NBA Playoffs

[BAK]

- Mkuu anayejua kuhusu uchezaji wa wachezaji wanapokuwa uwanjani ni watazamaji, sio anayecheza kwa hiyo naomba kusisitiza kwamba msimamo wangu upo pale pale kwamba huyu kijana Lebron ni overrated mno, hajafikia bado sana panapotakiwa. Sio lazima Magic Johnson akubaliane na mimi, ila anaweza kukubaliana na wewe sina noma!

Respect.

FMEs!

ha ha ha ha LOL! Eti watazamaji ndiyo wanajua kuhusu wachezaji haya!!! Umenikumbusha mtazamaji mmoja pale Bongo katika mechi ya soka uwanja wa Taifa. Alikuwa anasema sasa hawa mbona wote wanagombea mpira mmoja tu!! Kwanini kila mmoja asipewe mpira wa kwake akachezea mwenyewe badala ya kugombea mpira mmoja!!!! watu walimkata macho hakutia neno tena!!!! ha ha ha ha Hivi unafikiri kweli watazamaji watakuwa katika nafasi nzuri ya kutoa opinion ya performance ya mchezaji kuliko legends kama akina Barkely, Magic Johnson, Ewing, Karl Malone, Air Jordan n.k.!? Ha ha ha ha ha ha hii ya leo kali!!! 🙂

 

[MwanaFalsafa1]

- Mkuu anayejua kuhusu uchezaji wa wachezaji wanapokuwa uwanjani ni watazamaji, sio anayecheza kwa hiyo naomba kusisitiza kwamba msimamo wangu upo pale pale kwamba huyu kijana Lebron ni overrated mno, hajafikia bado sana panapotakiwa. Sio lazima Magic Johnson akubaliane na mimi, ila anaweza kukubaliana na wewe sina noma!

Respect.

FMEs!

Na hao ma legends wote kama wakina Magic Johnson wanaomsifia Lebron you have to consider their motives. Wengine wanamsifia sana so "if" not "when" he becomes great they can say I am the one who predicted big things for this guy. Wengine wanamsifia as a sign of respect kuwa hawawezi kucome out straight na kusema he is overrated. These guys they are diplomatic they don't always say whats on their mind but they are trying to be politically correct. They no Lebron's achievements will speak for themselves at the end of his career so wao kama the past greats of the game hawawezi kuona sababu yoyote ya kumsema vibaya Lebron. Ukitaka usikilize opinions zisizo na unafiki toka kwa legends msikilize mkali Charles Barkley who has openly praised Lebron but has also said he is not their yet. Charles Barkley just this year was in a "mini beef" with Lebron kwa kumsema vibaya mpaka kupelekea Lebron kumuita Charles "stupid". Lebron is on his way but there is no guarantee he will get there, time will tell.

 

[William J. Malecela]

Are LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony sore losers.



Submitted by Teneshia LaFaye on Sun, 05/31/2009 - 17:46.

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony may be a little pouty, but he is not a sore loser unlike his 2003 NBA draft classmate LeBron James.
Melo pouted on the sidelines while watching the clock tick down in the Nuggets' Game 5 loss to L.A. in the Western Conference Finals, and he looked dazed on the sidelines Friday as Kobe Bryant and the Lakers dealt the Nuggets a 27-point Game 6 loss to advance to an NBA record 30th NBA Finals.
Nevertheless, Anthony hung around to shake hands with the Lakers, and he and Bryant shared a five-second embrace before he headed back to Denver's locker room. And while Denver players sorely boasted that they are more talented and should have beaten L.A., Anthony responded that his team can't claim to be a better until it can actually win a playoff series against the Lakers.
NBA MVP LeBron James, on the other hand, behaved liked a sore loser after the Magic knocked Cleveland out of NBA title contention Saturday with a 103-90 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to Orlando's first NBA Finals since 1995.
As soon as the final buzzer sounded to signal the end to the Cavs' record-breaking season, James pulled out his shirt, bowed his head and made a beeline to the Cavs' lockers. No wave goodbye to Cleveland fans who endured the Magic's home crowd full of hecklers. No congratulatory handshake to Orlando center Dwight Howard for putting up the 40 points usually customary for James, who finished with just 25 after being held scoreless in the second quarter and mustering only four points in the fourth. And no appearance at the postgame press conference.

