Stuck without a center, but the timing is right

Last night came the news that many of us expected/feared... the Shaq thumb injury is indeed a serious one and surgery will be required. The big man will be shelved for the next 6-8 weeks, effectively ending his regular season. On the heels of losing Z in order to obtain Antawn Jamison, the Cavs are now stuck without a true center on their roster. And given the current slim one-game lead over the Lakers for overall homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, this is probably a good time to panic, right? Maybe not...

As far as the schedule goes, this actually happened at a decent place. Not that I'm thrilled about losing Shaq or the prospect of him being out of action for so long, but the Cavs have reached a point in their schedule where they can afford an injury or two. After the extremely tough stretch of Denver/@Charlotte/@Orlando/New Orleans/@Boston/@Toronto (that's 6 games in 9 days, all against playoff-caliber teams), things lighten up a bit now over the next month. March (can you believe it's already March???) features 15 games, only 6 of which are against teams currently at or above .500.

Now is the time when Danny Ferry's construction of such a deep roster may truly pay off. Anderson Varejao obviously slides into the starting center role for the time being (at least until Z returns on or around March 22). Until then we can expect a big-man rotation of Andy, Jamison, Hickson, and Powe. And depending on matchups, LeBron will surely be playing some minutes at the 4 spot. A week ago I would have been shocked to think that Leon Powe would actually be playing meaningful minutes at this point, but I'm encouraged by what I've seen so far in his limited minutes. And it's nice to see JJ will not be buried on the bench again - his performance in Boston should have all but guaranteed that. Funny that no too long ago I heard some fans complaining about us having too many big men on the roster... I'm not hearing those same complaints now.

Injuries are a part of life in the NBA and we should all be thankful we have a GM that has constructed a team that is built to withstand them. We saw it earlier when Mo and Delonte were down for a while and Boobie stepped up. Now is the time for others to make it tougher on Mike Brown to decide on his playoff rotation. And remember, Shaq was obtained to outmuscle Dwight Howard and the Laker big men deep in the playoffs. The Eastern Conference Finals are still roughly 11 weeks away. Take your time big fella... just stay away from the buffet.

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.
  

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...

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.

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.

Game 2: The good and bad

The Cavaliers took Game 2 of their opening round series against Detroit with a 94-82 win (highlights) last night at the Q. I'm sure there will be much hand wringing, given the way the 4th quarter went, and I'll get to that in a moment. First I want to focus on the good.

For the first three quarters that Cavs held the Pistons to just 50 points. They utterly dominated Detroit and couldn't even provoke a response from the disinterested Piston starters. It was as if the guys in blue were already envisioning their summer vacation... or maybe they just don't like coach Michael Curry. Whatever it was, this team was beaten. The Cavs did pretty much anything they wanted to offensively and completely shut Detroit down defensively. But then the fourth quarter happened...

Let me preface this by saying I don't think the letdown is a reason to panic. But it was definitely something that no Cavs fan wanted to see. The starters (LeBron/Andy/Z) left with a 27-point lead after the end of three quarters. That lead actually swelled to 29 points on an alley-oop layup to Delonte from Mo on the first play of the 4th. Mo then left the game a minute later, still with a commanding 27-point lead. With four starters out for the Cavs, the Pistons' reserves proceeded to go on a 17-3 run, prompting an eventual return of all the Cavs' starters, in a move that no one (and definitely not the Coach of the Year) wanted to see. The Pistons actually continued to whittle the lead down to just 7 before LeBron and the Cavs regained control down the stretch for the 12-point win.

LBJ & the Cavs will look to end Detroit's season this weekend

So what does it all mean? Hopefully just a bored team having a mental letdown in a game they knew they would win no matter what. We saw something similar from the Lakers last night as well, which makes me feel a little better. I'm sure it's hard to focus when you're absolutely demolishing a team. But there's no reason to give the Pistons any false hopes. Let's hope this things ends quickly. The Cavs have Games 3 and 4 in Detroit on Friday and Sunday, and I hope to make the trip up there on Sunday. But only if I can bring my broom. Go Cavs.

Another solid weekend

It was another solid weekend for our Cavaliers. On Friday they breezed to an easier-than-expected 97-86 win (highlights) over the Spurs in San Antonio. The final score really isn't indicative of just how easy it was. The Cavs were up by 23 at a couple different points early in the 4th quarter and obviously took advantage of the fact that San Antonio was missing Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili - not that we should feel bad for any team missing its starters after all of our own injury woes. It was also nice to see the team follow up Thursday night's clunker in Houston with a solid road win against a good team, with or without all its weapons.

