LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers start another Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday with many wondering just who exactly will stop James from reaching the NBA Finals.
Much has been made of a “LeBron Stopper,” or someone who defensively matches up well against James and can limit his impact in the series. The myth of a LeBron Stopper is pretty strong in NBA lore, but that doesn’t exactly mean anyone is actually good at stopping LeBron James. In fact, most that claim to be able to slow down The King tend to find themselves shaking their head as he lights them up over the course of the series.
According to USA Today, James told reporters that he knows what teams try to do to slow him down, and he’s worked hard to combat that by making the weaknesses in his game into strengths.
James pointed to a disappointing Finals loss against the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, when he was forced to take a number of fadeaway jumpers and didn’t find much success in the low post. The result? Working tirelessly to improve his numbers when falling away from the hoop, something that’s become an asset for him in the years since.
“I pretty much know the scouting report on me is going to be to dare me to shoot jump shots and keep me out of the paint, not allow me to go to the free-throw line,” James said. “Over the course of my career, I just try to put a lot of work into other facets of my game to try to neutralize their game plan.
“I work extremely hard on my jump shot and in a few years after my first year in Miami, I started working on my post game in ways I could score in the post and be just very efficient.”
The story summary here is that a great player has worked hard to make himself even greater, which isn’t all that notable when you think about it. But it also illustrates just how tough it is to stop James. He knows what teams want to make him do, and even when a defense does its best it might not be enough to keep him from scoring because he’s filled in the gaps that once existed in his game. Boston might be the Cavs’ most challenging postseason opponent yet, but that doesn’t mean LeBron can be or will be stopped.
