LeBron James dominated every facet of the game vs. the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
He willed the Miami Heat to victory to snap a season-worst four-game losing streak. James looked like the MVP from years' past. Even though he dominated a porous Toronto defense, he did give the team a much-needed victory.
James looked like the regular season champion he always has been. Winning against any team in the NBA should not be overlooked; however, having a great game against such a bad team means absolutely nothing.
So what if Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were not playing?
James has proven time and time again, that on any given night, he can defeat any team in the NBA, regardless of his supporting cast.
That is exactly what he accomplished in Cleveland for six seasons.
He is the King of the regular season.
Now, James' regular season prowess came in handy Saturday night. But that is all the team's most recent win proves.
It does not prove he is the most valuable player on the team; nor does it prove that James can lead this team in the playoffs.
Come playoff time, James will be Dwyane Wade's sidekick. It sounds degrading to King James, but the Heat have been Wade's team since his rookie season. From the moment he led the franchise to its first and only NBA championship.
Or even more specifically, the franchise was his when he made a game-winning running hook over Baron Davis in his first playoff game ever as a rookie.
James has had some nice moments throughout his playoff career, but he does not have many positive defining moments in the NBA Finals. Not to mention for every great playoff moment he's had, he's had an equal amount of forgettable games.
LeBron James will always be the best player on the Miami Heat as long as his best counterpart is Dwyane Wade.
At the end of the day, Wade is the leader and the one teammate James will have to defer to. Wade is the core of the franchise, while James and Chris Bosh are the two big building blocks brought to complement the artist formerly known as "Flash."
It is possible that in three or four years, the reigns will be handed over to James. By that time he may have a ring or two, and enough poignant playoff memories to drown the early struggles and shame.
Until then, Wade will be the key to the NBA Finals.
That's not to say James won't be a much-needed help.
Martin Erat Marcel Goc Jamie Lundmark Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne Mathieu Carle
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