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After busy summer, Cavs' star limits drills
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Thursday, Oct 02, 2008
INDEPENDENCE: There are a couple of emotions LeBron James constantly denies feeling.
One of them, famously, is pressure. Another, if you listen to him, is regret. His overall track record and statistical resume seem to back him up, but there are a couple of small cracks in that confident facade.
One came two years ago when James truly had the only slump of his five-year career. He might be facing another such challenge this season.
For the first few months of the 2006-07 season, James was not himself, especially from an energy standpoint. He went through periods early in that season when he seemed to play without his usual pop. He experienced a string of uncharacteristically mundane fourth quarters, when he was usually at his best.
Though he seemed to find a new wind in the second half of the season and ended up leading the Cavs to the Eastern Conference title, his overall numbers dipped across the board. At the end of the season, even though the Cavs won 50 games and claimed the No. 2 seed in the East, he was left off the All-NBA first team.
Though there was never one obvious reason, a hangover from a demanding summer with Team USA was a likely culprit. Several of his USA teammates also struggled with injuries and slow starts after the team's third-place finish at the World Championships in Japan.
Now James might be facing the same circumstance. Though the feelings are much brighter following the gold medal he
helped claim at the Olympics in late August, the strain on his body might be the same.
It is something that he concedes that he has thought about as he gets ready for the new season.
''You learn from things that go on in your career and I definitely learned from [2006],'' James said Wednesday. ''I know how to approach this season.''
James is trying to take it easy early in training camp, skipping many drills and some workouts. He would prefer to have gotten more rest during the summer and especially in September, when he had to squeeze in numerous business activities relating to sponsorships and even the release of a documentary he was involved with, instead of taking it easy.
It is inevitable that James will feel some drag, especially compared with players who were able to get full rest during the summer. But he is hoping the measures taken during camp to get extra rest, along with the memories and lessons learned from 2006, will help to avoid a sluggish repeat.
He also believes he won't have to do as much heavy lifting in the season's first few weeks. James has said the Cavs have the deepest team in his career.
''I think I've prepared myself to start the season the best I can,'' James said. ''I think this year I have a lot of help so I don't have to put as much pressure on myself. I think I'll be fine.''
A spot for grabs
The Cavs have one open roster spot, and coach Mike Brown said they will likely keep one of the training camp invitees if he is impressive in the preseason.
One candidate is guard Michael Dickerson, a career 15-point-per-game scorer who had to retire in 2003 due to a bad sports hernia injury. He has not played in six seasons and is 33 years old, but has been impressive in early workouts.
''You can see he's a little rusty in terms of the lingo and the knowledge and his reactions,'' Brown said. ''But when it comes to competing, his athleticism and strength stands out.''
The issue is the Cavs are deep at the guard spots, which would make it hard to keep Dickerson. His chances might have gotten longer because he had to leave training camp Wednesday night for personal reasons.
Another candidate would be forward Lance Allred, whom the Cavs picked up in March last season and kept throughout the playoffs.
Dribbles
Brown has been pleased with the toughness of rookie second-round pick Darnell Jackson. He hasn't been afraid to scrap with the veterans. ''I went to tell him something in practice and he had one eye closed because it was swollen and his hand was wrapped but he's still saying 'yes, coach' and got right back in there and mixed it up,'' Brown said. ''It reminds me of Dick Butkus or something.'' . . . James has been wearing No. 6, his Olympic number, during practices this week. ''I'll be No. 23 when the games start,'' James said. ''But I like No. 6, too.''
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
INDEPENDENCE: There are a couple of emotions LeBron James constantly denies feeling.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Bluffton, SC
Posted 09:36 AM, 10/02/2008
Hey Lebron....two times three is "6" Put a small " X " between the 2 and the 3 and and it will be a tribute to the Olympic Gold... Can I get 5% of the "New Jersey" sales ?
Posted 10:42 PM, 10/02/2008
I really wish we all could just jump into a time machine and get this Knicks or Nets thing over with. All the PR nonsense from the players and from within the organization gets pretty nauseating after awhile. The local sportswriters' not-so-subtle bias to maintain LeBron in a Cavaliers uniform certainly doesn't aid my digestion, either. Let's just simply do some sort of futuristic time machine thing, and see if the prudent folk, meaning those without those child-like stars gleaming and glistening in their naive little eyes, are right or wrong.
Akron, OH
Posted 06:13 AM, 10/03/2008
Cut out half of the partying, man up and do your job. I wish I could look at my boss and tell him "I think I will take it easy for a couple of months because I am tired, you know I did have to work some this summer." When do you leave for New York?
Houston, Tx
Posted 09:03 PM, 10/03/2008
Really Sam ??!!! Won a gold medal for the United States lately? and what is it that you do? Is that a bit of jealousy, hatred, what ?? why dont you go post on your board because you are definitely not a Cav's fan.
akron, oh
Posted 09:15 PM, 10/03/2008
you are a young man(can't tell by your actions at times) you should be able to carry the whole team and then some--give it up lalooser.
