Los Angeles Lakers: A real LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard comparison

The Los Angeles Lakers play the Los Angeles Clippers on opening night for a months-long race to the NBA title. Right now let’s compare the best players on the respective teams. Those players are Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. Who’s better at what and why!

The wait is finally over for the Los Angeles Lakers fanbase. LeBron James has the superstar and the roster of shooters around him, so he’s happy. Now the Lakers have a legitimate chance to make an exciting run in the playoffs for the first time since Dwight Howard was wearing No. 12 on his jersey.

The NBA offseason has set the fans up for excitement for the next two to three years and we have one man to thank for this. His name is Kawhi Leonard.

Sure there are Lakers fans that will boo him all over Los Angeles every time they see him. Come to think of it, they actually did. But guess what Lakers fans, Kawhi Leonard did the entire NBA a favor. Like LeBron James said a few months back, the winner of free agency is the Staples Center. Guess what, the first payment of the money-bag is on October 22nd, 2019. Opening night.

The NBA is back baby! Cue the Prince music, “Let’s go crazy”!

With the Lakers and the Clippers making their run, sure the media will be focused on Kawhi and LeBron’s sidekicks, Paul George and Anthony Davis, but the storyline is the guys on the marquee.

What do we know now?

LeBron James: 

LeBron James is labeled by many to be the greatest small forward ever, and to his fanbase, the best player in the NBA. His combination of athleticism, power and speed is something that no one has ever seen before (Zion comparisons will not be heard!).

Couple that point with his hunger for knowledge and basketball I.Q., his impact on the game transcends all eras. Three championships, three NBA Finals MVPs and four regular-season MVPs through his career is quite a resume. Eight straight trips to the NBA Finals hasn’t been done by anyone outside of the Boston franchise.

For an 11 year span, James was the undisputed “King” of the NBA. Only one thing.

Last year, LeBron James stunk. Here’s where the LeBron stans break out the 28/8/8 argument and this is a LeBron hater article. But to many Lakers fans, they knew that he just wasn’t that good.

His defense fell off a cliff (More on that later!), and at times, he looked disinterested in the roster construction after the trade deadline. Where do you think the “Revenge Season” thing came from? Now that LeBron’s decline is a topic of conversation, it allowed another player to get into the discussion.

Kawhi Leonard:  

Like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard is also a multiple-time NBA Champion and Finals MVP. What makes Kawhi Leonard a threat to LeBron’s undisputed throne is he is the REIGNING NBA Champion and Finals MVP.

Now the narrative is starting to change around the NBA. ESPN and Sports Illustrated both rank Leonard higher than James on their respective rankings. Now many NBA fans wonder if Kawhi is actually the better player head to head. Thanks to his ability to shoot efficiently from the floor and play lock-down defense that extends to the bench during timeouts seemingly at times.

After sending the 76ers home in the playoffs last year on one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history, Kawhi in many people’s eyes has had more success when the game is on the line.

They might have a point.

Lake Show Life is going to put to bed who is the better player right now. Is it LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard? This discussion is about them. Sure it’s a team sport, but there are too many debates to be had about these two, not to get our two cents in first.

This layout will be different, this is not about statistics that can be manipulated or teammates each player had to carry. This is about these two players, breaking down numerous aspects of their games and comparing them.

Let’s get started.

LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard can both get to the basket, but one has a weakness and a tendency that gets him in trouble.

Both players are next to impossible to stop in the open break. LeBron James can just overpower you in the paint and his speed literally scared the Golden State Warriors frontline under the basket this preseason. Kawhi Leonard is an assassin that kills you with his efficiency and skill. What’s even more amazing is that he does it calmly. Let’s look at the differences.

LeBron James:

It’s important to note that LeBron scored his first two baskets on dunks. Plus they were on back to back possessions. The Lakers were on the road against Portland at the time and the crowd was going nuts for him. Unbelievable.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ announcer Austin Carr used to call LeBron James the L-train on the team broadcasts. It is really hard to disagree when he decides to take over a ball game. When the man cares, he is on a different level from anyone on the planet.

