NBA James' expectations are more realistic than fans

Although there are high expectations for him, he realizes he still is developing.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James has expectations for his rookie season, too. Realistic ones.
Unlike others, the Cavaliers' rookie guard isn't counting on making the All-Star team, leading his team to the NBA playoffs and finding a cure for the common cold in year one.
"I know people expect me to do things," he said. "I expect me to do things also, but I'm here to help my teammates. People expect me to be an All-Star. I'm going to do the best I can."
James, the most hyped player to make the jump from high school to the pros, understands he's a work in progress.
"I ain't finished," he said. "I'm only 18 years old. I probably won't reach my peak until I'm about 25, so I got a lot of time."
Too bad nobody seems to want to give him any.
One week before James plays in his first regular-season game as a pro, it already feels as if the Akron phenom has been in the league for a few years.
In the spotlight
James is everywhere. His smiling face adorns magazine covers -- he's on the front of Sports Illustrated's NBA preview issue this week -- and wine-and-gold No. 23 Cavaliers jerseys have become trendy chic across northeast Ohio.
There are local commercial radio spots featuring him, and the league is even using James in promos for its upcoming season. He's already made one national TV appearance as the Cavaliers game last week against the Los Angeles Lakers was carried by TNT.
Because of James, the Cavaliers, who went 17-65 last season and haven't been on network TV for the past three seasons, will be on 13 times in 2003-04.
Charles Barkley said James and his teammates are not yet ready for prime time.
"It's too much, too soon," Barkley, now a color analyst for TNT, said Tuesday during a media conference call. "I want LeBron to do well, but he's got a long way to go. "ESPN, the NBA and TNT are doing this kid a disservice throwing him out there and making him the focus."
Inconsistent preseason
Like most NBA rookies, James has had an inconsistent preseason. He averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, a team-leading 4.3 assists and 4.0 turnovers through his first six exhibition games.
On Wednesday night, he scored a preseason-high 19 points and added eight assists in the Cavaliers' 108-92 win over the Washington Wizards.
While James has a shown a keen sense of court awareness with some nifty passes, he has also unveiled a flawed perimeter game.
Last weekend, the Cavs closed a three-game West Coast trip with their most complete game of the preseason, a 102-87 win over the Lakers, who were with Shaquille O'Neal but not Kobe Bryant.
James finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds while playing point guard, a position coach Paul Silas had been reluctant to use him at but the one best suited to James' skills.
After playing James at the point in summer league games, Silas said during training camp that he didn't want to put any extra pressure on his prize rookie by making him bring the ball up court.
But Silas has changed his mind.
"I put the ball in his hands against the Lakers and he looked much more fluid," said Silas, who may leave James at the No. 1 spot permanently. "He was not ready for that early on."