Class is in session
Posted May 22nd, 2007 by Brian Windhorst
Auburn Hills, Mich. — The details were different, but the Cavs’ 79-76 loss Monday at the Palace has been played so many times before. Yes, the LeBron James’ shot/pass decision on the last play will get the most attention. It will here, too, in a moment. But frankly, holding the Pistons to 79 points has to be enough to win. If it’s not, then you’re not going to beat them. The Cavs’ offense is not equipped, which has been the case for months now, and it will continue to be obvious under pressure. The defense and rebounding can only carry so much burden. You saw the breaking point in Game 1.
Now, the LeBron decision. I have always generally supported James’ belief that it is prudent to make the correct basketball play when it comes to shooting and passing. You find the open man. Plus, on the road, even in the playoffs, often the best play is to go for the win and not the tie. You play the percentages and work the system no matter what Charles Barkley says. Here’s the problem with tonight, though, it wasn’t the best basketball play.
LeBron was not double-teamed when he made the pass, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince were caught by surprise when James attacked so quick and both were out of position. But that’s not the point. Yes, Marshall was open, but that’s not it either. Looking at it live and then at the replays, it seems pretty certain to me that when LeBron started going down the lane he had no intention of shooting the ball. Based on the angles I saw, I’m not sure he even looked at the rim even though he had good position to finish the play. Marshall said after the game the play was not drawn up for him. Mike Brown said it was James’ decision. His decision, not his read, was to pass. And that is the difference between this play and all the others when he passed instead of taking the last shot. It certainly looked like he didn’t take the last shot because he didn’t want it and I’ve never before held that stance.
Combine that with his thoughts after the game which included this: "We always want to win the ball game, but we always say if we play as hard as we did tonight for 48 minutes, we’re not satisfied, but we can look back and say we’re OK with this loss."
This is what I was talking about on my earlier post. This sort of philosophy may be sound by the book, but it doesn’t fly in the Eastern Conference Finals. LeBron either knows this and is just saying it or deflect blame and divert attention or he genuinely sold himself that how you play the game is more important than winning and losing. On this level, at these stakes, it isn’t. The NBA is a win business and on this level, it’s magnified ten fold. You can’t say you’re a leader in one breath and then say it is OK to lose in another.
The Pistons know and this know it well, which is why they found a way to win Game 1. Now the Cavs must learn, too.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:22 am
I have to disagree with BW’s assessment. Despite his hatred of the jump shot, many critical playoff games come down to the execution of a late game winning jump shot. I think I have to agree with Alan Tucker on this one. This loss rests squarely on the head of Danny Ferry. If you freeze frame the game with about 8.8 seconds to go you see the scoreboard showing the Cavs down by 2, LeBron in the paint with 4 Pistons in the paint with him, and the ball in the hands of “Player X” behind the 3 point line with a look so open that he may have been in the gym alone. If “Player X” executes that shot the Cavs go up by 1 with about 5 seconds to play and have a better than average chance of winning the first game of a conference final on the road. “Player X” could follow in the footsteps of former NBA journeymen and middle-of-the-roaders who took advantage of the opportunities provided by their superstar teammates to parlay the proper execution of that shot into broadcasting careers (Steve Kerr, Kenny Smith), fancy nicknames (Big Shot Bob), or even chances to run NBA franchises (John Paxson, Danny something). Early in LeBron’s career it was obvious that this was going to be his game, and this was the going to be the tool he needed in his utility belt. It was obvious that he was not the pure shooter or scorer ala Kobe or MJ. But it was his overall package of athleticism and court vision that would be his calling card. He would be able to tell his teammates that if you get open, I promise I will find you. So it was obvious that he needed the right teammates. It was so obvious that the new GM of the Cavs went out and spent 20-25 million dollars on “Player X”. It was a lot of money to spend on a spare part, but if your trying to buy cogs that achieve nickname status, you can’t cheap out. So when Danny Ferry went out and spent that money on “Player X” he did not overspend. But it has become apparant that he incorrectly evaluated what NBA player should have filled the role of “Player X”. And since it seems to me that Danny Ferry’s main job is to evaluate how to fill LeBron’s utility belt, the failure of this tool tonight, rests squarely with Danny Ferry, not LeBron.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:24 am
Please do not agree with Alan Tucker. Its like laughing at somebody who tells jokes that aren’t funny….if you laugh at them, they will keep telling them.
Please do not encourage Alan Tucker and his anti-Cavalieristic attitude.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:42 am
Thank You BW!!! That is exactly what peeved me off about the whole thing. LeBron passing the ball to an open teammate wasn’t the problem. The problem was he had no desire to take the shot, absolutely no desire to get fouled and possibly have to go to the free throw line.
