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.

We're going streaking!

We're going streaking! sound bite Will Ferrell sound bites

Unofficial rule here on ClevelandChamps... when one of our teams' winning streaks hits double-digits, the Will Ferrell streaking scene must be invoked. The Cavs accomplished that feat with their first 10-game streak of the season last night. They trounced the Heat 102-86 at the Q, in the process grabbing their 21st win in their last 22 games at home. And yes, we are now on the same 40-11 pace to start the season as last year's team.

Another stellar night for LeBron with 36 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. Mind you, he did this on just 16 shots from the field. And he was 17-for-21 from the line. I'd say "efficient" is an understatement there. And he truly did fill in as point guard-de-facto last night with Boobie Gibson missing the entire first half due to his fiancee's "false labor." It was nice to see Gibson show up and play the second half and notch 12 points for himself after that scare. Shaq also recorded his 10th consecutive double-digit scoring effort (coincidence that the Cavs have won all 10 even without Mo and Delonte?). And I haven't even mentioned JJ Hickson's facial served up on Dwyane Wade, or his subsequent rejection, also at Wade's expense.

The Cavs truly are hitting on all cylinders now. They have won their last five games by an average 18.4 points. And the streak could continue with their next two against the Knicks and Nets before another TNT showdown next Thursday against the Magic. Enjoy these days Cavalier fans... especially if, like me, you took those 90's Indians teams for granted. This team is that special.

50 games in... time for a breather

Unbelievably, the Cavaliers have already hit the 50-game checkpoint in their schedule. It's almost time for the All-Star break and now is as good a time as any to take a look at their body of work thus far. After last night's 105-89 drubbing of the Grizzlies at the Q (ho-hum, just their 9th consecutive win) the Cavs now stand at 39-11 - just one game off their torrid 66 win pace of last season. That means after their sky-is-falling 0-2 start, the team has rallied to play .812 basketball over its last 48 games. Not too shabby. And the general consensus is that there is still room for improvement.

My two main gripes are still free-throw shooting and turnovers. As a team the Cavs shoot just 72.9%, which ranks 27th in the NBA. And they average 14.8 turnovers a game, which puts them just about right in the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the league. But I can live with missed free throws (of course a lot of them come from Shaq) because this team gets to the line a lot (8th in the league at 26.8 attempts per game), which means the fouls are piling up for the opposition. And the turnovers mostly come from a lack of focus. There has been some horrendous passing into the post at certain points this season. It seems to have improved lately, but it's still something to keep an eye on. It also should be easily corrected. Now on to the good numbers:

• The Cavs are 20-3 at home. They have outscored their opponents by an average of 9.4 points in those games. And all 23 home games have been sellouts.
• The Cavs are 19-8 on the road. They have outscored their opponents by an average of 5.3 points in those games.
• They are 19-5 against teams from the West and 20-6 against teams from the East. Consistency.
• They are 22-3 when the game is decided by 10 points or more... just 5-5 when it's 3 points or less. And 20-10 vs. teams currently above .500... 19-1 vs. teams that are not. By contrast, against plus-.500 teams the Celtics are 17-11, the Magic 16-13, and the Lakers 19-11.
• The Cavs own the league's best point differential (+7.3), best opponent FG% (.430), and best rebounding differential (+4.5).
  

In short, the Cavs are beating teams anywhere they play them, whomever they play, and they usually do it with relative ease. There is still a lot of basketball left to be played but we've seen this team battle through a rough start, a tough schedule, and injuries to key players. All the while they have done this while incorporating new guys into the rotation (Shaq, Moon, Parker, Jawad) and putting old guys in unfamiliar places (Z & Delonte off the bench, Boobie with a diminished role then forced to start). And I haven't even mentioned LeBron's nightly brilliance yet.

The King is well on his way to a second consecutive MVP trophy. But more importantly, the team seems to be on a mission. They are winning in all different styles this year against both the elite teams and the bottom-feeders. And there's still plenty left to be seen with the trade deadline approaching and 32 games remaining on the schedule. Stay tuned, this should be a fun ride.

