LeBron James

[ACisKING]

I believe LeBron thought we had a chance last year against the Warriors having Kyrie and all, considering how well Kyrie played on the big stage, he thought him and Kyrie could do it again despite everything.

This year Batman has no Robin, unpopular opinion but I truly believe LeBron really wants and plans to lose before making the finals this year because he knows he’ll get seriously embarrassed if he drags this team there, it will be a bloodbath and he knows it, he simply doesn’t want another Finals L.

It won’t be blatant like 2009 I think he’ll do it subtly, he’ll still get nice numbers but nothing amazing like completely taking over games like we know he can do, overall he’s going to play more passively especially on defense.

In my opinion this why LeBron was playing all 82 and stuffing the stat sheet every game, he’s chasing that all time list and he wanted to maximize every single game doing so, because this year LeBron was not his usual “screw the regular season it’s all about the playoffs” usual self, one of LeBrons best regular seasons ever especially numbers wise.

So your theory is that LeBron is going to try and intentionally lose to avoid going to the Finals? I mean I agree that deep down he probably knows this team is not good enough to win it all - hell anyone with eyes can see that. But I don’t buy that he is going to try and lose on purpose. At the very least I don’t see any evidence from yesterday to show that. He played hard yesterday...dude was winded at one point...he just didn’t play all that well. It happens to everyone.

 

[ACisKING]

Honestly, I think he could've got them easier looks in the 1st half. It is how he's always played, and that's the problem. He could get away with it when he had Kyrie and Wade to bail him out, but not anymore. You're talking about game fucking one of the playoffs. The first playoff game for half your damn roster and you don't come out and set the tone!? Seriously that is inexcusable. He should've led them by example and got us off to good start. Get their confidence going.

He does this shit purposefully too. It's as if he wants to lower expectations by letting his teammates struggle so that in case he fails it won't look as bad on him. I have no doubt in my mind it's in someway self-serving.

He’s had plenty of playoff games where he attacked early. And plenty of playoff games where he passed early and tried to get his teammates involved. Both approaches have worked in big playoff series at the highest level. But in what way is passing to wide open shooters “letting his teammates struggle”?

 

[czvo]

LeBron will get criticized whether the team loses in the finals or the first round, but losing in the first round is a far bigger blemish. So to think he would lose intentionally seems far-fetched.

I do think you'll be able to tell where he stands on the Cavs by the way he plays in these playoffs though. If he continues to play passively on offense (he really shouldn't be taking fewer than 20 shots a game) and float on defense, I think you'll know what he plans to do this summer.

 

[chuck0609]

Lebron cannot do it all by himself. He needs other guys to step up. This isn't 2007 any more with an infinitely athletic, infinitely energetic Lebron. And even 2007 was a bit of a fluke year, which Lebron was unable to repeat as a lone ranger without a very good supporting cast. What I'm afraid of is that this team outside of Lebron is just plain Not. That. Good.

We lost a top 15 NBA player and we didn't come vaguely close to replacing him. We picked up a pretty solid role player in Nance, who is kind of a replacement for the old TT, and a bunch of other guys who are totally unproven and in this game at least did not appear capable of stepping up their game to compete with a good team in a situation of playoff intensity. And of course the coaching ain't helping.

We can nitpick LBJ, but the rest of the team was deplorable. K Love- 9 points (remember he's the second option). Green- ZERO points. Hill, Hood, Clarkson- dogshit. Nance was ok.
Only JR did something offensively.


I still think this team can make a run, but they need to up their intensity and make shots they've made this season. But in games they've lost, a lot of times its from horrible shooting.

 

[The Red Viper]

All he ever does is talk about himself. I still think back to his post-game interview with Doris Burke after Game 7, which was ridiculously self-indulgent, right down to the phony "Cleveland, this is for you." No, it really wasn't, LeBron. It was a sound byte to go on your career highlight reel and a ploy to boost your ever important legacy. Everything the guy does is calculated to make himself look good. But hey, more power to him. He knows members of the sports media will eat that shit up at every turn.

Welcome to human civilization.

 

[The Red Viper]

Just putting this here...
LeBron following the loss:
"I mean, I'm down 0-1 in the first round. I was down 3-1 in the Finals. So I'm the last guy to ask about how you're going to feel the next couple days."

