TORONTO: LeBron James’ first incarnation in Cleveland was marked by a constant search for a Robin to his Batman.
During James’ seven seasons with the Cavaliers from 2003-10, general managers Jim Paxson and Danny Ferry failed to fill that void. Larry Hughes, Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison were supposed to be the perfect partner, although the latter arrived in a desperate trade with James months from free agency. None could become the consistent 20-point scorer the Cavs needed to ease James’ burden.
Now the quest is over. Kyrie Irving has become the ideal complement the Cavs’ front office has long sought and Kevin Love has become the most capable No. 3 scorer James has ever had in Cleveland.
But Saturday’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Toronto Raptors reminded fans how important James’ wingmen are to the Cavs’ success.
Irving and Love struggled at Air Canada Centre as the Cavs fell behind by 18 points in the second quarter. Unable to recover, they saw their unbeaten streak in the playoffs come to an end with a 99-84 loss.
The Cavs, now 10-1 in the postseason, take a 2-1 series lead into Monday’s Game 4 in Toronto.
Irving finished with 13 points, hitting 3-of-19 field goals, 1-of-7 from 3-point range. In 19 minutes of action in the first half, Irving connected on just 3-of-12, his first basket coming with 5:23 remaining in the second quarter. Raptors center Bismack Biyombo swatted away some of his offerings. Irving stubbornly kept firing and missing from the right corner early in the game.
Love was held to a playoff-low three points, hitting 1-of-9 field goals. In the first half, he went 0-for-4 from the field and was shut out in 17 minutes. His previous fewest points in the postseason had been 11, in Game 2 of the semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks and in Game 4 in the first round against the Detroit Pistons. The Raptors have neutralized Love on the boards as he’s totaled just 13 rebounds in three games.
So even though James led the Cavs with 24 points and J.R. Smith pitched in 22, the Cavs never led after the first quarter.
As stunning as the Cavs’ lackluster performance was, it was an act we’ve seen before. It was a throwback to LeBron 1.0, to the days when the Cavs couldn’t find the right sidekick to play alongside their superhero.
Coming into the game, Irving had been spectacular, leading the Cavs in scoring in the postseason with a 24.8 average. With the Cavs, James has never had a 20-point man at his side in the playoffs until this season, with Irving averaging 19 before being lost to a fractured kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals last June.
Irving’s efforts have been enough to make fans forget the failed audition of Hughes, who in his 2½ seasons with James before being traded in 2008 never averaged more than 11.3 points in the playoffs.
Until Saturday, Love had been a capable No. 3, averaging 18.4 points and 10.9 rebounds in the playoffs. In James’ previous six postseason appearances with the Cavs, he’d never had a No. 3 scorer average higher than 14.4 points in the playoffs, that being Williams in 2010.
Love’s contributions have been enough to make Cavs followers forget Williams in his first stint in Cleveland. Williams’ best year as James’ wingman was 2008-09, but his season average of 17.8 fell to 16.3 in the postseason. Williams was especially erratic against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2010, following up a 20-point effort in Game 1 with a four-point performance in Game 2, when he shot 1-for-9 from the field. Four games later, the Cavs were eliminated in Game 6 and James was ripping off his jersey in the tunnel of TD Garden, headed for South Beach.
What Irving and Love failed to do Saturday night against the Raptors showed how vital James’ supporting cast is to the Cavs’ chance of winning a championship. James may have carried the Cavs to Game 6 of the NBA Finals when Irving and Love were injured a year ago, but at age 31, he may not be able to summon such a Herculean (or Batman-like?) effort every season.
Cavs General Manager David Griffin has put the right pieces together to end the city’s 52-year title drought. But it’s not likely to happen unless Irving and Love bear their share of the load.
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.