II. Three-point field goal percentage
As the years have passed, James has become increasingly skilled at perimeter shooting, and shooting from the three-point line has become a key part of his scoring repertoire. To date, James has made 2,410 three-pointers, which ranks eighth in the long history of the NBA. Korver (2,450) is just 41 shots behind him, and surpassing his former teammate seems within reach.
If James is able to make 151 three-pointers in the upcoming season, his total will surpass Reggie Miller's 2,560, thus climbing to fifth place in NBA history. However, given that only Ray Allen retired in the all-time top five, James is expected to hold down the fifth or sixth spot.
Third in free throw shooting percentage
James has totaled 8,390 free throws in his career, which currently ranks third in NBA history. Moses Malone is second with 8,531 free throws, while Karl Malone tops the list with 9,787. By making 142 free throws in the new season, James is on track to pass Moses Malone and become the second player in NBA history to make more than 8,000 free throws.
It's worth noting that James reached a personal high since the 2017-2018 season with 303 free throws made last season. He's averaged 269 free throws per game over the past three seasons, and if he can maintain that level, it's only a matter of time before he surpasses Moses Malone. But to tie Karl Malone's record of 9,787, James still needs to cross the gap of 1,398.
Defensive rebounds
As a forward, James has been equally exceptional at rebounding, especially on the defensive end. As of today, he has 9,458 career defensive rebound totals, which ranks 10th in NBA history. James is averaging 415 defensive rebounds per season for his career, so with just 24 more rebounds, he can pass Moses Malone (9,481 rebounds) and move into eighth place.
If James stays healthy in the upcoming season and continues to show great rebounding ability, he could very well pass Olajuwon (9,714 rebounds) at the end of the season to become the seventh defensive rebounding leader in NBA history. As for achieving the feat of 10,000 defensive rebounds, he will probably need at least two seasons of hard work.
V. Number of snaps
James has contributed 2,275 steals in his career, which ranks eighth in NBA history. Despite his relatively slim hopes of cracking the top five, he still has a chance to break through in the upcoming season. Currently, James is just 33 steals shy of Pippen (2,307), who is seventh all-time, and 36 steals shy of Maurice Chickens (2,310), who is sixth. At the pace of 70 steals per game over the past three seasons, James is likely to surpass both legends in the new season.
However, James will need to work a lot harder to crack the top five. Fifth-place Gary Payton has 2,445 steals, which means James needs to get another 170. Considering his age and number of appearances in a season, that milestone could take two seasons to achieve.
