Disclaimer: I am a HUGE LeBron hater. With that said, read my thoughts on LeBron, and what I truly believe the Cavs did wrong in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Boston. It’s not 100% biased either (maybe just 95% biased, haha).

After watching Game 6 of the Cavs/Celtics series, ask me if I’m happy:

You: Shooter, are you happy?
Me (Shooter): YES!!

Ok, now that we’ve cleared up that, let’s take a look at what the Cavs did wrong to go home much earlier than they thought.

Before the season started, the Cavs decided they didn’t have enough in defeating the Orlando Magic, the other Eastern Conference powerhouse, so they brought in Shaquille O’Neal. This was done simply to have a big man to go up against Dwight Howard in the playoffs. However, this never came into play other than a couple regular season matchups (Superman battles).

Bang, we have an issue already. Shaq was brought in for a playoff series, but not for a series like this one against Boston. Kevin Garnett tore him up because an old Shaq cannot even guard a KG with no knees. Remember when they brought in Shaq and he said something like, “It’s time for me to bring a ring for The King”? Yeah, it’s not that easy. Maybe Kobe and D-Wade are a bit better, or maybe Shaq is just too old.

Next, what about the guy that was put aside in Cleveland, TWICE! Zydrunas Ilgauskas was once one of the steadiest players in the NBA. But when they signed Shaq, it was unclear what Big Z would be doing. Would he come off the bench, or share the court with Shaq, or still start? That wasn’t the best plan, but it seemingly worked best when they shared the floor together. They didn’t really do that this postseason because of matchups. I get the feeling coach Mike Brown wouldn’t have even thought of that if he had the chance because it’s not the right kind of basketball for postseason play.

The other time the Cavs disregarded Ilguaskas was when they traded him for Antawn Jamison back in February. They knew they would get him back, but that also showed they were trying a bit too hard to make a team. Big Z never seemed right after he returned to the team in March, and that hurt the Cavs overall.

As for Jamison, when that trade was made, many thought it was a championship caliber trade. I was not one of those people. Was it a good trade? Sure, they traded a player they were going to get back to get a previous all-star player. But that all-star player does not have a winning history. In Game 6, he scored only 5 points on 2-10 shooting. That’s not an all-star, championship caliber performance.

Finally, I look at one big difference from the Cavs in the regular season, a 60-win team, and the Cavs in the playoffs – JJ Hickson. What did this guy do to not deserve any playoffs playing time? NOTHING. He is young, that’s it. Is it smart to sit a player that brings energy and helped you win during the regular season? No, it’s not smart, and that’s why Mike Brown will likely not return next season as coach. That’s a big deal, even if he doesn’t fill the stat line. That’s how teams that are favored lose early in the postseason in any sport – when you change the game plan that makes you good overall.

—Now for LeBron—

In Game 5, he didn’t show up, and he didn’t show any kind of care. I’m sure that’s because he was trying to play it cool, but that’s a difference between him and Kobe. LeBron doesn’t know how to react when he loses. We saw it last year when he stormed off the court in Orlando and we saw it after Game 5 this year. Kobe would be pissed, very pissed. He would show grit and determination and show no mercy until he won the next game.

LeBron shows arrogance for the situation. Despite having a HUGE game stat-wise in Game 6 this year, he did not seem like a leader. Down the stretch, the Cavs gave up on defense and on offense. It’s up to Mike Brown to prevent this from happening ever, but it’s up to LeBron to prevent this as it happens on the court. Now, I’ve seen worse leadership before, but for someone who is ‘The Chosen One,’ he does not show a lot of necessary traits that winners hold. Hence, he is not a winner – not yet at least.

Most of the reason I don’t like him is because without ever winning he doesn’t seem to be bothered with losing until it happens. Kobe and D-Wade have ferocity in their eyes until they are forced to back down. LeBron doesn’t get that look. I feel like he puts pressure on himself by being cocky and arrogant. This truly makes me like him less and less. As I’ve told my buddies and the rest of the NBAtoday staff the whole year, the reason I hate LeBron is because of LeBron.

So I leave you with my questions going into LeBron’s offseason:

• Is this the true LeBron?
• Is he the best player in the NBA?
• Will he ever win?

-Shooter