Thoughts on the Cavs

OK, I'll admit it - it's been way too long since I've posted here. But my late New Year's resolution is to bring this blog back with full force in 2010. I've been spending some time lately focusing on www.numbersdont.com - the official blog of RealCavsFans. I put together a piece yesterday on the Amare Stoudemire rumors popping up again which can be read here: http://numbersdont.com/?p=964

If you are a big Cavs fan like me, be sure and bookmark that site. There is a new piece just about every day and some very talented minds are involved. You will find a unique perspective on things Cavalier-related and we are excited about where that blog is headed. (end of plug)

Some thoughts on the state of the Cavs as they have completed their toughest stretch of games for a while:

• The Mo injury had me super-bummed at the time it happened. I was prepared for the worst but figured Delonte would hopefully pick up the slack in Mo's absence.
• Then the Delonte injury - of course a freak occurrence right at the end of the win over the Lakers. Initial whispers had him out a month and had me standing on a ledge (not really, it's just a metaphor for how I was feeling).
• So the PG duties now fall into the still-SG hands of Boobie Gibson, and to a lesser extent Anthony Parker. Anyone who watched last night's win in Miami has to be terrified every time AP brings the ball up the court while facing any type of pressure. As always, thank the sports gods that LeBron is still able to handle the ball the majority of the time. Even if it sometimes leads to LeIso, it's way better than the alternative.
• Shaq has really made his presence felt over the last three games without Mo. He's averaging 18 points, shooting 68.7% from the floor (22-for-32), and getting to the free throw line 23 times, which is causing foul trouble for the opposing team's big men. And he is playing intimidating defense in the paint. Even when he is picking up fouls, he's making them count by making the opposition pay for entering his domain.
• What more can you say about LeBron that hasn't already been said? The way he dominated Kobe in the win over the Lakers... the way he won the game with his defense on Kevin Durant against the Thunder... then the way he went toe-to-toe with Dwyane Wade and won last night's game over the Heat with his defense and clutch FT's. Just give him his 2nd straight MVP trophy right now. It's not even a competition anymore.
• So the Cavs have finally reached a much-needed soft spot in their schedule. After playing 26 of 46 games on the road (going 18-8 in the process and 35-11 overall) they now have 7-of-8 in the friendly confines of the Q. Four of those games will be against sub-.500 teams. Time to work Jamario back into the rotation and hopefully get Mo and Delonte back healthy soon.
• Final thought - if you have the means, I highly encourage you to make the road trip to Indianapolis Friday night to watch the Cavs play the Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse. You really need to watch the Cavs play on the road at some point... it's relatively close... and the arena is beautiful. I promise that you won't be disappointed.
  

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.

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.
  

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.

Oh what a night...

These are the kind of nights when you're glad you're an overly-obsessed sports fan. Given the way the Cavs performed in the first three quarters against the Clippers last night, there was really no reason to keep watching. Down 14 at the half I said to myself that if they could get it under 10 heading into the 4th I'd keep watching. They entered the 4th down 17 and thankfully I went against my sleep-deprived judgment and kept on watching even as hope for a comeback dwindled. Then something happened... the team clamped down on defense and started making shots.

It really started around the 10:34 mark of the fourth quarter when Mo Williams made a seemingly harmless jump shot to cut the deficit to 17. Less than 90 seconds later the Clippers were forced to call a timeout as the Cavs had trimmed their lead down to 11. With still 9 minutes left I actually started to get that glimmer of hope that the Cavs might be able to pull it out. After some back-and-forth for the next 4 minutes, the real momentum shift happened - after starting the night 0-for-16 from behind the arc, the Cavs finally made a 3-pointer as Mo calmly drained one. That cut the lead down to 7 and it was the moment when the Clippers switched from trying to win and instead tried not to lose. Other big plays down the stretch included a couple of amazing drives to the basket by LeBron (can he ever get a call?), a big Joe Smith jumper, some clutch free-throw shooting, and two huge threes - one by Boobie to tie it, and the dagger by Mo with 6 seconds left to win it.

