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LeBron James Still Hasn't Won Anything

by Articleman 6/12/2011 - 11:43 pm   |

There is a school of thought that it is LeBron James' detractors who needlessly compare him to Michael Jordan, and that the unfavorable nature of the comparison is either incorrect or even spiteful.  That is all wrong.  LeBron James invited the comparisons last summer with The Decision and The Pep Rally, which promised dynasties.  And so it is that tonight, we note that LeBron James has twice visited The Finals, and two other times had the top seed in his conference, and has won a total of two Finals games, and no championships.  With his biological clock ticking, LeBron James still hasn't won anything.

As to the Jordan comparison, well, let's bring it up to date.  Michael never lost a Finals.  Never trailed one 3-2.  Was MVP in all six in which he participated.  LBJ?  Oh-for-two in Finals.  Lost both on his home court, no less.  Hasn't been MVP.  And who did MJ vanquish in Finals?  Aside from Magic Johnson, he twice bested Karl Malone, and once Charles Barkley, the two players to whom Bill Simmons last week compared Dirk Nowitzki, two high scoring forwards with longevity and no rings.  Both top twenty guys, but not top tenners.  Yet in this series, Dirk from Wurzburg, who nobody would confuse with an all-time top ten player, dominated the team with two supposed all-time greats, Wade and LeBron.  Nothing in the performance of LeBron James to date justifies the suggestion that he could ever been known as the greatest player of all time.  Nothing.

Comparisons to Jordan?  To date, has LeBron really had a better career than Dwyane Wade or Dirk Nowitzki?  I'd say no.  Surely not better than Kobe Bryant.  Nor Shaq.  Nor Hakeem.  He probably has about three or four years near his athletic peak in which to win the big one, or he risks becoming the greatest disappointment in the history of the sport.  People deride Wilt Chamberlain as a disappointment given his enormous individual talents, and he won two titles.  And so the clock ticks on Bron-Bron.  Wade will be 30 next year.  Tick.  The Heat have no point guard, and Bosh is soft.  Tick.  There is no cap room to bring in anyone new because of every dollar being subscribed to the Big Three.  Tick.  Meanwhile, the Bulls only need a shooting guard.  Tick.  The Thunder are surging.  Tick.  The Mavs are still loaded.  Tick. 

Of course, in defense of LeBron James, tonight the ineptitude of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was on full display.  Have you ever seen a team so idiotically fail to foul when trailing by ten or so points over the last four minutes of a game?  Just inexplicable, like failing to get shots from within half court in the last 3.4 seconds of quarters.  Chock full of lapses in preparation, the Heat reverted to their season-long habit of failing to defend the three point arc, and it killed them.  (Well, that and not having a point guard.)  While the Heat rotate well on defense and fill gaps well, I can't tell how much of that is Spoelstra or good habits learned earlier.  And as the Heat settled for dumb threes down the stretch, you could see the thinness of Spoelstra's offensive repertoire as a coach.  Maybe Bron-Bron should have concerned himself more with having a coach than recruiting buddies... but then, if one recalls his distaste for Mike Brown, you can see how LeBron has contributed to his own stunted growth as a supposed all-time great.

In the end, karma reached up and bit LeBron James.  His immodesty created a national sense of villainy surrounding him and his team that followed the Heat and hounded them.  Even surrounding game five, when Nowitzki was ill, James and Wade mocked Dirk as if he was faking the illness to garner public sympathy.  Boorish to the last.  It is exactly right that the modest Dirk earned his championship at the expense of the horribly immodest Heat, and in the building where some of the worst officiating in NBA history in 2006 cost him a prior ring.

So tonight, the script created last summer by LeBron's staff of PR genuises played itself out just as planned.  Consider this:  tonight a classy star won his first championship.  By taking his talents to South Beach.  And a country rejoices, and celebrates his talent.  It's just that the country is Germany.  And the star is Wurzburg's own Dirk Nowitzki.  So congratulations, Dirk.  And Dallas.  America's basketball fans turn their grateful eyes to you.  All is right in the world.  For tonight, LeBron James still hasn't won anything.

