Powerhouse or Outhouse?

I have been told that I need to post an entry that has nothing to do with sports but with all the hype leading up to "The Decision" I felt that it was responsibility to put in my 2 cents. 

Now we all know that Chris Bosh has already publicly announced his decision earlier this week to team up with Dwayne Wade and form what should be a significantly better basketball team.  Now with all the rumors surrounding Lebron's decision of going to Miami, the media is already dubbing Miami as an All-Star team.  A powerhouse if you will.  As of right now, the Miami Heat have Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasely on their roster.  That's it!  Wade and Bosh aren't officially signed and Pat Riley cleared all his players out to clear cap room or they are all unsigned free agents.  You think if Lebron decides to go to Miami, Udonis Haslem will get re-signed?  I didn't think so.  In order for all three of these big names to receive max contracts, Beasely has got to hit the bricks, too.  Mario Chalmers is nowhere near the caliber point guard needed to run an offense loaded with Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh.  He's out of there.  Now what?

Don't get me wrong, Lebron, Wade, and Bosh would be a coach's, owner's, and pretty much a whole city's wet dream if they all teamed up.  The thing is, you have to pay them like superstars.  Personally, I do not agree with labeling Chris Bosh a superstar.  Let's break down his resume real quick.  7 years as a pro.  11 career playoff games.  Never has gotten out of the first round.  Chris Bosh's only big game he has played in was on the 2008 Olympic team when they won the gold medal.  Superstars are athletes who can be surrounded by mediocre, good players and make them great players.  Superstars, in my opinion are players like Lebron, Wade, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Dwight Howard.  Toronto essentially had a JV squad and Chris Bosh was that Senior who is good but not good enough to play Varsity.  Chris Bosh is an All-Star but not a superstar. 

Let's fast forward to July 9th.  Lebron has announced that he will be signing with the Miami Heat and it is now Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.  Michael Beasley is traded to the Charlotte Bobcats and Mario Chalmers was shipped out to Portland. Ok, now Pat Riley has 9 roster spots to fill with virtually no money. Word is, Pat Riley was working out a couple players from Lorain County Community College after he made his pitch to Lebron. After all, once he breaks the bank on his 3 (2 in my opinion) superstars, he will only be able to afford scrub players. This is exactly why this "dynasty" talk needs to come to a halt. Let's say Lebron goes down with a torn ACL, you have Wade and Bosh as your offense. Bosh pulls down 10 boards a night and can't bang in the paint with the likes of Dwight Howard. Wade can't carry all the work load, especially with his history of injuries. You now have 9 minimum salary players going against real pros. That my friends is a recipe for disaster.

So before Cleveland fans get all down and upset about your alleged "Savior" or "King" leaving the beaches of Lake Erie for South Beach, just remember that the grass might not always be greener on the other side.  The Cleveland Cavaliers is still a great franchise with a great owner.  Dan Gilbert is a loyal guy and he won't get up and sell the team just becuase his prized player ditched him.  In my mind, this will only be a motivator to build a championship team and we all know he will spend whatever it takes to do that.  So if at 10:01 tonight, Lebron James is on his way to Miami to sign his $100 million dollar contract, don't be discouraged Cleveland because that isn't Lake Erie you're smelling, it will be the outhouse Pat Riley just built down in Miami.

Lebron's Collegiate Education

With the recent news that Michigan State coach Tom Izzo will be staying put, this made me think a little.  Now, I don't usually think, it isn't one of my strong suits, I try to stray away from it.  But with everything that came up regarding the recruitment of Tom Izzo, I have come to the conclusion that Lebron James will be a Cleveland Cavalier for his entire NBA career.  If Lebron stays true to everything he has ever said and doesn't want to be the most hated man in Cleveland, he will stay in C-town. 

You have to look at this a few different ways.  Tom Izzo is one of the greatest coaches to ever coach the game of basketball.  Every off season can pretty much be looked at as his free agency period.  Every year NBA franchises or Colleges are always coming up in the headlines as having interest in bringing Izzo in to coach their teams.  Now that Lebron's free agency is about 2 weeks away, all these different franchises are coming up as front runners for suitors who will be pitching for Lebron's services once free agency begins.  Izzo was being lured by offers consisting of pay raises, luxurious amenities, and endless resources to achieve a championship season.  Once Lebron hits the market, NBA franchises will be sending their private jets to scoop up the 25 year old superstar, take him to 5 star restaurants, and pretty much tell him that if he signs with them then the sky is the limit.

