The LeBron James sweepstakes are still simmering, and nobody really knows when he’ll tip his hand. All we know is that a bunch of teams are camped out waiting for a decision from a guy who just turned 41.
But not everybody is buying the hype. Not with the rosy goggles on, anyway.
Colin Cowherd fired off a hot take that isn’t exactly flattering for LeBron. And honestly, it’s not that hard to see where he’s coming from if you watched any tape last season.
What Cowherd said
“LeBron will make you a worse defensive team,” Cowherd said on his show. “Slowest player in the NBA last year was James Harden. The second slowest player was LeBron James.” He went on to say that if LeBron goes back to Cleveland, the Cavs will be worse defensively than they already were last year, and they weren’t good to begin with even with some rim protection.
Cowherd also pointed out that LeBron can still win you close games. Cleveland was awful in tight ones. But against teams like the Knicks, the average margin was 20 points. “The Knicks will blow you out with LeBron,” he said.
The quote is pretty direct: “LeBron will make you a worst defensive team. LeBron will absolutely make you slower.”
The other side of the ball
Look, nobody is expecting a 41-year-old to run the floor like he did in Miami. That version of LeBron is gone and he’s not coming back. But his basketball IQ is still elite. He reads the game a step ahead of almost everybody. That can make up for a lot of lost foot speed.
If you scheme around him on defense — hide him on a weaker offensive player, drop him into the paint to use his size and instincts — you can survive. It’s not ideal, but it’s workable.
And offensively? That’s where the math changes. LeBron still averaged 25 points and 8 assists last year. He can control a game with his passing alone. Put him around young athletes who can run and space the floor, and he’ll make them better. That’s not really debated.
What a Cleveland reunion might look like
The Cavs are widely viewed as one of the frontrunners for him. They have young wings who can fly, some size inside, and a city that would put him on a throne if he came back. But the defensive fit is awkward. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell aren’t exactly stoppers. Add a slow LeBron and Harden together on the floor and you’re basically daring teams to attack the rim every possession.
It’ll be fascinating to watch if that actually happens. Not every fit is a perfect fit, even with a legend.
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