CLEVELAND Ohio Because of the physical size and speed of LeBron James and the way he developed so early so fast it is hard to appreciate properly the intangibles he possesses that can't be clocked weighed or captured in statistics.
James sees things ahead of time said coach David Blatt after the second of the Cavaliers' trilogy of victories over Atlanta in the Eastern Conference Finals meaning James' feel for where teammates will be.
But James also remembers things with a clarity that is pristine and a recall that can reach far back onto the past. It is not a photographic memory. That does not exist. It is as ESPN writer and former Plain Dealer colleague Brian Windhorst once wrote in an illuminating story an eidetic memory.
The point was James' ability to remember precise tactics in specific sets from years before and to suggest to his stunned coach in Miami Erik Spoelstra that they be used again.
Blatt after the second game against Atlanta also spoke of the very quick mental pictures James takes of the defense in real time.
The camera was snapping on a motorized drive Sunday night in the Cavs' frantic 114 111 overtime victory over Atlanta for a 3 0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
James can remember precisely the details of the game's most chaotic moments its spasms of violent movement. It seemed to be a small moment in his ringing defense of teammate Matthew Dellavedova against growing charges that Dellavedova is a dirty player. It really was the core of James his loyalty and commitment out there for all to see.
Those charges have increased in volume after a diving Dellavedova knocked Atlanta sharpshooter Kyle Korver out for the postseason with an ankle injury in the second game.
I'm going to protect my guys James said. You're trying to do whatever it takes to win but you don't want to hurt anybody. Ever since you were a kid you fall on the floor and the first man to the floor usually gets the ball.
James added There's no difference between what Delly did to Kyle Korver and 18 guys diving on the floor late in the game (Sunday night). There were six or seven guys diving on the floor. Delly was on the floor JJ (James Jones) was on the floor (Atlanta's) Mike Scott was on the floor J.R. (Smith) was on the floor.
James called off the names as quickly as the players tumbled the energy in his voice at 1 o' clock in the morning capturing the desperation of the scramble. Players can get hurt in such moments of reckless abandon. It is the risk they take for wanting to win so much.
James won't probably admit this but the sense here was he never had much use for former Cav Wally Szczerbiak. Wally World not only did not make the shots he was hired to make but he also did not dive for the ball at the end of a three quarters' long court chase for it with Boston's Eddie House in the seventh game of the second round playoffs in 2008.
House went to the floor. Wally went to the bend and reach for it. Eventual NBA champion Boston got an extra possession and scored on it in a game that went to the wire when James' 45 points were in vain.
Warming to the topic of aggressive vs. dirty play James said of this series' second game (Atlanta's) Pero Antic gave me a two hand shove in the air. I didn't get hurt so nobody's talking about it.
It was a Flagrant Foul 1. The Hawks are collecting flagrant fouls. The Cavs are not.
Before the interview ended James did a very coach like thing. J.R. had a double double and nobody is talking about it said James. He gave us 17 (points) and 10 (rebounds.)
It was the point guard in him spreading around the credit just as he distributes the ball.
The physical part of James' game drained away after Shelvin Mack's potential game tying pair of 3 pointers barely missed in the final five seconds of overtime. Spent James dropped to his knees near the foul line.
That graphic physical moment merged with the mental part Blatt had been talking about.
Once bitter memories of a lackluster effort in the playoffs four years ago were James' legacy to many critics and fans.
Now it was the reverse a snapshot everyone took of a player who left everything he had on the floor and who went to it exhausted in victory.
No comments:
Post a Comment