Back from the dead

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

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

The pre-game festivities should be monumental starting this fall

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

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

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

Living to fight another day

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you

Thank you Cavaliers for finally returning to the court. I'm not sure I could have gone much longer without seeing you play, especially given the depressing way the Tribe has stumbled out of the gates (yet again). And before I get into last night's Game 1, I can't help but thank the powers-that-be for allowing us the incredible good fortune of landing the King back in 2003. I still remember the LeBron Lottery night like it was yesterday. It was the night that things changed in Cleveland... and the night I became a Cavs season ticket holder on a drunken whim, which ultimately ended up being one of the better decisions I've made in the last few years. Fast forward 6 years to last night, seeing LBJ hold up that MVP trophy. Some people are saying that LeBron should have singled out the fans of Cleveland to thank them in his speech given at SVSM on Monday afternoon. I can't fault him for maybe forgetting that during his impromptu speech... and I really think maybe it should be the other way around - we the fans thanking him. So thank you LeBron for exceeding our lofty expectations. And we all know there's still more work to be done.

LBJ hoisted the first of his many likely MVP trophies Tuesday night at the Q

Game 1 against the Hawks went about as well as any of us could have expected. The Cavs shook off some rust in the first half and then sped away to a 99-72 win (highlights) at the Q to take a 1-0 lead in the series. LeBron led the way with 34 points (16 in the 1st quarter), 10 rebounds, and 4 steals in just 34 minutes of work. Mo also chipped in 21 - his fifth consecutive game of 20+ points vs. the Hawks. Also encouraging was Ben Wallace's 15 minutes of energy off the bench. He looks to have really benefited from the long layoff. And Sasha rose from the dead with 7 points in 12 minutes. He will be needed at some point in time over the next 5 or 6 weeks, so it was important to get him some confidence.

Now the Cavs will enjoy just one day of rest before moving on to Game 2 tomorrow night. Five down, eleven to go. Go Cavs.

Cavs sweep away Pistons

With the Cavaliers' two wins this weekend - a 79-68 Game 3 win (highlights) on Friday, and then yesterday's rousing 99-78 victory (highlights) in Game 4 - the Pistons were swept under the rug in stunningly easy fashion. In the four game sweep, the Cavs became just the third team in NBA history to win all four games by double figures. And LeBron became just the third player ever to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists for a playoff series - the other two to accomplish that feat being Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson. Not bad company to keep.

The King owned the Palace in this Round 1 sweep

So with their quick work in Round 1, the rest vs. rust argument now comes into play. With the Hawks/Heat series going to Game 4 tonight, it could be a while before the Cavs take the floor again. Miami/Atlanta is scheduled to go tonight, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. So if it goes the full seven games, Round 2 would probably begin next Tuesday at the Q. I personally think the Heat will end it in 6 games, which would mean Round 2 would start on Sunday. And that's fine by me. The Cavs (namely Z, Big Ben, and Joe Smith) can use the rest they are now enjoying. And would you want to face a really rested LeBron after what he just accomplished in Round 1? The Cavs will be fine with all this rest, and I think it should help in the long run. It will just be tough as a fan to go without them playing for so long. I guess it's time to sit back and study the rest of the playoff teams while we wait for the Cavs' next victim to emerge.

And I can't go without mentioning how satisfying it was to see the Pistons' season end like this. They had an impressive 6-year run atop the Eastern Conference. But you could see the changing of the guard in the East start three years ago when an overmatched Cavs team took the Pistons to 7 games in LBJ's playoff debut. Beating them in 6 games in the ECF the following year was one of my finest Cleveland sports memories. And this year the final nail in the Pistons coffin was really hammered home when they traded Chauncey at the beginning of the year. They still had some decent talent, and I thought maybe some pride would help them snag one game this series. But the Cavs are on a mission that is just starting and it was great to see them never take their foot off the gas. And the pro-Cavs crowd at the Palace on Sunday was something I can't ever remember seeing in an NBA playoff game. I'm just pissed I wasn't there to see it firsthand, but I won't get into that. Go Cavs. Enjoy the rest.

