***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
Great article on what LeBron needs to do next.
I knew he'd struggled since "that" game v Detroit,...but 31% over the next 5 games is brutal.
CLEVELAND -- As they encountered each other in a crowded hallway for their nightly postmortem with the world's media, Tim Duncan and LeBron James had a sportmanlike embrace. To make room for James in his arms, Duncan had to hand off the polished and shiny Larry O'Brien Trophy he was holding.
Tony Dejak/AP Photo
On a day that began with the birth of his son, LeBron's season ended.
Just like that, a championship passed James by.
In the moments after his fourth season ended with a fourth straight defeat to the four-time champion Spurs, James managed to crack a smile or two. Chances are he'll be enjoying the next few days, too, celebrating the birth of his second son the morning of Game 4. At some point, though, the pain will surely kick in. Perhaps a pain he hasn't felt since he came to the NBA.
In the grand scheme, James' brief career has been nothing but one upshot after the next. In his first season, he won Rookie of the Year and the Cavs doubled their win total. In his second season he made his first All-Star team and the Cavs had their first winning record in seven years. In his third season he was named First Team All-NBA and led the Cavs to their first playoff series victory in 13 years before nearly pulling off an upset in the second round.
No doubt getting the Cavs to their first-ever Finals qualifies as another step. The way he exited this time, however, left a certain emptiness.
After his dominating 48-point performance to overcome the Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, James never again soared very high.
He shot a mere 31 percent in the next five games.
His weaknesses -- of both his team and his game -- were exposed and then repeatedly flicked by the Spurs as they cruised to a sweep.
They made him shoot midrange jumpers and contested 3-pointers. They bodied him coming off screens and harassed him into bunches of turnovers. They kept him from the rim, allowing just two dunks in the four games.
Surely when James passed to his teammates there was very little help offered, a championship-quality team the Cavs simply are not. They shot just 39 percent, were beaten at their greatest strength (rebounding) and didn't have once clutch performance over the last week.
But the biggest chunk of blame cannot avoid James, his Finals performance was flat. He missed 20 shots Thursday night and not even Bruce Bowen could take credit for all of it. And James knew it.
Before Game 3, lots of observers showed up three hours early to see James work out. As sweat poured off him he went through it, hoisting shots from everywhere on the court. One reporter even timed it -- exactly 31 minutes -- to pass it on to the fans.
The thing was, at the exact same time at the other end of the floor, Duncan was quietly working on bank shots. A routine he's followed for years, a routine that shows in the Finals.
During this season, James changed his free-throw shooting style at least three times. With two weeks left in the season he started shooting a set shot on 3-point attempts, then abandoning it for the playoffs. While his jump shot has improved since he came to the league, he fades back and to the left nearly as often as when he was a high school senior.
Which is where the pain comes in. So often the game of basketball teaches the value of process. It is seen from small town high schools slaying inner-city giants to senior-laden mid-majors making NCAA Tournament runs to the Spurs' grinding domination of the NBA. To get there, it takes moments of failure and summers of bitterness to be turned into inspiration.
The Cavs' front office has to do its part to get James some more help. The onus, too, though is on James taking the setback forced upon him and using it to motivate himself to become a better player. James has been unable to avoid comparisons to great players of the past who led their teams to championships. The more well-rounded view is that many of them had to be struck down before they could fully blossom. James has now had his dose of humility he must taste for awhile, and the challenge to join the ranks of those who have overcome it.
"I definitely need to get better," James said in the early hours Friday. "I have to be 10 times better." Brian Windhorst covers the Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon JournalLast edited by Court_vision; 06-15-2007, 06:29 AM.Comment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
I got drunk and partied downtown san antonio, **** YEAH!!!!!!
Quote of the Day:
"I don't give a s---."
-- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, when reminded that the four-time champions still have never won back-to-back titles and asked if the opportunity to finally repeat would provide extra motivation next season.Comment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
The Pistons match up better with the Spurs. They have similar playing styles, and they know each others teams. The Cavs rely on LeBron to make plays, or game over. The Pistons couldn't stop LeBron so they lost their series. That does not mean the Pistons couldn't at least get a W against the Spurs.
I'm guessing you think Dallas couldn't have beaten the Utah Jazz? I mean they couldn't even beat the Golden State Warriors.It's all about the matchup, and how both teams play.
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
I didn't even know Game 4 was on last night. I thought it was on tonight, oh well."You make your name in the regular season, and your fame in the postseason." - Clyde Frazier
"Beware of geeks bearing formulas." - Warren BuffetComment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
Enjoy your break from the forums.Comment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
, where do these responses come from?
Whats funnier is that ABC showed the LBJ commercial when LBJ was shooting full court jumpers, at the time Lebron wasnt hitting anything. I wonder who cued that commercial up in the truck?
N-E-Way....
Why does Lebron pass up open shots and pass to bum teammates? I understand LBJ being the ultimate team player but you gotta take over and be selfish at sometime.
This picture says alot:
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
Big Z just couldnt keep up, thats what the pic is stating. Poor conditioning or maybe age, whatever, Z was outta gas.Comment
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