5 scariest players in the NBA to defend

1. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers

Some might feel that LeBron James is slowing down at 31 years old, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. If anything, he’s become a smarter player and that makes him an even scarier. There should be no argument against him as being the scariest player to defend in the NBA. Let’s take a look as to why that is.

James is already a freakish physical specimen, standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing over 260 pounds with a 44-inch vertical. He’s built like an NFL tight end with elite athleticism. He’s a runaway freight train on fast breaks and only the really brave or foolish dare get in his way. Those that were unfortunate enough to stand in his path have found themselves on posters. This alone makes LeBron a true nightmare to defend, but it doesn’t stop there.

Along with his extraordinary physicality, James is an above average shooter from the field as proven by his career percentage of .498. Even though a large portion of his shots come from drives to the basket, LeBron is more than capable of hitting his mid-range jumper on a consistent basis. He also may be the best passer in the league and draws comparisons to the great Magic Johnson for his court vision. This makes him the ultimate weapon in the game.

Whether it’s a rim-rocking dunk on a fast break or a no-look pass that threads the needle between two defenders, LeBron can do it all. He’s a nightmare for coaches to plan against and an even worse nightmare for defenders to deal with. He’s easily the scariest player to defend in the NBA since the backboard-breaking days of Shaq. It may be a long time before another player comes along that can create fear the way he does.