After James' Cavaliers lost to the Celtics in Game 5, Lebron James (international icon) said "A Lebron James team is never desperate."
Maybe the Cavs should consider desperation.
Down 3-2 to Boston it's time for something, maybe even something as radical as playing all 48 minutes. And maybe it's time for Cleveland to stop being a "Lebron James" team and become a NBA playoff level "TEAM" instead of the basketball equivalent of the Pips.
Because Gladys (Lebron) can't carry a tune through the whole concert, and the midnight train to nowhere is at the station ready for their arrival.
To recap. Cleveland is up 44-29 with 3:51 left in the first half of Wednesday night's game. With 1:04 left in the third quarter Boston is up 12. During this 27 point swing, James is 0-4 with 2 assists and a turnover.
Lebron's reaction?
“I thought I was going to play well. And I continued to play well. I
didn’t continue to shoot the ball extremely well like I started, but I
was still able to attack and get to the lane and do the things that I’m
used to or accustomed to doing. Pretty good performance by me as an
individual, like I said, but us losing the game means more than
anything.”
James got 35 points. The "king" of the Cavs offense took 38% of their shots and got 39% of Cleveland's points. Which isn't a bad night, but it's not "playing well" enough to win in the playoffs.
You get the idea James is waiting on his teammates to elevate their game. But when your teammates are named Ilgauskas, West, Wallace, and Szczerbiak that isn't an option. James can't continue to rush out to good starts and then take four shots in 15 minutes.
The disappearing act has to stop.
In business we have a concept called "off the hook". Basically, it's a reminder that no matter what you did (or someone else didn't do) you're not off the hook if the results aren't there. If someone else on the team isn't picking up the slack you've got to step up.
Same rules apply on the basketball court.
In year five of Lebron James the Cavaliers have missed the playoffs twice, lost in the second round, lost in the finals, and are on the edge of going out in the second round this year. James wants the acclaim accorded to the league's best players but those players (Bird, Jordan, Johnson) won in the playoffs and were present for 48 minutes.
James has one year left and an option and has spent the season worrying about the team around him. Unless Cleveland adds a second option, the way the Lakers added Gasol to Kobe Bryant, next year is going to look alot like this one.
So James comes to Game 6 at a turning point. He can #### it up and carry the Cavaliers, or he can be satisfied hitting 30 and go home. If that's the tune he wants to sing, then you have to wonder what the next verse is.
The league took care of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers with the inexplicable Pau Gasol trade. Maybe Stern & Co can find a gift to send to Cleveland, or maybe the real deal is to let James career as a Cavalier play out before he becomes a Knick.
The choices all belong to Lebron James and they are now down to two.
Show up Friday night for 48 or go home. Wherever that turns out to be.
LeBron played fantastic in the first half of game 5 but you're right, he disappeared down the stretch.
The 2008-2009 off-season will be huge for the Cavaliers. They will have some cap space and expiring contracts.
It's up to Ferry to put those resources to good use or James will sign elsewhere.
Contrary to popular opinion, all Donnie Walsh has to do is not make any more mistakes and unload either Randolph or Curry's contract before 2010 and he'll be ready to make a run at the LeBron James sweepstakes.
hoffman you are putting alot of stock in donnie walsh.
the pacers haven't been to the playoffs in 2 years, and were .500 the year before that.
the pacers made several moves over the last couple years that haven't worked out, and knick fans expect him to just come in and magically clean up this mess?
this not just spilled milk walsh has to clean up. it's more like a crime scene.
What's with all of this LeBron bashing?? I don't get it. The world knows his supporting cast sucks and he still averaged 30, 7 and 7 during the regular season and had a great 1st rd of the playoffs. Boston has the best TEAM defense in the NBA. LeBron is doing all he can to will his team to victory.
When he scores 40pts all of you say he's a ball hog and doesn't trust his teammates. When he hits the open man (while being double-teamed) for the game winning shot, you say he's not a superstar and he's afraid to take the last shot. What the hell else does he have to do? He's a victim of his environment and you can't expect him to play 1 on 5 for 48min.
And PLEASE kill the Magic and Bird comparisons! Magic had Kareem, Worthy, Wilkes, etc....Bird had Parrish, McHale, Johnson, etc. Both came into the league with now hall of fame players! Who is LeBron playing with that comes even close???
I'm not a Cavs fan or LeBron fan but give it a rest. Just as bad as he is shooting against the Celtics, is just as GOOD as the Celtics defense is...
Duds...nicely done, and I totally agree. Perfect. He scored one basket in the third, and went pretty cold in the fourth, scoring most of his second half points in the last minutes of the 4th.
He's a choke artist with enormous talent. Sometimes the mental aspect of the game cannot be compensated by raw skill.
Sizzle-You had the best line of the day when you said Walsh was having to clean up a crime scene.
I promise I will be the first to post something nice about James if the Cavs come back against the Celtics. I believe they can do it, but James has to pull the wagon. There's nobody else there to help.
LisaH-Thanks for the kind comments. I think teams understand that if they can make James a jump shooter they can shut him down. He is devasating attacking the basket.
I can't figure out the 4 shot thing. He is the offense for Cleveland. But when James gets going and has big nights there usually is a stretch where he just stops. Very odd.
Hoffman-You're right, the cap space can be done. I think James will find a reason not to be in Cleveland after or during next season.
I actually think James is an enormous talent. He's just got to take that talent and step it up to get to the next level. Part of that is finding ways to create when defenses try to shut you down.
But I also agree with the people who don't agree with me on this. If you look at the cast of role players around him there is no second option on offense. And that's a problem, even for a player as talented as Lebron James.
nwhatdheck - I could care less what people say about LeBron anymore. 90% of the media hates him, because he's from and plays for a team in NorthEast Ohio, the spittoon for elitists nationwide. And yet, the OPPOSITE is regurgitated by brain-dead fans who say he is like David Stern's prodigy and that the league does everything to protect him. whatever.
x23 was banned from foxsports for writing an article criticizing Lisa H for her comment that Derek Fisher is more exciting to watch than LeBron James. So that pretty much sums up where we Cavs fans stand.
So, what bleeping difference does it make?
If LeBron has a good game, people pretend like it doesn't happen, as evident from all the LeBron vs. Kobe fighting this year, when all the Kobe fans conveniently forgot how much better LeBron played in the 2 games. Or, in clever fashion, people notice a great game by LeBron and make some comment about how it's going to be great watching him do that in a bigger market in 2 years - effectively taking a #### on Cleveland.
When LeBron struggles, it's like the centerpiece of everyone's dinner table. When he excels, everyone points to Donnie Walsh or Jay Z.
America has made it almost impossible for the city of Cleveland to enjoy the best basketball player to step foot on the court since 1984.
actually tsunami i must disagree with you just a bit.
while i agee that when lebron struggles OFFENSIVLY that everyone is sure to point out that his jumper isn't going in.
when lebron excels it's because the opposition failed, not that lebron or the cavs excelled.
the wizards beat themselves, the nets beat themselves, the pistons beat themselves. lebron plays no defense but the cavs over the course of the last two years have held each of their eastern conference playoff opponents to around 10 ppg less than their regular season average. how does that happen?
x23 got gagged?
that's pretty funny. one day he'll learn not to oppose the admin.LOL!
