Eastern Conference Semifinals Preview

The Eastern Conference Semifinals are finally upon us, and the top three contenders are still in the mix with an outsider added in.  The Bulls and Heat both took care of business in five tough games against their respective opponents, the Pacers and the Sixers.  Both teams looked relatively sluggish throughout but their superior talent helped them prevail.  Boston dispatched of the New York Knicks in four quick games, an outcome unexpected by most, as the Celtics ended the regular season with poor play down the stretch.  The odd man out in these Eastern Conference Semifinals is the Atlanta Hawks.  Atlanta used strong defense and a barrage of different weapons on offense to eliminate Dwight Howard and company in six intensely contested games.  Can the Hawks beat the Bulls?  Can LeBron and D-Wade finally defeat their arch-nemesis the Celtics? Find out below with my Eastern Conference Semifinals Preview

Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls 

Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls
should prove too strong for the
Atlanta Hawks

While Atlanta surprised a cold shooting Magic team, the Bulls had some trouble dealing with the Indiana Pacers, winning three of their four games by six points or less.  Throughout the regular season, the Bulls took two of three from Atlanta, winning 114-81 at Atlanta in their most recent meeting.  Like in the Grizzlies-Nuggets series, Point Guard play should be the deciding factor.  Derrick Rose has developed into one of the top point guards in the league, along side Chris Paul and Deron Williams in my book, as he has increased his range and improved his shooting in his third year.  Against the Hawks this year Rose averaged 25.3 ppg and 9.0 apg in only 33 mpg, meaning that he was extremely productive and difficult to defend when he was on the court.  Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah are more effective in the paint than Josh Smith and Al Horford, and although Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford are sold scorers from the wing, Luol Deng and Kyle Korver can shoot outside just as well.  The only advantage I see for the Hawks is their depth and the scoring of Joe Johnson, but besides that this is Chicago's series to lose.  If Chicago plays with more confidence then they did against the Pacers expect this series to be over pretty quickly.

Make it: Chicago in 5

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat

Chris Bosh needs to become more of
a factor on offense for the Heat
to advance

Clearly this is the most-hyped series of the Conference Semifinals, and deservedly so.  Of the Eastern Conference teams remaining the Celtics are the most experienced and battle tested, while the Heat are the most talented and flashy.  The Celtics took three of four games from the Heat this season, and despite some late season struggles, dispatched the Knicks in the first round and look as fresh and sharp as ever.  Meanwhile the Heat lumbered through their series against the 76ers, starting most their games relatively sluggishly before finishing strong in the fourth quarter.  This does not bode well for the Celtics, as they are generally capable of breaking down a bit during the fourth quarter.  However, past performances aside, I think both these teams will be playing at their absolute best throughout this series.  LeBron holds a grudge against the Celtics for taking out his old Cavs teams, but it hasn't really shown thus far this season, as he 'only' averaged 28.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and 6.5 apg against the Celtics this year.  These numbers are pretty standard for LeBron but you would expect him to perform better against an opponent with which he has a chip on his shoulder.  His fg% is only .488 against the Celtics as opposed to .510% for the season, so clearly the Celtics force him into slightly worse shots.  If the Heat want to beat the Celtics, Chris Bosh needs to step it up.  The Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins this winter for Jeff Green, giving them one less body down in the paint to guard players like Bosh, or Boozer/Gasol/Bynum in future series.  If Bosh can take advantage of an aging frontline inculding Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Glen Davis, and Shaq, he should be able to push the Heat over the top.  Bosh shot .550% from the field against Boston during the regular season, and if he can get more touches he might be able to make the difference between advancing and going home early.

He may look like an alien,
but he sure knows how
to pass the ball!

