LeBron James Joins MVP Race in Potential NBA Finals Preview
CLEVELAND — The candles can burn at both ends when you're among the NBA's truly elite. Your season typically ends later, because you are helping to carry your team deep into the postseason. Then the scrutiny starts earlier in the next season, especially if you don't appear quite yourself.
Steve Kerr saw that phenomenon firsthand in Chicago. That's where the current Golden State Warriors head coach played with Michael Jordan, who took his team all the way to the end, and the top, six times. Prior to Thursday's featured game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kerr joked that the climb was so challenging and exhausting that both times after Jordan went to three straight NBA Finals he retired.
LeBron James just went to four, and for a while, a fifth seemed exceptionally unlikely. His new, old team stumbled out of the gate, and his new coach appeared to struggle to acclimate. The pieces didn't seem to fit, James looked diminished in terms of his explosiveness, and he took the longest break of his career (eight games) in order to recover physically and recharge mentally.
But everything is different now, in terms of the roster, the attitude and the outlook.
That was evident again Thursday night, in a fairly convincing 110-99 win against what, until now, has been the NBA's best team. The Warriors had been 33-3 with Thursday's starting lineup, but they never led by more than four, and never in the final 39 minutes.
That's because they never came come close to catching up with James. He started seeing his shots fall when he took the court earlier than usual, nearly three hours prior to tipoff and, even with a tight back and against a raised hand, kept seeing them connect until he exited with 42 points.
He's clearly in the MVP conversation now, even if he continues to insist that it doesn't matter to him, that he merely wants to be the MVP of his team; even if he continues lavishing nothing but praise on the other candidates (notably Stephen Curry, who had an off night with 18 points on 5-of-17 shooting); and even though the Cavaliers, while 35-14 with him in the lineup, still are well behind the Atlanta Hawks in the East standings.
He's clearly in the conversation, even after the choppy way his season started, which is somewhat remarkable.
So was there anything to what Kerr said, about being drained after so many consecutive playoff runs that it can take some time to reset? To get back to your best again?
"Absolutely," James said. "Absolutely. I mean, I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I would love to keep getting drained and keep making Finals appearances. I would love that. But it's definitely draining...it's very draining. But like I said, I'll take it."
Just as the NBA will certainly take his presence in June, against the opponent he tormented Thursday night, he took his coaches' challenge to play in the post more. He then stepped out to the perimeter and keep draining shots that, as Warriors forward Draymond Green said, "you want him taking."
"He's probably the best player in the world, so once he gets going, it's hard to stop him," Green said.
The same can be said for the Cavaliers as a whole of late, as they've won 18 of 20. No one in the league offices would say it publicly, since the NBA (through the draft lottery and salary cap) promotes and touts competitive balance, with even the minor markets able to make their marks.
But at the moment, the Cavaliers are their best hope for an NBA Finals the masses won't ignore.
That's especially true with many traditionally marquee teams reeling, from the Los Angeles Lakers to the New York Knicks to the Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers who, back in the day, didn't make a mockery of the system.
The Chicago Bulls' shot at contending has taken a hit with the latest injury to Derrick Rose, and the Miami Heat, who still have a following from the past four years, are even longer shots to steal a series with Chris Bosh sidelined for the season.
The Hawks and Washington Wizards haven't energized their own fanbases in decades, to say nothing of the nation. The Toronto Raptors are a terrific story...for Canada. The Milwaukee Bucks? A casual fan wouldn't know any of their players' names.
The statistics—whether Web traffic or television ratings—of the Cavaliers haven't come all that close to Heat heights of the past four seasons. That's especially true early in James' tenure there, in part because his return home has made him less polarizing to the public. Yet he remains a headliner, a player whose mere presence typically doubles ticket prices on the road.
The NBA will welcome him competing against anyone from the West.
Still, of all the current top-seven seeds out there, Golden State would serve as the ideal foil, certainly better than the San Antonio Spurs (seen that three times against James already), Los Angeles Clippers (second team in their own city), Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, or smaller-market Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies.
