SPORTS

Recent additions give LeBron, Cavs ammo for title run

Kurt Snyder
Reporter
  • LeBron James relied heavily on veterans to help to titles in Miami.
  • James needed to widen his inner circle to get the help needed in Cleveland.

Trust undoubtedly is a key word in LeBron James' vocabulary.

The trust allowed a group of Akron kids to routinely dominate prep school all-star teams when James starred at St. Vincent-St. Mary. It was a dirty word during James' first tenure with the Cavs whether it was when he passed the last-second shot off to Donyell Marshall against the Pistons or tried to play the Celtics 1-on-5 during those fateful final few games in 2010.

Trust was what allowed James to let Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade build a championship roster in Miami, and it now is allowing the Cavs to streak toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings, where everyone assumed they would be all along.

Only a select few are allowed into James' inner circle, and until a month ago, they were all older than James. When he re-signed in Cleveland, former Heat teammates Mike Miller and James Jones and respected veteran Shawn Marion trailed one-by-one.

With rumors of Ray Allen's impending signature for months, it appeared he was the final piece to putting James' band back together. Except, a funny thing happened while waiting for Allen to leave his canopy on South Beach.

The veterans stunk. Much how the Heat were beaten like a drum by the Spurs in June, the Cavs' veterans were getting schooled on a nightly basis.

A now 30-year-old James no longer needed guidance or wisdom from his teammates. He simply needed better players.

Enter J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov and Kendrick Perkins. Mozgov was a favorite of coach David Blatt, and Shumpert was the apple in the eye of many in the Cavs organization.

Smith and Perkins, however, are for James. Smith was the right-hand man for James' pal Carmelo Anthony in Denver and New York, and he is here to do what the 39-year-old Allen probably can no longer do. Perkins, himself, is just a month older than James and appears to be the final piece to the Cavs' rotation up front, coming with the highest of recommendations from those in the Boston and Oklahoma City organizations.

It's no secret the Cavs have been on fire since mid-January, and the reasons are many.

James' two-week absence literally was just what the doctor ordered, and Kyrie Irving has raised his all-star play one additional notch with the addition of occasional defense and increased offensive efficiency.

The trades with Denver and New York, however, will be considered the turning point when the book on this season is eventually written.

James needed to let his inner circle grow. He needed to find a new band of brothers, and it just might mean another ring on his finger.

Snyder is a sports writer for The Advocate. Tell him what you think at ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com.