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.

Cavs vs. Magic

So the streak has reached 12 after a couple of not-so-pretty wins over the lowly Knicks and Nets on Saturday and Tuesday. I'd like to attribute the sloppy play to boredom (we were up by 24 over NY and 17 over NJ) in the midst of a long winning streak, but the defensive lapses are a cause for concern. The Cavs pride themselves in owning the best defensive field goal percentage in the league and had held the opposition to sub-50% shooting in all but 3 of their 51 games prior to these last two. And oddly enough, all 5 of those +50% shooting nights for the opponent have led to wins for the Cavs. I guess when you're good enough, you can even overcome a hot shooting night from the other guys. And I've said all along that this Cavaliers team can win in a variety of ways.

Which leads us to tonight's game - a showdown against the team that caused all kinds of matchup fits for the Cavs in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. The Magic have played much better of late, winning 10 of their last 12 and surging into the 2nd spot in the East. They are currently six games behind the Cavs for the top spot in the conference and would like nothing more than to come into the Q in the last game before the All-Star break and avenge their November loss to the wine and gold.

Of course the Cavs are still shorthanded without Mo, but will possibly have Delonte back in uniform for tonight's matchup. Personally, I'd rather see Redz just sit out one more game and then enjoy the 7 days off before next Tuesday's game against Denver. But if he does return to the court tonight it will be nice to have his defense out there against Orlando's perimeter guys. I will be at the Q for this one and will be looking forward to scouting the Magic with Vince Carter. I've maintained all-along that going VC instead of Turkoglu was a huge mistake for them and I'm looking forward to watching Carter off the ball... something you just can't do when watching on TV.

Hopefully we can run this streak to 13, slip into the All-Star break and grab some much-needed rest, and most importantly - get healthy. And with the trade deadline now just a week away, we should have some more interesting things to talk about besides water fountains at the Q. Sometimes I shake my head at what actually becomes a newsworthy story. Go Cavs.

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.
  

He's Still BOO-zer to Me

(cross-posted from my new gig on www.numbersdont.com)

All seems to be righting itself nicely in Cavalier land after a trip through Florida that saw the Wine and Gold beat the Magic and Heat in a tough back-to-back set. We found out that Shaq can be effective in neutralizing the dominance of Dwight Howard in the paint. We found out that Delonte West still cannot be counted on to be part of the rotation, but that other guys (Jamario Moon) can step up when needed. We were reminded of how entertaining the LeBron vs. Wade matchups always seem to be. We witnessed how much better the offense looks when Mo is aggressive and hitting shots. And we saw that this JJ Hickson kid can play when Mike Brown's leash is lengthened a bit. The two solid Florida wins have the Cavs now sitting at 6-3 and a strong 4-1 away from the Q.

The team will return home to face the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. And as we ponder things here on this Friday the 13th I'm reminded of a form of evil that will be visiting along the Jazz this weekend. Of course I'm referring to the one and only Carlos Boozer, and for some reason my hate for him is like Jason Voorhees. No matter what, it just won't seem to die. Old wounds never really heal for us in Cleveland and I'd like to think that Boozer will never truly be forgiven for what he did to this franchise, short of a far-fetched scenario like him rejoining that Cavs and helping to win a title.

I know it's childish and petty to still hold such a grudge more than five years after the man took the money and ran to Utah. I know the Cavs have moved on and had great success without Boozer here. But I can't help thinking what could have been had Boozer decided to stay here. He was loved by fans for his blue collar work ethic he displayed as a second-round pick. He was pretty much the lone bright spot in the pre-LeBron season of 2002-03 when the Cavs mustered just 17 wins (yes, I'm denying that the Ricky Davis era ever happened). Then we saw a resurgence and a reason for hope again the next season when the team climbed to 35 wins and it looked like LeBron and Boozer could be the NBA's next great young star pairing. But Boozer wouldn't let that happen.

I hope those of you that will also be in attendance tomorrow night at the Q will join me in giving Boozer a warm Cleveland welcome. Don't let him forget what he did to this frachise. He stabbed a blind guy in the back. He turned his back on a city that embraced him and a chance to team up with a once-in-a-lifetime star. All for some more money and a mountain view. To that I say "BOOOOOOOOO" and I will say it loud and often, every time time he puts his money-grubbing hands on the ball tomorrow night. This is Cleveland and we hold grudges. Besides, it makes an otherwise ho-hum November game in a long 82-game season a little more fun, right?

