While We’re Waiting… Does Tonight’s Game Impact LeBron James’ Future in Cleveland?
Written By: Scott | Category: Best of the Web, Cleveland Cavaliers | Comments: 33
A few weeks ago, everything was roses. The Cavaliers were steamrolling through Detroit and Atlanta. LeBron James was fresh off of receiving his MVP award at St. Vincent-St. Mary high school, and was doing the tour de force of media interviews.
On the Dan Patrick show, LeBron had the following to say:
“I have no plans on going anywhere and playing the game of basketball. And these fans…they’ve done everything to support me in my career here. You know, I’m excited about being here. I’m excited, man. I love Cleveland.”
In an ESPN interview, LeBron wasted no time declaring his happiness. Discussing his future with Mark Schwartz:
“I’m comfortable with being in Cleveland. I’m excited about it. I’m loving the direction we’re [going] in and I’m loving the teammates I have and the organization. So if that’s any indication of me leaving, then somebody must be looking out the wrong box.”
But this was when the Cavaliers were winning. They were on top of the world, appearing almost unstoppable. They were taking faux pictures of one another, playing air guitar, and synchronizing shoulder shrugs. Now, things have changed a bit. The wine and gold have their collective backs up against the proverbial wall. One more loss in any of the next three games, and they go home.
Sixty-plus wins. A historical season from an individual statistics perspective. A renaissance of sorts for the city of Cleveland – starving for that championship that hasn’t exactly been there for the taking in years past. All one loss away from being an afterthought.
But does this change the way LeBron James feels about the city? Of course, it did not take the city of New York long to drum up their thoughts on the matter.
With King James aboard, the belief was the Knicks were at very least a top-four team in the Eastern Conference.
The developments of the past eight days has furthered that theory, given increasing hope James will consider coming to Broadway in 2010. His dream of winning a title in Cleveland could be crushed as soon as tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.
Once again, the main argument is the supporting cast. The one that has provided a collective output that nearly matches that of one No. 23.
Thinking is that if he were to head to New York in a year, he could start a dynasty with a younger core of players. This current team will be without several of its current players by the time 2010 rolls around.
Naturally, the Post also suggests that the Knicks will draft Davidson’s Stephen Curry in the upcoming NBA Draft – a player whom James is very close friends with, making sure to catch one of his collegiate games whenever possible.
The Knicks are already selling new batches of season tickets with the hopes that this series will push LeBron that much closer to the Big Apple. A bit premature?
Let’s hope so. One game at a time.
–
CAVS’ STRUGGLES MAY LEAD LEBRON TO NY [NY Post]
Author: Scott
Scott is a co-founder/editor of Waiting For Next Year who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Feel free to follow him on Twitter or email him at scott@waitingfornextyear.com.Scott has written 1701 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
I don’t think the outcome of one game against an unbelievably on fire team should determine whether or not James departs, despite what propaganda campaign the Big Apple launches if we lose. Let’s wait and see what happens with acquisitions and moves next year, in addition to all the cacophony that the NY media spews out, before we discuss Lebron leaving again.
Also, I want to nominate Mickael “I’m not Russian” Pietrus for the “I’ll Never Repeat This Type of Series Performance Ever Again in my Career Ever” award. He deserves it.
There about five players on the Magic that are going through that type of performance right now. It’s unbelievable. Rafer, Hedo, Rashard, Pietrus and even effin’ Gortat are playing out of their minds. It’s ridiculous. The law of averages has to swing in our favor sometime this series, right?
If the Cavs play like they’ve been playing and make their open threes then we are good. Every game we miss open 3 balls. So frustrating.
I really just can’t see LeBron playing for the Knicks. They are a total disaster of a franchise with a horrible owner. The only thing they have going for them is that their arena is in midtown Manahattan. And have any of you been to MSG?? Honestly its pretty dissapointing in my opinion.
Maybe he leaves for a bigger market, but the Bulls, Nets, Rockets, and even Sixers seem like far more logical big market destinations than the Knicks.
Does anyone else feel like sometimes we worry so much about LeBron leaving that we aren’t able to “fully” enjoy him being here? Its unfortunate but true.
Sigh. And here comes the worst possible part of the Cavs not advancing–the reimmergence of the NY media and their talk of supremacy.
3 days ago the investment made by a Chinese business group into the organization foreshadowed that LeBron would almost certainly stay.
I’m weary of this pendulum of public opinion regarding 2010.
But NY can’t let it go because they feel certain that they are next in line for the next big market NBA handout.
[...] they are waiting, the guys over at WFNY wonder if tonight’s game impacts LeBron’s future in Cleveland. If it does, all I can say is I hope the Cavs win. I do not want to see him playing anywhere [...]
@Scott,
No.
Thanks,
Swig
Swig – agreed. Though it does put that much more pressure on Ferry, I have to believe. He’s probably thinking “what more can I do??” after getting Mo Williams for Damon Jones, and that possibly not being “enough.”
I wish everyone would stop talking about how the Magic are “unbelievably on fire”. The reason they are making shots is because we aren’t playing the right defense. It is as simple as that. Every single player in the NBA can hit an open jumper more often than not.
If the Cavs lose this series – and that’s still a big if at this point – it will be because of the way they played and not because the Gods of Fate decided to make Orlando lucky at just the right time
Not to mention the fact that D’Antoni coaches absolutely zero defense. I can’t see Lebron fitting into a system like the one MD ran in Phoenix. Run and gun, score 130 pts per night, give up 125.
Every single player
in the NBAnot on the Cavs can hit an open jumper more often than not./Eastern conference finals fix’d
I love how the NY media thinks LeBron is naive and stupid. As if the results of one series will erase what Danny Ferry has done for him.
