There are some harsh realities growing from the NBA Finals that is having no mercy on the city of Cleveland, its championship plight, and the player pledging to bring one there — LeBron James.
The harshest concerns James.
There’s no easy way to say this: If the Cavaliers lose this series, and with a 3-1 deficit — things look bleak, the reality may be that the task of bringing a title to Cleveland may be too big for James to complete. In more detail — too big for this LeBron James.
He remains great. He will go down among the greatest to play the game, as well he should. But he’s slowing down. In these Finals he has looked more tired more times than ever. He has looked more passive more times in a Finals than ever. Itap not because he’s solely intent on making “right” basketball play.
There are many miles on James’ legs. No player has played more playoff games in a six-year span than his 125. No player has played more minutes by age 31 than James has. And it isn’t even close. And it appears to be taking a toll.
In these playoffs his workload isn’t as heavy, but he’s still running out of gas, not able to finish around the rim, passing at times when he used to be aggressive to the rim. His 38.3 minutes per game in the playoffs is the second-lowest of his career. The 24.6 points per game is the second-lowest playoff average of his career, and is his fewest points averaged since 23.7 with Miami in 2011.
He’s taking fewer shots. James has hoisted just 18.7 per game in the playoffs. That has bumped up to 21.2 in the Finals, but itap also coming with a lower shooting percentage – 48.2 as opposed to the playoffs average of 53 percent. And while his numbers are overall still solid, averaging a near triple-double in the Finals, he’s also turning the ball over more than any other player in the series, and it isn’t even close.
He’ll be asked to do more. Can he? If he does, will that translate into wins, or just empty production in another loss. He’s got the most talented team he has ever had in Cleveland, yet there are cries that he needs more help. As always. Maybe itap time we gave Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh more credit for helping Miami to those titles than previously afforded to them. They are the only years James has been able to navigate his way through tough Western Conference teams.
But James was also different then. More spry. Not as many games under his belt. A little more willing, and able, to take games over and have those efforts result in wins when titles hung in the balance.
Maybe he’ll dig deep and find something that works in this series. Odds are Cleveland loses. Itap never easy to watch stars decline, even if itap by the tiniest of steps. The reality may be that James needs even more all-star help than he has already got. Maybe that gets him over the hump, gets his beloved hometown the title he so desperately wants for it. This year, that will require him to do more.
If itap still in him.