I know, like all of you, that we wouldn’t be in this situation without #23. But the coddling has to end at sometime. Even if it was the “right” play, LeBron, at some point, needs to make a play, on his own, to get the Pistons on their heels a bit.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…It’s how you lose, and the Cavs lost a game last night that they should have, could have, and had to win…..
FTS
http://www.fearthesword.com
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:14 am
The pass itself wasn’t the problem. The ten points and no free throw shots tell you that LeBron wasn’t looking to take over. At some point, if you’re the king, you say f facilitating and you take the team on your back and win it. The game was right there for them to win.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:24 am
Brian,
Does Lebron even care? Is there a Nike commercial shoot that interferes with the NBA Finals schedule?
How could a player of his calibur play with such little emotion or sense of determination in a game of that magnitudd.
I agree with going to Marshall for the 3pter, but that doesn’t excuse the previous 47 mins +
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:38 am
Please tell LeBron: THAT’S NOT B.J. ARMSTRONG OR JOHN PAXSON (or even Corey Jones)STANDING OUT THERE, WIDE OPEN, ON THE WING. You are surrounded by a team which ON ALMOST EVERY NIGHT cannot hit an open jump shot. Stop passing up dunks to dish to these stiffs. It cost you in H.S., and now it’s cost you Game 1 in the NBA. YOU, LeBron, are supposed to be “the man,” our team leader, at crunch-time. Take the ball to the hole for a sure 2-points.
This is Basketball 101, but LBJ is trying to rewrite the book, using the Bulls as an example. BUT THEY COULD NAIL THE JUMPERS!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:00 am
It’s official Lebron James is a pile of garbage. He’s so much of a fraud that even when he has success driving to the hoop he still is reluctant to continue that kind of play. And for someone who hates to play in the post you would think that he would have at least made an attempt to correct his ugly jumper but nope, he continues to bend over backwards to hit his jumpshot.
I don’t think James is all that bright. He constantly gives that same tired speech about getting his teammates involved. Why hasn’t this moron figured out that his so called teammates are useless in important situations? James is a coward. He’s so afraid of losing that he can’t do what is neccesary to win. TRADE HIM NOW BEFORE ITS TO LATE!!!!!!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:11 am
Why didn’t anyone ridicule LeBron when he passed to Damon Jones for the three to eliminate the Wizards last year?
If Marshall makes that jumpshot, we would all be praising LeBron and how we can upset the Pistons in this series.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:15 am
LeBron made the right play. Part of leading a team is letting your teammates know you’ll trust them in tight spots.
To write that James never intended to take the final shot is pure speculation. It’s the silliest thing I’ve read since the piece on Daniel Gibson’s “destiny.”
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:23 am
Tom
LBJ didn’t make the pass to Damon Jones last year…
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:25 am
I agree that it appeared that lebron had no interest in taking the final shot. Perhaps that was because he did not believe he’d get a foul call no matter how much contact was made, given the trend of the game. Or, perhaps it was because he didn’t believe they could win in OT in detroit. Both of those seem reasonable enough to me to feel any disappointment with the man.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:27 am
First, as BW pointed out, LeBron had that shot in the lane before he passed. I can understand going for the win a little, but I think I would have taken my chanced with OT in that game last night.
Second, the rest of the team did what it needed to do to win that game. LeBron is the superstar, he had the effort from the supporting cast last night, he needs to be the difference maker in these games. It is what defines superstars. It is how you become a global icon. 5 of 15 with no free throws is not the performance of a superstar.
Sure, everyone will have a bad night, but being that close to being able to take the first road game in this series you have to find a way to win. That would have been a HUGE victory last night.
I’m now curious if they will play them tough again on Thursday, or get blown out. I’m guessing we will see LeBron put in a great game, to only see his teammates not be able to match last night’s game.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:29 am
Let’s face it, even if LeBron WAS fouled, there’s no way he’d nail two free-throws. Any hope the Cavs had was a LeBron dunk (at least) and three-point play (at best).
What a disappointment our superstar is in the clutch. Is it any wonder he’s not an NBA 1st Teamer? Unless he ramps up his game, he never will be, either.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:47 am
Sloppy Joe, he still “passed up” the shot to win it for the team last year. No one complained then.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:53 am
I watched the replay of Lebron driving to the hoop and deferring to Donyellllll. It looked to me like Lebron had an EASY layup or dunk, but maybe this was a designed play to go for the 3 pointer and the win.
What would have been SWEET is if Lebron would have faked a pass (like Sasha did earlier) and then dunked it. If that would have been the case, even the great Alan Tucker would be on here singing the praises of Lebron. But instead this has become a blogorama whiner-fest.
