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Why Tony Allen Is Wrong To Call LeBron James An "Overrated" Defender
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- Why Tony Allen Is Wrong To Call LeBron James An "Overrated" Defender
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
For most of his career, LeBron James has drawn criticism despite one of the best players in league history.
It's part of the deal when you've accomplished so much. Folks are forced to nitpick and search for anything negative. We saw this with media personality Skip Bayless questioning James' "clutch gene" during his days with the Miami Heat . We see it with fans who say James couldn't have handled the physical play in the 1990s.
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And now we're seeing it from peers who always try to find a flaw in his game. The latest is retired player Tony Allen , who feels James was an overrated defender during his peak years.
Allen was one of the few remaining defensive-stoppers in the NBA. He was in a position where he could abandon the offensive end so he could excel on defense.
Allen recently made the claim during a podcast appearance but he really shouldn't use his style of play to criticize James. Throughout his career, James has been a Top 10 player. He has never been in a role where he isn't the superstar.
He has to carry the load in all phases, scoring, rebounding, assists, etc. Coaches know this, so they attempt to save his energy. It would be silly for James to exert so much on the defensive end the entire game while he has so many other things to do.
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But when James plays defense, he is a lock-down defender. Just ask anyone in the league. Ask Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo and Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose , who James guarded in the fourth quarter during their playoff battles. Why else would Heat coach Erik Spoelstra make that decision if James weren't an elite defender?
Ask San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter after James blocked his dunked in the 2013 NBA Finals. While James may not be a defensive-stopper like Allen, it's wrong to call him an overrated defender.
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