I wish people could be a little less reactionary. Just, what, 10 days ago or so we were talking about Ferry winning the SN Executive of the Year award, and what a great job he had done. All of that is still true. And LeBron knows it. Sure, the pressure will be back on Ferry to make adjustments to this team, and just as he has always done, he’ll find something to do to make this team better.
@ #2 – the law of averages will commence in the NBA Finals. The Magic will lose in 5 if they make it to the finals.
Documented.
Also, I said the Cavs would win in 5. Maybe if everyone on the Magic sprains an ankle tonight, that will essentially be the case. Still hoping.
Thank you Chris
Denny,
If the Cavs can’t pull it off, I agree completely. Look at the way all the teams that beat the Cavs have played in the ensuing series since ‘06: like garbage. If last year’s Boston team had played like they did against Detroit and LA against the Cavs, we would’ve won that series 4-1. Same for Detroit against Miami in 06.
@ Rock #13: Indeed, I highly doubt James wondered if he should uproot his family and bolt from a situation that has brought him so much, and still promises so much, simply because the team did not fare well in a few important contests that could have gone the Cavs’ way. That’s not the spirit of a winner, and if there’s something LeBron has in addition to his skills on the court, it’s his winning spirit.
Ever the optimist, I would like to remind the self-flagellating among you that with two quick wins, the Cavs will have the upper hand in this one again!
Hopefully Ferry can use Wallace’s and Pavlovic’s expiring contracts to get LeBron more help, something he was unable to do with Wally’s expiring contract this year.
Not to get too far ahead of myself, but we need an ahtletic (with offensive skills) big man this off-season. Having a bunch of defenders who can occasionally score and then Z (sigh, I love him but it’s been painful watching him) just isn’t going to cut it.
i dont think there is any “hopefully” about it. id be shocked if wallace and sasha are still on the team by the next trade deadline. sasha has that buyout so he is especially attractive to a team looking to save some extra money.
@ mike or anyone else
when are contracts up for wally and ben? anything else coming off the books after this season? who is a good power forward target for the cavs this off season?
i’m still optimistic they can pull this out, but it’s obvious we need another piece.
Looking forward to reading essentially the same post after our next loss, if it occurs this season, or the day after the season ends whether with a championship or not, and again in the middle of the off-season, or if any one of the 3,200 sportswriters in NY decides to spout inanities.
Really, can we pull in our sensitive, twitching antennas for a little while, at least while we are still in the middle of a playoff series? Do we have to chew over comments by every know-nothing on the subject? Sorry, Scott, but reacting to this is borderline neurosis.
The Cavs just are not in a favorable match-up against the Magic. They either let Howard abuse Z low, or let these bench players hit 3s. Unfortunately they actually are knocking down those 3s. If the cavs could get a physical big man then they would be unstoppable.
ben has one year left on his contract which makes him a very nice trade chip. wally’s contract is up after this season. i can see the cavs bringing him back at a veteran minimum level contract but thats it. unless im mistaken, the cavs wont have much room for bringing in free agents other than via a veteran minimum or mid-level exception. i think even with wally and others expiring, the cavs will be over the cap for next season which limits what they can do. PF wise, i believe chris wilcox is available which might not be a bad option. hakim warrick i believe is a restricted free agent – maybe we can fleece him out of memphis in a sign and trade. hes a stud.
why not play howard straight up and concentrate on the perimeter guys? rotate Z, andy, smith, wallace and jackson on howard all game long. foul him as much as possible. stick lebron on rashard (who doesnt like to drive much anyways) and let delonte continue to do a decent job on hedo. sasha can handle lee/pietrus decently and mo can handle alston/anthony johnson.
correct me if im wrong, but everyone is now calling for these drastic changes and supposed ineptitude of mike brown and lack of support for lebron. sure we are down 3-1 but we could just as easily be up 3-1 right now. its not as if the cavs are being embarrassed out there. orlando is playing lights out and the cavs are playing mediocre, and they still could have won games 1 and 4. i dont know what anyone expected, but i sure didnt expect any blowouts in this series. the quality and tightness of the games is about what i expected – i just figured we would be up 3-1 or more likely tied 2-2 at this point.
exactly mike – I just said the same thing in the other thread. Way too much hyperbole… Down 3-1 isn’t ideal, but it’s not like we’ve been run off the floor.
i mean – im annoyed as hell that they are down. but im not about to go overboard here and say the supporting cast is a fraud. they won 66 games! that doesnt happen by accident. mo is having a rough series but what he did this season was no fluke. he put up great numbers the past few years in Mil (and especially when Redd was out hurt!), it just wasnt noticed since it was Mil and they stunk. i agree the supporting cast can be even better, but its not a “mediocre” group like the national media is now trumpeting. i mean, if Mo had just shot “so so” from three point range in games 1 and 4 instead of downright abysmal, the cavs win those games. not to play the “what if” game, but if the refs had simply called (1) dwight howard for his loose ball foul on delonte at the very end when delonte had a clear path for a rebound with a few seconds left, OR (2) the moving pick howard set to free up rashard, the cavs win game 4. if its just tied 2-2, we arent sitting here having this discussion.
I am not trying to call drastic changes, just saying if the cavs had a aggressive big guy then they would be able to handle the magic easily.
i agree about the agressive big man. i just mean some of the things ive seen in the PD or the national media are getting way out of hand.
I’m proud of you fellas. You all kept your head on a swivel, and that’s what you gotta do when you find yourself in a vicious cock fight.
Anyone think Ferry should stick it to New York and sign David Lee in the offseason? A young PF with a ton of upside, and a guaranteed double-double everynight… something that Andy, Ben, JoeBeast, JJ, or any of our other PF’s can do.
No cap room for that. We are over the cap. It’d have to be a sign and trade. Plus we’d have to re-sign Andy V. as well.