From Deseret News archives:

LeBron's got Jazz's respect

D-Will's Team USA mate leads Cavs against Utah

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007 12:55 a.m. MST
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Already this season, mind you, Tracy McGrady has dropped 47 points on the Jazz, Al Harrington 38 and Bryant 33. Toss in The (so-called) Chosen One tonight, and the call is for all hands on deck.

"Obviously our defense is going to be set up to try to limit his touches and try to contain him to a degree, but when he has the ball everybody will know where he's at on the floor," said starting power forward Carlos Boozer, James' former teammate in Cleveland. "We need to do a good job of making him feel pressure from the initial guy defending him, and the guys around him being there for support.

"I think we've got some guys that can bother him with some length," Boozer added, "and hopefully he's working hard for every shot he takes"

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan would not say Tuesday who he plans to use first as James' primary defender.

Whether it's starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko or starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer, though, it's really no one-man job.

"We'll do some things to hopefully ... not give him every basket he'd like," Sloan said.

Williams only hopes that indeed is the case, from beginning to end.

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"We're definitely going to have to help whoever's on him, whether it's Ronnie (Brewer) or whether it's A.K. (Kirilenko) — similar to Kobe (Bryant), and similar to the way we should have done to T-Mac (McGrady) — and just try to limit his points" he said.

"You know," Williams added, "it's not one guy guarding these types of players. It's the whole team. It's a whole team effort. Our whole focus has to be stopping those guys and (making) somebody else hurt you."

That, then, is the point's plan: Allow others to inflict the pain, if they must. And hope you can kill the king with laughter.

"LeBron?" Williams asked. "Who's that?"


E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com

Recent comments

LeBron James is the most incredible player any of us will ever see....

The actual truth | Nov. 8, 2007 at 4:10 p.m.

I agree with the fella who posted that Ronnie Brewer should guard...

Bill | Nov. 7, 2007 at 6:50 p.m.

GO KING JAMES!!! definatly the chosen one!

123 | Nov. 7, 2007 at 2:08 p.m.

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