Hopefully the Cavs win game 2 so we come back to Cleveland even.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:13 am
I just wanted to see Tucker’s reaction to Z last night. Ever since Z was resigned Tucker has been on his case but Z was the main reason we were in the game last night.
Something must have happened because his play in this post season is night and day from last year. Which, I for one, am glad to see him do so well.
May 22nd, 2007 at 8:32 am
The Cavs were probably surprised that the Pistons didn’t foul right away since they had one to give. It looked like Bron had a clear path to the basket, I’d rather have the higher percentage shot but Marshall was wide open… the guy hit 6/6 beyond the arc just three days earlier, it just didn’t go down. If it had gone in everyone would probably be extolling what a great unselfish player Bron is for involving his teammates instead of ripping him.
I liked how Hughes was taking the ball to the basket in the first half and drawing fouls but a look at the box score says 4/13. All roads, as BW says… in this case only 30%. With all the attention the Pistons are giving to Bron we need more of Larry slashing and hopefully drawing a few fouls, he is decent at the line. Larry shouldn’t be taking any jumpers outside of about 18′.
Sasha is having trouble keeping up with Hamilton on D who had a hot hand. We need more from Sasha than 4/14 and NO rebounds.
We need more Z, the guy is probably our best jump shooter right now. when he didn’t come out on the floor for that last play with 12 seconds left I couldn’t believe it.
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:17 am
Dan, Ilgauskas had a good game, yes. Granted, the Pistons’ philosophy is to shut down the only star on the Cavs, and let the others try to beat them, so of course he’s going to get good open looks. But he made them, so good for him. But that doesn’t make him George Mikan because they’re courteous enough to let him take open shots. They’d still be far better off with a center that could run faster than an armadillo with hemorrhoids. No matter who else is on the court, if forces them to run a half-court game (which, by the way, also plays into the Pistons’ hands), and it creates terrible defensive lapses because Ilgauskas is a slow, piss-poor defender.
But yes, he had a good game, Dan. Good for him. The tabloids have also revealed that his bald spot is dating Manu Ginobili’s bald spot.
With respect to larry d.’s statement, who wrote that Gibson has a destiny? I missed that, but it sounds pretty funny. Please tell me more. Ny own personal opinion is that Gibson’s destiny is as Smush Parker with slightly better range, but what do I know.
I do agree that a team’s sole superstar MUST take the last shot, it’s part and parcel of the role. Always has been, always will be. But really, no matter his role, you really can’t fault James for this one. For God’s sakes, Marshall was standing out there all alone building a campfire. If you look closely on TiVo, the guy even had time to look around for the marshmallows in his shorts! His entire game is a contradiction, a purported “power forward” that roams around the half-court line waiting for a wide-open look. That’s his role. Sorry, as much as James seems to avoid taking the clutch shot, Marshall could have, and should have, made his.
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:38 am
It was a smart play in origin, but Windhorst’s entry here illuminates three real problems I have with this team -
1. They don’t ache to win. They take losses way too easily, and that falls on their “leader” and their head coach. Plain and simple. Losing has to piss these guys off, and I’m not sure it does yet.
2. They’re incapable of forcing the action. Detroit came out lackadaisical and sloppy, but there was little about the Cavaliers’ play that was causing that to happen. When Detroit cleaned it up, the Cavaliers couldn’t effectively push back. And the Cavs aren’t nearly good enough shooters to overcome that. They need to figure something else out if they have any hope.
3. They very well may not be good enough to beat Detroit. As such, when you get Detroit playing at less than their best (as they did last night), then you have to take advantage. There is no killer instinct with this team. None. (Again, see aforementioned “leader” and head coach.) So in order to beat a team when you have them at a disadvantage, you have to apply pressure. Be aggressive. Determined. But get it done. I don’t see that in this team, and while the last play has been much too overblown in the last 12 hours or so, it is a symbol of what ails this team.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:33 am
Sir Charles and BW are both right. James probably never thought he’d have a clear path to the hoop, so he wasn’t prepared to dunk it when he could have, and should have.
The odds of LeBron sucessfully dunking when he’s past the defense, as he was, are much better than the odds of D. Marshall hitting an open 3 when he’s been on the bench for a while. What nobody mentions is that LeBron probably could have gone up strong, dunked AND been fouled, and if he’d hit the free throw there’s your 3-pointer to put you ahead.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:34 am
IF DONYELLLLLLLLLLL MARSHALL WOULD HAVE HIT THAT THREE POINTER ALL OF THE WHINERS ON THIS FORUM, ESPECIALLY ALANNA TUCKER, WOULD BE PRAISING LEBRON FOR BEING A TEAM PLAYER!! JUST LIKE LAST YEAR WHEN HE DEFERRED TO DAMON JONES!! IT IS RATHER HILARIOUS HOW THE TONE ON THIS BLOG CHANGES WHEN THE CAVS WIN VERSUS WHEN THEY LOSE. IF THEY WIN ON THURSDAY, ALAN TUCKER WILL BE EATING CROW WITH A SIDE ORDER OF POO.
