After spending the day watching highlights of Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, I came away with one thought: How has Cleveland got away with not turning LeBron James into a point guard? Coming into the NBA the scouting reports all said that LeBron would initially have to work his way in the league as a wing, but would contribute most running the point. On the scouting reports his passing and court vision are highlighted above everything else. Yet, to this date, LeBron has been utilized strictly as a wing player. With a player like LeBron the Cavs should model themselves off of the 80s Los Angeles Lakers. They should be a running team with LeBron heading the point. Watching videos of Magic and Oscar you see so many similarities to LeBron, so why haven't they capitalized on his abilities?
LeBron has all of the abilities of Oscar and Buck, but with more athletic ability. Scorers get all of the glory in the league these days, but I have a feeling LeBron would be more of an asset to the Cavs as 20, 11, and 8 guy than as a 26, 7, and 7 guy he currently is. Magic Johnson was a 20, 11, and 8 guy for his entire career. But what the stats don't tell is that he elevated guys like Byron Scott to 20ppg scorers at various times throughout his career. Dude, if Penny Hardaway could play point guard and be as successful as he was for years, than LeBron could do this easily. Penny was great, but let's be real, the tools that LeBron has now dwarf what Penny had to work with in his prime.
I don't think Mike Brown is the coach to get this done (The Cavalier at YAY Sports has spent countless posts saying the same thing). He's a nice guy, but I don't think he has the offensive acumen that is needed to be successful as a coach in today's NBA. There's an assistant coach named Marc Iavaroni in Phoenix, that has a vast knowledge of run and gun, and would probably be the guy that could turn LeBron into a point guard. The best person for the Job is probably Don Nelson, but he already has a job in Golden State.
6'7"-6'8" wing men that can score come a dime a dozen in the NBA. Don't relegate LeBron to just another All-Star wing man. Allow him to be the guy that he was destined to be: A player with the athletic ability of Michael Jordan and the size, strength, court vision, and passing ability of Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson that could revolutionize the point guard position.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-11-2007 @ 1:01AM
Miss Gossip said...
Iavaroni wants to go to Toronto. He loves cold weather.
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2-11-2007 @ 6:18AM
angelo said...
Actually Lebron did play point guard for the Cavaliers when he first came into the league. For a brief period when Ricky Davis and Darius Miles still occupied the wings Lebron was the point guard. It was quite frustrating for Lebron actually since he'd pass them the ball but he'd never get the ball back. When the Cavs traded Miles to Portland for Jeff McInnis, Lebron to pushed up to the wing.
I think the whole point of Lebron not playing the point is to free him of the burden of carrying the ball so he can focus on getting open for shots. But heck, even at the wing he's like the point guard anyway since he also makes plays for others. To me it's like the Lakers with Lamar Odom and even Kobe. They're not the point guards but they still make plays for the rest of the team.
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2-11-2007 @ 9:06PM
Keith said...
Lets get this straight, as great as LeBron James is destined to be, he is not Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, or Michael Jordon. LeBron is a wing player that has Guard skills, nothing more. I don't want LeBron dominating the ball. PG is not the weakest position on this team, Eric Snow, while he doesnt score much, he doesnt shoot much either, but as unselfish as a player he is, he should average 15 assists a game. The reason he doesnt and the reason he gets the brunt of all the fans criticisms, is the poor shooting of his teammates.
No way in hell you move LeBron James to the point. The change was made to go to Gibson in place of Snow to pick up the pace of the offense. I don't want to label him the point guard because then the first criticism of him is, he isnt getting many assists. I prefer to say that you inserted a guy in the lineup, that can hit open shots, pushes the ball and inititates the offense quicker, can get his own shot, attacks the basket, makes good decisions with the basketball, whereas with Snow, things seemed to operate at a slower and more calculated pace. Gibson may not be getting many assists, but there is better ball movement, the ball changes hands more often, and though he may not get the assists, he initiates the first pass that leads to the assist. Because he is a much better shooter, and has offensive skills, you force the opposition to have to defend him. So he puts pressure on the defense in many areas. He has good court vision, makes good decisions with the ball, and even though he is small, he is tough and fiesty. The change was made to put Gibson in that position, let him play it.