So the team followed up Friday's win by moving along on their brutal road trip with a visit to Atlanta last night. They played a great first half, an ugly third quarter and a not-so-tidy first 3 or 4 minutes of the fourth quarter. Facing a 7-point deficit with 4:25 remaining the Cavs had to really dig deep. Anderson Varejao hit one of his patented scary "no-no-no-YES" fallaway jumpers (as only he can), then followed that up with a three-point play to cut the deficit to 2. After a few bad possessions, Delonte West nailed a long jumper to again cut the lead to 3 with 1:24 remaining. Then Mo Williams hit what I viewed as the shot of the night when he drilled a three-pointer from the corner to tie it at 87 with 47 seconds left. Then another great defensive stop set the stage for LeBron to win it. He drew a foul with 1.6 seconds remaining, hit 1-of-2 free throws, then altered a Joe Johnson jumper that clanked off the iron as time expired. Game over, Cavs win 88-87 (highlights) in one of their signature wins of this season - one they really had no business winning, but somehow they found a way to get it done.

LBJ & the Cavs escaped with a win Sunday night in Atlanta

The good news after this one? The Cavs were able to take advantage of both the Celtics and Lakers stumbling yesterday. They now hold a half-game lead for home court advantage over the Celtics with two huge games against them still looming. And only trail the Lakers by a game (now tied in the loss column) for best record in the league. The great news from yesterday? Joe Smith was bought out of his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. If all goes as planned he will be set to re-sign with his former team on Wednesday morning after he clears waivers. And the bad news from yesterday? The Cavs had some severe travel problems after the game and didn't even arrive in Miami until 6:00 this morning. So it will be a tough end to a long trip but if they can somehow pull this one off it will have been an amazing trip. Go Cavs.

More adversity...

I know every team goes through this, so there's no use complaining. But add another injury to the long list of annoying setbacks for the Cavaliers roster. Now Ben Wallace is out for at least a month (but likely much longer) with a broken right fibula. It happened in just about the ugliest game I've ever witnessed - a 93-74 pasting of the Cavs, courtesy of the Rockets. Something about playing in Houston seems to bring out the worst in the Cavaliers. I was hopeful that this year would be different, but it wasn't. LeBron was whistled for early fouls, turned his ankle late in the game, and didn't record an assist. The team shot just 33.8% from the field and totaled just 50 points through three quarters. It was that type of night for the wine and gold.

So what next? The good news is that we don't have to sit and stew over this one for long. There's no time for that as the teams heads to San Antonio to take on the Spurs tonight at 9:30. The bad news? There they will face one of the Western Conference's elite teams without a starter (again). So what's the short term solution for the Cavs? With the Wallace injury they desperately need another big body. No matter what happens with any possible roster shuffling, it will mean more minutes for rookie J.J. Hickson. He has shown flashes of ability this year, but honestly the prospects of him logging heavy minutes in the playoffs does not excite me in the least...

Could the injury to Ben Wallace reunite LBJ and Joe?

There are some possibilities out there for the Cavs in terms of available big men. And the timing of the Wallace injury wasn't ideal, but it could have been worse. At least it happened before the March 1 roster deadline. That affords the Cavs the opportunity to pick up anyone who is bought out from their current team in time to sign them before the March 1 and still be eligible for the playoffs. To me that leaves two intriguing possibilities. Number one on my list would be Joe Smith. He hasn't played for Oklahoma City since February 10th, logging 5 straight DNP-CD's. If he is bought out I would think he would love to return here... Another possibility is Drew Gooden. I know, I know, he's not the perfect solution. But again, he's a guy that knows the Cavaliers' system and he was involved in the trade to Sacramento purely as an expiring contract. I would think he would be open to a buyout to play for a contender in the stretch run. Other possibilities include the aging but battle-tested Robert Horry and Alonzo Mourning. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the weekend, but I'm hoping something does get done. Anderson Varejao is much better suited coming off the bench and not forced into the starting role (again). Go Cavs.

What a weekend!

I have to admit - I wasn't too thrilled with the Cavaliers' prospects as they embarked on their four-game West Coast road trip. Down two starters and heading on the road (with just an 11-7 record away from the Q at the time) against much tougher competition than they had faced earlier in the year looked like a recipe for a few losses. After the opening loss to the Lakers I was already looking at the schedule and counting how many more games we'd be without Delonte. But after the win in Portland on Wednesday night my confidence was restored. And after the weekend they just had, it may be at an all-time high with this team.

The Cavaliers somehow found a way to finish the trip 3-1 with an amazing 106-105 win (highlights) in Golden State and then a grueling 102-97 win (highlights) in Utah. Words can't describe how incredibly LeBron played in these last two wins. If he hasn't cemented his case already for MVP of the first half of this season, I don't know what else he can do. On Friday night he put together a 32/9/8 night that included his first true career walk-off buzzer-beater, sinking the Warriors with an impossible shot as time expired. Then he followed that up on Saturday night with a 33/14/9 performance that featured enough dunks to make your head spin.

LBJ's game-winner on Friday night

The good news is that LeBron also had plenty of help from the rest of the guys as well. Most notable was how Mo Williams came through in the clutch in both wins. He opened each game with a sub-par first half and still finished with a combined 39 points and numerous huge plays down the stretch, particularly in the win in Utah. Andy, JJ, Sasha, Wally, Boobie, and even seldom-used Tarence Kinsey also stepped up at various times with big plays to help out. And Big Ben was his old reliable self on defense and even hit a huge jumper as the shot clock expired late in Golden State. Overall it was an incredible team effort that helped guide the Cavs to their most successful Western trip that I can remember in my lifetime. At 34-8 the team now gets some much-needed rest before taking the court tomorrow night to defend their perfect 20-o home record against the Kings. And they just might be getting a big weapon back in their arsenal soon...