Mo celebrates after his game-winner on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning

When the dust settled the Cavs capped off one of the most furious 4th quarter rallies I have ever seen, winning it 87-83 (some GREAT highlights) in LA. It was a game they had no business winning, given how lethargic they looked for the first three quarters. This team has begun to take on a persona similar to the '95 Indians... simply dominant, and at times seemingly almost bored with their own success. They are never really out of a game and for that reason you can never really flip off your TV until the final horn sounds. I was amused by the stunned looks on the faces of the Clippers and how it contrasted with their crowd reaction. Those who were left in the Staples Center when it ended didn't seem surprised in the least. It was another great win in a season of great wins. This season has been special and with 19 games left I have a feeling there are still a lot more great moments to come. Oh, by the way, LeBron had his second consecutive triple-double, notching a 32/13/11 line on this night. Ridiculous. Go Cavs.

Viking Update: I have to mention what a great night it was for Cleveland's other basketball team last night. Cleveland State took advantage of the opportunity in front of them and finally beat a tough #17 Butler in their own gym after coming up just short twice this season. But they won when it really mattered, capturing the Horizon League championship and getting their first NCAA tournament bid in 23 years. I have great memories of the last time they made it into the big dance back in 1986 when I was all of 10 years old. Congratulations to Coach Waters and the team for putting CSU basketball back on the map. It should be fun following them in the tournament and is a proud moment for this city. Now can I get my Falcons from Bowling Green to get a MAC tourney win and an automatic bid???

Finally, a losing streak

You knew it would happen eventually, and the Cavaliers almost made it to the All-Star break without a losing streak. But it finally caught up with them last night in a heartbreaking 96-95 loss (highlights) in Indiana to the Pacers. After TJ Ford gave the Pacers a two-point lead with .8 seconds left it appeared hopeless. But the Cavs drew up a great inbounds play with a lob pass to LeBron from the sideline and he was fouled by Danny Granger with just .4 seconds left. LeBron hit two huge pressure free throws and it appeared the game was headed for overtime. But amazingly, the Pacers ran a similar inbounds play with a lob to Granger, and referee Joey Crawford had the audacity to whistle LeBron for the foul with .1 second left on the clock in one of the all-time worst make-up calls that I've ever witnessed. And of course Granger made one free throw to end the game.

The infamous make-up call with 0.1 left on the clock

I won't waste my time complaining about that call, as awful as it was. I'll leave that to Mike Brown. The main problem was how everyone besides LeBron played last night. No one showed up at all to help him out. The interior defense was again pathetic most of the night. No one could hit an open shot. I shudder to think how ugly it would have been without LBJ's heroics (47 points on 15-of-21 shooting, including 13-for-14 from the line). Particularly bad performances were put up by Boobie (2-for-7 shooting and 5 fouls in 26 minutes) and Z (5-for-17 shooting and 5 fouls in 36 minutes).

But I won't panic after this loss. The team is clearly limping to the upcoming All-Star break with all the injured bodies. They are still 39-11 and 23-1 at home. But tonight's game at the Q vs. the Suns becomes imperative for them to win in order to head into the break on a high note. Let's hope LeBron gets some help from the rest of his able-bodied teammates. 40-11 would sound a hell of a lot better than 39-12, right?

23-0

The Cavaliers were able to set their franchise record for consecutive home wins as they improved to a perfect 23-0 at the Q with a 101-83 win (highlights) over the Raptors last night. LeBron James set yet another NBA record as he became the youngest player ever to reach 12,000 career points. But it wasn't his offense that was most impressive last night, even if he did not 33 points and was a perfect 13-for-13 from the foul line. His defense last night was really the difference-maker. Mike Brown decided to stick LeBron on Jermaine O'Neal after he was torching the Cavs down low for 20 points early in the 4th quarter. O'Neal finished the game stuck on 20 points as LeBron completely shut him down and threw in an amazing block of a Chris Bosh dunk attempt for good measure.

LBJ was all over Jermaine O'Neal in the 4th quarter last night

The King also had some nice help from his friends, most notably All-Star snub Mo Williams. He continued his stellar play of late by adding 16 points and 9 assists. If he doesn't get the nod for the All-Star game now after Jameer Nelson's shoulder injury, then something is definitely wrong. Although I do think another snub could really put a huge chip on his shoulder and ultimately help this team more in the long run. We'll probably find out in the next day or two what happens there... Wally Szczerbiak and Boobie Gibson also had solid nights, combining for 33 points on 10-for-21 shooting, including 7-for-12 from outside the arc. Szczerbs got the rare start in place of a flu-ridden Sasha Pavlovic and logged a staggering 44 minutes of action. I hope his legs respond OK because he will be called upon again tonight in New York when the Cavs face the Knicks at 7:30. I can't wait for all the LeBron-to-New York questions again (rolling my eyes). Go Cavs.

