This is getting some pub throughout the media but not enough, Lebron is having a significantly worse season statistically. The Cavs currently have the third best record in the East, not that big of an accomplishment, but Lebron's backwards movement this year has to concern the Cleveland public atleast mildly. In all previous seasons Lebron for the most part improved from year to year, and one easily could have predicted a 33 points per game output from Lebron this season, but that has not happened. Stat Notes
~Lebron's Free Throw % has gone down in each of his 4 NBA seasons from 75.4 to 75.0 to 73.8 to 67.8.
~Lebron's sophomore campaign, 04-05 had universally better per game averages. 27.2 to 26.5 points. 2.2 to 1.6 steals per. 35.1 to 32.7 3pt %. 7.2 to 5.7 assists per. 7.4 to 6.8 boards.
~Lebron's 05-06 had significantly better stats as well. 31.4 to 27.2 points per. 48 to 47.2 FG %. 6.6 to 5.7 assists. 3 less shots per game. 1.4 less free throws per game.
~Playing almost 2 less minutes per game than both of the previous 2 seasons.
~For Fantasy Players out there Lebron's Yahoo Rank has diminished each of the past three seasons. 04-05 2, 05-06 4, 06-07 25.
Why the Change
From looking at all the numbers, the shots taken the free throws taken as well as the mild decrease in turnovers it becomes apparent that either Lebron does not have the ball as much throughout the course of the game or is not as aggressive this season. Perhaps, he got burnt out in the playoff run last year and is taking Shaq's method of playing the season, aka not caring much until the postseason.
The free throw percentage would concern me the most, how could the best player in the NBA with all of his skills be a 67% free throw shooter? It's not as if he's Shaq or similar big guy who needs no touch to be a successful basketball player, Lebron takes a lot of jumpers. Lebron is currently 6th in the NBA in FTA attempts per game but is the only one in the top ten who shoots at a clip below 76%, and the only one in the top 10 who shoots below 80% is Chris Bosh. Each of these players takes full advantage of their trips, but not Lebron. Out of the top 50 players in Free Throws attempted per game only 5 players have a worse percentage, Dwight Howard, Eddy Curry, Tim Duncan, Gerald Wallace and Desmond Mason. 3 of those guys are big guys and the other 2 do not have close to the talent as Lebron. 67.8% is completely unacceptable.
I'm not saying that Lebron James isn't a great player, he is, just with this downturn in production the gap between him and his draft peers Carmelo, Bosh and Wade has been shrunk. Well and then there's Darko...
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