NBA Player Stereotypes
In the NBA, it seems like each player gets labeled with a certain stereotype. Sometimes these stereotypes are unfairly given and based on one or two situations that do not define that person at all. Most of these stereotypes are wrong and are only used for humor. If you look at facts and statistics you can see where these stereotypes are false.
James Harden’s Defense:
People like to make jokes about James Harden’s defense because of a few situations that the media showed where he was being lazy or let his man score, but in reality Harden is an average or even above average defender. His defensive efficiency rating is in the top 100 in the league (even though that doesn’t sound great, there isn’t a huge gap between him and the top 10). Harden is also averaging 2 steals per game this season which is 5th best in the NBA. I think sometimes statistics don’t tell the whole story as well. Watching James Harden play offense is amazing but watching him play defense throughout the course of a game is also great. He seems to get defensive stops more often than people give him credit for. It is definitely time for people to start giving Harden more credit on the defensive side of the ball.
JaVale McGee’s Fails:
Many Basketball fans know the name ”JaVale McGee” but maybe not for the right reasons. Some of his basketball “fails” and “screwups” are some of the best NBA jokes. Shaq loves to make fun of him on TV during his “Shaqtin’ A Fool” segment, where he shows McGee missing dunks, missing easy shots, or other funny moments where McGee makes himself look terrible. The reality though is that JaVale McGee is one of the best defenders in the NBA and is an efficient scorer. This season with the Lakers he’s averaging 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds. On the defensive side he’s averaging 2.3 blocks with an unbelievable defensive efficiency rating. It seems like he can’t do much wrong this season for the Lakers and is a huge part of their success this season.
LeBron James Isn’t Human:
The biggest mistake I’ve seen with NBA basketball fans is the thought that LeBron James is perfect. LeBron is far from it though just like every other human. He CAN get injured! We all saw this when he got hurt on Christmas Day against the Warriors. This injury has had him sidelined for a few weeks but he is going to return soon. What we have learned is that LeBron can’t win by himself, just like anyone else in the NBA right now. No one player can carry a team to a championship. He did the next best thing last year however by bringing the Cavs to the finals. These super teams will always overpower a LeBron James, which just proves that he is vulnerable just like any other human.
The media seems to try and hype up all these stereotypes for comedy or publicity purposes but in reality these stereotypes are mostly false and occur rarely.