Regarding the Celtics play against Miami, Kevin Garnett shoots .543% against the Heat, while Ray Allen averages four three pointers made per game at a .571% clip.  Paul Pierce shoots .489%, but he always seems to come through in the playoffs when needed.  Judging by how the Celtics played the Heat during the regular season, and the way they swept the Knicks, one would assume Boston would continue their winning ways against the Heat.  However, Boston has always been a poor road playoff team. Many have been trying to pinpoint Boston's demise over the past few years, and it may occur here as they are getting older.  Yet, I think the Celtics can have another run at it.  Rajon Rondo is the difference maker for the Celtics, as his distribution keeps getting better.  Although his shooting may be a liability, he makes an enormous difference and can outplay either Mike Bibby or Mario Chalmers by a longshot.  Celtics win this one as playoff experience trumps starpower and talent.

Make it: Celtics in 6

Winning: LeBron James

One may think that LeBron is a pretty obvious candidate for the 'winning' series, and he is, but this focuses on his achievements since 'The Decision' as opposed to the plethora he has accomplished throughout his lifetime.  First, I focus on his achievements on the basketball court.



New team, better teammates, same stats


Going into the 2010-2011 season LeBron was fresh off two consecutive MVP awards and three straight seasons in which he averaged over 27-7-7 (pts,rbs,ast) a game.  Playing alongside fellow superstars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, LeBron's numbers were expected to take a bit of a hit, especially in the points category.  Have his numbers declined? Hardly!  LeBron averaged 29.7-7.3-8.7 last season, and has maintained those approximate averages with 26.7-7.5-7.0 this season.  One benefit of playing on the Heat is that LeBron doesn't have to carry such a heavy load. His field goal percentage increased to .510% from .503% in 2009-2010.  Despite playing on such a talented team, LeBron has managed to maintain his superb statistics while continuing his winning ways with the Heat. Off the court, 'The Decision' left a sour taste in the mouths of many NBA fans, especially those from Cleveland.  One would think, why would LeBron leave the town he grew up near, leaving his childhood, success, and a strong supportive atmosphere behind?  Evidently LeBron came to the conclusion he couldn't win an NBA title in Cleveland.  Was there a backlash to his decision? Originally yes, but now? Yesterday Lebron's jersey became the top worldwide seller, surpassing Kobe Bryant.  This was the first time LeBron's jersey was the top seller since 2004.  LeBron was clearly grateful for this, saying:

“ It just shows that I've still got a lot of fans out there, man. ... I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes. I'm trying to move forward. But as a basketball player and a role model I am trying to do the right thing. ”
-- LeBron James

Some athletes don't realize what a positive impact they can have if they try and serve their constituents as a positive role model.  Clearly LeBron James realizes this and appreciates his supporters.



A combination with very profitable potential


Moving away from the world of basketball, LeBron recently teamed with Fenway Sports Group to purchase a share of Liverpool FC, the sixth-most valuable soccer club in the world (and the hated rivals of my favorite team Everton).  Forbes estimates Liverpool to be worth $822 million dollars, and a very small piece of that could still deem very profitable.  Expanding his image in a more global manner could be a great move for LeBron! By exchanging some of his marketing rights to Fenway Sports Group in exchange for shares in a British soccer club should only help expand his presence.  Basketball is quite popular in the U.K. and throughout Europe in general, so this seems like one of many 'winning' moves for LeBron.

Heat-Pistons Game, What a Birthday Present!

This past Wednesday, March 23rd I had the pleasure of attending the Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat game at the Palace of Auburn Hills with Marilynn.  She purchased us tickets to the game as a birthday present to me, and damn was it a treat! 

Although Howard didn't play, he
seemed to be in high spirits!

We got to the Palace @ approximately 6 pm right when the doors opened, Marilynn sporting her LeBron shirt, while I rocked the D-Wade gear.  We were really eager to get to our seats, as Marilynn came through big time and got us tickets in the sixth row from the floor!  Considering I had never been that close to the floor at a sporting event before (Okemos High School basketball games don't count) I was quite excited.  We get down to our seats, and we had an excellent view of the Miami Heat bench.  Perfect! I would have the chance to see, in person, how much Chris Bosh resembles a dinosaur!  As we settle in we get to see Juwan Howard warming up, and even though he hasn't made an impact in the NBA since I was in middle school, I appreciate what he has done for the game as an alumnus of my Michigan Wolverines and as a member of the Fab Five.  Howard greeted every player on both teams like they were an old friend, and mingled with Pistons staff.  Clearly he is well-liked around the league and knows a plethora of people considering he has been playing in the NBA since 1994!

