Lebron’s “The Decision” brought an unprecedented amount of media attention to the Miami Heat organization. Every move by The Big 3 was scrutinized and examined with no regard or sympathy for the franchise. One of the major issues that was under the magnifying glass throughout the course of the regular season was the Batman & Robin argument. The media and fans were trying to figure out who would establish their position as the team leader and who would be satisfied with winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor AKA the Scottie Pippen award. The argument raged out of control throughout the regular season, and just when you thought you had it all figured out it seemed that the individual being deemed “Robin” at that point in time managed to post a performance to keep his case alive. The regular season though, is only a conduit by which a team hopes to reach the Promise Land: The NBA Finals. Here is where the real dissecting begins. Those who perform on this stage are glorified and those who don’t answer the call are exiled. Because of Dwyane Wade’s performance, leadership, and experience on this main stage, I’m here to say that the Batman & Robin argument is now dead and buried. A true member of royalty has established his thrown—and it’s not the King who everyone has become so accustomed to. LeBron, please exit stage left. Dwyane Wade is the Miami Heat’s floor general, most experienced player, and leader.
Up to this point in the first season with the James-Wade experiment, it’s clear that down the stretch this team is D-Wade’s. Lebron’s performance in the 4th quarter has been shaky and inconsistent at best throughout the course of the season and has been magnified in the Finals. Wade has been here before as evidenced by his 2006 ring and Finals MVP award, while LeBron’s sole Finals appearance prior to this season was characterized by a sweep at the hands of the Spurs. In that series, he averaged a mere 22pts, 7rebs, and 7assts, while shooting 36% from the field and under 70% from the charity line. Conversely, Wade put up huge numbers in his sole finals appearance with 35pts, 8rebs, and 4assts on 47% shooting from the field and 77% from the line. Wade clearly has more experience in this arena and has performed at higher level on Broadway than the supposed King. In this current finals series (through 4 games), Wade is averaging 30ppg, 8rpg, and 4apg, while shooting 59% from the field. LBJ on the other hand is averaging 17ppg, 7rpg, and 6apg, while shooting 46% from the field.To make matters worse, LeBron put on his best Houdini impression in Game 4 producing what was quite easily the worst game he has had thus far in a Heat uniform, and arguably in his entire career. Many thought that LeBron would answer the call after repeated call-outs from the media and other players, but it must’ve gone to voicemail. One reporter following LeBron’s subpar performance in Game 3 even went as far as to ask if he felt himself “shrinking” in the fourth. Yes, even great players have shocking and atrocious performances, but do they have them on the biggest stage in basketball? People who I have recently addressed LeBron’s atrocious Finals performances argue that his Game 4 lapse is similar to that of Kobe’s 2010 Game 7 dreadful shooting performance. There are a few striking issues with this argument though, which I will detail in the following points:
First, although Kobe shot a shooting percentage worthy of a Charles Barkley “Turrrible” (at 25% vs. LeBron’s 27%), he managed to focus his efforts on the court towards two other facets of the game: attacking the paint and rebounding. Kobe managed to pull in 15 rebounds, while going 11-15 from the strike. Great players figure out a way to put their team in the best position to win. His efforts on the offensive end, although valiant, weren’t producing results so he began to attack the paint relentlessly, while grabbing board after board down the stretch.
Second: he still managed to put up 10 points in the fourth quarter. LeBron has 9 points on 3/12 shooting in all of the 4th quarters combined this series! Great scorers find a way to put the ball in the basket in crunch time, regardless of their poor performances during the first 3+ quarters. Kobe’s killer instinct is something that I am yet to see in LeBron, but have seen frequently in the eyes and performances of one Dwyane Wade.
Third: LeBron’s 2011 finals statistics are incomparable to that of Kobe’s 2010 stats. Kobe averaged 28ppg, 8rebs, and 4 assts, while Lebron is averaging 17ppg, 7rpg, and 6apg.
Final Point-Kobe won the O’Brien Trophy and the Finals MVP award last year, while LeBron is being overshadowed by Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, and arguably Chris Bosh. How can a player be simultaneously considered the greatest player in the league and the fourth best player on the court up in the series? Great players don’t do that; they arise to the occasion.
LeBron is in the company of Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, and Josh Smith in regards to their super-human combination of athleticism, agility, and strength. He is truly a physical specimen in the world of sports…a freak of nature, yet his performance in the Finals is not mimicking his title as the best and most dominant player in the game today. Dwyane Wade, on the other hand, has exemplified his prowess on the court as the best player in this series. His statistics, attitude, and experience are all evidence for him being Batman on this Heat squad. LeRobin on the other hand, seems content and comfortable in the passenger seat allowing everyone to ridicule and underestimate his value on the team. The best way to silence a crowd of haters is to perform on the court, but we are yet to see that. If the King is really out there, he’s preparing to make us all Witnesses come Game 5 tonight.
Side Note: I don’t know if LeBron will be content with ridding in the passenger seat for his entire career, especially when he is so close to being compared to Jordan. If Kobe Bryant’s first three championships are somehow nullified or tainted by the fact that he was Shaq’s partner, then LeBron’s legacy has already been written. It will be impossible to even be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan if he never wins a Finals MVP Award or proves himself worthy of being called “clutch”, regardless of how many championships he wins.
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