Lebron James has a tattoo saying "The Chosen One" across his back, he also wore the same number as Michael Jordan with Cleveland, he also did the whole intro of throwing the powder in the air, another gimmick stolen from Jordan, he declared himself 'King James', so one would be led to believe that he is the best current player in the NBA. In all round talent, he probably is, but there is one thing missing, he doesn't believe in himself. The thing with Lebron is in my opinion he is afraid of failure, whether its not wanting to deal with the media if he does fail, or if its having to deal with it himself. He is afraid, and while understandably he will never admit that, I believe it to be the truth.
I hate to take a great career so far and then pinpoint 2 games to define a player, but the Finals show true character, you're on the biggest stage and there is no hiding who you really are. In the 4th quarters of game 4 and 5, Lebron James has 2 point. No that is not a typo, he has 2 points. But it goes beyond stats. One of my favorite things to do is ask this simple question, "If someone who never watched basketball before, turned on and watched, who would they think are the best players out there?" The answer I feel I would get from this question would be (in this case) Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade but definitely not Lebron. In fact, I think even first time NBA viewers would say that, hey #6 for Miami, what's his deal? He should be shooting more, or getting to the basket more.
Maybe in Lebron's mind he thinks, if I pass and someone else misses, then it's not my fault. This could be why Lebron went to Miami with Wade and Bosh. He figures I will pass to these guys in crunch time and they should finish. Game 5 is the perfect example of why this is just bad thinking by Lebron. Wade gets hurt, is clearly no where near 100%, it was Lebrons time to shine, and sure he got a triple double, but it may have been the quietest, the most non-impactful triple double I've seen. The only reason why I or anyone else critiques Lebron so much, or has such high expectations, are for 2 reasons; 1) He brought it on himself by doing everything stated in the first paragraph and 2) he has the talent and potential to be that great.
We want the next Jordan, we want to see the greatest player right now, and whether it's fair or not, the pressure of this is on Lebron and will always follow him.
Showing posts with label Dwyane Wade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dwyane Wade. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Lebron James - Where for art thou?
Tuesday the 7th of June, I get off work and quickly rush home to watch game 4 of the NBA Finals. I tune in with 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter, I see the score is close and am prepared for an excellent finish. As far as I'm concerned, if the game is close, all you need to watch is the final half of the 4th quarter.
So there I am, the game is going back and forth, the Heat stretch out a lead, then Dallas gets it close, all of a sudden there is 2 minutes left in the game. It was great fast paced action, despite both teams playing some sloppy basketball and missing easy shots, the tension is palpable. Then at the 2 minute mark, it dawned on me, I couldn't recall hearing or seeing much of Lebron James. So I make it my business to focus more on Lebron and see what he is doing. What did I notice? Not a whole lot really. I saw a guy who wanted no part of the ball, look I get it, he was having a bad game, his shot was way off and hey, everyone has a bad night, right? Sure, but this is the guy who is meant to be the next Jordan, the guy even Scottie Pippen hailed Lebron as possibly the greatest player of all time. I just don't understand what Lebron was doing, why not take the ball, drive the lane and get a foul call? or kick it out to shooters like D-or Chris Bosh or Mike Miller? Lets face facts here, if Lebron didn't wanna hurt the team by taking shots, and didn't wanna be part of the offense, then why are you out there?
Lebron isn't Jordan, lets get that out of the way, but that isn't the point I'm trying to make. Lebron is a superstar, and he became shy and lacked confidence when so many others thrive in that role. I used to think guys like Skip Bayless were too harsh on Lebron, but now I get it. Lebron James is to Basketball as Marty Schottenheimer was to coaching Football. Lebron will give you a great regular season, and like many of Schottenheimers teams, Lebron just has so much talent that sometimes even when he lacks confidence and becomes conservative he will still get the job done to a certain point, but he just doesn't have the 'it' factor in crunch time. Even his defense in crunch time of game 4 in this series was pathetic.
Trust me Lebron, all Miami Heat fans had to facepalm watching your performance in Game 4, only mustering 8 measly points.