Browns Update: The Browns finally officially hired their new GM George Kokinis, one week before their "rival" Steelers win their 6th Super Bowl. Can we just get a new picture of this guy? I'm really tired of looking at this one. Thanks.

Halfway home...

Geographically the Cavaliers are still far away from home, but road trip-wise they are halfway done with their four-game swing out West. And Test #2 was a success last night as the Cavs beat the Blazers 104-98 (highlights) in a highly entertaining game in the Rose Garden. And yes, the game was in the Rose Garden as Austin Carr reminded us about 50 times - after each three-point dagger drilled by Mo Williams or LeBron James. You gotta love AC.

The much-needed win wouldn't have been possible without the great outside touch displayed by both LeBron and Mo, who combined for 67 points on 26-of-49 shooting, including 9/15 from outside the arc. LeBron also finished the night with 14 assists after the Blazers' defense collapsed on him all night and cut him off from driving into the lane. He was basically forced into settling for his outside shot when he had a couple of drives blocked early in the game, followed by a couple of no-calls on obvious fouls (I'm trying hard not to be a homer here, but some of these fouls in the last two games have been blatant, yet are still going uncalled).

Mo Williams was outstanding on his way to his Cavalier-high 33 points. I loved the way he stepped up when the team needed him most last night. Let's hope this continues throughout the rest of the trip because an aggressive Mo on offense can really make up for a lot of the offense missing with the absence of Delonte and Z.

Mo torched the Blazers on Wednesday night

Other surprises from last night:

• Wally Szczerbiak collected a team-high 10 rebounds to go along 8 points in 26 productive minutes off the bench.
• The Cavs outrebounded the NBA's top rebounding team by 4 without Z.
• Anderson Varejao seemed to be back to his normal self with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
• The Cavs only attempted 15 free throws to the Blazers' 33, yet still came away with the win in a hostile environment against a very talented team.
• With last night's win the Cavaliers have successfully navigated through half of their 82 game schedule without racking up consecutive losses. Quite an accomplishment if you ask me. They are now 8-0 following a loss.

So the road trip continues tomorrow night in Golden State when the Cavs take on the Warriors at 10:00pm. You never know what to expect from that team and their hectic style of play, but it should be a good opportunity for the shorthanded Cavs to come home from the Western trip at least 2-2. All things considered, that would be an accomplishment by itself.

LBJ shines in Memphis

Even missing two starters (Big Ben and Z) the Cavaliers continued their winning ways last night with a relatively easy 102-87 win in Memphis (highlights). Lorenzen Wright started in place of Wallace and Andy got his customary start in place of Z. We know how things will go with Andy playing more minutes - he has been outstanding so far this year and last night was more of the same consistency. Wright on the other hand... well, there's a reason he usually doesn't shed his warmups. Thankfully LeBron was able to ratchet his play up even another notch on his way to his second triple-double of the year. In 40 minutes the King had an eye-popping stat line of 30 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals and a block, including a vast array of dunks and a ridiculous circus shot while being fouled in the 4th quarter.

LeBron just being LeBron on Tuesday night

LeBron also had some nice help from his backcourt with Delonte, Mo, and Boobie all having nice scoring nights. That trio combined to shoot 16-for-24 from the field, including 9-of-12 from "deep in the Fedex Forum" as Austin Carr reminded us about 70 times. That was good for 46 points between the three of them of 67% shooting. When the Cavs are making open shots like that I'm not sure there is any team in the league that can beat them.

I also wanted to point out that the Cavs held the Grizzlies' rookie phenom O.J. Mayo to just 6 points on the night, his lowest output of the year. And LeBron kept Rudy Gay in check with just 10 points on 5-for-18 shooting. This is becoming quite a common theme for LBJ on the defensive side this year and is just another reason why it would be an absolute crime if he doesn't win the league MVP award this season. The only downer on the night was that Darius Miles was able to get 13 points (his first points in three years in a regular season game), but even that had a silver lining as he is just one game appearance away from really hurting the Trail Blazers' available cap space over the next two summers.

So the Cavs travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls tomorrow night at 8:00, somehow the fourth and final time the two division foes will play this year and we're not even close to the All-Star break. At times I wonder if the NBA schedule makers are on crack when they assemble these things prior to the season...

Damn it feels good

As I said last week, Friday night's game vs. the Celtics was about as big a midseason game as you can have in the NBA. We all were anxious to see how the Cavs would measure up against the defending champs and they did not disappoint. Their relatively easy 98-83 victory (highlights) was especially satisfying when you take into consideration that the Cavs only scored 65 in the final three quarters and were outrebounded by 12 for the game. The Cavs didn't play nearly a perfect game and still won going away, thanks to LeBron's greatness and some lockdown defense by everyone in the blue uniforms.

