There's no question right now that LeBron James is currently the best all-around, most complete basketball player on the planet.
James' game with and without the basketball is seemingly unstoppable for opposing teams, and it has generated a great deal of success for him individually and in a team aspect as well.
Though he's on track for yet another Most Valuable Player award, which would be his fourth in five years, it'd be interesting to break down the actual value of LeBron James as a player in terms of offense and defense.
It's fair to say that most casual NBA fans and even some of the more diehard stat junkies view most of LeBron's effectiveness through the scope of his offensive performance. Offensive output is simply an easier means of quantifying how good or bad a player's doing since it provides tangible statistics like points, assists, rebounds and shooting percentages.
On defense, there are some telling statistics like blocks and steals, but those are not necessarily always reflective of just how effective someone is in terms of defending. Playing good defense often has a lot of aspects that don't show up in the box score, like handling screens correctly or contesting a shot.
When dealing with such an immensely talented player like James, his superstardom has a lot to do with his exciting offensive plays and often outrageous stat lines. Rather than fans seeing how well he closes out on a jump shot or how he fights through a tough screen, they see things like alley-oop dunks and turnaround jumpers.
Now that I've been able to explain the intricacies in deciding how measurable defense is compared to offense, we can actually take a look to see how much value LeBron holds both defensively and offensively.
Since you've now read this far in the article without any awe-inspiring LeBron James highlights, we'll start off with his offensive value.
As you can see, there's almost nothing any team can really do on defense to stop James once he gets rolling. He's really improved his shooting efficiency and range this season, as he's at a career high in field-goal percentage (56.5 percent) and three-point percentage (40.3 percent).
Aside from just the normal LeBron we've seen in past years, where he slashes like a runaway freight train to the basket, we've now seen him really get in control of his jump-shooting this year. As a result, teams now really have to worry about James being able to score from just about anywhere when he has the ball in his hands.
This amount of versatility in his game opens things up for himself offensively as well as the rest of his Miami Heat teammates.
Drawing copious amounts of attention while holding the basketball on the perimeter or driving in the lane allows for James to kick out to open teammates on the perimeter (see: Ray Allen) or dish to his favorite target and skilled cutter, Dwyane Wade.
Therefore, James holds a lot of value offensively, as he can tear a team up by himself or through his superb passing ability and facilitation. James is able to pick apart even the best defenses by combining his high basketball IQ with his versatile offensive game that allows him to perform well individually and as a teammate.
Statistically, his offensive rating comes in at 124.7, which means that he produces about 125 points per 100 possessions. James' rating is third in the NBA this season, just behind Chris Paul (126.78) and Tyson Chandler (133.06).
On defense, LeBron's build (6'8" and a healthy 240 lbs.) makes him an intimidating figure to match up against. His strength allows him to guard some forwards who may have height or length advantages on him, as he can guard effectively in the post as well as the perimeter.
James' defense also revolves a lot around his sheer athleticism, which allows him to make some highlights with exciting chase-down blocks that cut opposing fast breaks short.
His court vision on defense also factors in for reading passing lanes and intercepting passes, which lead to his frequent fast-break opportunities.
In terms of on-ball defense, James has a lot of tenacity, which forces his assignments, a lot of the time, to make ill-advised decisions with their shots or passes.
LeBron's defensive rating is less impressive than his offensive rating, as he is currently allowing about 101 points per 100 possessions. While that's a still very above-average score, it still doesn't land him in the top 10 for this season.
After comparing both the tangible and more abstract aspects of LeBron James' all-around game, I wouldn't say it'd be easy to make a definite call without a shadow of a doubt as to which side of the ball he's most valuable on.
However, I've decided that the benefits from his explosive game simply outweigh his contributions on defense, therefore making him considerably more valuable on offense.
James' defense is still what I'd consider to be elite and one of the best at his position, but he's also definitely built his individual career and team success through his offensive output. All of the awards and accolades LeBron's collected throughout his career are mainly because of his offensive abilities, which seem to be inexplicably expanding year after year.
Overall, LeBron James is one of the most complete players to ever pick up a basketball, but even with his strong defense, his amazing talents with the ball make him the most valuable player offensively.
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