 

[William J. Malecela]

Are LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony sore losers.



Submitted by Teneshia LaFaye on Sun, 05/31/2009 - 17:46.

1. Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony may be a little pouty, but he is not a sore loser unlike his 2003 NBA draft classmate LeBron James.


2. Nevertheless, Anthony hung around to shake hands with the Lakers, and he and Bryant shared a five-second embrace before he headed back to Denver’s locker room. And while Denver players sorely boasted that they are more talented and should have beaten L.A., Anthony responded that his team can’t claim to be a better until it can actually win a playoff series against the Lakers.

3. NBA MVP LeBron James, on the other hand, behaved liked a sore loser after the Magic knocked Cleveland out of NBA title contention Saturday with a 103-90 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to Orlando’s first NBA Finals since 1995.

4. As soon as the final buzzer sounded to signal the end to the Cavs’ record-breaking season, James pulled out his shirt, bowed his head and made a beeline to the Cavs’ lockers. No wave goodbye to Cleveland fans who endured the Magic’s home crowd full of hecklers. No congratulatory handshake to Orlando center Dwight Howard for putting up the 40 points usually customary for James, who finished with just 25 after being held scoreless in the second quarter and mustering only four points in the fourth. And no appearance at the postgame press conference.

- Sawa sawa, haya ni maoni ya wanaolipwa kutoa analysis za huo mchezo, unaona kuna maoni mbali mbali sasa ni uamuzi wa msomaji kuamua anataka kufuata yapi, mimi ninakubaliana na huyu mwandishi kwamba Lebron bado sana na ni sour loser!

FMEs!

 

[MwanaFalsafa1]

LeBron happy in Cleveland despite loss
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP)-LeBron James(notes) finally talked about not making the NBA finals, and insists Cleveland's loss to Orlando will not impact his future with the Cavaliers.

James stormed out of Amway Arena without speaking to the media Saturday night after the Cavs were eliminated with a 103-90 loss to the Magic in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. The league MVP, who also did not shake hands with Olympic teammate Dwight Howard(notes) or congratulate any Orlando players as he left the floor, said Sunday that he's happy in Cleveland and feels the Cavs made major progress this season.

"I'm great. I feel great about this situation that's going on," James said. "You want to continue to get better, that's all you can ask. We got better and I feel this team will be better next season. You don't want to take a step backward. I think we went forward from the Boston series (a Game 7 loss in the semis) last year."

"Hopefully we can go forward next year."

The Cavaliers won 66 regular-season games and their second Central Division title this season.

James, who averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists against Orlando, said he hasn't given any thought to signing a contract extension with the Cavs this summer.

Cleveland can offer the extension on July 18-the three-year anniversary of him signing his previous deal.

"I don't know," James said when asked if he'll sign. "I haven't thought about it just yet. I'm just going to take time off from basketball and not think about contracts or the game period. I'll relax with my family we'll figure out once it comes from them."

James said he sent an e-mail to Howard following Saturday's game.

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," he said. "I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."

source: yahoo sports

 

[BAK]

Na hao ma legends wote kama wakina Magic Johnson wanaomsifia Lebron you have to consider their motives. Wengine wanamsifia sana so "if" not "when" he becomes great they can say I am the one who predicted big things for this guy.

Basi wangewasifia hata wale wenye mediocre performances pia maana ni kama kucheza bahati nasibu kuna kupata na kukosa. If you'are legend like Magic Johnson, Barkley , Michael Jordan and others you can't miss signs of a great player. NO WAY basi siku zote wangekuwa hata wale wenye mediocre performances wanawasifia kitu ambacho si cha kweli.

