‘Significant Nits’: NBA Analyst Explains LeBron James Shouldn’t Win the MVP

Published 02/11/2021, 12:52 AM EST

There have been very few days when LeBron James has avoided criticism from NBA analyst Skip Bayless. Today is not that day. As the Lakers returned to action against the Thunder tonight, Bayless returned to his usual unwarranted criticism.

He tweeted and did the usual stats nitpicking. He complained about LeBron’s turnovers, his free throw shooting, his missed game-winners, and finally, his fourth-quarter shooting.

All of these stats were, like he himself mentions, selectively picked from his bad games. Bayless has also become a Luka Doncic basher, and he also targeted him through the tweet.

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I said last season LeBron deserved MVP. But this year? He's 2nd in the NBA in turnovers! (To Luka.) He ranks 95th of 112 in free-throw percentage! Missed walk-offs in last 2 home games vs nonplayoff teams! One 7-game stretch: 5-24 in 4th q's! Nitpicks? Significant nits.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 11, 2021

LeBron has always been an average free throw shooter, so it isn’t anything new or groundbreaking. Bayless is also unsurprisingly incorrect about his turnover statistics.

LeBron has the sixth-highest turnovers per game and is fourth in total turnovers. The rest is silly because of the nitpicking. There is no player in the league who doesn’t go through bad runs, and LeBron is just one of them.

Can LeBron James win his fifth MVP this season?

The most recent KIA MVP ladder ranked LeBron as the number one in the MVP race. With a stat line of 25 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists per game, he has been dominant across the court.

LeBron doesn’t rank at the top of either scoring or assists charts, but his ability to do it all is what ranks him on top of the MVP ladder. He has stood tall, even as Anthony Davis is having a quieter season this year.

After finishing second last season, he will aim to win the award this time. However, if the 76ers continue to stay #1, Joel Embiid could be a threat to LeBron’s MVP charge.

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Tonight, he led the Lakers to yet another overtime win against the Thunder. He first had a clutch three-pointer to send the game to overtime, then had a clutch interception to seal the game for the Lakers.

It was another close game for them, as they beat the Thunder by just a single point. It was another game without AD for the Lakers, but King James delivered the win.

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NBA Throwback: The Special Gift LeBron James Received from Kobe Bryant

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Written by:

Aaron Mathew is a sports analyst at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Mass Media from Xavier’s College, Aaron has been a part of EssentiallySports since May 2020 where he covers both NBA and NCAA basketball news, and has also covered NBA 2K. In the past, Aaron has worked at the Sports Desk of Mumbai Mirror.

‘Significant Nits’: NBA Analyst Explains LeBron James Shouldn’t Win the MVP

Can LeBron James win his fifth MVP this season?

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