The King and the Cavs are the new beasts of the East

In particular, I thought that LeBron, Delonte, Big Ben, and Andy were excellent on defense. And Mo had his hands full with Rajon Rondo but still forced him into somewhat of a non-factor on offense - aside from his 13 assists Rondo only had 5 points on 1-of-8 shooting. LeBron made a serious MVP statement by limiting Paul Pierce to just 11 points, while doing everything in his power offensively on the way to a game-high 38.

I also really enjoyed when Boston had to resort to the Hack-a-Ben strategy in the fourth quarter. Wallace responded by hitting 4-of-8 from the line in that quarter to not allow that dumb strategy to have any effect on the game. And on one of those fouls off the ball LeBron smartly lobbed a halfcourt shot in off the glass that somehow didn't count. I would have counted that basket just on the sheer brilliance of attempting that shot... the Cavs return to the court tomorrow night in Memphis to take on the Grizzlies at 8PM.

Oh, and if LeBron hasn't created enough buzz already with his greatness, take a look at this picture for an upcoming commercial said to be aired this Sunday. Should we be proud as Clevelanders that he's sporting that uniform, or deathly afraid that he'll contract a staph infection?

Still perfect

Still perfect, and no I'm not talking about Romeo Crennel's sparkling 0-8 record vs. the Steelers (more on that later). The Cavaliers remain a perfect 16-0 at the Q after their 93-86 win (highlights) over the Heat last night. Casual sports fans of Cleveland, I'm now begging you... please start paying attention to these Cavaliers. Somehow after their 26-4 start, I still don't think this city has fully embraced this team. But now that another Browns season is officially in the can, hopefully that will change. If you're not following them consistently, you're really missing out on something special.

Last night was just another example of how many different ways the Cavs can win now. They again looked sluggish through the first 3+ quarters of this one, much like the Wizards game on Christmas Day. But again, they turned it on when they had to, turning a nine-point deficit after three quarters into a 7-point win while outscoring the Heat 35-19 in the final quarter. They did it with their defense, timely shots, and some good free-throw shooting down the stretch. And I'd like to point out that even though Dywane Wade ended up with 29 points, Delonte West's defense was relentless. Plays like this highlight how valuable a player West can be. I also thought that LeBron and Ben Wallace were especially active on defense in that final quarter, as was Anderson Varejao (no different than how Andy always is). And Mo Williams proved how capable a sidekick to the King he can be by notching his third straight 20+ scoring night.

Smiles and hugs all around again on Sunday night

All in all, it wasn't a particularly pretty victory for the Cavs but they can't blow out teams every night. The league has taken notice of just how good this Cavs team is and they are really getting the best of most opponents on a nightly basis now. And I also think being home for the holidays might play a little into their sluggish starts the past two games. We'll see if that changes when they face the Heat again tomorrow night in Miami on LBJ's 24th birthday. To calm your Cavalier craving you can watch NBA TV all day today with their '24 Hours of LeBron' programming

Browns Update: On the uglier side of Cleveland sports, the Browns' 2008 season finally came to a merciful end. The embarrassing 31-0 loss marked the franchise's first back-to-back shutouts ever. I believe they have also gone an astonishing 24 consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown. I'm not sure if that's an NFL record (probably because I stopped really paying attention a long time ago) but I would this level of ineptitude has to rank them up there with the all-time greats.

After a 4-12 season that began with lofty expectations (remember the 'Super Bowl' chants in training camp?) heads were sure to roll. And the team wasted no time last night, with Phil Savage the first man to the chopping block. Romeo Crennel is sure to follow today. Then Rebuild #4 can finally be underway. I heard a bunch of the coach/GM rumors last night and it was enough to make my head spin. My favorite was Bill Parcells & Scott Pioli. Why in the world would either one of them want to come here??? I'm sure Tony Grossi's head is about to explode today. I can't wait to listen to the cleveland.com podcast. Just another day in Berea for our Browns...

***Update*** Apparently as I was writing today's entry, Romeo Crennel was indeed fired. No surprises there, but just wanted to make sure everyone knew it was official.

A great test

Last night's game vs. the Rockets at the Q gave us another chance to see just how good these Cavaliers are. They answered the call with a decisive 99-90 victory (highlights) to push their home record to 14-0 and their latest winning streak to four games. Again, the formula was solid defense and timely offense in a tough, physical matchup.

At one point in the fourth quarter the Cavs pushed their lead to 14 points, but some hot outside shooting and non-stop calls in Houston's favor (Yao Ming had 12 free throws in the 4th quarter alone) got the Rockets right back into the game. That point was the first time in a while that the Cavs have really been tested at home, clinging to a two-point lead with 5:34 remaining. But Boobie Gibson stepped up with two huge threes, Anderson Varejao hit a running hook shot, and Mo Williams buried two dagger shots down the stretch. And LeBron capped things off with a highlight-reel rejection of Yao to whip the home crowd into a frenzy.

