LeBron James’ two week absence cost the Cleveland Cavaliers. They lost seven of the eight games he missed due to nagging back and knee strains, falling from 18-12 to 19-19 in the process – and losing major ground in the ever-important battle for home court advantage come playoff time. But should the four-time continue playing the way he has in the three games since his return, Cleveland’s midseason swoon will surely prove worth it. And given comments that James made yesterday, that even appears a likely scenario.
Following a trio of 30-point performances in a close road to loss to the Phoenix Suns and back-to-back wins over the Lakers and Clippers in Los Angeles, LeBron said he’s feeling healthier now than at any other point this season.
Via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler:
“I know, for me personally, [the two-week layoff] helped me out a lot,” said James, whose Cavs play the Bulls on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET. “I’ve felt better in the last three games than I did the whole season, the whole 30-plus games that I appeared in.
James has sure looked it – for the most part.
He’s been extremely aggressive offensively, taking a combined 65 shots over the Cavs’ last three outings. And though an inordinate amount of them have come from beyond the arc, that’s hardly stopped LeBron from attacking the basket, either. Finishes like these weren’t exactly commonplace prior to his time-off:
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Then again, he didn’t exactly look spry while electing against contesting a Wes Johnson three-pointer against the purple-and-gold:
But James’ defensive engagement was on-point in the second half against the Lakers and for the entirety of Cleveland’s win over the Clippers. He was making proper rotations, sticking with Kobe Bryant off the dribble, and banging with Blake Griffin in the post like the defensive monster Erik Spoelstra dubbed “1-through-5.”
It will take a lot for Cleveland to gain the form that made them Vegas’ odds-on bet to win a title: more defense, more offensive creativity, and perhaps most importantly, more chemistry. But none of that would be possible with LeBron playing the way we all know he can.
James wasn’t for the most part over the season’s first couple months. Considering his newfound confidence in his body and performance since his return, it seems like he will be for its remainder.
What do you think?
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