One of the first sports books I ever read was "The Jordan Rules" by Stan Smith. One of the main features of the book was a philosophy by Detroit Pistons head coach Chuck Daly (RIP) on the best way to defend Michael Jordan.
The interesting thing was Daly knew you couldn't totally stop Jordan, but the plan was to force him to play 1 on 5 and to beat his brains in for the entire series.
Fast forward to 2009 and you are Lebron James. You have your "Scottie Pippen" Mo Williams not even playing to a Craig Hodges level (what was up with Mo almost crying after the game, dude is weird). Your big men are either statues (Big Z) or offensively challenged (Side Show Bob). You have a forward that is 100 years old (Joe Smith) and another one that is Wally Freakin Szerbiak for goodness sake. It is truly amazing (do not play that Kanye West song again!!!) that Lebron has kept this series with the Magic as close as it is.
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I feel for Lebron he is putting up some crazy NBA2K9 numbers while playing 1 on 5. He has single handily kept the Cavs close in a series that in reality should already be over.
I find the comparisons to the 89 Jordan eerie. Both had coaches (Mike Brown & Doug Collins) who offense strategy consisted of:
Mike Brown doesn't even design his own plays. How are you the coach of the year and you don't design your own plays? Granted the Cavs only have two offensive sets (Iso & Pick and roll), but still. He is like a rapper winning a Grammy, but uses a ghostwriter.
They both had players not quite ready for primetime (a young Scottie Pippen & an overrated Mo Williams).
They both were putting up crazy numbers in the playoffs.
MJ averaged 37, 7 & 7 in the 89 Playoffs
Lebron is averaging 36, 7 & 8 in the 09 Playoffs
Both ran into teams that gave them horrible match up problems (The Pistons for MJ and The Magic for Lebron).
MJ was bounced in the conference finals and Lebron is very close.
We know what eventually happened with Jordan, but what does the future hold for The King?
Lebron still has a chance to re-write history, but history says it will be hard to do it alone
Written By BonaFide Sports Expert Robert Littal
if they lose this series he's probably going elsewhere. i just dont see cleveland being able to keep great talent around him ALL THE TIME like chicago was able to do with MJ. he doesnt have a pippen type player to back him up right now.
Basically the Cavs have this year and next year to win a title or I think he is out
Basically the Cavs have this year and next year to win a title or I think he is out
he shuld juss go to da warriors and we'll run all over weak LA and the MAGIC
Nice write up but the stats is where the comparison ends for me. No doubt it was an MVP season;the Prince put up incredible numbers against a weak Eastern Conference. Plus giving the fact MJ had to deal with hand-checks, man to man defense and fouls that nowadays would leave half the league out of arena's for the majority of the season to get those 'numbers'. Obsolete now and given LB and the other great players of this era free reign to run amuck against players who wouldn't survive years ago. Playing in an era of flops, zone defense and the zebras controlling the outcomes of games has elevated him to King status. How could that be when just two years ago he was swept, repeat swept in the Finals. Only happened to MJ in the 1st round against the Celtics. I digress, he has rubies in his crown; until he gets some diamonds he will be Prince James.
PB I agree Lebron needs to win a title, but remember back in 89 people thought that MJ couldn't win the big one either. So I have patience with young Lebron
I said a long time ago, I've never seen a player win a championship on his own. Jordan couldn't do it, neither Kobe or A.I., so why does the media think Lebron can?
LBJ doesn't have the killer instinct that Michael Jordan had on nightly basis. Like PrimalB said Jordan from '89 would average 40+ easy for a season w/ today's NBA rules. Watching LBJ joking with Turkoglu at the of a loss earlier this week is difference between him and MJ. MJ never joked with an opponent during a Loss. Can't remember MJ having lapses in his concentration from the free throw line in the 4th quarter either but I could be mistaken.
As far as LBJ leaving for greener pastures next summer, things won't be better in NY except he'll have a coach that can actually coach. The team around him there will leave much to be desired.
The Magic will probably not be able to meet Turkoglu's salary demands. Would be nice to see him with LBJ in Cleveland. Instant upgrade and takes away a big part of the Orlando offense.
situation is a little different.
Jordans bulls won 55 games and were not hailed "best team in basketball". Cavs won 66 games and were expected to cakewalk to the NBA finals and most likely win the championship.
Lebron has not kept the series close. The series should have been a sweep. He keeps the games close, but the series has not been close. The cavs have been outplayed this series.
The coaching comparison was good.
Lebron's crazy numbers mean nothing if your team loses.
The Pistons were a great defensive team but still could not stop Jordan. So they bullied him and got into his head. The Magic are a poor defensive team, Lebron bullies the Magic, and Lebron is not mentally affected by the Magic.
Lebron is being checked by a scrub who does not even deserve to start on an NBA team, Michael Pietrus. As a warrior fan, I know how overrated his defense is, plus he gives up 3 inches and 50 pounds. Stan Van Gundy has tried everything to fulfill David Stern's wishes but his team refuses to throw the series.
Rashard Lewis is a 6'9" or 6'10" all-star small forward. Why is he not given the assignment to guard Lebron? At this point, can he do any worse than pietrus who is giving up 40+ points every game!
situation is a little different.
Jordans bulls won 55 games and were not hailed "best team in basketball". Cavs won 66 games and were expected to cakewalk to the NBA finals and most likely win the championship.
Lebron has not kept the series close. The series should have been a sweep. He keeps the games close, but the series has not been close. The cavs have been outplayed this series.
The coaching comparison was good.
Lebron's crazy numbers mean nothing if your team loses.
The Pistons were a great defensive team but still could not stop Jordan. So they bullied him and got into his head. The Magic are a poor defensive team, Lebron bullies the Magic, and Lebron is not mentally affected by the Magic.
Lebron is being checked by a scrub who does not even deserve to start on an NBA team, Michael Pietrus. As a warrior fan, I know how overrated his defense is, plus he gives up 3 inches and 50 pounds. Stan Van Gundy has tried everything to fulfill David Stern's wishes but his team refuses to throw the series.
Rashard Lewis is a 6'9" or 6'10" all-star small forward. Why is he not given the assignment to guard Lebron? At this point, can he do any worse than pietrus who is giving up 40+ points every game!
I feel for Bron I was literally hot last nite after the game Lebron is playing better and at a level higher than I have ever seen any other player play in my basketball watching lifetime and is getting 0 help from his team r coach its sad
All I know is this....if Cavs lose this series, that panic trade they tried to making with PHX will be back on for Shaq...with Fro Wallace and maybe Boobie Gibson being the pieces going back to PHX. Also, I was going to say The Lake Show would make a hard run after Kidd, but that might be a stretch...and plus it looks like they may take care of DEN after all.
Cavs best chance of making a run is playing a 3 guard lineup of West, Williams, Sasha, then Bron and Fro wallace. Make Howard think about those layups and posts and at least put shooters out there so Magic can't just collapse on Bron. Bron needs to check Lewis all game and throw Sasha on Hedo to at least limit him a bit. Alston and Williams are streaky non defending dudes, so that balances out, and West needs to look for his O against whoever is out there on him, whether it be Lee or Redick or even Pietrus.
This series is close in boxscore alone, because watching the games it's obvious that the Cavs are playing 8 on 5 because LeBron gets a silly amount of calls. Add to tht the fact that the Magic don't get half the call's that they should.
Example of this: End of game 4 LeBron gets a call on Pietrus for blocking, when it looks as if LeBron slips. Following posession D12 is pushed while in the air, yet no foul is called. Either one of thes could go either way, but the fact that the Cavs get that call shows at least a little bias.
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