Switching gears

Before tomorrow night's interesting barometer game between the Cavs and Magic in Orlando, I'm gonna switch gears for a second and talk Browns. It's a subject I've avoided like the plague this season, frankly because there never seems to be anything good to talk about and attempting to just turns me into a negative Browns basher. I've been cynical of the ManKok regime since day one, and it seemed further justified when Kokinis was let go last week. Now we've seen various reports this week ranging from Mangini's head also being on the chopping block, Mike Holmgren sightings in Berea, and even Bill Parcells himself looking for another franchise to re-shape. Wow. Sometimes the Browns make my head want to explode.

Have we been wrong about this guy?

I honestly have no idea what's going to happen regarding the next GM/coach/football czar. But I do know this - after reading this one-one-one interview today between CBS's Clark Judge and Eric Mangini, I actually have some optimism about the much-maligned head coach and his philosophy for this franchise. I feel for what he is going through this year. Maybe I read this on the wrong day and I'm feeling just a little too compassionate. But maybe we were wrong about this guy. Maybe we shouldn't be so knee-jerk about the dismal season we're forced to endure. Maybe it's time to exercise a little patience and try to breathe some stability back into this volatile organization. Maybe he deserves the chance to turn this thing around. Just do me a favor - if you still consider yourself a Browns fan, read that interview. I'll open up the comments section below to get your thoughts.

Complete lack of effort

What else can you say about last night's one-point loss to the Bulls? Forget the foul/no foul argument on the last play... forget the fact that the Cavs missed 8 free throws... even forget the fact that Z and Mo combined to shoot 4-for-22 from the field. All those things aside, the Cavs still should have won that game going away. It should have never come down to that final possession. It was as if the team felt they could just show up on the court and the Bulls would roll over for them. And that method of thinking has already earned them as many home losses through 6 games as they had all of last season.

I'm still not hitting the panic button yet, but I'm inching closer to it. Something is off. The effort isn't there and that is disturbing. This is far too talented a group of players to keep playing like this. Last night should be a wake-up call. It's time for this team to stop patting themselves on the back for 66 wins last year. If they don't show up ready to play tonight in New York then I will be panicking. I'm already annoyed enough with the media circus that will be there to cover LeBron's only trip to NYC this year. Let's go guys - get it together.

I just want one of your 27

When it's been 16,384 days since any of your favorite teams have won a championship and you've only existed for 12,368 days, you tend to build up a lot of venom towards other franchises. There is an ebb and flow to that hatred usually based on how much success these other franchises experience, or what they have done to your teams directly. So forgive me if I don't rejoice at the thought of the Yankees collecting their 27th world championship last night. The thought of it actually makes me want to vomit.

I'm not sure why I even bothered to watch the end of the game last night - I guess because I like seeing the moment when a team reaches its ultimate goal. But watching the celebration of the Yankees and their arrogant fans - who had been expecting that moment since missing the playoffs last season... the whole seen was just nauseating. Again, I'll sit here and hope for a lockout someday when the owners get the balls to fix this sport. Until then we can hope for the little guys with the script I on their caps to overcome all odds and win it all... a scenario that seems completely unlikely in my lifetime given the way the sport is currently constructed. Ugh.


And on a night when the Cavs didn't play I was also following the scores around the NBA, hoping for a few other teams I dislike to chalk one up in the loss column. No such luck - the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic all prevailed last night. I hate sports nights like that, hoping for the failures of other teams for my own satisfaction and they all end up winning. I much prefer just watching my team win - like tonight when the Cavs hit the court at the Q again to take on the Bulls. I guess at least LeBron can happy that his Yankees won. And should we be happy for CC? I guess so, but then it reminds me of how ordinary he pitched in 2007 when we absolutely needed him. Just give me one title in my lifetime. Just one. Please.

Update: This guy gives a better view of the state of baseball than I ever could. Great read > http://www.bugsandcranks.com/davidchalk/baseball/yes-im-really-retiring/.

Quality win

The first quarter of Tuesday night's game vs. the Wizards was not a thing of beauty. The Cavs found themselves down 31-17, missing 10 of their last 11 shots in the opening period. Washington was running all over the place, putting on an offensive clinic against a team that prides itself on playing defense first. Good thing a basketball game is not decided by just one quarter alone.

The Cavaliers decided to show up for the final three quarters and easily dusted off their wanna-be rivals from the nation's capital 102-90 (highlights) for their third straight win. They erased what had balloned to an18-point deficit early in the 2nd quarter by outscoring the Wiz 85-59 down the stretch. And they finally did it with the big man heavily involved. Shaq ended up with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from the line. This was the Shaq I'd been waiting to see - taking advantage of his size and not rushing his shots. He was consistent on both ends of the floor and punished the Wizards front court from the 2nd quarter on. The Cavs also shot 11-of-26 from beyond the arc, led by Mo (3/4) and Boobie (4/5).