Around 7:15 the Heat come out to warm up.  Marilynn's favorite player is LeBron James, so naturally she was really geeked to seem him play and just observe his mannerisms from up close.  James was all fun & games during warm up, and the Heat looked like they have truly bonded as a team.  On another note, LeBron and Dwyane Wade look a lot more muscular on television. Up close LeBron's legs didn't look as thick or powerful as I expected. Following the warm-up, the crowd proceeded to boo LeBron during pregame introductions.  I understand that LeBron is a pretty polarizing figure, but shouldn't Pistons fans be happy that he isn't playing for Cleveland anymore?  The Cavaliers are one of the Piston's rivals, thus the Pistons should be content that they can beat up on the Cavs again for the first time since 2003. 

The game itself was really enjoyable!  The Pistons shot over 50% from the field up until the fourth quarter, when the Heat seemed to focus more on their defense.  The Heat ended up winning 100-94, starting the fourth quarter on a 15-0 and never relinquishing their lead, and you can find the box score here. Below are some quick observations and analyses from the game:

(1) Greg Monroe is a budding star: Yes, this comment may be a bit premature, but take a look at his stat line from this game and his statistics since the All-Star break.

Expect big things in the future from
Rookie Greg Monroe

March 23rd vs Miami Heat: 35 min, 14 pts, 12 rbs (5 orbs), 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 to, +/- = +9
Averages in March: 32.3 mpg, 13.4 ppg, .573 fg%, 9.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.8 stlpg

Monroe has been very productive since taking over for Ben Wallace, and his statistics don't support how well he played against Miami wednesday night.  Monroe was dominant on the boards due to his superior athleticism and positioning.  Expect him to develop into one of the best centers in the Eastern Conference over the upcoming year's.

(2) The Heatles can coexist peacefully: there seems to be an equal distribution of plays ran for each player, and all three are above-average passers for their position.  I was particularly impressed with Chris Bosh's vision and agility in this game.  He has really quick post moves and his mid-range jumper is excellent for a player his size.  What Bosh gives up on the boards he more then makes up for with his passing and shooting.  Marilynn did point out that he looks more awkward up close then on the television, an assertion I agree with, but clearly he knows his role in the Miami Heat offense.  Wade and LeBron seemed to fade in and out of the game, as the motion in the Heat offense isn't the most effective.  Sometimes you could predict which of them would take it to the whole, but regardless of who did obviously both are great at drawing double-teams and getting fouled.  Once the motion in the Heat offense improves, both LeBron and Wade could get more open looks. 

(3) Rip still has it, and Stuckey sucks!:  Richard Hamilton provided the Pistons with the shooting touch they were looking for when they signed Tracy McGrady.  Playing McGrady at the point forced the Heat to put their smallest defender on Hamilton, who capitalized on some open looks on the baseline.  As weird as it seemed that the Pistons most effective lineup was McGrady-Hamilton-Prince-Monroe-Wilcox, with no true ballhandler in the game, it seemed to work well on both ends of the floor.  Also, Rodney Stuckey IS NOT the answer at Point Guard for the Pistons.  Not only was he boo'd, but also his shot selection was suspect.  At times he made some flashy plays, but at other moments he looked lost or stuck, hehe. 

Look at these
little ballers!

(4) LeBron's kids are really cute: LeBron's fiancee and kids had courtside seats next to the Heat bench for this game.  During timeouts LeBron would sometimes go over to talk with his children, and after the game his kids starting running around the floor.  Both Marilynn and I wonder if they know how famous their father is, but they really seemed to enjoy themselves!