Let me set the scene, 25 seconds left in the game and 19 on the shot clock, Dirk has the ball and is guarded by Udonis Haslem at the top of the key, Dallas up by 1. Dirk makes an amazing play and let me tell you how. Common sense says that Dirk will hold the ball until the final second of the shot clock, based on Dirk's tendency, he will take the ball to the left, and then go for a fade away jumper. What does Dirk do? Catches Haslem napping and takes the ball to his right with 10 seconds left on the SC, gets by Haslem with relative ease. If you look closely at this play, you see Lebron have a chance to make a play, heck even foul him if you have to, but Lebron stands there, watches Dirk go by and looks helpless, while teammate Dwyane Wade seems to dart half way across the baseline to make a great effort to at least try and stop Dirk.
Lets not forget Lebron was only able to come up with 8 points, while Wades lowest scoring output on Basketball's biggest stage is 22.
No way does Jordan shrink in these moments, no way does Jordan disappear for the final 7 minutes of a close 4th quarter game, especially a finals game, no way does Jordan give up an easy lay up. Lebron will never be Jordan, I don't care about size or raw talent, that's only half the battle, Lebron quits on the Cavs in the playoffs against Boston, disappears here. He doesn't belong in the same conversation as Jordan ever.
So I guess I kind of trailed off topic here, I tend to just start writing and see where it takes me. I really just can't wrap my head around Lebron. It will be a shame looking back and have so many "what if" questions. Such a shame.
So there I am, the game is going back and forth, the Heat stretch out a lead, then Dallas gets it close, all of a sudden there is 2 minutes left in the game. It was great fast paced action, despite both teams playing some sloppy basketball and missing easy shots, the tension is palpable. Then at the 2 minute mark, it dawned on me, I couldn't recall hearing or seeing much of Lebron James. So I make it my business to focus more on Lebron and see what he is doing. What did I notice? Not a whole lot really. I saw a guy who wanted no part of the ball, look I get it, he was having a bad game, his shot was way off and hey, everyone has a bad night, right? Sure, but this is the guy who is meant to be the next Jordan, the guy even Scottie Pippen hailed Lebron as possibly the greatest player of all time. I just don't understand what Lebron was doing, why not take the ball, drive the lane and get a foul call? or kick it out to shooters like D-or Chris Bosh or Mike Miller? Lets face facts here, if Lebron didn't wanna hurt the team by taking shots, and didn't wanna be part of the offense, then why are you out there?
Lebron isn't Jordan, lets get that out of the way, but that isn't the point I'm trying to make. Lebron is a superstar, and he became shy and lacked confidence when so many others thrive in that role. I used to think guys like Skip Bayless were too harsh on Lebron, but now I get it. Lebron James is to Basketball as Marty Schottenheimer was to coaching Football. Lebron will give you a great regular season, and like many of Schottenheimers teams, Lebron just has so much talent that sometimes even when he lacks confidence and becomes conservative he will still get the job done to a certain point, but he just doesn't have the 'it' factor in crunch time. Even his defense in crunch time of game 4 in this series was pathetic.
Let me set the scene, 25 seconds left in the game and 19 on the shot clock, Dirk has the ball and is guarded by Udonis Haslem at the top of the key, Dallas up by 1. Dirk makes an amazing play and let me tell you how. Common sense says that Dirk will hold the ball until the final second of the shot clock, based on Dirk's tendency, he will take the ball to the left, and then go for a fade away jumper. What does Dirk do? Catches Haslem napping and takes the ball to his right with 10 seconds left on the SC, gets by Haslem with relative ease. If you look closely at this play, you see Lebron have a chance to make a play, heck even foul him if you have to, but Lebron stands there, watches Dirk go by and looks helpless, while teammate Dwyane Wade seems to dart half way across the baseline to make a great effort to at least try and stop Dirk.
Lets not forget Lebron was only able to come up with 8 points, while Wades lowest scoring output on Basketball's biggest stage is 22.
No way does Jordan shrink in these moments, no way does Jordan disappear for the final 7 minutes of a close 4th quarter game, especially a finals game, no way does Jordan give up an easy lay up. Lebron will never be Jordan, I don't care about size or raw talent, that's only half the battle, Lebron quits on the Cavs in the playoffs against Boston, disappears here. He doesn't belong in the same conversation as Jordan ever.
So I guess I kind of trailed off topic here, I tend to just start writing and see where it takes me. I really just can't wrap my head around Lebron. It will be a shame looking back and have so many "what if" questions. Such a shame.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Previewing the NBA Finals
For the first time in 4 years, the Finals will not be featuring Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead we have a very intriguing match up between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. These two teams met each other in the 2006 Finals and the rematch promises to provide more drama and excitement. Of course the last time these two teams met in the Finals both Rosters looked very different especially the Miami Heat. Bye bye Shaq, Hello Lebron James and Chris Bosh. As for the Mavericks they are getting great production for the crafty veteran Jason Kidd, and his backup JJ Barea has been a spark off the bench. Tyson Chandler also gives them a very nice presence in the paint. Lets now do a position by position comparison between the Mavs and Heat.
