The Celtics play the Cavaliers tonight, one game before Lebron James visits his old basketball home for the first time. All of which means you’ll be hearing far too much about James in the next few days.

The Cleveland media repeatedly asked the Cavs if they were overlooking Boston, only the Eastern Conference’s best team. Shaq has already been asked about Lebron’s return, and he said two things: first, he doesn’t worry about the game. He just wants to know if Lebron will throw the powder in the air beforehand. And second, if Shaq’s return to Orlando was a six on the vengeance scale of one to ten, Lebron’s return to Cleveland is a twelve.

I’m sorry you have to hear about James all the time. I really am. But I’m also going to discuss him here, in this space. In other words, I will now contribute to the problem I just apologized for. This is where I apologize for the second time in the same paragraph.

My beef is with Adrian Wojnarowski’s latest piece on Lebron. I get that Woj finds Lebron to be everything wrong with sports. I understand that. In a way, I agree with it. But there comes a time when we need to stop blaming everything on Lebron. There comes a time when the other people in the Heat organization should take a little flak, too. Not everything is Lebron’s fault. Not everything that goes wrong should be blamed on the two-time defending MVP.

Look, I love Woj’s work more than life itself. I’m currently re-reading “The Miracle of St. Anthony” for the 1,113th time (estimate only), and I consider it one of the greatest pieces of sports journalism ever penned. But Woj has a tendency to pin all of Miami’s problems on Number Six, and sometimes it just isn’t fair.

Woj’s latest column on the Heat mentioned a quote from Dwyane Wade that threw Erik Spoelstra under the bus, while not directly throwing Spoelstra under the bus. “I’m not going to say he’s ‘my guy,’ but he’s my coach,” Wade said. Wade, keep in mind, is a former NBA Finals MVP, one of the five best players in basketball, and owner of a personality strong enough to be his own man. Yet Woj felt free to blame James for Wade’s apparent sour attitude toward Spoelstra.

As much as ever, the Heat need Wade to influence James. Only now, it’s clear James is influencing Wade. With Udonis Haslem out for the regular season, the locker room misses one of its vital voices. Now, Wade is struggling on the floor and James is the devil on his shoulder, whispering that he doesn’t need to be accountable, that there’s an easy fall guy for everyone: Spoelstra.

Sure, Wade is the one who wouldn’t back his coach, but it’s Lebron’s fault. This was always going to be Lebron’s fault, if anything failed, no matter what it was. Lebron is the two-time MVP, and he’s the one who risked his legacy by teaming with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. If the Heat fail, regardless of how well Lebron plays, that failure will always rest on his shoulders. And so it was that Woj, in a piece preaching how James should be more accountable, offers Wade a way to escape accountability altogether: just blame Lebron.

One gets the feeling Woj would also blame Lebron for the BP oil spill, World War II, and Angelina from the Jersey Shore, if he could.

I’m not saying Lebron has zero fault in this whole mess. It’s very possible he leaked the ESPN story about Miami players doubting Spoelstra, as Woj claims. It’s very possible he returned his cold french fries to a renowned chef — wait, what? It’s very possible he doesn’t respond well to the word “no.”

All signs say Lebron James a spoiled, narcissistic baby who has rarely, if ever, been held accountable for his own mistakes.. But in trying to hold him accountable for his own misdeeds, let’s not also blame him for the mistakes of others. There are a lot of things to blame on Lebron James. Dwyane Wade’s opinion of Erik Spoelstra is one thing that just isn’t Lebron’s fault.

