LeBron James Advantage
Yes, LeBron’s performance will actually work in the Hawks’ favor. Without Love, James has taken on a larger scoring role, which many fans and critics have been clamoring for him to assume for some time. The down side to that is that it takes other players out of the flow, which would favor the Hawks. Kyrie Irving is a remarkable talent, but he needs the ball. If James is playing “hero ball,” it plays into the Hawks’ defensive scheme, which will be to not let anyone else beat them. James, as talented as he is, cannot do it alone. If he feels his team is not playing at the level he is, he will take more shots than usual—forced shots—that takes his teammates out of the game. Meanwhile, the Hawks pass until they get an open shot, which makes all of the players feel good about being involved. That psychological part of the game is often overlooked.
Home Court History Advantage
Sadly, there will be a lot of Cleveland fans in general, LeBron fans in particular, at Philips Arena for Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. (Yes, this will go seven games). But the Hawks fans are so embarrassed by the loud presence of opponents’ fans that they get louder to drown out the dissenters. So, the building will be loud and raucous, especially in the decisive game. And this fact is significant: The home team has won 79 percent (96-24) Game 7s in NBA history. The will Hawks make their first-ever NBA Finals appearance, and LeBron will walk off Philips Arena court with his head down.