No shortage of Superstar players in the 2011 NBA Finals, featuring the likes of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Chris Bosh.
Point Guard
Jason Kidd & JJ Barea vs Mike Bibby & Mario Chalmers - Advantage Dallas.
By the Roster Bibby and Chalmers are the official PG's, however, expect to see James and Wade take the point at times during the game. For the sake of this comparison, lets stick to Bibby and Chalmers. Kidd and Bibby are each teams veteran PG's, personally give me Kidd over Bibby any day. Kidd has been hitting 3's better than ever, is also the superior passer to Bibby, and he is excellent at drawing in defenders and then kicking out to a shooter. While I like the energy Chalmers brings to the Heat off the bench, Barea has just been so good and so effective in the playoffs that I'd also have to go with Dallas here. Barea can provide immediate scoring and mismatches. Advantage Dallas.
Shooting Guard
DeShawn Stevenson/Jason Terry vs Dwyane Wade - Advantage Miami.
I like what both Stevenson and Terry can do, especially if either can hit some early shots then they can get hot and seem like they will never miss a jumper, however, the decision here is pretty easy, Dwyane Wade is a game changer, an excellent defender, impossible to stop offensively and has won the Finals before. Wade is just too quick, strong and talented to be stopped. Even if he is not having his best shooting night he will get to the line a lot, draw a ton of fouls, play excellent defense, and pass the ball extremely well too. Dwyane Wade is capable of making plays that can demoralize a team. Advantage Miami.
Small Forward
Shawn Marion vs Lebron James - Advantage Miami.
While I love how Marion has been playing, and really accepted being a role player, this is a no brainer. James is just a far far superior player. No doubt James is the better player, will put up better numbers, play better defense and do just about everything well, the Mavs need a Herculean type performance from Marion. Look, you don't shut down Lebron James, you just try to contain him, and hope he doesn't go for a triple double with 30+ points on you. I think this matchup, while widely in favor of the Heat, will be a pivotal point in this Finals. How much can Marion slow down James? We will find out. Advantage Miami.
Power Forward
Dirk Nowitzki vs Chris Bosh - Advantage Dallas.
Dirk's fadeaway is almost impossible to stop, preview of things to come for Chris Bosh?
Now this matchup is going to be a lot of fun to watch. While Chris Bosh has definitely stepped up his game the last few weeks, you gotta give the advantage here to Nowitzki. Dirk has been playing out of his mind lately, and he is essentially unguardable. If Dirk starts hitting that fade-away jumper then all you can hope if you're the Heat is that Wade and Lebron are hitting their shots. Not only can Dirk hit that fade away, but he is excellent at drawing fouls and getting to the foul line in bunches, and he is an excellent Free Throw shooter. Oh and did I mention Dirk can hit a 3 about as good as anyone? While I understand Bosh is a good talent, and will have a good series, Dirk is just better. Advantage Dallas
Center
Tyson Chandler & Brendan Haywood vs Udonis Haslem & Joel Anthony - Advantage Dallas.
Haslem had himself a nice series vs Chicago, definitely provided a presence that the Heat needed in order to get by the Bulls. Anthony while having almost no offensive game, is a better defender than you think, and is a high energy big man who gets the most out of his talent. While both Haslem and Anthony will play solid at worst, you gotta give the advantage to Chandler and Haywood. They are bigger and more athletic than their Miami counterparts, have a bigger impact on the offensive end, not only scoring more points but grabbing a healthy amounts of offensive rebounds too. Advantage Dallas.
So Dallas has the advantage in 3 of the 5 positions, and also at the 2 most important positions (PG and Center), I still gotta give the edge to Miami in this series. Wade and Lebron are just so dominating, and Bosh should be good too, that even if they can get mediocre performances from their other players that they will pull out the victory here. Dallas I feel will be relying way too much on players like DeShawn Stevenson and Shawn Marion to play out of their mind to take this series. I think it will be a lot of fun to watch, both teams play good all round basketball. My prediction is Miami in 7, with the big 3 getting a championship in their first year together. The question then will be, who can stop them in the East? (see previous post).
