Why LeBron is his own greatest opponent

I'm not riding the Cavaliers bandwagon. I was never on that one. To be honest, I'm not even on the LeBron James bandwagon. Don't get me wrong, I think he's the best player in the NBA, but I don't think he's the best teammate.

Yeah, I said it. I'm calling out the guy who has averaged 8.6 assists-per-game over his career. In fact, he's on track to record the ninth highest assists-per-game average in the history of both the NBA and ABA. But he's also on track to lose in the NBA playoffs and fall short of his goal once again. I know what you're thinking. You're crazy Mark. Cleveland is nothing without LeBron. That's true, but give me a chance and I'll tell you why they'll never win until LeBron changes.

Now, before I incriminate myself, I think it's important that I note that Charles Barkley hinted at this in TNT's post-game show. I want to take what he said a step further.

This has been going on for over a year, but I think we saw a good example of it in last night's game against the Chicago Bulls. LeBron had 40 points on 16-23 shooting. On top of that, he had eight rebounds and eight assists.  He was hotter in the fourth quarter than asphalt in the middle of a Florida summer. He couldn't be stopped. But it's important to remember that there were two people who also took notice to this: The Bulls and LeBron's own teammates. That, is where the problem lies.

As good as LeBron is, let's face it, he won't be that good every night. Nobody is, and when LeBron isn't, he's going to need his teammates to make plays. He's going to need Jamison and Williams and Delonte West to step up. The Cavaliers don't want to become the LeBron show when they are in close games. Right now at the end of close games, LeBron takes the ball down the court, passes off, gets it back, and then jostles inside the three-point-line for five second before pulling the trigger on a low-percentage shot. When he does that, what are Williams and Jamison thinking? I guess I'll just try and get the rebound. Where should I stand? What exactly is that tattoo on Delonte's neck? 


With LeBron doing everything, the rest of his teammates will not feel their pressure to perform or much individual importance on the team. Barkley said LeBron needs to be building the confidence of his teammates and he's absolutely right.

Last year the Cavaliers lost to a better Magic team, and LeBron needs to understand that he can't win without his teammates. Could Jordan win without Pippen? Could Kobe win without Shaq or Gasol? No. And the analogy stretches beyond basketball. Jimmie Johnson can't win a NASCAR race without a great pit crew. Peyton Manning can't break any NFL passing records without receivers there to catch his passes. In almost every sport, it's a two-way street.

The great ones become great because they lead team's to championships. They don't win them themselves. If I'm Cleveland, I want LeBron taking the last shot every time, I just don't want him taking almost every shot before that.

The State of women's basketball

I was flipping channels tonight and came across an interview with Connecticut forward Maya Moore. It was a post game interview so I continued to watch. Shortly after, I realized something: UConn just won the national championship.

NCAA women's basketball has a serious problem. Well, more than one. Here's a few off the top of my head.

1) There are over 300 irrelevant teams, maybe 10-15 good teams, and only really good team. UConn is good for the sport, but nobody else can hang with the Huskies. Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma calls himself "the bad guy" but he's doing good things for women's basketball. Like it or not, UConn is pushing the limits and that's a good start. Everyone else needs to follow.

2) After Duke won the men's national title, I shut off the college basketball section of my brain. I've never understood why the women finish the NCAA Tournament after the men. Why not take a page from the NFL, who recently moved its irrelevant Pro Bowl to the week before the super bowl, and have the women play first? If that had been the case, I would have at least known they were playing. 

3) Marketing. It has to be difficult, I mean lets face it, we aren't talking about men's basketball here. There is a difference. So how do you market this product? Two ways: improve the product and improve the hype. Right now, the problem is the product. More games are being broadcast, and most teams have a loyal following (even if it is small). But, programs need to improve. Better basketball means more fans. People love a winner.

Bobcats may be East's best chance at stopping Laker repeat

Who's the best team in the NBA? That's just one of those questions you can never be too sure off, well at least until early June when the champ is crowned. So let's just give the Lakers some credit. They are the defending champions and have themselves positioned in the same place they were last year. But if the Lakers make it back to the finals, there's one team they had better hope they don't meet: the Charlotte Bobcats.

The 'Cats have dominated the Lakers in recent years, winning seven of the last nine meetings and holding a 7-5 series advantage all-time. Only one team has been more impressive against L.A. and that's the Celtics. This season, Charlotte lost an early nail-biter to the Lakers 99-97 but rebounded in February for a 98-83 romping. As the Celtics continue to wane it's looking more and more like Charlotte could be an issue for the Lakers, but that's assuming an almost impossible series of events would take place.

