LeBron's Best Team?

In his twelve year career LeBron has played on many different teams, most carrying very different makeups from each other. One team would prioritize size while another would place a heavy emphasis on three point shooting. Eventually Miami and Cleveland took a similar approach in building a team around the legendary superstar by forming a "Big 3", and getting specific role players like a show stopper on defense and having a big man with a nonstop motor. 

In this article I'm going to share my belief that the team Cleveland has built is the best team LeBron has ever been apart of by comparing their rosters. 

Now those who disagree with my thoughts so far are probably pointing to one of the Miami teams as a counterargument. He joined forces with a couple of big names there including Dwyane Wade, who could very well be inducted to the Hall of Fame one day. One has to realize that the D-Wade of that time was constantly injured and was simply not the same player that we had grown accustomed to seeing. He was also restricted as an undersized shooting guard who could not shoot threes well. In fact, Wade has never had a season where he has made more than 100 three pointers. That number even plummeted further from 2011-2014 seasons as he only averaged a shade under 14 per year. This kind of game doesn't mesh well with someone like LeBron, who likes doing his damage inside and have periods of time where he shouldn't need to run the offense for everyone else. On the other hand, Kyrie Irving could lighten the load off LeBron offensively by his ability to handle the ball, playmake, and space the floor effectively. While Dwayne Wade may be the best 2-way player LeBron has ever played with, Irving's game compliments LeBron's far better on the offensive side. Additionally, Irving has made large strides on the defensive end of the court this year.

I think most people in the world would agree with the statement "Kevin Love is a better basketball player than Chris Bosh". Love has more range on his jump shot, possesses one of the highest basketball IQs you'll see coming from a big man, elite passing skills, and rebounds at a far better rate than Bosh (11.8 rpg as opposed to 8.6 in their careers). While Bosh is a superior defender it's hard to dismiss his inability to guard true centers and bang down low. He also added a three point game to his arsenal but that didn't come until very recently and it still does not come close to matching Kevin Love's totals or percentages. Bosh peaked at 74 3PM and 34% which does not even compare to Love's career mark which hovers at around 36% and 112.8 3PM per season (this stat does not include the 2012-2013 season where Love had a freak injury and only played in 18 games). Kevin Love accomplishes the same feat that Irving does: complimenting LeBron's game at the highest level. In a league where three point shooting and spacing is a growing necessity, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love prove to be better teammates for LeBron James. 

Despite Miami's accomplishments, I still think the Cleveland Cavaliers are a better team.

This Cavaliers team also has the edge when comparing the two primary perimeter defenders. When Cleveland acquired Iman Shumpert they got someone with athleticism and potential to be one of the best "3 and D" players in the league. His most attractive qualities include his haircut, quick hands, and decent catch and shoot ability(~38% on those opportunities from beyond the arc). Shumpert also has some minor ball handling skills that he acquired from playing point guard in college. Comparing that to the older Shane Battier that Miami acquired, is kind of a lopsided affair. Battier never had the ability to put the ball on the floor, was often found playing on aged legs, and never shot the ball efficiently (Battier's highest field goal percentage in his Miami tenure was 42%). They played the same role but Iman is easily noted as a better player given his age, potential, and athleticism.  

Another area where Cleveland has the edge lies in the primary big man coming off the bench. Birdman has always been asked to affect the game by bringing energy and hustle, but tends to accomplish nothing else. When he was on Miami he lost a lot of the athleticism he enjoyed early on in his career, and his frame made it hard for him to protect the paint all that much. Tristan Thompson is drastically different as he is bulkier, still young (ergo retains his athleticism), is proficient on offense within eight feet of the basket, and ranks amongst the top of the league in terms of rebounding per minute, especially in regards to offensive boards. His offensive rebounding numbers are astounding as he grabbed 14.5% of available shots and 3.3 per game last year. These numbers are staggering as they rank fourth and fifth in the NBA respectively. Extra possessions mean the world to this team as they have so much offensive firepower already. Giving a team with a "Big 3" extra possessions is almost unfair.

Tristan Thompson doing what he does best. 

The last difference I am going to mention is the center position. Never in LeBron's career has he ever been paired up with an active center with a strong inside presence. The closest thing LeBron has had to that was playing with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who had very limited mobility due to all the injuries he suffered early on in his career. Mozgov is literally the perfect supplement to what any LeBron James team needs. His able hands and activity leads to good cuts and easy baskets, his size makes him a formidable interior presence, and he has just enough skills in the post to make teams worry about him. 

What Cleveland is putting together around LeBron James probably makes for his best team yet. GM David Griffin's work is highly commendable as he changed the team's image from an inexperienced group of young athletes to a team that was only two wins away from being NBA champions in just a short year. The success they attained last year is absolutely astounding if you consider all the injuries the team had to overcome. Now maybe if they were able to play fully healthy, we could very well be talking about them in a similar fashion to their finals counterpart. 

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