In case you missed it, for the fourth time in his career, LeBron James had at least 50 points in a game -- pouring in 51 in Tuesday's overtime win over Memphis -- along with eight rebounds and nine assists. It was the sixth win in seven games for the Cavaliers and raised their record to 20-12 with him and 0-6 without him.
James enters Thursday's game at San Antonio averaging 29.8 points, with career-highs in rebounds (7.7), assists (7.5), field goal percentage (.487) and blocks (1.1) -- not to mention 2.0 steals a game as well.
So instead of falling apart, which so many prognosticators anticipated after their unlikely run to the Eastern Conference championship last season, James has inched the Cavs right back into contention for the fourth seed in the pathetic Eastern Conference. But the question remains: How long can he continue to do this without significant help? We saw how it broke down Kevin Garnett in Minnesota, how frustrated Kobe Bryant got after Shaquille O'Neal left, and now Dwyane Wade is suffering in Miami with the rapid deterioration of Shaq.
Granted, James just turned 23 and is an amazing physical specimen at 6-8, 250. But he does suffer a lot of sprained ankles, and so much is expected of him every game because there is no other consistent performer on the Cavs. And now that coach Mike Brown has been given an extension, it's time to figure out what to do next.
We've heard about the Cavs acquiring Mike Bibby ad nauseum -- whether he's really worth Drew Gooden and everything else required or just a vastly overpaid, undersized streak shooter.
But given no restrictions, who would be the ideal player to join James with the Cavs?
The first player who comes to mind is the player they lost for nothing ... Carlos Boozer, who essentially conned the Cavs into free agency and bolted to Utah. They'd certainly handle that differently if given the opportunity again. But Boozer is hardly the ideal, just an All-Star they let get away.
Garnett is an obvious one, but I'm inclined to think if I'm reaching into the NBA grab bag, my first choice is Dwight Howard, a great shot-blocker to run the floor with James. Tim Duncan is the other versatile big man that comes to mind quickly, and probably Amare Stoudemire.
But is the big man the perfect pairing?
What about pure long-range shooters such as Michael Redd, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller, Wally Szczerbiak, Mike Dunleavy or even a Jason Kapono? Hmmm, probably not worth it considering James' young sidekick from last year's conference championship run, Daniel Gibson, is proving to be as consistent (90-of-183, .492) as any 3-point shooter in the NBA the first half of the season. A sleeper who could really help shooting and toughness on this team is personal favorite Caron Butler.
That takes us to a much more obvious position -- point guard, which is why Bibby's name continues to surface with the Cavs. But is he the pure point guard that Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul or Deron Williams is? He's not even close. And while Paul and Kidd aren't the versatile shooter that Bibby is, Nash and Williams are better in all phases.
Granted, it's easy since no trade has to be made, but since this is our game, we can pick whoever we want, whenever we want.
So if I'm picking a partner for James, my choice is Dwight Howard.
I'm back!!! I think the ultimate partner for Lebron James would be Manute Bol. Manute's strength in the post would be an asset and just his sheer size is unmatchable.
The ultimate pick up would be Gilbert Arenas. Lebron needs someone that he can throw the ball too when he gets double and triple teamed. Redd or Ray Allen would have done the trick, instead we have had to suffer through the Larry Hughes experiment. Ferry has a handle on the team and will make the right decision. Watch out for this team in two years....
Seriously, I'd like to see the "King" move out of Cleveland. Don't know where he'd end up or if such a move is anywhere likely at this point. All in all, Dwight is a good pick.
Cavs need someone, other than 'Bron, who can create a shot for himself should no one be open. Strictly drive up into the lane, confront some big men, and lay the ball in the net, or take a hard fool and earn 2 shots at the free throw line. KOBE! :)
haha.
Last edited by DEE_ARSENAl on January 16th at 10:08 AM.
Why does everyone want to give Lebron a title?????? he has to win it. If hes so great than he will, if not than hes charle barkley, a great player with no hardware...... so what if he dosent win, the NBA has spoiled this kid 2 much and he needs to grow up and play. If he wins good, idont like him, but good, if he doesnt than great....... what if he moves????? say to phoenix, he would have all the titles he wants with nash, barbosa, stat and company.....
Lebron's ultimate teammates are The LeBrons. Ya know, the guys from his commercials.
It's getting tougher to watch the NBA. After Lebron James, the talent level of the rest of the league drops off considerably. In fact, the rest of the NBA is garbage. Especially Kobe and especially the Boston Celtics. Both of them are garbage.
Ya'll Are Witness
From the King James Bible:
Lebron 23:23
And he shall be MVP in 2008 when his team rise'th up to win the title.
crazy7un, name some NBA Hall of Famers, who won a title or some titles with really NO HELP. He alone can only do so much to try and give the Cavs a winning chance, but facing a team, which plays like a team, it just can't be done. He can do it for so long and no more.