Wow.  Really just kinda weird. 

by kyle flynn 6/13/2011 - 12:04 am

I love the postgame presser where LeBron said that everyone rooting against him would still wake up tomorrow with the same problems and failures in life they woke up with today.

So to him, if you root against him, you're just a clueless loser seeking solace in your rooting interest.

Not sure what he thinks of people who root for him.

But it showed a breathtaking crassness for an athlete making $18MM/year to gloat about how regular people who don't like him will still wake up failures tomorrow morning.  It's precisely that quality in him that makes me no longer like him.  (I rooted for him plenty in his first Finals.)  I find others not seeing that in him weird, actually.

by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 12:08 am (re: kyle flynn)

I see it, and it ain't pretty.  I didn't catch any of the press conferences, but it sounds like something he might say.  I just think you're remarkably preoccupied by this particular narative.  Tonight's leads should be all about the Mavericks.  They won a decisive championship against a tough opponent.  Lebron isn't the one continually making this about him, you are.

by kyle flynn 6/13/2011 - 1:31 am (re: Articleman)
They are dancing in Wurzburg. It's kind of an oompah dance, with Spaten for everyone.
by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 9:07 am (re: kyle flynn)

Leeeave LeBron aloooone!!!

by brewmn 6/13/2011 - 10:23 am (re: kyle flynn)
No, LeBron was right. When I woke up this morning, I had all the same problems I had yesterday. Even when he loses, he wins. He's friggin' Buddha, man.
by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 10:32 am (re: brewmn)

Well, I no longer had to worry about whether one of the bigger jerks in sports was going to win a championship and start laying claim to the legacy of the greatest basketball player who ever lived - a player who happened to bring six NBA titles to my hometown. 

by brewmn 6/13/2011 - 2:24 pm (re: Articleman)

Michael Jordan is indeed the greatest bb player of all time.  I don't see any serious debate about Lebron James and MJ out there.  If James makes the decision to grow up a bit, and work on his craft on the court and his attitude off it, maybe over the next decade his place in the annals of the NBA and the sports world improves.  Either way, I think his story remains a compelling one.  I'll probably root for him and the Heat next year too, but it will have as much to do with picking them to win it all as it will because I like the kid. Same as this year.

As for your worry that "one of the bigger jerks in sports was going to win a championship and start laying claim to the legacy of the greatest basketball player who ever lived," it's amusing.  Do you recognize the irony?  Jordan makes that list.  In fact, like most things Jordan, he's close to the top.  His HOF induction speech is a classic example.   But hey, I've rooted for MJ plenty.  I even hoped for him to succeed as a baseball player.  What can I say?  I'm a sports fan.  We're fickle.

by kyle flynn 6/13/2011 - 9:24 pm (re: brewmn)

Jordan wasn't a jerk in the sense I'm talking about.  Jordan never took the money and ran, like the generation of NBA stars that followed him.  He was the most competitive athlete I've ever seen, and he delivered for his fans time and time again.

LeBron may not be a jerk in that sense either; but he doesn't seem to possess either the competitive fire to will himself to victory or the self-awareness to improve his game to become a champion.  Jordan, for example, transitioned between his first three titles and his second three from being a slasher and a dunker into one of the finest mid-range jump shooters I've ever seen.

