The last time we saw Kendrick Perkins in a Cavaliers uniform, he was on the bench. He didn’t get a great deal of minutes when the game mattered the most, but to guys like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, his playing time didn’t matter. They feel as if Perk’s presence is sorely missed. Not just on the court, but in the locker room as well.
Kendrick Perkins was the enforcer on the team and when he was moved, that left a void in that department. A void that LeBron and Kyrie are still coming to grips with.
If LeBron James captures a championship this year, he’ll do it for the first time in his career without a major ingredient: an enforcer.
“I’ve won championships with one, I’ve lost championships without one,” he said after practice on Thursday. That’s a telling response. James mentioned Udonis Haslem and Chris “Birdman” Anderson as the two enforcers who helped him win it all twice in Miami.
“As far as an enforcer, we don’t possess that this year,” James said. “Losing Perk was a big piece of our success last year, even with his limited minutes. But what he meant to our team both in the locker room and when he got his opportunity was huge.”
“[An enforcer], it’s vital. It’s vital. Having an enforcer like that, [someone] that has championship experience,” Irving said. “I don’t think we just necessarily want an enforcer, but enforcers are always on championship teams. They have that one guy that we put into the game. That Boston series, it changed drastically just because of Perk going in.”
“We don’t have one of those this year,” Irving said. “No replacement for Kendrick.”
What do you think? Should the NBA have ‘enforcers’ along the lines of NHL Hockey without the full blown fights?
H/T: Cleveland.com
