LeBron James: Why He Can Keep Up the Pace - Bleacher Report

LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world.

Further, if an MVP were awarded up to this point of the season, he would be it.

Kevin Durant, probably LeBron's principal rival for such an award at this point, in no way does all of the things that James does. While Durant is a great first violinist, James is the master maestro.

And we saw LeBron James outplay Kobe Bryant on national television just a few nights ago.

The second tier of contenders for an MVPâ€"Kevin Love, Dwight Howard and Derrick Roseâ€"have not been as highly consistent on as high a level as LeBron James has so far this season.

To wit, the more one sees his royalty “King James,” the more one appreciates him and his high maintenance of excellence.

Especially the finery of his game.

How he can manage a contest from end to end, bringing the ball up court, until he reaches the forecourt to direct a play; how he shrewdly roams on defense, with his roving frequently ending with a shot block against a bigger player; and how he can set up teammates with a captain's surety, passing the rock to them where they can score best.

As Mike Lupica of the NY Daily News put it recently: “He [LeBron] has an amazingly complete game and impeccable basketball values.” 

Lupica's take is to the point of why King James can keep his eminent play ongoing throughout the 2011-2012 NBA season, now one-quarter completed.

LeBron James has, in this current hoops campaign, indeed gone back to wisely, and evidently superbly, executing fundamental basketball values. His showy “cave man” beard is even a living daily symbol of his rudimentary approach.

Watch LeBron perform. With the Miami Heat team a year more knowledgeable about each other, James understands he is going to receive his deserved number of shots. Therefore, he always seeks to exploit his teammates abilities first.

LeBron James recently explained in an interview with The Guardian (U.K.) about his new-old approach:

“But, right now, it's all about building my team's legacy. How can we continue to get better and to approach the game in the right way during a championship playoff. One year in, we gave ourselves a chance and we're looking forward to the next one. For me, I just want to give myself the best opportunity to win games....Everyone has to be in tune and understand that the individual can try and do as much as you can but you're going to need those other four guys on the court."

Carmelo Anthony, are you listening?

As this writer speaks, LeBron James is averaging 29.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 8.3 rebounds. And he is shooting a wondrous .564. All of those statistics are above his career averages.

Very nice job by Mr. LeBron James.

But if you are not convinced, check around the league: Who else compares in an all-around sense to the two-time NBA MVP and former NBA Rookie of the Year?

Quick answer: no one.

Chris Paul cannot score or defend with LeBron. Kevin Durant is not the rebounder, shot blocker, or passer that LeBron is, and Durant's stats exhibit this fact. In general, Dwight Howard is still too inconsistent in comparison with LeBron, and Howard has not hit the statistical highlands LeBron has reached.

Visibly, LeBron James' game has flourished even more this year in the Miami Heat's new “no-huddle, spread offense,” which Heat coach Eric Spoelstra picked up in the offseason from Oregon Ducks' football coach Chip Kelly.

Within Miami's new scheme, the team's spacing is much more pronounced. Further, during any given game you can see coach Spoelstra waving his arms to LeBron James and others to keep “pushing it“ up court, to maximize advantage.

In essence, the Miami Heat team becomes perpetual motion.

The design is working: On the fastbreak, LeBron James can feed Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, James Jones or Mike Miller for threes, hit Dwyane Wade slashing to the rim, or find Chris Bosh as the “trailer” for a pull-up jumper.

Alternately, in the half-court offense, when Chris Bosh becomes the team facilitator from the head of the circle, LeBron James gains more freedom to find his potent offensive niche.

Or to display his “new moves.”

It is infinitely more of a pleasure this year to watch James play basketball.

He has boldly unleashed, on a captivated NBA, a “show-and-tell” repertoire learned from Houston Rocket legend Hakeem Olajuwon this past summer. His newfound stock of go-to maneuvers has rendered would-be defenders not only sick with surprise, but sunken in their powerlessness to stop him.

Now James fears to tread on no area of the court. He backs in, pulls up, or turns and shoots with equal confidence.

He'll moreover, for example, “dipsy-doo” you with a running one-hander. The scary thing is that James will get better at all that he has newly discovered.

LeBron James' one weakness, staying a superstar in the fourth quarter, is well-documented and well-known. However, this, his accentuated Achilles, was due in part to his limited individual basketball options as a player.

Now he is unlimited basketball-wise. And Miami's new offense won't hurt his ability to eliminate his glaring flaw, either.