Shaq was too much for the Wiz on Tuesday night

Aside from overcoming the early large deficit, the thing that impressed me most about this win was the fact that the Wizards went to the line 14 more times than the Cavs (41 attempts to 27) and outrebounded the Cavs (48 to 42), yet the wine and gold still seemed to cruise to victory. The team is still not firing on all cylinders, but Tuesday night's final three quarters were by far the best they've looked thus far in this young season. Things are starting to finally click and that could mean the victories will start piling up, much like after last year's slow start. And after the remaining games this week (CHI and @NY) the schedule gets a little more dicey (@ORL, @MIA, UTA). Let's hope what we saw after yesterday's first quarter jump starts this team to a nice long stretch of dominant play.

Delonte Update: Apparently the DA assigned to Delonte's case is going for additional weapons charges. This may end up getting even worse then we originally thought. I consider myself an anti-gun person and even I hope they take into consideration Delonte's mental state at the time this all went down. And that's not the Cavs fan in me talking, that's the human side of me that has experience dealing with someone with bipolar disorder. Someone in a manic state, likely where Delonte's head was when this occurred, just can't think clearly or rationally. He deserves to be punished for his dangerous actions, but jail time will not help at all. Just my two cents.

More weirdness in Berea

Just another day in the life of the Browns: George Kokinis fired as GM just eight games into his first season after being hand-picked to be the man by head coach Eric Mangini. Then finally some good news to report, as old friend Ernie Accorsi seemed to be in as the new GM! But of course that was way too good to be true, and those reports proved to be false. Accorsi emphatically stated, "I am not taking any GM job anywhere. Period." I'd probably proclaim the same if my name was attached (even if only a rumor) to the Browns too.

What next for the orange and brown? Owner Randy Lerner will apparently meet today with two fans who came up with the idea of the kickoff protest for the MNF game vs. the Ravens. Honestly, doesn't Lerner have bigger things on his plate right now? The silliness around this organization keeps growing by the day. At least we won't be forced to watch them play again this weekend, although I did see the bye week is favored by 6.5 on Sunday. Sounds like a safe cover to me. Go Cavs.

One week in

OK, so it's been nearly a week since the Cavs started their season. It's been sort of a roller coaster with the opening losses to the Celtics and Raptors, the ensuing panic from everyone in northeast Ohio, and then the nice bounce back wins against the Timberwolves and Bobcats. The team now sits at 2-2, the identical record of last year's squad through the season's first four games.

While there were some alarming things that took place in the first two games (complete defensive collapses at times, suspect shot selection, turnovers, tentative play), I'm willing to chalk that up to early season kinks due to a lack of preseason preparation. The good news is that LeBron is still LeBron, Mo seems to be back on track offensively (20 and 24 points his last two games), Anthony Parker appears to be settling into his role, and Andy hasn't let the contract get to his head and still exhibits all-out hustle. Oh, and DELONTE IS BACK!!! I can't express how great it was to see him return to the floor on Saturday night and put together a very solid game on both ends of the floor. The Cavs are just an entirely different team with Red in the mix. Who knows how long things can last with him in such a fragile mental state, but here's to hoping for the best.

Delonte returned to the court on Halloween night

I'm still anxious to see how Shaq and Z are going to mesh. It's been mildly shocking to see how willing Mike Brown has been to play the plodding twin towers on the court together at the same time. He's apparently still tinkering with his big man rotation, brought on by the fact that JJ Hickson still cannot be counted on for big minutes. Shaq definitely brings a defensive presence that the team has never had with Z. But I prefer Z's spot up shots from mid-range as opposed to Shaq's backboard-rattling shots from six feet that have almost no chance of going in. Hopefully it's just a case of Shaq trying to do too much for his new team and rushing things a bit. But I've been a little put off by his close-range misses when he has great position under the basket, where he is almost unguardable. And of course his free throw shooting will be a concern as long as he is still playing in the NBA.

Overall there is no reason to panic after the slow start. We as Cavs fans need to remember that this is still very much a work in progress. And we need to look for this team to peak in March/April/May/June, not October/November. Another tricky week lies ahead with the Wizards and the Bulls visiting the Q on Tuesday and Thursday, followed by the media circus event of LeBron and the Cavs visiting NYC on Friday night. I'm taking everything one game at a time.

Random Browns Note: This is seriously worse than 1999. How has it gotten this bad? Now we have Randy Lerner finally showing some emotion? Whether his frustration is genuine or PR-related, the fact remains that Lerner has allowed all this to come to pass. This is exactly why I refused to pony up for season tix again this season. There will surely be many more once-loyal fans that will give up on financing this mess going into next season. Hopefully all the empty orange seats will finally send a message that we are tired of this. This bye week couldn't have come fast enough. It almost makes me wonder why I wanted the Browns back in the league so badly when we didn't have them around. Is this what we were waiting for?

