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LeBron James And The City Of Cleveland’s Complicated Relationship

By Ben Gibson

Mar 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Golden State Warriors
Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the fourth quarter of game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Greater Expectations and Tougher Competition

There wasn’t pressure on the Cavaliers to win a title last season, as they had a grace period while the team came together. But LeBron putting the team on his back in the NBA Finals and single-handedly winning two games only added to the pressure.

If James and the Cavaliers could push the Golden State Warriors to six games like they did, what could they do with a healthy Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love? It seemed simple: Stay healthy, win the Eastern Conference, meet up with the San Antonio Spurs or Warriors in the Finals, and claim the title.

2014-15 v. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers | PointAfter

If only it was that easy, and if only the Cavaliers’ likely opponents were the same teams they were a season ago.

With the Spurs and Warriors looking like all-time great teams with their 65+ regular season wins each so far, James and the Cavaliers haven’t looked this far away from a championship since the team was rebuilding around him in 2004. Not because they aren’t good, but because of how much better their likely opponents are.

The past five years it was expected his team would be the favorite in the Finals, but if San Antonio or Golden State is coming out of the Western Conference, LeBron and the Cavaliers will be the underdog.

Before last season, hardly anyone was talking about the Golden State Warrior winning a title. But this year as reigning champions they’ve changed the question from “Can they repeat?” to “Are they one of the best teams ever?” They are a very different team than the one they were a year ago.

2014-15 v. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors | PointAfter

The Warriors may be running back the same roster for the most part, but they’ve evolved in both obvious and subtle ways. They’ve gotten slightly better in terms of net rating at 11.6 this season compared to last season’s 11.4. The offensive got slightly better and the defense is slightly worse but to put in perspective, they were in the top five both in offense and defense, both this season and last. The 2014-15 version of the Warriors deserved a spot on the list of greatest single seasons, yet somehow they got better.

Golden State brought back the same roster for the most part, but the biggest and most obvious change from last season to now is Stephen Curry’s evolution from a solid MVP candidate to a man pulling apart the playbook of how the game is supposed to be played.

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Rumored draft target could 'pave way' for scoring G.O.A.T. to join Boston Celtics
Rumored draft target could 'pave way' for scoring G.O.A.T. to join Boston Celtics /

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    • You aren’t supposed to be able to shoot from 28 feet consistently. You aren’t supposed to be on track to make 400 three-pointers, destroying your own record of 286 from a season ago. And Curry isn’t some specialist that can camp out and wait to strike. He’s the Warriors’ point guard. He’s making these three-pointers off the dribble, in the flow of the game, with 45.9 field goal percentage from beyond the arc. He’s playing unlike anyone we’ve ever seen before.

    If you want any more of an indication how insane Curry’s play is, consider the fact that while Klay Thompson has 268 made three-points this season, just 18 behind Curry’s record from last season, he’s still over 100 behind the reigning MVP’s 385 so far this season.

    The team certainly isn’t coasting after winning a title, they’ve actively gotten better. Regardless of whether they win 73 or 72 games, they’re having one of the greatest regular season campaigns ever, and not making it any easier for the Cavaliers to win a championship.

    Of course, it is no guarantee that the Warriors (or the Cavaliers) will make it to the Finals, but it seems likely the Cleveland will represent the East. For the Warriors, they have one very large roadblock in their way, one that will likely become one for the Cavaliers if the Warriors fail.

    Next: The San Antonio Spurs

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