LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers must embrace a motion offense

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers shouldn’t hang their heads after losing the 2017 NBA Finals. They should, however, embrace a motion offense.

When David Blatt was hired as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, those with knowledge of the international basketball scene were ecstatic. There was no guaranteeing his success, but he’d received cosigns from prominent coaches, including two-time NBA champion Steve Kerr.

More importantly, Blatt experienced resounding success on the international scene by emphasizing defense and teaching his patented motion offense.

Roughly a year-and-a-half after he was fired by Cleveland, the ramifications are finally being felt. LeBron James led Cleveland to an iconic championship win in 2016 and were admittedly overmatched in 2017, but beneath the surface was a crucial revelation.

If James is going to fulfill his remaining potential, extend his prime, and bring more championships to Cleveland, he’ll need to fully embrace a motion offense.

It may not be fair to put this on any one individual, but if we’re being honest: no one has more pull in Cleveland than The King.

Utilizing James in an off-ball role is something of a foreign idea. For as gregarious and benevolent as James has been with the ball in his hands, there haven’t been many sustained periods of time during his 14-year career where he’s been an off-ball player.

In order for the Cavaliers to become more than just James and a supporting cast, however, he must trust a system.

This in no way implies that what James does is insufficient. The reality is: James shoulders more playmaking responsibility than just about any player in NBA history who has won multiple championships.

That may be the foundation for his case for being the GOAT, but it’s also a counterintuitive way to approach the game.

It may have worked three times so far, but the first two included an elite shot creator in Dwyane Wade and a Hall of Fame power forward in Chris Bosh. The third culminated in a different player, Kyrie Irving, sinking the game-winning shot.

That’s no indictment of James, but instead a reality that must be accepted: if Cleveland is going to overcome Golden State, it must play as a team and limit fatigue.

Contrary to popular belief, James being a team player isn’t the same as a unit playing like a team. Golden State taught a master class about what that actually means by moving without the ball, making the extra pass, and never settling for a good shot when a great one is available.

Cleveland has shown flashes of a willingness to do so, but David Blatt’s vision for a true motion offense has never come to fruition.

The proof: no team ended more possessions in isolation than Cleveland at 1,051, and the No. 2 team checked in at 929.

As James nears his 33rd birthday and 15th NBA season, Cleveland must truly embrace what it’s shown flashes of executing. Whether or not you feel he’s left a few championships on the table, there’s no denying how fatiguing the four-time MVP’s style of play has to be.

Rather than having an exhausted James every fourth quarter, the Cavaliers need him well-rested and prepared to dominate the clutch.

Some will say that James’ teammates let him down by missing open shots, and that’s certainly a fair take. The reality is: The ball rarely touched their hands unless they were asked to take or create a shot.

That may be their role, but simply asking a player to make quick passes along the perimeter will keep them engaged and in rhythm.

It could also breed superior effort on defense.

Considering Cleveland ranked in the bottom third of the NBA in defensive efficiency, improvements are needed.

The one and only way to fix that flaw will be for the players around James to evolve from complementary pieces into teammates. That means James will need to somewhat sacrifice being the center of attention in favor of being the leader of an actual team.

That means less Kevin Garnett in Minnesota and more Tim Duncan in San Antonio.

Dare I say it: That means less Michael Jordan in 1988 and more Michael Jordan in 1996.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers still have time to become a dynasty and bring more championships to their title-hungry city. That will require LeBron James to do something that may hurt team success in the short-term, but pay off over time.

The greatest playmaker of this generation must take a step back and enable a system to be built around him.