And then there were 4

Hard to believe that we are down to just four games left in the regular season... and that the playoffs will be starting next weekend! I'm already getting that nervous/sick/excited feeling that only a Cavs fan can feel... a Cavs fan at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncert- sorry, the feeling makes me go all Shawshank. I'm just ready to get these last four games out of the way. The Cavaliers beat the Wizards in ho-hum fashion last night with a 98-86 win (highlights) at the Q. Theu were up by 24 points in the third quarter and the game was never in doubt. The guys are now just two home wins away from equaling the best home NBA record ever. And just one win away from sealing up the #1 spot in the East.

It was great to see Big Ben return to action last night, making his first appearance off the bench in 10 years. We will need all of our bigs ready to go in the postseason and Ben seemed to be his normal self for the most part, after sitting out six weeks with the fractured fibula. And LeBron was able to rest for the entire 4th quarter for the 12th time this season (that would probably scare me if I were a fan of any other team in the playoffs). Five Cavs were in double figures, and three others had at least 7 points to lead a very balanced attack.

LBJ enjoyed another fourth quarter from the bench on Wednesday night

The recipe for the final four games is simple, yet complicated. Avoid injuries, keep everyone from logging too many minutes, but also keep winning in order to claim home court advantage through the Finals. Mike Brown has stated publicly that he won't overtax his team just to get the overall best record. But a little part of him has to be peeking ahead to a possible Game 7 in the Staples Center in June. I'm sure the thought of it makes him cringe as much as it does to me. For that simple reason the team will need to keep the pedal to the floor and just win, starting tomorrow night in Philadelphia. Go Cavs.

Tribe Update: Great start for our Indians, huh? Two games down, two losses, two awful pitching performances. Also, add in some weak hitting for good measure. I'm sort of glad the opener was played while I was at work, and I had the Cavs game to distract me from last night's fun. Let's just hope for some weather that is at least bearable for the home opener tomorrow. Is that really too much to ask?

More adversity...

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

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

Could the injury to Ben Wallace reunite LBJ and Joe?

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

Mo-mentum

While it wasn't exactly pretty, the Cavaliers' 109-92 win (highlights) over the Suns last night at the Q was just what the team needed heading into the All-Star break. The victory erased the team's first losing streak of the season and left them feeling positive about their outstanding 40-11 start to the season. That marks record for the earliest a Cavs team has ever gotten to 40 wins - by comparison they didn't reach their 40th win last year until March 21st. Now it's time for some rest and relaxation while everyone (besides LeBron and Mo) can heal up and get back to 100% again. Ben, Z, and Wally in particular look like they can definitely use the break. And we should be seeing Delonte West return to action next week, which will be a sight for this Cavs fan's sore eyes.

Mo Williams led the way last night, taking advantage of the Suns "defense" (if you can call it that) and torching them for a career-high 44 points on 18-of-26 shooting, including 7-of-9 from three-point range. LeBron chipped in 26 points of his own, as the tandem of Mo and LBJ became the first NBA teammates with back-to-back 40+ point games in almost 8 years. I particularly enjoyed the pair's post-game interview with Jeff Phelps on FSN Ohio. They looked like they will be enjoying each other's company this weekend in Phoenix. And we'll be seeing more of Mo than we expected, as he will also be participating in the All-Star skills competition on Saturday night.

Mo piled up a career-high 44 on Wednesday night

It should be a fun and well-deserved weekend for all the Cavaliers involved in the weekend festivities, especially Mike Brown and his staff. This is a nice chance for them to get some recognition for this team's success. And I fully expect Mike to force Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to play maximum minutes in Sunday's game in an effort to wear them down for the second half of the season. Soon it will be back to the grind as the Cavs return to the court next Tuesday night to face the Raptors in Toronto. That will be the first road game in a stretch of 10 of 14 away from the Q for the Cavs. You gotta love the NBA. I particularly am looking forward the stretch of four road games in five nights from 2/26-3/2 (@Houston, @San Antonio, day off, @Atlanta, @Miami). Ugh. The good news is that after that 14 game stretch we do finish with 12 of 17 in the friendly confines of the Q. So rest up guys, you've earned it. Time to get ready for the stretch run...

