LeBron James: King of Kings - Part one

LeBron James: King of Kings - Part one
by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (6-10-13)



TODD:
Well, here we are. The Miami Heat are back in the NBA Finals, in no small part thanks to league MVP LeBron James. Okay, who are we kidding; it's the whole entire part thanks to LeBron James. He is the best player in the league, in the world, in the NBA since Michael Jordan. The leap between the Association's second best player (Kevin Durant) and James is wider than the gap between Durant and the rest of the top ten. Just look at the rest of this supposedly loaded Miami club that James carried. Dwyane Wade has not been healthy the entire season. He can only bring it in spurts, and that's not even every game. Chris Bosh is out-matched by any legit center, as Roy Hibbert demonstrated game after game. Bosh has become a stretch four, even though he really needs to be closer to the basket to grab rebounds for the otherwise small Heat. And the rest of the club is what it is: Mario Chalmers is sometimes good; Shane Battier and Ray Allen used to be good at shooting threes; Chris Andersen is tall. You get the idea.

Which brings us to only one logical conclusion: LeBron could have carried nearly any team to the Finals. Just look back at those Cleveland Cavaliers teams he trekked to the championship for an even better example of his prowess. His best teammates were Mo Williams and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Seriously. That's not even a joke.

So let's play a game! Take LeBron off the Heat and put him on any team, replacing their best player. How far would that team have gone?

For example, if LeBron replaced Carmelo Anthony on the Knicks, that New York team makes the Finals, easy. They become the best team in the conference. James is that much better of an all-around player than Melo is. The defensive gap alone is so wide, we can't see to the other side. Now not every team has a clear-cut best player. If we used the Memphis Grizzlies, would we be replacing Marc Gasol or Mike Conley? Same goes for Indiana. But these teams aren't important here anyways. They were so close to making the Finals that obviously obtaining the MVP would have pushed them over the edge. What about some lottery teams though?

Here were the 14 lottery teams this season, the teams that were not good enough to even make the playoffs: Philadelphia, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, Charlotte, Orlando, Sacramento, Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans, Utah, Portland and Minnesota. With the help of one LeBron James, no less than half of these teams would have leaped all the way from chasing ping pong balls to chasing the Larry O'Brein trophy.

Toronto, Detroit and Washington are no-brainers. These teams have a number of impressive players and complimentary pieces. Replace Rudy Gay, Greg Monroe and John Wall respectively with James and all those squads could have won multiple playoff rounds. Toronto would have young studs Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross as well as veterans Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson and the capable Andrea Bargnani (who, when he's shooting well is essentially everything Bosh was in the Indiana series: not capable of defending or rebounding but can stretch to the three point line on offense). Detroit would still be left with Andre Drummond in the middle and James would be flanked by shooters in Brandon Knight, Rodney Stuckey and Kyle Singler. With Jose Calderon running point, this team is clearly better than any year LeBron played in Cleveland. Same goes for Washington with two bigs (Nene and Emeka Okafor) and Bradley Beal is so good the Wiz wouldn't even trade him for LeBron's real shooting guard teammate, Wade.

In the West, Dallas, New Orleans, Utah, Portland and Minnesota all make runs in the playoffs with LeBron. Not to get too detailed, but none of these teams are that far away from playoff contention. Minnesota would have made the playoffs with or without LeBron had injuries not derailed their season. Take each team's go-to guy away and replace him with the King and every squad could challenge San Antonio out west. If you're telling me I can claim Eric Gordon as the Hornets' number one guy, that team is loaded. A lineup of Anthony Davis, Robin Lopez, James, Ryan Anderson and Greivis Vasquez is so ridiculously tall, it would create mismatches against any opponent in the league. Too bad Austin Rivers was the worst rated player in the history of the NBA this season or we really could have something here. Otherwise, if Anthony Davis is replaced by James instead, this team becomes much more prototypical but remains quite lethal.

So that's my eight: eight lottery teams who, with the addition of James, would have (a) made the playoffs and (b) made a run at the title. You could even talk me into a few more. Philadelphia might not have quite enough but isn't too far away; same goes for Phoenix and even Charlotte if we're feeling generous. Some of these teams missed the playoffs by 20+ games. If there was a WAR stat for the NBA, LeBron would be worth that much, trust me.

