NBA Playoffs

Jump Shooter LeBron = 0 championships.

And lets face it the guy is a moron so he's not going to change the way he plays the game.

[dalakhani]

I guess we have to add Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith to the group that says Lebron isnt guarding rafer alston. Its either that or he CANT guard him. Rafer Alston had 26 points tonight and 18 the night before. This is one of the worst point guards in the NBA...a guy that was given away midseason by another playoff team for a backup.

I love being vindicated.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I guess we have to add Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith to the group that says Lebron isnt guarding rafer alston. Its either that or he CANT guard him. Rafer Alston had 26 points tonight and 18 the night before. This is one of the worst point guards in the NBA...a guy that was given away midseason by another playoff team for a backup.

I love being vindicated.

In the first half Lebron was guarding Alston at one point. I heard them say it on the darn tv.

You just couldnt tell cause Alston was wide open the whole game it looked like nobody was guarding him.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

In the first half Lebron was guarding Alston at one point. I heard them say it on the darn tv.

You just couldnt tell cause Alston was wide open the whole game it looked like nobody was guarding him.

Thats exactly what i have been saying the whole thread. Lebron is playing a one man zone. Orlando has made significant adjustments to attack that defense and now alston looks like he is actually a player instead of a bum that was picked up midseason for garbage.

Alston actually drove right past lebron a couple of times when he was standing in front of him (i wouldnt call it guarding him).

So its either Lebron can't guard him or he isnt guarding him. There is no other way Rafer Alston scores 26 points in a playoff game or even the 18 the game before.

[Antitrust32]

It really doesnt look like anyone guards or cares about Alston. Its kind of pathetic. This series sucks.

But horse is right about why Cleveland is losing. There is only one guy on the team who can shoot... and he isnt even shooting particularly well. (though his point total would say he is... he is taking a lot of shots).


I think the league is getting what it deserves. They put on Lebron and Kobe commercials non stop so they are getting an Orlando - Denver final. Just works out that way.

I was watching off and on and noticed that LeBron attempted two jumpers from around 9:00 to 1:00...the Cavs were playing decent, cut the lead, then had a 1 point lead when Jump Shooter LeBron decided to take a long-range 2 with his feet on the 3-point line. BRICK.

All of the other nonsense about help is fine and dandy but the fact remains the guy settles for jumpers in crucial situations instead of driving to the basket. He's a horrible jump shooter compared to the hall of famers he so wants to surpass but never will. This will continue to happen with the Knicks and when he has a competent supporting cast.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

It really doesnt look like anyone guards or cares about Alston. Its kind of pathetic. This series sucks.

But horse is right about why Cleveland is losing. There is only one guy on the team who can shoot... and he isnt even shooting particularly well. (though his point total would say he is... he is taking a lot of shots).


I think the league is getting what it deserves. They put on Lebron and Kobe commercials non stop so they are getting an Orlando - Denver final. Just works out that way.

I made this point earlier in the thread and is was mentioned last night: Cleveland has not one single player that can score in the post. Not one. Of course Lebron and a couple of the other go down there once or twice a game but they don't have a single guy that can consistently or even inconsistently score with his back to the basket.

I dont recall one title contending team that was designed this way. Am I missing a team?

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Cannon mushed the Cavs. If Connie Stevens could paint the Cavs right now, what would the painting be called?

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I made this point earlier in the thread and is was mentioned last night: Cleveland has not one single player that can score in the post. Not one. Of course Lebron and a couple of the other go down there once or twice a game but they don't have a single guy that can consistently or even inconsistently score with his back to the basket.

I dont recall one title contending team that was designed this way. Am I missing a team?

It's not just that, they are capable of scoring enough points to win. Their problem is with Ilgauskas in the game they will give up an open three every single possession with him unable to switch onto the ball off a screen or to roll and cover the man setting the screen. After every pick and roll with Ilguaskas in the game there is someone left wide open and if the help defense comes they just find the next guy wide open. It's pretty masterful.

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Jump Shooter LeBron = 0 championships.

And lets face it the guy is a moron so he's not going to change the way he plays the game.

Always a pleasure to hear from perhaps the only perfect human being ever to live.

Fine, do you really want this explained to you?? It is not rocket science. The simple difference maker in this series is Mo Williams. The Cavs were so devoid of talent, he was considered the final piece to aid LeBron. LeBron's Pippen. To compare a guy like Mo Williams to Pippen is absurd but it is what it is. He had a great regular season shooting 47 percent and was a 44 percent 3 point shooter.

This series, their 2nd best player is shooting 23 for 71...32 percent and 6 for 27 from 3...22 percent (and one of those made 3s was a 65 footer...take that one away and the 44 percent season 3 point shooter is shooting under 20 percent this series.). That's it. That is what is wrong. For them to be playing every game to the wire with their number 2 guy doing pretty much zero speaks to just how well LeBron is playing this series. To have your number 2 scorer and one of the best 3 point shooters in the league shooting half of his 82 game 3 point percentage is not a recipe for Cavalier playoff success. LeBron did turn the ball over a ton in game 4 late which certainly played a role in the loss, but the biggest problem this series has been Mo Williams. He's a poor defensive player. His singular purpose is to be the complementary offensive player for LeBron and he performed that role tremendously in the regular season. And to say LeBron is not getting him the ball would be a gross mis-statement. Mo is getting 18 shots a game this series....7 threes a game. He is what has killed them this series. Then he goes and shoots his mouth off making guarantees trying to ignite something and he goes out and shoots his obligatory 5 for 15 and 0 for 3 from three point range. He was beyond depressed after the game, he knows it is all on him. He is the problem so far.

LeBron series shooting 56 for 110, 51 percent....rest of team 90 of 220, 41 percent. 3 point series shooting. LeBron 9 for 27, 33 percent. Rest of team 15 for 65, 23 percent. Magic shooting 43 percent from 3 this series. Cleveland 26 percent. Cleveland was a better shooting 3 point team than Orlando this year. 39 percent to 38 percent. So basically what you have is one of the top 3 three point shooting teams in the league shooting terribly. LeBron is the only one shooting close to his season percentage from long range. They're a JUMP SHOOTING team. That's what they became this year. They improved their offense by leaps and bounds. That's why they went from a 45 to 50 win regular season team to a 66 win team this year. They are simply not shooting well this series. Whether that's Orlando's defense is debatable. I've seen them miss numerous wide open looks...I mean wide open. They're not shooting this series. Mo Williams is the biggest cuplrit. Not jump shooting LeBron. Those are the facts. Facts are always debatable however when you are dealing with perfect human beings but I did my best. I know what's going on this series. I was the only person on this thread in mid April to pick Orlando to reach the finals. I know how Cleveland plays against them. They struggle. They are actually playing Orlando much better this series than they did in the regular season or the last 3 years. In all honestly, despite my whining and crying, Orlando is lucky to be up 3-1, but they are. As poorly as Cleveland is shooting from long range, and as great as Orlando is shooting from long range, cleveland had legitimate chances to win 3 of the 4 games this series.

Thanks for your help though. None of us...me, LeBron, nor Mo will ever reach perfection as you have. Sorry. Back to regularly scheduled programming.