LeBron James thinks he’s playing better than ever, and he’s right
James might not have the stats he used to post, but his maturity and knowledge of the game are more than enough to make up for them.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
To say LeBron James has carried the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals would be an understatement. He's third in the playoffs in points (27.6) and assists (8.3) and has played almost 100 more minutes than any of his teammates. Yet low scoring efficiency and high turnovers have taken the shine off those gaudy numbers. That doesn't mean LeBron is not playing the best ball of his career, however. The key to understanding why is looking at things differently.
"If I was to say just my game, I wouldn't think so," James told reporters on media day when asked about whether this has been his best playoffs performance. "I haven't shot the ball well. I've had some high‑turnover games in the postseason. So as far as just going out on the floor, I wouldn't say this is the best I've played in a stretch run. I would think '09 I had a pretty good run when we lost to Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals. I believe I averaged like 37, like 50‑something percent shooting in that round. High rebounds, high assists and I felt really good. Just couldn't get our guys over the hump.
“But I think now when you put my whole body of work, as far as how I approach the game mentally as well as my game, I’m very, very confident in my ability to be able to see the game even before the game is played.”
LeBron is off by a little on his numbers in the 2008/09 playoffs. He actually averaged 35 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 51 percent shooting. He’s right that those monster stats dwarf his output from this year. James was just a wrecking ball back then, dominating everyone with his superior physical tools. Now, at 30, he’s found more subtle ways to affect the game.
"LeBron is the gold standard for these games," Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams told Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears. "It's always a difficult task trying to slow him down. The thing from my standpoint that makes him unique is his basketball intelligence. Yes, he can rebound, pass, score. He can do all those things. But his intelligence is what really drives him right now. It's the thing that really separates him from the pack as a player."
James has evolved past the need to dominate every aspect of the game and is now doing what's needed of him, when it's needed. With Kyrie Irving healthy in the first round, LeBron didn't have to lead the team in assists, so he instead focused on rebounding and defense. Against the Bulls, when his shot abandoned him he made his living scoring inside and helped the Cavaliers hang with Chicago on the boards. Against Atlanta, James stepped up in Irving's absence and only then rained fire like he used to against a team that found no way to stop him.
“Everyone is going to talk about LeBron’s scoring,” said Andre Iguodala. “But what makes him a great player is being willing to pass, being a great, smart player, getting out in passing lanes and changing the tempo of the game at any given time. It’s really the small things you have to worry about keying on to win.”
The Warriors are one of the best defensive teams in the league and will surely have some success containing James. They will try different things to stop him, from Draymond Green's physicality to Andre Iguodala's surgical precision. Bogut will be under the rim waiting for him and there might even be double-teams thrown his way.
But James knows what's coming and how to counter it. He's seen the Spurs playing off of him and guarding him with a bigger player, daring him to shoot. He's experienced the pressure a relentless defender like Kawhi Leonard can put on him. He's gone against unstoppable jump shooters in Dirk Nowtizki and Kevin Durant. He's destroyed a budding dynasty before it had a chance to establish itself. He's won and he's lost since the last time he was a Cavalier, but, more than anything, he has learned.
LeBron might not average 35 points again during the postseason but he doesn't need to. He can now dominate games with his experience, mental fortitude and smarts. The only reason anyone gives these banged up Cavaliers a shot against the Warriors is because they have this version of James. Not just the physical freak but also arguably the smartest player in the league and a battle-tested leader. Forget the stats. LeBron is right. He's never been better.
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