I'm back baby

In the words of the immortal Frank Costanza, "I'm back babyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" But what could rouse me from my self-imposed Cleveland sports silence? Summer '09 has been somewhat like a purgatory for me... major happenings like Eric Wedge getting the axe, Braylon Edwards heading to NYC, Brady Quinn putting his house up for sale, Delonte West going all Desperado on us... even the LeBron corn maze... none of them could bring me to post here. I was in a waiting period. Stuck between the sickeningly empty feeling of letdown in June and filling the time watching (or trying not to watch) the mess that is/was this year's version of the Browns and Indians. Just waiting for the NBA season to start and our beloved Cavaliers to get their revenge on the Magic and the rest of the league. And finally the wait is almost over. Only 12 more days until Game #1 and there's an excitement in the air.

So did anyone else out there catch last night's preseason game vs. the Wizards? To my delight, I was able to watch it even though it wasn't on FSN. NBAHD (recently added to my cable lineup) had the game in crystal clear HD.... only problem was that it was the Comcast Washington broadcast. So instead of my favorite Cavaliers homers calling the game I was stuck with the Wizards' awful version - Steve Buckhantz and Phil Chenier. Words cannot describe how awful this duo is. Buckhantz acted like it was a playoff game and neglected to point out that in the 2nd half the Wizards starters were mostly going against a lineup of which 80% won't even make the final Cavs roster (I'm talking about you Andre Barrett, Russell Robinson, Rob Kurz, and Luke Nevill). And at one point Chenier actually said that we gave up a lot of vital pieces to obtain Shaq. He uttered something about us now missing Sasha, Big Ben, Lorenzen Wright, and Joe Smith, all of whom were starters and huge contributors(???). Wow. And these guys are paid to do this.

All I can say is that the regular season can't get here fast enough. Watching DeShawn Stevenson do the ridiculous hand wave in front of his face got me fired up and ready to blog again. Watching Gilbert Arenas hobble around on one leg has me already excited for another first round sweep. And watching Brendan Haywood injured on the Wizards' bench just made me feel good. The Wiz are to the Cavs what the Browns probably are to the Steelers. An annoying "rival" that makes a meaningless mid-season beatdown seem a little more fun because of the endless yapping from them, despite the utter domination you have over them. Can't wait to play these guys again on November 3rd. I only wish I had the Comcast Washington feed for that one.

My impressions from the bit I saw of the Cavs regular rotational players:

• Shaq looks really good. Having a true low-post big man is such a sight for sore eyes. He will put up the same solid numbers and strong play that he did for Phoenix, but for us as Cavs fans it will seem like so much more because we haven't seen it in so long.
• And forget about this popular notion that seems to be coming from everywhere that Shaq will "clog the lane" for LeBron. Not sure where that started but all Shaq will do is command a double-team and open things up a little for LeBron and a lot for our perimeter shooters.
• Andy is going to get a lot of easy baskets this year, even more so than in the past. Shaq will find him cutting under the hoop for many easy hoops. You can etch that one in stone.
• Anthony Parker is a player. We're gonna love watching this guy shoot that corner three this year. And I like how he approaches things on the defensive side. He's not afraid to body anyone up.
  
• Jamario Moon is a streaky shooter but can hit from the outside. I just don't want him falling in love with that shot, because he will get a lot of easy looks inside - especially in transition - when playing with LBJ.
• Z is Z. I'm so happy for him that he's finally a father. And I'm happy he is accepting his role off the bench. He should be fresher this season and will be his same consistent self. He and Shaq will both provide each other with lots of rest. Forget all the talk about them both being older players... both will be consistent major contributors.
  
• Boobie still looks like Boobie to me... an uncomfortable 2-guard being forced to play point guard in Mo and Delonte's absence. I'm starting to really agree with Brian Windhorst's uneasy feelings about our point guard depth. Although that won't really derail anything during the regular season, if unresolved it could present some problems come playoff-time.
  
• J.J. Hickson still seems wildly inconsistent to me. Maybe I just caught him on a bad night, but he looked out of control when he was in there. Not that it isn't to be expected given his age and lack of experience... but I think a lot of people have outrageously high hopes for him this year. I'm curbing my enthusiasm a bit.
• Finally, Jawad Williams will definitely make the team. His 21 points last night sealed the deal. And I'm secretly pulling for Coby Karl to get that final spot, unless a veteran PG is signed. And these guys will get some playing time this year because I'm anticipating a lot of lopsided Cavalier wins. More to come as we get closer to 10/27... in the meantime, try not to look directly at the carnage on Sunday when the Browns pay a visit to Pittsburgh. It probably won't be pretty.
  

Wow, it's been too long

I've been too lazy to enter any good updates here in a while - I found Twitter and it's been my ultra-lazy way of jotting down thoughts this summer. But after yesterday's Tribe trade I had to come back and enter something more than just 140 characters of broken English...

So the Indians traded Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco to the Phillies for four minor leaguers yesterday, and to me it was the final signal that I really shouldn't care about MLB or its broken system anymore. It was the second consecutive season that our tight-pursed team was inclined to trade a defending Cy Young winner in July, hopelessly out of contention in a mediocre division. If that doesn't trouble fans everywhere that something is seriously wrong, then nothing ever will. The sport is broken and only another lockout can fix it.