TAKE THAT TO THE BANK MO FO’S. PEACE OUT YA’ALL.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:38 am
More striking to me is this: 76 points??? In a professional semi-finals game? In four 15-minute quarters? With a 24-second shot clock?
Precisely how many times did the Celtics or the Lakers score 76 points in a semi-finals game, even going back to the 1960s. Oh, I don’t know…zero?
Yes, Dan Gilbert has been laughing all the way to the bank, but I think I’m now gaining a fuller appreciation as to why so many rubes enjoy NASCAR.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:51 am
Yo Alan, its called D-E-F-E-N-S-E
Neither team shot very well, but both seemed to be playing really good defense. How many steals did we have? ELEVEN!!! And Detroit had TEN blocked shots.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:59 am
Jackie, that’s just plain silly. The guy is a professional basketball player. What’s the difference if Marshall had been sitting for one second, or for two hours? How many times in his career does a policeman have to shoot a crook? Both professional cops and professional ballplayers take regular shooting practice. Then, while on the job, when it’s necessary to shoot the target, they shoot the target. No fuss, no muss.
If you absolutely insist upon blaming somebody, then blame Duke University. Their liberal arts program doesn’t offer a Good Judgment 101 class.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:00 am
How do you pass up a 99.5% dunk for a 40%
3 pointer? You lost on the 55% downside.
But the possesion before was much worse.
LBJ,s no look pass to Hughes on the baseline
which Larry tripled pumped into Sheeds seventh block. Who designed that play? Also
your seven footer is only going to make so
many 20 footers in a row. Finally what was
Billups doing alone beyond the 3 point line.
Somebody needs to be in his jock strap with
a double team in the fourth quarter. I don,t
think Sheed missed a shot last night. Gooden
can’t handle him. Better win game 2 or good
night. Prince will not go 1 for 11 on Thursday. And Mr. James is making too many
excuses. If he wants to be a champion he needs to act like one. The leader of a champion wants the ball and the shot down the stretch. And Damona would have knocked
down that three.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:07 am
Its a shame that Lebron, Sasha, and Hughes have gone cold over the last few games. None of them are playing very well at all. And then when you have both Snow and Gibson going 0-4, it only adds to the problems. Z is the only one keeping us in these games.
Here’s hoping that Lebron, Sasha, and Hughes get hot, quick. Otherwise, we are SCREWED.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:12 am
No way LeBron dunks that ball if he tries. He gets fouled hard by prince and misses 1 of 2 foul shots. I criticize LeBron for not looking to score more in isos when he was in the post. He didn’t even THINK about scoring, just waiting for the double to come to see if he could find an open cutter. That last play was the right play, it’s the rest of the quarter that really baffles me.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:13 am
This is my first comment here but I’ve been following BW’s columns and blog from a long time. One thing I noticed is that BW’s tone has been turning increasingly resentful of Lebron and the way the Cavs coddle him.BW, wake up. All franchise players get that treatment. You are increasingly turning into Sam Smith of Jordan’s Chicago days. Subconsciously. Or maybe intentionally.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:20 am
D-E-F-E-N-S-E? No, JoeHoops. It’s called Mike Fratello being forced to play boring ball with plodding players. 76 points, lousy TV ratings, and the Cavs surround Secretariat with glue horses. Snooze.
Speaking of Fratello, what’s been going on with that guy’s hair? Granted, it’s not as sublimely ridiculous as Doug Collins’ sexy peroxide and lemon juice look, but I need to know the real story.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:34 am
It looks like to me Lebron knew he was going to get fouled hard if he took it to the rim and didn’t want the pressure foul shots. With that being said, it’s still the right play for Lebron. Lebron has more Magic in him than Michael, he’s just been forced to become a 30 point scorer because of how preposterously bad the rest of the team has been.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:36 am
I be so glad when all the LJ hype final die down, and all you suckers in ohio understand that LJ is not MJ, hell he is not even Kobe, Dwade, or Mello…look how stupid he sounds when he says “we go for the winning play” so instead of using your body and creating contact and maybe getting the and 1 you throw it out…lets be real the free throw thing is affecting his mind at the end of the day LJ will only be another vince carter, but never on the level of MJ, kobe and dwade
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:58 am
Another Vince Carter? Do you even watch basketball?
