Even in his 15th season at 33-years-old, LeBron James is still capable of putting his team on his back. After his phenomenal series in round one against the Pacers, LeBron continued his dominance in Game 1 of the Conference Semis against the Raptors, putting up a triple-double in an overtime win. James hasn't gotten too much help from the role players on his team, and that raises the question of whether or not LeBron James can once again carry a young Cavs team through the Eastern Conference and to the Nba Finals.
Solo James
Throughout the playoffs, LeBron James has had to do all the work for his team.
In the Cavs' first-round series against the Pacers, James led their team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game. James' 33.4 points per game that series was far ahead of the next leading scorer, Kevin Love, who averaged 11.4 points per game (according to Basketball-reference.com). Those stats can be accompanied by another big stat, as James played an average of 41 minutes during the series.
LeBron has no issue with carrying the load at this point in the season, but he knows he will need some help from the rest of his team sooner rather than later. Nobody else on the Cavs' roster scored 20 points in a single game in the Pacers series, which hasn't happened to LeBron since he was in his first stint with the Cavs.
His teammates gave Bron the help he needed in Game 1 against the Raptors, as J.R. Smith scored 20 and Kyle Korver dropped 19.
Going further into the playoffs means that there will be more competition and as great as James is, he can only do so much. Being the superhero and carrying your team is okay for a little bit, but every superhero needs their sidekick, especially in the NBA.
Running out of gas
Watching LeBron dominate and put up these amazing numbers is awesome to experience, but all good things come to an end. Nobody can expect LeBron to continue to put up these numbers with little or zero help from his teammates and expect them to reach the Finals. LeBron even said after Game 7 that he was "tired" and wanted to "go home."
The teams remaining in the east are nothing to scoff at either, as they are capable of dethroning King James.
The Sixers' blend of young talent and three-point shooting will provide a challenge for the Cavs and their rather old roster. The Celtics' depth and scoring ability will be enough to down the Cavs as well. The Cavs only averaged 94 points per game in the first round, so they aren't built for high scoring games. Their current opponent has more star power than the Cavs and their ability to play defense and score inside has already caused problems for the Cavs.
The road that is set up for the Cavs and LeBron to get back to the Finals isn't an easy road. They will need to find productivity in their role players because LeBron James can't beat any of the remaining teams in the east or west without any help. If the Cavs can't prove to LeBron that these role players can be the future of the Cavs, then we might be watching LeBron's final games in a Cavs jersey.