In the meantime, we are forced to face the reality of our beloved Tribe already raising the white flag of surrender on the 2010 season. Who will be the ace of the staff next season? A broken down and rebuilt Jake Westbrook? A highly unreliable Fausto Carmona? One of these young kids that we have no idea whether we can count on? A veteran band-aid (probably the most likely choice being someone claimed off the injury scrap heap on a one-year deal). Thinking about it just depresses me. The Central division is so winnable and we are basically already giving up. I say this because we all know the reality of the situation - we are in yet another rebuild mode, payroll will be trimmed again, and attendance will be shockingly low.

It's been nice knowing you and you will be missed

For Victor Martinez's sake I hope he is traded. But my inner-Tribe fan wishes that it didn't have to be this way. Victor has been the face/heart/soul of this franchise in this latest "era"... and for as much frustration as this era has caused us, it also gave us the highly entertaining 2005 season, and the oh-so-close 2007 season where we were basically one win away from a championship. That was just 21 months ago. So how did we get here today? Because the sport is broken and we have an owner more worried about the bottom line than winning... any chance you can save us Dan Gilbert?

Speaking of Dan, this should help get us through things a little easier: the Cavs are only 89 days away from returning to the court. Hard to believe it, but it's true. Just hang in there Cleveland, there is light at the end of the dark tunnel of misery laid out by the Tribe and Browns. And yes, I'm very happy that Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon are on board. More on them later... for now I'm mourning the loss of our Tribe and the sport I once loved.

Free agency is about to begin

Here we stand, about 13 hours before NBA free agency is set to begin. This could turn out to be one of the most important nights in Cavalier history, if they decide to go all in right now. The first big development came yesterday when the Bucks declined to give Charlie Villanueva a qualifying offer. So he now becomes an unrestricted free agent, which means he's free to sign wherever he wants. According to Brian Windhorst, he's now firmly in the Cavs' sights.

But Villanueva isn't the only option out there. With the news yesterday about Yao Ming's cloudy future in the NBA (he honestly may never play again, and it certainly looks like he'll miss the entire upcoming season at the very least), Ron Artest may also be available. We already know about Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. Joe Smith is floating out there. And Portland's Channing Frye also just became an unrestricted free agent. And I'm still hoping for some development with Josh Childress's situation.

It should be a long night following the action tonight, but hopefully a memorable one. Looking forward to updating this space tomorrow with a glowing report of the next piece(s) to our championship puzzle. Go Danny Ferry. Go Dan Gilbert. Go Mo Williams, with your recruiting on Twitter. And go Cavs!

Christmas in July

July 1st is officially the start of something big in Cleveland sports. No, not the annual fire sale at Progressive Field... it's the start of the summer free agent signing period in the NBA. And the Cavaliers will be looking to round out their roster with the hopes that the upcoming season will finally put an end to the championship drought in this city. With the mid-level exception (around $5.6 million), the bi-annual exception (around $2 million), and trades still a possibility, expect the Cavs to be active around midnight Tuesday.

First, they will need to decide what to do with restricted free agent Anderson Varejao. I fully expect him to remain a Cavalier, and he has indicated as much in the past saying that he would love to remain on this team. But his agent is Dan Fegan, and if the price gets too high a sign-and-trade could always be a possibility here.

Another pressing need is a power forward that can score. This would allow the Cavs to send Andy (if he is re-signed) back to his natural role of bringing energy off the bench. There may be some intriguing opportunities out there to fill this spot, but I already have my heart set on Charlie Villanueva of the Bucks. He's young (25), has great size (6' 11"), is athletic, and can stretch the floor with his ability to shoot from the perimeter. And he may already be my favorite Twittering (or is it Tweeting?) athlete out there. The Bucks have till Wednesday to extend him the qualifying offer or else he becomes a restricted free agent, and he can sign anywhere he prefers. Please stay cheap Milwaukee. If CV doesn't become available, other options at the 4 include Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, and Joe Smith.

The Cavs will also look to secure a bigger, more athletic wing player to lessen the impact of some of the matchup problems that arise with the currently undersized back court of Mo and Delonte. My top choices here are Matt Barnes and Anthony Parker, in that order. Both can probably be had for relatively cheap and both would fill a need. Barnes is a lot younger and certainly has more in the tank. But Parker is still a quality role player and would also do well in that sport for this team. I'm still dreaming of a chance at restricted free agent Josh Childress, but I'm not sure how much of a possibility he will really be.

Tomorrow will be an interesting and probably late night as we follow the proceedings. But it will certainly be more entertaining to watch the off-season exploits of the Cavs than it would be to torture yourself with the daily happenings of the Indians or the annual false hope offered by the guys from Berea. Only about 120 more days until Cavs basketball...