And Spoelstra? It’s nice that he is standing up to Lebron, like Mike Brown never did. It’s nice he’s telling Lebron “no” sometimes. But if Spoelstra expects to keep his job, and to keep from losing his own locker room, he should figure out a way to make his talented team work. That, not just repeatedly saying “no”, is what coaches are supposed to do.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “But when examining the Shaq equation and how much he’s helped, be sure to factor in how much the Celtics are helping him. Even for a colossus like Shaquille O’Neal, fit is important, too. ‘I knew just from watching him over the last couple of years that he’d be great in our system,’ Paul Pierce said. ‘I just know the way we move the ball, the way we use picks and getting guys in the right situations that he’d be perfect for us. I just look at all the opportunities Perk has had, and I just said that Shaq would be fabulous in those spots. We get him the looks, and he’s just so great at finishing.’ That O’Neal is willing to play his greatest hits with less time on stage speaks to his grasp of the situation. He’s shooting his highest percentage while taking the fewest shots of his career at just 6.8 a game. ‘I had a conversation with (coach) Doc (Rivers) about this,’ Shaq said. ‘The bad thing for me in my career is that I’m going to be known for the 27-10s (points-rebounds). But, you know, you can’t get the 27-10s without taking 15-to-20 shots. ‘But Doc told me straight up, ‘Look, you’re not getting 15-20 shots.’ I said, ‘That’s cool. I understand. At 38, I understand.’ The drop-off is how I’m getting my points.’ Then Shaq added with a smile, ‘I still got it.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “As the Miami Heat continue to stumble toward something that looks like mediocrity — at least in the win column — the comparisons to the first season of the Celtics big three have started again. The Heat are 9-8 and have lost four of five with a three-game losing streak in the mix. The 2007-08 Celtics had one three-game losing streak, in February on a west coast trip, and didn’t lose their eighth game until late January. In retrospect, the Celtics made it look too easy. They made it look so simple, so matter of fact, that by the end it seemed obvious. Kevin Garnett was not only the best defensive player in the league, he was also a selfless superstar. Not just willing to make the extra pass, but hardwired to always look for the open man. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce complimented each other perfectly as scorers off the wing, using different ways to attain the same means. Rajon Rondo turned out to be better than anyone dared to dream and Kendrick Perkins developed from a necessary piece of machinery into a defensive monster. But, in the end, talent wins out and putting Garnett, Allen and Pierce on the same team at this point in their careers was too perfect not to work. Only it wasn’t that simple. Yes, Pierce, Garnett and Allen were ready and willing to make the appropriate sacrifices to achieve this goal, but the point that gets missed is that they still had to actually do it. On the court and in practice, on the plane and in the locker room, they had to make the relationships work. What the Celtics knew, and what the Heat are finding out now, is that it takes more than talent to become a team.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “But with circumstances being what they are — Rajon Rondo playing with a sore left hamstring, Delonte West out indefinitely with a broken right wrist, and Celtics president Danny Ainge saying he doesn’t intend to make a roster move (the Celtics are more than $13 million over the luxury tax threshold) — Bradley may have to be an option. That said, he turned 20 Friday and he only has three full practices under his belt. His ability isn’t a question to coach Doc Rivers, but his handle on the system is obviously missing. Rivers said he probably knows “10 percent of what we know offensively or defensively. But he can play. ‘I think defensively, as a player, I don’t think he’ll be a good NBA player — I think he’ll be a great defensive guard,’ Rivers said. ‘I think he’s ready for that. But as far as our schemes, that’s a whole different subject. But Avery has a chance — and I don’t say this often with young guys — but he has a chance to be a lockdown defender, if there is something like that at the point guard spot.’ Rivers has made use of his rookies this season, leaning heavily on Erden with Jermaine O’Neal fighting knee problems, and going to Luke Harangody last week with the team in a pinch. ‘I have no choice,’ Rivers said. ‘The other night, I didn’t think we were going to have enough players the way we were going.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “The Boston Celtics’ bench players have been outscored by opposing reserves in eight of the team’s last nine games and 11-of-16 tilts overall. On Friday, the Celtics’ bench was outscored by a whopping 63-29 margin, and Boston’s four chief reserves (Glen Davis, Marquis Daniels, Nate Robinson and Semih Erden) were a combined minus-52 in plus/minus on a night Boston’s starting five was a combined plus-96. A bunch of statistics aren’t needed to tell why this is happening. The Celtics have been playing shorthanded essentially since the start of the season, and the bench hasn’t been able to develop any consistency or rhythm.”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “Some 19-year-old rookies could have been intimidated walking into a locker room and seeing the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Others could have tried too hard to prove themselves. Not Avery Bradley. Growing up in the Bradley home, the most important rule was respect. Avery Bradley Sr., a high-ranking Army official, wanted his son to have respect for others, whether they were his elders, his family, or his peers. Even if the younger Bradley didn’t always understand it, his father’s message stuck. ‘I thought it was just my dad being mean all time, but I guess it was for a reason because it made me a good man today,’ he said. ‘I’m respectful to people and I give it all to him because when I was young, he always wanted us to be respectful and give our all with everything we did. Still to this day, that’s what I do.’ … ‘That attitude translated on to the basketball court. Bradley won a national high school championship and was ranked the top high school player in the country in 2009. After just one season at the University of Texas, he was selected by the Celtics with the 19th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. ‘Every time I’d go out, I would really compete,’ he said. ‘I guess I got it from my dad because the Army is so competitive. They’re so serious about everything, so that was my approach when I played sports. I would take everything seriously because that’s how everything was in my household.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

After the Miami Heat’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks yesterday, the Heat staged a players-only meeting. Lebron James said he and his teammates aired their thoughts about the team’s 9-8 start. Chris Bosh told Yahoo!, “We were just looking at each other and being honest.”

