LeBron James Starts At Point Guard In Win Over Bulls And Dazzles Twitter

In further evidence of his versatility, LeBron James took on an even greater playmaker role in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 119-112 win over the lowly Chicago Bulls on Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena. With Derrick Rose (ankle) and Isaiah Thomas (hip) sidelined by injuries, James made a rare start without a legitimate point guard in the lineup.

According to ESPN, this was the first time since Feb. 3, 2005, that James officially started as a point guard. James scored 34 points to go along with 13 assists, marking the sixth career game he has scored at least 20 points with 10 assists at the point guard position over 15 seasons, according to ESPN.

The 32-year-old typically has the ball in his hands and runs the offense, even at his usual forward spot. In the 2016-17 season, James finished sixth in assists per game (8.7).

James still led the Cavs in shot attempts (20), but looked comfortable executing pinpoint passes to his teammates that led to open looks in the paint and the perimeter. Most Twitter comments lauded James' performance.

Conversely, James is the only active player to notch 20-plus points and 10-plus assists at four starting positions, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He talked about his affinity for running the point and playing multiple positions.

"I think the best thing for me personally is ever since I was a kid I've always learned every position on the floor," James told reporters after the game. "When I started playing ball, for some odd reason, I could learn every single position on the floor all at one time. The point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center. And know all the plays, what they're doing and what's the reads.

"And to this day, if coach slides me to the 1, I know every set. If he slides me to the five, I know the five. I know the four, I know the three, I know the two. I know every single play in every single position so it makes the job a lot easier for me because I know where I should be and what my teammates should do."

The Cavs begin their back-to-back road stretch against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night followed by a matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. With injuries still an issue, the lineup could remain the same, coach Tyronn Lue said.

"With D-Rose out and Isaiah out, it's tough," said Lue. "If you don't have a point guard on the floor, it's tough to win games no matter how great LeBron is. It wears him down having to handle the basketball, have to defend and then make every play. But tonight we needed that and going forward just have to see."