I really don't think you appreciate how offensive the Decision was to many sports fans.  And, if  you make a ridiculous display like LeBron did when he chose the Heat, you better be able to back it up.  I'm starting to think that LeBron can't, and that makes me happy.  If you want to keep supporting one of the biggest menchildren on the sports scene, even though his admittedly mad skills can't cash the check his big mouth wrote, be my guest.  But I'll stick with my schedenfreude; I feel LeBron's brought it on himself.   

by brewmn 6/14/2011 - 9:59 am (re: kyle flynn)

Maybe you're right, but keep in mind I'm a Seattle sports fan -- see A-Rod, Ken Griffey, Jr. and the SuperSonics.  In that context, I give the folks in Cleveland a pass.  It's everybody else who have me scratching my head just a bit.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not trying to occupy any higher ground.  I've rooted against plenty of teams and athletes -- see A-Rod, Ken Griffey, Jr. and the SuperSonics.  And maybe it's what has me doing much less of that these days: it ain't worth it.  A desired outcome from rooting against something is such a hollow, short-lived victory.  Hell, this piece could be subtitled "and neither has anyone rooting against him."  Anyway, I know I'm cutting against the grain on this one, but this article http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post?id=9010 reminds me I'm not alone. 

P.S. Writing this reply has me thinking.  Maybe it's time I give OKC a chance, at least until we get a team of our own again.  Maybe.  I've got all summer in between innings to think it over.

by kyle flynn 6/15/2011 - 12:16 am (re: brewmn)

The "neither has anyone rooting against him" is kind of a nonsequitur.  I mean, if the point narrowly put is that unless you're on the Mavs' roster, I guess you may be literally right.  But sports are binary, there's a win and a loss.  There's no rule that pleasure from a villain losing isn't pleasure.  

And I'm glad you brought up Cleveland, I explained to a friend how I thought you of all commenters should really be understanding of the antiLeBron thing, because his leaving was at least somewhat analogous to what happened undeservedly to Seattle.

But hey, I've won some stuff, though not an NBA championship, and I've rooted against LeBron.  Next year, I'll do it all over again.  If he doesn't win in the next two years, then AD is right and he's pitiful, and I'll let it go.  But when the Heat looked like they were winning the series?  We were getting the LeBron is the New Best Thing meme; Wolfrum squeezed one out.  The overblown comparisons were on the pad at Cape Canaveral; it's easy to say they weren't made, but they were two wins from being made for a week.  Now LeBron is properly rated and not overrated.  I like this better for the sport.

by Articleman 6/15/2011 - 12:26 am (re: kyle flynn)

I just mean that from my decent resume on the subject, rooting against someone and having them lose ain't winning.  You know winning.  Tell me honestly.  Does Lebron and the Heat losing the Finals come anywhere near winning?  If you're a Mavs fan you're dancing in the street.  Good for them.  I hope to do the same someday.  But when A-Rod was sitting in the dugout with the hangdog after the BoSox beat them in '04, I wasn't dancin'.  Smiling, sure.  At the end of the day though, it was a poor substitute for winning.

And of course, I get the emotions coming out of Cleveland.  A-Rod was to Seattle what Lebron is to Cleveland.  But I/we never expected the rest of the country to jump on. -- Please, no need to feel sorry for us, we'll be okay.  We've got enough boos for that cat right here.  Our problem, we'll take care of it.  Thanks anyway. -- We almost did, too.  116 wins in 2001, A-Rod's first year with Texas.  The last out recorded for the 116th win was Alex  going down on strikes.  Swinging.  I was there and I'll tell ya, it was beautiful.  Still would rather just be in a World Series. 

I guess part of why I rooted for him this year is because I don't think he makes such a great villain.  He's a bit too tragic for me.  Something tells me he's sorta innocent in all this, almost a victim.  This crazy circus has been swirling around him since he was a kid.  Another part is that the dislike for him seems so ridiculously genuine.  If I heard Huckleberry say he hated someone, he and I would need to have a chat right away.  It won't, but I wishthis Lebron stuff couldserve as a wake-up call to dial it down some.  Change the tone.  Somewhere, somehow it moved beyond the heckling paying sports fans are entitled to, to something ugly, IMO.  

