With Dwyane Wade out of the lineup, LeBron James has returned to his ball-dominating ways familiar to Cavaliers fans as he greets his old team to Miami on Tuesday night.MIAMI -- LeBron James is playing some of his best basketball since joining the Miami Heat a season ago. All it took was an injury to the superstar who helped woo him from Cleveland in the first place.
It's foolish to suggest the Heat are a better team with Dwyane Wade out of the lineup -- although a 6-1 record in his absence is eye-opening. But with the shooting guard nursing a sprained right ankle, James has returned to the role in which he's most accustomed -- being his team's undisputed No. 1 option.
He's dominating the ball and the running the Heat offense from the wing, something Cavaliers' fans watched for seven seasons at The Q. They will likely see it again Tuesday night as the Heat (11-5) play the Cavaliers (6-9) in American Airlines Arena.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra gave his club the day off Monday and James was not available prior to Sunday's 91-82 loss to Milwaukee, denying out-of-town reporters a chance to broach the subject. Needless to say, it's a sensitive topic for the high-profile club and not a new one.
Since the Big Three was birthed a year ago, questions have persisted as to whether James and Wade could coexist in the same offense. The fact they came within two wins of an NBA title is a compelling argument for the affirmative. But there's not another star tandem in the league with such a similar skill set. James and Wade are each slashers capable of carrying ateam offensively.
Wade already has won a title and is somebody who, despite the Finals setback against Dallas, enhanced his reputation as clutch playoff performer. James is missing both credits from an otherwise impressive portfolio. Chris Bosh, the Heat's third wheel, did James no favors in arecent GQ interview in which he said Wade is the teammate who should be taking the big shots at crunch time.
Why?
"Because of his success in the past, given what he's done," Bosh said. "He's a champ. He's an MVP, and he's hit a bunch of last-second shots. That's the time you have to put pride aside a little bit, and do what's best for the team. He's quickest, and he's gonna get a shot off. He relishes those moments."
James isn't going to alter that perception until he thrives in June and makes good on his promise to deliver championships. Until then, he can only keep building on his regular-season dominance. James is off to one of the finest starts of his career -- averaging 29.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and shooting 56.4 percent from the field. All those numbers exceed his career totals.
In his second season, teammates say James is also more relaxed in his surroundings a year removed from The Decision and the astonishing publicity it generated.
"He's a lot a more comfortable, a lot more himself," Heat center Joel Anthony said. "Obviously, it was a whirlwind of a season last year."
Added Mario Chalmers: "He's not thinking as much on the court and the big thing is he's more energetic. [Getting through last season] has taken a lot of pressure off him. He doesn't seem to be worrying about what people say about him."
James told ESPN in the preseason his goals were to have more fun and eschew a villain's role born from a nationally-televised breakup with Cleveland and perpetuated by his post-Finals South Beach diatribe to his detractors: "They have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. ... They have the same personal problems they had today."
Wade's ankle will be rehabilitated before James' image, but his coach appreciates how hard the Akron native continues to work.
"He's very committed and very focused as he was last year," Spoelstra said. "What I've said is if he happens to do that with a smile on his face this year I don't have a problem with that. ... He put a lot of time in over the summer to improve his game. Not many two-time MVPs really have that mindset to [say] 'Hey, I want more and to get greedy and improve more facets of his game' and he's arguably the most complete player already in this game for a long time.
"That has set a tone, a strong message to the rest of the team not to be satisfied with our Finals appearance last year."
The Cavs get their first look at James this season on Tuesday. With his friend and teammate still on the mend, it's a look that resembles the player who flourished in a wine-and-gold uniform.
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