Upon learning that the Cavaliers were knocked out in the first round, Zhang Yang felt bad for his buddy King, who seemed unlucky. In the past two years, he faced their Bobcats team with Felton topping and Perkins protecting the rim, alongside the likes of Okafor and Millsap. This time he faced Nelson topping and Howard protecting the rim, and his performance was even more tragic. Though not a sweep, the evaluation he received was worse than a sweep.
James averaged 26.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks over five games. He appeared versatile and strong, but his average of 22.1 shot attempts yielded just 7.9 baskets at a 35.5% shooting rate. His performance with a 25+ average was largely reliant on his average of 13 free throw attempts, making 9.8, with a free throw shooting rate of just over 75%.