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.

Cavs in Portland tonight

First things first - allow me to apologize for not posting yesterday. I try to get a recap up for every Cavs game in a timely manner. But this time the neglect was not out of spite (well not totally) for the way the Cavs got handled in the second half by the Lakers, but rather because other things got in the way of my day. If I don't meet my own self-imposed deadline of noon, then a post is probably just not gonna happen that day.

Anyway, Monday night's performance is sure to have some Cavs fans urging Danny Ferry to trade Wally's expiring contract immediately. But relax, take a step back and look at the big picture and you'll see that the 105-88 loss (highlights) is not reason for panic - yet. Winning on the road in the NBA is difficult no matter the circumstances, let alone when you factor in missing 40% of your starting lineup. The Cavs made it a game for almost three quarters, but just ran out of gas at the end and got clobbered by the Lakers' big men. Missing Z in the paint and having a not-yet-fully-healthy Big Ben will do that to you. And being forced to play Lorenzen Wright and JJ Hickson in the fourth quarter isn't a recipe that will allow for a lot of success against elite teams on the road.

Things didn't go LBJ's way on Monday, but a rematch on 2/8 in the Q is looming...

The bad news? The Cavs will still be shorthanded for the rest of the road trip, which resumes tonight at 10:00pm in Portland. But the rest of the league won't be throwing the Cavs a pity party and they'll just have to fight through it. The good news? By some accounts, Big Z may be ready to return to the court on the 27th (barring any setbacks) when the Cavs return home to face the Kings. And Delonte should return right after the All-Star break, which would mean only 12 more games without him. It could be a lot worse. And Danny Ferry still has a lot of options before the February 19th trade deadline. We know he will be patient and not make any snap decisions before then. Oh, and we still have the best player in the world on the roster, capable of himself willing this team to improbable wins (as he has shown in the past with a much weaker roster).

Remember, this team is still 31-8 and, in my own humble opinion, far from peaking. Good things are ahead for us and a couple of wins on the remainder of this trip would make things look even better. Just hope for the big tease that is Sasha Pavlovic to keep up his solid play that has emerged the last two games. And hope for Wally to make his jumpers while he's still in a wine and gold uniform. This is the toughest stretch these Cavs will likely face all season and this current adversity could go a long way towards shaping the team's future.

Go West young Cavs...

The Cavaliers embark on their first really tough road stretch of the season tonight in Los Angeles where they face the Lakers at 10:30pm. And they do so on an up-note after beating the Hornets 92-78 (highlights) on Friday night at home. That win improved them to a perfect 20-0 at the Q and was really much-needed after the ugly loss Thursday night in Chicago.

Can we really count on this guy as we head out West?

So how did the short-handed Cavs step up and earn a relatively easy win on Friday night against a very solid Hornets team? They junked things up on defense, they slowed the pace on offense, they made their open shots, they outworked New Orleans, and of course having LeBron on your team always helps too. LBJ finished the night with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists while playing all over the court (including logging some minutes at center). And guys like Wally Szczerbiak (14 points, 4-of-5 from three-point range) and Sasha Pavlovic (19 points and 6 rebounds in 42 minutes) really stepped up. And Mo Williams was his normal solid self, chipping in 17 points, even on an off-shooting night. And it sure was good to see Big Ben back on the court. I think his presence lifted the team emotionally, even if he only logged 14 minutes as he works to get back to 100%.

So what should we expect from this four-game swing out West? Your guess is as good as mine. Will Sasha and Wally be able to stay consistent offensively? I've seen enough Cavs basketball over the last couple years to know we can't fully depend on either one of them. Hopefully they can surprise us. There will no doubt be an increased scoring load on LeBron and Mo. But others will need to chip in if this is to be a successfull trip. And I would qualify coming home with a 2-2 record or better as a definite success. I really hate to be without two of our key guys at this important time in the season. But really, it is much better to have these injuries crop up now than in April. Go Cavs!

Browns Update: As the Steelers move on to another likely Super Bowl victory (ugh), the Browns seem to finally have found their new GM (yawn). Please just let this work out. I don't want to see another rebuilding phase for a long, long time.