Tell me where I'm wrong. Tell me why I'm crazy.


DAN:
I'm a smart guy, so I obviously agree that LeBron is the best player, blah, blah, blah. But your missing the biggest point of all. He is light years better than he ever was as a Cleveland Cavalier. Sports pundits are touting the rematch between LeBron and the Spurs, vindication for his Finals loss with Cleveland in 2007. But LeBron is NOT the same player. At times his Miami team looked average at best during the Pacers series, but LeBron knew when to take over, when it had to be him, and he was beyond clutch. He is unmatched in the league right now and your argument stands. He would definitely have brought a few of those teams to the finals, swapping him for each team's best player. But ALL eight teams, that's crazy talk! They would all be playoff contenders and definitely make the conference finals. But they aren't all making the NBA finals. Give Dwyane Wade and Bosh a bit more credit than that.

Close, but no Cigar:

Detroit: Greg Monroe for LeBron: This team wouldn't beat Chicago or Indiana.
Washington: John Wall for LeBron: I like their chances, but I think they lose in seven to Indiana.
Portland: Umm, no.

All the way to the NBA Finals baby: (in order of dominance)

New Orleans: Eric Gordon for LeBron: Can we make this team happen please?
Minnesota: Kevin Love for LeBron: If Love somehow stays, this team's a dynasty. Still a winner.
Toronto: Rudy Gay for LeBron: You won me over with your roster breakdown.
Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki for LeBron: Cuban might make this happen in a year or two. Scary.
Utah: They practically win with no one. Add LeBron and look out.

That was the easy part, putting LeBron on a bad team. Let's play the reverse game!

LeBron teamed up in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but unfortunately age and injury have caught up with Wade. They won't win six titles like they predicted, albeit somewhat sarcastically.

What 'Big Three' that includes LeBron is the ideal dynasty team? He can go anywhere after next season, or Pat Riley will bring in anyone to keep him in Miami. Who's the new big three?


TODD:
Isn't it obvious? The new and improved Big Three, and perhaps the only remaining Big Three in the NBA with all the roster movement that has gone on, will be in Cleveland.

LeBron returns to Ohio to make amends and team with Kyrie Irving (the best under 24 point guard in the league...and yes, I had to look up Russell Westbrook's age and make sure I went under that threshold. Westbrook has already turned 24 so we're safe), and Anderson Varejao who was absolutely killing it this past season before he went down with an injury. Albeit in just 25 games, Varejao averaged a 14 and 14 with good shooting splits and 2+ stocks (steals plus blocks). He is arguably one of the best complimentary big men in the entire league, a middle-class man's Joakim Noah.

[Part two - A new Castle for the King]

NBA Playoffs: The 'Unleap' & the Miami Heat - Part two

NBA Playoffs: The 'Unleap' & the Miami Heat - Part two
by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (5-24-13)

[Part one - No Zzz's Please]



DAN:
I loved watching Stephen Curry make the leap. It was amazing and its very, very sad to have him out of the playoffs. I'm not sure anyone on the Spurs can make their series with Memphis fun to watch, but Steph Curry would have. Oh well. On the flip side, is there anything worse than watching a player unleap. Kevin Durant took a step back this postseason. I full on believe that you often have to take a step back in order to take two or three forward, and this will be Durant's future. However, I wanted him so badly to take over in the Memphis series in the final five minutes of the game and win it for OKC. They were within five points every single game and he could not overcome Memphis' stellar defense. I wanted to watch him make another leap, but instead he stood still and when compared to Curry, seemed to have stepped back.

Are you worried at all about Miami? I keep hearing how Indiana matches up the best with them of any team in the league. That they can really push Miami and make things interesting. I'm doubtful, but more importantly, do not want to imagine a world without Lebron in the NBA Finals.


TODD:
Unleaping is a hilarious concept. Kudos. I'm not sure it is fair to Durant though to categorize what happened as him unleaping. First of all, his numbers in the Memphis series were crazy good: 28.8 points per game, 10.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists. His percentages were below what we've come to expect from him but that goes with the territory of being your team's entire offense and the focus of double, triple and quintuple teams. And I don't buy the clutch argument either; no one is 100% clutch all the time. KD has already proven he can take and make big shots in big games. The only thing this series did to Durant's legacy is it proved he is not LeBron James. Congratulations but we all already knew this. This dispelled that he was close to the King's level but we already knew they were not equals.

