LeBron’s vanishing act has begun. The games are getting bigger and the player that everyone was raving about after the Eastern Conference Finals is wilting under the pressure. It’s like the changing of the seasons. It’s going to happen. The excuse was always his supporting cast, but that’s a myth, a fallacy, quite frankly, bullshit. Obviously it doesn’t matter who he’s surrounded by, whether it’s Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Mo Williams, or Delonte West. He’s going to shrink. My only theory on why it happens is that this is a guy that’s been coddled and praised every day since he was 10 years old and when push comes to shove he doesn’t have the mental toughness. The NBA Playoffs bring an intensity that he can’t match. You saw it two years ago against the Magic. You saw it last year against the Celtics. If you watched the game last night, you saw it AGAIN versus the Mavericks. This is a guy that averages 27.7 points per game in the regular season and UPS his game to 28.2 points per game in the post season, but the NBA Finals have been a problem for him. He’s averaging 19.6 points per game in 8 games and he’s never scored more than 25 in a single game. You might say that I’m nitpicking, but that’s an 8 point drop. That’s a huge drop off in production. In contrast, Mr. Wade (the guy you want to have the ball at the end of the game) is spectacular in the Finals. I’d go through the stats, but the eye test should be enough. The guy’s a winner and a TRUE competitor. I realize that last night is only one game, but LeBron’s totals have dropped in each of the four games (24-20-17-8) and I feel it’s a meaningful trend. He’s great as a frontrunner, but when that extra effort is needed, I’ll take Wade any day over the “King”.
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