LeBron James: Only King James Can Resurrect Heat's Plummeting Playoff Hopes
The Miami Heat is in deep trouble and only its MVP can save them.
LeBron James is the only one playing like a star on his team thus far through three games in the Eastern Conference semi’s against the Indiana Pacers, (27.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 3.3 spg)…and it doesn’t look like things are going to change anytime soon.
As soon as Chris Bosh went down with an abdominal strain that knocked him out of this round, we all knew LBJ and Dwyane Wade would have to step up in a big way.
Instead, Wade is fresh off one of the most horrific performances of his career (five points, five turnovers 2-of-13 shooting), and now ESPN is reporting he’s been getting treatment for knee and leg soreness. His outburst at coach Erik Spoelstra shows us that the pressure is really starting to affect him.
When the big-three was constructed, Pat Riley knew the supporting cast was going to be the weakness of the team. Aside from Mario Chalmers’ 25 points in Game 3, that has been an understatement.
That means all eyes are on LeBron. It’s like he’s back in Cleveland again.
The MVP has to step up in the fourth quarter. He registered only four points in the last 12 minutes on Thursday and didn’t take the potential game-winning shot in Game 2. He didn’t even touch the ball. While some of that can certainly be blamed on the coaching staff, it’s up to LBJ to assert himself and ensure he is the one using his ridiculous 6’8’’, 250 pound frame to barrel down the lane and draw the foul.
It’s LeBron’s job to ensure his team doesn’t score only 75 for a third straight game. It’s his job to ensure D-Wade doesn’t have another mental breakdown. It’s his job to ensure his teammates are more involved. How can he do this?
Run the offense through the post.
James has been forced to play power forward with the Bosh injury and has been able to score for the first three quarters of a game with relative ease. Yet he seems to abandon the paint in the fourth quarter, and the Heat offense ends up looking like an expensive version of the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Heat has to utilize his outstanding rebounding abilities and incredible vision in a spot on the floor where he can create space for others. Paul George and Danny Granger are wearing him down on the perimeter with their length. When he plays in the post, his strength is the difference maker.
Allow Wade to work the baseline and let shooters like Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers run off screens to find wide-open looks once the double-teams come.
Somehow Wade is always able to duck criticism (that’s an entirely different story); all of the blame is put on LeBron. Mentally Wade is a mess and it’s the MVP’s job to ensure he gets involved in the action early and regains his lost confidence.
LeBron may have wanted to avoid this situation when he signed with the Heat, but here we are, and the next two to four games will go a long way in letting us know just how far he has come to extract his playoff demons. Here is his chance to be the hero.
Use the post!
