Before the start of the current NBA season, the new look Cleveland Cavaliers, with LeBron James back in its roster, was highly touted to blitz through their opponents during the regular season on the way to a sure playoff berth.
Unfortunately for the Cavaliers fans, despite having LeBron James and Kevin Love completing the triumvirate with Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland basketball quintet is a mediocre basketball team past the halfway mark of the current NBA season.
With its 23-20 win-loss record good for fifth place overall in the Eastern Conference, it is very likely that the Cavs will make it to the playoffs. It would be a major disappointment to fans and to James himself if his team did not make it to the playoffs.
He just came from a team that was in the NBA Finals for four consecutive years so when he returned to Cleveland after the Miami Heat lost to the San Antonio Spurs during the 2013-14 NBA Finals, James knew that the pressure lies on his broad shoulders.
If he can’t carry his team to the playoffs, it would only mean that he became the best player in Miami Heat because the team allowed him to be.
Recruiting binge
Because of Cleveland’s dismal showing in the first half of the current NBA season, James worked on pulling some needed firepower to backstop him in Cleveland. He was reportedly instrumental in acquiring JR Smith from the New York Knicks just recently.
But James is not done recruiting yet. He had a two-week rest period and took the time off to visit Miami. Not because he want to play with the Heat again or he finds the warm weather appealing but he went to Miami to talk to former teammate Ray Allen, reports ESPN.
Ray Allen has remained unsigned as a free agent after his 18th season in the NBA ended with a Finals loss of the Heat against the Spurs.
Second time around
For the second time, James appealed to the NBA’s all-time leader in three pointers to join him at Cleveland so that they could make a run again to the NBA Finals.
It was not clear if Allen has agreed or not with LeBron’s proposal. James initially invited Ray Allen to play for the Cavs before the start of the current NBA season. But the former Heat guard said that he was still unsure of himself whether to retire for good or continue playing.
In October 2014, Cavs general manager David Griffin reportedly confirmed that he has spoken with representatives of the 6’ 5” shooting guard where he expressed his desire to sign up the 18-year NBA veteran to join the team.
There were even reports then that Ray Allen already signed with the Cavs but it turns out that those were just rumors.
In addition to James at that time, Cavs guard James Jones has been helping the King to recruit Allen to their team. Jones is also a close friend of Allen, having spent two full seasons with him in Miami. Jones reportedly paid a visit to Allen in Connecticut during summer of last year.
Should Allen decides to bite the offer, there will be four former Miami Heat team members in Cleveland including LeBron James, James Jones, Mike Miller and if ever Ray Allen. And quite noticeably, all the players to join James are all three-point specialists.