Overall, it was a great game to watch and a great experience.  The Pistons kept up with the Heat for most of the game, which I did not expect.  Most of all, it was a great birthday gift to me, and my girlfriend got to see her favorite athlete up-close.  Can the Heat progress to the point that they can compete with the Bulls and the Celtics come playoff time? I am excited to find out!

'The King' has Yet to Ascend the Throne

Looks like King James and the Heatles aren't ready to ascend the thrown just quite yet... riding an eight game winning streak into today's tilt with the Boston Celtics at the Garden, it was expected that the Heat would take down a crippled Celtics squad and affirm their status as the top team in the Eastern Conference.  Not so fast Miami!  The Boston Celtics held on to defeat the Miami Heat 85-82 and improved to 3-0 against them this season, this time without Shaquille and Jermaine O'Neal and only one single point from Paul 'The Truth' Pierce. 

So how do the Celtics contain the Heat so well?  Boston held the sharpshooters surrounding LeBron, Wade, and Bosh to a low three point percentage.  Mike Miller and Eddie House went a combined 1 of 9 from beyond the arc, and the Heat as a team shot 3 for 16 for an 18.8% 3-point percentage.  Guarding the perimeter was a concern coming into this game, as stretching the floor would allow LeBron and D-Wade to penetrate the lane in an easier fashion.  The Heatles accounted for 62 of Miami's 82 points, so clearly the Celtics did their job holding the Miami bench, Mario Chalmers, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in check. 

This was a concern earlier in the year and continues to be cause for alarm.  Against strong teams, the supporting cast is just not getting the job done for the Heat.  From what I've seen, I would recommend two things to the Heat: 
(1) Play Joel Anthony more.  Anthony may be a liability on the offensive end, but his strong defensive rebounding and positioning makes him a valuable asset.  In today's game the Heat were +5 in his 21 minutes in the ballgame, more then any other player. 
(2) Give Mike Miller more of the ball.  If any player is going to step up on offense it his him. Also, can one really trust Dwyane Wade to stay healthy all season.  Miller needs to assume a larger role in the offense, regardless of whether he is needed to step in.

Hopefully the Kings of South Beach get their act together, as they currently aren't living up to their hype.  March 23rd Marilynn and I are going to see them play the Detroit Pistons, and I hope that they have made some adjustments by then so they won't disappoint her!  Her favorite player is LeBron James and clearly she wants to see an amazing game from him, but I am looking forward to seeing how the whole team works together on both ends of the court, and specifically how Joel Anthony and Mike Miller are used.  But for now, looks like the Celtics are still the Kings of the Eastern Conference, and Miami still has work to do to ascend the throne.

The NBA season is 'Heat'ing up! A midseason report on the Eastern Conference

Hello all, sorry that I have not been updating the blog daily.  Thursday was my 22nd birthday so there was various festivities regarding that over the past few days, not to mention work for my class and Skyping with my girlfriend (I am behind the times as I just downloaded Skype a few days ago).  Anyways, this past week marks the midpoint of the NBA season.  All the NBA teams have played between 39 and 44 games, roughly averaging out to the 41 games that make up half the regular season. 

Today's blog focuses on the Eastern Conference, which has played second fiddle to the Western Conference ever since MJ retired the second time (I still think he should have been called for an offensive foul when he pushed off Byron Russell in Game six of those 1998 NBA finals!)  The Eastern Conference has a large discrepancy between its elite, mediocre weak teams.  The mean winning percentage is .689 for the top five teams, .431 for the middle five teams, and .2826 for the bottom five teams.  That's a cumulative winning percentage of .467, so clearly the Eastern Conference is the weaker conference overall.  However, that does not mean that some Eastern Conference teams should not have NBA title hopes!  Below I group Eastern Conference teams into three categories regarding their playoff chances and outlook for the rest of the season:

Contenders
1. Boston Celtics - Talent is never a question with this team.  Perserverance and health is.  Can this team hold up throughout the season?  Will the Celtics be able to rest Allen, Pierce, and Garnett a bit down the stretch so they are fresh for the playoffs?  Currently sporting a 33-9 record, it's pretty impressive what the Celtics are doing without Kendrick Perkins and the minor injuries which caused Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett to miss some games.  However, one red flag does show up.  The Celtics are 25-5 against the Eastern Conference, meaning that their schedule the rest of the way will have a heavier dose of Western Conference opponents and some tough west coast roadtrips.

