Cavs rumors about the free throw shooting of LeBron James are prevalent on social media again. At the beginning of April, a report by Fox Sports addressed James’ struggles at the free throw line, but he has been able to play past a lot of misses during the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Is this a problem that could eventually catch up to the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Playing in 82 games for the Cavs this season, James finished with a 73.1 free throw shooting percentage. That was actually an improvement over the 67.4 percent he posted during the 2016-17 NBA season.

For his career, James is also only a 73.9 percent shooter from the line, but his increase in usage during the postseason means more opportunities from the line. Which, in turn, means more misses, if he doesn’t find more consistency.

James at the free throw line in 2018 NBA Playoffs

Through 10 playoff games this year, LeBron James is averaging 10.2 free throw attempts per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers. As he is making 7.7 per game, it works out to 75.5 percent. That’s another improvement over the regular season, showing that he is actually doing better than anticipated. As for his other stats, James is now averaging 34.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.

This is where the Cavs rumors start to become more noticeable, as he didn’t start out well in the series against the Toronto Raptors.

In Game 1 of the second-round series, he went 1-of-6 from the line (16.7 percent). Then, in Game 2, he went 4-of-8 from the line (4-of-8), which was less noticeable as the Cavs destroyed the Raptors. James picked it up again in Game 3, going 9-of-11 from the line (81.8 percent) to help the Cavs take a nice 3-0 series lead.

Can James overcome free throw deficiencies?

LeBron James is never going to be called a great free throw shooter, but neither was Michael Jordan, who shot a much-better 83.5 percent for his career. James’ legacy in regard to the 2018 NBA Playoffs could all come down to how he performs at the line in crucial situations. The Raptors are certainly going to work harder at keeping him from taking open shots in Game 4, likely leading to more free throw attempts.

Can he make the Raptors pay for it? Or could this end up being the Achilles heel that derails the Cavs’ postseason aspirations?

Game 4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors series is Monday night (May 7) in Ohio. Game time is 8:30 PM ET and the Cavs have a shot to complete a sweep of the series. Is that exactly what LeBron James and his Cavs teammates need? Because it would allow for a lot of rest and preparation for the Eastern Conference Finals. Or will it throw off the rhythm that James has had on the court this postseason? Only time will tell, just like it will reveal whether James’ free throw shooting is an asset or a liability for the Cavs.
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