April 18 marks the final day of the NBA regular season, featuring a whopping 14 games. Playoff seedings are at stake for several teams - including LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers, who not only need to beat the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow, but need the Chicago Bulls to lose to the New Jersey Nets in order for the Cavaliers to clinch the #2 seed in the East. The Eastern #2 seed will face either the Washington Wizards or the New Jersey Nets in the playoffs. If the Cavaliers lose, they will drop to the #5 seed and have to face the defending champion Miami Heat.
Speaking of LeBron, he has been the target of increasing criticism from the media. His detractors point out his decreased free throw percentage and reduced assists and points per game this year compared to the 2005-06 season. While LeBron's stats may have dipped slightly in those regards, people mustn't forget how instrumental LeBron is to the Cavaliers' success. It would be almost impossible to top what he did last season, and it's unrealistic for his critics to expect him to do so. Michael Jordan's points, assists, and rebounds all dropped in the 1990-91 season compared to the 1989-90 season, but he won his first championship in 1990-91. Like LeBron, he still put up incredible numbers, and his team still won games. If the Cavaliers win tomorrow, they will equal their season record from 2005-06, so LeBron's "drop-off" apparently hasn't impacted his team that much. What really matters is how he and the Cavaliers fare in the upcoming playoffs - if they can put together a run like they did last season, the critics will be silenced.
Bryant image courtesy NBA.com (David Liam Kyle/NBAE/Getty Images)
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