The LaBacle is complete.  The Celtics, the best defense in the league, pull it out in game 6 and defeat Lebron James, the best player in the NBA.  But the story will continue to be Game 5 of the Cleveland-Celtics series—perhaps the most curious performance in modern NBA history.  The media hysteria surrounding Lebron’s uncharacteristic performance has been unparalleled.  Perhaps the only other playoff controversy I can compare it to, at least in terms of volume, is when Jordan took off to Atlantic City against the Knicks in the 1993 playoffs.  Just like that scenario, the whole sports world questioned Jordan’s commitment to his team and, ridiculously in retrospect, winning.  Now everyone is questioning if Lebron is a winner.

Lebron has been expected to be a one man show.  And despite all the cliched calls from fans and media that “it’s all about team”, clearly that doesn’t apply to Lebron.  Everyone wanted Lebron to prove he could do it all by himself.  Jordan was long considered a one man show who had to learn how to play team ball.  But, in reality, Lebron has never had 2 teammates half as good as Pippen and Rodman.  Or a coach as good as the often ridiculed Phil Jackson.  Lebron’s teams have simply leaned on him too much and taken all their cues from him.

Fans expected Lebron to simply be able to will his team to a championship.  Just like Jordan did.  Just like Isiah.  Just like Magic or Larry.  But it’s ridiculous.  Basketball has proven time and again to be a team game.  You can say that Hakeem has probably won it all with the least.  But, even he had a team that rose to the occasion.  A team perfectly built to complement Hakeem with are barrage of 3 pointers and great defense.  And, just think how preposterously clutch and nasty Sam Cassell was.  That team had verve.

This Cavs team, Verajao aside, had nothing of the sort.  Shaq was simply old and slow, not to mention withdrawn and distant.  Jamison was destroyed by KG and never gelled with teammates.  Mo Williams had some offensive moments but was destroyed by Rondo.  What was Lebron supposed to do with this cast of characters?

Plain and simple: No one-man-show can do it against what has to be considered the best defensive team in the league for three years running.  Jordan, Kobe, Magic, Larry… none of these guys with this Cavs cast would’ve got by this Celtics team.  It reminds me of a young Jordan being unable to get by the Pistons.

And, it’s not just about this season.  For seven years Lebron hasn’t had a strong enough cast of characters around him.  Nor has he had a cast properly built around him.

So why should he NOT leave Cleveland?!

I’m finally coming around to the fact that Lebron to NY has a real chance of happening.  Forget the latest hot talk about Chicago being the new front runner to land Lebron.  The Jordan shadow is way too strong.  And, really, Chicago just isn’t as exciting as NY from a lifestyle, celebrity and potential money making perspective. And, about all of this Callipari talk, give me a break.

If the Knicks can get Bosh with Lebron, they’d be looking pretty nasty.  Here is your 2010 super-optimistic Knicks depth chart:

PG: LeBron James / Toney Douglas / Sergio Rodriguez (??)
SG: Wilson Chandler / Billy Walker
SF: Danilo Gallinari /
PF: Chris Bosh / Jarvis Varnado (with the 38th pick)
C: Eddy Curry (who magically gets healthy since he’s playing for a contract, the Knicks won’t suck and Lebron is here) / Earl Barron / Artsiom Parakhouski (with the 39th pick)

That’s 11 dudes, with my draft selections, and including Sergio Rodriguez who I’m not too high on keeping.  So here are some potential low cost free agents to round it out:

SF, PF, C:  Tim Thomas – I know that’s weird, but he’s versatile, smart, played well for D’antoni and can probably be had for the minimum.
C, PF: Louis Amundson – Phoenix is going to break the bank to keep Amare, and they have Robin Lopez who starts.  He’d be a nice Verajao-like piece and I have a hard time imagining him get anything more than mid-level money.
PG: Luke Ridnour – Can shoot, and push the pace.  Alongside LBJ his small size and lack of athleticism wouldn’t be exploited.
SG: Kyle Korver – For one obvious reason.  3pt % this year .536.

Here are the other prospective free agents: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

Pretty impressive.  It all starts to feel possible.

I think the scariest scenario is still the Nets winning the draft and getting John Wall.  With the new Russian billionaire owner (who’d love to open up the Russian market to Lebron and teach him the ways of a billionaire), actually being in the NY market, a ton of cap space, a studly young center, and a tradeable asset in Devin Harris, New Jersey is potentially more attractive than anywhere else.  But, here’s hoping the Nets don’t land the top pick.