P.M. Cleveland Cavaliers links: Another 'award' for LeBron James; J.J. Hickson seeing the light?

LeBron James can park another award in his trophy garage.

View full sizeAP FileThe Edsel was the pinnacle of hype. Note the word "WAS." LeBron James has earned his own place in a group of dubious distinction awards named for the Edsel.

Mama used to say you're known by the company you keep. LeBron James, this one is for you.

 

The ex-Cav, who finally has started to gel with his hand-picked Miami Cheat teammates, ends up in the inaugural edition of Los Angeles Times writer Peter Goldstein's Edsel Awards.

As you might expect, the Edsels are named for the Ford car that debuted in 1957 amid all kinds of hype and promise as The Next Big Thing and turned out to be The Next Conventional Thing. Now we're not saying LeBron is going to be that. To give the devil his due, the guy is the best basketball player who's ever picked up a ball, at least in our opinion.

But it's the hype thing. Here's how Goldstein set it up ... and you can SEE LeBron all over it:

According to auto historians, the idea that the car was a lemon is a myth. It failed largely because Ford's marketing, like most of today's 30-second movie spots, overpromised and underdelivered. Consumers expected something wondrous and innovative when in fact the Edsel was thoroughly conventional.

So here's the deal: Yeah, the Heat ARE playing great basketball, and probably WILL deliver an NBA title or 10. But they're not doing anything new; they're just doing it better. No, what got him on the list was "The Decision." Here's Goldstein's take:

Ridiculously overhyped, the TV "exclusive" gave ESPN a black eye for turning itself into James' personal promotional vehicle. But the shallow spectacle made James look even worse, since he didn't bother to tell his old team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, what was up until minutes before the show. His previously unblemished image took a big hit. By September, the Q scores company ranked him as the sixth most-disliked sports personality in America, right behind, ahem, Kobe Bryant.

Oh, and to return to our first premise, about being judged by the company you keep: The others on the Goldstein's list include Kanye West's angry tweets because he "specifically ordered Persian rugs with cherubs" and didn't get 'em; Brett Favre for waiting till he could double-dip in Social Security AND his NFL pension before retiring; and even the media's Helen Thomas, the queen of the White House press corps, for telling a White House visitor (who happens to be a rabbi) that the Jews should get out of Palestine and go back to where they came from, like Germany.

Mama is ALWAYS right.

Watt's up?
There is actually some news about the Cavaliers, who play host to the Toronto Raptors at The Q on Wednesday night. It comes from the News-Herald:

Some observers have suggested the light is starting to come on for Cavs power forward J.J. Hickson. Scott is credited with reviving the career of Mavericks center Tyson Chandler when they were both in New Orleans.

"He didn't come to us with a whole lot of confidence in himself," Scott said. "My first objective was to build that up."

Scott said that's not the problem with Hickson. "I think he has confidence," he said. "I think it's more awareness, knowing exactly where he needs to be on both ends of the floor. I don't think J.J.'s confidence has been shaken. He understands he's still a good basketball player who can get better. That's what we're trying to do, make him better."

It's good to have goals. Especially attainable ones. And this one is.

From The Plain Dealer
Writer Jodie Valade covers a bit more good news for the Cavs: Guard Ramon Sessions is starting to pick up his game in an effort to pick up injured teammates Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson. As his minutes have increased, so has his play, writes Jodie.

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