Projected Record: 61-21. #1 seed in the East

2. Miami Heat - the Heatles, Kings of South Beach (my apologies to the U for stealing there swagger), MV3.  The acquisition of Chris Bosh and LeBron James this summer gives the Heat the most talented roster in the league for the next six years, and gave my girlfriend, a huge LeBron fan, a new team to root for.  Can the Heatles finally mesh as the season continues and become a smashing success like their British counterparts?  They sure are taking the basketball world by storm, like the Beatles did to the United States in 1964.  If all three can stay healthy during the playoffs, its hard not to like this team's chances of winning it all.  Also, they have some role players who have integrated themselves well with the three superstars.  Joel Anthony grabs a lot of boards and plays tough defense, while Mike Miller and Carlos Arroyo are constant threats from deep.  Expect the Heat to struggle as Bosh, LeBron, and Wade are all nursing minor injuries at the moment.  However, this Heat team should be the most dangerous and talented team in the NBA for the next five years.

Projected Record: 58-24. #2 Seed in the East

3. The Derrick Rose show... Chicago Bulls - Da Bulls are back baby! Best Bulls team since the 1997-1998.  The addition of Carlos Boozer was a huge lift on offense, and Derrick Rose is developing into a superstar.  I am eager to see this team play when both Boozer and Noah are both healthy, as this team will be very hard to beat inside.  Luol Deng is definitely the x-factor for this team.  On nights that he can score, the Bulls will be extremely hard to beat.  Kyle Korver adds an outside threat, and Rose's distribution continues to improve.  The Bulls should, barring another injury to Boozer, be one of the top teams in the East for the next several seasons.

Projected Record: 56-26. #3 Seed in the East

4. Orlando Magic - It's a bird! It's a plane! Noooo, it's DWIGHT HOWAARRDDD!  This guy is an animal down low, and if he could actually shoot the basketball would be impossible to defend.  The Magic made some blockbuster moves last month to surround Superman with some new talent including Mr. Agent Zero Gilbert Arenas, J-Rich, and Hedo (take two).  Hopefully these three can replace the contributions of Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter, and the emergence of Brandon Bass finally gives this team a true 4 at Power Forward.  The Magic have the talent to make it through the Eastern Conference, but can they make it work with these new players joining Dwight and co?

Projected Record 55-27. #4 Seed in the East

5. Atlanta Hawks - Soaring to... mediocrity.  The Hawks have the pieces to contend with any team, however, they lack a true superstar.  Joe Johnson is a great shooting guard and a matchups nightmare considering his height for a SG, Josh Smith is one of the most athletic players in the game and a beast in the paint, and Al Horford is a great rebounder and solid around the rim.  This team lacks a championship-caliber point guard, as Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford do not fit the bill.  Depth is an issue on the Hawks as well, especially at the power forward and center positions.  This team will continue to be impressively mediocre, unless Josh Smith and Al Horford break out even more.

Projected Record 53-29. #5 Seed in the East

Pretenders
6. New York Knicks - Possibly the most exciting team to watch in basketball, the Knicks score five more ppg then any Eastern Conference team.  However, like all Mike D'Antoni teams, they don't play much defense either.  Raymond Felton is excelling in D'Antoni's system and meshes really well with Amare Stoudemire.  Wilson Chandler and Danillo Gallinari are great complements to Amare with their outside shooting, but besides Amare this team is undersized, one cause of a weak defense.  This team can compete with anyone on any given night, but is just too volatile to succeed in the playoffs.