They were honest? Well, the truth hurts. The following account of last night’s meeting may or may not be fabricated.

*****

Bosh: “First, guys, I just want to apologize. I know I’m not who you thought I was. I’m a little bit of a fraud.”

Joel Anthony: “I want to apologize, too. I’m not a fraud, but I am a thief. The pay me $18 million and I can barely make a layup. Also, I’m a 6’9 center who averages 3.1 rebounds per game and has no chance defending a halfway-decent big man.”

Dwyane Wade: “Fall down seven times, stand up eight. And after you stand up that eighth time, make sure you surround yourself with superstars who make you play worse.”

Bosh: “Are you calling me a superstar?”

Wade: “Ah, right. I meant ‘surround yourself with a superstar’ — singular — ‘who makes you play worse.”

Bosh: “Alright, that’s more like it.”

Lebron: “What should I do, Dwyane? Should I shoulder-bump Erik Spoelstra? Should I call Mo Williams and tell him I’m sorry? Should I be who you want me to be?”

Carlos Arroyo: “What are you guys all upset about? This season’s going perfectly. I’m shooting 61.9 [bleeping] percent from three-point range!”

Udonis Haslem: “Oh, Carlos.You clowns are a whole bunch of studio gangsters.”

Eddie House (giving himself the middle finger): “I told everyone before the season, middle finger to all the haters. And I’m a hater — I HATE playing with you bums.”

Erick Dampier: “Never fear, Erick Dampier is here! I am your savior!”

Lebron: “Ericka, we’re only speaking the truth in this meeting.”

Dampier: “Oh. Well, in that case, at least I’m better than Joel Anthony.”

Anthony: “Touche.”

Lebron: “What should we do? Should we fire Spoelstra? Should we beg Riley to return to the bench? Should we just clear the deck and start over? What should we do?”

Haslem: “I vote fire Spoelstra.”

Wade: “Yeah, me too.”

Team (in chorus, except Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who remains quiet): “Fi-re Spoel-stra! Fi-re Spoel-stra! Fi-re Spoel-stra!”

Lebron: “Big Z, what’s wrong? Do you actually want Spoelstra to stay?”

Ilgauskas: “God no! Who would want that? I’m just worried by a comparison I’ve heard a lot recently. I don’t look like Voldemort from Harry Potter, do I?”

[Team remains quiet]

Ilgauskas: “Guys?”

[Silence remains]

Ilgauskas: “GUYS?”

Wade: “So, umm, we’ve decided to fire Spoelstra. We’re making progress. The next step: learning how to play together.”

Lebron: “I don’t want to play with you anymore. Playing with you is like playing getting the kiss of death from a dementor. It just sucks the life right out of me. I miss Anderson Varejao and Anthony Parker, and Mo Williams. And I don’t want to be a point guard. And I don’t want to be a power forward. And I don’t want to play 44 minutes against the Boston Celtics. I just want to laugh and have fun. Is that too much to ask for?”

Bosh: “Yeah, this isn’t what I bargained for either. [Bosh pauses, thinking about what the season was supposed to bring.] Maybe I should have stayed in Toronto.”

Wade: “Yeah, that would have been better. Then we could have picked up Carlos Boozer, or kept Michael Beasley, or actually signed a point guard who’s worth a damn.”

Arroyo: “But I’m shooting 61.9% from threes!”

Wade: “File one under ‘fluke’.”

Mario Chalmers: “I’m not half bad, Dwyane.”

Wade: “No offense, Mario, but this is for players only.”

Lebron: “What should we do? Should we remind you we’ve never done this before? Should we pretend we still have confidence in each other? Should we tell you we don’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the 1996 Bulls? Hi, Mike. [Lebron winks, eats a Ballpark Frank.] What should we do?”

Wade: “We should hope Pat Riley has answers.”

Udonis Haslem: “No, guys. I’ve got a better idea. Voldemo– I mean, Zydrunas: We need the elder wand.”

What if, in July, you told Pat Riley his SuperTeam would start the season 8-6? And that he would have already signed and released Jerry Stackhouse? And that he would resort to hiring Erick(-a) Dampier?  And that Joel Anthony (and his newly-minted $18 million contract) would be one big epic fail? And that Chris Bosh would be the league’s laughingstock? And that Lebron James and Dwyane Wade would play like mortals?

