Overanalyzing LeBron James' Cavs Return, and Takeaways from Thursday's NBA Slate
It's just one game, even if it felt like something far more consequential.
LeBron James' second debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't go quite as expected. Outfitted with a new Big Three, including stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, head coach David Blatt's new-look Cavs lost their season opener to the New York Knicks 95-90 Thursday night.
Though Love and Irving combined for a respectable 41 points on the game, they were largely overshadowed by a four-time MVP who underwhelmed in the face of highly hyped expectations.
James finished a much-anticipated first half with four turnovers and four points, making just one of nine field-goal attempts. Though he'd end the game with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, he wound up making just five of his 15 field-goal attempts.
The ineffectiveness was particularly acute on jumpers.
And then there were the turnovers.
Make it eight by the end of the contest.
Down by five points with less than 24 seconds remaining in the game, he almost committed his ninth on an ill-advised kickout to the perimeter.
James attributed the missteps to chemistry that's yet to be forged in full. "I was throwing the ball where I thought my teammates will be," he told media after the game. "Those things will come."
Words we can probably take to the bank.
Yes, it's only one game, but it was a historically bad one for James.
We can certainly speculate about what ruined the celebrated debut. The pomp and circumstance surrounding the moment couldn't have helped.
"First of all, that was an emotional night for him," Blatt told reporters after the game. "He wanted badly to win the game and help the team play well. We've got to do a better job of getting him the ball in motion."
James himself denied the pressure was getting to him.
"I didn't press," the two-time champion told reporters following the contest. "I didn't do much. It was a special night. I'm glad it was great, but I'm also glad it's over."
While all eyes were understandably on LBJ, it was New York's Carmelo Anthony who led all scorers with 25 points to go along with his six assists. Bouncing back from a 14-point outing in New York's season-opening 104-80 loss to the Chicago Bulls, the 30-year-old stopped the Knicks' bleeding at Cleveland's expense.
Piling on to his disappointing evening, James fouled Anthony during a three-point attempt with 5:04 remaining in the contest. Anthony later hit a baseline jumper over James' outstretched hand with 25.9 seconds left, stretching the lead to five points and making it a two-possession game.
James and Co. will face what should be an even stiffer challenge Friday when they travel to Chicago for a meeting with the Bulls. The matchup pits the East's two juggernauts against one another in what could be a preview of the conference finals.
It will count just as much (or as little) as Thursday night's game in the standings, but it reminds us that James will have plenty of opportunities to make statements this season.
Statements about his Cavaliers' title chances. Statements about his most valuable pedigree. Statements about how far this team has come since his first go-around in Cleveland.
And for every statement game, there will be forgettable ones—especially in the early goings of a season that won't tell us much about this club until February or March. James has made his marks, and he'll make some more.
We can't get too worked up when he makes a few mistakes in the process.
Around the Association
Triangulating the New York Knicks Offense
Lost in the LeBron mix is the fact that New York claimed a badly needed win as it attempts to transition over to the triangle offense under new head coach Derek Fisher. After putting up just 80 points in its opening loss to the Bulls, this offense needed to build some confidence.
And it did just that despite an 18-point first quarter that threatened more of the same.
New York posted 53 points in the second half and found help in some unlikely places. Big man Jason Smith scored 12 points off the bench, and point guards Shane Larkin and Pablo Prigioni combined for 15 points, while starter Jose Calderon sat out with a strained calf that will sideline him for the next two to three weeks.
The Knicks still have a shaky grasp of their new triangle principles, and it will almost certainly take some time for their execution to catch up. In the interim, every win they can gut out is a plus—to say nothing of an unlikely victory against the Cavs.
Wizards Back on Track
After the short-handed Washington Wizards came out flat in their season-opening 107-95 loss to the Miami Heat, head coach Randy Wittman's up-and-coming club got its new campaign back on track with a 105-98 victory over the rebuilding Orlando Magic.
"I like the way we responded," Wittman told reporters after the game. "We created more offense with our defense tonight than we have in eight preseason games and last night."
Point guard John Wall led the way with 30 points and 12 assists, while summer addition Paul Pierce followed up a 17-point debut with another 16 points of his own. Even as shooting guard Bradley Beal remains out for what may be another month recovering from a wrist injury, Washington appears poised to stay afloat.
SVG Era Off to Shaky Start
There are hopes that new team president and head coach Stan Van Gundy can turn the Detroit Pistons around after five seasons in which the organization has missed the playoffs. It appears that improvement may not happen overnight.
Detroit lost its second straight game Thursday night, this time by a 97-91 margin to the rebuilding Minnesota Timberwolves. Josh Smith added some silver lining to the previous loss to the Denver Nuggets (in the form of 25 points) but was limited to just 10 points against Minnesota—and a rough 5-of-16 performance from the field.
Greg Monroe missed his second game due to league suspension (driving while visibly impaired), but one is already tempted to believe the Pistons' problems may go a little deeper.
Reserve point guard D.J. Augustin posted 20 points in the loss after playing twice as many minutes as starter Brandon Jennings. And drama wasn't far behind.
Sometimes sarcasm says it best.
The Chandler Parsons We Know and Love
Parsons will make $14.7 million this season in the first installation of a three-year pact that offers him a player option for the 2016-17 campaign. It's a pricey deal that's created instant expectations—expectations that weren't met with a five-point debut in the Dallas Mavericks' 101-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
The 26-year-old made just two of 10 field-goal attempts Tuesday night, but he returned to form Thursday with 21 points and seven rebounds in a one-sided 120-102 victory over the Utah Jazz. This time Parsons made half of his 16 field-goal attempts and looked like the emerging star for which owner Mark Cuban had bargained.
It's likely the first of many strong outings to come.
Another One Down in OKC
Russell Westbrook left the Oklahoma City Thunder's 93-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers during the second quarter after injuring his right hand. Already missing Kevin Durant, Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb and others, it goes without saying this team can hardly afford another significant setback.
According to ESPNLosAngeles.com's Arash Markazi, "Westbrook had X-rays taken at Staples Center and was set to be re-evaluated Friday. GM Sam Presti said the team would have more information then."
Already, however, the news isn't good.
Coming off a 59-win season in which it claimed the Western Conference's No. 2 seed, there's a good chance Oklahoma City's early injuries will prompt a step back in the standings. Its 0-2 start shouldn't spark any overreaction, but it could certainly take this club some time to regroup.
Your Nightly Heroics
It didn't translate into a victory, but Oklahoma City forward Perry Jones III notched a career-high 32 points in a valiant effort for the short-handed roster. It wasn't just his first 30-point game; it was the first time he cracked 20 at the NBA level.
The third-year Baylor product has never been short on upside, but health concerns led to a 2012 draft-night slide that allowed the Thunder to snatch him with the 28th overall pick.
Now that his team has been decimated by injury, Jones may have the chance to demonstrate his growth. The 23-year-old averaged just 12.3 minutes per contest a season ago. Two games into his 2014-15 campaign, he's averaging 36 minutes.
It won't last when the Thunder rotation returns to full strength, but it could be the breakthrough Jones needs to cement his value in this league.