Projected Record 44-38. #6 Seed in the East

7. Milwaukee Bucks - This team just can't seem to score any points!  Brandon Jennings has been out since December and may not return for another week.  Andrew Bogut is solid at center, but the team is mired in mediocrity with John Salmons, Corey Maggette, Carlos Delfino, and Ersan Ilyasova all fitting similar roles at the 3 and 4.  The Bucks may play good defense but they lack the size and scoring capabilities to be competitive against the top teams in the East.

Projected Record 40-42. #7 Seed in the East

8. Philadelphia 76ers - The Sixers strike me as similar to the Bucks.  They have a young, talented point guard, some good scoring on the wings, and an injury prone center.  Elton Brand's health is the key to this team making the playoffs.  If he can stay healthy, they could very well sneak in with a .500 record.  If not? Well they could be heading for the lottery again.  Andre Iguodala is a dirty talent at small forward, and Thaddeus Young provides a spark off the bench.  This Sixers team, with the exception of Brand, is young and should continue to grow, but don't expect more than a first round sweep by Boston or Miami in the playoffs.

Projected Record 38-44.  #8 Seed in the East

9. Charlotte Bobcats - The Bobcats lack a superstar and a solid center, so scoring points is an issue for this team.  Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace lead the way for the 'Cats, and can create mismatches at their respective positions of SG and SF.  I just cannot put my faith in a team that starts Kwame Brown at center, and has DJ Augustin running the point.  Both these players make questionable decisions on the court, and Augustin needs to work on his distribution.  Expect mediocrity from Charlotte the rest of the way. Although they could sneak into the playoffs, I don't expect them to.

Projected Record 36-46.  Getting ready for next year!

10. Indiana Pacers - Its hard to have confidence in such a young team, but the Pacers could surprise!  Danny Granger has a young supporting cast in Darren Collison, Brandon Rush, and Roy Hibbert.  However, Mike Dunleavy is old and nowhere near as effective as he was a few years ago.  Darren Collison needs to do a better job passing the ball and creating looks for his teammates, as the Pacers rank 21st in the league in APG.  However, rebounding is a strength for this team and should continue to improve as Hibbert develops.

Projected Record 36-46. Getting ready for next year but excited for the future!

Lottery Bound
11. Detroit Pistons - The Pistons have struggled to score points and rebound all year.  Surely this team misses the Wallaces from a few years ago, as Ben Wallace isn't the player he once was!  Detroit ranks 29th in the league in RPG at 38.2, part of the reason why they are only scoring 95.1 PPG.  Rebuilding with older players like Tracy McGrady and Richard Hamilton on their way out should set the Pistons up for success in the upcoming years.  Building around a young core of Rodney Stuckey, Austin Daye, Charlie Villanueva, and Greg Monroe should help the Pistons climb up the East standings as the year's progress.

Projected Record 33-49.  Lottery bound in D-town!

12.  Washington Wizards - Anyone up for 'doing the John Wall?'  Sending Agent Zero packing was a smart move for a Wizards team that is changing its identity.  At this time last year its nucleus was Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and Gilbert Arenas. None of these players remain.  Andray Blatche has flourished this year as well as Nick Young, who just flat out scores.  Al Thornton and Rashard Lewis clog the SF position, and one should probably be traded before the trade deadline.  Expect the Wizards to improve a bit throughout the rest of the year, but not too much!

Projected Record 30-52. Watch out for John Wall as the year goes on!

13. Toronto Raptors - Not much to say about the Raptors: they really miss my favorite dinosaur Chris Bosh.  They don't have a true Center as Bargnani isn't big enough down low.  DeMar DeRozan is turning into a good scorer, but the pieces are just not in place to form a strong team.  Defense is a weakness for this club, as they allow 104.6 PPG.  Expect the Raptors to keep struggling unless they pick up a strong draft pick!

Projected Record 26-56.  Hoping to draft Jared Sullinger next year!

