LeBron James can't be overlooked in MVP discussion
It's official: We take LeBron James for granted. He's that good, a generational talent who makes the spectacular seem ordinary, season after season after season.
The 2014-15 campaign has been no different. King James, now 30 years old and the oldest player in the MVP race, averaged 25.3 points, 7.4 assists and six rebounds per game. His per-36 averages were similar, and almost identical to 2012-13, when James won his fourth MVP award: 25.2 points, 7.4 assists and six rebounds a night.
The numbers, however, also don't lie: James' .488 shooting percentage is his lowest since 2007-08, and 2014-15 will end a remarkable run of five seasons of LBJ shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. But that same percentage dwarfs Russell Westbrook's (.426) and James Harden's (.440), and was slightly better than Stephen Curry's (.487).
Statistically, though, it's not a stretch to say James isn't in the MVP conversation. He ranks sixth in PER (25.9) and 11th in Win Shares (10.4), according to Basketball Reference, and his 112 Offensive Rating is his lowest since 2006-07. Harden's .605 True Shooting Percentage overshadows LeBron's .577, and Curry's .638 leads all MVP candidates.
Time has taken its toll on the King, but it could be argued that James has never been more valuable to his team, and that's what makes his season so impressive. The facts speak for themselves: The Miami Heat, after four straight NBA Finals appearances, will be watching the playoffs along with the rest of us this spring. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who won 97 games over James' four years in South Beach, are a 53-win team and heading back to the dance for the first time since LeBron left.
Then there's the Cavs' record. It's easy to forget, but James' return to Cleveland was anything but smooth in the beginning. Cleveland was 18-14 through December, and 19-20 through Jan. 13, the night LeBron returned from a two-week absence to rest nagging injuries. They went off for 12 wins in a row beginning Jan. 15 and have been on fire ever since. The Cavs went 33-8 upon the conclusion of LeBron's sabbatical, rocketing up to No. 2 in the Eastern Conference, losing only one game in January, two in February (one which LeBron missed), four in March and two in April (one which LeBron sat out).
Here's the most telling statistic: The Cavaliers were 3-10 without James this season.
LeBron has changed the fortunes of the Cleveland franchise twice in 12 years. Face it: J.R. Smith makes a good point. Without LeBron, they're simply the Cavaliers. With him, they're LeBron James' Cavaliers, a 50-win team and - most importantly - a title contender.
If that doesn't make LeBron the Most Valuable Player, what does?