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.

One week in

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

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

Delonte returned to the court on Halloween night

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

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

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

I'm back baby

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

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

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

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

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

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.

ECF: Cavs vs. Magic

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

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

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

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

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

Halfway there...

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

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

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

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

Should it be this easy?

I had the good fortune of attending Game 2 last night, yet another playoff beatdown served up by the wine and gold. This one was a 105-85 mauling (highlights) of the visiting Hawks, putting the Cavs up 2-0 as the series now shifts down to Atlanta. And the game wasn't even that close. The Cavs were up by 36 at one point in the third quarter - reminiscent of many of their regular season romps this year in terms of lack of pressure and relative ease in which they were able to do completely destroy their opponent. This one was never in doubt.

The MVP and his teammates are making quick work of the Hawks

The Hawks stubbornly stuck to their game plan of playing LeBron straight up on defense and he torched them yet again, this time going for 27/5/3 in just 31 minutes of work. The highlight of the playoffs so far for me was his insane step-back three from 36 feet just before the halftime buzzer. Mo and Delonte also combined for 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting, with Mo putting up a ridiculous +30 in the box score. And Wally came off the bench for 17 points, great hustle, his usual high-fives and ass-slaps all around. It earned him another "Wally, Wally, Wally" chant from the Q crowd. Again, it was just another fun drubbing of an opponent at home. Nothing has seemingly changed from the regular season to these playoffs as the guys rattled off their 6th straight double-digit win.

So as we head into Game 3 tomorrow night, the Hawks have to be searching for answers. How will they be able to keep it close? Will they be missing three starters now that Joe Johnson has a severely sprained ankle? And would it even matter if they were healthy? If the Cavs win on Saturday night I don't see any way that Atlanta avoids a sweep come Monday. And I have tickets for home game E, which I'm really hoping is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Come on Boston, we're waiting for you. Six down, ten to go. Go Cavs.

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.

Back on track

After the Cavaliers' shameful performances on Thursday and Friday nights, which caused me to boycott my own blog, I wasn't sure what to expect yesterday afternoon at the Q. The team was possibly facing their first three-game losing streak of the season, but the guys responded in style with a 101-81 win (highlights) over the Spurs to run their home record to a sparkling 37-1 at the Q. The win drops the magic number to clinch #1 in the East to just 2 and still keeps a one-game lead over the Lakers for #1 overall.

Yesterday's game still featured way too much of Tony Parker waltzing through the lane unchallenged, too reminiscent of the 2007 Finals for my taste. I wish one of our guys at some point would just knock Parker on his ass with a hard foul instead of giving up a layup. But the Cavs did do a great job keeping Ginobili and Duncan in check, with the two of them combining for just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting.

LBJ & the Cavs had a nice bounce back game Sunday afternoon

Offensively I think it may have been Delonte West's best overall performance of the year. He was aggressive and outstanding, netting 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting. And LeBron was LeBron, with a 38/6/7 line on an efficient 14-of-21 from the field. Add in Mo's 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and the three combined for 82 points on 33-for-51 (65%) shooting. Not many teams can beat the Cavs when they play like that. It was a nice bounce back performance to right the ship before a payback game with the Wizards this Wednesday at the Q. Rumor has it that Ben Wallace will be suiting up for the good guys. Go Cavs.

Tribe Update: Hard to believe Opening Day 2009 is already here. I've neglected to spend much time on the Indians here due the the Cavs' overwhelming success. But the real games get underway in just over three hours from now when the Tribe takes the field in Texas to face the Rangers. So what to expect from the team this year? The good news is, it's an odd year. If recent Tribe history has taught us anything about that, then we should all be happy. 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2009? Let's hope for another postseason appearance. I think it's very likely with this group of guys.

A lot will hinge on the success of our starting rotation. I don't expect Cliff Lee to enjoy the same dominant Cy Young season he had last year. That's just asking too much. But I think he still will be a solid #1 starter this year. I also expect Fausto Carmona to have a nice comeback year after struggling with control problems and injury last year. The rest of the rotation is more of a question mark with Carl Pavano, Anthony Reyes, and Scott Lewis. But there are plenty of options in the minors with Aaron Laffey, David Huff, and hopefully a healthy return of Jake Westbrook, post-All-Star break.