What I will be watching today:
San Francisco Giants (Madison Bumgarner) vs St. Louis Cardinals (Kyle McClellan).
MLB Power Rankings will be up on Wednesday. Lots of changes, so check back for that too.
No shortage of Superstar players in the 2011 NBA Finals, featuring the likes of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Chris Bosh.
Point Guard
Jason Kidd & JJ Barea vs Mike Bibby & Mario Chalmers - Advantage Dallas.
By the Roster Bibby and Chalmers are the official PG's, however, expect to see James and Wade take the point at times during the game. For the sake of this comparison, lets stick to Bibby and Chalmers. Kidd and Bibby are each teams veteran PG's, personally give me Kidd over Bibby any day. Kidd has been hitting 3's better than ever, is also the superior passer to Bibby, and he is excellent at drawing in defenders and then kicking out to a shooter. While I like the energy Chalmers brings to the Heat off the bench, Barea has just been so good and so effective in the playoffs that I'd also have to go with Dallas here. Barea can provide immediate scoring and mismatches. Advantage Dallas.
Shooting Guard
DeShawn Stevenson/Jason Terry vs Dwyane Wade - Advantage Miami.
I like what both Stevenson and Terry can do, especially if either can hit some early shots then they can get hot and seem like they will never miss a jumper, however, the decision here is pretty easy, Dwyane Wade is a game changer, an excellent defender, impossible to stop offensively and has won the Finals before. Wade is just too quick, strong and talented to be stopped. Even if he is not having his best shooting night he will get to the line a lot, draw a ton of fouls, play excellent defense, and pass the ball extremely well too. Dwyane Wade is capable of making plays that can demoralize a team. Advantage Miami.
Small Forward
Shawn Marion vs Lebron James - Advantage Miami.
While I love how Marion has been playing, and really accepted being a role player, this is a no brainer. James is just a far far superior player. No doubt James is the better player, will put up better numbers, play better defense and do just about everything well, the Mavs need a Herculean type performance from Marion. Look, you don't shut down Lebron James, you just try to contain him, and hope he doesn't go for a triple double with 30+ points on you. I think this matchup, while widely in favor of the Heat, will be a pivotal point in this Finals. How much can Marion slow down James? We will find out. Advantage Miami.
Power Forward
Dirk Nowitzki vs Chris Bosh - Advantage Dallas.
Now this matchup is going to be a lot of fun to watch. While Chris Bosh has definitely stepped up his game the last few weeks, you gotta give the advantage here to Nowitzki. Dirk has been playing out of his mind lately, and he is essentially unguardable. If Dirk starts hitting that fade-away jumper then all you can hope if you're the Heat is that Wade and Lebron are hitting their shots. Not only can Dirk hit that fade away, but he is excellent at drawing fouls and getting to the foul line in bunches, and he is an excellent Free Throw shooter. Oh and did I mention Dirk can hit a 3 about as good as anyone? While I understand Bosh is a good talent, and will have a good series, Dirk is just better. Advantage Dallas
Center
Tyson Chandler & Brendan Haywood vs Udonis Haslem & Joel Anthony - Advantage Dallas.
Haslem had himself a nice series vs Chicago, definitely provided a presence that the Heat needed in order to get by the Bulls. Anthony while having almost no offensive game, is a better defender than you think, and is a high energy big man who gets the most out of his talent. While both Haslem and Anthony will play solid at worst, you gotta give the advantage to Chandler and Haywood. They are bigger and more athletic than their Miami counterparts, have a bigger impact on the offensive end, not only scoring more points but grabbing a healthy amounts of offensive rebounds too. Advantage Dallas.
So Dallas has the advantage in 3 of the 5 positions, and also at the 2 most important positions (PG and Center), I still gotta give the edge to Miami in this series. Wade and Lebron are just so dominating, and Bosh should be good too, that even if they can get mediocre performances from their other players that they will pull out the victory here. Dallas I feel will be relying way too much on players like DeShawn Stevenson and Shawn Marion to play out of their mind to take this series. I think it will be a lot of fun to watch, both teams play good all round basketball. My prediction is Miami in 7, with the big 3 getting a championship in their first year together. The question then will be, who can stop them in the East? (see previous post).
What I will be watching today:
San Francisco Giants (Madison Bumgarner) vs St. Louis Cardinals (Kyle McClellan).
MLB Power Rankings will be up on Wednesday. Lots of changes, so check back for that too.
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