A bad loss...

I sort of had a bad feeling going into last night's game vs. the Bulls. We had already beaten them three times this year but we were shorthanded without Z and Big Ben and the Bulls have finally gotten themselves healthy. And most importantly, they have taken Larry Hughes out of their rotation so we couldn't count on his 18-foot pull-up bricks on Bulls' fast breaks.

So the 102-93 OT loss wasn't that surprising, all things considered. The worst news of the night is that we obviously would have won the game had Delonte West not fractured his right wrist in the first half (ugh) or had LeBron played up to his normal high standards (8-28 shooting with a nasty head cold). Even with all that stacked against us the game still came down to a missed jumper by LeBron at the end of regulation that would have been the game-winner.

Not what any Cavs fan wanted to see last night in Chicago

So now the Cavs will have to figure out how to navigate a tough upcoming stretch of games without Delonte or Z. All preliminary indications are that West's wrist fracture is not serious and the early timetable for his return is 3-4 weeks. It could have been a lot worse considering how hard he fell. Obviously there is now some adversity to overcome which probably isn't a bad thing for this team. Other guys will need to step up and Danny Ferry still has some ammunition to use in a trade or two if he doesn't like how things are going. So don't panic Cavalier fans - I'd rather face this adversity now than later. Injuries happen, it's just unfortunately part of the game. But we want to peak in May and June, not January or February. We'll see how the guys respond tonight at home against a talented New Orleans Hornets squad with our undefeated record at the Q on the line. Go Cavs.

LBJ shines in Memphis

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

LeBron just being LeBron on Tuesday night

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

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

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

Damn it feels good

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

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

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

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

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

Happy New Year

Happy 2009 Cleveland! Is this the year that we finally win a title so I can end this torturous blog? Only time will tell, but we sure do deserve it after all the heartache we've been through...

The Cavs started the new year off in style on Friday night with a 117-92 thrashing (highlights) of the Bulls at the Q to run their perfect home record to 17-0. And it sure was fun to watch old friend Larry Hughes up to his same old tricks with a 1-for-9 shooting performance for the Bulls. It had to be fun for Ben Wallace to counter that effort with 13 points and 9 rebounds against his former team. And LeBron notched his first triple-double of the year with a 16/10/11 masterpiece. So it looked like the Cavs had regained their focus in the wake of Z's newfound ankle injury that will sideline him for up to a month, right?

Not so fast. The Cavs followed that up with an ugly 80-77 loss to the Wizards in Washington yesterday afternoon. I won't bore you with box scores or highlights from this one. Yes, the officiating was pretty bad and the Cavs seemed to be on the wrong end of a lot of those calls. But LeBron's travel at the end of the game was not one of those bad calls. I don't even know how that is up for debate. Bottom line is that the Cavs mailed this one in as an easy victory and then woke up when it was too late to be able to pull it out. How else can you explain a 14-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter? Or being outrebounded 52-35? Or combining to miss 9 free throws and shoot 39.4% from the floor? Just a complete lack of focus all the way around in this one. Hopefully they are more prepared at home Wednesday night vs. the Bobcats and aren't looking ahead to Friday night vs. the Celtics. At least the Celtics did us a favor yesterday by also losing by 12 to the Knicks. That makes four losses in six games for the mighty Celtics...

Still perfect

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

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

Smiles and hugs all around again on Sunday night

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

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

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

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

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...

The Cavs are dominating

What more can you say about the Cavaliers at this point? They are 12-3, 2-1/2 games ahead of the Pistons in the Central, their last six wins have all been by at least 11 points, they are outscoring their opponents by 10.6 points per night, and they haven't trailed for one second of their last three games. Just stop and think about that last stat for a second. That's tough to do in basketball regardless of the opposition. Yes, the Cavaliers have feasted on lesser opponents in the last week, but what are they supposed to do? Play down to the competition as they used to? No thanks, and gladly those days seem to be over.

