The greatness of LeBron James has never been ethereal or magical like Stephen Curry’s; instead, James’ power is logical and crushingly predictable.
Curry’s brilliance is absurd, and so, in different ways, is the brilliance of Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The way these stars succeed is mind-blowing in its strangeness, marvellously uncomfortable in its unusualness.
James has never felt as unknowable. The impossibility of LeBron comes not with the individual plays he makes, but in the fact that a human being exists in his form and construction.
The passing and vision of James have always been his most ghostly, poetic skills. It’s those talents, ultimately, that elevate James from the pantheon into whatever is above the pantheon.
But, what is most obvious about James to someone who has no understanding of basketball is also still the primary driver of his magnificence; the power of his body.
It’s the physical presence of James, the intimidating aura he exudes on the court, a king among boys, the realest human among ants, that makes him so commanding. Outside of that bizarre 2011 Finals, for James’s entire career, whenever he has been on the floor, the nine other players have just been people sharing his court.
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
So it went against the Wizards on Friday night, with the likes of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Kevin Love and once-famous actors Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade merely extras in LeBron’s film. It was a breathtaking, if repetitive, picture, one that only Beal occasionally threatened to disrupt.
Everything that has made post-2012-Game-5-versus-the-Celtics-LeBron special was on display. The mesmerising force, pushing his way into the paint with a mix of speed, brutishness and ballet; the relentlessness underneath the rim, clearing space and owning rebounds; the jumping of passing lanes; the soul-destroying blocks; the selfless passing; the cinematic dagger threes – a wink to the player LeBron has always wanted to be a little more like, and is great enough that he can occasionally become.
The result was the ultimate LeBron Power Game – 57 points on 34 shots, 11 rebounds (five offensive), nine trips to the line, and only, remarkably, four threes attempted.
The Wizards were left helpless, like all before them outside of the Bay Area. James’ masterpiece was one both astounding and depressing – a testament to the force an individual can exert over a team game, and a reminder that a team game is so often dependent on who has the best individual.
The Cavs, especially when he wasn’t there, have only ever been able to go as far as James could take them. But this season that notion is being stretched to absurd lengths. This is, outside of the best player in the world, an awful team. Little makes sense in its theoretical construction or on-court reality.
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade do not belong on the same team, especially when Isaiah Thomas is waiting in the wings. There is one proven traditional big man on the roster – Tristan Thompson – and he’s 6’9 and injured. Jae Crowder makes sense alongside James as a hybrid 3-4, but not when Kevin Love is playing the five, which he is forced to time and time again.
Jeff Green is bad at basketball and the Iman Shumpert game is over. There is no exciting or even interesting youth. Jose Calderon is getting minutes.
But none of it seems to matter, not in the East anyway, and not until Game 1 in Oakland. Boston lost its best player, the Raptors have created their own above-average form of mediocrity, Washington’s bench is still a disaster zone, and the Bucks aren’t ready yet.
In the haze of this woebegone conference, James is still its only shining truth.
hooked13
Roar Rookie
Best player in the last 15 years?? Think Kobe was the best player on the planet for a lot of those years actually.......
Swampy
Guest
Mmm and he is usually on court at the end of games and the Cavs have a 4-6 record...
steve
Guest
Jeff Green isn't a main [piece, he is a role player on a veteran minimum salary, and playing the role well for the Cavs. Averaging more than 10 ppg off the bench, far more than some of the Cavs championship winning players are. TT, JR Shump etc. As a role player he is doing very well.
Jerry
Guest
He only won in 94, got traded for Drexler in 95. I count those titles as much as any other, just cause Jordan wasn't there for 1 & 1/2 seasons the league doesn't just shut down. But he did contribute to that title run - he was basically a double double guy shooting 55-60% for his whole tenure in Houston and from memory he was Houston's leading rebounder in the finals. I mean, he was never a guy who was gonna lead at team to a title, but he was a solid role player.
Swampy
Guest
The roster construction is so bad. The Cavs need that pick from Boston right now. They are just so old. There is no bounce in the team. No youthful exuberance that gets you through a tired spot. Individually most of the roster is good. Collectively they are not. I'm sure they will come good regardless but I don't see how this roster gets near Houston or Gsw.
Swampy
Guest
That is a fair point re salary. However he still seems to deliver losses. Point being - don't rely on Jeff Green as a main piece.
