NBA Finals 2012: Why LeBron James' Injury Won't Affect Game 5 Performance

Nothing is going to prevent LeBron James from his first NBA title.

According to Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald, King James had some leg cramps toward the end of Game 4:

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Miami Heat star LeBron James said Wednesday that he was still sore from cramps but expects to be fine for Thursday’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

“I feel a lot better than I did last night. That’s clear,’’ James said at an NBA Finals news conference. “I’m still a little sore because of the muscles just kind of being at an intense level, very tight. I’m still sore. I was able to get some treatment [Tuesday] night. I was able to get some treatment this morning.’’

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This is great news for Heat fans, and even worse for those rooting on Oklahoma City's side.

Still, James will have to be cautious of the injury in Game 5, but it won't affect his performance. Regardless of the outcome, expect King James to put on a strong show.

Magnitude

The magnitude of this series alone is enough to prevent a player like James from sitting out because of an injury.

For one, there is no guarantee that Miami or James will make the NBA Finals next year or any time thereafter. Whether it's the regular season or playoffs, the Heat are getting everyone's A-game, so James has to be thinking now or never (even though it's a good bet the Heat will be in this position again).

To that end, when on this level of professional sports, nothing can be taken for granted. Appreciating the opportunity alone at potentially winning the NBA title should be motivating enough.

Criticism

No matter what the outcome, LeBron James will continue to get scrutinized. Thing is, it's much better for his reputation and legacy to play when feeling pain anyway.

We all know about Michael Jordan and the flu game, among other injured/sick performances in pro sports. Regardless of the significance of James' condition, he would be unfairly and excessively criticized if he were to miss Game 5.

The man already receives enough heat (no pun intended) for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers in the manner he departed, but at some point, we all have to move on. Fortunately for James, he has another championship opportunity, and there's no reason to let it slip by.

Expectations

Now we get to James' Game 5 expectations. Well, expect him to dominate just like the first four games and put the Heat in excellent position to win.

Oklahoma City's Achilles Heel all year has been defense, and the more James attacks, the more Miami puts the pressure on. Even if James can't be overzealous in this game, his raw shooting talent alone will benefit his team, despite not needing to move off the ball as much.

Because of the injury, we'll likely see James start off colder than usual and then pick up as the game progresses. Anticipate more assists from him in the first half and then more aggressiveness in the second.

Also, the Thunder have allowed over 100 points twice this series (96.9 average during the regular season), so the opportunity is there to finish. All James has to do is get it done.

John Rozum on Twitter.