It’s been four games. Out of 82.
In the words of Aaron Rodgers, “R-E-L-A-X.”
Just don’t sleep on reality.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have opened the 2014-15 NBA regular season at 1-3. What will be a consistent issue is already rearing its ugly head.
Rather than putting the ball in the hands of four-time MVP LeBron James, the Cavaliers have given Kyrie Irving the keys to the kingdom.
It’s time to press the brakes and go back to what works: James must run the show.
Irving is a phenomenal young player with mountains of upside and loads of present day ability. He’s a dynamic playmaker who, at his best, can score in an efficient and somewhat dominant manner.
Irving is great, but he isn’t LeBron. No one is.
The question is, why is Cleveland moving away from what’s worked for 11 seasons? Why not embrace the fact that the unanimous choice for the best player on planet Earth is in Cleveland, and he’s at his best with the ball in his hands?
It’s time to let James do what thousands of people in Cleveland are waiting for him to do: run the show.
So Far, No Good
On Tuesday, November 4, the Cleveland Cavaliers were decimated 101-82 at the Portland Trail Blazers. On Wednesday, November 5, the Cavaliers were stunned 102-100 at the Utah Jazz.
The common theme in those two games: lackluster ball movement.
Since the 7:37 mark of the second quarter of the game against Portland, Kyrie Irving has accumulated a grand total of zero assists. That includes the game against Utah, when he played 45 minutes and took 23 shots.
In that game, Irving had zero dimes, LeBron James had four and the team had six. Six.
No team has won a game with six or less assists since April 28, 1999.
All in all, there’s been 79 minutes and 37 seconds of Cavaliers basketball since Irving had an assist. He’s proving that he can score, but that only further supports the argument that James should be the lead facilitator.
Per Brian Windhorst of ESPN, James attempted to work out the issues with Irving. It didn’t go well.
"LeBron James and Kyrie Irving exchanged words in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ locker room following the team’s 19-point loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, and it led to Irving leaving quickly without speaking to the media, multiple sources told ESPN.com.The discussion was seen as healthy, sources said, with the veteran James voicing concerns about the direction of the Cavs’ offense."
Irving hasn’t dished out an assist in more than six quarters—almost seven. He has 36 field goal attempts in that time frame.
That’s simply unacceptable from the player who’s supposed to be the floor general and lead facilitator for any team, let alone a championship contender.
The Cavaliers are in the midst of a questionable experiment by placing James off-ball. Irving has thus taken over as the catalyst for the offense, requiring him to both score and facilitate.
That’s something that the rest of the league’s elite point guards thrive in doing. It’s also what James has done throughout his 11-year career.
Unfortunately, things aren’t going as planned. Irving is running the show, but it’s becoming clear that Irving’s what he’s always been: a scoring guard.
An incredible scoring guard, at that—something that’s a virtue, not a flaw.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have a two-time Finals MVP and four-time NBA MVP who’s been the leading scorer and facilitator on all five teams he’s taken to the NBA Finals. They have the unquestioned best player on the planet, who’s at his best with the ball in his hands.
For reason, they’re playing him off-ball.
Player Comparison
Player X is a four-time league MVP, two-time Finals MVP and two-time NBA champion with four consecutive and five total Finals appearances under his belt.
Player Y is a two-time All-Star and the 2010 Rookie of the Year with phenomenal upside and zero postseason appearances in his three-year career.
What else needs to be said?
Player X is LeBron James, who has been an All-NBA first team member in every season since 2008. He hasn’t missed an All-Star Game since 2005 and has made the NBA Finals in every season since 2011.
With two rings and two Finals MVPs, he’s also as decorated a postseason performer as any contemporary star.
Player Y is Kyrie Irving.
Irving is an excellent young player, but he’s made a grand total of zero playoff appearances. In other words, the Cleveland Cavaliers are bypassing the greatest player in franchise history to let the upside player run the show.
At some point, decency needs to be put aside and reality must be addressed.
Irving may very well become the All-NBA point guard who leads Cleveland to 50-to-60 wins. Playing with James and Kevin Love at his disposal is a great situation for a floor general to be in.
When your alternative is the best player on the planet, and that athlete is in his prime and at his best with the ball in his hands, it’s senseless to stray away from an all-time track record.
The question is, how can Cleveland make the change to the proper approach?
It Starts with LeBron James
In order for the Cleveland Cavaliers to return to LeBron James running the show, it’ll take LeBron James being willing to run the show. Kyrie Irving is excellent and deserving, but much of the free rein has been facilitated by the star player.
Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, James told the public that Irving would be the floor general well before the season began.
"“I’ll probably handle the ball a little bit, but this is Kyrie [Irving]’s show,” James said Saturday after the team’s first practice of training camp. “He’s our point guard. He’s our floor general, and we need him to put us in position to succeed offensively. He has to demand that and command that from us with him handling the ball.”"
For as much faith as I’ve placed in Irving’s abilities, it’s time to put an end to this experiment.
Irving has potential, but James is well-established as the top player in the world. When the four-time MVP runs the show, good things happen—championship things.
As Cleveland attempts to find the proper balance, the best thing to do is go with what has worked before. Irving may lead them to 50 or 60 wins, and the talent on the roster will still permit championship aspirations.
Whether Irving’s successful or not, the upside is limited with James playing off-ball.
James is at his best when he has the ball in his hands as both a scorer and facilitator. He’s an efficient catch-and-shoot player, but taking him off-ball would be to neutralize some his greatest strengths.
Playing off-ball, James would no longer be maximizing his world-class facilitating ability. Playing off-ball, James wouldn’t be leading the fast break or attacking opponents off-the-bounce.
In other words, The King wouldn’t be The King.
Until James buys into that approach again, the upside in Cleveland is limited.
Next: Is LeBron James the Greatest Player in Cleveland Cavaliers History?