Report: LeBron would've switched positions if Cavs signed Joe Johnson
LeBron James reportedly told the Cavs that he would play at power forward if they could sign Joe Johnson.
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2 min read
After being bought out by the Brooklyn Nets, seven time All-Star Joe Johnson had a number of playoff teams interested in his services. The Cleveland Cavaliers were rumored to be heavily pursuing Johnson and LeBron James openly campaigned for the signing.
Johnson, seeking a larger opportunity for playing time, opted to sign with the Miami Heat, which has so far been a good fit. He is starting and averaging 14 points and 3.2 rebounds in 30 minutes a game. This high number of minutes may not have been available for Johnson in Cleveland, but according to Cleveland.com's Chris Haynes, James was willing to solely play at power forward if it meant signing the veteran. James wanted Johnson so bad he was willing to play out of his natural position.
From Haynes:
Sources with knowledge of James' intentions informed cleveland.com that the four-time MVP made it known to Cavaliers' management and Johnson that he would slide to power forward on a permanent basis to open up a starting spot for his former Olympic teammate.
"All I care about is winning. That's all that matters to me," James confirmed to cleveland.com. "A piece like Joe, you know what it does to your team and if he was concerned about playing time or concerned about starting, then I'll sacrifice. I'll sacrifice to get a guy like that to help us try to win a championship."
James, until recently, has never been keen on the idea of accepting a full-time role of operating out of the post and absorbing the physical pounding that comes with the position. But understanding what's at stake, he's willing to try pretty much anything if it translates to more wins for his team.
"Man listen, I'll do anything to win. I'll kidnap my momma to win," James said to cleveland.com with a deadpan expression on his face.
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Would James have made such a considerable sacrifice in years prior?
"I don't know. I don't know. I can't answer that, but I know I'll do it now," he said to cleveland.com. "I mean, you're trying to make a push. We're in March. You get a guy like Joe Johnson, you get a guy that can change your team for the better. I wouldn't have a problem with [moving to the four].
"If he wanted to come in and start and we wanted to keep J.R. [Smith] in the starting lineup and if Double-T (Tristan Thompson) or Mozzy (Timofey Mozgov) had to come off the bench in order for Joe to start and slide Kev [Love] to the five, I would have done it."
This seems like a very grandiose gesture for James. Sure, Johnson would've helped the Cavs out but he wasn't likely going to put them on the same level as the Warriors or Spurs. Also, if James switched to power forward that would mean Kevin Love would also have to play out of position. Love is a great rebounder and could probably hold his own in the post, but he's no center. He's just not as versatile as a player like Draymond Green, especially on the defensive end.
While James is clearly willing to do whatever it takes to win a championship with the Cavs, drastically changing the team's makeup with the playoffs right around the corner is not a good idea. James should know this but perhaps the prospect of adding Johnson clouded his mind a little bit.
