Sometimes Players Are Victims Of Their Own Success

The NBA finals are done and no one has received more scrutiny than Lebron James. James has become a target, simply because he is who he is. James’ success on the court had been charted and many think he has the talent to become the greatest to ever play the game. Whether he does or doesn’t isn’t really that important to me. As I look at how the man played in the finals, all I saw was a talented young man who trusted his teammates.

All my life I have witnessed players play selfish, uncontrolled basketball in pressure situations. We tell these kids over and over, trust your teammates, you are not out there by yourself, get your teammates involved. Never have I witnessed a superstar do more to set up his teammates than James did in the finals. Now everyone is chastising this man. Is it deserved? Maybe it is but let’s reflect on the game in general.

In the early years of my coaching experience, I didn't give individual awards (MVP, Most Improved Player, Best Defensive, etc) because I didn't think it was right to preach Team, Team, Team then on 1 night say “It is a team game but Lil’ Johnny is our best player.”

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Dirk Was Finals MVP But Jason Terry Was The Difference Maker

Every now and then in a finals game you get to witness someone getting their due diligence. In this case it was journeyman Jason Terry. All year at BCSOM we have proclaimed Terry as the best sixth man in the NBA and in this years finals he did nothing to disprove this theory.

Dirk was as clutch as a super star could be in these finals. Even when he was struggling he found a way to make big shots down the stretch. However Dirk's efforts would have been for naught had it not been for Jason Terry's heroics throughout the finals to keep the games close.

The simple difference between the two teams was simply defense. The Mavericks stuck to their zone principle and made sure they kept the other teams superstars shooting jump shots instead of shooting layups. The Mavericks seemed to always have three people around the ball and they just decided that the Heat were not good enough jump shooters to beat them from the arc.

One thing is of sure, Jason Terry didn't have a problem shooting. He made big shot after big shot and played some incredible defense on Dwyane Wade for most of series. He made Wade work incredibly hard to get shots off and he also pushed the ball side to side more than we are used to seeing Wade or even Lebron work.

The story of these finals will probably be what Lebron didn't do, but the real story should be what the Mavericks did. They shut down some of the most prolific scorers and possibly some of the greatest players of all time in these playoffs. Its a big feat when you punish the Lakers and then you hand it to the Big 3. The Mavericks should be commended.

Stay Breezy ~ I'm Out!

His Airness vs. The King: The Michael Jordan Lebron James Debate

No matter how much basketball fans want to spark up controversy about who is great, you always get the argument of dominance by certain individuals. There is no mistaking the legacy of Michael Jordan but there appears to be a disconnect about the player and his supporting cast. Regardless of whom you ask there will always be a perception of the greatness of Jordan. You will hear things like “Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player to ever live.” There is a truth to this but if we break down the complete game of Michael Jordan and not just look at the scoring, a few guys may have a legitimate argument of being as good as Jordan in a few categories.

Scottie Pippen recently said that James has the ability to be the greatest basketball player ever. Immediately people chastised him and be raided him as bitter that he couldn’t do anything without Jordan. Let us not forget, had the officials made the right call, Pippen and the Bulls would have beaten my New York Knicks and probably won the NBA championship over the Houston Rockets.

When you break down the two players, they have a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. Jordan probably has more of a repertoire of offensive game as he can beat you inside and out. Lebron’s offensive game is maturing but it’s not as seasoned as Mike’s was. However if you look at their careers at age 26, Lebron may be further ahead offensively than Jordan was.

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Where In The Hell Is The Real Dwyane Wade

For most of the playoffs, Dwyane Wade had been absent or tardy. Because of various injuries, Wade has struggled throughout the playoffs. His jump shot is flat and he has no legs when exploding towards the basket. Honestly Wade has been playing more like he’s the 38 year old point guard drafted in 1994. No doubt Wade has endured some injuries this season but the Heat needs him to be on his A game if they plan on winning this series.

Wade had looked lethargic for most of the playoffs and then all of a sudden last night something happened. There was about a minute left to go in the third quarter when Jason Kidd fired up a long three point shot. The shot came off the rim and ended up in a mini scrum. Dwyane Wade came up with the ball, spun out and exploded down the middle of the floor. Honestly, it is the fastest I have ever seen the man move in a couple of years. The explosion was great to see for Heat fans as he finished the play with a sweet dish to Bosh for the finish. The crowd went nuts. It was like the arena was filled with confetti as Wade has finally shown that he has arrived in the finals.

The early stages of the game were not so kind to Wade. He spent a large part of the game mulling around, drifting, playing weak defense and he seemed lethargic at best as he kind of just went through the motions on the floor. He got his shot blocked three times by Marion, Haywood, and even Jason Kidd got in on the action. I am not sure how much he is hurting, but he is really avoiding contact and is not playing like the Dwyane Wade we all have come to know.

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Would Someone Tell Eddie House To Sitcho Azz Down

Last night the Miami Heat was lethargic. The Heat seemed like they were just trying to keep the game close until the fourth quarter. Dwyane Wade, had what would be considered one of the worst offensive games of his career, yet the Heat were able to overcome that because they have Lebron James. Make no mistake about it, this team has slowly become Mr. James’s team. I know that is eating Skip Bayless up on the inside, but it’s true.

As the Heat were making their comeback run last night, I couldn’t help but think about early in the year when it was time to make a big shot, Eric Spoelstra wouldn’t turn to Wade, James, or Bosh. Spo was insisting on getting the ball to Mr. Clutch Eddie House. House never really came through in that role and “my oh my” how things have changed. In these playoffs House can’t seem to even get on the floor in any situation. Usually around this time of year, he would have been a key cog in the Boston offensive puzzle, but now House is delegated to a cheerleader role that he has indeed embraced.

House can be spotted jumping up and down like a teenager overloaded with hormones during most of the Heats games. I will give him this, the man is energetic. He is the consummate teammate as well as he has no regrets about not being inserted into the game. The man just jumps around like he just made the key big shot or key defensive play.

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