Wengine wanamsifia as a sign of respect kuwa hawawezi kucome out straight na kusema he is overrated. .

Na number zake pia day in day out zinaonyesha yuko overrated. Ni mchezaji gani mwingine ana excellent production day in day out katika regular season na playoffs kama Lebron!? Ha ha ha ha yuko overrated duh!!!!

[These guys they are diplomatic they don't always say whats on their mind but they are trying to be politically correct.

Wewe umeshaingia kwenye mind zao nakuona kwamba hawasemi kilichopo kwenye mind zao LOL! Umeshakuwa Sheikh Yahya mara tu!!! Kila la heri na usheikh Yahya wako wa kujua watu wanasema kilichopo ndani ya mind zao au la ha ha ha

[They no Lebron's achievements will speak for themselves at the end of his career so wao kama the past greats of the game hawawezi kuona sababu yoyote ya kumsema vibaya Lebron.

Why lebron!? basi wangesifia wachezaji wote wa NBA hata wale ambao perfomaces zao ni mediocre at best na wako wengi sana ili kuendelea kuwa madiplomat ha ha ha

[Ukitaka usikilize opinions zisizo na unafiki toka kwa legends msikilize mkali Charles Barkley who has openly praised Lebron but has also said he is not their yet. Charles Barkley just this year was in a "mini beef" with Lebron kwa kumsema vibaya mpaka kupelekea Lebron kumuita Charles "stupid". Lebron is on his way but there is no guarantee he will get there, time will tell.

Kuna wachezaji wengi akiwemo Barkley mwenyewe akina Ewing, Karl Malone hawakuwahi kushinda ubingwa wa NBA lakini kamwe hawawezi kuitwa "they were just a hype and overrated". Hivyo hivyo hata kama Lebron hatachukua ubingwa na akiweza kuendelea na the same perfomance year in year out bado ataingia kwenye kundi la great players of all time. Kuwa great player siyo lazima ushinde ubingwa vinginevyo Karl Marlone, Ewing na Barkley wasingekuwemo katika ile list ya NBA's 100 greatest players of all time.

 

[MwanaFalsafa1]

Nakubaliana na wewe BAK kuwa Lebron has the potential. All I'm saying is that what he has done now has been done by many before him. His numbers a very good but there are players in the past who had very good numbers but they are not in the list of the greatest. Namkubali James, he is good, all I'm saying is that time will tell. He is still young and he is still building his legend. Kama nilivyo sema kwenye post huko nyuma kuwa Lebron is a superstar but haja fikia kiwango cha kua a legend but he has the potentil to be one, that is all i have been trying to say.

 

[William J. Malecela]

Learning from LeBron James: Why I'm not for Barack Obama (yet)
guest column


By Curtis Haley of Eugene, Oregon. Curtis describes himself as "an incoming freshman at University of Oregon, former national president of DECA (student organization of 185,000 members), and an ardent Democrat." Previously, he contributed "Lane County: What we have here is a failure to communicate."

