their prime has also Hakeem over SHAQ…of course neither Robert nor M.J are young…)

  • http://www.manutd.com Z

    Young Chris, that’s what bugs me about Shaq a bit. Everybody agrees that he’s the most dominant blablabla but Dream used to give him the business back in the days. People tend to forget that. In fact, Dream owned Shaq AND Ewing AND D-Rob.

  • neibo

    tha dream dominates easily over shaq….its a non-issue…

  • http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/ ANTONIS FOTSIS

    Hakeem is propably this generations Elgin Baylor.

  • http://www.ravingblacklunatic.blogspot.com Allenp

    Hakeem was infintely better on defense than Elgin Baylor, and more beloved by his teammates.
    And he won rings.
    Although Elgin was still sick, their games weren’t even close.

  • http://www.ravingblacklunatic.blogspot.com Allenp

    Jukai
    Jordan’s jumper wasn’t really consistent until he came back in 1996. He could hit shots, particularly when he got hot, but he wasn’t outstanding from midrange. Even in 1993, his jumpers was still kind of flat, although he got incredible lift. He was just unstoppable going to rack. Go back and watch that 93 Finals where he averaged like 42, he was shooting nothing but layups, it was uncanny.

  • http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/ ANTONIS FOTSIS

    @Allenp…:come on,i was talking in terms of greatness and how easily they were forgotten…you should have got this…you keep comparing players from different eras which is childish…(since Deron Williams is bigger, stronger,faster better shooter and all,you think of him as better than Cousy or Lamar over Petit…that’s plain silly).Once again: video-games are cool(i guess…)but there is a limit to everything.G-R-O-W U-P!!!!

  • http://fdklf.com Jukai

    Allenp: Enough of this though. Everyone is inconsistent. Kobe still goes 5-15 some nights and never shoots over 50% a season, and isn’t he suppose to be the KING of jump shooting? Jordan pretty much stopped missing when he came back from retirement, sure, but his jumper was GREAT enough when he came out of college that I’d call it a nice jumper. No, he really DIDN’T have a three point shot and that took a long time to develop… but his midrange game was always great. I know people have a way of overhyping Jordan as if he was a god, but you’re downplayin’ the dude a bit too much here.
    Quote from that classic Celtic’s game: “He’s got the shot of Jerry West and the drive of Elgin Baylor.” That was his second year in the league.

  • http://fdklf.com Jukai

    Antonis Fotsis: How old are you, like, 12? Allenp’s old enough to be your father, kid. By your logic, the GREATEST player in the game, who has hit every big shot on championship teams for over a decade: ROBERT HORRY!

  • http://fdklf.com Jukai

    I mean, what does it mean if Manu has lead his team to victories all over the world if “all over” meant the lesser teams in Europe? They couldn’t hold a candle to the teams over here.

  • http://www.kicksonfire.com Anton

    LeBron is clutch

  • tulsa

    What if Rick’s correct? Barry’s criticism doesn’t sound harsh…only constructive.

  • MacGyver

    it’s funny how everyone is saying that kobe is monster from jump shots..still there’s no way you can’t compare he’s efficiency to for example:steve nash’s,he’s way more better at everywhere,kobe just flashier/prettier..if lebron’s jump shot ain’t as good as kobe’s doesn’t mean he’s not better!!kobe has slight advance in jump shots,as for lebron has bigger at the basket..so that debate goes to lebron,as long as he makes the baskets with 50% fg effeciency doesn’t matter how he finish them..he’s jumper just get’s better by the time..the reign of king james has begun and you’re all witnesses.

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  • prof

    The only way a player can be ineffective using screens is by not moving past the screen close enough to the screener (you should practically rub shoulders with him)–this needless space allows the defender to slip through the screen. LeBron does seem guilty of this at times, but so does almost everyone in the NBA. There seems to be an attitude like, “I’m so great offensively, you can’t expect me to use screens, or if I use them, I’m not going to do it all out.” Even clowns in the local gym have the same attitude. So I guess Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are wasting their time (like Stockton and Malone did before them). Bottom line–LeBron’s an unbelievable player, best in the league right now, but he’s not perfect and if he’s really committed to being the best, what else would he do but work on his weak spots? Rick Barry, by the way, won an NBA title (so he has a little leverage to talk), and his will-to-win (not his skills) was comparable to MJ’s. I think that’s why he’s such a crab as a commentator–he hates seeing all the players with more skill than he ever had loaf their way to mediocrity. Not that that’s the case with LeBron.

  • DaBreezyOne

    LeBron is getting by b/c he has average skills and seemingly superhuman athleticism. I think the coaches are failing him and if you were in my circle of friends, you would know that I have been saying that Mike Brown should be fired. LeBron will not be the best ever under Coach Brown b/c he wants to be more a friend than a teacher/disciplinarian. LeBron now expects calls and when he doesn’t get them he cries like a baby. In all fairness to Brown, the NBA marketing machine is also partly to blame. Who decided that it was cool to call a boy King? I mean, seriously, how can a king defend his castle without a good defense? I would hate to see him try to guard a pissed off Kobe all game. It would be very ugly. No Lebron can’t play good defense, can’t move without the ball, doesn’t know when to use the “hop-step”, His shooting form could use some tweeking, he isn’t hungry as he should be, and the list can go on and on. So Rick Barry, I know exactly what you mean. I am also disappointed in the Cleveland coaching staff b/c Lebron should be the best ever by now.

  • Mitchell

    Lebron is the best physical specimen in the league, plays great defense nowadays, scores the most points in the paint, and leads all forwards in assists. It is rare that you see James use a screen to catch and shoot, he runs a great pick and pop with Ilgauskas. I don’t believe Rick was referring to Lebrons pick and roll ability but to his off the ball use of picks.
    James is average at shooting off of screens and excellent at everything else. I shoot midrange shots well and watch players technique and I see little wrong with James form, only with his jump shot results. Reggie Miller said that his own form was not perfect but that he had uncountable repetitions. Slick Rick was complementing James. Imagine if Lebron could shoot 15+ foot shots more consistently.

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