So ESPN 3 didn’t work for me at all last night, so after finally getting home I was unable to follow the game on anything nicer than a Gamecast. So I didn’t actually see the Cleveland Cavaliers’ last meaningful game of the decade. But if you did, let me know about it in the comments.
The big question: does this loss tarnish LeBron’s legacy? I don’t know. Michael’s Bulls lost to the Pistons three years in a row, and no one cares now. So I’m inclined to say it won’t, depending on how LeBron fares on his new team, of course. That said, Jordan’s Bulls didn’t choke away the best record in the league two seasons in a row, either. And how was LeBron last night, anyway?
Comments
My thoughts on yesterday's game:
(1) The Cavaliers are a team of conscripts. The whole game I was thinking that, other than Shaq, I never would have heard of any of these guys if they didn't play with LeBron. Anderson "Sideshow Bob" Varejao would still be suing the Simpsons for misappropriation of likeness if it weren't for LeBron. And Zydrunas Ilgauskas would be trying to buy the Nets right about now.
(2) LeBron played ok, but not great. He had a decent stat line in points, rebounds, and assists, but had way too many turnovers. He was trying to force things, but also seemed absent when it mattered most. It was a weird performance. But I almost suspect that he had mailed it in, not just on the game and the series, but on Cleveland as well.
I think it is too early to talk of this game tarnishing his legacy, because I don't think he has one yet. So I would say it may in part define his legacy, particularly if he is unable to break through to the next level. He is now 7 seasons in: at a similar career point, many pundits were suggesting that MJ couldn't get it done. So the jury is still out on LeBron, although he has not shown me that all he needs is a Pippen-esque sidekick to get it done.
(3) I predict LeBron will be gone. As I mentioned, he just looked like he had mailed it in, and the Cavs as presently constituted aren't a good enough team for him to win it all with.
(4) Major hats off to the Celtics. They played well as a team and fed off of each other when it mattered most. They are legit title contenders. The only thing is that I was surprised that they won by only 9 - it felt like a lot more, but they kept letting Cleveland climb back in, which may hurt them down the stretch of the postseason.
I thought that LeBron's stats from last night's game are misleading because as John pointed out, he wasn't involved in the most of the key moments of the game. Other than making (2) key threes in a row in the second half, he did nothing to help his team down the stretch. I think he was careful to do just enough statistically so that it looked like he had a good game and his teammates quit on him so he could justify his move to N.Y.
Even if LeBron didn't manipulate these last two games, at the very least we learned he may not be as great as we were led to believe by the great hype machine that is ESPN. Really, the series was lost in game 5 when LeBron only took 14 shots on his home court in an absolute MUST-WIN game.
I also thought his demeanor after the game was interesting. He didn't seem depressed or even upset. He took the time to hug virtually every Celtic player and coach, which is very different from his reaction after they were eliminated last year by Orlando and he stormed off the court without talking to anyone.
Other than that, Go Celtics! Kevin Garnett is the man! I think the Celtics are the only team that can beat The Lakers.