I see LeBron handling the ball more than he did when Gibson wasn't in the lineup. LeBron James does not have a point guard mentality. There is no need for him to bring the ball up court in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd quarters, NBA teams don't press for 48 minutes. When he dominates the ball, he inhibits the offense. He slows the offense, he pounds the ball, shoots a fade away, or makes a late pass and forces a teammate into a bad shot. Whe he dominates the ball, the other 4 players on the court tend to lose their identity. I hear complaints about people standing around, its his fault they stand around, he rarely gives the ball up, unless he is forced to pick up his dribble, then making a pass is a last resort. Marion and Anthony don't pound and dominate the ball to be effective. I would rather you attack the basket more instead of holding the ball and launching fade aways, post up more, you can get your shot when ever you want to, no need to try and defeat the odds of going 1 on 3. When LeBron doesnt play, the offense has moremovement, more guys are active because LeBron isnt there to be everyones first option. Being the best player on the team, doesnt mean you have to touch the ball on every possesion. Shooting 4-13 is a bad game, even if your last name is James. He said he didnt take enough shots to have a bad game. You want to put the ball in his hands all the time? Penny deferred to Shaq, they are different type players, Penny wasnt the physically imposing player as James is, but he was quicker, a better shooter, a better ball handler, and a pure point guard.
In watching the Lakers game today, James continuously at times pounded the ball while looking off teammates. Aside from a few spectacular dunks, that brought a smile to his face and will get him on Sportscenter, but the fact of the matter is he still shot 5-16 and another mid 60% from the free throw line. Maybe if he played his position, and shot closer to the basket, he would shoot better. We have capable jump shooters in, Gibson, Pavlovic, and Marshall when he is on the floor. As talented as he is, his shot selection could be much better. If he was 6'-6'2 he would shoot all the time. I don't have a problem with him controlling the ball more in the 4th quarter of games, but that doesnt mean taking all the shots. I hear all the talk about the inconsistency of Gooden and Ilgauskas, alot of that has to do with James. How do you give guys 10-12 shots one night and they produce and the next night they get 4 shots. The way Pavlovic is playing, Damon Jones should have a PSL right next to Newble for the remainder. You have to have a low post game to get out of the East. You arent going to run against Detroit and Miami, and you arent going to outshoot Chicago or Washington. You have to play to your strengths. Force your will!! Anytime the Cavs play Miami, you should be able to take Shaq right out of the game, as big as he is, he isnt as imposing as he was in years past. Ilgauskas forces him to defend, Shaq gets in foul trouble, now he is tired on the offensive end, and before you know it, he is out the game. Gooden has offensive skills, there has been games Gooden has had 14 points at the half and gotten only 1 shot in the 2nd half. When guys don't get the ball, they tend to look for their shots more. Share the ball. Pavlovic shot 7-13 today and Gibson 2-3, Hughes shoots 2-8, and should attack the basket more. Gibson should get at least 8 shots a game, he is that good of a shooter. LeBron doesnt have to be the King of the box score every night to be the best player on the team. Being the most exciting is still a good thing. This team has a chance to go far in the East. Sharing the ball will allow James to be fresher at the end of games. There is no one on the team he seems to defer too. The last time I remember him giving the ball up to another player with regularity, was when Boozer was in town. No way in hell Boozer would get 14 shots one night and 4 the next. This team will go as far as James takes it, but with that being said, this team has more talent than last years, I hat to think of what could have been last season, if the young guys back then were trusted enough to make plays. I would have liked the Cavs to have kept Graham. Good size, better defensively, could get his own shot, attacked the basket, and could hit free throws, like Pavlovic last year, wasnt trusted down the stretch. Lets not make that mistake this season. This could be a soecial year in C-Town
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