trade him or get him the RIGHT help. he still doesn't have the help he needs. there's no need to even get into stats...any fool can tell that if shutting down one man is the key to beating a team, then he has zero help.
look at the champions of past. 90's Bulls....80's Lakers....80's Celtics...even the current Spurs. all of those teams had role players who played their roles to the t. so what if the main guy gets shut down. if the role players are doing their job right, then the defense will be stretched to wide to focus on one guy.
MJ had guys to rebound....hit open shots....play defense....even Will Perdue (who?) was confident to play his role. John Paxson could do nothing more than bury that J....and he sure did it when they needed him to. just ask those Laker fans when he hit 6 or 7 straight baskets in the 1991 finals.
Danny Ferry took a gamble and lost. those guys are not going to give LBJ the help he needs. maybe Ferry's season as a Cavs GM is over. Maybe Lebron's chances as a Cav are too!
If the Cavs had Kobe instead of Lebron, we'd see a much different and more inspired Cavalier team both on offense and on defense.
Lebron's numbers in two games against the Celtics are just flat out horrendous.
He has sufficient role players to make a decent run in the playoffs in the East.
What Lebron needs to do is ask himself whether or not he wants to make a commitment to playing intelligent basketball.
He's been putting up bricks so far because he is failing to make the proper reads on offense and therefore he is making the wrong reactions to the way the Celtics are playing him.
it's funny, we had that same problem in Houston. shut down the best player and make the other guys beat you. the only way he gets breathers or shall I say, open looks is if his guys make them pay. eventually that would make them back off. util that happens, they will continue to put 3 men on him with every move towards the basket
i'm going to agree with ramogriff for this reason...the only way Lebron is going to change that defense is for his "help" to make the Celtics take notice that there are 4 other players on the floor. remember Iverson in Philly? man them Sixers stunk up the joint in the finals vs L.A. AI did all he could do to find open players, but those guys were gun-shy...blowing bunnies...and too slow to react. none of them were aggressive at all, and it made things so much easier for the Lakers defense...just make the rest of the team do it.
the Cavs do have guys that are capable of stepping up...but sometimes that starts outside of the huddle and off the court. B.Wallace has a ring...he should be able to step up and take on the role of a mental and experienced leader.
not to mention...what is the coach doing besides telling Lebron to keep shooting...
CameStormC2C, Cleveland has the worst coach in the league. if he had to acctually coach, they would have not made the playoffs. it's all about Bron Bron
GameStormC2C They thought that a stiff like Ben Wallace would be a cure to what ails them. That's like having an 800lb gor*illa in your living room and trying to make sure that it doesn't wreck your expensive furniture. He's been a complete waste of time and space there just like he was in Chicago.
I'm rough and I'm tough and I put on my panty hose one leg at a time !
It's all well and good LeBron wanting to be like MJ . But until they the Cavailers complement him with a team like Jordan had in Chicago. Then he'll be nothing but a caricature of the man himself.
How can Lebron's role players find a groove and find their rhythm when Lebron dominates the ball 85% of the time?
How can Lebron's teammates be aggressive when Lebron doesn't lead vocally and put his teammates in positions to score?
And lastly, how can Lebron's teammates find their way when Mike Brown can't seem to notice these trends and make appropriate adjustments in his play calling?
J-Dizzle...that is exactly my point when i said what is the coach doing besides telling Lebron to keep shooting?
my 1994 Knicks went down in flames as John Starks shot incredibly woeful...and instead of looking to the help (Derrick Harper was shooting very well that series), coach Pat Riley went with the hot hand....so as it was we lost game 6, and eventually the series.
when things aren't going according to plan, someone has to become an emotional leader. the coach of all people should know better than to let Lebron keep shooting. if anything...draw up a play where he's a decoy, like Chicago did vs Utah when Kerr hit the winning shot.
Lebron is still a child in the league, and regardless of his on the court prowess, he still needs guidance in his decision making.
Zydrunas Illgauskas is the best Cleveland Cavalier in the second round this year by far. If they still hade Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes and they actually had ball movement instead of Lebron having the ball then passing only for them to shoot they would be better, but even with the new people ball movement would make them a lot better. They should let David West or Daniel Gibson take the ball upcourt sometimes and use ball movement if they want to be better. They should also set plays instead of letting Lebron drive and either attempt a shot or pass.
It all goes back to Kobe's case last season where sports journalist criticized Kobe for not carrying the torch for LA, that he was not a team man and cannot make his team mates better. The only difference was that they criticized Kobe but did not mentioned that he needs help from his supporting cast, but today they are acknowledging that in LeBron's case.
Kobe is man capable of human frailities and so thus LeBron. The Press treat this two cases differently as if Kobe is always the culprit and LeBron will always be treated as an excellent player caught in a bad circumstances.
Everybody should ease up on LeBron. Its obvious that he doesn't have a Phil Jackson to coach or mentor him. He's doing what he can with what he has. The Celtics have a great team defense! His coach is getting outcoached on a nightly basis, he is a victim of his environment right now.
I'm no LeBron fan, but I know his situation (McGrady in Orlando) and its all too familiar. Just tired of hearing all of the LeBron bashing.
Phil Jackson cant teach Lebron how to shoot a jump shot.
The guy is one dementional. You make him a jump shooter and you stop him.
Its not rocket science.
I've been saying this for a while.
And if you would read some of the headlines in the sports section, they blame the team, the management the vendors and parking attendants. And ignore the fact that Lebron isnt making his team better and does not have an outside game. Plain and simple. He's an overrated leader. Hopefully he'll grow into that role. He's still young.
You cant drive to the rim forever. Teams will exploit your weakness especially during a 7 game series.
Thats why I've always said the Lebron vs. "so and so" comparisons were always silly. He has a ways to go in regards to mastering every aspect of the game like another player we all know.
We'll see if Lebron can adjust Saturday. Hope so. For the Cavs fan's sake. I'm pulling for the guy.
But .19% shooting, 1 for 27 outside the paint, and 8.5 turnovers a game aint helping his "All Around Greatness". Doesn't matter who he's playing against.
I agree with tcbdog here. LeBron it seems to me is his own worst enemy just as Kobe once was. We all know he is a very good athlete and offensive player. However his commitment to be an all around player is sorely lacking.
I also think he needs to keep feeding his team the ball regardless of whether they are or aren't knocking down shots. Trying to be the savior odf a pitiful franchise isn't helping at all. What's sad is the fans are greater than the team. That even includes LBJ himself.
