Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James Starting To Show Aggressiveness
Welcome back to the party, LeBron James.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Washington Wizards Wednesday night in convincing fashion 113-87. Yes, Kevin Love finally came alive offensively, scoring 21 points on efficient shooting from the field, but it was James’ performance that really set the tone for Cleveland in this game.
James was simply dominant in his pursuit to put this team on his back. James attacked the basket relentlessly, getting to the free throw line and converting on a lot of easy opportunities. James was 14-of-17 from the free-throw line, which is his best game from the line yet this season in terms of number of attempts and number of converted attempts. James was aggressive, and he was not going to let the Cavaliers be beaten by the Wizards a second time early on.
But of course, with James it is never just about scoring. James also had 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals to complement his 29 points overall. James’ willingness to do so many things on the floor is why any team he is on is turned into a contender. Having a player that is willing to go the extra mile in so many areas is critical to championship success, and when your best player puts his body on the line in order to be aggressive and get the win, then there is not much more you can ask from him, end of story.
The only disappointment for James on the night was that he was only 1-of-5 from beyond the three point line, but this was not the kind of game where James needed to float on the perimeter and leave it to his teammates to figure things out. James knew he needed to start setting an example for these guys to follow so that the team as a whole can begin to pile on wins and regain ground in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers won this game, being aggressive and forcing turnovers on the defensive end just like they did in their last win against the Orlando Magic.
If James keeps playing like this and the Cavaliers continue to give their full effort on both ends of the floor, then the potential for this team is limitless. This is the Cleveland team theNBA expected to see from Day 1. Now the key will just be consistency from here on out.
Nathan Grubel is an NBA writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @The_Only_Grubes, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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