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:07 pm
you’re right cj. and last night lebron was jason kidd on a losing night. lebron had prince beat easily to the hole. the double team was rooted to the ground out of position and the triple team was on the other side of the backboard. there is no sense in passing up an easy 2 for a 3 unless you’ve got big shot bob waiting at the arc. donyell is my fourth option to be in that spot behind damona, sasha and gibson. i think lebron anticipated a defense that never materialized and had his mind made up to pass before he drove to the basket.
and sorry lebron. the john wooden philosophy of being satisfied with a great effort in a loss only applies if effort is given by everyone. the best scorer being satisfied to merely pass is not a good effort. the cavs might as well save the cash to pay a player like brevin knight to do that job.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I think that it is fairly evident after this game that Lebron is no superstar. It is very questionable whether he is a top ten player in the NBA. Great players find ways to score, and as I have said so often, with no outside shot, he is just an adequate player. Lebron is SCARED to take the last shot. He is 0 for in game winning shots and has no confidence at the line. He easily had a step on Prince on that last play and had a chance for a three point play if he made that layup. Regardless, if it did come down to two free throws, he KNEW he wouldn’t make both. This guy has a long way to go to become elite. As I have said before, if Memphis gets the #1 pick tonight, investigate a trade for Oden, Gasol, and some shooters.
Which leads me to my next thought. How sad is it that our best shooter is our CENTER? Our CENTER folks! That is ludicrous and unacceptable. We as Cavs fans are getting fooled by this team. The Cavs have no inside presence whatsoever offensively and if not for Varejao, none defensively. We need a center everyone, and maybe we should take a gamble on Oden, Gasol and others for Lebron. Lebron has not been dedicated enough to improve his jumper these last four years and at this point is raping us of our dollars. I know we are in the eastern conference finals, but we are in the EAST. Those first two opponents were a joke. Maybe we need a more humble TEAM and not just a glorified point guard.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I WISH WE COULD FLASHBACK TO SEE WHAT CHICAGO FANS WERE SAYING ABOUT MJ IN HIS FIRST COUPLE TRIES AT WINNING A RING. IT TOOK HIM SEVERAL YEARS DIDN’T IT? AND NOW LEBRONS FIRST TRIP TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO SIGN OF A SCOTTIE PIPPEN LIKE PLAYER ON THE TEAM, YOU WHINERS ARE ASKING FOR LEBRON TO BE TRADED.
I LAUGH AT YOU!!! LEBRON CANNOT WIN THESE GAMES BY HIMSELF. NOBODY CAN. LOOK AT THE GREAT KOBE BRYANT, WHERE ARE THE LAKERS RIGHT NOW? WHERE IS SHAQ RIGHT NOW? TEAMS CANNOT WIN THESE BIG PLAYOFF GAMES WITH A SINGLE SUPERSTAR.
INSTEAD OF CALLING FOR LEBRON TO BE TRADED, CALL FOR THE TEAM TO GET ANOTHER STAR TO JOIN HIM SO DETROIT CANNOT AFFORD TO TRIPLE TEAM HIM.
ARE YOU PEOPLE ALL AS DUMB AS ALAN TUCKER?
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:38 pm
hey joehoops, if flip murray puts two hands on a rebound the cavs beat detroit last year. so teams can win games like these. it’s the little things. and that comes down to coaching which is a huge weakness because with the right coaching players like laura and gooden can become just as good as the pistons starters. the pistons aren’t a team of superstars. as great as billips is no one is confusing him with earvin. the right offensive system with the existing team would make the cavs the best team in the east.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Joe. I understand what you’re talking about, but what makes you think that Lebron is even on the same level as Michael was earlier in his career. Michael was awesome. He HAD an outside shot from day one and he made game winning shots. Lebron did not go to the line once yesterday. You’re telling me that is the sign of a superstar. Look at the film of Michael and the Celtics playoff series early in his career when he would put up 50 consistently on them in that playoff series. That was a superstar!! Once the pieces were there, they won. This team is hamstrung financially, so how are we going to get support, especially at the center position. We are depending on Lebron and at this point the future doesn’t look so bright. Do you know if his outside shot is going to get significantly better? Do you know if he is going to become mentally stronger and make that game winning shot? If so, let us know and then we’ll all shut up. We can only go by what we see and Lebron is no Michael Jordan.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Cal: I never said that Lebron was MJ, yet anyways. I think he has set a ton of records for somebody his age though, so that is saying something. Just because Nike has overhyped the guy, everybody expects him to win NOW. It didn’t happen for MJ this quick, and it certainly didn’t without Pippen on the team, who if I’m not mistaken is one of the 50 greatest players of all time. Name another team that has won a championship with just one star player….I’m sure you can, but its definitely the exception to the rule.
ak: No, the Pistons aren’t a team of superstars, but how many starters did they send to the All-Star game last year? Like 4? And it probably should have been all 5!! They have 5 really good players, and last I checked this was a TEAM sport.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:55 pm
JoeHoops, find yourself a good shelf. Your schoolbooks keep leaning on your caps lock key.