It's NBA Finals time again. When faced with the matchup of the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers - the basketball equivalent of choosing between vanilla ice cream and vanilla BEAN ice cream - I'm with the superstar - 21-year old wunderkind LeBron James and the guys from Ohio (that a Pistons loss virtually guarantees ex-Blazer Rasheed Wallace threatening to kill the ref on any given night was just a plus).
If you don't watch a lot of basketball, don't worry. My point doesn't require you to actually give a crap about the NBA.
Here's the skinny on LeBron for those of you who don't know: The guy is good. Drafted straight out of high school, hailed as the savior of the perpetually lackluster Cavs, immediately the recipient of a fatty Nike contract that spawned a worldwide trend of "Witness" t-shirts and [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yKtUYMPYFk"]"The Lebrons"[/ame] commercials.
Right when he hit the league, people were building him up to be the next Michael Jordan. But with no championships, no breakthrough games and no "Did he just do that?!" moments, he hardly was living up to the hype. It hit me the other day, after LeBron put up 10 and 19 points, respectively, in back-to-back 79-76 losses (not to mention choking on the last possession of both games) that the hype surrounding him and his relatively weak NBA resume captures perfectly my feelings about Barack Obama.
As written here on BlueOregon and on just about every other political blog out there, a lot of people have been touting Obama as "the truth" ever since his arrival on the scene at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He is apparently garnering huge amounts of early support from young people and is playing the role of the knight on the white horse.
But aside from the hype, aside from the excitement, what exactly has Obama brought to the table?
Is it experience? Clinton obviously has more. Is it progressive ideas? Edwards has shown himself to be much more so on important issues such as health care, and certainly Iraq. Is it his ability to win? He is not currently leading in any of the states being polled.
I think it's something different than any of those things. The energy of Barack Obama's campaign is more idea than substance.
When LeBron entered the NBA, everyone WANTED to be excited about him the same way they used to get excited about Michael Jordan - he was young, talented, camera friendly and had a nice smile - best of all, he didn't seem to tout around all of the emotional baggage of the last "next big thing", Kobe Bryant.
What Americans, and especially people my age, see in Barack Obama is hope that we might be ushering in a new era of politics, filled with enough hope and change to undo the horrific amounts of damage eight years of George W. Bush has done to the American psyche. That he happens to be a younger guy, an African-American and from humble roots just nurtures the mystique and hope even more.
But the political world is a hard place - particularly as a Democrat running against a Republican hate machine that will throw anything at you without any regard for truth or morality. I look back at the painful memories of the 2004 campaign - John Kerry's deafening silence in regard to the Swift Boat vets; John Edwards smiling his way through his debate with Dick Cheney, possibly the easiest person in the world to make look bad - and I don't get hopeful. I get scared that progressives might build Obama up into the savior, only to have him torn apart like a paper lion once the primaries are over. Momentum will carry you far when the wind's blowing in your favor, but brick walls aren't as receptive.
I want to believe in Obama as much as anyone - the thing is, he does have the POTENTIAL to embody hope the way Kennedy or FDR did. But in my book he's still a lot of marketing and very little gametime cred.
So what would Obama need to do to make me a convert? Start by facing Hillary Clinton head-on. Enough playing coy. Enough saying things that sound good that don't mean anything. I don't want to support a candidate because I like his style - I want to support a candidate because I like what he has to say about health care, or education, or Iraq, or ANYTHING AT ALL. When the rubber hits the road, I want to know that the paper tiger has some roar and bite to him.
Three games after he choked, LeBron James went into the Palace at Auburn Hills, home of the Detroit Pistons, and put up 48 points. The last 25 points of the game. 29 of the last 30. Impossible shots being made on the biggest stage, in hostile territory, in two overtimes with the game on the line. Watch the highlights on [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Px-jPm_TU"]YouTube[/ame] and hear the commentator say the magic words: "This is Jordan-esque". He willed his team into the NBA Finals.
That's why I now consider myself a LeBron convert: A "Witness" to his greatness.
And it's why I'm NOT an Obamaniac - yet.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Walima machunga ni bad match up kwa Cavaliers. Msije kushangaa na kuanza kulia na kujiuliza kulikoni Magic wakiwatoa Cavs

Ha ha haaa waulize Cel-tits na cheerleader wao. Wamenyweshwa mvinyo wa machungwa jana mpaka wametota.

Cavs ain't gonna get it easy. Wasipoangalia nao tutawavuruga kwao huko huko...

Heheheheheheheheee....si niliwaambia....Kwanza hawa Cavs wanabahati sana. Hii series walibakia kidogo tu wafagiliwe mbali.....

 

[Sasha Fierce]

Haya mshike mshike Quemu upo ndugu yangu?!.maana hao akina Cavs ndiyo bye bye now what?.

na huyo Babu alikuwa anamshabikia sana huyo Lebron ooh king jame king james kelele nyingiiiii,sasa sijui atarudi kwa Kobe now na kuanza ooh kobe need to show his ability kuonyesha kuwa he can play game without shaq.same chorus everyday.

