Can King LeBron James regain his crown?

In the documentary “The Dream Team”, about the US 1992 Olympic Basketball team, a reporter asked Michael Jordan who in the team would take the game winning shot.

It was a ridiculous question. The answer was obvious. The US team was packed with the best players in all of basketball. The roster had Larry Bird, a three-time champion and the best shooter the NBA had ever seen by then. He won the 3-point contest three times. Back-to-back-to-back.

Then there was Magic Johnson, a five-time champion, five MVPs, a better shooter than MJ, the American team Captain and as the point guard, he was the floor general. The ball spent most of the time in his hands and he was the guy who got to choose who made the shot.

Jordan had only one title then. When it came to shooting, MJ, was statistically the second worst shooter in the 12 man team. The answer on who would make the game winner was: Jordan.

Jordan was The Man. His face was on a monstrous billboard in Barcelona. He was the one who people came to see. When he went out for walks he drew huge crowds and police had to close whole streets.

The statistics be damned. The team leader makes the shot, regardless of whether or not it is the best play. MJs greatest contribution to the game was to make it a point of honour to shoulder the responsibility of making the big shots even when it wasn’t advisable to do so.

His playing days as a Bull ended with him making the game winning shot to beat Utah in the ’98 final.

The legend of the Man has continued its poisonous effect on the league.

In the dying seconds, Game 7 of the Eastern Playoffs in 1995, the Knicks need a basket to beat the Pacers. John Stacks was the team’s most accurate shooter.

As shooting guard, it was his job to make the shot. However, he didn’t call the shots. Patrick Ewing, the team leader, took it upon himself to score. He drove to the basket missed the layup. Pacers won the series.

HOT AND COLD

The need to be The Man and make the shot, has poisoned the second most famous man to wear the magical number 23 jersey.

This year in February the Cavaliers needed a 3 to win against the Raptors. The Cavaliers have Irving and Love, both among the elite when it comes to shooting from distance. JR Smith, meanwhile, is the designated sniper and goes hot and cold from the arc.

The King’s stroke from the perimeter has all but vanished. Among those who make enough shots to count he is the second worst three point shooter in the NBA. This didn’t matter. He was the leader, it was his play. In the final possession, James was given the ball and an opportunity to win it for his team against Toronto. He shot it. LeBron didn’t just miss, he missed the rim and the board. He shot an air ball. Irving shook his head in disgust. When the Cavs needed a sniper, they reached for the tank.

During the 2015 Finals against the Warriors, James said that he was the league’s best player. The King still wore the crown. Few begrudged him. They were 2-1 in the series up and ended up losing the final 6-2.

They said the Warriors were lucky against the Cavs. That if Irving and Love were healthy the series would have ended differently. Well. The regular season exposed this lie.

The NBA has a cruel tradition of playing the previous season’s finalists on Christmas Day. The Holidays are used to remind finalists of their failure on the grandest stage. Cavs lost on Christmas Day at Golden State by six points. In Cleveland they lost again by 34 points.

The Cavs look overpowered for the Eastern conference. They are almost comically overmatched against their opponents. Detroit was rag dolled as James drove to the basket. Kyrie rained threes on them. Cavs swept Detroit. They are reaching for the broom with the Hawks. Last year, the Atlanta Hawks lost 4-0 this year they are already down 2-0. In their second game, the Cavs broke the Warriors NBA record for 3s in a playoff. They hit 25 3-point shots with JR Smith draining seven.

BEST PLAYER

In the Finals last year, they tried to out grind the Warriors. It almost worked. The Warriors switched seven foot Andrew Bogut for the 6”6’ Andre Iguodala and ran the Cavs rugged.

This year at full strength the plan seems to out gun the Warriors or Spurs. James has already ceded control of the attack to the Irving. Irving leads the playoffs in points made. The King has been forced to share the spotlight.

Kyrie is the best shooter in the team. In clutch time he is the man you want making the shot. James is no longer the go to man to kill off the game. In the series against the Pistons, the King allowed Kyrie to be the man and close out the series. Kyrie repaid the trust with frightening accuracy.

After the first round of the playoffs, Kyrie was the best player among the final eight. It was the first time in six years a team mate had outscored the King in a playoff series. The Cavs will be going to the NBA finals.

The problem is that whoever comes out of the gate from the West is still the favourite to beat them. Being the best in Eastern conference means you are only third best in the NBA. The Best are in the West. LeBron James faces the very real prospect of losing a fifth time at the Finals. He has been to the last five Finals and won only two. As the years have gone by, his jump shot has abandoned him at a time when guards and not forwards became the aces in the deck. His iron sights are out of focus at a time when the 3-point shot became workable offensive tactic.

The concern is greater because the power to his athletic frame is coming to an end. At 31, he is the league’s elder statesman. The tank looks outgunned in this new run and gun era.

For another chance at the crown the King must cede his position. He can no longer be The Man. Kyrie isn’t so much the future, as the present.

The Cavaliers are looking better than ever. JR Smith is on a hot streak, Love is rebounding and Kyrie has become the ultimate closer. James is content to play as point guard because Irving, like Russell Westbrook, would rather shoot than pass. The question remains whether this late flourish is enough.

Player movement, system, process and egalitarian scoring wins games. The two best examples of this are the Spurs and Warriors. San Antonio are notorious for having a system that eschews personal heroics. They rarely dunk because it wastes energy. With Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard the Spurs seem to be entering a new era.

It seems just as glorious as the last. They pass the ball a lot and get the best man to make the shot. Golden State have the deepest bench.  Andre Iguodala, their Finals MVP doesn’t even start games.

The road to the finals is easier this year for James. He is almost guaranteed a place. His team is better than ever. The problem is that it still doesn’t look good enough.