LBJ and Mo again led the way for the Cavs

Houston is a much better team than I thought going into this one. Their defense forced the Cavs off balance at times, but the coaching staff made some nice adjustments in the second half. Make no mistake about it - this was a quality win over a quality opponent. The going should get easier over the next couple weeks for the Cavs, starting tomorrow night against the Wizards and old friend DeShawn Stevenson. I'm looking forward to spending Christmas night in the Q watching him get schooled by the King yet again...

Streak stretches to 10

With last night's 101-93 win (highlights) over the 76ers in Philadelphia, the Cavaliers ran their winning streak to 10 games. But in the process they may have lost another huge part of their line-up for a few games. Following Boobie Gibson's toe injury on Tuesday, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a nasty looking roll of his ankle last night. X-rays after the game proved to be negative, but it looks like Z may be put on the shelf for a little stretch to make sure he returns to health.

Mo continues to impress with his ability to creat off the dribble

But aside from the Z injury it was another good night for the Cavaliers. They didn't play their best ball, looked sloppy on both offense and defense at times, but they still got a much-needed win on the road. They basically won the game with their play in the third quarter when they outscored the 76ers 36-19. As I've said before, it seems like this Cavs team can turn up the defensive pressure whenever they feel like it. They did so in the third and at one point the lead swelled to 21 points. They proceeded to let Philly back in the game with a clunker of a 4th quarter (likely affected by the Z injury - after which they were outscored 23-15), but made enough plays down the stretch to win the game.

Mo Williams, LeBron, and Ben Wallace shined in particular for me last night. Mo continues to impress with his ball-handling through traffic and ability to create shots for himself when nothing else seems to be working. LeBron was his usual self, showing off a combination of strong drives to the rim, ball-hawking blocked shots from behind in transition, and a nice, long buzzer-beating three to end a sluggish first quarter for the Cavs. And Ben Wallace was all over the court again, collection 10 rebounds, 2 blocks (seemed like more though), and 6 points (even swishing a wide open baseline jumper).

It will be interesting to see how the team responds to a little adversity now with Z and Boobie out of the rotation. Four of their next five games will be on the road and it will be a good opportunity for the team to use that "bunker mentality" that Mike Brown is always talking about. I expect LeBron and Mo to shoulder more of the load now offensively, something they are both very capable of. And now that Mo is part of this group it won't be such a scary thought to insert Anderson Varejao into the starting line-up and have him play long stretches on the court with Ben Wallace. And aside from Mo's arrival, Andy has proven himself a capable part of the offense so far this season. We will need contributions from all the guys to weather these injuries that seem to always crop up at the worst time...

Six in a row

The Cavaliers kept rolling along last night, winning their sixth straight game with an impressive 110-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets (highlights here). It was the team's best offensive performance of the young season (57% shooting) and they really clamped down on defense when they had to. After allowing Denver to pile up 61 first half points on 60% shooting, they held the Nuggets to just 38 points in the second half en route to their fifth consecutive home win.

Offensive Game Balls of the Night:

• LeBron James - As usual he stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds in just 38 minutes. I can't stress how important it is to this team that they can now afford to rest the King for long stretches. This will pay huge dividends in May and June.
• Mo Williams - This was Mo's first real offensive outburst of the season. It reminded me of those hot shooting nights he would have as a Buck playing against the Cavs. And his 24 points meant that LeBron didn't have to shoulder the scoring load again tonight.
• Boobie Gibson - After going 0-for-8 in the win over the Bucks, Boobie really turned things around. He went 7-for-11 last night on his way to 15 points and showed off a vast array of strong drives to the basket, not settling for outside jumpers. His improved ball handling is a really pleasant surprise so far this season.
• Ben Wallace - No that's not a typo, Big Ben had a great offensive game tonight. He chipped in with 11 points on 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line (!!!) including his first one that he accidentally banked off the glass. I love what Ben brings defensively and you'll take these nights from him whenever you can get them because they are few and far between.
  

Mo is quickly becoming the Robin to LeBron's Batman

Defensive Game Balls of the Night:

• Delonte West - Delonte only tallied 8 points in his 33 minutes on the floor, but played stellar defense for long stretches when he was on Chauncey Billups. Billups torched Mo for 16 first quarter points and that's when Mike Brown switched Delonte to him. Billups ended up with 26 points, but it likely would have been much worse if Delonte wasn't making him work so hard.
• Sasha Pavlovic - You wouldn't know it from the box score (zero points on zero shot attempts in 11 minutes, but Sasha stepped in and played some nice spot defense in the fourth quarter. Mike Brown is still tinkering with his rotation, but as long as Sasha can come in and play tough defense and not turn the ball over I'm all for it. Wally Szczerbiak got burned pretty badly on a few drives last night and at least when Sasha comes in the game you know he'll stay in front of his man.
• Anderson Varejao - The mop-topped Brazilian was at it again last night. He baited Kenyon Martin into a flagrant foul-2 and an ejection late in the game when Martin threw a pretty tame elbow at Andy and he worked his flop to perfection. Martin then blew up when he was tossed out and it was a nice exclamation point to the night.

