Titles With Dwyane Wade Will Be Bland For LeBron James

by Tom Lewis on Jul 8, 2010 10:57 PM EDT in Indiana Pacers News

Forget Chris Bosh for a minute, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade playing together through their prime years are going to be a lethal duo which should have an NBA title within their grasp each year pending any bad luck or karma dished out by the basketball gods.

Still, I can't help but think if the do indeed win an NBA title it won't be as sweet as the trio imagines. If they end up rattling off a few championships, it's only a matter of time before LeBron wonders what it would feel like to win one as the only alpha dog. Until he does that I think I'll refer to him as LeBron Horry, because Horry's 7 rings with 3 different teams don't put him in any conversations about the best players in NBA history.

Listening to Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley, two ring-less former NBA superstars, after LeBron's decision was interesting and revealed a generation gap with hoop stars. Both Barkley and Reggie thought a title as sidekick with Bosh and Wade wouldn't be as sweet as if he had won a championship in Cleveland. Reggie thought 3 or 4 titles in Miami would be the equivalent of 1 title in Cleveland. Reggie never ended up chasing a championship despite the temptations and Barkley tried to with Houston but it was too late in his career, similar to Karl Malone and Gary Payton with the Lakers. But they wouldn't have it any other way.

LeBron and Bosh are part of the AAU generation where the best players seek each other out to create super-teams in various regions of the U.S. Miami is now that super-team, assuming they can gather enough players willing to play for a ring and the minimum salary.

So how does this impact the Indiana Pacers?

Well, there won't be any super-teams forming in the near future in Indy. It helps that Cleveland will likely join the also rans of the Eastern Conference and put another playoff spot in play. On the other hand, Miami was always a draw at the Fieldhouse with Wade alone. Obviously they'll still sell out and the tickets scalpers will make their yearly quota thanks to the demand. But Cleveland with LeBron always filled the Fieldhouse twice a year and now that draw is gone. With all of the penny pinching going on at the Fieldhouse, losing a couple of overflow crowds (not to mention the great show LeBron and Co. would put on) will hurt in the short term.

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Comments

Economic Outlook

So, this means less revenue throughout the league then? You know, I think the NBA may just possibly be doing something the wrong way. The NFL and MLB prosper quite easily. The NBA should try expanding to Europe, China, and such. They would probably have the easiest time finding people to come watch. Especially in China.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Jul 8, 2010 11:04 PM EDT reply actions

LeBron was heard saying...

he still didnt know if the Heat had enough firepower to overcome the high flying, 3 point shooting offense of JOB’s Pacers.

by Slick4President on Jul 8, 2010 11:18 PM EDT reply actions

They'll realize they don't need it

When those three’s clank off the rim repeatedly. Seriously, he has one of the most inefficient offenses in the NBA. The defense was actually more efficient, that’s priceless.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Jul 8, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah!

I don’t know if this makes me want to laugh or cry.

by taipei_coltsfan on Jul 9, 2010 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Cheesy, Cute,

This trio is going to look amazing around the middle of December when the “72-10!?!?!?!” talk starts up, but honestly, I really am curious about how the depth is going to shake out.

I’ve always been a LeBron fan, but this whole week has soured me on him. It’s hard to support this moocher now.

Glad he’s out of the Central though. Who would’ve thought the Bucks would be the team to beat?

by Nathan S. on Jul 8, 2010 11:37 PM EDT reply actions

I don't like Lebron.

I feel like he’s more of a physical freak than anything. I would put Kobe and Wade ahead of him as better basketball players. I’m pretty sure the government made Lebron as part of a super soldier program but he turned out to be too greedy, they released citing no desire to listen to orders and threats of creating his own super soldier country. Thank God he decided to play basketball, woo. Close one.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Jul 9, 2010 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Did LeBron Make the Right Choice?