And then, after all that, Udonis Haslem would tear a ligament in his foot, and perhaps miss the entire season?

I imagine Riley would be thinking to himself, “Well, looks like it’s ‘Fire Spoelstra’ time.”

I knew Haslem’s torn ligaments would take awhile to heal, but this? Perhaps a full season? For the Heat, this hurts like a kick to the nads. Only if a kick to the nads hurt for four months or so.

Erick(-a) Dampier is not the answer. Moving Anthony (and his previously mentioned $18 million deal) to fourth-string center is not the answer. The return of Mike Miller is not the answer. The loss of Haslem, perhaps for the entire season, will reverberate in Miami and throughout the league.

Haslem wasn’t just the Heat’s sixth man, he was their heart and soul. He was the one player up front to be counted on, the one Miami frontcourt member who didn’t shy away from contact or the spotlight. When Haslem called Paul Pierce a “studio gangster,” I’m sure some Celtics fans were upset. But Haslem wasn’t just taking a shot at Pierce, he was sticking up for his team. He was standing his ground in an attempt to lead his teammates, to say, You know what guys? We’ve gotta fight back. We can’t get punked like that.

Who’s going to stand up for the Heat next time? James? He just wants to have fun. Chris Bosh? He just wants to chill. Dwyane Wade? He just wants to laugh off losses.

So who will it be? Dampier? Child, please. Juwan Howard? Tough to be an enforcer while chalking up DNP’s most of the time. Jamaal Magloire? For Miami’s sake, I hope it doesn’t come to that.

What does this mean for the Celtics? It means the Heat, who already had serious issues, have now found their most serious issue yet. It means Orlando might be the only real competition for top seed in the East. It means the Heat could be an absurdly dangerous 4th- or 5th-seed in the playoffs. It means, well, not as much as you might think.

The Celtics are fighting their own battle right now. If they can avoid boredom, the regular season will be a success. If they don’t avoid boredom, the regular season will be a long one. At some point in the playoffs, the Celtics will meet the East’s best teams. Whether those teams are Orlando, Chicago, Miami or — hell, who knows? — Indiana, Boston would be better off playing them with homecourt advantage.

So yes, losing Haslem hurts Miami. A lot.

But for Boston, the path remains unchanged.

No words are needed to describe this video. Like a Bosh. Amen.

TBJ exclusive: Like A Bosh from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

There’s a little rivalry brewing, eh? Of course, a rivalry has to consist of two mostly equal teams. I suspect that part will come, sooner rather than later.

The reasons for the rivalry, I think, are clear. The Celtics resent the focus everyone has paid to the Heat. They hated that the Heat were the near-unanimous preseason choice to win the Eastern Conference, and they felt especially disrespected when the media began calling the Heat “The Big Three.” The C’s spent the summer saying they could care less about Miami’s new-look roster, but let’s not get it twisted: they care. A lot. And they want blood.

After last night’s game, Paul Pierce tweeted, “It’s been a pleasure to bring my talents to south beach now on to Memphis.” Shot fired. Shot connected. Lebron, suck it.

But the postgame bullets weren’t done. Udonis Haslem shot back today.

“Paul who?” Haslem told reporters at Friday’s afternoon practice, according to Michael Wallace of ESPN’s The Heat Index. “Man, ain’t nobody paying them dudes no attention, man. You know what studio gangster is? Look up that, look up the definition of studio gangster. I’m here to play basketball. First of all, I don’t tweet. So I wouldn’t know what he tweeted if you guys didn’t tell me.”

Studio gangster, in case you were wondering, means a fake tough guy. My initial response? A knock-knock joke:

Me: Knock-knock.

Haslem: Who’s there?

Me: Paul.

Haslem: Paul who?

Me: Paul who dropped 25 points on your team last night and knocked your ass out of last year’s playoffs.

My second response? I kind of like what Haslem said. If anybody else on the Heat had said it, it would have been different. I would have told them to fight their battles on the court, not off it. But Haslem’s as tough as nails. He’s one of the few Heat players I know will never back down from any challenge. And he’s letting the Celtics know: it’s not always going to be as easy as it was last night. We’re coming after you, and we aren’t afraid of you.

Haslem’s also sending a message to his own teammates: fuck the Celtics. We can be tough guys, too. We can’t let them run all over us.

A rivalry, huh? This is fun. After last night’s game, the only Heat player any Celtic shook hands with was Eddie House. All I could think was one thing:

This is how basketball’s supposed to be.