He proved to have done it all the way up to the Finals last year, but c'mon. the kid must have been worn out by the time TD and the gang come around. He cant do it alone.
CLE23, The LeBrons..haha, they're cool.
And you're right. The NBA is gettting a little played out. Regular season games hardly, or doesn't even matter to many anymore. The NBA is the Playoffs. Well to me that is.
Kobe, aint garbage. But hey, that's my opinion and so yours is yours.
MVP is achievable but the title is far beyond them. Unless they get it together and play some consistent ball throughout the season, they aren't winning the title.
Last edited by DEE_ARSENAl on January 16th at 10:18 AM.
I think Kobe or D-Wade would be good additions. The shooting guard spot is already a selfish position (scoring is in the job description), so obviously they would be able to help in scoring. I think Kobe would be more inclined to stay put and weather the storm while Bynum is out, so Wade would be a better choice. And it's obvious that he wants out-his teammates aren't putting forth the effort, their management loaded them up with bad contracts (Shaq), and he could really thrive with a change of scenery. Dwade and Bron together would win a championship.
Most definitely Jimmy, that would be a killer partnership. I can see it happening as Shaq aint doing #### for the team. As he's (Shaq) getting older, and facing those injuries, it only gets worst. 'Bron & Wade would certainly do the job.
LeBron is a very talented player. However, the days of the one star team are over. The best teams in the NBA record-wise are just that, great teams. The Spurs, Celts, Pistons, Suns, Mavs, and even Lakers are all pretty deep teams. Sure the Celts and Suns are the shortest on the list, but both teams still have good, solid guys coming off the bench.
For the first time in awhile I see the NBA becoming more about teams and less about individuals. Heck, the Suns have 3 players averaging 15 points or more. The is the way the league is going now.
And if you think the NBA is #### then you are entitled to your opinion. I personally think this is the best the league has been in years. Teams are playing more fluid, faster team games. I enjoy watching it. And the talent and competitiveness of the West is the best storyline in the league. If people do not like what they are seeing I wonder what it is they are looking for.
Agreed CaliDude. It's about teams. All about teams. That's why without a team at Cleveland, they will never win a championship. The one man band is long gone.
GR8UN54, LeBron is a nobody? Please stop talking. 'Bron is the talk of the town right now. As a fan of the game, I agree about Kobe being great, but not the greatest. The "King" is putting up numbers the great players put up. Every season he gets better, and that is seen in both stats and how he plays. He can become great, but with some help & a few championships.
Cali, if only the East could get more competitive. Detroit basically owned the East until Celtics started putting in game with the talent they acquired. That's what makes the West superior.
For someone named "guitarbutt," find it difficult to believe you could criticize the intellect of anyone ... unless having a little fun is too far over your head to even grasp. It's just another step removed from fantasy sports.
What happened to Detroit? Well you go ask them. The team tend to play complacent against competition I would say they think should be "easy". I'm positive the guys now have learnt from those experiences and will put out their all. Watch the upcoming playoffs.
I will agree on the account that they have choked. I too was saying such. But like I said, complacency settled in. I do believe this season will be different from the last two and the guys shall take it to the teams full force. They are much stronger competition wise and without paying attention to the losses where they should have won, they are playing much like the 2003/2004 season when they won the championship.
LBJ's ultimate teammate would be JKidd. He can feed him the ball on the half court sets and specially on the fast brakes and LBJ would save so much energy trying to play the point Larry Hughes sucks
Who is the talk of the town then?
The only reason he might not get the credit he deserves for the numbers he's putting up is because they are hardly getting the team anywhere. Why so? because the rest of the team is contributing close to nothing.
'Bron, 29.8 ppg , 7.7rpg
Next best to that is Big Z' 13.2ppg, 9.6rpg
and Gooden 12.1ppg, 9.0rpg
Whats that? Hardly a team. Until Cavs win something, He will never get the cred he deserves.
Luckie, Kidd aint getting any younger but I like his contribution to the game. I'd still prefer Wade.
Last edited by DEE_ARSENAl on January 16th at 11:13 AM.
Who cares about Lebron? Kobe is the only player worth discussing. Look for Kobe to put up about 55 against the suns in a triumphant victory tomorrow night to seal the season series and remain atop the mighty West
I think we get the point Stevel024.
buck_foston26, maybe soon your mind will change.
For now, take heed of PTony404 words, GROW UP!
I'm out. 'Bron needs help. Where to find it? Go to Miami and scoop a guy called "Flash"...I'm sure the friendship between "The Chosen One" and himself will bolster the chances of the move.
tom-- i think we've been through this boozer thing.
boozer promised gordon gund that he would sign with the cavs if they LET BOOZER OUT OF HIS CONTRACT.
which the cavs did. they let him out.
and how does carlos "keep his promise"?
he stabs gund in the back and signs with utah for more money.
