Does the Cav Loss Change Things for LeBron to NY?
There's no other way of looking at things for Knick fans
By JOSH ALPER
Updated 2:22 PM EST, Mon, Jun 1, 2009
For a basketball fan who roots for the Knicks, Saturday night's thought process went something like this. First, they were sorry to see the Cavaliers lose, because it meant the best basketball player on the planet wouldn't be playing another game. Even if they fell in Game Seven to the very-worthy Magic, it would have meant 48 more minutes to savor one of the greatest seasons we've had the pleasure of seeing.
Right after that thought came the question of if that loss will affect the chances that James wears a Knicks jersey in 2010. James said that the loss won't have any impact on his decision to stay with Cleveland, although he's also not saying that he's definitely staying in Cleveland. It should be an interesting summer for the Cavs, who don't have much cap room to improve James' supporting cast and need to figure out if a defensive-minded coach like Mike Brown is going to keep giving them the best chance to win games.
James caught some flak for turnovers in the Orlando series, but when you're the only person capable of getting the job done it is bound to catch up with you from time to time. Stan Van Gundy, Dwight Howard and every other member of the Magic knew that James would be coming, which makes it a bit easier to slow down even the greatest of players. Brown wasn't able to find anyone or any way to keep the heat off of James.
The Knicks certainly don't have any better chance of doing that, not with their current roster. The Cavs may get a chance to make some cosmetic changes this summer, but it is hard to see where they could make the kind of splash that will change the game for them in 2009-10. They're in the exact same boat as the Knicks, then. They need to wait for next summer and cap room to make a big move, the same kind of move the Knicks could make to supplement James.
Those are the facts of the matter. Everything else will go on within James' head. The Cavs can offer James a new contract this July, but since it will be the same exact contract they can offer him next July there's not much chance he'll sign it. After seven years of waiting for the Cavs and Danny Ferry to put a winning cast around him, might James opt for Donnie Walsh's proven track record? After years of playing in a stultifying offensive system, might James opt for Mike D'Antoni's more appealing approach?
Those two questions may have different answers today than they did when the Eastern Conference Finals started, which keeps hope alive for the Knicks and their fans.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jun 1, 2009 7:29 AM EST
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