This is just so dumb…So, James didn’t take the shot or drive for a shot. Whoopie. It would one thing if Marshall wasn’t wide-open. Then, people would have a damn good point about how gutless James is. But Marshall *was* wide-open. That genius Ferry signed him for four years on the cap to take and make exactly those kinds of shots.
People are blaming JAMES? What about Jim Paxson’s fraternal twin?
If is wasn’t for LeBron’s money, massive ego and posse larger than the Iraqi army, I’d almost feel sorry for him.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Yo Alan, buddy ole pal, I’m not asking you to feel sorry for the very wealthy Lebron James. But sitting there in your armchair, you probably have no idea what is like to be double and tripple teamed by the likes of Prince, Wallace, and insert-name-of-another-detroit-big-man. Take a look at what happens when Snow is in the game, they barely cover the guy and focus even more on Lebron.
I suggest you go rent that movie about the Chicago Bulls…can’t remember the name of it… but you’ll see that even that GREAT team had a lot of frustrations in the early years even when they had both Jordan AND Pippen. Their fans were probably dealing with the same crap we are now, but then look what happened. I’m not saying it will happen in Cleveland, but I find it laughable that anybody could blame Lebron for these losses considering his supporting cast. We are very LUCKY to even be in the EC finals.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I’ll trade Anal (T)ucker and a pair of dirty shoes…to Detroit, or anywhere else, for a sack o’ crap. We’d still come out on top in the deal.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Dealing with counterfactuals is really a bit useless here…James is getting reamed for no good reason in this case. How does everyone implicitly know that he was going to be able to dunk it as well as an and one or miss it and get two foul shots? Who’s to say Tayshaun’s abnormally long anorexic albino gumby arms wouldn’t have interfered with the shot, or a plethora of other what if’s? There’s no point, because given the circumstances, the reality is james passed to a wide open marshall, who even according to roker brown’s admission, had enough time “to drink a coffee” before he took the shot. For a 3 point specialist, such as marshall and damon jones are touted to be, what more can you ask for? That was more time than you get to shoot a shot in the 3 point competition.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Thanks for adding such intelligence to the discussion, “Fred.”
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Geddy, given Marshall’s girlish features, I think there was more estrogen than caffeine in his coffee. Regardless, the plain fact is he (she?) had gobs of time to drink it.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Uh…JoeHoops. I’m not blaming James. I think “Fred” has filtered into your brain.
By the way, it’s not a fair comparison, comparing the Bulls-Pistons to the Cavs-Pistons. The Pistons’ guys were nearing the twilights of their careers, but they were a great team. The Bulls had a massive upside, with great improving talents in their 20s, both terrific offensive and defensive talents. Once the Pistons got too old, the Bulls were able to overtake them.
The manner is which Cavaliers fans (and giddy local “objective” sportswriters) have reached the irrefutable conclusion that Gooden, Varejao, Pavlovic and Gibson are headed for long careers of anything greater than mediocrity is way beyond me. Comparing this Cavs roster to the Bulls’ roster back when they lost to the Pistons? Maybe one day somebody will be able to fill me in.
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:24 pm
I can’t beleive people are realizing this now that Bron Bron is a coward!!! You guys should’ve seen this coming long time, since he’s already refused to participate in Dunk Competition over the likes of Tyrus Thomas, Robinson, etc just because he’s freakin afraid of loosing!! It’s just as plain and simple as that. LeBron is so afraid of loosing that he doesn’t even want to try to participate. His passing mentality is nothing like Magic, Magic used to pass all game long, but when the game was on line, he wasn’t afraid to take the final shot or free throws, even though he wasn’t a good shooter either. And please don’t even compare LeBron to MJ. MJ started taking (making/missing didn’t matter) game winning shots since his rookie season. He actually took and made the game winning shot for NCAA title game, before even he set a foot in NBA. Lebron will never get confident of making the game winning shot if he’s afraid to take it in the first place, even if he improves his shooting as much as Michael Redd or Ray Allen. Kobe was throwing airballs in his first playoffs, but he didn’t stop taking shots when the game was on the line? Where did that bring him, now he’s the best in the business in clutch time! D-Wade was taking game winning shots in his rookie year in Playoffs!! Lebron’s hype is just going to keep coming down and down over the years. Don’t get me wrong, he ain’t no Vince Carter, but he doesn’t make the list of best 5 players in the league right now. Unless he stops thinking of becoming a Global Icon, and improving the world, and start working on his game and start thinking of how he can imporve as a player, I don’t see him cracking the Top 5 List in the league anytime soon either, considering more excellent players like Kevin Durant & Greg Oden will keep coming, the competition is just going to keep increasing. It’ll become hard for him even to make the Best 10 players in the league right now. So please stop comparing him to MJ or Magic, they were always Top 3 Players in the league at their time, first let Lebron come to that level before comparing him to the best player of all time (Jordan) or best point guard of all time (Magic).