Back from the dead

OK, it was a nice hiatus from Blogland... after the Cavs' season was cut short I couldn't bring myself back here for a while. Just an utterly disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding season. In all honesty, it was quite satisfying to see the Magic get dominated by the Lakers in the Finals... but at the same time bittersweet because I hate Kobe Bryant and it left me wondering why all those shots by the Magic were falling against us. Oh well, as we know in Cleveland THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR (goddamn I hate saying that after every season).

And next year officially started today with the successful trade for Shaquille O'Neal a.k.a. 'The Big Cuyahoga', 'Witness Protection Program', 'The Shaqalier' or whatever new nickname he settles upon. The Cavs got him for Big Ben, Sasha, their second round pick, and $500K. So we basically gave up nothing, instantly got better in an area where we needed to improve, and we still maintain our cap flexibility for next offseason. I'd say Danny Ferry hit another home run. And he resisted Phoenix's insistence on including Delonte, J.J., or a first rounder. Well done.

The pre-game festivities should be monumental starting this fall

Now, I just finally got the hang of this Twitter thing and I read this today from our beloved Brian Windhorst:

Cavs aren't done. They may still look to move up tonight and next week they will be active in free agency. More coming, D.Gilbert spending

Thank you Dan Gilbert. Thank you Cavs. Without you we'd be forced to have to watch the Tribe and their worst bullpen ever for the rest of the summer. On a side note, I was able to head up to Chicago over the weekend and watch the bullpen implode in the friendly confines of Wrigley. Just a great ballpark and a great city. Here's a picture of my better half and I... of course licensed for sale on www.cubs.com/fanfoto, hence the big "Proof" smeared across the image. Better pics to come when I stop being lazy about pulling them off my camera...

Living to fight another day

The Cavs accomplished part one of their three-step comeback plan last night with their 112-102 (highlights) victory in Game 5 over the Magic. LeBron put up a ridiculous triple-double line of 37/14/12 in 45 minutes. And finally he got some much-needed help from Mo, who chipped in 24 points, including 6 from deeeeeeep in the Q. Other key contributiouns came from Boobie (11 points), Z (16 points), and Andy, who put up a mind-boggling +24 on the night in just 28 minutes of action. Delonte was of course his usual versatile self with 13 points and his constant energy on defense. Of immediate concern with him is the fact that he suffered a hip pointer late in the game. Let's hope that doesn't linger for Game 6, although I have a feeling he'd be playing with a broken leg tomorrow night if he had to...

What bothers me after this game is not so much that the Cavs blew another big lead (this time a 22-point first quarter advantage), but rather the fact that no one seems to remember that they managed to shake off Orlando's comeback and close out the game the right way. A lot of teams that watch a 22-point lead evaporate and become an 8-point deficit would just pack it in, especially down 3-1 in a series. But the Cavs fought back and made this a series again and shifted the pressure back onto the shoulders of the Magic. Orlando makes runs, it's just how they play. But the important thing is having the ability to counter those runs and not panic. The Cavs were able to do that last night.

LBJ and the Cavs look to force Game 7 with a win tomorrow night

There are still some things that need to be tightened up defensively. The way the Magic were able to waltz into the paint for much of the second quarter was troubling. It certainly led to Ben Wallace's staggering -19 for the game (in just 16 minutes). And watching Z and Andy nearly foul out of every game is getting a bit old. I know that Howard is a load in the paint (swinging elbows and all), but the Cavs need to find a way to get Joe Smith on the floor for more than 3 minutes. The fouls need to be spread around among our big guys because having Andy sit for nearly half the game is a recipe for disaster in this Cavs fan's opinion. And maybe the Delonte hip injury will be a blessing in disguise in that it forces Mike Brown to keep LeBron on Turkoglu for the entire game, while switching Delonte onto Alston.

So what can we expect in Game 6? I don't know, but I do know that this is probably the biggest game in the history of this franchise. I know we went to the Finals in 2007, but did anyone realistically expect the Cavs to walk away as champs then? They have a chance to earn real redemption tomorrow night in Orlando. It is basically a must-win for Orlando and already a can't-lose for the Cavs. I expect it to come down to the wire again, I just hope my heart can still take this abuse. Come on Cavs, be ready. I expect to see you again Monday night at the Q.

Comeback starts tonight...

There's really not much else to say. The Cavs are facing a 3-1 hole. The Magic seem to already be celebrating a series victory. Most casual Cleveland fans are already lamenting another collapse by their local team. All hope seems to be lost. But is it?

For some strange reason I felt really confident in our chances in this series as soon as Game 4 ended in another heartbreak. Something clicked for me and hopefully for the Cavs too. I can't really explain it. Maybe it's because the pressure is now off and all the "experts" expect us to lose. Maybe it's because we're returning home to the Q. Maybe it's because I'm ever the optimist and can't imagine my team losing to the Orlando Magic, as talented as they might be. Or maybe it's because this team has won 66 games and still has the best player in the world on its roster. Maybe it's the fact that the Magic just seem a little to satisfied with themselves already. Whatever it is, I still think the Cavs will somehow win this series. Call me crazy but I still believe. It starts tonight with a win in the Q and the pressure shifts squarely back on the Magic. If they don't win Game 6 at home, they will surely be dreading a return trip to Cleveland for Game 7. So I'll see you again on Monday when this thing is all tied up. Go Cavs. We believe.

