@Chris Parker
Have you seen a different level of leadership from lebron throughout the season?
First round here, his leadership was strong for his age and role, but obviously maturity was still a factor.
When he was in miami, his leadership seemed to go to a next level playing alongside veterans like wade and bosh etc..
Here in cleveland for the second time, this is truly his team. He's defiantly more mature but he is leading a group of young guys with little to no playoff experience. Do you see a new level of leadership from lbj? Being inside the locker room etc. how does he lead? Sometimes it feels like he gets frustrated and kinda hides in a corner (especially earlier in the season prior to the trades).
Sometimes it seemed like LeBron was the only one who realized how hard what they were trying to do really was. I was thoroughly demoralized watching Dion attempt to play defense and do whatever that was that passed for offensive decision-making, I can only imagine the impact on a real ballplayer. Dion Waiters is a less talented Isiah Rider at this point and I don't see a real lot of improvement, but I digress.
I think LeBron had a lot of trouble deciding how to lead. When he was first here it was follow me, but I think he realized there was a limit to how useful that was. Also -- and here's the big thing -- I don't think HE was full committed. No surprise right? you could see it in his defense. He had to BELIEVE.
I've talked to over a thousand musicians and one of the best things I heard was "how are you ever going to convince someone to buy something your aren't utterly sold on yourself?"
that was the big issue for LeBron and he struggled until he took some time off, talked to some people and came back recommitted to the program in its entirety. the only hint we have really is Mike Miller's comment that he's never seen LeBron work so hard during his rehab.
I think for some reason LeBron thought these guys were going to find their way and elevate to Wade level or something. But if they could've, they would've already been in the playoffs, amiright?
So I think he learned that it was part him going all out, and part -- and here's the part that's really a guess, but an educated one with what's come out -- him going to his teammates Ky and Love and laying the responsibility on their laps. "these guys will help," he might've said, "but it's on us." at least that seems to be the substance of what Haynes got in his recent article on this.
In the locker room he's usually besieged by reporters so its a little different. esp. the last half of the season it seems. early on, before the injury he seemed to cut up and kid with the guys more, but it's pretty subtle and I may be off. I didn't go into every postgame locker during the yr. I don't use quotes a ton, and I can get the substance from either the postgame show or the other reporters articles.
Now that we're to the post-season I will be there all the time. I probably frittered some chance to get to know the guys, tbh, and that's on me. It's been a hard transition at times to the workload and my expectations of myself. Not much to do about it but go from tomorrow.