Thankful

Let me start today by saying that I'm incredibly thankful and lucky to be here. I had a pretty serious auto accident on Wednesday on my way home from work in which I managed to launch my car off an overpass on I-480 and land upside down on the ground below next to Brookpark Rd. Here's what my once great Jeep looks like now. I truly think that someone was looking out for me on Wednesday and there's a reason that I made it out alive - to be here to experience Cleveland's first sports championship! (I'm kidding about that of course, but humor is my way of dealing with things right now.)

So I just want to thank all the well-wishers, and all of my personal heroes from Wednesday. The complete strangers that witnessed the accident, the EMS workers and police officers that were first on the scene, and an incredibly warm and caring hospital staff at Fairview Hospital all showed me what an amazing network of support that we take for granted every day. It was a truly humbling experience to be taken care of like that and I hope that I'm able to return the favor in small ways throughout the rest of my life. Things can change in an instant and I hope all of you out there take the time to enjoy life. I know I will. I'm already enjoying the extra time I've been able to spend with my beautiful wife these last couple days...

Even though I'm a little banged up, I'm still here to report on our beloved Cavaliers. I was able to catch the game in Orlando on Thursday night right after I was released from the hospital. Since it was another shorthanded loss on the road to an elite team I won't dwell on that one too much. But in true Cavalier fashion, they were able to follow up that loss with a 112-95 win (highlights) over the Clippers on Friday night. That extends the team's record at the Q to 22-0 and featured the return of Z to the starting line-up. He was able to chip in 20 points and 11 rebounds in his first game back. And I love the way our spacing looks on offense again, thanks to the big fella being back out there.

LBJ led the way with 33 Sunday in Detroit

So yesterday was another nice test for the Cavs as they were back on the road hoping to avenge an earlier loss to the Pistons at the Palace. The Cavs hadn't beaten a quality opponent from the East on the road yet, and a day game on Super Bowl Sunday was sort of a worrisome test for me. But the Cavs passed with flying colors with a 90-80 win (highlights) in which they outscored the Pistons 32-14 in the decisive fourth quarter. They were really able to do it with a 15-2 run to start the quarter in which LeBron was on the bench and Mo and Boobie did all the damage. The most telling stat I saw after yesterday's win - the Cavs are now +95 in point differential with Mo Williams on the court in the 4th quarter this year. And this guy's not an All-Star??? At least Mike Brown made it, although the league was "forced" to take him, as LeBron pointed out. The Cavs resume play again tomorrow night at the Q against the Raptors, where they look for their 23rd consecutive home win.

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.

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...

Lots of updates...

First order of business - the Cavaliers got themselves back on track with another blowout win at home, this time a 111-81 drubbing of the Bobcats (highlights). They found their shooting touch again, finishing at a tidy 60% from the floor and 50% from three point range (7-14). When the Cavs shoot like that I don't think there's a team on the planet that can beat them. I found myself at times last night wishing we could bottle that performance up and save it for Friday night. And I have to admit, the Cav Fanatic blue jerseys that they broke out for the game first puzzled me at first glance earlier this week, but then grew on me as the game wore on last night.

Boobie regained his shooting touch on his bobblehead night on Wednesday

So with the easy win the Cavs have now run their home record to a perfect 18-0. That sets things up for Friday night's huge home matchup with the Celtics. Boston has managed to lose 6 of their last 8 games, and with last night's win the Cavs are now the #1 seed in the East, a half-game ahead of Boston, and tied with the Lakers for the best record in the entire NBA. I don't want to get too worked up just 34 games into the season and with still two more matchups with the Celtics left prior to the playoffs... but you can't help but think that Friday night will have a special playoff-type feel to it. And it could go a long way toward deciding the all-important home court advantage this spring... unless you listen to ESPN's John Hollinger's latest predictions where he surmises that, "I don't think seeding will even matter -- because I doubt they'll play a seventh game while storming to the title." If that doesn't give you a couple goosebumps then you're not really a Cleveland fan. More on the big game vs. Boston tomorrow.