Haya na dugude langu Icadon lipo wapi tena jamani eeh.Nimemiss maana sijamtia-machoni muda mrefu kidogo i hope aliweka nidhamu.

 

[YE]

The Black Mamba is gearing up. ready to bite!

 

[Belo]

Lakini still dogo ana nafasi kwani bado ana miaka 24 lakini huko kumuita KING wakati hana kombe hata moja walianza kumpa kichwa but akikomaa huko mbele atakuja kuwa REAL KING

 

[JokaKuu]

..halafu Lebron is not commited to playing defence.

..alitakiwa am-shutdown either Tokoglu au Rashad Lewis. he is just as big, faster, and stronger than either of them.

..kitu kingine Lebron habadiliki frm game to game. ajifunze kutoka kwa Kobe jinsi ya kufanya scouting on opposing teams.

..inawezekana tatizo ni kocha wa Lebron, lakini nadhani kwa upande wa Kobe his basketball IQ is at par to that of Phil Jackson.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

..halafu Lebron is not commited to playing defence.

..alitakiwa am-shutdown either Tokoglu au Rashad Lewis. he is just as big, faster, and stronger than either of them.

..kitu kingine Lebron habadiliki frm game to game. ajifunze kutoka kwa Kobe jinsi ya kufanya scouting on opposing teams.

..inawezekana tatizo ni kocha wa Lebron, lakini nadhani kwa upande wa Kobe his basketball IQ is at par to that of Phil Jackson.

Halafu kuondoka bila hata kuwapongeza wachezaji Magic kaonyesha poor sportsmanship unbecoming of an MVP!!

 

[BAK]

Haya mshike mshike Quemu upo ndugu yangu?!.maana hao akina Cavs ndiyo bye bye now what?.

na huyo Babu alikuwa anamshabikia sana huyo Lebron ooh king jame king james kelele nyingiiiii,sasa sijui atarudi kwa Kobe now na kuanza ooh kobe need to show his ability kuonyesha kuwa he can play game without shaq.same chorus everyday.

Haya na dugude langu Icadon lipo wapi tena jamani eeh.Nimemiss maana sijamtia-machoni muda mrefu kidogo i hope aliweka nidhamu.

Ha ha ha ha SF habari za masiku? Ulipotelea wapi? ha ha ha ha. Haya kila la heri katika NBA finals. Hopefully this time Kobe will be able to win without SHAQ, but on paper it does not good at all especially if Rashad, Tourkouglo and another player will continue with their 3 points accuracy. Black Mamba and Lakers will have to raise their leveo to another notch. Good luck 🙂

 

[JokaKuu]

Halafu kuondoka bila hata kuwapongeza wachezaji Magic kaonyesha poor sportsmanship unbecoming of an MVP!!

Nyani Ngabu,

..sasa hapo tuwaachie NBA na press corp manaake hilo ni litoto lao na wamelidekeza sasa matokeo yake ndiyo hayo.

..ninavyoelewa mimi anatakiwa kulimwa FAINI kwa kutokwenda kwenye Press Conference.

 

[BAK]

Posted: Sunday May 31, 2009 2:53PM; Updated: Sunday May 31, 2009 2:53PM
Roundtable: LeBron's future

In the wake of Cleveland's loss in the Eastern Conference finals, SI.com's NBA experts assess LeBron James' future with the team -- or elsewhere.​

1. How will the Cavs' loss affect LeBron's future with the team?

Ian Thomsen: Is he going to leave Cleveland? I still think it's a longshot, to which he'll commit only if he views a better chance to win with another franchise. Will the Knicks be able to provide such an opportunity? That's an even bigger longshot.

