LeBron James isn’t infallible. But due to his consistent excellence and growing list of accomplishments, The King is afforded leeway other star players aren’t during rare times of team and individual struggle. Rightfully so, too.
We were slow to chastise James for his poor play during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 1-3 start to the season, and that patience proved prudent over an ensuing stretch when he was again performing like basketball’s best player and leading his team four straight victories. But that was over a week ago, and the uncharacteristically pedestrian performances from LeBron that marked Cleveland’s beginning have returned – the losses have, too.
With Cleveland in the midst of another losing streak, it’s time to criticize James like we do the vast majority of other superstars. His defense is poor. His effort wanes. He’s finishing at the rim worse than he has in years. And his oft-confounding style of leadership just isn’t working.
Thankfully, LeBron is acknowledging his labors, too. In advance of his team’s home game against the Orlando Magic tonight, he said the Cavaliers’ struggles are a result of his effectiveness – or lack thereof.
Via Chris Haynes of Northeast Ohio Media Group:
“We got a four-game losing streak so I stink,” James said after Monday morning’s shootaround in advance of tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic…
“I’m not doing my job,” James said. “I got to do a better job and it will help our team…”
“When you’re not playing well, no one is playing well,” he said. “We all want to be playing well at the same time and I think it starts with me, my approach to the game and then it goes down to everyone else.”
James is right. Everything about the Cavaliers stems from his influence, and the mindset he’s brought to the floor during Cleveland’s four consecutive losses hasn’t been good enough.
LeBron’s energy can’t come and go. He can’t complain to officials at the expense of transition defense. He can’t settle offensively. He can’t teach through passive aggressiveness. He can’t not be anything but his best for the Cavaliers to emerge from this nadir having learned lessons, ready to take the league by storm the way we thought they would.
James has averaged 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 41.2 percent shooting during Cleveland’s current losing streak. But the poor efficiency and relatively average numbers don’t even tell the whole story of his performance. LeBron is letting frustration affect his effort, and that’s been manifested by inattentive help defense, a decided lack of intent on the glass, and shot selection that belies the physical advantage he has against every defender.
That won’t work for this Cavs team. The growing pains he predicted in his heartwarming “I’m Coming Home” letter are here, and they’re even more uncomfortable than he expected. But James placed this onus on his shoulders by deciding to leave the Miami Heat – he wanted the struggles for the ultimate glory of bringing a title to Northeast Ohio.
The player we came to know over the past four seasons made overcoming them seem a foregone conclusion; the only question was when it would happen. The one we’ve seen in 2014-2015 doesn’t inspire that confidence, changing the unknown schedule of the Cavaliers’ success to questionable viability of it entirely.
LeBron needs to get back to himself, and the first step to doing so is acknowledging he’s been someone different in the season’s early going. He deserves kudos for coming to that realization now. Let’s see if his play on the court changes as a result.
What do you think?
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