Browns Update: Since this is fairly significant news, I'm going to breach my own self-imposed ban of Browns talk to say that Eric Mangini has been hired as head coach of our Browns. All I can think is that I hope I'm not sitting here three years from now describing how Mangini was fired in yet again, another rebuilding phase for this franchise. For the collective sake of all of us, let's hope Rebuild #4 works out. Still no GM, but that's only a minor detail, right?

Tribe Update: As if not wanting to be left out of the sports buzz in Cleveland, the Tribe has also made some noise in the past week. They traded for their third baseman, Mark DeRosa from the Cubs. They also signed free agent pitcher Carl Pavano to a contract. Pavano has a scary injury history and was extremely disappointing in New York so I don't know what to think of him. And DeRosa is by all reports a great clubhouse guy and a solid player. And we didn't have to give Casey Blake a 3-year $11M contract like the Dodgers did. Casey's a great guy and all, but yikes. There are so many financial problems in the MLB today, it's just plain scary.

And if you were wondering, Mark Shapiro is happy his brother-in-law is in town.

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...

That's more like it

On the heels of their close loss in Atlanta on Saturday, last night's matchup in Minnesota had the makings of a a perfect "trap" game, especially considering the Cavaliers have another tough battle looming ahead on Friday night in Denver. It would have been easy to overlook the Timberwolves, losers of 10 straight and sporting just a 4-20 record. Last year's version of the Cavaliers probably would have overlooked them. But you get the sense that this year's team is much different and much more focused. Instead of looking past Minnesota, the Cavs took care of business in much the same fashion they have all year with a 93-70 rout (highlights) in the Target Center.

LeBron James had another brilliant performance on his way to 32 points on a ridiculous 10-for-14 shooting. His dazzling array of passing and tough fallaway shots led to the Cavs outscoring Minnesota 30-14 in the fourth quarter and culminated in the rare road standing ovation. Definitely a classy move by the Minnesota crowd. And Delonte West also shook of a recent shooting slump by chipping in a personal Cavalier-high 21 points on 9-of-16 from the floor.

The King acknowledges the classy Minnesota crowd on Wednesday night

The 70 points scored by Minnesota marks the lowest by any Cavs' opponent so far this season. It also drops the Cavalier defensive average to 89.2 ppg, the best in the NBA and the only team allowing under 90 a night. At the 25 game point last season the Cavs were just 11-14. They are 21-4 now. And this was already their 17th double-digit victory on the season, compared to just 10 of them all last year. Again, barring some catastrophic injuries this team is on pace to do something very special.

Speaking of injuries, Bob Finnan gives an injury update. I had a feeling the toe problem might linger for Boobie. And I'm OK with him resting up and getting himself 100% healthy. Sasha Pavlovic has done an admirable job stepping into the rotation and buying into Mike Brown's 'defense-first' mentality. And he appears to have learned to stop the out-of-control drives to the basket where a turnover seemed to be the only possible outcome. I'm not saying that Sasha is anything spectacular - and I've certainly learned over the years to not fall for his flashes of talent amid maddening inconsistency - but his controlled play of late has been a pleasant surprise. Now if Z really can give it a go on Friday night I will feel much better about our offensive flow in Denver. I'm just glad he survived this back in '95...

Back in action

I apologize for my extended absence this week. Work has dragged me away from the more pressing need of talking Cleveland sports. But work does pay the bills, so unfortunately it is required to be my #1 priority. Thankfully the Cavs are back in action tonight in just three short hours when they are in Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. Even without Z and Boobie in the line-up this should be a surefire, no excuses win. I just hope they don't look past tonight's game in anticipation of a tough matchup in Denver vs. the Nuggets Friday night. The good news is that Z and maybe even Boobie will be available for that one... more tomorrow morning, hopefully to recap another win for the 'Wine & Golders' (as Fred McLeod fondly refers to them).