The bullpen should be more reliable with the addition of Kerry Wood and Joe Smith to go along with the dependable options of the two Raffys (Betancourt and Perez) and Jensen Lewis. I expect this to be the major strength of this team this season and a key to their success.

The batting order should also be fine with the addition of Mark DeRosa at third base and an everyday outfield that now includes Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo. We know what to expect from Grady Sizemore, Victory Martinez, and Jhonny Peralta. Asdrubal Cabrera seems to have found his stroke again after struggling mightily last year. Kelly Shoppach should get more at-bats after last season's success and the ability to move Victor Martinez to first base when needed. Ryan Garko has had a hot spring and should also get plenty of at-bats. The one true question mark is Travis Hafner. How will his shoulder hold up? Will his timing be back? And most importantly, will the power return? If so, then this offense could really put up big numbers this season.

I honestly don't know what to expect. For fun I'll make a prediction. I think this team will go somewhere around 89-73 and it will be just good enough to win the Central. And if we get into the postseason, there's no telling what will happen from there. Hopefully we're in for a fun summer.

Still rolling at the Q

The Cavs turned over a new leaf last night at the Q in their 97-93 OT win over Portland (highlights). On a night when their outside shots weren't falling they found a way to get their inside game working again. They committed to getting their points in the paint, forcing the ball into Z with his back to the basket, and ran plenty of sets with LeBron planted low in the post. The results were highly favorable with the Cavs getting 42 points in the paint, a welcome change from the frequent jump-shooting that has dominated their games of late.

After an ugly first quarter that saw both teams combine for only 31 points, the Cavs committed to their defense and were patient with their approach. It was a back and forth struggle at times and was tight pretty much throughout, but you never got a sense the Cavs were panicking or that they would lose. Maybe it's the feeling that a 31-1 home record affords us as Cavs fans. But it sure is nice to see the team keep their composure in the midst of all these close games recently. I have a feeling this experience will go a long way in the playoffs.

LBJ was able to notch his 7th triple-double (his 4th in the last 7 games!) with a 26/11/10 line and he unleashed a few rarely-used shots from his bag of tricks. He went to the running hook a couple times and really looked comfortable initiating his offense down on the block with his back to the basket. I really thought Z was a difference-maker as well with his 21 points. So was Joe Smith with his 12 points in 19 minutes off the bench. And Delonte and Mo provided some great defense on Steve Blake and Brandon Roy on a night when neither of the Cavs' guards shots were falling - they combined to only go 8-for-29 from the floor. Thankfully it was 'LeBron to the Rescue' down the stretch in the 4th quarter and overtime. This is a very talented young Blazers team and this was another solid win for the Cavs.

Did I mention how happy I am to have Joe Smith back?

So with just 14 games remaining on the season the Cavs are 55-13 and still hold the NBA's best record by one game over the Lakers. They move on to face another tough opponent tomorrow night at the Q when the Hawks pay a visit. It will be a matchup of two of the East's hottest teams, each sporting a current 7-game winning streak. Go Cavs (and Vikings, and Buckeyes, and Flyers).

No St. Patty's Day hangover...

What a night last night for the Cavaliers... I should have known it was special when I made my way towards the Q through the mass of drunken "Irish" Clevelanders amid the balmy 70-degree mid-March weather. It almost felt like playoff time even before entering the doors to the Q. And inside it really felt like the playoffs as the Cavs beat the Magic in a 97-93 thriller (highlights). Much will be made of two calls that seem to have benefited the Cavs down the stretch. The first was a 3-second call on Dwight Howard with 30 seconds remaining. But what will be conveniently left out is the fact that the Magic did miss a three-pointer on the play and the ball was rebounded by the Cavs... and Howard was camped out in the lane pretty much the entire evening.

LBJ and the Cavs came up huge on St. Patty's Day

The second call was with 8 seconds remaining when LeBron got himself "a bird" (for all us A.C. lovers) when Courtney Lee bit on his pump fake and LBJ then jumped into him. Again, it's a big call late in the game but it was a foul. LeBron calmly sank both free throws, even encouraging the raucous crowd to ramp up their "MVP, MVP, MVP!" chants, to which we gladly obliged. It was a signature win for the Cavs and a signature game (again) for LeBron with his 43/12/8 stat line. Mo also chipped in 21, including a huge 3 with 2:00 minutes remaining in the 4th. And I thought Z and Delonte provided some excellent work on the defensive end as the Magic were held to 93 points. Of course there are still some things that need to be cleaned up, but even without Big Ben there still have been major improvements on D since the guys returned home from their West coast trip.

