This Just in: The Celtics Can Defend
LeBron James is shooting an abhorrent 19% from the floor in the first two games against the Celtics. Of the 42 field goals that he has hoisted up, the League’s leading scorer has missed 34 of them. He has also coughed up the pill to the tune of 17 turnovers.
About the only thing he’s done effectively in the series so far, is chew his nails.
Little wonder the Cavs have dug themselves into what seems like an insurmountable hole.
This, obviously, isn’t typical of LBJ, but it’s also not the first time that a team has put the clamps on him in a postseason round.
Remember what took place against the Spurs in the NBA Finals?
Are these Celtics flashing the defensive ferocity and fundamental assault of those Spurs?
“I think it is,” James confirmed. “They’re very, very aggressive. They’re very good.”
The C’s trapping, hounding, relentless defense might not only end up sending LeBron and the Cavs home early for the summer, but it will do nothing to quell the growing frustration toward Mike Brown (and his almost non-existent playbook.)
79 Responses to “This Just in: The Celtics Can Defend”
May.9 at 9:04 am
BETCATS says:
Lebron played like Richard Jefferson at a club: HE CHOKED
May.9 at 9:06 am
BETCATS says:
this is why Lebron needs help, if you tripple or double him, nobody except for the ever streaky Daniel Gibson and Damon Jones can do sh!t. They need Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden back asap.
May.9 at 9:18 am
Gumdrop says:
Kenny called it on TNT last night, the Cavs barely ever run Lebron off screens. It’s just 1-4 iso’s day after day after day.
May.9 at 9:18 am
Gumdrop says:
Kenny called it on TNT last night, the Cavs barely ever run Lebron off screens. It’s just 1-4 iso’s day after day after day.
May.9 at 9:25 am
Kadavour says:
8 shots made through 2 playoff games from the designated superstar ain’t gonna cut it. that ft% needs improvement too. while we’re at it, get that man a solid PG so he doesn’t have to touch the ball on 90% of his team’s possessions. O, and get him a solid midrange game, a la Carmelo. Nah JK (easy Jones), it’s just that Bron is a slasher/play maker and the Celtics have done a great job of relegating him to that role, defending against it superbly, and they absolutely refuse to let him exceed that role. When LeBron’s game ascends beyond the limitations of “roles” then he’ll truly be unstoppable.
May.9 at 9:27 am
Kadavour says:
til then, the Celts got that @$$ in CHECK
May.9 at 9:36 am
peteb80 says:
Does someone remember if any superstar ever had a worse start of a playoff series, something comparable to 17 turnovers and 8 of 42 shooting?
May.9 at 9:46 am
BETCATS says:
I think maybe Kwame Brown had 17 Turnovers in a regular season game. i cant remember.
May.9 at 9:47 am
Randy Brown says:
Get Mike Brown gone. I’ve had enough of his lack of offensive expertise, and the fact that he looks like the world’s biggest bobblehead
May.9 at 9:52 am
BETCATS says:
you dam Cavs should have kept Paul Silas! FREE PAUL SILAS!
May.9 at 9:54 am
adams says:
This is not just the Celtics defense, LeBron’s out there sh1tting his pants: He’s missing shots badly even when he’s (kinda) open. He almost airballed a couple of his free-throws. I wonder what they gave him last year in that Pistons game, they should do that again.
May.9 at 9:57 am
BETCATS says:
yeah adams but teams kno that if they play Lebron physical + hard defence = 8/42 17 TO
May.9 at 10:11 am
Eric says:
Lebron needs to stop lying to himself. He can’t even hit layups, he has no midrange game, no post game, he struggles from the stripe and can’t do a damn thing from the perimeter. The Cavs are getting whipped primarily because of his lack of skills. There’s nothing he did in 2003 that he’s better at in 2008. He’s just more adept at travelling to the cup for a dunk.
May.9 at 10:29 am
SMK says:
prediction: Bennett Salvatore’s crew will be reffing Game 3. What’s the record for FTA’s in a playoff game?
May.9 at 10:30 am
Ben Osborne says:
Cavs were down 2-0 to the Pistons last year. Everyone should settle down.
May.9 at 10:33 am
Eboy says:
I wanted to say that too, Ben. Bron better get his shot game right, though.
May.9 at 10:44 am
adams says:
I don’t see a reason to settle down. If he had scored 50+ there’d be at least three columns on this site about his greatness. This is the negative equivalent to scoring 50+. Twice.
May.9 at 10:49 am
Khalid Salaam says:
So lebron sucks now? You people are f*ckin ridiculous.
May.9 at 10:55 am
Andy says:
The league’s best team shuts him down for a couple of games, and suddenly he has no skills. Wow, talk about an overreaction. Eric, you are either blind or insane, if you think LeBron can average over 30ppg with no skill set.
May.9 at 10:59 am
H to the izzo says:
LeBron4MVP.
May.9 at 11:00 am
H to the izzo says:
LeBron James makes Dirk look like Wilt.
May.9 at 11:02 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Y’all are just hating on LeBron because you’re dissatisfied with your own lives.
May.9 at 11:09 am
Hot Pubes says:
Mike Brown needs to get the boot! Has this guy ever done anything while being coach? Let’s keep running the same pick and roll’s even though the Celt’s are D’ing them up. Cot Damn!
May.9 at 11:16 am
Hot Pubes says:
Until the Cavs get a proven shooter or a point guard they are going no where. It’s a damn shame they couldn’t get Ray Allen or Mike Bibby at least. I’m surprised the Cavs can even score 80 in a game.. Bron getting you 30, that means other guys are getting 50? Who?
May.9 at 11:21 am
Genenene says:
I don’t doubt the greatness of LeBron, but I think his weaknesses (which most of us already knew) are just being cast into the light now. He’s got no jumper and he can’t play with his back to the basket. Hopefully this playoff series will wake him up and and he’ll work his butt off in the offseason in those areas (including FTs). And if he improves there, watch out Kobe…
May.9 at 11:23 am
Young Chris #3 says:
Lebron doesn’t suck, and to say he has a “lack of skills” is the real ridiculous statement. However, his jumper remains suspect.
May.9 at 11:24 am
peteb80 says:
“Your only as good as your last game/series” is some dumb sh!t. Sadly, this kind of shortsightedness combined with anonymity (hating is so easy!) und general stupidity is basis for at least 80% of NBA blog comments. Fact.
May.9 at 11:26 am
Khalid Salaam says:
Co-sign on what russ said
May.9 at 11:31 am
Andrew says:
The more predictable your offense is the better the defense against you will be. It’s too easy to put it on Grimace’s lack of playbook, but would LeBron have it any other way than with the ball in his hand 90% of the time?
May.9 at 11:56 am
Simone Lawy says:
LEBOOM need to get some help…..big ben is done…
May.9 at 12:11 pm
FLUXLAND says:
WOOOOOOOW @ Eric. I say some pretty dumb stuff around here, but you Sir.. are the official MVP of idiotic statements! WOW!
May.9 at 12:27 pm
Myles Brown says:
I am slightly dissatisfied with my life. Id like a new car, one of those HDTVs and I wish I was a better dancer. But when I say that LeBron James is an incomplete-and possibly overrated- player because he has little to no post game, is a streak shooter, a piss poor free throw shooter, does not play defense up to his potential and still hasnt proven himself to be a consistent closer (unless he plays the Wizards every game of his life) its not idle hate. Its the truth.
May.9 at 12:29 pm
John D says:
I think Eric took it too far, but I agree with him that Lebron still needs a whole lot of polish to his game. He is nowhere near as fundamentally sound as Kobe was at the same age. His jumpshot is streaky at best. Obviously he is still one of the best players in the league because he is so physically gifted. No one has ever had that kind of combination of strength and quickness to the degree that Lebron has. But there are still plenty of areas that he needs to improve, like Eric said: outside shooting, free-throw shooting, midrange game, and a post game.
May.9 at 12:30 pm
John D says:
And defense. I just saw Myles’s post right after I made mine.
May.9 at 12:42 pm
colby ryan says:
OVER-RATED!!!! nuff said
May.9 at 1:47 pm
Shooter#9 - Brasil says:
it must be very frustrating to all you, media and fans, that really thinks lebron is this, lebron is that… the best all time… hahahahah
yeah, right. it must be very frustrating watching your favourite player being granted open shots cause HE CAN’T MAKE IT! lebron’s drive or die basketball is just being “ridicularized” by the c’s
if you are not a center and you shoot so poorly FT, you CAN’T BE CONSIDERED that great OVER-RATED.
simply over-rated. and people still thinks its everybodyelse fault… coach, teammates…
cavs wins, lebron wins
cavs lose, nobody but lebron desearves to be there ahan… you guys are incredible
May.9 at 1:52 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Brons not as good as Kobe, yeah i said this hundred times. But where was all this overrated talk last wk when everyone was clowning deshawn stevenson for saying the same things you people are saying now? people were killing stevenson and sayin he was a joke and how absurd his statements were. I defended him several times and people tried to get at me. NOW you same people are saying that lebron is overrated? So deshawn was right? or are you guys just day to day fans who go with whatever is the current trend topic? EXPLAIN
May.9 at 2:03 pm
John D says:
For the record I never clowned Deshawn.
May.9 at 2:08 pm
daniel says:
does anyone else have an idea why the boston garden is always all smokey/foggy looking on tv and pictures this year?
May.9 at 2:35 pm
Hot Pubes says:
^the Cot Damn FIREWORKS!
May.9 at 2:58 pm
namik says:
Ryan Jones?
May.9 at 2:58 pm
namik says:
F it, I’ll say it for him- LeBron!!!
May.9 at 2:59 pm
namik says:
BTW Khalid last week you said if LeBron played better defense, he’d be better than Kobe. Just a reminder of changing perspectives.
May.9 at 3:18 pm
albie1kenobi says:
i blame MTV for making this generation to have REALLY short term memory. either that or weed.
May.9 at 3:43 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Namik that wasn’t last wk, that was i think wednesday. but how is that different from what i said today. i said kobe’s better now meaning if bron played better then he’d be better later. do you understand?
May.9 at 4:10 pm
TADOne says:
LeBron is totally overrated. He sucks.
May.9 at 4:10 pm
TADOne says:
P.S.- I don’t really believe this, i’m just piling on.
May.9 at 4:13 pm
Young Chris #3 says:
To reassess my recent statements on Bron: He’s good, but has a suspect jumper. I’m tired of him being forced on us. Chris Paul is closer to Kobe’s level than Lebron is (and none of them are on Mike’s level - and likely never will be). Lebron has enormous talent and is athletically more gifted than probably anybody in the league right now. HOWEVER, this is the second year he’s been exposed by a solid defensive effort. This series isn’t going passed five games and the Cavs will be lucky to win one. Again, if that makes me a hater, than is Lebron the new Kobe?
May.9 at 4:21 pm
Simone Lawy says:
lebron the NEXT kobe, he got ton of talent, but he still got pretty much to complete it…
May.9 at 4:23 pm
Simone Lawy says:
LEBROOM OVERRATED…
May.9 at 4:24 pm
tealish says:
Young Chris: In terms of skill, I agree with you. But it’s really hard to compare Paul and Kobe so it’s really just a guess.
However, Bron’s jumper is obviously not his strong suit. But I think with his ball handling and athleticism, we sometimes forget he plays the 3. Not many SF’s have great jumpers.
Then again, I’d still be really disapointed if his jumper doesn’t substantially improve in 3-4 years. When LeBron gets to the point where he can beat you entirely on the perimeter (yet not stay there - insert somewhat unfair VC joke here for you haters), then he’ll truly be unstoppable. Many say he is already. He’s really not.
May.9 at 4:28 pm
Simone Lawy says:
tealish, larry bird is a 3. i think he got a pretty good jumpers, not just good but great. 100 millions dude R.Lewis is a 3 too, how bout that?
May.9 at 4:31 pm
Simone Lawy says:
but you’re right, he’s not yet ready…
May.9 at 4:37 pm
youngmuggsy says:
BETCATS: yes larry hughes the model of consistency, that is what the cavs really need :S
May.9 at 4:55 pm
underdog says:
Wow! So, LeBron is human too?
May.9 at 4:56 pm
Darksaber says:
I AM A WITNESS. a witness to the Jordan rules being used effectively and without too much savagery against King James. Sure looked human these last games didn’t he. Jeez, Doc can coach D.
May.9 at 5:03 pm
John D says:
^Thibodeau can coach D.
May.9 at 5:44 pm
matt says:
i think the haters should shut up, i mean lebron is over-rated??? i think you all forgot what he did the last couple of years in the league, and he ’s JUST 23. MJ at that age wasn’t perfect either.So give him some time, wait 2 or 3 years, a lebron in his prime will kick some a$$e$ in the league and win some rings…. and one more thing, you don’t get 30/7/7 when you re bad and over-rated …. and the celtics play some good defense too.
May.9 at 5:48 pm
Shooter#9 - Brasil says:
@Khalid - you don’t know what you’re talking about.
‘m a lebron critic BEFORE deshawn.
i’ve never clawned DS, just take a look al last week, or last months comments before saying sh&t. LEBRON IS OVERATED. thats a fact.
dude is good, no doubt about it, but he better get his game straight cause his strenght is his athleticism and that goes away fast if you don’t have diversity. you can’t be a offensive force if you can’t shoot or if you have not been named shaq.
drive or die basketball is NOT gonna take you where you think u belong. not even with all this stupid media-hype.
May.9 at 6:05 pm
stillcantbelieveitsnotbutter says:
Maybe he’d be doing better if his coaching staff would stop running the same f$cking play every f$cking time. Gee, I wonder what the Cavs are gonna run the next time they run the floor. Will Lebron get it at the top of the key and try to make something happen like he always does? Or will the coaching staff actually think of another offensive strategy?
May.9 at 6:05 pm
what says:
Y’all need to hit up the basketball jones and check out Brian Scalabrine’s amazing rap…
May.9 at 6:07 pm
stillcantbelieveitsnotbutter says:
Lebron’s great and his center(can’t spell his name) is good and thats about it. Face it, when they play the C’s again the cavs are screwed unless the C’s have a repeat of what happened against the Hawks but I think the C’s are gonna be ready this time. They learned their lesson. C’s in 5!!!
May.9 at 6:50 pm
tealish says:
Simone: Lol, I am aware of Larry Bird, yes. Notice how I didn’t say there isn’t a good or great shooting 3 in the history of basketball. But how explosive was Bird driving towards the net? My point is that perhaps you can’t have it all. You can’t be the athletic freak with a football player’s body that also possesses a sweet J.
Suggestion: Drop some weight? Too much muscle on those arms? Maybe I’m crazy, but name me one good shooter that has as much muscle as Bron.
It might help his shooting, I don’t know. But then he and the media won’t be able to tell us about his 6′8 260 frame every other day.
May.9 at 6:52 pm
tealish says:
And I don’t think a 230lb LeBron would be any less unstoppable in terms of getting to the hoop.
May.9 at 7:47 pm
warr says:
lebrick is just struggling however his coaches can do a better job and coach the team and not just put it on lebron. He will never win a chip with mike brown. He’s just not a championship coach right now either they need a legit all star or a hall fame or soon to be coach. And the history of basketball one superstar has never one the chip only if they was bigs ( olajuwon first chip, george mikan )!
May.9 at 8:53 pm
Kadavour says:
Tealish, it’s just the way basketball players are bred, and it’s a damn shame because it’s watering down the game. Physical gifts and raw talent are rewarded more than hard work and refined skill. So coaches see a pretty big kid and they relegate him to the post and teach him post moves and focus on his rebounding and insist that he “bangs inside” telling him “that’s where you’re gonna be” paying little attention to other fundamentals. That’s why big men can’t shoot. Luckily Bron has had some playground experience and that explains his court vision and dime game (everyone on the hardtop wants to be a PG). LeBron has all this pressure on him because he’s the first big since Barkley and Magic that has his ball handling abilities. to say Bron has no skills is just ridiculous. He’s just not what many have proclaimed him to be.
May.9 at 9:39 pm
what says:
If the Cavs had a team and their coach wasn’t a complete idiot LeBron probably wouldn’t be struggling so much.
May.9 at 9:46 pm
The Biz says:
I think the worst thing about him is his Nike contract they make him seem like god is ridicolous hitting full court shots and all that nonsense they shove him down our throats like crazy but still i love guy no homo for giving us bball in Cleveland
May.9 at 11:01 pm
namik says:
Khalid I thought you meant in a “the only thing that seperates Kobe and LeBron is defense” kinda way. I kinda missed the really obvious meaning. Thanks for being patronizing though.
May.10 at 1:25 am
hursty says:
LeBron sucks. He’ll only ever be a mediocre-good at best nba player.
May.10 at 4:23 am
Young Chris #3 says:
@ Matt: It’s funny to me how much y’all forget what MJ did AT 23.
May.10 at 4:25 am
Young Chris #3 says:
Word of advice to all: DON’T mention MJ’s name in conversations trying to redeem Lebron (or Kobe). You’ll only disprove your own argument.
May.10 at 3:55 pm
matt says:
@ young chris: i didn’t say that Lebron is the next MJ.Bron is Bron, not Kobe or MJ. i just mean that the dude is only 23 and other superstars werent perfect at that age either. he just has to develop his game more.
May.11 at 3:01 am
bill breedley says:
lebron is way over-rated. he piled all those stats in the weak eastern conference all these past few years. he is a good player and a star at that but still not in the stratosphere YET of Kobe, MJ, Magic and Bird. Marketing arm of the NBA just hype too much the few flashes of brilliances he has shown. Aside from those two awesome games against the Pistons last year, Bron has yet to prove anything. He is still 2 years or so away from developing to be the elite player SLAM has been hyping he would be
May.11 at 3:10 am
colby ryan says:
I say OVER-RATED only because of how hyped he was entering the league with SLAM and the rest of the media already saying he would be better than MJ even before he touched a Spalding. He is good but not that great. Don’t you also hate how media blames his poor supporting cast or coach? They bailed him big time today. No more excuses… Lebron has just plain and simply been playing like he needs to be sent down to the minors
May.11 at 3:11 am
bill breedlet says:
dig this line from ESPN
LeBron James, whose 22.4 percent field goal percentage in the first three games is the worst of any three-game stretch in playoff history since the 1977-78 ABA-NBA merger. how is that for OVER_RATED!!!
May.11 at 4:17 am
LAN says:
lebron should play point n b a better version of magic. n Khalid Salaam im sorry for hatin on deshawn last week but i still dont call lebron over-rated if anything under-rated dude shoulda been mvp last 3 years
May.11 at 11:24 am
Dacre says:
I love this… 2 games into the SECOND ROUND and people are saying the cavs wont get anywhere…and LeBron is the second coming of Pete Meyers…. let the boy play…
May.11 at 11:48 am
neaorin says:
Did I just see someone seriously arguing that the Cavs need Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden back? And while the Celtics continue to concentrate on LeBron the other Cavs need to step up and make their shots. Delonte in particular has to hit as he gets a lot of minutes. Take what the defense gives you or something like that.