Beyond A Seed Of A Doubt

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a basketball powerhouse this season, steamrolling their schedule like the franchise never has.

And last night, they clinched the number one seed throughout the East playoffs.

The Cavs' first-ever Eastern Conference top seed became a reality when they defeated the host Philadelphia 76ers, 102-82 but it was actually a mere formality. With the team's scintillating 64-15 record, they are clearly a team on a mission and was destined to earn the privilege of playing potential playoff series-deciding games on their homecourt, where they are an amazing 38-1.

LeBron James made sure the clincher came last night as he pitched in a stellar 27 points and 10 assists. "It means a lot to set a goal and accomplish it," said James after the victory. "We should be proud."

The Cavs may even earn the NBA's best overall record since their closest competition, the L.A. Lakers lost to Portland last night to fall a game and a half behind them. What's more, Cleveland can tie the 1985-86 Boston Celtics' all-time record of 40-1 at home if they win their final two home games; one of which (ironically) is against the defending champion Celtics.

I'm not betting against James and his boys. 

LeBron: A Weapon Of Mass Destruction

CLEVELAND - I have been saying for months now that LeBron James is an illegal alien based on his out-of-this-world basketball heroics and the obvious advantage it gives him over his opponents.

Take a look at last night's game.

James, the super leader of the Cleveland Cavaliers once again clawed and dug his suddenly defensively limp team out of their funk and steered them to a rousing 126-123 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

The victory ended their three-game west coast road trip and gave them a 3-0 record, but given the nature of the games, there is hardly reason to celebrate. In a matchup with the L.A. Clippers to kick their trip off, the Cavs rallied from a huge 19-point deficit in the fourth quarter and actually won by four, thanks to James' sterling 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. 

Two nights later in Phoenix, LeBron was super galactic again with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for his third straight triple-double. On one play, James raced back on defense as Suns star Jason Richardson leaked out for a breakaway. Nearly impossible to catch, Richardson went up for a 360 degree dunk but LeBron, pedal to the metal leaped and blocked the once sure-fire dunk from behind.

It was breathtaking.

That victory, a 119-111 decision gave Cleveland their first victory in Phoenix in 10 years. For last night's contest with Sacramento, the Cavs were facing a futile, 14-50 team. After falling behind early, Cleveland led at halftime by a single point. After a blazing third quarter for the Kings, the Cavs entered the final period down by 14.

Enter LeBron. Again.

The 6th year wonder netted 16 in the quarter and outdueled Kings' star Kevin Martin, even stealing a pass in the closing seconds that led to his game-tying foul shot with five seconds left. James defended Martin very well down the stretch, including the final play of regulation which caused Martin to miss and sent the game into overtime.

When the dust settled, LeBron had six of his glittering 51 points in the extra session including an audacious 28-foot three pointer that put his team up by six. With the victory, Cleveland earned the Central Division title -- something that they haven't owned in 33 years.

With a month left in the regular season, LeBron is proving himself to be the brick wall that separates other teams from an NBA title.

Maybe they should look for their own alien to compete with King James.

Continuing Story: Cavs Can't Handle Big Boys

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a season like no other in their nearly 40-year history. LeBron James has had yet another brilliant season and both he and the team look destined for further greatness in the postseason.

Or maybe not.

The Cavs lost, 105-94 last night to the defending champion Boston Celtics who were playing without one third of their star triumvirate. Kevin Garnett missed his seventh straight game to injury and reserve spark plug Glen Davis was ejected early in the third quarter. None of that adversity slowed the Celtics, who moved into a virtual tie with Cleveland for the best record in the Eastern Conference. This win was huge for another reason; it gave Boston the edge if both teams finish with identical records which will ensure a game 7 will be played in TD Banknorth, the Celtics' home court.

James was ineffective with a lackluster 21 points, while his superstar counterpart, Boston's Paul Pierce scored 29 efficiently. With Boston's big men dominating Cleveland in the paint by a 58-22 scoring margin, the East-leading Cavs seemed undersized and overmatched. Recent reacquisition Joe Smith couldn't provide an answer and the absence of injured big man Ben Wallace made this a cakewalk for the Celtics.

The disturbing thing about this game was that it continued a dangerous cycle for the Cavs. They were similarly dominated by the super L.A. Lakers and East rival Orlando Magic. In the matchups with the Lakers, the Cavs were clueless against the long, active and athletic Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. When they came to Cleveland, L.A. got 10 rebounds from Odom in the third quarter alone and the Cavs lost their first (and only) home game.

