INDIANAPOLIS: Fans revel in the chase-down blocks, the coast-to-coast drives that end in monstrous slams, the snappy passes that result in teammates’ dagger 3-pointers.
But at this point in LeBron James’ career, I can appreciate the talents of the four-time NBA MVP as much or more when he’s not playing.
Occasions like Wednesday night, when James was rested in the Cavaliers’ 123-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, vividly illustrate how James makes those around him better.
Against the Pacers, the ball movement that had been the hallmark of the Cavs’ four-game winning streak was missing. So, too, was the energy on defense. While they found a way to score, the growing confidence and authoritative presence seen the night before in a rout at Milwaukee was lacking.
The Cavs fell to 1-4 this season and 4-14 over the last two without James.
After Wednesday, I’m starting to believe that if the Cavs win the NBA championship, it will be because of James’ role as the facilitator rather than James’ dominance as a scorer.
It is his passes that give them life, and that’s even more evident when he’s not there. It’s almost as if they can feel the lightning surge when a ball from him hits their hands.
It’s not that the Cavs don’t try to mimic James when he’s out. In the first half against the Pacers, Kyrie Irving attempted a bounce pass to a teammate ahead of him on the fast break and it resulted in a turnover. James had connected on more than one of those Tuesday in Milwaukee.
But Irving is not as strong as James, and the ball didn’t have the same zip. When James is distributing, he puts his entire 6-foot-8 frame and 250 pounds of muscle into it. Irving’s pass, and the ones James pulled off the previous night, served as a reminder that in that category, James rivals Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson.
For that, there is no replacement.
The outcome against the Pacers made me wonder how the Cavs’ primary scorers — Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith — have fared in the five games this season when James didn’t play.
A statistical compilation showed James’ absence has affected Smith’s shooting the most. Smith has connected on 38 percent of his field goals and 11.8 percent of his 3-pointers when James hasn’t played, compared to 41.5 percent and 40 percent, respectively, for the season. The shooting percentages for Love and Irving have also fallen without James, except Irving’s overall field goal success (47.2 percent without James, 45 with him).
But it’s not just the numbers. As veteran James Jones said of James before Wednesday’s game: “He’s the centerpiece of everything we do, he affects every facet of the game for us. You take him out, you don’t just take out one player, you take out a significant chunk of our overall game plan.”
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said the Pacers’ Paul George might not have exploded for 29 points, nearly six above his average, if he’d been worn down trying to guard James. Those are the kinds of things that go beyond the box score.
When Love was asked why the Cavs don’t look the same without James, Love said: “It’s LeBron James. We obviously have to play better, but we have the luxury of him playing on our team. We look forward to having him back.”
The Cavs may never find enough confidence and belief in themselves to win regularly with James on the bench. It’s almost as if the games he’s rested have left them with the same awe of his gifts that struck me on Wednesday night.
Without James, what they’re missing and what he possesses, all their flaws and limitations and all of his God-given abilities, become clear. While for me it enhances James’ greatness, for his teammates it may kindle feelings of inadequacy.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.