LeBron James is one of the all-time greats. He is typically viewed as a pass-first player who can get the best out of his teammates, and put them in positions to succeed offensively by getting them easy scoring opportunities.
While playmaking is without a doubt LeBron James’ best quality, he is also one of the best scorers ever. LeBron James recently broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record, and he has shown no signs of slowing down as a scorer this year, as he is averaging 29.1 PPG this season.
Some recently shared statistical data has shown just how good LeBron James is as a scorer. LeBron James is currently leading the league in PPG without free throws, averaging 24.9 PPG if we apply that constraint. The next best scorers without free throws would be Donovan Mitchell and Luka Doncic, both of whom sit at 21.8 PPG without free throws. It is clear that LeBron James is a player that can do it all on the basketball court, and scoring clearly isn’t a problem for him even at age 37.
Lebron would average 25 ppg if he didn’t shoot a single FT per game. Let that process.
MJ had only 4 seasons, where he avg more than 25 ppg(without FTs). His highest PPG(without FTs) was 27.5 in 1989-90. He needed 3 more FGa to avg 2.5 more points.
Bron is an absurd scorer. pic.twitter.com/fYMJrjArsg
— Letting Go (@ProvideContext) February 17, 2022
https://twitter.com/JamesEdrick3/status/1494250519057084416
Free throws are obviously a part of the game, and knocking them down is important, especially in late-game situations. With that being said, this data shows that LeBron James doesn’t need as many foul calls to get his points as other players. Even if we throw free throws into the mix, then LeBron James’ 29.1 PPG is still top-3 in the NBA. There is no question that LeBron James is still a superstar-caliber player, and what he’s doing right now at age 37 is extremely unprecedented.
Despite LeBron James’ individual brilliance, the Los Angeles Lakers are currently a play-in tier team. They have been inconsistent all year, but they did recently beat the Utah Jazz going into the All-Star break. Hopefully, we see them improve, so LeBron James’ fantastic scoring season doesn’t go to waste.
