Barkley’s comments about LeBron’s leadership off-base
Aplaymaker s midseason requests go, LeBron James’ recent call for an additional
to be added to the Clevel and Cavaliers roster isn’t nearly as bold as, say, unscheduled trips to Miami that had become an annual tradition of sorts for one of the game’s greats.
And let’s not forget how those subplots played out: with James and the Cavs reaching the Finals in 2015, then ascending to the NBA’s mountaintop for the first time in franchise history last June.
This time around, as the Cavs scuffle through this stretch in which they’ve lost seven of their past 11 games, this a different version of the same story. James is clearly seeking rest and recovery again, and thus he wants help when it comes the regular season workload. And who – Charles Barkley notwithstanding – can blame him?
At 32 years old, he leads the league in minutes per game (37.5) and has now played more regular season minutes than all but six of the league’s current players (40,130, behind Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Joe Johnson, and Jason Terry). His Cavs are down two starters for the foreseeable future, with shooting guard J.R. Smith (thumb surgery) expected to be out until April and forward Kevin Love (back soreness) out indefinitely after he underwent an MRI on Monday (it showed no structural damage, but Love is clearly hurting).
Truth be told, no one outside of those players on the late ‘50s-60s Boston Celtics teams can truly understand the wear and tear that comes with making six consecutive trips to the Finals.
That includes Barkley, the Hall of Famer/ TNT analyst whose Phoenix Suns lost in his only trip to the Finals (1993 vs the Chicago Bulls) and who called James’ roster request “inappropriate” and “whiny” on Thursday’s telecast. Barkley’s banter, not surprisingly, has sparked quite the war of words with the Cavs’ four-time MVP and threetime champ (and some of his friends too, for good measure).
“I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that,” James told ESPN. “I’m not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, ‘I’m not a role model.’ I never showed up to All-Star weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.
“All I’ve done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that.”
But the Cavs’ playmaker problem isn’t necessarily about making them better in the big picture. It’s about James’ personal gas tank, and his fear of it being empty by the time the playoffs roll around. All of which sets the stage for this playmaker workout on Wednesday, when Barkley’s harsh criticism of James for his roster laments won’t matter nearly as much as the job interview at hand.
According to two people with knowledge of the situation, the Cavs planned on hosting Mario Chalmers, Lance Stephenson, Kirk Hinrich on Wednesday as a means to this James-fueled end.
The Cavs could take the trade route too, of course, and they are known to have inquired about the Dallas Mavericks’ Deron Williams. The 32-year-old, threetime All-Star is in the final year of his deal ($9 million), and it’s worth noting that Dallas has shown interest in the Cavs’ Iman Shumpert previously when he was a free agent (he’s owed a combined $31 million for this season and the next two, with a player option for 2018-19).
When it comes to NBA players who can draw a crowd by holding up a “Help Wanted” sign, James may top the list. The asset-depleted Cavs are looking to buy low to fill their final roster spot, too, which creates a sliver of hope for anyone and everyone who believes they could fill this role.
Case in point: former Cavaliers guard Baron Davis, now 37 years old and more than four years removed from his last NBA game, is known to covet the job and insists he could do it well so long as he had two weeks to get into tip-top shape (he played six games in the NBA Development League last season, averaging 12.8 points, 3.5 assists and 22.5 minutes. Also, fellow former Cleveland player Andre Miller, the 40-year-old who played in Minnesota (26 games) and San Antonio (13 games) last season, would certainly want this gig but has thus far inspired no mutual interest.
The Cavs are headed the wrong way on both ends of the floor during this 11-game stretch, as their offensive rating has plummeted (fifth in the NBA before that span, 22nd since) and the defense has declined (15th before, 17th since).
They clearly need another capable body – maybe two – and could potentially create another roster spot by parting ways with big man Chris Anderson (the 38-yearold who is on a one-year deal tore his ACL in December and is done for the season).
The question going forward is whether any of these candidates fit what Cleveland is looking for. Going into the workout, it should be noted, there are some close to the process who don’t believe it’s a lock that any of these particular players will be signed.
In terms of the discerning crowd on hand, Coach Tyronn Lue is expected to be front and center when it comes to the workout and the decision.
Chalmers has the most history with James, having won two titles with him in Miami and played in four Finals before producing at a high level for the Memphis Grizzlies last season. But the Achilles tendon tear he suffered last March is an obvious cause for concern, the kind of thing that clearly kept Memphis from bringing him back after he averaged 10.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 22.8 minutes per game.
The 26-year-old Stephenson will always be the wild-card pick, not to mention the added intrigue that comes with this possibility of him teaming with James after his infamous ear-blow of the Cavs star in May 2014. Stephenson was on his way to earning a spot in the New Orleans Pelicans’ rotation early this season until a groin tear (and subsequent surgery) put him back in the unemployment line.
The 36-year-old Hinrich has always been a reliable two-way talent, but he played just 46 games combined last season for the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks (10.9 points, 4.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals per game for his 13-year career). His reputation as a positive force in the locker room is well-chronicled, most recently when Bulls players lamented the trade that sent him to the Hawks in nearly a year ago.
There’s no doubt that James and his Cavs need some help here. The only problem now, of course, is not knowing who to hire.