So with their 6th straight win the Cavs move to 30-1 at the Q and 54-13 overall. And to make things even better the Celtics and Lakers decided to do us a huge favor by both losing (the Lakers did so in dramatic fashion). It was a great night all around, with the Cavs now proud owners of the NBA's best record by a full game with just 15 games left on the schedule. They also hold a 5-game lead in the loss column over both Boston and Orlando and their magic number to clinch the coveted #1 seed in the East is down to 11... but really it is smaller than that with Boston playing Orlando once more and the Cavs still with another game against each of them. It will be impossible for both Orlando and Boston to win out with their remaining schedules. But first things first, the Cavs continue their home stand tomorrow night with the young Portland Trailblazers paying a visit to the Q. Go Cavs.

With just 15 games left, I like how the overall picture looks...

10 years gone

The Cavaliers strolled into Phoenix last night having last won a game there 10 years ago (check out some of the names in that box score). They needed a win badly just to keep pace with the Lakers, who won earlier in the night, and to stretch their lead a bit on Boston who was idle. In a season full of meaningful road wins, the Cavs were able to notch another one as they exited with a hard-fought 119-111 win (highlights). In the process, the team established a new franchise record for road wins in a season with their 23rd in 34 tries. Not too shabby.

And oh by they way, LeBron was stellar again, notching his third consecutive triple-double with a sparkling 34/10/13 line. And the King had some big help from some of his buddies. Mo Williams was again outstanding, chipping in 30 points on 10-of-23 shooting (including 6-for-10 from 3-point range). And Mike Brown even dusted the cobwebs off of Sasha Pavlovic who responded with 16 much-needed points off the bench, including 3-5 from deep in the US Airways Center (in my best AC voice - I hate TNT games). Sasha was needed because Delonte West again went down hard on a drive to the basket and ended up with what the team is describing as "back spasms." Let's hope for the best for Delonte, who has already had a tough road trip.

Brother Red took another hard fall on Thursday night

It wasn't a pretty win by any stretch of the imagination. The Cavs interior defense was shredded again in the absence of Ben Wallace. There were a lot of unnecessary turnovers. They had to fight back from behind on the road again in the 4th quarter. But in the end they got the job done with some timely clutch shooting (again). LeBron had to log heavy minutes (again) and it seems to be showing as he missed two more dunks, which adds up to 4 in his last 3 games by my count. He seems to have some tired legs... but then again, not too tired to make three dazzling blocks, including a tremendous chase-down of a Jason Richardson 360 attempt. In the end, I'll take it. Especially given this was their 9th game in the last 15 days.

The road trip finally comes to an end tonight in Sacramento. This might be a good opportunity to rest Delonte's ailing back. And hopefully the team can jump out to a lead and rest some of the starters. One thing's for certain - we can all finally get back to a normal sleep schedule after tonight. These West coast trips during the week are just brutal. Go Cavs.

Rolling along...

You get the sense that the Cavs barely broke a sweat in dispatching the Bucks 91-73 (highlights) last night at the Q. The game was never really in question and the team seemed to be able to turn it on whenever they wanted to. The defensive pressure is rounding into playoff form, the motion looks much better on offense with Delonte back in the mix, and we are back to beating teams with ease. And that's always a good thing because it allows Mike Brown to rest his starters which will be key down the stretch run of the regular season.

DWest led the way with a career-high 8 steals Wednesday night

The win also clinched a playoff spot for the Cavs, allowing them to be the first team in the league to do so. I know the playoffs were a foregone conclusion before the season even started, but can you believe they clinched a spot with 22 games remaining? Just think about that for a second. I remember four seasons ago watching the scoreboard on the final day of the regular season (mid-April) to see if the Cavs would get some help and sneak in as the 8th seed. I have to say I prefer the way we dominate now with far less drama.

So now the stage is set for a huge showdown tomorrow night in Boston. I can't wait for it to start. I'm almost as pumped as AC right now. Tomorrow night can't arrive fast enough. I want to see if we can take care of business in Boston and really make a statement in our quest for the #1 seed... I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a Cavs fan can feel, a Cavs fan at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope the guys can play well in Boston. I hope to see my friend Joe Smith back in that wine and gold uniform. I hope the O'Brien trophy is as gold as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

Whoa, sorry to go all Shawshank on you there. Like I said, I'm excited. 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.