While the choice to move to Miami has big upside, wouldn’t Chicago have offered him a better likelihood of getting to the Finals? Just curious.

by SDIndy on Jul 8, 2010 11:39 PM EDT reply actions

I completely agree with this one and have been harping it for the last five hours. That team is ALREADY good. The Heat have 5 players and pretty much no money.

by ben.renz on Jul 9, 2010 2:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Well, at least I have a new team to hate.

by dbcb on Jul 9, 2010 1:04 AM EDT reply actions

I love Lebrons decision

showed he really is about winning. I hate how he went about it. Im over it though, tonight has been just an enormous headache.

by captain flitzy on Jul 9, 2010 1:27 AM EDT reply actions

BS Cap.

If they were all abotu winning they all would have taken less money so they could sign some role players.

Right now, they are 4 players and they are completely capped out. This wasn’t all about winning or Lebron would have taken the MLE or something. Its not like he doesn’t make buku bucks with endorsement.

by dbcb on Jul 9, 2010 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Pacers

might as well trade all our talent and start winning in the lottery because there’s no way we win the East anytime soon with the Miami Olympic team playing.

by HoosierHoops14 on Jul 9, 2010 1:28 AM EDT reply actions

Wait

LeBron is still the best player. So how does he become the sidekick? He’s not Scottie Pippen, let alone Robert Horry. Get real.

by boombaby on Jul 9, 2010 1:42 AM EDT reply actions

He's a sidekick because he couldn't get one on his own.

There all sidekicks now. Jordan had talent around him, but nothing on the level of Wade or Bosh. That sidekick thing goes for Boston and Shaq/Kobe/Lakers too.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Jul 9, 2010 2:03 AM EDT up reply actions

I think Bron going to Chicago would have sort of set him up to be like Jordan on those teams. He would have had the talent surrounding him, as well as an amazing young point guard. Not to mention Boozer.

by ben.renz on Jul 9, 2010 2:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Can't disagree more

LeBron is a physical freak of nature that happens to play basketball. Dude can’t hit a 15 footer to save his life… Give me Wade, Durant, Kobe any day of the week.

by BenD on Jul 9, 2010 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Obviously, comparing LeBron to Horry is hyperbole…but he isn’t the lead dog anymore.

Indy Cornrows

by Tom Lewis on Jul 9, 2010 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Le Who?

What do guys think Lebron’s step dad D WEST thinks about his choice to leave lol? It may seem bad for the east to have such a power house trio but really it opens the conference up a little more. I mean you still have the Celtics but they are getting older and you have the Magic they are strong and now you have the Heat greatest trio of players but lets see what cast they get. The Bucks are up and coming and the Hawks are an ok team but they will regret that crazy max deal for Joe Johnson Lets face it the Pacers are not going to make a crazy run to the finals this year or next or anytime soon but at least with so much power at the top it opens things up for teams like us to at least make a run for the playoffs. Hey that is at least a step in the right direction. Some of those Celtics 1 seed and Pacers 8 seed playoff series back in the day where pretty fun to watch JOB would love to have Chuck Person on the floor…

by Pacerlove333 on Jul 9, 2010 1:50 AM EDT reply actions

Forgot

To my last post I forgot to had the Bulls I agree with most they should be pretty damn good with all that young talent but lets remember they are only 82 and 82 over the last two years

by Pacerlove333 on Jul 9, 2010 1:55 AM EDT reply actions

Ummm...

82 would be the season soooo… If they went 82 and 0 it would be the greatest team ever.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Jul 9, 2010 2:04 AM EDT up reply actions

over the last two years

they went 41 and 41 last year and the year before they went 41 and 41 so over the last two seasons they are 82 and 82

by Pacerlove333 on Jul 9, 2010 2:11 AM EDT up reply actions

That makes more sense now.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Jul 9, 2010 2:58 AM EDT up reply actions

I know I won't watch

I go to several games each year and I know that I will not go to any Heat games. I would much rather watch teams that are up and coming or at least going about things the right way.

I would rather go to a Cavs game next year than a Heat game!

by phoo79 on Jul 9, 2010 8:49 AM EDT reply actions

I'll trade you a "Michael Beasley"

I’ll trade you a “Michael Beasley” for your Heat tickets!

The FAULK

by incredibleFAULK on Jul 9, 2010 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Devil's Advocate

I have NO PROBLEM with what Lebron James did. Would I be livid if I was a Cavs fan, of course, but that is to be expected.

