LeBron James carries the weight for every team he plays on. This year, that has proven to be no different in his third season back with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have needed every ounce of their superstar during this run in the playoffs. The numbers show a simple truth - James has been even better in this postseason than he was during his last run. It doesn't appear like it will be enough to secure himself back-to-back championships.
Looking at LeBron's numbers
In the 2016 playoffs, LeBron James struggled with his shot a bit, causing a dip in his overall scoring numbers.
He averaged 26.3 points per game, shooting .525 from the field, but just .340 from three and .661 from the charity stripe. He added 9.5 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, but averaged less than 40 minutes per game for just the second time in his NBA career.
In the 2017 playoffs, all of the scoring and shooting numbers for James have improved. He has averaged 32.4 points per game, the second highest scoring average of his postseason career. He's shooting .563 from the field, .415 from three-point distance, and .716 from the free throw line; the latter is one of the worst marks of his career, but the first two averages are postseason career-highs. His rebound numbers are down from last year and his assist numbers are about the same, but Cavaliers fans aren't really complaining about his performance.
Tough end to the playoffs
Instead, fans of the team should be complaining about the unceremonious end to the playoffs the Cavs are going through. They didn't show much resistance to the Golden State Warriors in the first two games of the NBA Finals. They fared better in Game 3 at home, only to choke away a victory following several mistakes, including an errant shot by James that was stripped by Warriors forward Andre Iguodala, setting up the game-icing free throws.
Still, Cavs fans have to keep the faith a bit longer. After all, the team appeared to be on the verge of an unceremonious dumping at the end of the playoffs last year, only to overcome a historic 3-1 deficit to capture their first NBA title. Things are different this year, mostly due to Kevin Durant's presence on the Warriors roster, but the series isn't over until the final buzzer sounds and confetti falls from the rafters. With James performing at an even higher level than last postseason, the team remains in good hands, even if legs are starting to get shaky in Cleveland.