Overall, it was another solid win for the Cavs and a fun game to attend. This team is starting to understand the importance of winning at home and winning in November. They look to be hitting their stride offensively and can turn it up whenever they need to defensively. This has been a very good start to the season and they will again be tested when our good buddy Carlos Loozer pays a visit to the Q on Saturday night. I'm looking forward to being there for that one...

Tribe Update: Congrats to Cliff Lee for winning the AL Cy Young, an honor that should surprise no one that followed the Indians this year. I've written about it enough here this season - Lee was better than anyone could have ever imagined. I'm looking forward to seeing how he can follow it up next season... And congratulations are also in order for Grady Sizemore who won his first Silver Slugger award yesterday. Lee and Sizemore are two reasons (other than the start of Cavalier playoff basketball) that I'm looking forward to next April.

Weekend Sweep

It was a good sports weekend in Cleveland, especially since the Browns weren't a part of it. The Cavaliers had a back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday night. First they were home vs. the Pacers and then they hit the road the next night in Chicago - it's always a daunting task in the NBA to play that second consecutive night on the road. In the past few years it would have been asking a lot of this team to win both games, even against lesser opponents the likes of the Pacers and Bulls. Now with the added depth on this roster, taking both games should be the rule and not the exception.

The Cavaliers passed their first back-to-back test with flying colors after Friday's 111-107 win (highlights here) and Saturday's 106-97 win (highlights here). And it wasn't so much that they won both games, but rather how they won both games. On Friday the Cavs were forced to play out of their element. They didn't win with their defense (well, besides this play) but instead with their up-tempo offense. They flew their way to 68 second-half points and won a game they likely would not have been able to get last year.

Then on Saturday they were able to win with their defense, with their hustle, with their determination, and with their superstar showing why he's the best player in the league. LeBron's consecutive three-pointers in the final two minutes were the type of daggers that he has become famous for the last couple seasons. And we should all take a minute or two to commend LeBron for his improved free throw shooting - he has now made 42 of his last 47 after starting the season 12-of-20. He is now up to 77% overall. If LBJ can maintain that clip I see a lot more wins in this team's future.

The King and AV have been keys to the Cavs' 5-2 start

Through seven games the Cavs sit at 5-2, in first in the Central division, and about to begin a three-game home stand. Mike Brown is now comfortable with his rotation and some of his players look the best they ever have in their Cavalier careers. Anderson Varejao is playing his way into a big contract next year. Ben Wallace looks healthy and dominant again defensively. Wally has settled nicely into his role off the bench. Mo looks comfortable taking big shots and running the show. Z is steady and consistent as usual. Delonte West has adjusted very well to his starting 2-guard spot. And Boobie Gibson is showing some surprisingly adequate ball-handling skills and is starting to look more like the PG that we all hoped he could be off the bench - and of course his long-range shooting will always be there too. These are all reasons to get pumped about this team and be happy that they can divert your attention from yet another lackluster Browns season.

D'oh-and-1

Not the way we wanted to start the season last night for the Cavaliers. I followed my own cardinal rule and resisted the urge to post something immediately after the game last night to give myself a chance to react in a more rational manner. I think it helped a little bit, but I'm still ticked off by the whole thing. 50 points at halftime and then only 35 in the second half. Ugh. Here are some thoughts I need to pour out after the 90-85 loss in Boston:

• LeBron - He showed the flashes of brilliant athleticism we all love about him. He worked hard to be a distributor for much of the first half, trusting his teammates. And he showed that his free throw shooting still leaves a ton to be desired. I hate to pick on LBJ, but this has to stop. Teams will be fouling him at the end of every game and he needs to step up to the line and knock them down. We shouldn't still be harping on this going into his sixth season now.