It's important that James maintain the leverage -- the implied threat -- of leaving Cleveland in order to maintain pressure on the Cavaliers to improve the team around him. Right now, it is in his best interests to not create the impression that he will re-sign with the Cavaliers no matter what. He will want them to do anything possible to improve the team around him, and from his point of view the only leverage he'll have will be to threaten to leave if they fail to make the necessary improvement.

Jack McCallum: I've looked stupid over the years trying to predict what athletes are going to do (that's not the only time), but my guess is that the loss will have a profound effect. Young superstars are notoriously impatient, and my best guess is that it will be a major factor in his leaving Cleveland in the summer of 2010, believing, as he might, that he has done everything humanly possible to bring the city a championship and it didn't happen. What we have to remember, of course, is that the Cavs could win the title next year and all bets are off.

Chris Mannix: The ability to provide LeBron with a potential dynasty was one of Cleveland's strongest selling points and perhaps the only advantage they have over the Knicks, who will strip their roster after next season in anticipation of signing James and a quality sidekick. So this loss hurts. That said, I think next season is more important. If the Cavaliers win the championship in 2010, it is going to be difficult for James to participate in a parade in Cleveland in late June and walk away from them in early July.

Steve Aschburner: I'd like to think that this will bond James to the Cavaliers more than ever, this sense of a job unfinished. Together, he, his teammates, the staff and the fans got another taste and a glimpse of what was possible, with some real clarity for things they can do to go another step or two -- six victories, really -- beyond. I long have thought that winning a title in Cleveland would free James to go on to bigger and better places, more than failing to win would frustrate him into leaving.

Scott Howard-Cooper: How can it not weigh heavily in his decision? July 2010 is forever away and the Cavaliers should be contenders again next season, creating the opportunity to replace this memory with a more favorable outcome, but this may have been their best shot. Very good defense, home court advantage through the playoffs after being nearly unbeatable in Cleveland, rested, the Celtics down Kevin Garnett, the Magic down Jameer Nelson ... and the Cavs don't even get to the Finals. They don't even get close. One of the greatest individual runs in playoff history led to nothing. Good luck ignoring that as he contemplates whether the Cavaliers provide the best chance at a title.

2. What does Cleveland need to do to improve LeBron's supporting cast?

Ian Thomsen: It's simple: He needs more guys to make plays. The Cavaliers have steadily raised the level of talent around James, but there are more upgrades to make. The issue for Cleveland is whether to make a big move now or to wait until 2010, when they would have cap space to add a major free agent around LeBron. But they aren't likely to wait that long. Look for a major trade this summer.

Jack McCallum: It's not like the supporting cast was suddenly switched with, say, the Sacramento Kings' supporting cast. This is the same supporting group that helped the Cavs win a league-best 66 games. But their overall performance in this series ranged from mediocre to miserable. Mo Williams looks to be a reliable Sundance to LeBron's Butch Cassidy, but he wilted in this pressure. Perhaps it won't happen next year. Having said that, they need a drop-dead three-point shooter, like a Jason Kapono, and a big man with a reliable back-to-the-basket offensive game, so James does not have to fulfill both of those roles.

Chris Mannix: They need another big-time scorer and for that to happen they need to forget about stock piling cap space for 2010 and make a major deal this offseason. In hindsight, it was a collossal mistake to hold onto Wally Szczerbiak (1.8 points per game in the conference finals) at the trade deadline when they could have flipped him for a better player with a bigger salary. The Cavs will once again have a major chip to deal this summer in the expiring contract of Ben Wallace ($14 million), two if you include Sasha Pavlovic ($4.95 million). Big names (Amare Stoudemire, for one) will be available. The worst thing Cavs GM Danny Ferry is stand pat and hope LeBron can carry them again. That's a bad idea in the short and long term.

Steve Aschburner: I saw the same things everyone else saw -- a backcourt that needs more size and a frontcourt that needs more youth. The Cavs aren't going to have to cope with a ball-handling Hedo Turkoglu on a nightly basis, but they could stand to mix in one or two slashers or wing players in the 6-5, 6-6 range for more and better defensive options. Williams, Delonte West, Daniel Gibson -- they're all pocket-sized by NBA standards. Up front, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace and Joe Smith are on their last legs, not offering enough at either end beyond their six fouls each.