J.J. notched a career-high 14 on Wednesday night

There were a couple of times during Wednesday night's 117-82 drubbing (highlights) of the Oklahoma City Thunder that I actually felt bad for OKC. That's not a feeling I'm used to as a Cleveland fan. But that was one of the worst beatdowns I've seen in the NBA in quite some time. I specifically felt bad for our old friend Joe Smith who is stuck on a terrible 1-14 Thunder roster after the late-summer trade that netted us Mo Williams. I loved Joe Smith's game the short time he was in a Cavalier uniform and I saw the way he interacted with his former teammates before the tipoff on Wednesday night. I'm still holding out hope that the Thunder will agree to buy his contract out sometime soon and allow him to chase a ring.

I think the Cavs would take him back in a heartbeat, especially given our open flirtation with free agent Antonio McDyess... although our frontcourt situation does seem a little rosier with the new and improved healthy back of Ben Wallace coupled with the emergence of rookies J.J. Hickson (14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks on Wednesday) and Darnell Jackson (4 points, 5 rebounds). The recent lopsided wins have afforded Mike Brown a chance to really rest his key players and give the younger guys a lot of court time. And that will come in doubly handy with two more games this weekend to complete four games in five nights for the Cavs. It's time to get greedy and take these last two before a three-day rest. The Warriors and their 5-10 record are in town tonight. I hope the Cavs are still hungry the day after Thanksgiving. I know my Tryptophan and pie-induced drowsiness is still wearing off...

Time to give thanks

I have a lot of things to be thankful for in my life right now... my wife, my family and friends, my health, my job, my home, just to name a few. But there are also things in Cleveland sports that I'm truly thankful for. And not surprisingly, none of them have to do with the Browns. Here's a quick list on this day before Thanksgiving:

• LeBron James - I've been thankful for LBJ for quite some time now. He is truly a one-in-a-generation athlete and we have him here for this season and next season at the very least. Don't forget that Cleveland, despite whatever you read, see, or hear anywhere else.
• Mo Williams - How great is it to finally have someone on the Cavaliers that can initiate his own offense independently from LeBron? Mo is taking this offense to another level.
• Delonte West - His hideous occasional cornrows aside, what Delonte is doing this year at the starting 2 guard spot is nothing short of brilliant. I love his game.
• A healthy Ben Wallace. Enough said right there. He is an animal.
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas - Basically for just being Z. He is a model of consistency and professionalism. Is he the perfect player? Of course not. But he's pretty damn good at what he does and he is so dependable. Many people forget this is the same player that missed almost three full seasons due to various foot injuries/surgeries/rehab.
• Mike Brown - In a town where it is always fashionable to dislike the head coach/manager, Mike Brown is bucking the trend. He is a players' coach that values defense first and has done quite a job in his first pro gig. A .600 winning percentage is nothing to sneeze at. And it will only get better this season.
• Dan Gilbert - Finally an owner that seems to care about winning as much as us fans. He is willing to do whatever it takes to keep LBJ in a wine and gold uniform and win multiple championships. We are blessed that Mr. Gilbert came along when he did.
• Danny Ferry - Always the hard worker in his playing days, he seems to be putting even more effort into his GM duties. He is methodical and calculating, but also not afraid to make a big splash. I'm very curious to see where the Szczerbiak expiring contract takes us this season.
• Cliff Lee - For the hell of a season turned out by the lefty. Winning the AL Cy Young was just icing on the cake in Cliff's turnaround year. I'm excited to see what he can do as the ace of this staff next year. And if you would have told me last Thanksgiving that I'd be thankful for Lee this year I would have said you were nuts. Bravo Cliff.
• Grady Sizemore - For playing every game like it's his last. There are quite a few athletes on a certain team headquartered in Berea that could take notes on the way Grady leaves it all on the field in every game.