14.  New Jersey Nets - The Nets are a pretty melodramatic club, now that the Carmelo Anthony talks have finished.  Brook Lopez continues to develop into a stronger scorer, but where is the rebounding?  Kris Humphries rebounds better than Lopez, who has no excuse to be struggling like this.  Derrick Favors should continue to develop over the next few years, and Anthony Morrow and Devin Harris are still pretty young.  Signing Carmelo to a long-term deal during the offseason would be a clutch pull for the Nets, but they are missing a scoring piece like him to contend

Projected Record 24-58.  Working toward a (hopefully) bright future!

And finally...

15.  Cleveland Cavaliers - Please stay LeBron, Please stay LeBron, pleaaaseee?  And... no! LeBron takes his talents to South Beach.  This season's Cleveland Cavaliers are totally lost without LeBron, and injuries to Anderson Varejao and Ramon Sessions have not helped their cause.  Antawn Jamison can try to carry the scoring load, but seems unwilling to do so.  Expect these Cavaliers to continue to falter, as they have not established an identity or rallied around a new leader in the lockerroom since LeBron took his talents to South Beach.

Projected Record 15-67.  Trying to get that #1 pick and still mourning the loss of LeBron!

The Value of LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the aftermath of 'The Decision' on this year's Cavaliers

Wow Cleveland has fallen! Following some of last night's Los Angeles Lakers-Cleveland Cavaliers game made me cringe looking at the box score.  A final score of 112-57? Seriously? The last well publicized game I remember being so lopsided was when the Boston Celtics absolutely crushed the Lakers 131-92 in Game 6 of the 2008 finals.  57 was the least the Cavs had ever scored in a game and the least the Lakers allowed since the introduction of the shot clock in 1954.  The Cavaliers currently boast the NBA's worst record at 8-30, and LeBron seems to be reveling in the glory of their downfalls.  I received a text from my girlfriend earlier today citing a tweet from LeBron referring to last night's demolition of the Cavaliers. 

Obviously much of the Cavaliers decline hinged on one 'Decision,' in which superstar and two-time MVP Lebron James decided to 'take his talents to South Beach' to form 'The Heatles' with Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and friends down in Miami.  To the chagrin of Cleveland fans, Lebron was gone and the Cavs were forced to carry on without him.  Lets take a look at the current Cavaliers lineup compared to last year's:

January 2010                  January 2011

G - Mo Williams                                        G - Mo Williams
G - Anthony Parker                                   G - Manny Harris
F - Lebron James                                     F - Antawn Jamison
F - JJ Hickson                                           F - JJ Hickson
C - Shaq                                                    C - Ryan Hollins

The only players that remain are Mo Williams and JJ Hickson, as Anthony Parker is currently injured and Shaq and Lebron have moved to other teams.  However, the loss of Parker and O'Neal is relatively marginal.  Lebron James WAS the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Below are some statistics that one may be familiar with, but some others that may truly stand out, courtesy of Basketball Reference.


Cavaliers All-time Free Throw Attempts
1. LeBron James 814 2005-06
2. LeBron James 773 2009-10
3. LeBron James 771 2007-08
4. LeBron James 762 2008-09
5. LeBron James 701 2006-07
6. LeBron James 636 2004-05
7. Shawn Kemp 635 1999-00
8. Brad Daugherty 579 1990-91
9. Ron Harper 564 1986-87
10. Shawn Kemp 556 1997-98

Cavaliers All-Time Season Points Per Game




1. LeBron James 31.4 2005-06
2. LeBron James 30.0 2007-08
3. LeBron James 29.7 2009-10
4. LeBron James 28.4 2008-09
5. LeBron James 27.3 2006-07
6. LeBron James 27.2 2004-05
7. Mike Mitchell 24.5 1980-81
8. World B. Free 23.4 1985-86
9. Ron Harper 22.9 1986-87
10. World B. Free 22.5 1984-85