Now, starting tomorrow night, after the Vancouver Canucks hoist the Stanley Cup, let's talk it up about the boys of summer.  Baseball is, afterall, the best and most beautiful of the big three or four.  About that there is no doubt.

by kyle flynn 6/15/2011 - 2:31 am (re: Articleman)

I have always been very adamantly A-Rod, and it was one of many reasons I rooted for the Red Sox in 2004 (I had also lived a while in Boston, which helped).  I favor players staying put, and sports loyalty.

And on LBJ, well, I really used to like him.  I feel about the people who think Obama hasn't done a single good thing in three years (the folks who are concerned about Osama getting popped, basically) like you feel about the dislike for LeBron.  Like there's some part of me that just doesn't process it.  Anyhow, we LBJ dislikers tried to explain our feelings on the point, and yes, hate is bad all around.  

My column was a touch tongue-in-cheek, though just a touch.  But I did do a very sassy headbob thing and a chestbump with myself on a mirror when I wrote it.  It just felt innocent, nothing hatable.  :)

by Articleman 6/15/2011 - 11:43 pm (re: kyle flynn)
Enjoy Father's Day this weekend. The family's cutting me loose Friday so my buddy and I can go up to Seattle and take in the Mariners/Phillies. He's from Philly and they've always been my favorite NL team. Loved Schmidty and the rest of that '80 bunch -- even #14. We've been looking forward to this for a long time. God I love sports.
by kyle flynn 6/16/2011 - 12:27 am (re: Articleman)

"Now, starting tomorrow night, after the Vancouver Canucks hoist the Stanley Cup..."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

by brewmn 6/16/2011 - 12:04 am (re: kyle flynn)

seriously?

by kyle flynn 6/16/2011 - 12:31 am (re: brewmn)

NYT:

The dancing and preening ceased. The audacity was gone.The Dallas Mavericks, a team with fewer stars, less hype and more humility, stole the Heat’s swagger, then appropriated its arena for a championship party of their own.

After seeing Wade and LeBron's coughing act before their loss in game 5, I realized that one or both of them need to grow up, they behaved like rude high school kids making fun of a fellow student. I cannot imagine a Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Magic, or in fact any player from NBA history pulling such a stupid stunt.

On a positive note, at least the Bynum chest elbowing sort of injury inflicting play was not seen by either of these teams in the Finals.

I noted one of the ESPN guys after the game said he doesn't think many of today's NBA stars (assume he meant LeBron) have the will or the discipline to improve their game, as Magic Johnson had said LeBron (improve post play) and the HEAT (improve team play) need to do to win a championship.

by NCD 6/13/2011 - 12:38 am

" America's basketball fans turn their grateful eyes to you.  All is right in the world.  For tonight, LeBron James still hasn't won anything."

 

AHMEN.

 

by EB (not verified) 6/13/2011 - 2:01 am (re: NCD)
Yes on Bynum. And how could the NYT have appropriated my column's theme of humility and no humility? It is me making this about the Heatles' arrogance, not the Heatles... :)
by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 9:10 am (re: NCD)

It was Michael Wilbon who said that he does not see evidence of introspection in James that might suggest James will scrutinize his game, figure out what he needs to improve at, and dedicate himself to doing that over the offseason and beyond.  He said that introspection in professional athletes seems to be a thing of the past and then went on to say that Durant and Rose have it.  They are very tough on themselves, know they need to improve, and no one has to tell them that, they're intensely motivated to do that on their own.

Magic Johnson said last night he blew the 1984 finals against Boston, knew he needed to improve, and went about doing that.  He said the process was brutal, he was getting beaten up in LA, deservedly so Magic implied, with talk of "Tragic Magic", etc.  Funny how I don't remember any of that.  All I think of when I think of Magic Johnson is "winner".

Jon Barry has been saying for awhile that James is very poor playing without the ball, and that that is why he did not think Miami would win a title this season.  That Wade and James were the same player, they both needed the ball to be effective. 