The interesting hypothetical to test would have been how far LeBron could have carried OKC if the two switched teams. I think the Thunder then make the NBA Finals, but that is not because Durant unlept. He just doesn't have that all-around ceiling James does. Forget the other facets of the game; just defensively, LeBron is light years better.

Which brings us to Miami. Am I worried about the Heat? Well, I don't think they'll sweep Indiana. I'm worried they may lose twice. How's that? Depending on Dwyane Wade's health, Miami will either win in five or in six. I think there lies your only worry. Then the story becomes about how banged up Miami is. They slogged through the Chicago series, taking a beating. Indiana will be no different...and frankly could be worse. Where does that leave them heading into the Finals? A match-up with Memphis there could be rough. Is there a tougher trio of teams to face back to back to back than Chicago, Indiana and Memphis? It'd be unbelievable. And I still think Miami would win, but they'd feel it in June. We may be in store for a number of off-season surgeries by Heat players.

On the other hand, if San Antonio wiggles through to the Finals, which is entirely possible (the Western Conference Finals seems like a toss-up to me), I think that makes Miami's time of things a bit smoother. At that point, they may make it through the entire playoffs losing fewer than four times.


DAN:
I know Kevin Durant is not Lebron James, but at the very least he is aspiring to reach that level of greatness. Beyond that, what I saw from Durant was a dip in attitude. He had swagger before, fed off of Russell Westbrook's insanity and was a practical guarantee to nail a jump shot or free throw. In the Memphis series he looked like he'd been slapped in the face by a dude. A skinny white guy slapped him and he was dumbstruck, still playing great but without his edge and slightly rattled. This does not have to be a trend, and I'm guessing it won't be, but as of right now Kevin Durant looks way more like a Tracy McGrady than a Dwyane Wade. Time is on his side and we're all pulling for you Kevin. Keep climbing up that hill.

Now Lebron James is standing on top of the hill and I'm not worried one bit about him and the Miami Heat. They can win the title with or without Dwyane Wade and you know he's giving them everything he's got no matter if its 50% or 80%. They may lose one or two games to the Pacers, but its irrelevant considering the amount of days off between playoff rounds. What matters most is that the Western Conference Finals is going seven games. Its unwatchable basketball between two grueling opponents who punch and kick one another mercilessly. Advantage Miami. No matter if the Spurs or Grizzlies prevail, although its leaning towards San Antonio right now, both teams will be physically and mentally drained. Neither plays at a speed anywhere near what Lebron and the Heat bring night in and night out. They will get run off the floor.

My unscientific breakdown of the two potential NBA Finals match ups as I see it:

Heat vs. Grizzlies:
- Great Defense vs. Great Defense = Even
- Great Offense vs. Consistent Offense = Advantage Miami
- Fast vs. Slow = Advantage Miami
- Jump shooting team that pounds it to the hole vs. Post up and rebound = Advantage Miami
(Miami in five)

Heat vs. Spurs:
- Great Defense vs. Great Defense = Even
- Great Offense vs. Consistent Offense = Advantage Miami
- Fast vs. Average Pace = Advantage Miami
- Jump shooting team that pounds it to the hole vs. All time great finesse team that's old = Even
(Miami in six)


TODD:
That was a cheap shot at McGrady right there. He should be cherished and don't you forget it! He is on the Spurs right now. Are people aware of this fact or has it slipped under the radar? Tracy McGrady has now, officially, made it out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. He also might make the NBA Finals.

A two-time NBA scoring champion with a career average of more than 19 points per game and who scores over 23 points per game for his playoff career is not a shabby "bad news" situation for Durant. In fact, McGrady's playoff averages are aligned pretty well with how Durant performed in that Memphis series: unstoppable but inefficient. Durant should be so lucky to be Tracy McGrady on his worst day. Tough destiny for T-Mac though, being KD's worst case scenario.

Even though you nailed your Kevin Durant analysis, your finals outlook is wrong. Miami would rather play San Antonio. No matter how the beginning of the Western Conference Finals has played out, Memphis' inside presence is much more fearsome than San Antonio's. No one on Miami can handle Gasol and Zach Randolph for quarters at a time. This could get the Heat in foul trouble or force them to play some actual centers and power forwards in this series, getting them out of their comfort zone. Miami versus Memphis would definitely go six, or even seven games. The Spurs, on the other hand, would get swallowed up. They're prideful so they wouldn't get swept, but Miami would beat them in five.

