LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers would never admit it, but in many ways they've already defied the odds.
Few gave the Cavs a chance to avoid a sweep with the announcement that All-NBA point guard Kyrie Irving would be sidelined for the remainder of the NBA Finals. Even fewer gave them a shot to win at Oracle Arena, where the Golden State Warriors entered Sunday's Game 2 47-3 at home.
Much of the conversation has focused on James's incredible totals through two games, with the four-time MVP averaging better than 41 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, while earning a split in Oakland.
But in a career already defined by shouldering the heaviest of burdens, the real story of King James's 2015 Finals display is the degree to which he's had to carry this version of the King's men.
If you thought LeBron's Usage Rate of 36.4 percent through the first three rounds of the postseason was insane, his offensive responsibility in The Finals has reached unfathomable heights, as James has used 41.4 percent of Cleveland's offensive possessions while on the court.
To put that in perspective, no player has ever even posted a 39 percent Usage Rating in a season, and only 15 35-plus percent usage seasons have ever been recorded.
Obviously, James's sky-high Finals usage isn't sustainable over an extended period, but it just might be over the course of a short series. And his usage isn't even the most breathtaking part of the story.
Combine the King's Finals usage with an assist percentage of 47.2 - the percentage of teammates' field goals assisted by LeBron while he's on the floor - and we learn that 88.6 percent of the Cavs' possessions in The Finals (with LeBron in the game) have ended with either a James field goal attempt, free throw attempt, assist, or turnover.
Unfortunately, that burden doesn't come without a cost.
LeBron's usage has sunk his efficiency all postseason, and that trend has continued in two thrilling Finals games, with James posting a sub-par True Shooting Percentage of 49.2 against the Warriors, while producing a solid, yet unspectacular, 1.07 points per individual possession, according to Basketball Reference.
With James averaging more than 48 minutes per game through two contests that both required overtime, his unprecedented usage - against the league's best defensive team, no less (hello Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green) - is clearly taking its toll on his shooting and overall efficiency as each game progresses.
| LeBron In 2015 Finals | USG% | TS% |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Half | 38.9 | 56.9 |
| 2nd Half | 42.2 | 47.2 |
| OT | 47.7 | 25.6 |
That drop-off is to be expected. And despite a plethora of evidence to the contrary, James is actually a mortal human. But it also makes his dominance in other facets of the game all the more impressive.
James has collected 13.6 percent of available rebounds during The Finals (career rate is 10.8%), and despite having the ball in his hands on seemingly every Cavaliers possession, is turning it over on an incredibly rare 6.4 percent of those possessions (career rate is 12.5%).
In other words, despite logging over 96 minutes of what's been some of the most fatiguing individual basketball the NBA has ever seen, James has found a way to hit the glass harder and be more disciplined with the ball in his hands than perhaps ever before.
The King's not perfect, and his declining efficiency while shouldering a once-in-a-lifetime burden is at least mildly concerning, particularly with only one day off between Games 2 and 3, and the teams traveling from the West coast to the East.
But the Cavaliers have showed that without Irving and Kevin Love - and even with their offense predictably running through James on virtually every trip down the floor - they can hang with the league's top team.
Expecting them to win three of the next five is likely asking too much, as is asking LeBron to score at his usual, God-like efficiency rates. Nevertheless, James's ability to post prodigious numbers across the board while helping a comically overmatched Cavs team steal a Finals game away from home is yet another memorable chapter to add to his already historic career.