There will be plenty more battles between these two before the season is over

• Mo Williams - There was good and bad with Mo last night. First the good... he pushed the tempo in a fashion we just haven't seen with these Cavaliers. That created some easy fast break points. He also is not afraid to take the big shot and I'm sure it will result in some huge scoring nights for him down the road. Now the bad... he just seemed careless with the ball at times. Way too many bad turnovers (4 for him on the night). And his perimeter defense on Rajon Rondo was awful. It reminded me of the playoff series last year with Rondo constantly blowing by defenders to the basket for an easy layup or two free throws. That needs to stop too.
• Z - The big man will always be a target among certain Cavalier fans because of his slow feet and two or three guaranteed traveling calls a night on moves to the hoop. But Z is consistent. His 15 points and 8 boards from last night can basically be penciled into the box score every single game. And his mid-range jumper is a huge asset to the Cavs when teams collapse on LeBron in the paint. I will always love Z on the Cavs for what he brings on a nightly basis. He is what he is and everyone should know what to expect from him by now.
• Boobie - There was also good and bad here. I liked the way he aggressively drove to the basket on a couple occassions. And he seemed much more comfortable handing the PG duties (mainly his ballhandling) with the second unit. But he was way off on his outside shot last night, missing a few wide open looks that he usually knocks down. But he's too good a shooter for that to continue for too long.
• Sasha Pavlovic - What can you say about him that hasn't already been said a million times? He had a nice drive to the basket for a strong layup over two defenders. He confidently knocked down a jumper in the 4th quarter. Then later in the 4th he put his head down and plowed into the lane where three defenders were waiting to take the easy charge. And he missed a big free throw after that. I could have written the same thing about him 4 years ago and probably 4 years from now. He's like a Serbian robot that's auto-programmed to never change.
• Lorenzen Wright - He worked hard from what I saw. He knocked down a nice jumper early in the game. Then reminded us why he probably shouldn't be shooting much when he missed another one later. He looked to me like a slight upgrade over Dwayne Jones, at least in the sense that he can occassionally put the ball in the basket. No more, no less.
• Wally Szczerbiak - Same struggling defender, and same struggling outside shooter. I just wish he would be the consistent shooter that he seemed to be before he arrived in Cleveland. That would make his defensive deficiencies a little easier to swallow.
• Ben Wallace - He grabbed four rebounds and had a nice strong one-handed dunk on his long FG attempt. It appeared as if he is in great shape and his back didn't bother him at all. But he played a puzzling 19 minutes on the night. Not sure what's up with that.
• Anderson Varejao - Maybe the lone bright spot on the night for the Cavs. He was all over the floor in his 25 minutes of action. He ended up with 9 points and 9 rebounds (4 offensive) and even played some nice one-on-one defense on Paul Pierce to force a miss late in the game before the missed free throws from LBJ. This is the Andy that Cleveland fans love and are looking forward to this season. He is definitely playing for a new contract now.
• Delonte West - I love his game, I just wish he'd be more proactive offensively. He played 35 minutes and only took 4 shots. I'm not sure if it's a confidence thing with him, but he seems too tentative at times. He should be more comfortable than he is with this team.
  
• Coach Brown - Not his strongest performance rotation-wise. Maybe it's just because it was the first game and he's still feeling things out. But that second unit that was out there late in the first quarter was simply baffling: Boobie-Sasha-Wally-Wright-Andy. Who was going to score when they were on the floor together? And I'm not going to fault him for not throwing rookie J.J. Hickson out there in that game. At this point I expect Hickson to see spot minutes, or appear in longer stretches in garbage time. But he will clearly have to earn a spot in the regular rotation. Nothing will be handed to him.

That's all for now. I'm done with that game. I hate the Celtics and really don't wanna think about them anymore until the next time we face them (January 9th). I'm looking ahead to the home opener tomorrow night against the Bobcats.

Browns Update: With all the distractions supposedly behind them, it's back to football... Tony Grossi gives a scouting report for Sunday's matchup with the Ravens at the Stadium... The Browns claim their confidence is growing with each victory. A win Sunday would give me a little confidence in this team... And is Romeo Crennel the reason the Browns are still in it? I doubt many fans of the orange and brown will say yes to that.

The wait is finally over

We've been counting down the days for a while now, so it's hard to believe the 2008-09 NBA season is finally upon us. The Cavaliers will kick the season off in style tonight, facing the Boston Celtics at 8:00pm in front of a national audience on TNT. But what should we expect from the wine and gold this year? I see big things ahead...

Is this the year that LBJ will hoist an even better trophy?

First, my fearless predictions:

Overall record: 56-26
This is the deepest Cavalier team since LeBron has arrived. We've all seen what LeBron can do without a lot of help. So how will the team be now that it has depth? If they stay healthy I think they will finally take the Central division crown away from the Pistons. And that's just for starters...

NBA MVP: LeBron James
Who else is there? Spare me your Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Chris Paul arguments. This will be the first of many of these trophies for King James.

Eastern Conference Champs: Cleveland Cavaliers
This is not at all dismissing the Celtics. I wasn't a believer in them at all last year. I didn't buy into the hype. But then I saw their suffocating defense in our playoff series and I knew I had underestimated them. They squeaked out a win in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year and that was basically their NBA title right there.

So what will happen this year? As I said, the Cavaliers are deeper. They won't have more midseason chemistry issues in turning over half their roster in a big trade. They didn't have the contract holdouts of last year. This team is focused and ready. Oh, and they have LeBron. I think they will grab home court advantage over the Celtics and that will be the difference in the end.

NBA Champions: Cleveland Cavaliers
Why the hell would I be wasting my time writing this blog if I didn't think that a Cleveland team would finally break through and win it all? I don't know which team will come out of the West this year, but I do know there will be no sweeping this Cavaliers squad when they get back into the Finals. Whether it be the Lakers, Hornets, Spurs, or whomever... they will have to go through LeBron and his much deeper supporting cast. The Cavaliers have built a franchise around LeBron that expects to win multiple championships. And I think #1 (the sweetest one) will occur this June. And I can't wait to watch it unfold.