The above individual statistics assert Lebron's dominance as the best player ever to play for Cleveland.  But lets be honest here, who was not aware of that?  The significance of Lebron's last two seasons with the Cavaliers, and the claim that he is the best player in the NBA, can be summarized by two short acronyms: PER and WS.  For those who are not familiar with basketball statistics, PER stands for Player Efficiency Rating.  PER, in short, measures a player's per minute productivity.  More information on PER can be found here. WS stands for Win Shares, which I found to be described well in this quote:

"In other words, a Win Share is kind of like baseball's VORP stat...it relies on the assumption that efficiency is the key to wins, looks at a player's offensive efficiency compared to the league average, a player's defensive efficiency compared to the league average, corrects for minutes played, then adds up the corresponding Offensive and Defensive Win Shares to get one number that estimates how many wins that player was worth."

Both PER and WS are sabermetrics.  Sabermetrics attempts to find answers objective questions in sports such as: Which player on the 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons contributed most to the team's offense?  Was Rickey Henderson faster than Tim Raines?  Does Lebron James contribute more to his team than Chris Paul or Kobe Bryant?  Below are recent statistics on PER and WS, cementing Lebron's meaning and impact on the Cavaliers and how different the team is without him.

Win Shares - 2008/2009 NBA       Win Shares - 2009/2010 NBA


1. LeBron James-CLE 20.3                                          1. LeBron James -CLE 18.5
2. Chris Paul-NOH 18.3                                               2. Kevin Durant -OKC 16.1
3. Dwyane Wade-MIA 14.7                                         3. Dwight Howard -ORL 13.2
4. Pau Gasol-LAL 13.9                                                4. Dwayne Wade -MIA 13.0
5. Dwight Howard-ORL 13.8                                       5. Dirk Nowitzki - DAL 12.3

PER - 2008/2009 NBA                   PER - 2009/2010 NBA


1. LeBron James-CLE 31.76                                           1. LeBron James-CLE 31.19
2. Dwyane Wade-MIA 30.46                                          2. Dwayne Wade-MIA 28.10
3. Chris Paul -NOH 30.04                                               3. Kevin Durant-OKC 26.23
4. Dwight Howard-ORL 25.44                                        4. Chris Bosh-TOR 25.11
5. Tim Duncan-SAS 24.51                                               5. Tim Duncan-SAS 24.79

PER Ratings and more Sabermetrics from ESPN

Based of off the win share data above, LeBron James was clearly the most valuable player to his team the past two NBA seasons, sporting the highest Win Share value as well as the highest Player Efficiency Rating in both seasons.  These ratings credit the supporting casts of superstars like Kobe Bryant, who does not show up on any of these lists.  The closest Cleveland player on the PER lists is Antawn Jamison in 2009/2010, with a PER of 17.66. He checks in at #66 throughout the entire NBA (don't let his contributions fool you though, he only played for Cleveland for the 2nd half of the year and was a larger contributor when he played for the Wizards earlier in the season).  For 2008/2009, Zydrunas Ilgauskas ranks #53 with a PER of 18.03.  Ilgauskas's Win Shares was 6.6 for that season, while Jamison's was 7.0 for last year. 

In addition to win shares, we have what I believe to be the most important statistic, EWA.  EWA stands for Estimated Wins Added, over a replacement player.  LeBron James had an EWA of 30.5 in 2009/2010 and 32.3 in 2008/2009, both being tops in the league.  Clearly this impact is gigantic, as if not for him, these numbers predict the Cavaliers would have won 30 or 31 games last year as opposed to the 61 that they did win in the regular season. 

In conclusion, LeBron was more important to the Cavaliers than any single player on any other team.  If not for him, they would have only won half the games they did last year.  His paramount PER, WS, and EWA make him not only the most indispensible player to his team for 2008/2009 and 2009/2010, but the most valuable player in the NBA.  Now that he's a member of the Heat these numbers may decline, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are getting crushed with out him, and the numbers prove their demise.