Who Is Lebron James’ Best Teammate?
Over the course of his 17 year career, Lebron has had the chance to play with some very good teammates. And he has found different levels of success with all of them. Today I will be finding the best teammate that Lebron James has ever played with.
Candidates:
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, 2010-11 – 2013-14
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2014-15 – 2016-17
Anthony Davis, LA Lakers, 2019-20 – Present
There are a few guys like Chris Bosh and Kevin Love who Lebron has also played with, but I think we can all agree both of those guys were considerably worse when they played with Lebron, nowhere near their prime forms.
So…who is Lebron’s best teammate? I think I’m going to have to go with… Anthony Davis. Here’s why.
Individual Talent
Anthony Davis is one of the most unique talents in the NBA, period. And that means that he is one of the most unique talents to play with Lebron. AD is a special beast, as he is great on both ends. On offense, AD is great in the post and he has a solid mid-range. He is a lob-threat in the pick and roll and he can also pop-out for 3’s, making him a dangerous weapon in the pick and roll.
On defense AD is one of the best interior defenders in the league, as he has averaged 2.4 blocks for his career. AD is also very quick on his feet for somebody that size, and he is a very good perimeter defender and not a terrible pick and roll defender.
AD fits perfectly with Lebron and is by far the most individually talented player Lebron has played with. Kyrie was an all offense and no defense. Dwyane Wade was in the decline of his career and injuries plagued him during his tenure with the Heat. Case and point, AD is easily the most talented player Lebron has played with.
Fit With Lebron On The Court
Although Lebron has played with great teammates, they don’t always fit. Take Dwyane Wade for instance. Not only was Wade declining, he wasn’t a great fit with Lebron. Wade was solid at everything and not great at one thing. He wasn’t a floor spacer and mostly attacked the rim and shot mid-range jumpers. It took Wade being a bit passive and around 80% for the Heat to work. This is not the case with AD.
AD is a great post player and has a great first step, making him a great lob threat for a precision passing LBJ. Davis is also a great post player and Lebron makes sure to give it to him. And when Davis isn’t attacking the rim, he is popping out for mid-range and 3-point jumpshots. Lebron gives him timely passes and AD delivers. They compliment each other beautifully on the court.
And on defense, AD is that anchor that allows Lebron to be a free safety on the court. Lebron doesn’t have to protect the rim as much, although he is still very good at that. AD is also a solid perimeter player, and his high defensive IQ really helps Lebron conserve some energy on that end.
These two are great on and off the court, as they seem like that’ve known each others for decades. And while this duo won’t last as long as we would have liked to seen, they are still pretty damn good.
Accolades/Stats
Now while Lebron and AD haven’t been playing together for long, just one season up to this point, they have already done some impressive things. They’ve of course already won a NBA Championship with Lebron winning Finals MVP, but the list continues. Both of them were on the All-NBA First Team, becoming the first pair of teammates to do so since Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire in 2006-07 with the Suns. AD was 2nd in DPOY voting and was on All-Defensive 1st Team. They were both All-Star starters and Lebron was one of the captains.
Here were their averages this season:
Lebron: 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists with 1.2 steals. 49% from the field and 35% from 3.
AD: 26.1 points and 9.3 rebounds with 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals. 50% from the field and 33% from 3.
So, yeah, these two dominated this season. And to the people who say that AD averaged more because this wasn’t a big 3, that is true. D-Wade and Bosh both took statistical hits when playing with Lebron, and as did Kevin Love. But I think that these two were just simply dominant. What they did in this season alone was truly special. And as I said earlier, while this duo may not last as long as we want it to, it will be special while is lasts.
Ceiling/Outlook
While these two don’t have forever together, there is still room to grow. While the Lakers as a team might not get better, this tandom will. AD will get more comfortable with Lebron and vice versa. If AD can stay healthy, you saw the results in the playoffs, absolute dominance. So as dominant as these two were this season, these guys can get better, especially AD.
So don’t be surprised if another ring comes by these two, because they are far from done writing their names in the history books.
Who Is Lebron’s Best Teammate? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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