NBA Playoffs 2012 Running thread

He wasn't their marquee player, Lebron James was their marquee player. However, the preceding year Jamison had been Washington's marquee player averaging over 22 pts and 8 rebounds per game, indeed he was only a year removed from being an all star when he joined the Cavs. I know that doesn't fit the "Lebron played with a bunch of D-Leaguers in Cleveland" narrative, but it happens to be the truth. As supporting cast goes, Jamison at that time wasn't exactly chopped liver. Nor was Mo Williams, Shaq, West or Varejao. He didn't lose in 2010 because of teammates.

 

Lebron deserves criticism for some of mind boggling ways he has checked out of games. I'm not sure they win the championship anyways in 2010 but to see him go in that funk was very odd. I do believe he should get more credit for dragging teams that had no business getting as far as they did though.

 

As usual, we are stretching the point out of recognition.

The point is not that his teammates were "D-Leaguers".

The point is that his teammates were not of the caliber you would expect to win an NBA title with.

Who was Wade-caliber on that team? Rondo or Pierce or Allen caliber?

As wonderful as LeBron played, he STILL needed 22-6-5 by Wade, 25 points from Chalmers in Game 4 and 58 percent 3-point shooting by Battier to help turn those close Games 2-3-4 Miami's way.

Miller came out nowhere to score 23 in the Game 5 clincher. Who came out of nowhere for the Cavs in their elimination Game 6 vs. the Celtics? Here's who:

Jamison: 2-10, 5 points
Delonte West 0-2, 3 points
Varejao 2-7, 6 points.

And coming of his miserable Game 5, James did redeem himself in Game 6 with a 27-19-10 performance and 3 steals. 27-19-10 --- THAT is the caliber of play you saw these past Finals. And it STILL resulted in a nine-point loss. Because he didn't have enough help.

And about that Game 5 . . .

Yes, James stunk it up. And so did everyone else (Shaq was decent, BTW). Jamison scored 9. Mo Williams scored 9. Because some nights the ball just doesn't go in. In Game 6 vs. the Celtics this year LeBron was hitting from everywhere. In 2010 Game 5 he missed everything. Not because he didn't "try" --- he took 14 shots and went to the line 12 times --- they just didn't go in. And that game got out of hand; it happens sometimes (it happened to the Thunder on Thursday). Your opponents catch fire and do not miss. The Celtics scored 120 points. James could have gone 14-of-14 from the field instead of 3-of-14, and they STILL lose.

To recap, the Cavs' second-best player, their "Wade" on that team, scored a combined 14 points in Games 5 and 6.

Every player has "funk" games. Kobe in Game 6 against the Celtics in 2008: 7-of-22, 3 reb, 1 ast. Went to the line 5 times. WTF is that? But Kobe's a killer! Kobe has drive! Kobe has that red-hot will to win!

Just more psychobabble.

 

Varejao was nothing but a scrapper.

And Shaq was very much chopped liver.

Once again:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1169435/index.htm

 

I quite enjoyed the above clip of Mark Cuban taking Skip Bayless apart. And, for the first time ever, Stephen A. Smith appears afraid to speak.

 

Same here. I absolutely could not stand how he handled the Miami signing. I didn't hate him necessarily, just didn't like him at all. I was a hater before this run. Holy shit, was that something to watch.

 

Jamison reminds me a lot of Rashard Lewis, he's a good third or fourth option, but if he is your primary or secondary guy you need a great deal more help.

EDIT: Jamison is 48th on the career scoring list? Jesus, I never would have guessed that.

 

That was awesome.

 

Not only 48th on the all time scoring list, but 77th on the all time rebounding list. Which, at least statistically, might suggest that Jamison was one of the best 60 to 70 best players of all time. And, it should be noted, he didn't come to Cleveland after a decline--instead the preceding year was one of the best of his entire career.

My intent is not to bash Lebron here, but only to remind people that the "Lebron played with a crappy supporting cast in Cleveland" theme is a misleading generality very much in the same vein as the "Lebron's a choker" generality. In both cases, there's some truth to it, but the reality is more complicated. Folks forget that when Cleveland acquired Jamison and Shaq the prevailing opinion is that they now had all the supporting cast needed to win a title. Instead they act like he had the same supporting cast in 2010 as 2007. That ain't the case. Lebron had the pieces to win a title in 2010, they failed that year only because he failed to show up when it counted, not his teammates.

 

I will acknowledge that Jamison is better than I gave him credit for, but I am not willing to say he is one of the top 60 or 70 players ever.

 

Neither am I. Which is why I made sure to add the "at least statistically" qualifier to that statement--you know, before everyone starts jumping down my throat.

 

That was fun.