Orlando dominated the same way.

The Magic, thanks to strong efforts from Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu killed the Cavs on the interior. In fact, Boston, L.A. and Orlando have collectively averaged fifty points per game in the paint v.s. Cleveland. This has become an enormous problem and will definitely get worse in the playoffs if the Cavs don't figure this thing out. Last night, Mo Williams knocked in 26 points, but at 6'1," he wasn't exactly what the doctor ordered.

All is not lost for the Cavs, though. With Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith and J.J. Hickson, they have big bodies. They just have to have a better game plan.

But us fans should still be worried.

Shaq's 45 Points A Reminder Of His Place in History

CLEVELAND - Shaquille O'Neal's first game in the NBA was so long ago that the first George Bush was still U.S. president. Michael Jordan was still in his 20's, O.J. Simpson not only hadn't killed anyone yet, but he was beloved by most Americans. Heck, even the Internet was publicly unknown.

That must make O'Neal a senior citizen by now.

Judging by his performance last night, he's not quite ready for a rocking chair just yet. The 17-year pro dominated his way to an unexpected 45 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 133-113 dismantling of visiting Toronto. It was O'Neal's highest point total in six years, since back when he played for the L.A. Lakers.

He even made a scintillating 20-of-25 shots.

I was reminded of Shaq's heyday with this performance, back when he was completely indefensible in the painted area (basketball term) and a nightmare for the opposition. Back in 1995, O'Neal (paired with then-superstar Penny Hardaway) matched up with the great Hakeem Olajuwon in the NBA Finals and got outplayed badly. When he returned to that stage five years later as a Lakers superstar, he was coming off his only MVP season which saw him average close to 30 points and 14 rebounds per game (playing alongside a 21-year old Kobe Bryant).

He was larger than life, averaging 38 and 17 in the '00 Finals.

The man was nothing short of excellent in leading the Lakers to three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. Even Bryant's occasional insolence could not curtail the legacy that Shaq was building, which has been heavily criticized. True, he has never been the hardest worker or a good free throw shooter, but his immense size and agility combined to make him one of the biggest "game changers" in history.

And his sense of humor is a guilty pleasure.

Bottom line, I hope O'Neal continues his resurgence this season in Phoenix and treats us to a few more "Biggie and Tupac Era" performances. Back when 40 and 20 was always a possibility and Suge Knight was making snide remarks about Sean Combs at awards shows. Okay, maybe not that last part but you get the picture.

Next week Shaq turns a ripe 37 years old. The rest of us are celebrating a week early.

LeBron Is Without Question League MVP Right Now

CLEVELAND - LeBron James is indisputably the best basketball player of the 21st century, so far.

He's also just 24 years old.

As James has improved on an already lethal skill set, he has elevated his Cleveland Cavaliers into the stratosphere. They went 3-1 on their just completed west coast road trip minus starters Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West, but with the indefensible James as the catalyst.

The team is a jaw-dropping 34-8.

As far as talent goes, the NBA is choke full of that. Superstars like Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul are remarkable. But James is something more; power, grace, speed, desire, tough. On Friday, he deflated the Golden State Warriors with a step-back 20-foot jumper at the buzzer, dealing the home team a one-point loss. He came back the next night and delivered 33 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists to the Utah Jazz in yet another Cavs win.

And oh, that defense.

LeBron had been notoriously awful on defense during his first three or four seasons. But within the past couple years, he's shown flashes of brilliance and now, he's a nightmare. He chases opponents down as if his life depends on it, swatting away seemingly sure-fire layups or dunks on breakaways.

His passing is near-flawless.

No other player sees the floor better than the 6'9," 274 pound James, not even point guard stars like Paul and Steve Nash. His playmaking has always been his biggest asset, he just happens to be a volume scorer as well.

With their glittering record, the Cavs are tied with Bryant's Lakers for the best mark in the league. Kobe though has Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum... not to mention coaching legend Phil Jackson. James has a steady and talented group as well, but he still does more than any other star and is more indispensable.

Just wait until the playoffs.

James Needs To Get Over His Ego

CLEVELAND - I am an enormous admirer of Cleveland Cavs superstar LeBron James. He is, in my estimation, the best that the game of basketball has to offer.