The unofficial "must-win" game

So the Cavs head into tonight's pivotal Game 4 against the Magic down 2-1. Forget the woeful shooting in Game 3 that came on the heels of the Shot That Saved Cleveland. The Cavs have a chance to redeem themselves with a win tonight in Orlando. They get this one and they regain control of their own destiny. Will it be easy? Of course not. This Magic team is talented and chock full of matchup problems for the Cavs. But we already knew that.

This is the ultimate test for the wine and gold. We knew there would be adversity in the postseason and now is the time to rise above it. It seems as if a lot of Clevelanders are ready to write off a team that won 66 games this year, including 27 on the road. This is also a team that only lost consecutive games twice this entire season. Are you ready to give up on them? I'm not. I know it's in our nature to wait for the other shoe to drop in this town. But past failures have nothing to do with this current group of Cavaliers. We've come too far to have it end like this. WE WILL WIN GAME 4, somehow, some way. Go Cavs. This is your chance to become great.

Thoughts before Game 2

I purposely waited until this morning to post my thoughts in the wake of Game 1's complete and utter disappointment. I was seriously bummed walking out of the Q after that heartbreaker. It felt like I just watched my dog get hit by a car. I had the immediate sky-is-falling Cleveland fan reaction on the car ride home too. So I'm glad I didn't come on here yesterday, and instead allowed myself some time to cool off.

Heading into tonight's must-win Game 2, the Cavs are at a crossroads. And they are facing postseason adversity for the first time. They can either shrink and die under the pressure (not likely), or they can use Game 1 as a motivating factor for the remainder of the playoffs. I knew that facing Orlando would be a challenge, but Game 1 brought out fears previously pointed out by others that I chose to ignore. Now I'm just pinning my hopes on Mike Brown's defensive wizardry to come up with a better plan to stop the Magic's 3-point onslaught. I truly believe the winner of this series will be crowned NBA champs, and I'll be damned if that team is the Orlando freaking Magic.

So what changes will we see tonight? I doubt we'll see LeBron on Rafer Alston for the entire game. Ditto for Andy on Rashard Lewis. There may even be a Sasha Pavlovic sighting in place of Wally off the bench. I just hope he's ready to play if he's called upon - and I'll admit the prospect of Sasha playing in a big spot tonight completely terrifies me. But somehow, some way I think the Cavs will get it done tonight. At least that's what I hope. And hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. (It never hurts to throw in a Shawshank quote in desperate times). Go Cavs. Please even this thing up tonight. We've come too far to throw it all away now.

ECF: Cavs vs. Magic

So it is finally upon us. After what seems like a month-long layoff, the Cavaliers finally return to the court tonight to start the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Orlando Magic. It's pretty much been a forgone conclusion since the Cavs wrapped up the #1 seed in the East that they would reach this point in the postseason. So to me, this is where the playoffs truly begin for this team.

So what can we expect from this series? Orlando is a talented team, no doubt about it. But are they on the same level as the Cavs? I have my doubts. They can certainly make you pay from outside the arc if you leave them open. And Dwight Howard is a load to deal with in the paint. The Magic certainly seem to be confident after knocking off the Celtics in Game 7 in Boston.

Will Orlando have an answer for #23? We'll soon find out.

That said, they also struggled at times with the 76ers in the first round. The same Sixers team that the Cavs' bench took to overtime in a game that meant absolutely nothing to the Cavs and everything to Philly. And then when the Magic took down the Celtics I wasn't exactly bowled over. The Celtics in this postseason were a shadow of their championship team of last season. And Orlando threw away at least two games in which they had large leads. I said back in December that I thought Orlando lived by the 3-point shot way too much. And I still think that Howard is somewhat of a glorified garbage man on offense. Much of his damage comes off rebounds or plays in which he is allowed to establish position way too low in the post. Don't get me wrong, he is a freak of an athlete, but he really isn't my huge concern heading into this series. The key will be how the Cavs are able to deal with Terkoglu and Lewis, the Magic's big forwards that love playing on the perimeter.

So how do I see this series going? I think it will be a much larger challenge than the previous two series for the Cavs. But ultimately, I don't see any way that the Magic can beat us. LeBron is just playing at such a high level right now. And contrary to what the national "experts" may tell you, he has plenty of help this time around to get this team back into the Finals. I see Z being able to pull Howard away from the basket and open things up for LeBron. I also see Delonte and Mo taking on a bigger role in penetrating and being aggressive on offense. And I see the Cavs' experienced bench playing a major role in this series. And don't forget about the Cavs' advantage on the sidelines with Mike Brown vs. Stan "the Master of Panic" Van Gundy. Brown has shown the ability to make great adjustments in tough playoff series since taking over for the Cavs. I think that will be a factor in this series as well. Add it all up and I see the Cavs winning in 6 games. If they go up 2-0, I could see it ending in 5. But for now I want to stick with Mike Brown's mantra of "one game, one practice, one shootaround at a time." Just get Game 1 and then worry about Game 2. Eight down, eight to go. Go Cavs.

