Everyone’s Mad at LeBron Because Dwyane Wade Screwed Up and Udonis Haslem Missed an Open Shot

And the nine-game winning streak is over. Utah 99, Miami 98. The Jazz celebrated as if they just won a playoff series. LeBron sulked in the locker room a bit longer than normal. You either fall into one of two camps in this discussion:

a) LeBron should always take the last-second shot (or at least drive to the basket) because nobody can stop him and that’s what money players like Kobe and Jordan did. [See LeBron, game five vs. Detroit many moons ago.]

b) Sometimes, the pass is necessary, and LeBron made the right basketball play against Utah. Haslem just missed a shot he should have made.

How does D Wade factor in? Take it away, Windhorst:

Dwyane Wade had committed two fouls that just crushed the Heat’s bid to win their 10th straight game and missed a free throw with 14 seconds left that was a direct reason the Jazz won

In case you missed the game, LeBron also did this in the final minute …

… which begs the question: If he’s making that shot, why isn’t he taking one at the end of the game?

I laughed at his fear of taking the last shot in the meaningless All-Star game, and I rode LeBron hard during the Finals for disappearing late. I don’t think you can fault his decision to pass to Haslem against the Jazz, but if this were game six or seven of a playoff series … LeBron’s got to trust in himself to score or get fouled.

He trusts himself, right? [videos via @Jose3030]

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21 Responses to “Everyone’s Mad at LeBron Because Dwyane Wade Screwed Up and Udonis Haslem Missed an Open Shot”

chicago Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:10 AM

There’s no doubt Wade fucked the end of that game up royally, and is the reason the Heat lost. However, Lebron needs to be shooting in most scenarios there- I’m sort of a mix of camp A and camp B. There are obvious situations when you make that pass (triple team, hard double, really great shooter is wide open- none of those occurred last night). I was railing on this last night and I’m still pretty astonished that anyone would argue that Lebron made the right play.

Season: Lebron 54%, Haslem 42%
Last night: Lebron 16-24 (including 4 attempted 3′s), Haslem 2-6
From 18-20 feet on the season: Lebron 41.6%, Haslem 32%

Looking at that and then remembered that Lebron was having an NBA Jam type of 4th quarter (and was not shying away from taking difficult shots at all until that last one), and I just find passing there an egregiously bad play.

chicago Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:10 AM

*stats are actually from 17-20 feet.

The Professor Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:17 AM

I’m still pretty astonished that anyone would argue that Lebron made the right play.

Agree completely. There has been a lot of discussion that begins “well, it was the right play, but…”

I’ll take LeBron going to the basket over Haslem from 17 feet any day. Especially when the Heat only need one point. This isn’t the Bulls down 3 and Jordan dishing to wide open Steve Kerr.

oskie Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:22 AM

the right play was the best player should take the shot. fin.

Cowboy Mike's Red Hot Ricochet Barbecue Sauce Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:26 AM

Imagine how good Lebron could be with a real coach.

José Ovechkin Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:29 AM

The right play is whoever takes the highest percentage shot. If that were Bosh or Chalmers and not Haslem it would be more defensible.

Tim Ryan Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:32 AM

Wade lost the game. Fin.

Cowboy Mike's Red Hot Ricochet Barbecue Sauce Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:33 AM

Why are people acting like Haslem is Shaq shooting from there? He’s not a bad shooter. He makes that shot most of the time.

Tim Ryan Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:36 AM

Jordan passing to Steve Kerr was genius because Steve Kerr made the same easy shot.

chicago Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:41 AM

Jordan passing to Steve Kerr was genius because Steve Kerr made the same easy shot.

Actually I think it was because there was a hard double on Jordan (keep in mind MJ clearly was trying to get his own shot off first- Lebron never even looked like he was going to shoot), and Steve Kerr was shooting something like 54% from the field that season. I think Steve Kerr might have been known for his shooting ability too, but I’m not sure.

chicago Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:44 AM

Why are people acting like Haslem is Shaq shooting from there? He’s not a bad shooter. He makes that shot most of the time.

The problem with this is that it’s been a couple seasons since Haslem has shot well from that range. He currently misses that shot most of the time. He’s certainly not Shaq, but like I’ve said- when you combine his current shooting woes from that range with the fact that Bron was on fire all quarter and is a much better shooter in general, it’s a bad pass.

Caribou Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:59 AM

Wade lost the game. Fin.

Agreed. Misses the 2nd shot of the free throws and only puts Heat up 98-96, where it could have been a 3pt game with 13 secs. left. Then the foul, which put the onus on Lebron.

Lebron has got to come thru there when the game is on the line. If he drives/shoots and misses, so be it. But to put it in a supporting role’s hand at that time, you can’t do that.

jekyll Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 12:09 PM

Lebron’s greatest game of his career was 2007 ECF Game 5. What happens if he makes the “right basketball play” here?

Pastor of Muppets Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 12:10 PM

Lebron = A-Rod.

chakrabs Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 12:30 PM

Ridiculous that he’s taking heat for this. I’m far from a fan, but that was a wicked assist!

karma Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 2:07 PM

Fear of failure.

Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 3:52 PM

LeBron made the right play.

bobobrees Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 4:05 PM

LeBron wasn’t “hard-doubled”, but Milsap clearly is waiting for him on the drive, Howard is closing on his shooting hand, and Miles is ball-watching and ready to jump on his left hand. He passes to a wide-open Haslem, who gets the ball in triple-threat position a shade under 3 seconds, with an easy, open 17 footer. Haslem also has time to pass the ball to a ridiculously wide open Mario Chalmers.

That’s the right play. Period. If Haslem can’t make the shot or make the pass to Chalmers, he shouldn’t be on the floor.

And on the video of the Pistons game, nobody puts a body between him and the basket. Milsap is clearly waiting for him – big difference.

If you want to complain about LeBron on that play, complain about how he doesn’t crash for the offensive board.

BFFredo Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 4:35 PM

LeBron can’t win. If the Heat win the title, it’s because he went to Miami to be with Wade and Bosh. If they don’t win it, it’s because he’s a big-time scaredy cat. If he takes the shot and misses, he’s being conceited. If he passes, he’s running away from his responsibility.

In short, he’s screwed.

agoodfella Says:
March 3rd, 2012 at 7:44 PM