But he needs to get over himself.

James, 24 at month's end was a wunderkind from the time he first picked up a basketball. In high school, his unusual brilliance drew professional players to his games, which were actually broadcast nationally on occasion. He was driving an $80,000 Hummer as a high school senior and was signed to a shoe deal worth more than $90 million by Nike Inc. before he ever played an NBA game.

Given those facts alone, it is easy to understand why James feels a sense of entitlement. The man has been called "King James" for years and dubbed "The Chosen One" beginning in 2001. During this past summer's Olympics in Beijing, it was announced that a European team would pay him $50 million for one season of his services, plus other lucrative perks. Currently, his already gargantuan ego has been fueled by the highly anticipated summer of 2010 when the basketball megastar becomes a free-agent and can sign with whomever he wants.

He's been eating it up.

Teams such as the New York Knicks and the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets have been said to be the frontrunners in the "James Sweepstakes." The Knicks just shipped off a slew of players, including star Zach Randolph in an early effort to clear salary cap space for James. Hip-Hop legend and close friend Jay-Z is a part owner of the Nets and has a huge influence over James. Many Cavs fans have expressed fear that the allure of playing in a bigger market may sway James' decision and send him to one of those markets.

It wouldn't surprise me. 

LeBron has made recent comments that have been both brutally honest and stunningly selfish. He maintains that there is no loyalty in the NBA and that he is keeping his options open. He tries to make it seem as if winning championships are the most important thing, but choosing between Cleveland (which has consistently improved every season since his 2003 arrival) as opposed to a hastily assembled new team with no chemistry seems like an obvious choice if he's truly about winning. He's already rich beyond belief so money should matter less.

Right?

During the past two years, his affinity for The Big Apple and their sports teams has become palpable. Even Nike releases "special edition" versions of his basketball shoes every so often for release only in New York. Last week, the surging Cavs visited Madison Square Garden and the fans were instructed to cheer James early and often!

Say what?

LeBron continues to behave as though this is the way to conduct business. He seems to be dangling a coveted carrot in front of Cavs management enticingly only to yank it away at the last possible moment, never with the intent to part with the carrot.

Look, I understand the business side of this whole thing. James needs to do what is best for himself. It is just annoying how he is going about it. If this is a clever attempt to force the team's front office to make key moves to ensure that the team remains highly competitive, it would normally be very shrewd. Problem is, he's not being very smart. When NBA great Charles Barkley criticized him last week and advised him to "shut up," James responded by getting defensive and called Barkley "stupid."

Hey LeBron, Barkley was right.

With the Cavs playing so amazingly awesome (14-3 record thus far), James' comments don't matter as much as they would if the team were struggling. Even still, he should let the obvious be the obvious (management needing to keep him surrounded by a winning supporting cast) and just shut up and play.

His mouth isn't as talented as he is.

James is Incredible...and Incredibly Flawed

CLEVELAND - LeBron James just might be the most amazing basketball player in the world. He's built like a power forward, brute and strong like a center and agile and quick like a guard.

He's also the most perplexing megastar in the game.

James, who turns just 24 years old next month is already in his 6th NBA season. He has been a man-child with otherworldly abilities ever since his days in high school. With his multi-faceted game, he is the de facto best player in the league but doesn't seem to fully understand that.

While Kobe Bryant is the game's resident assassin, capable of laying a smooth 50 or 60 points on anyone at anytime, James is more disciplined as a playmaker slash let-the-offense-come-to-me-type performer. He's currently averaging a sick 29 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists for the surprising 10-3 Cleveland Cavs.

But why does he take so many dumb shots?

That's right, for all of his prodigious talents, James far too often shoots  three-pointers and off-balance long two's. While it is true that he can make those shots with great regularity when he's in a "zone," he has proven to be totally unstoppable off the dribble and attacking the basket. At 6'9 and 270, he is a little more daunting to stop than a runaway freight train.

But he falls in love with the long ball.

I always tell people that the worst thing to happen to LeBron when he's playing ball is for him to make a long jumper, especially his first one or two. Then, he believes he's a modern day Mark Price which is a fantasy.

This season, James is taking nearly four three pointers a game and shooting a horrific 22% from that distance. His overall FG% is a very good 48% which proves that his other variety of shots are the ones he needs to be taking. With him shooting those long shots so often, he bails out the other team because they know he can't be stopped when he drives to the hoop. If he's not going to utilize that great advantage of his more often, then it's almost as if he doesn't have that advantage at all.