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Tucker, I think you answered your own question. You can compare the Bulls-Pistons to the Cavs-Pistons because A) these Pistons, while not as old as the team in the 90’s, most are into their prime and some nearing the end and B) these Cavs do have a massive upside. Gooden, AV, Sasha, Gibson, Brown are all very young and improving. It is more a matter of them reaching their potential, which in the Bulls case they did. Hell Billups was a joke 4-5 years ago and how he is “Mr Big Shot.” Sometimes it takes a few years
No one can argue the defensive strides this team has made the last few years. I firmly believe that this off season is going to be spent focusing on the offense side of the ball. It is very difficult to improve every aspect of the game in two years.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:11 pm
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, STOP THE MJ LEBRON COMPARISON, THERE IS NOT ONE AND THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER MJ. LEBRON IS LEBRON, AND THAT IS IT. HE SHOULD OF DUNK THE BALL, PLAIN AND SIMPLE, BUT, IF THEY DO NOT WIN GAME 2, THIS SERIES IS OVER. THE CAVS SHOT THERE WAD ON THE COURT LAST NIGHT AND I DO NOT THINK THEY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, I THINK THEIR MORAL IS BROKEN, AND IT WILL TAKE SOM GOOD BREAKS FOR THEM TO GET A VICTORY IN GAME 2 TO GET THEM BACK EMOTIONALLY INTO THIS SERIES. COACH BROWN, F THE DEFENSE, PLAY GIBSON AND DAMON MORE SO YOU COULD SPREAD THE FLOOR, FORGET SNOW, UNTIL THE 4TH QUARTER OF A CLOSE GAME. AND SASHA PLEASE PLEASE, GET YOUR SHOT BACK SOME WAY OR SOME HOW, OR DANNY SHOULD NOT RESGIGN YOU NEXT YEAR. I HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT GAME 2 BUT I WILL JUST WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPEN.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:45 pm
I realize that some of these idiots blaming James and questioning his value and ranking as a player in today’s NBA are just trolls, but for the other’s who purport to be actual fans of basketball…wow. I also love the mind readers who just KNOW what James is thinking at al times. That includes the blog host. There is an argument both ways in regards to the last play. And PLEASE stop comparing James with Hughes/Sasha. They benefit from playing with James. Not vice versa. James has to work to get his shots. Not so much for those two who get wide open looks due to the “overrated” James. One final thing, for all you history revisionists, Jordan had MUCH better teammates. The TRUTH, which also happens to be a FACT in this case, is that James has lead his team further than Jordan lead his team at the same point in their careers. And for you weirdos that dislike James personally, please get a freaking life. The guy isn’t perfect, but I’m betting he’s light years ahead of you idiots in terms of being a good person.
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:30 pm
“No Name,” I’m still waiting for Randolph Keys to lead the Cavs to the Promised Land.
You used the words “young and improving.” I think people confuse the word “young” with all sorts of things. It’s as nonsensical as when the media folk say, after a trade, that a team “has gotten younger and more athletic.” Well, that’s just peachy.
The fact that Shannon Brown is being included in your breakdown of “young and improving” talent shows just how ridiculous all this is. Every draft is littered with young guys. I mean, that’s what the draft IS.
Let’s be serious here: Brown has shown absolutely nothing to date playing professionally, and let’s be honest, Gibson has actually shown next to nothing professionally. Yes, he has a pretty decent long-range shot, that much is evident, which means he’ll always find a place in the league. Guys with one serious skill usually do, whether it’s simply their defense, their rebounding, or whatever. And Varejao, Gooden and Pavlovic? What separates these three guys from any three guys on any other team? Yes, two are presently 24, one is presently 23. Name another team that doesn’t have their chairs perpetually filled with 23 and 24-year-old guys. Being 24 doesn’t mean anything more than you’re destined to turn 25.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:02 am
Cmon Tucker 13 points and 7 boards against
Detroits front line in a pressure situation.
