Stop Passing up Shots

Apparently there was a good detailed discussion last night on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” program about the problems with the current makeup of the Cleveland Cavaliers. While I did not catch the discussion on the Cavs that the TNT guys (who are very entertaining by the way) had last night, I have my own opinions on the topic. Personally, the more I watch the Cavs play the more I think that part of Cleveland’s problem is that Lebron overdoes trying to get his teammates involved (not bashing him, just my observation). I mean, he is the superstar so needs to want to take shots on every play. If his teammates are not good enough for the Cavs to win when Lebron is looking for them, then he should go down swinging and control the ball (and the shots) more to try and make his teammates work harder to gain a right to his passes. Don’t get me wrong, Lebron is unselfish and a great passer and I already know that the Kobe-Haters think that LBJ is simply taking what the defense is giving him and not forcing up shots like Kobe “does.” I can see how a player that lets the game come to him can be considered as unselfish and having great qualities, but to me, superstars are supposed to force the defense and take control. Every team defense is going to be built to guard the superstar player (like Lebron) to prevent him from scoring, so in a way, Lebron is playing into the design of the defense by giving up the ball as much as he does (i.e. the defensive plan is to get the ball OUT of Lebron’s hands, so he is merely helping them do so). Some objective evidence to back up my position, if you look at the number of shots on a per season basis, Lebron is pretty far below what guys like MJ and Kobe have done. I definitely see how it can be interpreted as a solid quality that Lebron is so efficient and scores a lot on fewer shots, but I think Cleveland does not win (ever) unless he demands more shots and stops deferring to his much weaker teammates. Efficiency is great, but efficiency also means you are not forcing the issue, and sometimes forcing the issue has subjective effects on teammates and defenses that cause the overall benefit to the team from those forced shots to outweigh what would result from an “efficient” performance.

To put it into perspective, even in a championship season where most anti-lakers would admit Kobe had a great year (2009), Kobe took more shots in a season (while on a superior team) than Lebron ever has in his entire career (save one season). Winners want the ball and make things happen. Lebron needs to get that competitive “screw the world, I am the best” fire or he is going to struggle to win championships. He is a superior talent, but he needs to start making the other teams stop him instead of doing them a favor and stopping himself to give an open look to a weaker teammate.

My point with Kobe has long been (as much ridiculed as it has been by the haters) that a forced Kobe shot is usually better than a fundamentally sound look from a weaker teammate. Now that Kobe has better teammates that are gaining his confidence, he rightfully defers to them. Lebron does not have that luxury yet.

Likeability does not Equal Leadership

Dare I say that Kobe has done a better job motivating his teammates than he is given credit for? Yes, I dare. Ron Ron Artest recently twittered that he was working out many hours a day during the month leading up to the preseason because he didn’t want to come to camp and “have the Mamba mad at him” off the bat. When asking “who is the better leader, Kobe or Lebron,” commentators constantly talk about leadership by discussing a player’s likability by one’s teammates (which none of us will argue bodes well for Kone in a battle versus the ever so popular Lebron James). But as exists in the business world, likeability is not really a positive quality for a leader. A leader needs to not be hated, but also needs to not be so likeable that he cannot be direct with his subjects. Perhaps sports is different, but if you see Kobe as a manager of his other teammates, then lack of likeability is not something to knock him for. The managers in the business world who hang out and drink with the employees usually do not last very long (and certainly are not effective). Managers who show up early and leave late and produce are the ones who succeed. Kobe appears to be the better “manager” and to me is the better leader.