‘The best I’m feeling in my career’ is a warning from star
James’ declaration ahead of Cavs’ arrival has Ariza, defense excited about challenge
The Cavaliers’ LeBron James sent a message, as he tends to do, considerably clearer than his choice of social media emojis, cryptic subtweets or even the 57 points he put up last week against the Wizards.
He had torn through a presumed Eastern Conference competitor, briefly interrupting the slow start to the Cavaliers’ season, and then said something that had to be chilling to anyone assigned to defend him.
“This,” he said, “is the best I’m feeling in my career.”
For all the Cavaliers’ stumbles on their way to Thursday’s game in Toyota Center, a case could be made that James has never been better, or at least that his place as the consensus best player in the game remained clear, despite recent MVP voting or the most recent NBA Finals.
As James and the Cavaliers hosted the Bucks on Tuesday, he was making 60.8 percent of his shots to average 28.8 points, his most in eight seasons, to go with 9.1 assists, the most in his 15-year career.
“He’s great,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said as the Rockets prepared for Thursday’s meeting with the Cavs in Toyota Center. “He always will be and always is. He’s one of the best to ever play the game, without a doubt.”
To the players that will be most
assigned to defend him — though with the Rockets’ switching defense, just about anybody can find themselves on James at any time — the idea that James, 32, is in any way better than he was before is not a welcome bit of news. Facing the previous versions was daunting enough.
“I think LeBron’s LeBron,” said P.J. Tucker, who matched up with James through most of last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals as a member of the Raptors. “He’s one of the best players in the league. The way he’s attacking right now is changing. He’s been super aggressive. The way they’re playing, he’s trying to propel them to play really hard. You have to prepare for his attack.
“The way he propels that team is unbelievable. The way he gets it out and the way he passes the ball and the way he does everything, he just makes everybody on that team better. To be able to see them at that level they were playing at (in the postseason) I think helps, especially preparing for this game and preparing for the rest of the season to be ready for the playoffs.”
Ariza’s defensive duty
Few players in the NBA have has as much time assigned to the top players as Trevor Ariza, a 14-year veteran who spent five NBA seasons in the Eastern Conference frequently matched up with Cavs future Hall of Famers James and Dwyane Wade and nearly all of his career chasing the league’s best scorers.
Ariza was not surprised James would consider himself better than ever in some ways, but he said defending him is about everyone on the floor with him.
“He’s always improving,” Ariza said. “He works on his game all the time. Thursday is about our team, what we can do. He’s going to be who he is. He’s great.
“He sees the whole floor. He’s just a problem all the way around all the time. All five guys have to be locked in to what he’s doing or what he’s thinking or what he’s seeing.”
With the Rockets, that could mean more of the usual switching, with Ariza, Tucker, James Harden, Eric Gordon and Luc Mbah a Moute likely to be isolated on James.
Double teams tend to open the way for James to trigger the Cleveland offense. Last season, when the Rockets did not have as much defensive manpower before the additions of Tucker and Mbah a Moute, James averaged 24.5 points in two games against them, making 56.3 percent of his shots, along with 7.5 assists. In his three seasons since returning to Cleveland, James has averaged 25.1 points on 50.3 percent shooting and six assists.
“He’s one of the guys that takes what the play gives you,” D’Antoni said. “He’s one of the few that can really read ,‘What is the best option that this play gives me,’ and be able to deliver whether it is a shot from him or a pass from him. He might be the best at it. He is the best at reading what the team needs to do.”
Great anticipation
The Rockets did not need to see James’ 57 points or hear his proclamation to consider him on that level, especially with the Cavs next on the schedule. But rather than dread it, Ariza had learned from experience how to view a matchup as difficult as they come.
“It’s always fun playing against probably the best player right now,” Ariza said. “Looking forward to it.”