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Home > ajcsportstalk > Archives > 2007 > June > 08 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSteve Hummer’s Game 1 analysis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
San Antonio — Just minutes before he was scheduled to burst upon the NBA Finals scene and secure the 21st century for himself Thursday night, Cleveland’s LeBron James was like a kid at the junior prom.
As the obligatory base line thumped through the AT&T Center, the pregame music blinding the senses, James danced and head-bobbed all about his end of the floor. Every ally he came across, he acknowledged with some intricately choreographed greeting. See, he was announcing to all, this is nothing. It’s cool. I got it.
Sadly for the Cavs, as well as all those wishing greatness upon James, those would be James’ best moves of his night. Once the game started, his night suddenly turned into Stephen King’s “Carrie.”
Memo to MJ: Relax, light up a cigar, go play another 18 without a care in the world. Your legacy is safe for a few days more.
This is how they ruined James’ coming-out:
First the Spurs sicced their best individual defender, Bruce Bowen, on him. Through the intensity of his effort, Bowen forced James to initiate his offense a step or two farther from the basket than he would have preferred. Seemed like he always was dribbling for the sideline instead of for the basket, which is not the AAA-approved route to victory. Then, on those times when he was able to penetrate Bowen’s defensive bubble, James ran into one or two more reinforcements, one of them the impressively vertical Tim Duncan.
The Spurs had turned James into a little boy lost in the forest. He doesn’t get a field goal until well into the third period. Game over. Somebody just fill in the final score at the end (85-76).
Obviously, it’s up to James to break out to make this series a little more compelling than a one-horse rodeo. “For me being the leader of this team, I have to play better in order for us to have a chance to win down the stretch,” said James, who at least proved himself no shirker. So discombobulated was James that among the first eight shots he missed would be a panicked cross-court pass that instead clanged off the rim.
Only a couple late 3s saved James’ night from being a complete statistical disaster. But there were plenty of other little insults in his stat line beyond the obvious 4-of-16 from the field. Like the six turnovers to the four assists. Scoring nearly 26 a game in the postseason, James was held Thursday to 14, his lowest point total since the first week of February.
“I’ve seen him struggle before and he struggled mightily tonight,” said Cavs coach Mike Brown.
“We were just trying to contain him, make sure we don’t give him any lay-ups, any dunks,” said the Spurs’ Tony Parker. “Every shot make it tough … make sure we stay on him and force him to pass the ball … shadow him … make sure we don’t give him easy ways to the basket.”
The same thing everyone tries to do to him, only the Spurs are one of those teams that fight the popular perception of the NBA and actually play defense with pride and a purpose. They rotate with precision. They exert real effort in denying an opponent, putting teeth into their double-teams.
So, how do you get LeBron back into this? Let’s forget the whole legend-making process. How do you just get him involved in the outcome?
His coach is relying upon a 22-year-old’s ability to learn overnight. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him rattled or flustered after a game like this. He’s patient. He reads, reads, reads (a defense). Once he gets used to a defense, he’s been pretty good for us,” Brown said.
“There’s nothing I can’t do on the ball court,” James said afterwards, stating that there is no adjustment that he physically cannot make. The really great player strips any defense down to its skivvies.
“You have one off night, but the thing like this, it’s not like the NCAA Tournament where you have one game and you’re out,” said James, the phenom who bypassed that stop altogether on his way to the NBA.
We’ve come here to anoint James. An entire army of adjective-armed sports journalists is at its station, ready to carry him off on their shoulders. But he’s going to have to help out just a little more than this.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: NBA
Comments
By baddog
June 8, 2007 7:51 AM | Link to this
good I hope the Cav’s lose all of the games they beat my Pistons I guess I’m being a bad sport but who cares GO PISTONS
By sksmith7514
June 8, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this
I have to admit that I love LeBron’s swagger, but him trying to yap about the NCAA Tournament is like me blabbing on about Weight Watchers: one has NOTHING to do with the other. I bobbed and weaved through the first half last night and then fell asleep watching the finish. I did wake up long enough to catch the Cavs’ mini-rally in the fourth, but if they don’t play like that from start to finish this series won’t last terribly long. The Spurs are clearly the more experienced bunch (I don’t know that they are more talented but they clearly have the edge in experience). Oh yeah, Hummer I thought you had a bad shoulder? Ha.
By DKM
June 8, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this
Once again the superiority of the foreign-born players(Duncan, Parker, Ginobli, etc…) over the AAU product(James) shows the transition going on in the NBA! Even Cleveland relied heavily on these more fundamental players to get here! AAU basketball is a joke and it is destroying our game with its lack of quality coaching!
By J.D. McClain
June 8, 2007 2:57 PM | Link to this
I can recall M.J.’s 1st playoff game against the Lakers as a loss. Four games later, MJ and his Bulls had their 1st championship. Don’t be surprised if James and the Cavs turn the tide and win this series in 6 games. James is a fast learner, this is a golden opportunity for him and possibly the beginning of something special.
By J.D. McClain
June 8, 2007 2:58 PM | Link to this
I can recall M.J.’s 1st playoff game against the Lakers as a loss. Four games later, MJ and his Bulls had their 1st championship. Don’t be surprised if James and the Cavs turn the tide and win this series in 6 games. James is a fast learner, this is a golden opportunity for him and possibly the beginning of something special.
By Ripdog
June 8, 2007 5:33 PM | Link to this
The Cavs will prevail and win the series in 7 Games. I GUARANTEE IT!!!!!
By Braves Fan 79
June 8, 2007 5:46 PM | Link to this
Lebron is as overhyped as overhyped gets.
Id take Mcgrady, Wade, Kobe, Arenas and Iverson, Duncan, and Ray Allen over him. The cavs will get swept (maybe loose in 5 games if they take a home game) by this true champion…and Detriot or Miami will once again rule the East next year. Count on it! Lebron dosent have near good enough outside shot to be the next MJ….or even the next Kobe or Mcgrady.
By ELECHI
June 9, 2007 8:04 AM | Link to this
I think Leberons problem could be attributed to the media. They should leave this kid alone. Let him focuse on playing this game to the end. They more the overhype him, the more the spurs are solidifying the defence on this young kid. With that being said is over for the cavs. They have done great playing in NBA finals. Am glad for them and should relax and learn the game of the finals.