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There is a perfectly good reason why Charles Barkley constantly sits on the ‘Inside the NBA’ set and screams, “we’re not experts.” And the 2015 NBA Finals are a prime example.
Pundits across every newspaper, blog and television station all preached about how much of an underdog the Cleveland Cavaliers were before they even strapped up their shoes for Game 1. After losing Kyrie Irving in overtime, the talk turned to the Golden State Warriors setting up for the series sweep.
So far it has amounted to a lot of talk and not much else following the Cavs’ second victory in three contests. Question is, why all of the doubt?
For as hated as LeBron James is by some, even the bitterest Miami Heat fan has to admit that his skills are unfairly critiqued more than those before him. Maybe — fairly or not — because of his on and off court persona that is often perceived as disingenuous and contrived. After all, his postgame reactions and media access can be a bit robotic. Still, what two-time champ and four-time league MVP could you see not being thought of as cold and calculated enough to take the heart out of an opponent in order to hold a gold trophy?
Think about it. It was as if people were saying James was not capable of doing what Russell Westbrook did for the last two months of the season without Kevin Durant — 32 PPG, 8 RPG, 9 APG — four times in a series.
Absurd. As a matter of fact, James is averaging 41 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists during the first three games of the Finals and 36 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists over the last two series. What’s even stranger is that for all of the talk about how much he learned about winning from Dwyane Wade, no one thought that he might try to win his first solo title by putting up D-Wade against the Dallas Mavericks type of numbers.
It took for the two buddies to compare stats during a postgame interview for the world to recognize that James was responsible for championship numbers last seen when Wade was having one of the best Finals performances ever with a 35-point, eight rebound, four assist average to come back from down 0-2 against Dallas.
James told his old partner-in-crime that, “Yours is the better Finals [performance].” But if he keeps up this pace and the Cavs are crowned king, all criticism will have to cease — if we are all being honest.
Richard Nurse is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr or add him to your network on Google.
