The “LeBron Rules”
Photo. MannionBack in the day, the Pistons employed the “Jordan Rules” as a way to contain a young Mike. It was a strategy that frustrated MJ for years before he was finally able to break through.
Today, Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst examines the Wizards‘ version of the Bad Boys’ business for a star opponent, the “LeBron Rules.”
From the article:
The Wizards are playing rough, invoking the Detroit “Bad Boys” on more than one occasion and not saying they’re sorry for knocking James on his backside as much as possible. Have other teams tried to send messages to James with hard fouls before? Sure. But not to this level and with this much apparent conspiracy, according to the man himself.
“I’ve been put on the floor before, but it has been a little different this year,” James said. “Hard fouls happen, but this is a difference.”
Windhorst points out that a major part of Eddie Jordan’s strategy isn’t just to be physical with James, but they want him to shoot free throws.
So as the Wizards prepared to deal with him for a third consecutive postseason, they had to try to find another way. They don’t have any Bruce Bowen clones anyway and allowing James to take 15- to 18-footers would be just what James now wants. So they focused on another weakness. In fact, it just may be the greatest weakness still in James’ offensive game considering he’ll never be asked to be a 3-point marksman: foul shooting.
James made just 71 percent of his free throws this season, the second-worst percentage of his career. In April, when the Cavs started playing vital games as they struggled to secure home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, he shot just 66 percent. It was also when the Wizards’ advance scout and assistant coaches were watching closely as they prepped postseason reports.
“I haven’t been a good free-throw shooter since I came into the NBA,” James admitted this week.
The Wizards, and others, have noticed. They also know that just fouling James isn’t as simple as it sounds. A pure power driver who is ambidextrous — he is left-handed, but plays right-handed so he can easily finish with either hand around the rim — just putting in a “no layup rule” isn’t enough. This season James was second in the NBA with 87 “and 1s” in 75 games.
So Jordan and his coaches told the players that fouling James whenever he came in the paint was the plan. And not just a slap. The idea was to hit, pound, and perhaps even shove James to the ground if possible. Not only would it force James to earn the points at the line, it matched the classic strategy of turning up the physicality in the playoffs to upgrade the wear and tear.
Has it worked? Not sure we’ll really have an answer until we see who wins the series…
Read the full article HERE.
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April 25th, 2008 at 9:56 am
fallinup says:
You shut down Lebron, you shut down the Cavs. Bar none, the thing to do. Actually, thats the only strategy that you should employ. Will it work for 3 more games for the Wiz…I doubt it. I still got the Cavs winning in 7 though.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:08 am
GEE...Until you do right by me... says:
Who was first in the L with and 1′s? I am thinking between Amare and Dwight Howard?
April 25th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Chuck says:
It’s a good strategy for Eddie Jordan to apply.
I am just scared that Lebron may get hurt. The wizards would feel awfully bad if they actually ended this mans career through these tactics.
The Haywood foul was scary. I thought Lebron may have been done.
My advice to Lebron is to hit back just as hard, you know how some running backs not only get punished, but also punish with the shear force they come at the defenses with. My advice to Lebron is to come at em hard just like they are coming at him, flail his arms like Kobe, hit whoever.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:57 am
K Dizzle says:
Gee
I heard it on a Raps game that D howard was the leader in and 1′s
This story on the Wiz tryin to take out Lebron by any means necessary won’t make D. Stern very happy
April 25th, 2008 at 11:04 am
fallinup says:
Get Dwight to shoot over 60% in FT’s and he’d average 30 points easy.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:25 am
doc says:
I hate the Wizards but it is the only chance they got at winning so you cant knock that.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
GEE...Until you do right by me... says:
K Dizz thanks. I figure him or Stat. Dwight is just hard to stop once he gets position.
You right, Stern doesn’t like violence lol. If he was ever over hockey, he would just end that game for their fans.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Celts Fan says:
Here’s the thing, as long as it’s not malicious, there’s nothing wrong with it. I didn’t think Haywood should have been tossed from game 2. It was a flagrant, but not a flagrant 2 (or 1, whichever is the one that gets you tossed) and even then, it’s pretty close.
Apparently, you have 3 choices in the NBA now.
1. Hard foul – this is what you’re supposed to do. Don’t try to hurt the guy, but make sure he doesn’t finish the lay-up. Make him earn it from the line. Unfortunately, with strong guys like LeBron (or Shaq and any other big guy) you have to hit him so hard to stop him that it looks bad and guys get tossed unnecessarily.
2. Slap foul – we all know this drill. The defender that didn’t hit the guy hard enough/kind of just stuck his arm out to avoid a flagrant. The guy driving invariably runs right through it, finishes no problem, and one.
3. Just let him go and run back on defense. Unfortunately, this is the worst thing you can do, but it’s looking like the way the NBA wants it to be.
No blood, no (flagrant) foul. Come on Stern…
April 25th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
daquest?on says:
the lebroniers are gonna lose
April 25th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Three Stacks says:
K-Dizzle, Amare was the leader in and 1′s this year…by a lot. They showed the numbers during Spurs-Suns game 1, I think he had like 137 or something. 2nd was Allen Iverson, he had about twenty less.
The blurb you heard about Dwight was probably that he led the league in double-doubles.
April 26th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Dagomar says:
Three Stacks: it was And-1s, I saw the same graph. Lebron was #2.
April 27th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
westside subroller says:
You all are wrong. Brian Scalabrine led the league in and-1s. with DJ Mbenga 2nd. The Veal demands you have some!!!