LeBron glad point guard assignment is temporary
By Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer
February 05, 2010, 5:48PM
LeBron James says he doesn't want to have the ball in his hands all the time.
Really.
While detractors claim he sometimes dominates the ball too much as the rest of the Cavaliers stand around and watch, James really would rather not have to handle the ball a lot. But, since Mo Williams and Delonte West are out with injuries and Daniel Gibson missed the first half of Thursday's victory over Miami to attend to his pregnant fiancee, James had no choice but to play the point and run the offense.
LeBron James has always been a good passer, but with Mo Williams and Delonte West out with injuries, he has been pressed into service at point guard. He has responded by averaging 10 assists over the past seven games. "It not something I always want to do because running the point guard is like playing quarterback," he said after Thursday's win. "I decided not to play quarterback in high school. I'd rather play wide receiver and get out in the open."
Oddly enough, since losing Williams with a sprained left shoulder and West with a fractured left ring finger in back-to-back games against Toronto and the Lakers, respectively, the Cavs are 7-0 and are scoring 102.3 points per game, a tad above their 101.1 season average. James has led the team in assists each of those games and is averaging about 10 a game, more than Williams (5.1) and West (2.9) combined.
"I'm kind of surprised at our scoring with those guys out," James admitted. "I haven't played this much point guard since my first or second year in the league when I had to really dominate the ball for us to be sucessful. So it isn't something I'm used to, but it is something I can do."
No kidding. Cavs coach Mike Brown didn't bat an eye when he learned Gibson would be late to the Miami game after taking his fiancee, R&B star Keyshia Cole, to the hospital with what turned out to be false labor. That left the Cavs without a point guard for the start of Thursday's game. But James filled in admirably, as did Anthony Parker.
"We just kind of take on whatever challenge is in front of us," Brown said. "To miss all three of them, we knew we had a chance to still be OK because those guys are capable ball-handlers. We don't really need a true point guard all the time when we are out on the floor with as good a ball-handler as AP or LeBron and the rest of the guys."
As usual, James will do whatever it takes to help his team win, but even he is a little surprised how well things have gone.
"I make a sacrifice on my shot attempts for us to get easy baskets, for us to push the ball and get into our sets," he said. "I just play the right way. I was always taught to play that way as a kid and I've always been that way. I'm trying to will wins.
"We want just want to hold the fort until our guys get back. We're missing two key guys in Delonte and Mo. It is impressive. You take two point guards off any team in this league and they automatically go down. It just shows the depth and the willpower we have to step up."
Cavs snubbed: Brown was disappointed no Cav was invited to take part in the 3-Point Shootout during All-Star Weekend. The field, announced Friday, includes Denver's Chauncey Billups, Golden State's Stephen Curry, Phoenix's Channing Frye, New York's Danilo Gallinari, Boston's Paul Pierce and defending champion -- and former Ohio State star Daequan Cook of Miami. This is in spite of Gibson, Parker and Williams ranking second, fourth and ninth in the league in 3-point percentage.
"They have their reasons, I guess, for not talking about our guys or giving our guys opportunities," said Brown, who thought the league-leading Cavs deserved a second All-Star nod as well as an invitation to the rookie-sophomore game for J.J. Hickson. . "But we can't let it affect us. We've just got to go keep playing and try to obtain the ultimate goal, which is a championship."
For the record: TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley said during Thursday's broadcast that James is the best player in the world.
"Let me reiterate this because there is some discussion in the world," he said. "LeBron James is the best player in whole world to me and anyone who knows anything about basketball. Kobe Bryant has a lot more help. Even without Mo Williams and Delonte West, the Cavaliers keep rolling because of one guy. LeBron James is that good. If you gave him Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, they'd be 72-10 (tying the all-time best single season record.)"
Career change: Shaquille O'Neal had some fun with the TNT crew during Thursday's broadcast.
While being interviewed by sideline reporter Craig Sager, O'Neal said, "Those (TNT) guys do a great job. Ernie (Johnson) and Charles (Barkley) do a great job. Reggie (Miller) does a great job. My man Marv (Albert) does a great job. (Mike) Fratello does a great job.
"That other guy needs to be replaced and when I retire, he will be replaced."
Sager asked if O'Neal was referring to Kenny Smith.
Said O'Neal, "Oh yeah, I'm comin' for you Kenny."
Purple power: Cavs fans are asked to wear purple to Saturday's game as a show of support for National Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Week. Purple is the official color to show support of domestic violence awareness. Each fan will receive a purple glow stick upon entering The Q. Players will wear special shooting shirts during warmups, and the coaches and broadcasters will be wearing purple and sporting purple ribbon pins as well.
Thank God he chose basketball, though.