Besides maybe Julius Erving and Michael Jordan, he’s the greatest attacker of the basket in history. His mix of power, strength, speed, and explosiveness is potentially unmatched.

Except.

LeBron James rarely posts up anymore. That was part of the plan when the roster was constructed last year. When he went back to running the point, the roster got exposed.

Plus LeBron James’ game can be discerned. He always wants to go right to finish. His left hand is improved but still average. On the left side of the floor, he wants to shoot the jumper. If he is forced to drive to his left in crunch time. Well, Mario Herzonja can show you.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1107363178751709185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1107363178751709185&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flakeshowlife.com%2F2019%2F03%2F20%2Flebron-james-walt-fraziers-comments-affects-nba%2F

What’s even more intriguing is that this is nothing new. Michael Jordan laid out LeBron’s tendencies in an interview. Kobe Bryant was listening and exposed them years ago during an All-Star game. Bryant blocked his shot during the game. Twice. 

Kawhi Leonard:

Kawhi Leonard is effective in the paint while being able to play through contact and finish. His soft touch around the rim, coupled with his powerful upper body makes him a nightmare when he decides to attack.

Here’s the difference between Kawhi’s inside game and LeBron’s.

Kawhi Leonard will go to that post if there is a mismatch. If a guard or a smaller player is matched up on Kawhi, he will be helpless because Leonard is way too strong.

Also, Kawhi Leonard can finish with both hands. His hand size is legendary. He can cup the ball with ease and finish strong and quick before the defense knows what’s going on.

Here’s where the debate ends. Kawhi Leonard is a much better free throw shooter than LeBron. At times, last year, LeBron James struggled (Being kind here!) at the free throw line. To avoid being fouled and going to the line, James settles for more 3-point shots.

Better inside player: Kawhi Leonard

The Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors ran their offenses through these two. This one is not close, though.

LeBron James’ game comparisons have changed from Michael Jordan (Thankfully!) to another Lakers icon, Magic Johnson. Now that’s more like it. No one in the NBA can control an NBA game in all aspects like LeBron James.

But in the social media-driven, “What have you done for me lately?” era the NBA is in now, Kawhi Leonard put on a show in the NBA playoffs last year. Who’s better? It depends on what a fan goes by, the entire body of work of LeBron or the potential of Kawhi going into his prime.

Kawhi Leonard:

What hurts Kawhi Leonard, in this case, is his playmaking skills will be overlooked based on the credit the Gregg Popovich system receives. For the first seven years of Leonard’s career, he was amazing and his Spurs defeated the LeBron-led Heat back in 2014. If it was not for Ray Allen and his miraculous 3 point shot to save the Heat the year before, Leonard’s Spurs could have gone back to back.

The presence of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and the Spurs system will leave Kawhi’s playmaking overlooked.

As good as Kawhi was last year with the Raptors, by showcasing his overall game, LeBron James will take this round easily.

LeBron James is one of the greatest passers ever, and like his former boss Magic Johnson, he is a willing passer and makes the most difficult passes seem easy.

LeBron’s greatest strength is controlling the pace of the game with his passing ability. It seems everyone is fixated on James’ climb up the all-time NBA scoring list. How about the guy is in the top-10 in assists?

For that reason and that alone, this one is not close. LeBron James is a better playmaker than Leonard who prefers to score.

Better playmaker: LeBron James 

For this discussion, it’s a no brainer, but whoever wins this column will probably lead their team to the Finals.

It’s no debate that defense wins championships. No matter what era, usually the better team in the Finals win. The Lakers and the Clippers both are running neck and neck on talent on their respective rosters.

Let’s talk about defense.

LeBron James:

Lake Show Life ruffled a lot of feathers talking about LeBron’s defense (or lack thereof!) at times during the season last year. Let’s look at some of the low-lights.

