On the eve of his 31st birthday, LeBron James quieted whispers of his shooting struggles Tuesday night, raining in 34 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 93-87 road win against the Denver Nuggets.
The worst high-volume shooters from outside the paint, a list topped by LeBron James & Kobe Bryant. pic.twitter.com/Sn4CW6C9O7
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) December 29, 2015
LBJ went 13-of-24 from the field, grabbed six boards and can apparently carry a tune.
The Cavs are 8-8 in games played away from their homecourt.
Per the Akron Beacon Journal:
Give James a challenge and he’ll take it. He’s only averaging about 4 midrange shots per game, but he shot 6 of 9 from midrange on Tuesday and 7 of 14 overall outside the paint. […] “It’s early in the season,” James said. “Even though I’ve been frustrated by how I’ve been shooting the ball, I have to understand it’s still early and I’m still getting my legs up underneath me.”
James has been working to fix his jumper and watching film. He noticed he had been shooting a lot off-balance shots so focused Tuesday on keeping a good base against the Nuggets. […] We’re more than one-third of the way through the regular season, but James believes he doesn’t hit his full stride until after the All-Star break, which is still more than six weeks away. That’s why he isn’t too worried about how gruesome the numbers might look now.
Something seemed to be nagging at James after the Suns win, but he wasn’t in the mood to divulge it. He took just 10 shots and stayed mired in a shooting funk that ended at least temporarily against the Nuggets. His 34 points the night before his 31st birthday was quite the gift to himself – and perhaps the only one he’ll see. After all, what do you get a man who will earn an estimated $65 million this year in salary and endorsements, now possesses a lifetime Nike contract and has his own production company? […] “It’s become an excuse,” James said. “We can’t get you nothing, what do we get someone who has everything? That’s what I hear. I don’t have everything, though.”
