KJG roundtable on all-time starters, LeBron James’ postseason runs with Cavs, his fit with prior CLE legends

#4: What’s been LeBron’s most impressive postseason run with the Cavs?

Sow:

LeBron’s most impressive postseason run has to be his 2018 playoff run. In 22 games, LeBron averaged 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game. He had an NBA-record eight 40+ point games during this historic run and literally carried the Cavaliers to the NBA finals.

He hit clutch shot after clutch shot, swept the one-seeded Toronto Raptors, and dropped 51 on the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the most points scored ever in a Finals loss.

Casey:

It’s still 2016. You could go 2007 because the load he carried and beating a great Detroit Pistons team along the way or the 2018 team, because that team is probably one of the three to five worst team to make a Finals. I again, though, say 2016, because it ended in a championship.

It ended a 52-year Cleveland major professional sports title drought, with the Cavs beating a great Warriors team, and becoming the first team ever to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. He also led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, according to Basketball Reference, and you probably had five Hall of Famers combined playing in that series.

Fagan:

I mean without a doubt the greatest postseason run LeBron has ever had with Cleveland was in 2016 when the Cavaliers finally broke through the drought and won a championship for Cleveland. But, I’d have to say as far as the most impressive runs go, it would have to go to the 2018 run. In his last postseason run with the Cavs, LeBron was on another level.

The majority of people figured Cleveland would not make it past the first or second round, but sure enough, the King found a way to get the Cavs back to their fourth straight NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. It was evident during that year that LeBron single-handedly took Cleveland to that final match.

Although the Warriors would end up sweeping, the sheer intensity and grit that James played with should always be remembered. It was his last year in Cleveland before going to L.A., and he definitely made it a memorable one.

DiPaola:

When I think of LeBron’s best postseason run, it was the run he went on back in his final season with the Cavs. James scored 35 or more points in ten games and won two games on buzzer-beaters. James also led the Cavs to two Game 7 wins, putting up 45/8/7 on 64 percent shooting versus the Indiana Pacers and dropping 35/15/9 on 50 percent shooting at the Boston Celtics.

James’ superhuman effort in Game 1 of the NBA Finals (51/8/8) nearly toppled the Warriors, too. Overall, this run didn’t end memorably, but the road to get to the Finals was surely a postseason run to remember for James.

Meitin:

The overall NBA Finals run from 2015 to 2018 is one of the greatest runs a player can have, and there’s really no going against winning a title and doing so in historic comeback fashion against a 73-9 team, so the answer is easily James’ 2016 Finals and championship/postseason run. Granted, with this in mind, his 2018 Finals run was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever witnessed by a basketball player.

Harris:

LeBron’s best postseason run with Cleveland was the 2016 NBA Finals and/or leading up to it, which ended Cleveland’s championship drought and he was the key player in beating the best regular season team of all-time in the most impressive comeback in Finals history.

Not looking at the end result, taking the 2007 and 2018 Cavs teams to the NBA Finals were LeBron’s best, from an individual standpoint, however, when looking at how he completely carried those rosters.