Scott Howard-Cooper: A lot of what went wrong against Orlando was because of the matchup. Anderson Varejao couldn't chase Rashard Lewis and muscle around with Dwight Howard. Welcome to the problem the rest of the league faced. Howard tore through the Cavaliers inside, and ditto. Because of the way Cleveland rolled through the first two rounds, no one could have imagined it was this vulnerable in the right circumstances. Except this was not just about the East finals. The Cavs need to get better inside, whether through offseason move or developing rookie J.J. Hickson at power forward, quickly. They are good on the boards, but that's misleading because an unusually large contribution comes from the small forward, one LeBron James.

3. Does Cleveland's on-court strategy best utilize LeBron's skills? If not, how should they change their approach?

Ian Thomsen: The unfortunate truth for Cleveland is that Orlando is the only team capable of embarrassing them, because of the various matchup problems at the three-point line and the space they created for Dwight Howard to dominate down low. It's no exaggeration to say the Cavaliers would have had a better chance against the Celtics with a healthy Kevin Garnett than they had against this Magic team.

There is nothing wrong with the way they use LeBron. He's become an All-NBA defender, and his MVP award as well as his across-the-board stats are proof that they're maxing him out by putting the ball in his hands to let him make plays. Now they need to continue providing him with better targets for his passing.

Jack McCallum: Just to get defense out of the way, it looked like LeBron was misused in this series. Why he didn't guard Turkoglu or Lewis is beyond me. Great players can play major roles at both ends of the court. That's what they want to do. That's why they're great players.

As for offense, the word I would use to describe Cleveland's is "formless." When the Chicago Bulls finally broke through with Michael Jordan and his supporting cast -- which was not until his seventh year in the league, I might add, which is what LeBron will enter in the '09-10 season -- it was largely because they finally found the proper balance between Jordan's dominating the ball one-on-one and Jordan's being part of a set offense. In the Bulls' case, that was the triangle, and I still see that as a major reason that Phil Jackson's teams were, and are, successful. Sure, there are times when LeBron has to come out and dominate the ball, but he would be better served if his one-on-one play could be integrated into an offense that keeps the floor balanced and others involved.

Chris Mannix: I didn't have a problem with Cleveland's offensive approach. Cavs assistant coach John Kuester is a terrific offensive coordinator in the Cleveland huddle and while at times the offense looked too LeBron-centric the ball movement was generally there; the Cavs just weren't making open shots. Mo Williams (37.1 percent from the floor) and Szczerbiak (21.4 percent) were the primary culprits in the conference finals, but as a team Cleveland wasn't making the shots that they were knocking down with regularity in the regular season. As a result, the games were closer, LeBron had to play more minutes (44.3 this round) and it took its toll at the end.

Steve Aschburner: It's not much fun watching James go 1-on-5, but until the NBA deploys that in-development crew of robot referees who will call all fouls the same -- whether applied to journeyman or superstar -- there will always be value in having that guy who can draw whistles seemingly every time he gets into the lane. Part of the beauty of having LeBron James is that it means 29 other teams do not have him, so Cleveland always needs to flex that advantage. It just needs more reliable shooters and more versatile defenders around him.

Scott Howard-Cooper: Yes. There is no answer with flowing analysis. Yes. James is a great offensive player who had the ball in any situation. He has become a star on defense and has been rewarded with praise there as well. The Cleveland problem is not whether James is properly utilized.

4. The Cavaliers recently agreed to sell a stake in the team to investors from China, which some feel will allow LeBron to expand his reach into the country. What do you feel will guide James' decision as to where he plays after 2010: financial potential or on-court success?

Ian Thomsen: His financial potential is based in his success on the court. There will be no global empire if he doesn't follow \Jordan's examples and establish himself as a champion who wins multiple titles. Winning will trump everything, which is why the allure of New York shouldn't be enough: Why would he go there unless he was convinced the Knicks will win big?