One of the commentators speculated about possible personnel changes, maybe trying in bring in Dwight Howard in exchange for either James or Wade, to get more balance.  I don't see Orlando doing that unless they think or know they're going to lose Howard to free agency anyway.  I would think Miami would have to give more than that.

I thought it was odd to hear Spoelstra constantly talk during the huddles to his team about--I forget the exact words he used--the importance of playing a mentally engaged game the whole night, something like that.  This was the first time in the series I'd heard him say anything like that.  One would have thought that trying to avoid elimination in the NBA finals might have obviated the need for any words to that effect.  Given the inexplicable failure of Miami to foul as Dallas was running out the clock late, noted by A-man, he might have been directing his comments to himself.  I don't know that I'm ready at this point to say Spoelstra will never be a really good coach.  But he sure got outcoached by Carlisle in this series, I thought. 

by AmericanDreamer 6/13/2011 - 9:36 am (re: NCD)

His exact phrase which he repeated to a reporter was that they needed to be "mentally stable."  Interesting choice.  As if he was afraid they would go all bi-polar on the court.

by Another Trope 6/13/2011 - 10:00 am (re: AmericanDreamer)
Wilbon's (and your) point is right on. It was the drive to improve, and the ability to look critically at one's own performance, that drove (among greats I loved), Payton and Jordan, and even drives, I must admit, Kobe. D-Rose's summer last year as he honed threes and FTs comes to mind. Unfortunately, the lack of introspection in ditching agents for buddies that led to The Decision is mirrored in his game. He's the new Wilt, truly, if you gave Wilt an expanded league, more great-player competition, horrible overexposure, and $20MM per year. Both pleasant guys who at some obvious level, Don't Get It, and never become the greatest, though they could have.
by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 10:29 am (re: AmericanDreamer)

AD thanks for the details on Wilbon.

I noted others have said Dirk had to work on his post play over the years, and Phoenix own Channing Frye showed great progress in his post game this season.

LeBron seems to already believe he is the greatest, and if so, convincing him he is only about 25% of what Jordan was, may be a problem.  I frankly doubt, as Wilbon does, if he will put in the time and effort, mental and physical, to raise his game level.

One commentator said, that Wade and LeBron after game 3, when they were up 2-1, both thought they should be up 3-0, and had the hubris to believe winning another 2 games was nearly a done deal for them. Being the coach of guys like them is clearly a challenge.

by NCD 6/13/2011 - 11:09 am (re: AmericanDreamer)

For a really nasty take on LBJ and the Heatles, here's Mr. Jason Whitlock.

by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 11:20 am (re: NCD)

One other observation on the James-Wade dynamic.

During the press conference after last night's game, James made a point of emphasizing how hard he works when the cameras and the media aren't there, and he also, in response to numerous questions, and that his commitment is to doing everything he can to helping his teammates win games. 

Wade during the presser at one point said that the Mavs just had a stronger will to win.

I'd written earlier, during the Bulls' series, that James was establishing himself as the alpha as between the two.  I now think I was wrong about that. 

Wade is the alpha.  James clearly admires, even worships, Wade.  When James was, during the postgame presser, talking about wanting to be able to come through for his teammates above all else, as I think about it, he must have talking about a feeling of having let Wade down.  It's unclear to me how much he respects his other teammates.  It's unclear to me if he knows that he has other teammates. 

Wade brought James to Miami to win a title, only to come to now question, if I am reading between the lines correctly, James' will to win, and his heart, especially at crunchtime.  Wade would never make the point directly and publicly to James but that's what I take away as an intuition based on what I heard last night. 

Turns out it's still Wade's team after all.  If he thought he could talk Riley privately into offering James straight up for Howard, do you think Wade would try to do that?  

by AmericanDreamer 6/13/2011 - 2:42 pm (re: NCD)

I never understand how in press conferences, they become the Big Two.  I also think LeBron was the alpha in the Bulls series, and Wade the alpha in the Finals.  But it was Wade who did the ridiculous preening in game two that sent the whole series back the other way emotionally.