But we know he does 'cause we see it.

Last season, he took an unforgivable five threes a game only to make 31.5% of them. I know he's a monster in the league and one of the most stunning in history, but his shot selection is abominable. He has posted up on the low block more often this season, and every time he does, he abuses his defender or defenders. With his dexterity and boatload of moves, plus his scintillating passing ability, he should be on that low box continuously, not sparingly like he has been thus far.

I admire LeBron for his great talent and incredible drive, but as a friendly suggestion...I say to him just one thing.

Take that damn ball to the hole!

Bryant Enters 13th NBA Season With Questionable Legacy

CLEVELAND - Kobe Bryant, a basketball prodigy when he joined the NBA straight out of high school and a highly criticized star for years, begins his 13th pro campaign when the 63rd NBA season tips off tonight.

And his place in the sport's history has never been more ambiguous.

Bryant was, like many gifted basketball players of the past 20 years or so, saddled with the moniker of "the next Michael Jordan" since very early in his evolution, but has had a rocky road towards those impossible expectations.

He joined the L.A. Lakers in 1996 and was viewed as a project with a lot of potential. At the time, Jordan himself was nearly 34 years old and coming off his 4th championship with the Chicago Bulls.

Bryant, then 18 had a huge advantage. He joined a highly talented team that featured stars Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel and a new addition; a 24-year old Shaquille O'Neal. All of this meant that Bryant could sit, watch and learn the game without being counted on to carry the entire franchise like Jordan had been expected to do a decade before.

Bryant averaged less than eight points per game as a rookie but by his third season, he was scoring about 20 a night. He had also become an all-star. Bryant's fourth season was O'Neal's best as a pro as he earned MVP honors and led the Lakers to their first NBA crown in a dozen years.

This is where Bryant's disdain for Shaq became obvious.

As Kobe's talents grew, so did his uncoachability and insolence. The Lakers won three consecutive titles but was wrought with turmoil from within. After failing for the second year in a row to claim another title in 2004, O'Neal was exiled to Miami and Kobe was left to steer the Lakers, a supposed dream come true.

The Bryant-led Lakers tanked for three consecutive seasons despite Kobe becoming a relentless offensive force. He topped out at an unreal 81 points in a January 2006 game en route to a career best 35.4 ppg on the season. The poor showing of the Lakers prompted Kobe to become disenchanted with the direction of the organization and demand a trade prior to last season.

He didn't get it.

Out of nowhere, the team did better than expected and by June '08, Bryant had earned his first ever MVP trophy and the Lakers were favored by many to beat the Boston Celtics in the Finals.

The Lakers got creamed.

Bryant's singular brilliance was nullified by Celtics star Paul Pierce's defense and the team went down in flames. This past summer, Bryant turned 30 years old and won an Olympic gold medal. When L.A. won the title in 2002, Kobe was 23 and had been a part of three championship teams. Most assumed he'd dominate for another decade, winning titles left and right and surpass Jordan's six championship trophies long before age 35, when Michael won his last one.

When Jordan was 30, he had just won his third. Bryant hasn't won one in six years. Jordan's 13th season was Kobe's 2nd. Michael had 4 titles going into year 13. The biggest difference between MJ and Kobe is their roles in their respective teams titles. Jordan was the unquestionable leader of the Bulls title teams. Bryant was second fiddle to the uber dominant O'Neal, who during the team's first title season (1999-00) averaged a sick 30 points and 14 rebounds!

It is often said that Jordan had more help around him than Bryant. I think that is revisionist history. While it is true that Chicago was well-rounded, they were far from star studded. Besides Jordan and Scottie Pippen, everyone else was little more than a specialty player with one discernible talent. Bryant has played with an assortment of markedly better players while being coached by the same guy that coached Chicago's six titles; Phil Jackson.

Bryant only started playing team basketball two season ago. Jordan was far more willing, though just as stubborn early in his career to do so (in MJ's case, he had little choice but to go it alone at times).

Without question, Bryant is a sensational basketball player. His drive augments his talents just as Jordan's did. The $64,000 question here is simple: Is Kobe Bryant capable of leading a team, as its top star to a title. So far, the answer has been "no way."

The Lakers open tonight against Portland. This is the first step towards answering that question.