The Throne
Listed in: BasketballSo everyone's been all a-twitter about LeBron James the last two days, and justifiably so. The performance he put on the Pistons in Game Five is perhaps the single most amazing thing I've seen as a basketball fan. I don't have as big a frame of reference as most writers: being born in 1983 will do that to you. It's at the very least the best post-Jordan game I've seen.
What was most amazing about it is how inevitable LeBron's baskets seemed. This was against the best defensive team in the league, and against one of the two or three best perimeter defenders in the league (Tayshaun Prince). Yet with the game on the line, James just blew right by Tayshaun for an insane dunk. Seriously, watch it again and look at where he takes off from, and how he's almost past the backboard when he reaches back to stuff it. Then remember that this is the game-tying basket with under ten seconds left in regulation.
As of that bucket (and his dunk the possession before it) weren't enough, he scores the game winner by driving through the entire Pistons team on his way to a lay-up. Every time I see that play it becomes more amazing, and I was blown away by it when I watched it live.
Then, the startling thing is what happens next. He goes over to the bench, and whether out of exhaustion or relief or something else starts crying on Drew Gooden's shoulder. Of course, there's still time on the clock, but this wasn't Adam Morrison or JJ Redick crying at the end of a (college) career-ending loss, this was (I think) a 22-year-old who had pushed himself further than he's ever gone.
While I wouldn't necessarily go as far as Bill Simmons, this certainly had the feeling of a game which could alter the NBA landscape for a few years. And while most people seem to be criticizing Flip Saunders for not double teaming LeBron, for the last 15 minutes of the game the entire Pistons team was shading towards James. It just didn't matter. James was so good, so determined, that he made the defense irrelevant. That, in the end, is what sticks with me. This wasn't a great shooter like Reggie Miller shooting from further and further away and still hitting: yes, James took some jumpers, but he also went past Prince, or Chauncy Billups, or Rip Hamilton on the dribble and got right to the rim.
Still, tonight's game feels almost as important. LeBron doesn't need to duplicate this performance (at least Cleveland better hope not), but he needs to carry his team. It's clear that the rest of the team is either too much in awe or just not good enough to score consistently, so it will once again be up to James to create shots for his teammates. One place to start would be benching Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who's been a massive liability on both ends of the court. Donyell Marshall is nothing special, but he's at least mobile, and that's a start.
Oddly enough, the pressure seems to be on the Cavaliers. Even though they've got the Pistons on the ropes, they need to close this series out tonight. Sure, Detroit seems vulnerable, but you don't want to have to win a Game 7 on the road.
Right now, I fully believe in LeBron. I'm expecting a 33 point, 9 assist, 7 rebound game and a date with the Spurs in the Finals. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some highlights to rewatch.
Comments
Count me among the truly impressed at LeBron's performance. The thing that got me was watching his teammates. Whenver one of them got the ball, he a) passed it immediately back to LeBron or b) clunked up a terrible shot, as if they hadn't done this in years. It was LeBron's show out there, and everyone in the arena knew it. The Pistons knew it, and they couldn't begin to stop him.
Posted by: kevin | June 2, 2007 11:23 PM
i started watching the game with a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter, and it was definitely one of the most amazing individual performances i've ever seen.
that said, count me among those who was definitely criticizing flip for not double-teaming lebron all the time. as kevin points out, nothing good happened for the cavs when lebron was forced to pass. even if he got the ball back, it still would have been better to force him to create something with 5sec left on the shot clock than what he was already doing to the pistons. unbelievably bad coaching by both sides (even the announcing team was ripping the cavs for using up all their time outs so early), but it was inexcusable for flip to allow one guy to single-handedly beat them like that with so little defensive focus.
Posted by: jason | June 4, 2007 1:00 PM