Goldsberry Says LeBron James Is The Best Close-Range Shooter Of The Decade

LeBron James didn’t really add a lot of numbers to his list of records last season, but ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry decided to give us a quick reminder of his greatness. According to him, LeBron is the best short-range shooter.

“Nobody scored more points in the 2010s than LeBron James, and he absolutely owned the paint.

“Unlike the decade’s other breakout superstars, James’ scoring efficiency is mostly limited to one area. But that one area is the most vital spot in the sport. Despite the massive growth of 3-point scoring, shots around the rim still produce the biggest return on investment in the game.

“Perhaps the decade’s most staggering scoring stat reveals just how dominant the decade’s best player was in the sport’s most important zone. Check this out:

“James led the NBA in total paint scoring and ranked No. 2 in paint efficiency out of 227 players with at least 1,500 attempts the past 10 seasons.

“Yep, that’s crazy. While interior shooting is an entirely different skill from jump-shooting, James is the Steph Curry of close-range buckets:

“Dwight Howard ranked No. 2 in the NBA in the 2010s by converting a whopping 3,796 field goals within 8 feet of the basket. James made 4,434!

“During the 2010s, 152 NBA players converted at least 1,000 field goals within 8 feet of the basket. Of that group, James ranked No. 1 in FG%, converting a ridiculous 69.2% of his shots.

“It’s fair to say that James is just an average jump-shooter; he made only 38.3% of his shots beyond 8 feet during the 2010s. But it’s impossible to argue that the decade’s leading scorer has an offensive formula that’s anything short of awesome.”

It’s easy to say that LeBron is the best player, and he keeps showing us how great he can be. He missed the playoffs last season, but this year everything will be better. He’s got Anthony Davis by his side, and the young Kyle Kuzma promised to give his best shot. The Los Angeles Lakers are ready for a title, and we can’t wait to see them win one after a long time. Let’s see what happens this season.

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