Revisiting a couple of things from game 1: Screw LeBron James and screw the Cleveland Cavaliers team. Despite my obvious dislike of both, I've tried to give the benefit of the doubt. I mean, concerning LeBron in particular, I have to acknowledge that someone in his shoes is naturally going to be challenged in a lot of ways because of what an abnormal life he has led. Even as a kid, he was told he was going to be great and would be a superstar. He has had celebrity status and money all his adult life. Of course he is going to be challenged in being a "grounded" "down-to-earth" person. I get that, and I give a lot of credit to how he has still managed to come across as decent in a lot of situations.
1.
The play. The uncut footage after J.R. Smith's gaffe is pretty telling. For those who haven't seen it:
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/m/2bdae06b-9d08-30fc-93c4-c2b3f04c942c/ss_uncut-footage-shows-just-how.html And this is where I have to criticize LeBron and the Cavs team and coaches
as a whole. Smith knew he screwed up. And I can understand LeBron being upset. But during that short span after the play and before overtime, NOBODY came to him to try to pick him up and rally him. In fact, nobody tried to rally the team, really. Right at the very last second, Corver and Thompson did a little bit. But mostly, the team, including their self-declared leader, sat there moping. No wonder they lost in overtime, and lost huge (what was it, a 17-7 overtime?). There was NO sense of unity, NO sense of team, and NO sense of leadership whatsoever. LeBron was asked some more questions about it yesterday, I think it was. And his response was along the lines of, "You're going to criticize
ME? It's not on ME to pick up my team. This is the NBA finals." Uh, yeah, it totally IS on YOU. You are the team leader, both because you have asserted and proclaimed yourself to have that role in every way possible, and because you are the team's veteran superstar. It is COMPLETELY on you to rally your team and prepare them for that overtime. You failed them, LeBron. And they failed each other. They acted like the game was over, when there was still an overtime period left to play. Pick up your teammates and PLAY THE GAME. You were fortunate to even be in the finals. You were even more fortunate to still be in a position to steal game 1 in Oakland heading into overtime. Suck it up and PLAY THE GAME. And especially, rally to J.R. Smith so that he can get his head back in the game instead of him almost assuredly having his head on that final 4.6 of regulation. Most people would be a basket case after that. It's on his teammates, and especially LeBron, to let him know they have his back and that they need to get out there and PLAY until the final buzzer. Newsflash--J.R. Smith did not LOSE that game! Hill needed to make his freethrows. He didn't. Smith made a brilliant rebound by evading Durant's box out, and at least prevented the Warriors from taking a buzzer-beater win. He could have taken the ball right back up. Maybe he gets fouled and puts the game away. Or maybe he makes the shot. But maybe Durant, who was in position, blocks the shot. Or he could have quickly kicked it to LeBron. Maybe LeBron makes the buzzer beater. Maybe not. But the game was tied. Yes, J.R. made a gaffe. It would have been an inexcusable one if the Cavs were trailing. But it was tied. They were assured overtime in any case. J.R. didn't lose the game. He just kept the Cavs from winning it in regulation. If the team had any heart and any leadership, they should have come out on fire in overtime and competed. They didn't. That's on them as a team. That's on the coaching staff. And that's on LeBron. If I'm a Cavs fan, I would be more pissed at him than at Smith. Yes, his 51 points and his leadership put them in position to win it in the first place. But his completely and utter failure to lead his team heading into overtime cost them, and that is all on him.
2.
The foul. Golden State got lucky it was reviewed. But Cleveland got lucky the initial call was charging anyway. A careful look at the review shows that it wasn't. As to whether LeBron had his feet planted, it is a VERY close call. And that is what most are focusing on. But his upper body really is the key. His shoulders were FAR from being square, and he threw his upper body into Durant. That's a blocking foul, plain and simple. They ultimately got the call right. And although there isn't talk about it, Green smashing into Durant's right arm and shoulder was also a foul.
The only issue is the review. Again, Golden State got lucky. Acknowledged. But both refs on the floor were focused on the body contact. They weren't focused on where LeBron's feet were. In the split second it took for that all to go down, they missed it, and then saw three bodies lying on the ground
in the restricted area. They were deciding whether to review, when Durant, who had seen
the exact same situation play out at the end of regulation in a regular season game, and thus knew the rule, properly lobbied them to review it. So they did. The decision to review, under the circumstances, is hardly an egregious one.
It felt like that call was the backbreaker. I'm tempted to just repeat what Kev has said in various other sports threads and just say "So what? Blown calls don't win/lose games. If you're good enough to win, you have to show it and play well enough to overcome the bad call. If you can't do that, then you AREN'T really that good." But I don't think that's realistic. Sports games are highly situational, and momentum is real. A call by the refs in a key moment of a game can alter the course of events significantly. This is one of those, and I think that should be acknowledged. Golden State got the rare break from the officials, and it had a big impact on the Cavs not winning. But at the end of the day, the refs unquestionably made the right call.
Topic: NBA thread 2017-18 v. I dub thee champions (Read 68888 times)