Take what you want from it.

That is exactly like the chicken and the egg.. If he was answering this question - in a 'We' form, making himself presentable as part of a team - slowly but surely, the media questions would align and would refer to the team as well. I also hate it when coaches talk with the forms 'They' or 'The players'.. what are you? be accountable and use some We talk - Coaches and players alike.

That is some elite shit-stirring, lol.

But then again, this is the problem with the modern society.

Just look at the headlines. Who cares about the entire context? They don't generate clicks or discussion.

 

[billmac91]

I have no issue with LeBrons offense in first half against Pacers. He was a gravitational pull and it led to multiple wide open threes. The guys just didn’t knock shots down. You can’t fault LeBron that Korver rimmed in and out twice....Love missed two wide open threes. Jeff Green shit the bed. George Hill was cold. Hood looked all outta sorts in the moment.

The game plays out differently if these shoot like they’re capable of. And all these guys got great looks because of LeBron.

Personally, I don’t want LBJ force-feeding his way to the rim when his natural game is to get guys involved. And like it or not, if LeBron takes it to the hole and he misses, we get crushed in transition. Because he doesn’t get back....it’s a double edged sword. If he makes shot, great....if he misses we are toast on other end.

 

[cavsfever]

Lebron is going to try. He's in the course of one of the most incredible streaks in modern NBA history going for his eighth straight Finals appearance and he for sure doesn't want to break it.

Problem is, outside of Lebron our team just isn't that good. Love we don't know how to use. Nance can be good but is not well rounded and often inconsistent. Korver is 37 and also we don't know how to use him. Clarkson is a bench chucker -- someone compared him to Flip Murray. Hill is OK but getting old and again, we don't know how to use him on defense. Hood should be good but just isn't. Jeff Green is Jeff Green and will never be anything but Jeff Green. Cedi and Zizic could be good one day but can't even get in the game now. etc. etc. This is the reality of this team.

 

[CavzAddict]

even in the playoffs Lebron takes his foot off the gas. he knows he's gonna have to play Captain Save Em at some point. he's definitely pacing himself for when it really really matters. it sucks for us in the meantime but not for the long run.

 

[PedroFlu]

To me the problem is kind of simple: the team needs LeBron to anchor defense AND go superman on offense 40 mins a game. And he can't do it anymore..

In order to carry the offense, he needs to save so much energy that he doesn't even play decent defense anymore.

In other words, at this stage LeBron would only work (i) playing 32 mins a game or (ii) playing his 37/40 mins, but in a team that can let him rest on defense - a team with apt players to defend and good coaching.

Not really the case here..

 

[Heej]

Looked kinda like a game where he dialed it back so his teammates could get their sea legs in the playoffs. I expect everyone to come out a lot less hesitant in game 2 now that they've had a taste

 

[6.19.2016]

Well, technically, he could only say "Tristan, JR and Me". This post makes zero sense. The entire team is different so if he said "We", that would warrant a post.

This is not fake news - it is a descriptive fact. The player has the option to answer as "we", but the default is I, instead of We (I am not saying that it doesn't make sense to answer with I, I am just saying the the players and coaches I appreciate prefer to answer as we - so that both the team and media will see them as a cohesive unit). log on to youtube, watch carefully for post-game interviews with other players or coaches - I did this for the past 20 minutes- all answered direct personal question as "we" or as "I think that we..."


Good luck..

"WE?!"

"I - the royal we! The editorial -"

 

[Cavatt]

Lebron had to get back on d instead of complaining to the refs. Seriously, it is playoffs time.

I have seen Lebron have nerves and his teams play tight. Thats exactly how that game looked. When he says, "Im gonna be fine, Ive seen everything." That is him being defensive.

The team will look much better next game, but having Kyrie as a clutch come back kid with no conscience, was a great luxury.

 

[Ozcavs89]

I dont care what plays out tonight, at some stage lebron will enter god mode and breeze into the finals....from there on its going to be a different story

 

[MarkyCavs88]

7th in NBA Career Playoff Leader For Rebounds & 20th in NBA Career Playoff Leader For Blocks.

Lebron very close to passing Scottie Pippen to become All-Time Playoff Leader In Steals!