It couldn't last forever

A great man once said, "no good thing ever dies." After the Cavs' 88-72 win (highlights) over the 76ers on Friday night they reached a franchise milestone by tying a club record for 11 consecutive wins. But before it could become another team record, the streak died on Saturday night with a 97-92 setback in Atlanta. Of course the Cavs can't win every game they play but this one was rather frustrating, especially given the torrid pace that the Celtics are setting in the East.

It was one of Those Games. You know the ones where your team is playing on the road, shorthanded, with the refs making a lot of terrible calls in favor of the home team, and every loose ball seeming to bounce the home team's way? Yep, that's how it went on Saturday. The free throw disparity doesn't even begin to tell the story, with the Hawks getting to the line 39 times compared to just 23 for the Cavs. And don't be fooled by LeBron's 12 free throw attempts in the box score. He was hacked on numerous other drives to the rim that resulted in non-calls. So given the lopsided officiating, coupled with the fact that we were playing without two of our top six rotation guys (Z and Boobie) I'm actually quite pleased that we almost pulled it out in the end.

One of the few times LBJ wasn't fouled on his way to the rim

Thankfully for the Cavs they get to rest up for a bit before returning to the court to take on a bad Timberwolves team in Minnesota on Wednesday night. With a little luck Z can take the next few days to rest that ankle up and maybe he can even be ready to go on Friday night when the Cavs have another tough road test in Denver. It's obvious that we're missing the big guy in many of our offensive sets. Speaking of that, here's a great in-depth look at the Cavalier offense. Interesting stuff if you really want to see the different sets that can run from something that seems so simple, yet so hard to defend...

Unfortunately until the Cavs play again we are relegated to watching the Browns tonight in Philadelphia to take on the Eagles on Monday night football. Ugh. $20 for the first person that can give me one solid reason to watch this game tonight.

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...

Broken records

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Cavs were firing on all cylinders again last night as they cruised to another easy 114-94 victory (highlights) over the Raptors. It was a night of broken records as LeBron got his record-breaking steal out of the way early, Z got his record-breaking rebound (perhaps the most non-descript rebound of his career) out of the way in the 2nd quarter, and the Cavs became the first team in NBA history to win nine straight games by at least 12 points. The latest win brings them to 18-3 on the year and coupled with another ugly Pistons' loss puts the Cavaliers now 6-1/2 games in first place in the Central Division.

Records fell at the Q on Tuesday night

It was more of the same inside the Q as the Cavs seemed to turn up the defensive intensity whenever they wanted to. They held Chris Bosh to just 9 points, tying a season low the 24.9 ppg scorer, and only one Raptor starter (PG Jose Calderon) even reached double figures. For the season the Cavs have only surrendered 100 points 3 times in 21 games and are holding their opponents to a league-low 90.4 average.

Offensively the Cavs also seemed to get whatever they wanted. LeBron had an amazing 7 dunks on the night by my own unofficial count. And Mo Williams is just incredible to watch, especially in person. He takes so much pressure off of LeBron. The Cavs again shot well overall from the floor (49.4%) and from long-distance (8-for-22). And they continued their stellar play at the Q, raising their home record to a perfect 12-0, now the only undefeated team at home in the league. The only downer was Boobie Gibson's toe injury. Let's hope that doesn't linger for too long.

The Cavaliers are again in action tonight in Philadelphia to face the Sixers at 8:00pm. This will be a good road test, especially if we are shorthanded without Boobie in the rotation. Do yourselves a favor when watching this one if you can - turn down the volume on the ESPN broadcast and flip on Joe Tait for the call. If you're watching the best team in the NBA, you might as well listen to the best play-by-play man in the NBA, right?

Tribe Update: The Indians are reportedly close to signing Cubs closer Kerry Wood to a two-year deal. This is the type of low-risk/high-reward type of signing by GM Mark Shapiro that we have grown accustomed to over the years with the current set up of Major League Baseball (don't get me started on Sabathia and the Yankees). But I actually think this one will pay off well for the Tribe if it goes down. If healthy, Wood can be the dominant type of closer that we've been craving here in Cleveland since the good old days of Jose Mesa (pre-World Series Game 7 meltdown) and Mike Jackson. But I hope the Tribe isn't done with just this signing. The second base/shortstop situation needs to be addressed. I don't think I'll be able to handle another spring with hopeful Cleveland newspaper articles about Josh Barfield's re-emergence...