Whatever team lands LeBron James this offseason should send J.R. Smith a thank you card, because his latest blunder sends a clear message.
LeBron had an incredible Game 1 performance on Thursday night. He scored an NBA Finals career-high 51 points in 48 minutes of action. Not to mention he dished out eight assists and grabbed eight rebounds.
Unfortunately, his milestone evening was overshadowed by a heartbreaking overtime loss.
Let’s not blame the 0–1 deficit on James. The supporting cast of the Cleveland Cavaliers fell short way too often down the stretch. Kevin Love fouled Steph Curry with 23.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter, allowing the Warriors to take a one-point lead. George Hill missed a free throw with four seconds remaining that would have put the Cavs ahead.
The icing on the cake was J.R. Smith literally having no idea that the game was tied.
LeBron put the Cavs on his back all night. I still don’t know how King James managed to keep his composure after Smith admitted to not knowing that the game was tied.
Perhaps it’s because LeBron has dealt with this too many times in the past. After all, he has lost four of his seven games of 40 points or more in the Finals. It’s worth noting that all seven of those games were against the Warriors.
The Cavs had a full, relatively healthy, lineup on the floor for Game 1. Meanwhile, the Warriors were without their primary LeBron stopper, Andre Iguodala, for the fifth-straight game due to a leg injury. The Cavs squandered the only advantage that they have in this series.
LeBron has turned every Finals obstacle of his career into an attribute to succeed down the road. He averaged 22 points a game, seven rebounds and just shy of seven assists a night in a sweep at the hands of the Spurs in 2007. The 14-time All-Star responded by adding a jump shot to his repertoire to keep the defense honest.
When James and the Miami Heat lost a chance at a championship to the Mavs in 2011, he returned to the Finals the following season with a much more dominant game.
There’s no doubt that another valuable lesson will be in store following a series that appears to belong to the Warriors. For the first time in his career, LeBron’s opportunity to grow after a potential Finals loss will have nothing to do with his skill set.
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The supporting cast in Cleveland is inconsistent. There’s a poor combination of players beyond their prime and inexperienced youth that has LeBron stuck with a squad that has a slim chance of beating the Warriors in a series.
LeBron has proven all postseason that he is the definition of greatness. He shouldn’t have to wait until this series ends to figure out what needs to change for next season. Game 1 was proof that time is up for LeBron in Cleveland.