[Part one - No Zzz's Please]

NBA Playoffs: No Zzz's Please - Part one

NBA Playoffs: No Zzz's Please - Part one
By Dan Salem and Todd Salem (5-20-13)



DAN:
So its come down to this and I couldn't be less excited. The NBA playoffs are considered the real season, the second season, the good stuff if you will. Since almost half the league, sixteen teams, makes it we get the best competing against one another. And I'd agree that the best teams were in it this year, but that is NOT saying much.

Round one match ups fell on their faces. The Clippers, Celtics and Lakers, three interesting teams who are fun to watch, all bit the dirt. Only the Celtics made a peep against the Knicks. A peep. Round two pitted the most deserving teams against one another, to be sure. But defense is boring as hell. Memphis and Indiana are great and all, but slow basketball is boring basketball. We can even include San Antonio in that grouping, leaving one of the four match ups as not slow and boring. Yet the Miami Heat were in that final match up, and being better than everyone, absolutely destroyed the Bulls after getting woken up in game one from their "We are the best and you all know it" daze. Zzzzzzzz.

Finally round three, the conference finals! Oh nuts, Memphis made it so we are guaranteed one slow as hell series of games. I respect the hell out of their team, their defensive prowess and their ability to win despite never having done so. Yet can we all agree they make an awful television product? To make matters worse, the second best television product, the Golden State Warriors, were eliminated by the Spurs who aren't exactly a fast team either. I had the pleasure of seeing Golden State in person the first week of the regular season against the Clippers and damn are they fun to watch.They can shoot the lights out of any arena and the 2013 playoffs have now lost something without them in it. Spurs vs. Memphis is like asking to giraffes to fight. Eventually one will knock the other over, but who knows how long it will take.

In the east we have Miami against the Pacers. It would have been fun for the Knicks to keep playing since if nothing else, they are interesting. But it doesn't matter. It was a near certainty before the regular season began that the Heat would be back in the NBA Finals and low and behold, here they are on the brink of doing just that. They will win, possibly sweep, but definitely win. Thank you Lebron James. You are always fun to watch.


TODD:
I think you may be confusing popular teams with exciting teams. You've fallen into the television ratings hole that pedestrian NBA fans often do. First of all, the Celtics were not fun to watch. They were awful offensively, even with Rondo playing. I agree Indiana and Memphis are slogging, defensive black holes but San Antonio cannot be grouped in with them. They shoot a ton of threes, play fast-paced and share the basketball with a wonder only replicated in Miami. The Spurs series with the Warriors was one of the more exciting playoff rounds we've had in a while, especially before Stephen Curry tweaked his ankle.

By the way, what's more exciting than witnessing a player make "the leap"? Watching Curry become unstoppable offensively by being the most effective three point shooter in some time (in history?!?) was amazing. He set the league's all-time record for made threes in a year during the regular season while shooting a remarkable percentage; he somehow then managed to step his game up another notch during the playoffs by taking nearly 10 threes per contest, making a large chunk of them and striking pure fear into the hearts of anyone he is playing. There may not be a more terrifying player for your favorite team to face other than Curry and LeBron. It is remarkable that he did not even make the All-Star team this year.

But I digress. These NBA Playoffs are giving us what we want/expect every year from the NBA Playoffs: few, if any upsets and the very best teams playing for the title. Sure Oklahoma City should have been one of the final four, but injuries play a part and they fell victim. Otherwise, who is more deserving of making the conference finals than Miami, Indiana, Memphis and San Antonio? The NBA gets it right nearly every season. And some people enjoy watching great defense!


DAN:
I am not one of those people who enjoy watching great defense, but if San Antonio and Miami make the finals I will be elated. This would pit the old guard vs. the new, old dynasty vs. current. And the Spurs hall of famers would be playing one last time in the finals. At least I think it would be their last, as it seems every season for the last four they have managed to be great and ignore father time entirely.

I loved watching Steph Curry make the leap, but is there anything worse than watching a player unleap like Kevin Durant did?

[Part two - The 'Unleap' and the Miami Heat]