Now, I know Gerald Wallace is an All-Star, but Stephen Jackson is the Bobcat's real MVP. Ever since his first game with Charlotte, the Bobcats have gone 35-29 and currently sit with the seventh best record in the Eastern Conference. What's even more is the Bobcats tote an impressive 16-12 record against Western Conference opponents, while they make due with a 22-23 record conference record. With only nine games left on the Bobcats' schedule it's time to start looking at possible playoff scenarios if they are to even sniff the improbable task of reaching the NBA Finals. Below are the potential first round match-ups, and what will most likely be second and third round opponents as well.

vs. the Orlando Magic

The Magic and Bobcats have met four times this year, with the Magic taking three total and one in overtime. One of those losses came before Jackson arrived. Orlando features the toughest lineup the Bobcats could face in the first round, headed by Dwight Howard and Vince Carter. Jackson will be key no matter what team the 'Cats face. In the Bobcats' two losses to Orlando, Jackson averaged 14 points per game and shot a miserable 31 percent from the field. But in Charlotte's win, Jackson was 10-20 with 28 points.

The Magic are almost assured a second seed in the East with the way they've been playing and the Bobcats are one-and-a-half games away from avoiding the Magic in the first round. Charlotte won't want to run into this team if they can avoid it. Outlook: Magic in 6

vs. the Boston Celtics

The Celtics haven't looked too impressive recently, but don't count them out. Boston is laden with veterans, and they are a playoff team. Charlotte hasn't played a good game against Boston all season. In the three meetings between these two teams, the Celtics have won by 33, 18 and 24.  Charlotte has been improving steadily and Boston seems to have almost lost a step, but the Bobcats have never played well against the Celtics. 

If these two teams meet in the playoffs, don't expect it to be much different. Individually, the 'Cats could hang with with the Celtics, but Boston will have get that winning itch back in the playoffs. Outlook: Celtics in 5

vs. the Atlanta Hawks 

This is who Charlotte should hope to play. The Hawks are a talented team, but they rely too much on an inconsistent Josh Smith. The Hawks are a very good home team, like the Bobcats meaning that this series could come down to one road win. Charlotte hasn't beaten Atlanta yet this year, but the two teams play for a third time April 6. In the last meeting, the Bobcats lost by one point in overtime 93-92. That loss wasn't a case of one team getting outplayed, Atlanta just made the final play when it counted. 

This is Charlotte's best chance at a first round upset. The Hawks are younger and more athletic than the Celtics, but they are also younger and more inexperienced. One of two things have to happen for the Hawks to turn the corner: a decreased reliance on Josh Smith, or Josh Smith playing to his potential. This would be a close match-up. Outlook: Hawks in 7

vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland should win if the Bobcats meet them in the playoffs, but we know that the NBA playoffs is "where amazing happens." It would truly be amazing if the 'Cats won this series. Cleveland has two players that are better than any member of the Bobcat's roster in LeBron James and Antawn Jamison. But Charlotte is 3-1 against the Cavs this season, and 3-0 after picking up Jackson. In those three wins, Stephen Jackson shot 46.2 percent and averaged 22.7 points per game.

It's not probable, but Charlotte could knock off the Cavs. If they did, it wouldn't surprise me if LeBron jumped ship. Of course the outcome of this series will always be in James' hands. Even if Stephen Jackson plays lights out, LeBron could trump him. But, this could be an interesting series. Outlook: Cavs in 7

Playoff outlook

Charlotte will most likely not catch the Heat, who are on a five-game win streak, which means they will play the Magic. The Bobcats have had a good season and will most likely continue to grow on it, but don't expect the Bobcats to take a series against Orlando. And the only people happier than Magic fans about that outcome will be Laker fans. 

Williams' rotation honed, Tar Heels winning

It took an entire season, but North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams finally has a grasp on his team.

Five freshman and four sophomores dominated the team's earlier 12-man rotation that started the year. It was a young, inexperienced team and Williams had no idea who to play. Even in a dogfight against the then No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats, Williams played the nine underclassmen in addition to his two seniors, Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard, and junior Will Graves, searching for someone to step up and take over.

Now, 111 days later and his team preparing for the NIT semifinals in Madison Square Garden, Williams seems to have finally figured out his rotation. Injuries have helped him narrow it down some, but predominantly it has been the play of those individuals that has placed them in the new rotation. Most notable is freshman John Henson. In the middle of the season he could barely scrap 10 minutes a game, but in UNC's three NIT wins, he has averaged 24.7 minutes a game as well as solid contributions in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. 

The new rotation features the three upperclassmen and six youngsters. But aside from individual growth, the advantage for the Tar Heels has been chemistry. Players are working together, generating more offense and fulfilling a role. Williams doesn't need Ginyard to shoot 12 times a game, and the team is better when he doesn't. On top of that, the biggest contributors are now playing more minutes. It's all about role playing within the system. And, with only two games left on UNC's schedule, Williams will almost undoubtedly stick to his nine-man rotation. 

It's like they're on a heater, and when you're on a heater, you don't quit.