Get ready for even more ‘Bowling With LeBron’
For the eighth straight season, Le B ron James has led his team to the NBA Finals, where he is 3-5 in the titles-won department. Thus, look for Golden State Warrior players, his Cleveland team’s opponents, to fly like 10 pins as James embarks on even more of his bull-in-a China-shop forays to the hoop.
Granted, LBJ has enjoyed one of the most spectacular play-off runs in NBA history this postseason, prompting many to promote him to GOAT (Greatest of All Time) status over Michael Jordan.
Among those expressing such sentiment is Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas.
But such LBJ-MJ GOAT discussions/arguments are a topic for another day.
Today, Wiggins’ World questions how his slicing through opponent defences legally/illegally (your choice) like Moses parting the Red Sea has helped earn James such bestever endorsements.
James has almost been unstoppable when he puts his head down and barrels to the hoop for a lay-up or dunk.
Referees simply refuse to call charging fouls on this generation’s best player.
Can you say proverbial green light? Thus, opponents have given up trying to guard him for the most part. Almost inevitably, if they try to stop James on his path to basket, they are called for blocking fouls.
Foes, preferring to stay in the game, thus allow him free passage rather than foul out in six quick Cavalier possessions.
When King James backs an opponent down in the lane, he delivers some of best thumping-type shoulder blocks seen since the NFL went to allowing clutching and grabbing in place of the good old-fashioned, slobber-knocking drive block.
It’s gotten to the point where opponents are lucky if there is no whistle blown upon contact and James is simply allowed to overpower them en route to the hoop.
Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens, whose team were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals, sighed: “Attempting to guard LeBron is a joke”, but did not clarify exactly what he meant.
Reading between the lines, WW is guessin’ it was in reference to LeBron being given carte blanche with ball in hand en route to the basket.
So, what are Golden State to do about the existing situation?
WW is guessing the Warriors will put up token resistance to James on defence, switching defenders so no one on their club gets into deep foul trouble.
Golden State will no doubt hope their balanced attack will offset LeBron’s ball-hogging ways on the offensive end.
Too often when things get sticky, the Cavaliers become the “LeBron James Show”. King James either drives to the hoop or launches long range bombs.
A whopping eight times this postseason, LBJ has hit for over 40 points including 51 in Game One of the Finals on Thursday although the Cavs lost in overtime.
Lately, especially, only if his path is hopelessly sealed off by three or more defenders, will James involve Cav teammates in the offence.
Golden State will likely count on limiting the contributions of James mates and hope that LBJ’s totals will not be enough to offset the combined scoring talents of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson et al.
This methodology has helped the Warriors win two of three Finals played between the two ballclubs over the last three campaigns.
Many feel it would have been 3-for-3 had oft-knuckle-headed Warrior Draymond Green not missed a critical game because of a suspension for an accumulation of technical fouls.
But Golden State have not looked quite as sharp this postseason. Their vaunted three-point shooting has not been as consistent in the past.
Twice they had to rally from 15-point plus deficits against Houston to win their hard-fought Western Conference championship series in seven games, rallying from a 2-3 deficit.
On paper, the overall quality of the Warriors is much greater than that of the last two Eastern Conference foes (Indiana and Boston) the Cavaliers faced.
But that purported advantage may now not be more of an apparition than a reality.
And Golden State could end up opening the hardwood lane for a 300 game by pin scattering, strike-blasting LeBron James.