He couldn’t get it done in Cleveland and had a historic opportunity to play with good friends, incredible players, in an exciting city and he took it.

How is it that much different than Garnett/Pierce/Allen or Kobe/Gasol/Artest/Odom or Shaq/Amare/Nash a few years back?

It’s 3 star caliber players joining forces in a cool city… what’s the problem?

There were obviously a few situations of inner turmoil within the team and it appeared that Cleveland was becoming a little bit of a pressure cooker situation. Brown and the GM got fired, some fans began to turn on James months ago, the Cavs didn’t put themselves in a situation to change the roster much and the moves they made were good but not great.

I would have considered greener pastures as well. A player/person with the status and image of Lebron has been restricted to Northeast Ohio his whole life and there has to have been an itch or desire to get a change of scene.

Look no further than the response of Dan Gilbert to see just how shallow the basis of the relationship was in the first place. Lebron made that team relevant again, made them countless millions and Gilbert when ultra negative within seconds. You don’t think that will deter future Free Agents? If an owner trashes one of the better players in the modern era then what would he think about some midlevel FA or the next “star”?

Lebron is a Superstar and changed teams via Free Agency. He isn’t the 1st or the last star that will do that. He didn’t drag it out for months in Favre-esque fashion, he announced his decision on the exact day FA can sign with new teams.

Can you blame Lebron for making the decision he made? Miami over Cleveland… Wade/Bosh over West/Williams/Jamison… An International caliber city over a sleepy Midwest town… South Beach over Lake Erie… Titles over Question Marks… Pat Riley over Dan Gilbert…

Again, I have very little problem with what he did. Why are people surprised, he set this Free Agency situation up years ago. Since he chose not to sign his extension he left the door wide open to leaving and he did.

by XLI on Jul 9, 2010 11:40 AM EDT reply actions

You are mostly right

The CAVS would be upset no matter how he left but I think the reason everyone is giving James such a hard time is not because he left but how he did it. He should have had better communication with the CAVS and not made a big time ESPN special to announce he was leaving. I mean come on even you and I give a notice when we leave our current company.

Like I said you are right. He has the right to play with who and where he wants and yes Bosh and Wade are way better then the side kicks the CAVS have to offer and no doubt Miami will be a great city for a 26 yr old millionaire . With that being said the greatest players did not leave to join other stars to try to build championships they made the players around them stars and tried to build championships. That is why the 80’s and 90’s were so fun to watch the stars stayed and it made for great match ups. Magic, Bird, Jordan, Olajuwon, Isiah, Robinson, Kobe these guys are some of the elite and they never would of joined each other they wanted to destroy the competition. Now no matter how great James plays he will always be known for trying to join a dynasty situation not building one. He said he has always wanted to be the greatest, but to me It seems like he wants to win a few titles. He is afraid to fail and when you are afraid to fail you will fail to be the greatest.

by Pacerlove333 on Jul 9, 2010 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Interesting story about LBJ creating his own problem

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?page=lebronleavescavs-100709

If you scroll 2/3 of the way down the article, I thought this writer had an interesting take. Since LeBron never committed to Cleveland, it really handcuffed their ability to put a roster around him to compete as they could not get free agents to join and had to settle on trades and the draft. I suppose, when he didn’t sign their extension, they should have tried to clear up cap space for this year. The problem is that it would be unacceptable for fans to ride out the last 3 years with LeBron and not aim to win titles within that time frame.

by PapaNarb on Jul 9, 2010 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

It isn't the decision itself

It’s how obnoxious he is.

He has parlayed his incredible numbers into being a marketing juggernaut. He’s EVERYWHERE. He is so dominant in unimportant situations that he draws everyone and creates naturally huge expectations, yet hardly ever elevates his team in big moments (minus that game against Detroit 4 years ago). So he has this mega-image but doesn’t have the stones to back it up. Instead of doing what real champions do and create his own legacy, he takes the easy route and goes to play with someone that has the mentality of a champion, Dwayne Wade, to ride to championships.