There's only one matchup that might be of equal mainstream appeal to Cavaliers-Warriors, even if it still seems unlikely, considering the Oklahoma City Thunder, if they make the playoffs, won't have home-court advantage in a single series. Certainly, though, if they rolled through the West with their star power and fortified bench, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook would provide compelling theater in a 2012 NBA Finals rematch with James.
So why the Warriors? They play in one of the NBA's largest markets with a passionate fanbase, even if the team hasn't been consistently strong enough to register from coast to coast. They play a pleasing style and have a personable coach in Kerr, whom fans know from television, even if they didn't see the same side of him that the officials did Thursday.
Plus, they have some built-in storylines with the Cavaliers:
There's the storyline of Klay Thompson and Kevin Love, childhood friends who used to play over at each other's houses.
"Very close," Love said. "I know my dad keeps in touch with big Mychal (Klay's father) quite a bit. And I have pictures of us playing on Little League All-Star teams together and playing basketball together."
This summer, they were nearly traded for each other, when Love was still in Minnesota.
"Crazy, right?" Thompson said. "Small world, small world."
There's the storyline of the two first-season coaches, Kerr and the guy he tried to hire as his assistant, David Blatt. Blatt bristled before Thursday's game at the continuing notion that he's a "rookie coach," arguing, "I've been a head coach for 22 years; I think people overlook that too easily and I think unfairly."
There's the storyline of Curry and Kyrie Irving, two of the more prominent young figures in the league's point guard revolution. There are plenty of other players with familiar names, from Andre Iguodala to J.R. Smith to Andrew Bogut.
But of course, the primary storyline would be James versus the league's latest wonder kid. One who accrued more All-Star votes at the most competitive position (West backcourt). One who is featured in an increasing array of advertisements. One who is more relatable than any other major superstar in the game—including James—because he hardly looks like an extraordinary, adult specimen, with his babyface and 185-pound frame.
"I often compare him to Tim Duncan, because it's a rare combination, a rare quality he has to be humble and sort of arrogant at the same time, if that makes sense," Kerr said. "Steph is arrogant with his game and incredibly humble and modest off the game, and with people, and with the media, and with his teammates. And that's a powerful force."
Powerful enough to be far more popular, already, than Duncan could have ever dreamed. (Actually, check that—Duncan has never cared.)
That popularity comes with a price, and Curry spoke Thursday of how "there's a lot more more stuff going on, but my life off the court, when it comes to how I handle things, is exactly the same. And that's how I want to keep it."
Kerr spoke of having consulted with Curry about making sure he's not too nice, that he doesn't say yes to every request so he makes sure that he gets his rest. James spoke of Curry coming from a "great household," which has helped him learn how to handle everything.
"It's good to have someone in our league that understands what it means to be a professional," James said.
Curry spoke of having a "cordial" relationship since James took an interest in him when Curry was in college and even called him "a huge help" in the transition to the NBA. That cordiality was demonstrated prior to tipoff, when James made sure to reach over to extend his hand.
The competitiveness came out of James quickly after. He was especially animated and aggressive on this evening, whether with the spin dribble, the defensive closeouts, the step-back jumpers or the chest-punching of teammate Tristan Thompson after the latter secured an offensive rebound with one hand.
Then, he capped it by working over exceptional defender Draymond Green in the post, finishing with a floater.
Was he motivated mostly by the chance to chase down Curry in the MVP race, the Warriors' dominant record or even by something he mentioned later?
"I get hyped up to go out there and play the game that I love," James said. "It's not guaranteed that you're going to be able to play the next day. I just think of D-Rose right now, how the game can be taken away from you so fast."
One team's misfortune is another's opportunity.
James more clearly sees it than he has all season, with the way his team is defending, executing and trusting.
And by the way his body feels.
No longer drained.
Back draining shots.
"The best player on the planet for the last five years had a huge game against us," Kerr said, matter of factly.
"Tonight just wasn't my best game," said Curry, who also expressed displeasure with the officiating. "Shots that I normally make didn't fall tonight."
Their season series is done, with James missing the first meeting and taking over the second.
Will the Warriors see James again?
For that, you can be sure the NBA will be burning some candles, while saying silent prayers.
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