Finally we can get back on the court

As fans we're dying to see our Cavaliers play again. I'm sure the players feel the same way. When the Eastern Conference Finals finally get underway tomorrow night, it will have been nine days since the Cavs last played. That surely brings up some concerns about rust. But I know the atmosphere inside the Q will be electric and it should help lift the Cavs if they are sluggish to start the game - I'm sure a lot of people won't remember, but the Cavs were down 11-4 in Game 1 against the Hawks before finding their footing after a similar long layoff. And they did manage to run away with that game, which basically set the tone for that series.

I have to say I'm still a bit shocked that the Magic prevailed Sunday night over Boston. Not because Boston is some great obstacle anymore. I mean look at them - they were forced to rely on guys like Brian Scalabrine and Stephon Marbury for long stretches that series. I'm just surprised that Orlando was able to put things together for such an easy win. They looked downright awful at times in both their series against Philadelphia and Boston. But their Game 7 win has seemed to propel a lot of "experts" in the national media to predict the Magic will now win this series against us. As if somehow beating a shorthanded Boston team in seven games now gives Orlando the power to erase our complete dominance in the regular season and postseason thus far. Whatever. I'm just ready to get down to business. I'll have more of a preview tomorrow as I'm sitting at work counting down the hours until I can head over to the Q to witness it all firsthand. Go Cavs.

A top 10 list of Cavs victories

As we are waiting for our next victim to emerge from the Orlando/Boston series, I thought now would be a good time to recap some of the memorable Cavs victories this year. So here's my personal top 10 list of regular season victories, along with a brief recap and a link to the highlights.

#10 - 11/3/08 @ Dallas, Cavs 100 Mavericks 81 (highlights)
This was the first blowout of the season, and a big road win (the Cavs were 1-2 at the time if you can believe it).

#9 - 3/13/09 @ Sacramento, Cavs 126 Kings 123 (highlights)
This one was special because it clinched the Cavs' first Central Division crown in 33 years. The Kings put up a massive fight, the Cavs forgot to play defense for a few games, but it was an entertaining, high-scoring affair in which the Cavs came from behind again. It ended their second straight successful West Coast trip and earned bonus points for Fred McLeod tearing up in the postgame.

#8 - 1/21/09 @ Portland, Cavs 104 Blazers 98 (highlights)
A huge road win for the Cavs against a very good young Blazers team. This one came one the second game of their first West Coast trip after they were embarrassed by the Lakers in LA. It continued the trend of this Cavs team being able to bounce back after tough losses.

#7 - 12/19/08 @ Denver, Cavs 105 Denver 88 (highlights)
I enjoyed this one for personal reasons. My wife and I had just arrived in our hotel in Times Square in NYC. I was scrambling for updates on my phone to see if Z was gonna return from his ankle sprain. We were tired from a long day, my wife decided to take a nap and I was able to catch pretty much the entire game on the hotel TV. The Cavs blew out a very good Nuggets team in their own building (possible Finals preview?) with Z going off for 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

#6 - 2/4/09 @ New York, Cavs 107 Knicks 102 (highlights)
LeBron's ridiculous 52/10/11 triple-double game in Madison Square Garden that was later downgraded by the league for mystifying reasons. One of the greatest individual all-around games in the history of the NBA... and one of those games where you sit back and think how important it is to watch everytime this kid steps onto the court.

#5 - 1/9/09 The Q, Cavs 98 Celtics 83 (highlights)
The Cavs' first blowout win over the Celtics this season. The Cavs had this one circled on their calendars for a long time and delivered with a huge win to stake their first claim as leaders in the East. Bonus points because I was able to enjoy the game from the Hyland suite at the Q thanks to my buddy Nicko. God I love beating Boston.

#4 - 2/20/09 @ Milwaukee, Cavs 111 Bucks 103 (highlights)
LeBron's white hot shooting night... you know, the one where scored 16 points in less than 3 minutes (probably my favorite sequence of the season) on his way to his season-high 55 points. Just an incredible performance. And bonus points because I watched it from Cleats in Strongsville and the atmosphere inside the bar was electric. It was also the first time I got to hang with my friends since my accident. A great night.

#3 - 4/12/09 The Q, Cavs 107 Celtics 106 (highlights)
A 31-point beatdown of the Celtics on Easter Sunday... 5 Cavs in double figures... the Celtics getting Rickrolled in the Q on national TV... them complaining about 'being disrespected' afterward. Just a great game all around. Can't wait to do it again in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bastards.

#2 - 1/23/09 @ Golden State, Cavs 106 Warriors 105 (highlights)
LeBron's amazing buzzer-beater... Fred and AC's reaction as it happened... my wife and I jumping around like crazy in our family room... another improbable road victory by the Cavs, typical of their never-say-die attitude this season.

