LeBron and the Cavs go down in another earlier than expected exit, and let the King James rumors fly; It’s going to be a tough summer in Cleveland

SCOTT JACOBS

LeBron James walked off the court fistpounding fans, totally calm, as he made his way towards the T.D. Garden tunnel.  If you didn’t watch the game that quick glimpse would have most likely led you to believe that the Cavs had tied the series, and there would be a game seven in Cleveland.  ABC could breathe a sigh of relief.  The NBA offices in New York could sip champagne by moonlight, their dream BronBron/Kobe matchup still very much alive.

But the score indicated otherwise.  With the Celtics fans in pure delirium after their team pulled off one of the more surprising series wins in recent memory, their was no day after tomorrow.  Not for a Cavs team that reeled off 61 wins in the regular season en route to another number one seed.  Not for LeBron whose two MVP seasons finished in two bitter disappointments.

Maybe LeBron was hurt.  Maybe the Cavs were not who we thought they were.  Maybe Cleveland’s cursed.

Or maybe the Celtics were just… better?

From the opening tip of game one to a rousing win in game six, the Celtics controlled a series they were plain and simply not supposed to win.  This was Cleveland’s year.  This was the team LeBron was going to get his first ring with.  But Boston was more polished.  Their passing was crisper.  They had Rajon Rondo.  They had the look of a champion.  They had the heart of a unit that had done this before.

Cleveland looked lost.  And in a confusing series which saw both teams hand each other their worst home playoff losses in each team’s respective playoff history, this offseason for the Cavs will offer up way more questions than answers. 

48 days until the start of free agency, and let the LeBron watch begin.

Boston couldn’t be happier.  Rock City U.S.A. is doing anything but.

Something about this series felt off.  LeBron’s injury.  His baffling game five effort.  The Cavs strategy down the stretch of game six to not foul, when they were still within spitting distance.  LeBron looking unfazed as the game ended.

It may be too soon, but someone has to say it.  Amare Stoudemire is still playing.  King James is done.  The Cavs could have had Amare, heck, Phoenix just wanted cap relief and a young player, but the Cavs kept their roster together, opting for chemistry over potential.

How’d that work out for them?

So we’re left with a Cleveland team littered with role players, a few good players, and maybe LeBron.  Uh, now what Cleveland?

The Celtics were better.  Faster.  More dynamic.  And in a sloppy game six, they got all the 50-50 balls and collected all the second chance rebounds.  They weren’t just better.  They wanted it more.

That’s the hardest fact to swallow.  Cleveland got flat out, out-played.  Outworked.  Outhustled.  Ousted once again before the NBA Finals.

You just don’t expect that from a LeBron James led team.  Which leads to the question: Is LeBron James the NBA’s version of Peyton Manning?  Someone who couldn’t get over the hump, despite all the personal accolades that came his way, and in spite of the fact that it was clear he should be collecting some rings.  It’s a fair argument to make.  Sometimes great players just can’t get to the promised land until they get the right team around them.  Other times they have to grow into the role.  Manning won his Super Bowl with a Colts team that barely made the playoffs.  They turned it on once the post-season began behind a well rounded collection of veterans and youngsters.

Maybe Cleveland doesn’t have the right mix to win it all yet.  Maybe LeBron James just isn’t ready yet?  It sounds crazy.  But then again, so was this series.

LeBron James may have played his last game in a Cavs uniform today.  Or maybe not.

Poor Cleveland.  The clueless citizens of that sports-crazy city probably don’t know what just hit them.

Reality.

Photo: Reuters

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