Lebron got ticketed going 101 on the freeway. Shame he can't be a positive role model for the kids. Guess they'll have to look to Kobe.
Crazy how little respect Lebron gets. Class A jealousy when it comes to hating on him. Hell, I've never even liked Lebron James but damn if you can't respect the dude. With complete trash on his team he's led his squad to improvement every single season.
If the MVP were awarded right now I'd give it to Kobe over him, for the same reason Nash got it over Kobe two years ago - the team record. Lebron's MVP year should've been last year, but for whatever reason (USA games) he came out flat in the first half of the season and the voters apparently chose not to watch him in the second half of the season.
I guess Kidd+Lebron is the duo of choice. I definitely think the two would be great together, but Lebron needs another scorer on that team which Kidd for all his greatness isn't. Redd sure would look nice on this team...
Last edited by Lakersfan19II on January 16th at 11:39 AM.
Look at the Lakers, Kobe is jugglin balls n da mouth now that Bynum came to his own!! The big man is very important for success in the NBA unless you are MJ!!
Howard to CAVS will never happen buddy! How can they afford that!! Better off with rizzo ideas!
I know it wasn't Kahn's point, but I like to think about players that Cleveland actually stands a chance of getting.
Kidd would be OK, but I'd prefer a younger point guard. I like Conley, and maybe the Cavs could do a deal for him. We know Memphis needs bigs and covets Varejao. It's a steep price, but I'd like that deal if the Cavs could make it. Varejao is important, but a sixth man big has to be easier to replace than a top notch point guard, which Conley could turn out to be.
hi tom-- if you wonder why people question how the cavs have so little talent. i'd say the boozer thing is a factor.
let's refresh the memory a bit shall we?
***********
The story goes something like this: C. Booz Unleashed (that's what his tattoo says) was coming off an awesome rookie year and was going to make six figures in 2005 under his contract, ridiculous for a double-double NBA player. Boozer talked to Cavs owner Gordon Gund (who's blind and very old) and GM Paxson. They all agreed to let Boozer out from under that six-figure contract - despite the team holding an option on Boozer for another season - so he could sign a $40 million deal to be LeBron's sidekick for the long haul. Soon as Boozer was released from the deal, he signed with the Jazz for $68 million. Cleveland was furious and the Cavaliers felt betrayed. Here's an excerpt from a letter Gund posted on their website:
Jim told him, “There are at least seven teams that have cap space right now who will want to pay you more than we can now. We don’t want to lose you. Why would we not pick up the option?” Carlos said “Because we'd like long term security and we want to stay in Cleveland.” Carlos went on to say that he was happy to be a Cavalier and never indicated any concern with his role on the team or his relationship with Coach Silas.
Boozer denied any deal was made. After researching this story all morning out of sheer curiosity, I gotta say I don't think Boozer's being completely honest here. He may have hoodwinked them a bit.
King James needs to take a pay cut if he wants to win. Nike pays him enough. I am tired of superstars draining the salary cap (Kobe) and then crying for help. Do you want to win or get paid?
Boozer, Okur likely to stick with Jazz
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Carlos Boozer has signed an offer sheet with the Utah Jazz, and the Cleveland Cavaliers won't try to get him back.
Boozer, who became a restricted free agent when Cleveland made a controversial decision not to pick up his third-year option, signed with the Jazz early Wednesday. He will officially join Utah if Cleveland doesn't match the offer in 15 days, which Cavs owner Gordon Gund said he has no intention of doing.
cont.....
Cleveland doesn't have the money under the salary cap to match Boozer's six-year, $68 million offer. And if the Cavs did come up with a way to keep Boozer, he may not feel terribly welcome back in Cleveland.
The Cavs have maintained they had a verbal understanding in place with Boozer to work out a long-term contract. Boozer has denied there was an agreement, although he did tell The Associated Press at the beginning of the free-agency period that he planned to stay in Cleveland.
Gund posted a letter to fans on the team's Web site explaining Cleveland's side of the story.
"In the final analysis, I decided to trust Carlos and show him the respect he asked for. He did not show that trust and respect in return. That's what happened," Gund's letter said.
Boozer could not be reached for comment and is no longer represented by agent Rob Pelinka, who worked out the deal with the Jazz. O'Connor said Boozer had to get a lawyer to look over the final contract before signing it.
Granted, James just turned 23 and is an amazing physical specimen at 6-8, 250. But he does suffer a lot of sprained ankles, and so much is expected of him every game because there is no other consistent performer on the Cavs. And now that coach Mike Brown has been given an extension, it's time to figure out what to do next.
Garnett is an obvious one, but I'm inclined to think if I'm reaching into the NBA grab bag, my first choice is Dwight Howard, a great shot-blocker to run the floor with James. Tim Duncan is the other versatile big man that comes to mind quickly, and probably Amare Stoudemire.
