The Schooling of King James
Wow! Watching the Cleveland Cavs get beat up 93-89 by the lowly Denver Nuggets was tough. For young LeBron "King" James, however, the game could be instructive. All he needed to do was check out the whirling, blur that is Earl Boykins.
The Cavs clearly don't have an offensive plan. Either that or Coach Paul Silas can't get his players to understand that ball movement wins games in the NBA. Most of the game, James was the highest paid spectator in the house(outside of luminaries like Jay-Z, Ken Griffey Jr., and Phil Knight, all of whom showed up courtside). The hoops phenomenon was relegated to the weak side wing, watching from behind the three-point line as the action took place.
On the other bench, however, sat Earl Boykins, waiting his turn in his own homecoming (Boykins is a Cleveland native and starred at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan). When he got his chance, Boykins put on a show, even though he stands only 5'5" and weighs in at about 120 lbs. soaking wet.
Boykins racheted up the offense by pushing the ball up the court and deftly pulling up for a variety of jumpers -- long threes and soft floaters off the run. While LeBron mentally checked out as his teammates threw up repeated junk, Boykins took control of the game. His secret: play smart and hit your jump shot.
There it is LeBron...the key to you fulfilling all your unlimited potential. Play smart and hit your jumper. Right now, and into the near future, you'll excel at the former and forget the latter.
Until you've had a summer or two to turn the jump shot into a lethal weapon, ala Jordan, Coach Silas needs to actively work you into the offense through posting up or giving you the space to take the ball to the hole.
Right now, everyone wants James to be the next Jordan, but it might never happen. He does not have the offensive skills to be Michael. However, there is nothing wrong with being the next Magic. Magic was a leader and won championships.
Time will tell if James can live up to the standards set by Magic or Michael. His freshman year in the NBA is going to be one long study hall and hopefully he learned something from little Professor Boykins.
