King James Gospel
Fansided

32 Is The New 22: Why It’s The King’s Court Now More Than Ever

By Dan Gilinsky

May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts in the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts in the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) steals a pass beside Toronto Raptors forward PJ Tucker (2) in the third quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) steals a pass beside Toronto Raptors forward PJ Tucker (2) in the third quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Reason #4: Defensive Versatility

The Cavs are not going to be a lockdown defensive team; it’s not how their roster is structured. However, the playoffs are about matchups, both offensively and defensively. Against the Pacers, the wine-and-golders were not great, but they did make plays when they had to in crunch time. Going against one of the better isolation teams in the league in Toronto, LeBron showed why he’s still among the best two-way players in the game in his 14th season.

He’s the one guy the Cavs can’t have off the floor due to his versatility on switch-outs. He can match up against all five positions and be effective at contesting shots and causing turnovers that have led to easy buckets the other way. His on-ball defense when switched out on scorers like DeMar DeRozan in 1-on-1 situations was tight to the scouting report, but he’s always been his best in regards to rotations as both the primary weak or help side defender.

This rejection of Myles Turner happened because of LBJ’s impeccable timing, as he’s had his whole career. Chasedown blocks like this one are huge; they take points off the board. In the playoffs, that matters even more.

His basketball IQ/awareness is second-to-none, and with James playing that robber/free safety role, it’s allowed Tyronn Lue to mix up his coverages on primary options for the Cavs opponents. James has 17 steals in just eight playoff games, ranking him fourth in the league (per ESPN).

That’s the same amount as Kawhi Leonard, who has 17 in 10 games. I understand Bron is not the same lockdown defender of The Claw, but he’s still pretty great in what he does for this Cavs team.

When you’re facing the elite teams in the league, you need your best player making an impact on both ends. He does that and more, and has done it more than ever in his career with the Cavs not having many effective individual defenders around him. Having the third-best defensive rating on the team in his 14th season is not too shabby.

It’s clear that he does his homework, and knows exactly when to be locked onto the opposing team’s best player. That includes knowing how to double effectively. Sorry, Nate McMillan.

Last but not least, his postseason leadership has been invaluable, especially with the way the last few months of the regular season went.