Now people can say Cleveland didn’t have the supporting cast to win a championship, he couldn’t afford to wait for them to build a winner around him. But I can’t help but remember that everyone, EVERYONE, pegged Cleveland as the favorite after they acquired Jamison this year. So they stumble out of the playoffs and it’s suddenly the team’s fault and not LeBron’s?

Who knows, maybe he’s come to terms with the fact that he simply enjoys being best buds with all of his teammates, instead of being the kind of leader a championship team requires. It’s great that he’s willing to sacrifice money and the spotlight to win. There is nothing wrong with any of that, in fact its commendable in a way. But the vapid brand he has developed implies all of this greatness, which he simply has not yet achieved. It is so disingenuous and audacious, I can’t stand it! Instead of manically devoting himself to winning like Durant and Kobe have, LeBron is clearly as interested, if not more so, in being a business man, yet he uses this false image, through basketball, of being a champion, or "The King" if you will. Now on the coattails of a real champion, maybe he can bring this unsubstantiated image to fruition.

by BenD on Jul 9, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions

They won't win anything

I feel alone in thinking it, but teams are going to do to Lebron in Miami what they have done to Lebron in Cleveland. Sag the defense inside and block off the lane, force him to shoot from the outside. This is just as easy to do against two Lebrons as it is one Lebron. Also, Bosh really isn’t all that good. They have no one who can shoot from the outside and no interior defense. No way they can beat this version of the Lakers, if they even get that far.

by Eltoasto on Jul 9, 2010 1:25 PM EDT reply actions

I agree

I dont care about the way LeBron handled his free agency. Kobe wasnt much better. If I remember correctly he was trying to tell the Clippers to build a new practice facility closer to his home, and all kinds of other ridiculous demands…From purely a basketball standpoint I dont think theyre gonna have the right components for a TEAM. Theres only one basketball. It takes more than scoring to win a game. Whos gonna be their interior defender, their screen setter, their rebounder, their catch and shoot guy, whos gonna run the point, whos gonna put all their effort out on the defensive end, which one of THOSE guys is gonna give up their shots and accept a role players assignments? Its just not a team. Anyone remember the Lakers when they brought in Malone and Payton?? The media was handing them the NBA title before the season even began, and it turned out that those extra egos made them a worse team. Detroit swept them with no “star” players…I dont think theyre gonna be able to lure high quality role players with the money they have left (whos gonna want to go there for no money and be those guys bitch)…time will tell I guess, but I dont think its gonna work out the way they want…Now of course if Stern gives the order to the officials to make these guys champs no matter what, that could change everything. I know it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but this whole “superstar call” thing they have going in the NBA can be plain retarded sometimes.

Confucious say "He who dives for loose balls need proper fitting athletic cup!"

by Wise Master on Jul 9, 2010 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Pacer Options Now

Now that Lebron has made his decision and Miami has shipped Beasley to Minnesota, I would love to see the Pacers work a trade to send expiring contracts of Ford, Foster, and S.Jones to Minnesota for Al Jefferson and Sessions. Potential starting 5: PG- Sessions or Stevenson, SG- Dunleavy or Rush, SF- Granger, PF- Jefferson, C- Hibbert or Murphy. Pacers would also have bench help from D. Jones, McRoberts, Price, Hansbrough, George, and Rolle. The trade works according to ESPN’s Trade Machine. What is everyone else’s thoughts?

by Longtime Pacer Fan on Jul 9, 2010 11:44 PM EDT reply actions

If we can pull that

That’s a steal. I’d hope we get a better landing spot if we trade Jeff, but I’d do this deal in a second. Still though, Beasley is a pretty big bum, so I’d think Minnesota wouldn’t want to be reckless with moving Jefferson for our expiring table scraps. Just my opinion.

by Nathan S. on Jul 10, 2010 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm just not sure if Hibbert and Jefferson could play well together.

I’d be more interested in a guy like Anthony Randolph to play opposite Hibbert. Admittedly, I know nothing of Sessions, but ppl seem to like him. But one must wonder about his mental stability, I mean he did willingly sign with Minny who just drafted like 3 or 4 points that draft.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Jul 11, 2010 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions