CLEVELAND: On the night LeBron James became the youngest player to score 25,000 points in the NBA last year, James Jones thought the superstar could average 40 points for an entire season if all he did was worry about scoring.
Now as James prepares to move into the top 10 in scoring in NBA history, his performance has resurrected another debate: whether he could average a triple-double for an entire season. The only player to ever do it was Oscar Robertson in 1961-62.
James acknowledged Thursday he believes it’s possible that he could duplicate Robertson’s incredible feat. It’s just not high on his list right now.
“I can do whatever I put my mind to,” James said Thursday. “It’s just my mind ain’t on it.”
James enters Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on Saturday averaging 22.4 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists to start the season. He opened with a triple-double against the New York Knicks on opening night, but that remains his only one through the first five games.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is averaging 34.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 10 assists in his first year without Kevin Durant after he piled up 18 triple-doubles last season, the most for any one player in the last 33 years. Players combined for 75 triple-doubles last season, just three shy of the all-time record in an NBA season.
“I never thought it would be possible again after obviously ‘The Big O’ did it, but if you see the game today, you see guys like Russ and what he’s doing every night and I’ve come close a few times this season,” James said. “I don’t know if it’s just more possessions or guys are just in the right place at the right time, but it’s not something that I’ve typed down [as a goal]. But I’ve always told you guys I want to be a triple threat for my team every night and that’s scoring, rebounding and definitely getting my guys involved. If it results in that [triple-double] then I’m fine with that.”
As Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue continues to stress to Kyrie Irving to attack the basket, score and not worry about assist totals, much of the facilitating has fallen on James. He had eight assists in the first half of Thursday’s win over the Boston Celtics before transforming into a scorer, piling up 20 points just in the third quarter.
James’ next basket will move him past Hakeem Olajuwon and into 10th place all time in scoring, but more likely than averaging a triple-double this year might be setting a new high in assists. Thus far, his 8.6 assists during his final year in Cleveland before departing for Miami remains his personal best. If the Cavs continue attacking this way — and there is no indication they’re changing anything anytime soon — that mark could fall.
Still, if all he did was worry about numbers, Lue thinks James could make a run at Robertson’s mark, too.
“I think he could if he wanted to,” Lue said. “He’s trying to let Kevin and Kyrie get into a rhythm, get into their comfort zone. We know LeBron can score the basketball, but to start the season, he has been a great facilitator for us. He can also score the basketball on any given night so you’ll probably see that also. … He’s really been playing an all-around great game for us.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.