Caveats
Of course with all I've said above there always has to be a little luck involved. I'm making the following assumptions, in no particular order:

• LeBron James will stay relatively healthy. This means he won't miss any more than his typical 5-7 games with minor ankle injuries and such. True, the Cavaliers are much deeper than in the past. But let's not kid ourselves. #23 makes all these lofty hopes possible.
• The front court players will also stay relatively healthy. The good news is that Anderson Varejao is in shape and in a contract year. I expect big things from him. More worrisome are the backs of Zydrunas Ilguaskas and Ben Wallace. We need those guys to stay off the injury report to have this team playing in top form. We also have Lorenzen Wright and JJ Hickson to assist, but at this point I don't know how fair it is to expect much from an aging vet and a rookie. Darnell Jackson could also end up in the mix once he recovers from the wrist injury.
• Mo Williams will perform as advertised. I'm not so worried about this one. I know he has tremendous talent and the desire to fit in on the defensive side of the ball. I just don't want this to be the second coming of Larry Hughes. I had high hopes for him too and he consistently disappointed all of us. But I don't see Mo having those same problems.
  
• We pull off another trade at the deadline. We have Wally Sczcerbiak's $14M expiring contract to play with and you know Ferry will use it at some point. This is the one wild card that could really propel the Cavaliers from contender to the team to beat. Ferry has shown us that he's not afraid to make a deal, but always with an eye on the summer of 2010. This will be the year that we will have to take on a contract past 2010, so it better be the right one for the Cavs this season and beyond.

This could be a special year for Cavs fans everywhere. It starts tonight with a chance to send a message to the defending champs the night they collect their rings and the banner is lowered. That should be motivation enough to start the season out right, even if the Cavaliers won't be watching.

Other Cavs Notes: Brian Windhorst gives a nice piece on coach Mike Brown... LeBron and the Cavs are following my lead by skipping the pre-game party in Boston tonight... Mike Brown is still evaluating the starting 2-guard spot... And Bob Finnan has another profile of the Cavs' head man.

"We don't need to be out there watching that, we need to get ready for the game," James said before the team left for Boston. Congratulations to them. But we're not [like] the fans of Boston. We don't need to be out there clapping for them getting rings."

Finally... a game!!!

It had been 9 days since the last time a Cleveland team played, with the Browns and Indians last suiting up on September 28th. So even though last night's preseason game at the Q didn't really matter, at least it finally gave us something to talk about. And our first look at the new-look Cavaliers. Well, at least the first listen since the game wasn't televised. And by the way, it was damn good to hear Joe Tait's voice again...

Big Ben throws one down vs. Toronto last night

I wouldn't put too much stock in the final score, with the Raptors winning 104-84. How seriously can you take a game in which LeBron played 8 minutes and chipped in one point on three shots from the floor? And keep in mind that Delonte West wasn't even in the building. Overall the starters didn't really play much at all (Mo 26 minutes, Sasha 22 minutes, Ben 20 minutes, Z 22 minutes) with the goal being to keep everyone healthy and rested for the start of the season. So mission accomplished there. Brian Windhorst has the rundown in the PD (how good does that sound?) this morning of all the good and bad from last night's game.

"We looked pretty good at it at times, at other times we looked sloppy," Mike Brown said. "We have to be selective with our tempo, we have to know how to run."

And I also liked this piece from George Thomas at the ABJ (apparently taking over for Mr. Windhorst there) on JJ Hickson's Cavalier debut:

Rookie J.J. Hickson (7 points, 4 rebounds) didn't light things up on the scoreboard, but willingly and enthusiastically played some tenacious defense. His digging one off the floor in the first half led directly to a Cavs basket, but it was in the fourth quarter that he showed what the team saw in during the summer. He stole the ball from Toronto's Will Solomon at the 10:44 mark near midcourt and dashed to the Cavs basket, sealing the deal with a thunderous two-handed dunk that got the crowd roaring.

So it's one preseason game down, seven more to go before the real season starts in just 20 days. Terry Pluto likes what he sees so far with Mo pushing the tempo... And here's an interesting tidbit about the Cavs possibly coming close to acquring Jermaine O'Neal in the offseason. All I can say is thank the sports gods that that didn't happen. He will no doubt be hurt again by January... And finally, what to make of Anderson Varejao this year? One of my favorite Cavalier 'insiders' has a good piece on RealCavsFans.

Tribe Update: We found out yesterday that Travis Hafner's shoulder may need arthroscopic surgery. That's great news considering we are on the hook for $57M over the next four years with him and he's already showing diminishing skills at the plate. Hopefully it is due to the shoulder and it gets corrected, but I'm not holding my breath right now. Paul Hoynes and Sheldon Ocker both give their summaries from Mark Shapiro's state-of-the-team address yesterday. I thought it was interesting to hear him put so much emphasis on acquiring another starter. I'll eventually jot down my thoughts on the 2009 Tribe here as soon as I stop being lazy about it.

Browns Update: I guess it's time to get back into Browns mode again. I will reluctantly play along, this time with lowered expectations. But my patience is obviously wearing thin. Tony Grossi has a scouting report today on the defending Super Bowl champs. I'm just hoping we can somehow keep this game close and not embarrass ourselves in the spotlight. At least Josh Cribbs is feeling good again.