The Jackie Moon Effect: Seeing Irony in the LeBron Led Cavaliers

If you haven’t seen the movie Semi-Pro starring Will Ferrell, allow me to give you a brief synopsis. Owner/GM/coach/player Jackie Moon takes the Flint Tropics from worst-to-first with a variety of personnel moves, questionable tactics, tough love and the invention of the alley-oop. Get it? Good. Cavalier fans may find parts of this storyline eerily similar to what’s actually unfolding in Cleveland. Are LeBron James and the Cavaliers the embodiment of this sports spoof? Let’s take a look at The Jackie Moon Effect.

Owner/GM LeBron

Jackie Moon traded away a washing machine for an old, used up Ed Monix, played by the great Woody Harrelson. LeBron James forced signed off on a similar deal in the Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins trade. Wiggins is the washing machine for a number of reasons. He isn’t afraid to get dirty on D, he delicately glides through the paint with grace, and has added a patented spin cycle like finish to his repertoire. Love is Monix because he’s always banged up, seems to be a shell of his former self, and at times genuinely seems disinterested in his teammates. 

Now I know these comparisons are a stretch, but you get my point. Wiggins seems to be slowly progressing on the offensive end this year (20.8 PPG this year up from 16.9 PPG last year) playing alongside the likes of Zach LaVine and rookie sensation Karl-Anthony Towns. Love on the other hand seems to be regressing (shooting a dreadful 42% the second lowest of his career). It’s not as if he lacks skill or the ability to be a key player on this Cavs team, he just hasn’t proved to be the player that LeBron or the Cavaliers thought they were getting. We’ll come back to that in a minute.

Start the timer: other questionable moves include having a big hand in the 5-year, $82M deal signed by Tristan Thompson (9.7 PPG 8.6 RPG career average) who is represented by James’ friend and agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, as well as the 4-year, $40M resigning of Iman Shumpert, who seems to be more interested in his rap career (to his credit, he’s actually not that bad). *Through 54 games he’s shooting 37% and 29% from 3PT*

Time’s Up! Back to Love

James likes to be surrounded by big men who can stretch the floor and give him space to drive and create. At first glance, Love fits the same mold as former Miami Heat teammate Chris Bosh. Both are capable outside shooters with an ability to crash the offensive and defensive boards. Match made in heaven, right? Not exactly…Bosh (who doesn’t get enough credit I.M.O.) was the embodiment of both Love (offense) and Tristan Thompson (defense). He could shoot from mid-range, developed a reliable 3pt shot and had a sneaky back-to-the-basket game. On defense is where he really separates himself from Love. Unlike Love, he was able to effectively guard the pick-and-roll (playing either the roll man or hedging out and defending the shooter on a switch). Another overlooked part of his defense was his ability to alter and block shots around the rim. If you’ve yet see a Cavalier game, watch Love in both those aforementioned situations.

Spoiler: he plays D like a matador.

Coach LeBron

Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports

James went “full coach mode” during last year’s playoffs, most notably in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals when he changed coach David Blatt’s final play (James was to inbound the ball) and instead received the inbounds pass and took the final (game-winning) shot from the corner. It’s usually a good strategy to give the ball to your best player in crunch time, so I’ll give James a pass for that occurrence. However, during the NBA Finals against Golden State is where he officially took the job from Blatt.

This is what ESPN’s Marc Stein had to say,

“I saw it from close range in my role as sideline reporter through the Finals for ESPN Radio. LeBron essentially calling timeouts and making substitutions. LeBron openly barking at Blatt after decisions he didn’t like. LeBron huddling frequently with Lue and so often looking at anyone other than Blatt.

There was LeBron, in one instance I witnessed from right behind the bench, shaking his head vociferously in protest after one play Blatt drew up in the third quarter of Game 5, amounting to the loudest nonverbal scolding you could imagine.

Which forced Blatt, in front of his whole team, to wipe the board clean and draw up something else.”

Need I say anything else? No? Good!

Uncle Drew/Coffee Black

Kyrie “Uncle Drew” Irving is the equivalent of Clarence “Coffee Black” Withers played by Andre “3000” Benjamin. Both are great finishers, exceptional ball-handlers, owners of inflated egos, and have ZERO problem playing 1-vs-5 on the offensive end. In the movie, Withers was given a reality check about how he would never play in the NBA. It wouldn’t surprise me if Irving was given a similar reality check by LeBron in the upcoming weeks. 

Here are a few lines (tweaked slightly) from the movie that are all too fitting for Irving.

“And I got news for you Clarence Kyrie for all your flash, you are never gonna play in the NBA for another ring….one day you’re gonna look back at your life and you’re gonna realize that you never even learned how to play (team) BASKETBALL.” (followed by LeBron throwing 1 of his 2 rings at Irving)

Scarily similar, isn’t it? If Irving (who also folds like a lawn chair on defense) can learn to play less like Withers on offense, the young (he’s only 24) point guard may still have an opportunity to work his way back into the good graces of LeBron.

Now I know some of these comparisons are mostly exaggerated or even a bit harsh, but you can’t deny the similarities in both the Cavaliers and Tropics (unless you haven’t seen the movie…why are you still reading this…seriously, go watch the movie…NOW). Despite everything mentioned above, the Cavs are currently sitting in the top spot in the East with a record of 56-24, and while far from perfect, are still favored to advance to the NBA Finals for the second straight year.

The Flint Tropics Big-3 were able to put their egos aside and transform the team from (last place) losers to (fourth place) winners. Can Cleveland’s Big-3 do the same? Yes, but only if Irving and Love can pick up on LeBron’s version of E.L.E. (Everyone. Learn. Everything), if so they just might have a chance at winning one for “THE LAND.”