Andy is a hustler and has an instinct for the ball like very few in the EC. Now Sasha
and Gooden need to step up. Sasha can not
finish at the rim and Gooden couldn,t stop
your grandmother from going to the rim. Thats the real deficit on the team. The slow
rotations of Sloth and Melon Muff on the block. They made Dale Davis look like Jermaine O’Neal in game one. And if Sasha
doesn’t cover at the three line these guards
will shoot his lights out.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:29 am
More striking to me is this: 76 points??? . . . In four 15-minute quarters?
Posted by: Alan Tucker | May 22, 2007 10:38:53 AM
You know, I would expect a guy with as many strong opinions as Alan Tucker seems to have about how miserably the Cavs play this game at least to know how many minutes there are in a quarter. For real.
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:17 am
Why are the Cavs so offensively challenged? It’s very simple. There’s no one on the team who can consistently knock down open 20 footers. NOT ONE GUY. That’s a problem. Shooting is actually something that comes in handy against the elite teams of the league. And it’s not like this was unexpected. We couldn’t shoot last year. Or the year before. The sweaty foot reek from the boatshoes must be clouding our dookie’s mind. Is Ferry going to single handedly sabotage another good to great Cavs team?
As for the King. I almost feel sorry for him. The anti-James sentiment (which I started months ago, incidentally) has snowballed to ridiculous proportions. The kid is the ONLY reason we’re in the eastern finals. He’s an unfinished product, but a prodigy nonetheless. Clearly, he has to develop some sort of jump shot. He has to find a place on the floor where he can consistently knock down open shots. Not necessarily threes, but something in the 15-20 foot range. Otherwise, it’s too easy to defend him in this era of legal zone defenses.
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:34 am
doc, you’re 100% right. What use is it that LeBron can draw double/triple teams when whoever is left open can’t knock down an open jumper? Hell, it’s well documented how teams don’t even bother sending defenders at the Snowflake (I used to shoot layups like he does when I picked up a basketball for the first time), but they honestly have nothing to worry about with Sasha, Hughes, Gooden (”let it rain” excluded”), or Varejao shooting jumpers.
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:26 am
Matthew: Wow. I didn’t even realize I made that typo until you pointed it out now. I guess most Cavs games just SEEM like four 15-minute quarters. The thrill of watching guys like Ilgauskas plod down a court and then stand around in a halfcourt set adds roughly three minutes per quarter to a standard set of eyeballs. So, if it’s going to just seem like 60 minutes, maybe they should just modify the rules for Cavaliers games to five 12-minute fifths. What do you think?
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:35 am
I don’t know if I have the best perspective as a Cavs fan, but did it seem like the referees swallowed the whistle on many Detroit fouls. They were picking up fouls like crazy in the first half and barely made many calls down the stretch. I think this is not what the media is concentrating on since Lebron passed up on the winning shot (probably not a mistake, since a tie would have probably ended with an OT defeat, why not 4-on-4 in OT like hockey). Maybe I’m just seeing things, but when Lebron was on the break on Rip Hamilton did everything he should if he wanted to score on a first date, where was the call. Also, you can’t tell me that Rasheed Wallace’s 6 blocks were all clean. I saw the replays, he definitely threw some body into people and got some hacks in.
To me the difference in the game was not necessarily the refereeing, but the nature of the gaming in giving a favorite and home team the benefit of hard play. I’m not against hard play, just when it’s called equally. Personally, I think we should go to a “no blood, no foul” style of play. Keep the refs out of the decision.
Lastly, what the hell is going on with the foul shots? Might as well start taking them “granny style” for the poor precentages made (aside from Z, who was The Man”.
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:37 am
jmoe, my point is what magical formula are people, including otherwise educated sportswriters, using to determine that the Cavs’ mediocre core will ever be better than they are right now? I’m not saying they will, I’m not saying they won’t. But what in the hell does the word “young” have to do with anything, let alone that stupid nebulous word “potential?”
Go up and down every NBA roster over the course of the past 50 years, and name one that doesn’t have guys under 25-years-old on it. By definition, weren’t all of them “young and improving,” too?
May 24th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Please, people. This series is far from over, even if the Cavs do lose game 2. If the Cavs keep wearing these geriatrics down, the Pistons will be in trouble. People need to realize that LeBron’s presence on the floor is completely dominating the series.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
HERE’S THE BOTTON LINE:
Jordan didn’t get his first ring until he was what, 26? Lebron is only 22. Give him some time.
HI ALAN!!!!!
June 3rd, 2007 at 7:09 am
kool!!! james gang gone WILD!!!
June 3rd, 2007 at 7:14 am
Gibson is made into a star…JAMES HAD ALMOST no points. the rest of the team had to step up and score. For example, Daniel Gibson.