The James factor
Rarefied air is where LeBron James found himself in following the Cavaliers’ victory over the Pacers yesterday. It was his 21st straight first-round triumph leading to an all-time-high 10th playoff series sweep, underscoring his continuing ascendancy in the Eastern Conference. How dominant has he been? In all 12 years he managed to reach the postseason, he has never lost an opening best-of-seven set-to, and only twice has he needed six games to advance. (In comparison, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have gone one and done thrice and twice, respectively.)
Which is not to say the Cavaliers made small work of the Pacers; on the contrary, they faced a stiff challenge every time out. In Games One, Three, and Four, they coughed up double-digit fourth-quarter leads. In Game Three, they faced a 25-point halftime deficit. To prevail in the matches, they had to rely on resolve, no small measure of good fortune, and, most importantly, a steady dose of James; not for nothing did he norm 33.7 points on 54.3% shooting from the field, and not for nothing was he just a rebound and four assists short of averaging a triple-double for the series.
Moving forward, the Cavaliers have reason to be wary. It isn’t simply that the competition will be much stiffer in the second round, with either the Raptors or the Bucks in their way. It’s that they haven’t solved the very issues that had them sputtering at the end of the regular season. They can be devastating on offense, but they lack consistency and, worse, tend to rely on hero ball too much under pressure. Meanwhile, their defense is mediocre at best; All- Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are sieves, and they collectively break down in the face of quick ball movement.
If the Cavaliers remain confident, it’s because of one thing: They have James on their side. With due respect to the other marquee names in the 2017 Playoffs, he’s the single most influential player in the National Basketball Association; he controls the pace of contests, directing traffic as only he can and bending the opposition in the process. They’re deeply flawed and in danger of losing whenever they step on the court, but unless and until they do, they deserve the benefit of the doubt. They are, after all, the defending champions, and they do, after all, have him.
If the Cavaliers remain confident, it’s because of one thing: They have James on their side. With due respect to the other marquee names in the 2017 Playoffs, he’s the single most influential player in the NBA...