Joakim Noah looked like Shaquille O’Neal while LeBron James stood by like the rest of the crowd that paid to see the game. The video was played so many times on sports talks shows, it should have been a reality show.

Trae Young nutmegged him. Like twice. This was the game before the All-Star break and after Magic Johnson gave his man-up speech to the team in Philadelphia. Very few knew it at the time, but the Lakers were basically checked out. Both the season and the playoff race. Just not mathematically.

Then there was the push.

Let’s move on.

Kawhi Leonard:

Let’s make this short and sweet. LeBron’s defense has eroded since he left the accountability of Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley in Miami. Defense is Kawhi Leonard’s calling card. It’s just that he became a superstar when his offense caught up.

He is known as the best perimeter defender in the NBA. Period. He is considered the best 2 way player in the world (Kevin Durant was the only one that gave him a run for his money!).

Leonard’s tenacity, skill, discipline and footwork make him a major problem for players 1-4. When Leonard is on his game defensively, he can completely shut down opponents and leave them helpless. The man can guard you on the ride to the arena.

Better Defender: Kawhi Leonard

The statistics say LeBron, but you might be surprised what Lake Show Life thinks!

Here’s where analytics and statistics can manipulate reality. Here’s why.

LeBron James averages over seven rebounds per game for his career. In comparison, Kawhi Leonard averages six rebounds per game. According to the numbers, LeBron has the edge in rebounds so he is actually a better rebounder, right?

It depends on when the rebounds are collected. Sure LeBron is the better leaper and can snag rebounds from the rim with ease. However, the rebounds in crunch time mean something, too. Plus the willingness to block out should count as well. LeBron is quicker and stronger so it’s easier for him to rebound theoretically than Leonard.

However, Kawhi Leonard always seems to come up with the important rebounds when his team needs it the most. Remember the phrase that pays when it comes to Leonard.

“Board man gets paid”.

Better Rebounder: Even

When these two are charged to take care of rim protection, this is a fun discussion. LeBron uses his athleticism to get up and swat shots away. I mean the man owns the greatest blocked shot in Finals history!

The chase down block has been around for years, but LeBron made it popular. To be totally honest, if you can’t dunk in this league and he’s on the floor, a quality option is shooting the jumper. Seriously.

Kawhi Leonard does his business differently. He’s not going to chase players down to block shots. They just can’t get past him. Leonard knows how to make players work for their shots and always has a hand up to contest. Leonard’s defensive prowess makes this one even as well.

Better rim protector: Even as well.

Both can put the ball in the hole, but one wins by default. 

Both players can scoring the ball with ease and can offer what Marv Albert likes to say, “the full repertoire of complete offensive weapons”. Kawhi has the mid-range fade-away and has 3-point range. LeBron, on the other hand, can’t be stopped without a lot of help if he drives right and he has a capable side step 3 point shot on the left-wing.

With all of the great weapons both have on the offensive end, LeBron’s offensive efficiency gives him the edge over Kawhi.

But there is a pretty good reason why.

Kawhi Leonard spends a lot of energy playing defense on the opponent’s best player. That takes up a lot of energy. Plenty of LeBron apologists state that he takes off on defense to concentrate on offense.

Better scorer: LeBron James by default. 

Out of this, who’s the better player? Who cares. On opening night, we all win! But since this is a Lakers site, LeBron James right?

No one can really rank both of these players’ impact because they are so dominant. The NBA is based around fan opinion. That’s part of what makes this first game so exciting. No check that, what makes this season exciting.

These two players dominate the game in so many ways. Kawhi impacts the game defensively similar to how Michael Jordan did in the Bulls championship years in the ’90s. Paul George is considered as Kawhi’s Scottie Pippen.  LeBron James is a Magic Johnson with physicality and speed never seen before.

Both can score, and both command most of the attention each and every night.

The Los Angeles Clippers play the Lakers to start off one of the biggest storylines TONIGHT! Lake Show Life will effort some of the most in-depth coverage breaking down this and every game this season with post-game analysis.