I don't think the Heat will trade either Wade or James, or will even consider doing so.  I see Howard ending up with the Lakers.

by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 4:28 pm (re: AmericanDreamer)

Beautiful.  Character and determination and, oh yeah, teamwork won.  In the end, by those standards, it wasn't even close.

by MrSmith1 6/13/2011 - 5:59 am

I submit to your schadenfreude ;)

by William K. Wolfrum 6/13/2011 - 8:54 am
LOL. I think in wrestling terms, I just did a heel turn from your opposite column. Or something like that.
by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 9:06 am (re: William K. Wolfrum)

I have come to see James as a pathetic character, more deserving of my pity than my further contempt at this point.  And so I read this piece as a bit of piling on at this point, which maybe was part of the point.  To me, it just doesn't need to be said, again, how ludicrous are the comparisons with Jordan, etc.  These kinds of comparisons just aren't worth taking seriously. 

In the postgame, likewise I was struck by the comment you referred to, about how all the (in his mind) losers out there who root against him will still have to wake up and deal with their own (sorry-ass, implied) lives.  I did not feel anger at that unfortunate remark.  Rather, I felt sadness for this physical monster of a human being, who on a social and emotional and maturity level is still very much a boy.  He may be professional sports' foremost manchild at this point, an "honor" for which he has considerable competition.  Unlike Wade, who apart from that childish, low-class pregame mocking of Nowitzki does, James just doesn't have any social awareness. And so he will continue to not get it.  He lacks grace, does not comprehend it.

I have no idea if going forward he wants the type of obsessive attention he's been getting for awhile now, or not.  But I won't be giving it to him.  To me he's an exceptionally physically gifted athlete who has underachieved under the microscope he invited others to observe him under.  So, another unselfaware fool.  Hardly unusual in the world of pro sports.  Unless and until something about him changes I find him uninteresting, not worth investing emotion in.  However much he brought it on himself, he has suffered for his follies.  Enough schadenfreude, for me at least.  It's hard for me to root (too hard) against someone once I've come to see them as pathetic and lost.

by AmericanDreamer 6/13/2011 - 9:58 am
You take the high road, and I'll take the low road, but I'll be in Scotland afore ye. But seriously, pity for a guy that rich and gifted? I'll keep on rooting for the up and comers, the underdogs, just like I did when he was one.
by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 10:23 am (re: AmericanDreamer)

Pity not in the sense of now rooting for him.  But pity more in the sense of seeing him as pathetic, uninteresting for now at least (unless and until he decides to change, at which point he could become interesting to me), and at this point not deserving of much respect with all he has going for him, on account of his own decisions.  I certainly don't feel sorry for him.  

The last chapters in the LeBron James story have not been written.  There is ample opportunity for a redemption story here.    

Do you find yourself rooting sometimes for underdogs who are not up-and-comers, who aren't young tykes?  I definitely found myself rooting for Nowitzki and Kidd and Marion and Chandler and Barrea and Terry, seeing all of them as underdogs in current context even though (in part because) none of them is a young turk.  

by AmericanDreamer 6/13/2011 - 10:42 am (re: Articleman)

Oh sure, I like underdogs with grey hair or the brand new up and comer kinds.  I was just pointing out that recently, LeBron was both.  In the former category, you had the 2004 Pistons, another little team that could.  Were I not a lifelong Bulls fan, I would surely have rooted for the Jazz in 1997 and 1998, with old Malone and Stockton and their little market.  I'm an equal-opportunity rooter for the little guy.

by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 11:28 am (re: AmericanDreamer)

Not sure I fully understand the repeated emphasis on Miami "not having a point guard", as though that is somehow a fatal obstacle to winning a title.