I won't lie. I thought Izzo was coaching the Cavs in the 2010-2011 season. If you offer me a job that would double my salary, give me an endless budget to use, and possibly the best player in the game, you're damn right I'm signing.  This is where Lebron could learn a little from Tom Izzo.  This man thought about it long and hard and realized that he was going to follow his heart.  His heart just happened to be in East Lansing coaching college basketball.  I will bet any money that Michigan State is now restructuring Izzo's contract to give him more money and pretty much anything the guy wants.  This also speaks volumes for future recruits for Michigan State.  A big problem in collegiate sports is recruits renegging on schools because a coach resigns or gets the can.  He pretty much assured that University that they have one of the best college coaches to ever coach the game on their bench for as long as he wants to continue his career.  After everything that was thrown at this guy, he still decided to stay at home and continue to win with the team he has been with for over 20 years.  Now, Lebron hasn't been with the Cavs for over 20 years but has been with Cleveland for over 20 years.  This is his home and the fans treat him like the hometown hero that he has been dubbed as.  He is going to see outrageous offers along with plans for Lebron that will win him a championship.  Lebron just has to do exactly what Tom Izzo did and that is follow his heart and he knows that it isn't anywhere but Cleveland.

 

But Daddy, I Want An Oompa Loompa NOW!!!

I can not believe I am actually going to post this on my blog but I can't bite my tounge any longer.  I used to be one of the biggest Lebron James supporters.  Not only because I am from Cleveland but because I truly thought Lebron was, hands down, one of the most physically gifted as well as professional athletes I have ever seen.  Just the way Lebron could close a game whenever he wanted and then talk to the media like he was a 10 year veteran.  Ever since he was a junior at St. Vincent St. Mary, he has been in the public eye and has handled it better than any professional athlete I have ever seen.  I mean, the media has tried to dig out some dirt on him but the most they have found was a couple throw back jerseys he accepted in high school and him doing 150 mph on the highway, sober.  There really is no legitamite reason why anyone can hate on this kid.  Is there?

Now, I can understand when Lebron doesn't play well and can admit to it by saying he usually doesn't play that way and there are times he doesn't bring his "A" game. No one's perfect.  The thing I can not seem to swallow is how when he plays like shit and then proceeds to say his fans, from his hometown, they have been spoiled by his play.  Really, LeBacle?  And that is what I am calling him after his god awful performance he displayed in Game 5.  Have we really been spoiled the past 7 years you have played for the Cavs?  I wasn't aware how fortunate we were to watch your under achieving ass get swept from the Finals back in '07.  You really shouldn't of.  I mean last year when you got clowned out of the Eastern Conference Finals was one of the more sincere gifts I have ever received.  Let me ask you something, "King" James.  Was that just charity when you let that kid from Xavier dunk on your ass at your own camp?  Did you let David Kalb (who?) school you at Venice Beach a couple years back?  And I don't want to hear, "Oh Lebron wasn't trying, he didn't want to get hurt.  He let those dudes do that.".  Well the way I see it, that kid from Xavier damn near broke his ankles. 

It's just funny how Lebron can call any Cleveland fan "spoiled".  How many times has a Cleveland team had the carpet ripped out from under them then pounced on and had their hearts ripped out?  I never heard Bernie Kosar come out and say he spoiled us when John Elway drove the field and ripped our shot at a Super Bowl away from us.  Nobody heard Jose Mesa come out in after the '97 World Series and say we were spoiled.  You then have the nerve to come out and say Cleveland fans should be confident the Cavs will win Game 6 and 7 because they have you.  You just tore into Cleveland fan and now you're saying they should be confident in you.  How the hell can your fans be confident in you when you just performed one of the biggest choke jobs in arguably the biggest game of your career?  I just don't see it.  I can see maybe if you would've pulled a "Tim Tebow" and said we won't see anyone work harder in the NBA Playoffs than you followed by a "God Bless".  Cleveland fan would have eaten that up.  Instead, you had to put it on us saying we were spoiled.  I will leave it at this because, unlike many Clevelanders, I still have faith the CAVS can still win this series, not just Lebron.  I wouldn't want to look too spoiled or anything.