Swampy
Guest
Knew I should have checked that list. *May have been carried by his team mate. Note: does 94 & 95 actually count as legit championships - 91-93 & 96-98 suggests it's an outlier.
astro
Guest
Cant say I'm a huge Jeff Green fan, but the guy made it back into the NBA after open heart surgery, so he must have a stack of courage...and for $2mil a year (his current Cavs salary), he seems like a bit of a bargain. A good comp for him is Ilyasova...Basically the same player...Ersan maybe a slightly better shooter, but Green probably a better defender, yet the Hawks pay Ilyasova $6mil.
Jerry
Guest
"Otis Thorpe.... never won anything of note." Er......
Swampy
Guest
If you think Jeff Green is good you are just another sucker for the Jeff Green Experience. I have watched probably 2000 nba games in the last 30 years. I have seen a lot of Jeff Green's career. Many players like him have appeared over the decades. Had similar or even better careers but the experience is the same. Here's a few names: Antawn Jamieson, Jeff Malone, Adrian Dantley, Billy Owens, Rudy Gay, Michael Redd, Alex English, Tom Chambers, Otis Thorpe, Kevin Willis, Alan Houston, Latrell Spreewell... The list is endless. These are guys who looked great, scored easily, had the physical tools and everything required to be a winner year in, year out in the league. Yet they never won anything of note. Jeff Green is the worst example of that. Put him on your team and you lose games. More than you should. He is a constant in that regard. Jeff Green promises you so much but in the end he brings losses you never expected. And there doesn't appear an obvious reason. Jeff Green is just bad for the win column. Just review his career and expectations of every team he was at - they all end up under performing - except at Memphis where they realised they shouldn't play him at any critical stage of a game. Jeff Green is plain and simply a negative.
McNaulty
Guest
Lebron needs an injury and a season off. He has been the best player on the planet since he was 17...thats 15 years non stop. Have the year off.
steve
Guest
Curious Jay, have you actually watched the Cavs this season or just the Wizards game? Jeff Green bad at basketball? Along with Kyle Korver, Jeff Green is probably the only guy outside of LBJ that can really hold his head up this season and to a lesser extent Love and Rose. Wade, TT, JR Smith, Frye, Shumpert have been nothing short of horrible, all of them. Zizic and Osman, the young guys on the roster, are getting nothing but junk minutes, if used at all, that falls on the coach, not them. Why he isn't playing them is a question for Ty Lue, but both are rated pretty well after coming in from a season in Europe.
JoC
Guest
Jay, I love your basketball articles. There isn't usually much on the roar. Keep em coming.
Brian
Guest
Wade, Rose & Love continue to disappoint. I wish James could get there without them. Alas he will carry them there on his own broad shoulders. I wonder though if it gets too dire if King James will just start focusing on 2019
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
"Jeff Green is bad at basketball". Harsh! I will die alone on Jeff Green Street!
astro
Guest
Simmons and Haberstroh have an interesting chat about LBJ on the latest Ringer NBA pod...and cover some of what you're talking about here, Jay. As with Tom Brady in the NFL, the league has never seen a player like Lebron in terms of what he's able to do on the court at his age, and after the number of minutes and games he's played in his career. In that Wiz game, he looked like the fittest, strongest guy out there. It's just great to see Lebron being so comfortable with his own game now. For many years, particularly those first 7yr in Cleveland, he looked like a guy trying to play in a traditional SF role and unsure about when and how he should take over games. Now, he basically plays point forward, controls and calls offensive sets and looks like he has total control of games. The Cavs have problems this year, mainly with their defense and a backcourt full of guys who can't defend anyone (ie. Rose, Wade, Korver, Smith etc). This will improve when Thompson returns, but I agree with you that a lot of their problems don't matter much when they have Lebron (and they play in the East).
Jerry
Guest
And the Cavs have just shot under 30% collectively to trail the Hawks by 9 at halftime. It's hard to make a call on them until Thomas suits up, but god they're just an awful looking team right now. Brainless jump shots with no ball movement and terrible D.
Swampy
Guest
Hilariously an article on another forum was published yesterday regarding how the nba has got skinnier. The day after the monster truck otherwise known as LeBron powered his way to 57 points... I do think you underrate the Celtics here though. A minor adjustment after Hayward went down and they are now rolling with 7 straight wins and the league's best defence. That is a best defence which includes Kyrie Irving! And I might add, through my incredible bias as an Aussie, Philly are really good. If the team stays healthy they are really well constructed and balanced.