It isn't--as you know.  Your Bulls won multiple championships without a true point guard.  They had 2 and 3 players who were excellent ballhandlers and playmakers, and obviously didn't need a traditional point guard to excel.  They won it with, rather, pure shooting guards such as Kerr and Paxson playing alongside Jordan in the backcourt, beating, twice, a Jazz team that did have one of the best pure point guards ever in Stockton.

The Spurs have won several championships with Parker as their nominal point guard.  Parker is a magnificent penetrator but has never had great assist numbers as you normally expect from a true point guard.  The Lakers have won multiple titles with Derek Fisher as their point guard, not handling the ball nearly as much as a traditional point guard.  The recent year the Celtics won it was when Rondo was nowhere near the facilitator he is now.  He was--as to a degree he still is--considered a liability or at least a risk in late-game situations where the opponent needed to foul.  

By contrast, the teams with the most talked-about point guards this season--notably the Bulls and the Thunder--came up short.

Chalmers stepped up well for the Heat, I thought.  He looked less afraid to shoot in crunchtime than James or anyone else on the team except Wade did.  Is he a true point guard?  Perhaps not, but he had half a dozen assists last night.  He could develop into a good one, maybe, say, a Jameer Nelson or better.  He certainly can help spread the floor with a good 3 ball if what we saw in the finals is going to be typical of him going forward.  If he becomes the starter next year, I think he would hardly be the most important barrier to their winning a ring, and in fact he might not be a barrier at all. 

Nor is having a great center a must to win a title.  Again, your Bulls won 6 championships when their best center during those years was probably Bill Cartwright, a very solid defender, great locker room guy and team leader, but hardly what you would call an NBA star.  The Pistons won with Laimbeer--who was a decent player but hardly a standout.  The Celtics won it in '08 with Perkins, a strong defender and decent rebounder but, again, hardly what you would call a star.  The Lakers won it twice with a gimpy Bynum unable to give them as much as he gave them in these playoffs. 

Joel Anthony is an excellent defender--quicker and a better shot blocker although smaller and not as physical a paint/low-post banger as Cartwright, and probably better than bad cop Laimbeer.  He clearly is an offensive liability but does Miami need one more guy on the court who needs or wants the ball?  Ok, maybe they could use a center who knows what the hell to do with the ball beyond looking longingly at the nearest available teammate to take it off his hands--please, pretty please take it off his hands--as quickly as possible. 

I don't see any specific recipe for the kind of team role and position makeup necessary to win a title. 

by AmericanDreamer 6/13/2011 - 1:18 pm

The Heat need a low-post scorer first, and a small guard who can shoot threes next.  Bosh's competencies are redundant of the Big Two to too great a degree.  Those to me are their weaknesses, along with no bench.  I think they should trade Bosh but would look like jerks to, since he came there to play with the other two guys.  It's tough staffing a team with two guys who need to play on the ball, neither of whom are PGs. 

by Articleman 6/13/2011 - 4:31 pm (re: AmericanDreamer)

Using "two" and "too" and "to" consecutively and correctly in the same sentence with "redundant" deserves an honorable mention.

by A Guy Called LULU 6/13/2011 - 5:34 pm (re: Articleman)

by Another Trope 6/14/2011 - 10:03 am
Ring ring? No answer at LeBron's...
by Articleman 6/14/2011 - 10:32 am (re: Another Trope)

Just to say that the LeBron love is spawning.

Vancouver's widely unloved goalie - Roberto Luongo - has had a few bad games this Stanley Cup Finals against Boston. e.g. Last night he got pulled in the first period. 

Apparently, he has now been dubbed.... "Lebrongo."

Ouch.

by quinn esq 6/14/2011 - 10:25 am

by Donal 6/14/2011 - 2:39 pm

No, that would be impossible, for we all have such miserable lives filled with ineradicable problems.  I know this, because LeBron James said so.  In the name of the father...

by Articleman 6/14/2011 - 3:54 pm (re: Donal)

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