#1 - 3/10/09 @ Los Angeles, Cavs 87 Clippers 83 (highlights)
Speaking of that never-say-die attitude, you might be wondering how a game vs. the lowly Clippers could top the list of my favorite Cavs victories this season. Then again, remember this was the Cavaliers on the road on a Tuesday night in the middle of March. I had to work the next day and the Cavs were facing a 69-52 deficit entering the fourth quarter. I contemplated turning off the TV and just going to bed, as the team looked absolutely lifeless. But I thought the better of it and stuck it out and was rewarded handsomely. The Cavs closed the game by outscoring the Clippers 35-14 over the final 12 minutes, including an amazing performance by both LeBron and Mo. The most unlikely comeback of the year, even if it was against the Clippers.

Tribe update (quick, avert your eyes!)

Sitting here waiting for the Celtics to finish off the Magic, we're forced to uncover our eyes and stare into the carnage that is your 2009 Cleveland Indians. I'll admit, I was overly optimistic about this team. I thought the bullpen would actually be a strength. I thought they'd win around 90 games and take the very winnable Central Division. Of course I also thought they'd be able to string together a couple of wins - something that has happened exactly once through the first 34 games of the season. When you stop and think about that for a second you realize how truly pathetic that face really is - and you understand why the team is sitting at 12-22 on May 13th.

I'd boo Thome if I cared enough to still go to games

It was more of the same last night as they lost 9-4 to the White Sox to again avoid a winning streak. Old friend Jim Thome hit a couple home runs off Jeremy Sowers, who really shouldn't be in any team's starting rotation at the big-league level. The bullpen also allowed a couple of late runs in the 7th to make sure there was no chance of a comeback win. It seems like a similar script every night with these Indians. And now the finger-pointing has begun. Eric Wedge is in the line of fire and many in the organization are at his defense.

I honestly don't know how/when/if this mess can be fixed. But I was talking to my buddy Nicko yesterday and we agree that there are bigger problems in baseball than just the Tribe's shitty play. MLB should really just shut things down for a year and fix all of its problems. I'm tired of the payroll disparity, and losing budding stars before they hit their primes. The steroid crap doesn't bother me all that much, I'm just tired of watching the rich get richer. I'm tired of seeing the best players sign with New York/Boston/LA. I'm tired of fans of those teams and their sense of entitlement to everything. And I'm tired of watching the Tribe lose. Come back soon Cavs, I'm already missing you.

Halfway there...

The Cavaliers just keep giving us more reasons to love them. Last night they completed their second consecutive playoff sweep with an 84-74 win (highlights) to finish off the overmatched Hawks in Atlanta. This marks the Cavs' eighth consecutive playoff win by a double-digit margin, yet another NBA record in a season full of them. And stop and think about this for a second: the Cavs have now gone 74-16 in their 90 games this season - a winning percentage of .822! As Fred McLeod pointed out on the Fox Sports Ohio postgame wrap, they would have to finish their remaining schedule at .500 or worse just to not win the NBA championship. I know there is still a lot of work left and we don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but any Cleveland fan has to be excited right about now.

The Hawks will be seeing a streaking LBJ in their nightmares for a while

Last night's game was definitely the worst the Cavs have looked in this postseason. Closeout games are always the toughest to get, especially on the road. And the Hawks weren't willing to roll over and die like Detroit. The Cavs' offense was very stagnant for long stretches. They didn't shoot particularly well. And their free-throw shooting (14-of-26 for 58.8%) was horrendous. But they again brought the one thing that will consistently help them through the inevitable tough stretches of the playoffs - their defense. Again it was suffocating last night as they held Atlanta to just 31.5% shooting from the floor (including just 2-of-13 from long range). My personal favorite moments of the night were Wally's dunk in the second quarter (is it just me, or is Wally moving a lot better lately?), Delonte's emphatic slam in the fourth quarter, and Mo's two three-point daggers in the 4th quarter. LeBron had an off-shooting night by his own high standards (9-of-22), but still finished with a near triple-double at 27/8/8. And Z had his second straight solid game going for 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Overall, this series was another extremely impressive performance by the Cavs. Yes, they were supposed to be where they are now. But the convincing manner in which they were able to achieve both sweeps has to be alarming to both Boston and Orlando. Unfortunately now the wait begins for the Eastern Conference Finals. I've read some conflicting stuff this morning, and I'm not even sure if anything is official at this point... but it looks like if the Celtics/Magic series ends in six games then ECF Game 1 at the Q would be next Monday the 18th. And if it goes seven then we are looking at a start date of Wednesday the 20th. So no matter what it will be at least another 6-day layoff. But yet another opportunity for the guys to get plenty of rest. What's maddening to us fans is actually more beneficial towards achieving the ultimate goal. And we've already waited 45 years, so what's another 6 or 8 days, right? Eight down, eight to go. Go Cavs.