Jack McCallum: Obviously, the man knows how to maximize his commercial impact, and he and his people have made shrewd offcourt decisions that have put him in the Jordan-Tiger Woods class as a pitchman. But from what I see of LeBron on the court, I think he's about winning a championship, winning a bunch of championships, in fact. That will drive his decision more than anything.

Chris Mannix: James has made it clear in numerous interviews his desire to be the richest man on the planet. He dines with billionaire Warren Buffet and has a whole team thinking up ways to maximize his value. So money will play an enormous role. I'm one of those people that believe that where James lives or who owns the team won't significantly impact the amount of money he makes. He's one of those rare transcedent stars that doesn't need a Manhattan or Los Angeles address for that.

But this might come down to a personal choice. James is a fashion plate; he tries to wear the 'it' designer before anyone else. He has that very New York state of mind. So the question could come down to this: does he want to become basketball's Derek Jeter, a 20-something mega star living in the city nine months out of the year? There is a certain appeal to that. Jeter is a beloved figure and has made a fortune (as well as won four World Series) in New York. James might want that. But he has to be cognizant of the potential downside: he could wind up more like A-Rod. Jeter was a home grown talent who came up through the Yankees farm system. A-Rod, like James would be, is a well-paid mercenary who despite being the best player in baseball has never quite achieved the popularity of Jeter and took the brunt of the abuse (pre-steroids admission) when the Yankees didn't win the title.

There is a lot of money and fame in New York but there is a lot of pressure that comes with it. James has done a remarkable job of keeping his name out of the gossip rags and hasn't made any Wikipedia-worthy mistakes. But that could change if he chooses to play in the New York fishbowl and if it does, I wonder how he would handle it and if he would ever regret leaving behind a city or an organization that is willing to bend over backwards to satisfy him.

Steve Aschburner: I'm aware of James' ambitions on both fronts. He wants to win an NBA championship (no doubt more than one) and he wants to be a billionaire. He can do the former without achieving the latter, but I'm not sure it would work the other way around. To grab his rung on the Forbes 400 -- that's it, he wants a ring and a rung! -- and to hang with Warren Buffet without wondering if Buffet is slumming, James needs to maximize his opportunities and his profile. He, New York and the NBA need each other, however bogus a Knicks/Nets myopia might seem to mere sports fans. James is thinking way beyond sports, which invariably will mean way beyond Cleveland. Just as Kobe Bryant swapped out Charlotte for L.A. before he ever played an NBA game, just as Garnett needed Boston's tradition and basketball passions to make his career complete, James needs the platform that only New York can provide.

Scott Howard-Cooper: It's about the ring. It has to be about the ring because James can't truly stake a claim as the greatest player ever without a championship. The title has to be part of the blueprint for world domination. The financial potential will be there no matter what. Stay in Cleveland for a bigger basketball contract, go to New York for greater marketing opportunities that will offset the salary-cap rules -- whatever. He's getting bazillions of dollars anywhere. But James is not getting his spot on Mt. Olympus without standing atop the NBA.

 

[Rufiji]

Go Magic

 

[BAK]

Go Magic

They can do it. They are hungry, determine and very athletic. No one picked them to be in this position before the start of the playoffs. Now the want to prove to the Basketball World that they are capable of winning it all, but they have to go through KB who wants to prove to the World that he can win without SHAQ. Too close to call, but on paper advantage to Orlando.

 

[William J. Malecela]

1. Right when he hit the league, people were building him up to be the next Michael Jordan.

2. But with no championships, no breakthrough games and no "Did he just do that?!" moments, he hardly was living up to the hype.

3. It hit me the other day, after LeBron put up 10 and 19 points, respectively, in back-to-back 79-76 losses

4. (not to mention choking on the last possession of both games) that the hype surrounding him and his relatively weak NBA resume captures perfectly my feelings about Barack Obama.