NBA Defining Roles: LeBron James Can Learn from Blake Griffin

There is no doubt that LeBron James has been putting together some of the NBA's best highlights for years now. 

Not only is it dunks, but James has engineered some excellent passing abilities and has demonstrated defensive skills (rampant steals and blocks). He has developed a jump shot while continuing to round his stat-lines.

Regardless of whether you like him or not (and I am not a fan), what I propose is this.

Since James came out of high school, he was the man.

Expectations for James were sky high. Everybody knew he wasn't going to college. He was signing a ridiculous $90 million contact with Nike without ever playing an NBA game.

No college experience. No NBA experience, and this guy is getting paid Tiger Woods money.

But he was that good.

James lived up to the hype. Right away, he made people stand beside themselves in shock of his athletic capabilities.

Still, he had his flaws. His jumper was nowhere near top-tier and he had trouble playing in the flow of the game.

So who cares? James had it all. Quickness, strength and jumping abilities that nobody could rival. His game would continue to mature, year by year. 

Watch Blake Griffin in comparison.

James made a bigger impact when he first game into the league. His anticipation was higher (especially given Griffin's injury), but Griffin has brought fans to their feet with explosive, effort-laden plays nearly every game.

He has California residents gravitating to a team that has been obsolete for years. The Clippers have gone from "the other LA team" to the team that it is cool to root for.

Thanks to Griffin, the slam-dunk competition is reaching an anticipation that the NBA hasn't seen in years. I am talking about it and getting excited. Sure, the competitors are weak, but does anybody care?

Nobody has posted better dunks in their rookie season since James, and James skipped out on opportunities to participate. James claimed he would compete a couple years.

Griffin has the ability to reach the height of Dwight Howard's dunks while not being as tall. Howard's dunks can seem average just based on the height of the rim in comparison to his freakish length (it's not Superman's fault).

Beyond dunks, Griffin is rounding a post-game which includes a decent jumper and an arsenal of bank-shots, spin moves and absurd second-chance points.

The funny thing is that James has all these things. James was pegged to define the league like Jordan did. This stigma prevented him from becoming anybody other than a future Jordan or Bryant; the player who did everything for his team.

While James may have more athletic capabilities than Griffin, Griffin has yet to demonstrate a ceiling, while James has suffered a decline (mostly due to reputation). 

Griffin plays a defined role at power forward, while James has been forced into a mixed role of PG, SF...just about every position.

What if James was backing players down in the post and benefiting from the decision making of a solid point guard? Even a Dwyane Wade?

Right now, the Heat are running with the "feed the hot-hand" philosophy and the two players struggle to define their roles, often finding themselves in isolation plays.

Sure, James has more inside-out skill than Griffin, but Griffin is taking over games at his position rather than being depended on to make every play for his team. James has been forced into this position.

Think of the top SG/SF (leaving out the ridiculous class of PGs) in the league. Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant. The players all have a shooting arsenal.

Although James is vastly improved, he is nowhere near the flexible range of distance shooting that these players have on their resume. Yet, he is expected to.

If James' skills were utilized in a more defined sense (hopefully, he would be receptive to it), then one of his teams might have more of a title shot.

James may be a better all-around player than Griffin, but right now the Clippers have a modest player that plays his position alone, night-in and night-out.

James has an interior advantage that no other players with his speed has. He can draw massive attention wherever he is on the court.

Right now, Griffin is a more likable character over James in many ways.

While James continues to put up similar highlight reels, his legacy is being damaged while being compared to Jordan rather than developing a more unique role in which he can greater thrive.

While not having as complete of a jump shot as history's greats, James has other assets that make him unlike any player in the league.

If these talents become more concentrated, James could alter the course of his own history.