However, in the 2 nd round against Boston , Jamison averaged only Not surprisingly, it was the last playoff series that James would play with Cleveland.
Jamison is a good scorer and quality veteran, but he wasn't a difference maker that could help carry the team when James went into a funk. The reason why the Jamison trade remains a point of contention is because many people believe that the Cavaliers could have instead traded for….
Only months earlier, the two orchestrated the deal that brought Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland for spare parts. The potential deal involved forward JJ Hickson. Stoudemire clearly had his sights set on the bright lights of New York in free agency, and would have been only a short-term acquisition for the Cavaliers.
It's a fact that has created suspicion over whether Danny Ferry was willing to send Hickson and his tremendous potential to the desert. Considering that Hickson was recently dealt to Sacramento for Omri Casspi, it would seem that the Cavaliers got the raw deal by not acquiring Stoudemire in return.
At this point it seems pointless to quibble over who rejected the trade. Some sources say that Kerr was unwilling to deal Stoudemire for Hickson, and others say that Ferry was unwilling to include Hickson. Regardless of who terminated the discussions, the trade for Stoudemire didn't happen and the Cavaliers instead acquired Antawn Jamison.
Defensively, Stoudemire would not have been an upgrade over Jamison or Boozer, for that matter. However, Stoudemire was averaging 20 points per game and is simply a force on the low block who would not have been nearly as affected by Kevin Garnett's defense in the playoffs as Jamison was.
With Stoudemire leading the way, the Cavaliers may have been able to overcome James' lackluster play in game five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Boston. Stoudemire would have provided the Cavaliers with an offensive threat that could have worked one on one without a need for James to create shots for him.
With James on the floor, a pick and roll between he and Stoudemire would be close to unstoppable. There was still no guarantee that they would have beaten the Celtics, but Stoudemire certainly would have helped their chances of maintaining the series lead they enjoyed after game three. During the offseason, the Cavaliers organization understood that they needed to bring in a perimeter presence to replace some of Carlos Boozer's scoring, while giving James a sidekick to take pressure off the budding superstar.
The Cavs had salary cap space and the willingness to spend money in free agency. It was the perfect situation for a team on the rise, and there were four players that fit their needs. At the time, I wanted them to sign Ray Allen, who was clearly the best fit for a team that desperately needed a scorer that could shoot three pointers. He had just averaged Bringing you a new perspective on Ohio sports every Wednesday morning.
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. All-Pro Reels. Pluto agrees. It wasn't like baseball [and basketball] which we see where everyone is getting hurt," he said "What do you do when Father Time is not only knocking at the door but has come under the door and starting to pull at them? Amanda Rabinowitz. In addition to providing local news and weather, she interviews Terry Pluto of Cleveland. See stories by Amanda Rabinowitz. Related Content. But this team got ousted in seven games by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the second round.
At the end of the NBA —09 season, James scored In Game 2, the Cavaliers lost the series in six games. During the NBA series, James scored He finished the NBA postseason with a playoff-high In the —10 NBA season, the team underwent the greatest loss in franchise history. Lebron James in the Miami Heat. Lebron James turned into a free agent on July 1, James believed that his great teammates would provide him with a better chance of earning an NBA championship than in the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lebron James, then, could escape from the responsibility of scoring. There may be a chance for him to become the first basketball player since Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in an NBA season. Lebron James suffered from the tension of the criticism for the failure. James scored an average of It is the biggest point drop in NBA history.
James revealed that in the NBA season, he got a contract to join professional football from the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks to refresh his mind and body. He averaged The St. Mary High School team also earned the top national ranking that year. James would soon emerge as one of the National Basketball Association's leading players. With his impressive record, it was no surprise that James was the first player picked in the NBA Draft straight out of high school.
The Cleveland Cavaliers signed the powerful young forward, and he proved to be a valuable addition to the then-struggling franchise. The team had ended the previous season in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. He also became the youngest player — at only 20 years old — to receive this honor.
Additionally, James, averaging 20 points per game at this time, became one of only three rookies to accomplish this feat, putting him in the same company as Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.
James continued to excel professionally in the NBA the following season, upping his average points per game to He made NBA history again in when he became the youngest player to score more than 50 points in one game. In , James helped his team defeat the Washington Wizards in the first round of playoff action.
James scored an average of While his team wasn't at the top of the rankings, James himself continued to receive special recognition for his abilities.
In , James reached a new contract agreement with the Cavaliers. The team proved to be stronger competitors the following season, defeating Detroit to win the Eastern Conference. During the season, James continued to help the Cavaliers improve their standing in the Eastern Conference. The team made it to the semifinals, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in seven games.
In terms of individual performance, James had a stellar year, outperforming such rival players as Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson by scoring an average of 30 points per game, the highest average in the NBA regular season. Early in the season, sports journalists and fans began talking about James' future in the sport.
He had the option to become a free agent in , and there was much discussion as to where James would end up. Some journalists identified the New York Knicks as a potential suitor for the rising player. James made several references to his impending free-agent status, but he was sure to downplay the matter.
I don't think about making a change at this point," James told reporters. Shortly after becoming a free agent, James announced that he would be joining the Miami Heat for the season. His fans in Cleveland were less than pleased, and many considered his departure a betrayal to his hometown. Soon after James' announcement, Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert wrote an open letter declaring James' decision as "selfish," "heartless" and a "cowardly betrayal.
The season saw major success for James and the Miami Heat.
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