The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have the NBA’s longest win streak at 11 games. Recently LeBron James spoke out, letting everyone know he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the streak going. The 4-time MVP is even willing to come off the bench. James spoke to the media after practice and made quite a statement:
“It’s all about the team and for me being the leader of the team, it doesn’t matter. Whatever this team needs in order for us to win, I’ll come off the bench. I’m serious. I’ll come off the bench. It’s about a team and how we all fit together, how the five guys on the court fit together, how the eight guys or 10 guys on the bench all help the guys that are on the floor and so on and so on. So, sacrifice is the biggest word in team sports, but it’s not about saying it. It’s about doing it, as well. It’s about living it.”
Does this actually mean Cavs head coach David Blatt should bring LeBron James off the bench? Definitely not. But it is possible LeBron James could have been hinting at other possibilities.
Maybe LeBron James is suggesting to his head coach that maybe it’s time to start resting his body during the long NBA season. LeBron James (30 years old) averages the 3rd most minutes per game at 37.2 this season and has averaged 39.4 minutes per game over his 11-year career.
In today’s NBA, Gregg Popovich – head coach of the San Antonio Spurs – has revolutionized rotational basketball. Popovich rests his starting players throughout the regular season and then plays them at will during the playoffs. During last year’s championship run, none of the starters for the Spurs averaged over 30 minutes per game. It was evident that the rest helped players like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, because in the playoffs they were on an absolute tear.
Where LeBron James was likely going with his statement was encouraging the rest of the players on his team to play for something greater than themselves. Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, and Kevin Love are not used to playing for championship caliber teams.
It’s no secret that Kevin Love hasn’t had the year the city of Cleveland hoped he would. Perhaps LeBron James’ statements were actually a reverse psychology sales pitch to teammate Kevin Love to embrace a role as the team’s scorer off the bench. Sort of like a 6’10” Manu Ginobili.
It’s hard to believe that LeBron’s statements were just about himself and if I were his teammates I would take a better look at what my goals are as a player. LeBron James’ number one goal is to win at all costs and if his teammates don’t share that number one goal they can go play on a team with Dwight Howard.
