LeBron James was as dominant as always in his first start at point guard since 2012
- With their top two point guards out with injuries, the Cleveland Cavaliers turned to LeBron James to play the point on Tuesday, his first start at the position since 2012.
- James had a stellar night, with 34 points, 13 assists, and just two rebounds and plenty of breathtaking passes.
- After the games James told reporters that he knows every play from every position, so transitioning to point guard for the night wasn't as big a challenge as one might think.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had poor luck with injuries at the point guard position.
With Derrick Rose out with an ankle injury and Isaiah Thomas still healing his hip, the Cavaliers were notably lacking in true point guards going into Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls.
Luckily for Cleveland, having the best basketball player on the planet tends to be a competitive advantage when dealing with a short roster, and LeBron James proved quite capable of handling point guard duties in his first start at the position since 2012.
James is no stranger to running an offense, and to be fair, position designations matter little in the NBA and are almost completely irrelevant when it comes to a player like James who can score from and defend any position on the court. That said, James was clearly playing like a point guard on Tuesday, and finished with a stat line to show for it with 34 points, 13 assists, and just two rebounds.
There are few players as much fun to watch as LeBron, and playing from the point, basketball fans got to see James show off some skills that are widely known but don't make his highlight reels as often, including his incredible passing and court vision.
This quick behind-the-back look was quite nifty.
As was this one-handed bounce pass in transition, which James touched with just the right amount of English to get to Jeff Green.
The strength and accuracy behind James' passes are close to unmatched across the league - just look how quickly he gets the ball out of his hands to an open Jae Crowder in the corner.
Kevin Love was on the receiving end of this great look for an easy bucket.
After the game, James spoke to reporters about his ability to play from any position on the court.
"To this day, still, if I'm able, if coach slides me to the one, I know every set," James said. "If he slides me to the five, I know the five. I know the four, I know the three, I know the two. I know every single play at every single position. It makes the job a lot easier for me because I know where I should be and where my teammates should be."
The Cavaliers ended up beating the Bulls 119-112, and James, with his impressive statline, made the case that he might be the best point guard in the NBA.
The Cavaliers will be back in action on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. Regardless of whether or not James starts at point guard again, fans can be sure that wherever he is on the court, he knows what he's doing.