Why wasn’t Dwight Howard suspended for shot to Bogut?
May 27, 2015Video: Krayzie Bone talks Cavs on FOX Sports
May 27, 2015“What you did for this team and for this city coming back the way that you did … thanks for all that you do,” said Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt to LeBron James late in his team’s Game 4 series-clinching victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
I don’t know about you, but I would have said the same thing to James. He has led a battered and bruised Cavs team to the NBA Finals. It will be his fifth straight trip to the Finals, a record only held by eight of the 1960s Boston Celtics (and now also James Jones).
LeBron James has been simply amazing throughout the Cavs’ 2015 playoff run. In 14 games this postseason, James has averaged an unbelievable 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks. He has nearly averaged a triple-double — for the entire playoffs. To go further, James was just three assists away from averaging a triple-double in the Hawks series, a feat achieved in the Conference Finals by only Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd.
Even with these outstanding numbers, LeBron James’ play cannot be portrayed through stats alone. He has led the Cavaliers through a physical playoffs against the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and now the Atlanta Hawks. In these three series, James has faced a lot of hurdles, including losing Kevin Love for the entire playoffs, playing with a hobbled Kyrie Irving, and personally facing multiple injuries. Despite all this — and don’t forget losing J.R. Smith to a two-game suspension — the Cavs have lost just two games in the whole postseason.
But these obstacles were just the ones that have happened over the playoff run. There were a handful more over the course of the entire season. James outlines this very well.
“What you did for this team and for this city coming back the way that you did … thanks for all that you do.”
– David Blatt to LeBron James
“To be able to sit at one point in the season and see us at 19-20 and watch my team struggle with me sitting out two weeks,” said James following the Game 4 victory on Tuesday, “People saying I wanted Coach Blatt fired. Or that we needed another point guard. Or asking if LeBron and Kyrie would be able to play together. So many storylines were just happening at that point in time. For us to be sitting at this point today, being able to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals is special. It’s very special.”
James has gotten his team to the point of playing in the NBA Finals, through all these obstacles, by being the leader this team and this city needed. He has put the entire team on his back, but in doing so, he has made each player feel like they are an integral part of the team. After nearly every game this postseason, James has praised his teammates first before talking about his own achievements. He has helped the likes of J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova, Tristan Thompson, and Iman Shumpert to elevate their games in the playoff run. Besides his on-court performance, his leadership might be the biggest part of why this team is on the doorstep of the NBA Finals.
But, as the entire team said last night in the Game 4 celebration, the job is not done for LeBron James and the Cavaliers. James explained his and the team’s mindset going into the NBA Finals saying, “As far as guarantees, I can not guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee a championship. That’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to lead. I will guarantee that we will play our asses off. From the first minute to minute 48 or if it’s overtime, 53. We will do that. And at the end of the night, that’s all I can ask for. It’s all we can give. But we will be in the Finals. I can guarantee that.”
What we as fans can expect from LeBron James is more unbelievable play and leadership. We will continue to be amazed by the 11-year NBA pro.
8 Comments
Great job loved the inclusion of David Blatt’s words with LBJ on the sideline. I get why he may get criticized but I’m just happy for the guy after all of the “crap” he as well as his team has had to endure. Sadly it’s not over. As soon as Golden State wins they will be the favorite and the media will be wetting themselves. Curry will continue to be slurped with his MVP title the only problem is the real, proven, multi-MVP and multi-champion lives in and plays for his hometown team the Cleveland Cavaliers. But I’m good with it. I want the Cavs to be overlooked and discounted. It’ll make the ending all that much sweeter.
Buckeyes were double-digit underdogs to Miami and solid dogs to Oregon (and to Wisconsin and Alabama, too) when they won their last 2 National Championships.
Lets continue the trend!!!
LeBron is the hero this city deserves, and clearly the one it needs right now.
Two first year coaches in the finals – guess which one won’t get any heat?
Almost no one outside of Cleveland really believes that the Cavs can win the crown. I’ll bet the Warriors think so too. Excellent. We have them right where we want them.
The one who carried all-stars luggage while standing at the three point line waiting for a pass?
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