[B-ball fanParticipant]

 LeBron is the best defensive player on the team that held to the Thunder to 85 points in game 3.  I’d say he is pretty good.  Ibaka knows that, but he is just trash talking a bit.  He should focus on how the Heat got to the line 35 times last game.

[scott3210Participant]

Ibaka said something stupid, but probably just to try and get into Lebron’s head. Anyone who says Lebron can’t play defense is insane. Just look at his defense on Melo and Danny Granger this post-season. Also, remember his defense on D-rose last playoffs.

[PHILA9Participant]

When I saw this, I thought the was a bad move on Ibaka’s part.
If I was an OKC fan I’d be worried that Ibaka is adding fuel to an already determined Lebron..

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8072235/2012-nba-finals-miami-heat-lebron-james-answers-oklahoma-city-thunder-serge-ibaka-comments

"LeBron can’t play (Kevin Durant) one-on-one. They’re playing good defense like a team," Ibaka told the newspaper.

LeBron’s reply was:

"I don’t really care what he says, he’s stupid," James said. "Everyone says something to me every series then (the media) tries to get a quote. It’s stupid."

Thoughts? Does Ibaka have a point or is he stupid?

[mamadouParticipant]

And then ibaka is not even on the court…

And then lebron scores 30 with PF numbers everytime, making only an outside shot per game. 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

"Thoughts? Does Ibaka have a point or is he stupid?"

Stupid. Incredibly, indefensibly stupid. Ibaka gets all the praise for supposedly protecting the paint, and the Heat are building property getting 46 points and another 31 at the line in Game 3. That followed a 48 and 22 line in Game 2. He needs to try to do his job and not make Durant’s more difficult by poking the bear. The Heat do play great team defense, but that does not diminish in the least the fact that LeBron is an incredible individual defender.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 OK, I don’t mean to imply that it is Ibaka’s fault that the Heat are having such success attacking the rim.  It was just a lighthearted jab, considering Ibaka’s comment was pretty silly.

[GoJOSH HUESTISParticipant]

He has to try something to throw Lebron off of his game because James is killing and showing he is clearly the best player in the world (sorry Kobe)

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

In Game 1 Lebron rarely guarded Durant..But in Games 2 & 3 Lebron & Battier would sometimes double team Durant and force him to cause a turnover or toss up a bad shot…

But there were several times in game 3 in Miami when Lebron was guarding him,and seem to back off for reasons i still dont understand why…We were in Miami for game 3 and there were people in the stands yelling at Lebron, telling him to put a body on Durant…Some were yelling”why you guarding him then you stop and allow him to score”?

Perkins must’ve been talking about Game 3,becuz in that game Lebron was guarding him,but backed off several times allowing him to score…

[Jlv2012]

Lebron’s defense is highly overrated.  Durant is proving it right now.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

I have to give Ibaka mad props for adding a perimeter shot to his game..I think he’s now among the Top 10 power forwards in the nba….

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

haha says the guy with 5 rebounds last game.

[TyroberParticipant]

 There was absolutely no point in saying this. If you want to fuel LeBron up and get him going then game 4 at Miami is not the time to do it. If the HEAT win the series is over.

[MoneyTeam6Participant]

 Honestly nobody can cover Durant one on one but Ibaka is stupid for saying for that 

[SupParticipant]

Durant

[SpacegrassParticipant]

Lebron is an excellent defender , but he has gotten away with a few key fouls in this series that every other player would of gotten called for. 

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

slow your roll Ibaka…….

[anthonymatthew24Participant]

 Lebron is a phenomenal defender, but you have to listen well: he says Lebron cant guard Kevin Durant one on one. There he might have a point, Durant is unstoppaple and has been torching the Heat throughout the finals, the problem is that the last two games hes gotten in to foul trouble. I think he tried to say something different than what many of us apreciated.

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

Funny coming from a guy that can only block shots he gets killed everytime when he’s defending one on one look how dirk had him looking stupid going for every pumpfake last year, he’s just mad that LeBron killed him and Perkins on the boards

[HaleParticipant]

Pretty sure the numbers have showed LeBron has hindered Durant greatly when he’s guarding him so Ibaka has no clue what he’s talking about. Great response by LeBron, if Ibaka wants to talk like that, he is stupid.

[Sewok15Participant]

Ibaka isn’t stupid but him saying Lebron can’t play D sure is.

[redsoxfreak724Participant]

I hit shall hit this comment with the whale face

 

-______-

[BrentSuriaga01Participant]

Ibaka saying lebron is not a good defender is like saying Brian Scalabrine as the best player in the world right now. Totally crazy for saying that, I’m a LeBron hater but I do respect his game

[sheltwon3Participant]

In context of what Ibaka said, I think it was right to point out that it was not Lebron’s defense but OKC just missed a lot of shots and free throws they made.  I don’t think he actually believes that Lebron can not play defense.  The fact that Lebron got mad at Ibaka made what Ibaka did a good move.  If you let something like that get in your head to where you need to respond instead of saying it on the court or with your game.  That shows weakness to me.  If a person said I could not play defense and I am on first or second team defense and I am beating their team in the playoffs.  I would just smile and keep it moving.  Why entertain that. I may confront the person on the court after I stop a few plays and be like Ibaka don’t I suck at defense. 

Talking smack back and forth through the media is weak when you see the person in another game.

If I was Ibaka he should have said it in game but also the fact that he said and go a response from Lebron was key.

 

Also when OKC wins tonight than the get back home court.  the only time they lost at home their were two questionable calls in the last 45 seconds.

Game 3 they played terrible and missed free throws they have made all playoffs and still almost won.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I wasn’t saying I agreed with Ibaka. Saw the article and wanted to read thoughts. Don’t kill the messenger lol.

[Sewok15Participant]

Ibaka should as his coach why he is playing Perkins at the end of the game over him instead of worrying about Lebron. It makes no sense to me to play Perk when he is out there for his post defense but has nobody to guard in the post. Ibaka is a much better offensive player and led the league in blocks so he is obviously a better help defender as well to stop Lebron and Wade attacking the rim. I am not sure what Brooks strategy is here but I would look for him to adjust it.

[PistonsFan22Participant]

Just dumb. Lebron is more than a good defender, he is the best defender in the NBA. Many people who forgot more about basketball than Ibaka will ever know say this. Doc Rivers was quoted as saying "he could easily-easily- be defensive player of the year, every year." I mean thinking he isn’t a GREAT defender is one thing but saying he isn’t GOOD, is just ridiculous.

[mj23mj23besteverParticipant]

 what ibaka said is absurd i hate lebrons entire exsistance but i dont deny hes a great player and an excellent def but for lebron too say ibaka is stupid is childish 

[What The DevilParticipant]

 Didn’t Jason Terry call out Lebron saying he couldn’t defend him the whole series last year? That trash talk worked out ok….

[Krypt14Participant]

 Very dumb. LeBron is an incredible defender who can guard 4, sometimes all 5 spots on the floor. Saying he can’t guard Durant is not really a huge insult. When KD is on fire there is no one on this planet who can stop him, what LeBron does is increase the chance KD has a bad night. On an unrelated note I would love to see a prime time Scottie Pippen try to guard KD, see what would happen. 

[HitsterParticipant]

LeBron – triple MVP, I think that says more than Ibaka’s comments.

[Author]

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