Once again, LeBron James stands in Chicago’s way

MANILA, Philippines – The 1990’s New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat had many things in common.

All three squads were great, constantly appeared in the playoffs, and were included in discussion for title contention for multiple years.

Each team had a star player or two: Patrick Ewing and John Starks for the Knicks, Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning for the Heat, and Reggie Miller for the Pacers. All of them, at least for a season each, would see their hopes at raising a Larry O’ Brien trophy come to an end at the hands of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls.

There’s no shame in that. Jordan’s Bulls dynasty remains the most dominant in NBA history. We have yet to see a team come close to what they did in their 6 title years.

Jordan was the best player in the NBA at that time, and will likely go down as the best ever. Scottie Pippen was the league’s best sidekick. And the pieces Phil Jackson had around his two core stars were more than effective.

Fast forward to nearly three decades later and Chicago is now on the other side of the spectrum. For years now, LeBron James, either as a Cavalier or a member of the Heat, has tormented the Bulls.

LeBron’s Cavs squashed the upstart, young Derrick Rose-Chicago in the 2010 playoffs. A year later, James took down Rose and a top-seed Chicago team in 5 contests, hitting clutch shot after another in late-game situations to help Miami advance to the finals in the first year of the Big Three Era. In 2013, LeBron led the Heat to a 5-game gentleman’s sweep of Chicago with Rose sidelined on their way to a second straight championship.

Their games have been intense – who could forget that fateful day in March 2013 when Chicago snapped Miami’s 27-game winning streak at the United Center, after which LeBron cried foul on “hard fouls” applied on him by Kirk Hinrich and company?

LeBron averages vs Chicago	Statistics
44 career regular season games	28.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.0 APG
2010 Eastern 1st round (Cleveland won, 4-1)	31.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 8.2 APG
2011 Eastern Finals (Miami won, 4-1)	25.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 6.6 APG
2013 Eastern Semis (Miami won, 4-1)	23.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 7.8 APG

. There’s more pushing and thrown elbows than usual. Getting fouled means getting sent to the ground. Putting points on the scoreboard is as tough as nails. Most games go down the wire, with heroes required to step up late in the game and deliver a win.

And that rivalry stems outside of the court as well. Who could ever forget Joakim Noah saying ‘Cleveland really sucks’ in 2010? Or a year later, when the hyperactive, blunt center called James’ Miami team “Hollywood as Hell.” During LeBron’s free agency of 2010, when Chicago was one of his 6 options, it was reported that Rose didn’t make much effort to recruit James, as opposed to the players of his other suitors.

But for all the incredible and unforgettable battles between both teams, one thing has remained constant – LeBron has torched Chicago in the postseason. Since 2010, James is a combined 12-3 against the Bulls in the playoffs. Sure, Chicago always gave James’ teams headaches in the regular season, proving enough to be a worthy challenger to his throne for stretches, but when the stakes were at their highest, James usually found a way to choke the Bulls, gripping them into submission.

But the script could be flipped now, in 2015. On Tuesday (PH time), May 3, James’ Cavaliers will open what will surely be an epic war against Rose and his Bulls at the Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Now more than ever, Chicago has the opportunity to erase their LeBron demons of yesteryears. The opportunity is there to do so. The stakes are at their highest. And the pressure, deservingly so, is at its peak.

James no longer has Kevin Love, who was lost to a shoulder dislocation thanks to Kelly Olynyk. Sure, Love’s numbers (16 and 10 a game) don’t resemble his statistics last year (26 and 13 per game), nor is it close to what Cavs fans expected him to put up. But Love’s presence affects the Cavaliers in more ways than he’s given credit for. His ability to spread the floor is key for instances LeBron or Kyrie Irving attack the lane. Defending power forwards have to respect his shooting touch, which cancels out another deterrent at the rim for when his teammates attack the basket.

JR Smith, in dumb JR Smith fashion, threw a horrendous and unnecessary elbow at Jae Crowder in Game 5 against Boston that renders him out for the first two games of the series. Smith’s no Love, but his shooting ability is another key aspect in the Cavs’ offense that revolves around LeBron and Kyrie. But that’s what you get for trusting JR Smith.

Cleveland is clearly at a disadvantage, even if they have the two best players on the court. Rose showed flashes of his 2011 brilliance in their series against Milwaukee, and Jimmy Butler did the same. His biggest assignment will be to contain LeBron – which he’s done before – but make no mistake: the added offensive burden on his shoulders will be critical to victory.

Noah is declining, or at the least far from his MVP candidate-like self in 2014. How much does he have left in the tank? The same question applies to Pau Gasol, 34, and Taj Gibson, 29, both veterans, who are advancing in age. When will they have this opportunity again?

And of course, there’s Coach Tom Thibodeau. If reports out of Chicago are true, then the former Coach of the Year is on his way out of the Windy City due to clashes with management, win or lose. If this is his last stand, and the Bulls fall to the undermanned Cavaliers, wouldn’t that be a horrible way to end his short, but successful, time with the franchise?

1998. It was the last year Michael Jordan wore a Bulls uniform. It was the last time Chicago won the East and an NBA title. 17 years later, Chicago has an opportunity to do the same again.

The East is weak. The West is a battlefield, and whoever comes out of it will be fatigued. Does the team have flaws? Absolutely. But nearly every team in the playoffs do (except for maybe the Warriors).

The chance to reign supreme again is in Chicago’s hands. It’s right there for the taking. But once again, LeBron James stands in their way. LeBron has ruled the Eastern Conference for years now, and for a fourth time, he will try to hold off his detested adversaries from Chicago.

Decades ago, Michael Jordan made sure Chicago’s Eastern rivals would not take the reins of the conference from them.

Today, Chicago will have to take down the Michael Jordan of this generation. – Rappler.com