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Message: [QUOTE="Phenomenon, post: 1837255, member: 3610"] So the mantra is: [I]This is my opinion and I have stats. You have none.[/I] <Stats given> [I]I don't like your stats. This guy is too old. This guy is too young. This guy is a gunner. These stats don't count. Other than these 14 people who LeBron played with, LeBron makes all his teammates look good. [/I]That isn't how statistics work. You can't pick and choose which people fit your predetermined conclusion. Take a look at the other side of the argument. Which players have actually looked better playing alongside LeBron? Mo Williams is a definite. I would guess Mozgov too, but time will tell that story. There may be others that the stats may support. The easiest way to evaluate them would be to ask "[I]Who hasn't been on the chopping block?[/I]". The list is small. And then for good measure. "[I]Have you seen him play?[/I]" The 538 link makes a decent argument for LeBron making his teammates have a higher true shooting percentage, sure. But true shooting percentage is a faulty metric because it includes free throw percentage which thereby invalidates it. Regardless of that dismissal, I would agree that it makes sense that simply having LeBron on your team should improve your FG% for two reasons: [LIST=1] [*]You are more likely to get open shots because LeBron draws the double teams, especially on screened dribble drives [*]You are not likely to take the tough shots because he will be tasked with that and you can therefore be more selective [/LIST] That is the same thing that happened with Kobe and the Lakers and Jordan and the Bulls. But we return to the original premise which was that [I]Dion must not be good because he didn't look good with LeBron and everyone looks good with LeBron[/I]. And there were other intimations that Moe Harkless, Tyler Johnson, and Iman Shumpert were better than Dion and that Dion was below average in all facets of basketball. The stats that people longed for just don't support those theories. The fact that with the season on the line and a trip to go to the Finals, the coach turned to Dion didn't support those theories. I believe that Dion getting that abysmal contract had very little to do with his talent as has been implied, but much more due to: [LIST=1] [*]The timing of his rights being rescinded being so late in free agency after the market had mostly dried up [*]His perceived attitude [*]His agent [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?