LeBron Retraction (Sort of)

I wrote right here yesterday that last night’s Cleveland-Boston game could be a defining game in LeBron James’ career. That could very well be the case, especially if James decides to leave this summer for New York or Chicago or wherever. This game, and particularly this series, would then be a defining moment in his career and professional sports in Cleveland no matter what LeBron goes on to accomplish somewhere else. After watching last night’s game, however, I have to back off the statement that he may not reach the historical greatness we all thought he would achieve for a number of reasons. If LeBron never reaches that historical level, we will certainly look back at this series as the first sign that he would not, but I am not ready to give up on him just yet, and here’s why:

First and most importantly, LeBron just turned 25-years-old in December. Michael Jordan won his first title after turning 28. Yes, MJ was in his seventh season, the same as LeBron is in now, but MJ was developing his game and learning how to win while at North Carolina, something LeBron did not have the benefit of. Further and just like LeBron, Jordan was the best player in the game in the late 80s but he was unable to win titles because his supporting cast was inferior to that of the Lakers, Celtics and then the Pistons. Jordan was being labeled the same things that LeBron is today; a choker, a regular season star, not as great as the veteran stars such as Bird and Magic (now Kobe for LeBron). Did we really learn nothing from Jordan’s early career? Do we really want to look back and have to explain why we were wrong, again?

Second, and this became evident to me last night, LeBron really does care. He cares about being great, he cares about what people say and he definitely cares about winning. LeBron obviously did not have his A-game last night, but he still did everything he possibly could to try and will his team to victory. His competitiveness may have led to his and the Cavs’ biggest problem last night, turnovers. LBJ finished the game with a triple double, and nearly a quadruple double considering his 9, yes 9 turnovers. LeBron was forcing too many things when they were not there. But guys don’t attack the glass, attack the hoop, and finish with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists (on a poor shooting night to boot) if they do not lay everything they have on the line. LeBron even found his three point stroke to make a game of it in the fourth quarter.

There are certainly holes in his game. He needs to develop a mid-range jumper and a much stronger post-up game. Those skills would enable him to punish smaller defenders. The fact that Ray Allen was covering him for a stretch in game six is outlandish to me. Ray Allen would get destroyed by Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce or any wing player with a post game. LeBron needs to develop that skill and punish smaller defenders on the block. But the fact of the matter is nobody in the NBA dominates the game the way LeBron does for 48 minutes. He did not lose this series just like he did not lose the Orlando series last year when he averaged 38.5 points, 8+ rebounds and 8 assists in the Magic’s 4-2 series win. He is playing with an inferior supporting cast and an even worse coach. Which gets me to the final point of my retraction: I cannot make a case that this could be a defining game of LeBron’s career when he is playing for a coach that is totally and without question overwhelmed by the situation.

I gave Mike Brown, which is Cleveland’s coach for those that do not know, the benefit of the doubt when they were dominated in the Finals three years ago. I again tried to give him the benefit of the doubt against Boston two years ago in a Conference Semifinal loss, using Cleveland’s terrible surrounding players as an excuse. It started to become evident, however, in the Orlando series last year that maybe it is Mike Brown who is overmatched and not this Cleveland team. This Boston series put the finishing touches on the notion that Brown is a terrible coach to me. Not terrible in the sense that he should be unemployed, but terrible in the sense that the guy has no offensive pedigree, no sense for the situation, and no ability to adjust in a seven game series. He would be great trying to turnaround a bad team. His guys play hard, play good defense and generally like playing for him. He should not be coaching a team trying to win the NBA Championship.

I could go on and on about Mike Brown’s ineptitude, from his terrible rotations, to his panic move of playing guys in game five that he had not played in the playoffs at all to that point, to his stagnant offense and inability to put his players in a position to succeed. But this is not about Mike Brown, this is about LeBron James. I simply cannot put the bulk of this blame on James when he has a coach that has been so outclassed in each of his playoff losses. Here’s hoping that LeBron stays in Cleveland and Mike Brown does not. Here’s hoping that James is given the right opportunity to be historically great, something that is in serious doubt at this point but not something I am ready to write off.