You may have noticed that a certain team dominated the above list. They are currently plowing their way through the Eastern Conference and only seem to be getting better with each game. With their 119-101 dismantling (highlights) of the Knicks last night in New York the Cavaliers improved to 11-3 on the season. And the score wasn't nearly as close as that. The Cavs were up by more than 30 at one point, while the Knicks continued to make a mockery of the game of basketball. Why in the world LeBron would ever consider playing for that joke of a franchise is completely beyond me. But New Yorkers seem to eat it up so whatever. I'll just continue listening to Brian Windhorst on the subject:

Tonight he ruled nothing out and told the Knicks fans "to have an open mind." There is no doubt a basis for all this hype, LeBron has been thinking about his options. One of them is surely to play in New York in the future. But right now -- and everything can and maybe will change -- the needle is firmly pointed toward staying home no matter what anyone says.

I enjoyed this sign in the Garden last night

Of course this saga will continue for another 20 months until a merciful end to all the speculation in July 2010. Until then I'll choose to enjoy LeBron and the Cavs working their way towards a goal that seems to be more attainable than ever for this franchise - an NBA title.

Browns Update: A fitting end to the 2008 Browns season, even with five games remaining. Go Cavs.

Romeo's swan song

Another day at the Stadium, another embarrassing defeat. This time at the hands of the lowly Houston Texans 16-6, themselves bringing in a 3-7 record and a road losing streak stretching over a year. It was another game filled with dropped passes, desperate coaching moves, terrible play calling, and more defensive ineptitude. The Browns are now 1-5 at home after being 7-1 there last year, including winning 7 straight. And they 4-7 on the season overall, one in which they entered with such hope.

Thankfully and finally the fans' patience has run out with this team. I've been inside the Stadium for every home game this year and I honestly didn't think it would happen. I've looked around me and seen blind support for a team of losers while they inexcusably pissed away second half leads against the Ravens and Broncos. I think there were still a lot of believers even before yesterday's game when a win would have brought the Browns to only 5-6. But this pathetic performance finally sapped all support from the fans here in Cleveland. Congratulations Browns, I didn't think you could do it. But I'm glad you finally did.

One of the better signs in the Stadium yesterday shows
just how these fans feel about #17's play this year

This moment had to come. Something needs to change with this franchise. This season has been filled with as much nonsense off the field as on it. The Kellen Winslow staph infection adventure, followed by his one-game suspension. The text messaging saga to Winslow's phone from Browns staffers urging him to keep quiet. GM Phil Savage's email-gate. Players talking about quitting. I'm so sick of all of it. And then yesterday came Romeo Crennel's decision to pull Brady Quinn after two interceptions and insert the embattled Derek Anderson. It was a desperate move by a desperate coach of a desperate team. And likely one of Crennel's final moves as the head man on the Browns' sidelines.

Please Browns, if you're going to rebuild again (and you definitely should), please, please, please do it the right way this time. Don't bring in another guy that has never been an NFL head coach before. Back up the Brinks truck to Bill Cowher's home in North Carolina or Strongsville (I loved that dumb rumor) or wherever the hell he is living now. Make him an offer he can't refuse. Show the fans you care about this team's image as much as they do (or did). The current state of the franchise is beyond embarrassing and Cowher can instantly restore some credibility.

Other Browns Notes: Brady Quinn reacts to his benching... Terry Pluto talks about how the Browns torment their own fans... Braylon Edwards hears and accepts the boos... And don't forget about Tony Grossi's noon chat today. This should be a fun one to recap.

Cavs Update: Now for a team that actually rewards you for being a fan: the Cavaliers laid the wood to the Hawks on Saturday night with a 110-96 win at the Q. If you didn't see the game, check out the highlights here. LeBron made three plays that were simply jawdropping to me, and luckily all three of them made that highlight reel. The first is around the 1:25 mark after Ben Wallace blocks a shot, Delonte West picks up the loose ball and thows an alley-oop to LeBron from nearly half court. Just watch LBJ streak past the defense. His speed in the open court is unbelievable. The second play is featured right after that one when LeBron drives through two Hawks defenders in the paint, gets hammered and still throws it down left-handed while losing his headband. His strength is ridiculous. And the third play is shown right after that dunk when LeBron drives through the lane, fakes a behind the back pass, cocks his right arm back and as Austin Carr would say, "throws the hammer down!" Just listen to the sound of the rim. And watch Mo Evans scurry to get out of the way.

So with the win the Cavs are now a perfect 7-0 at home, their best start ever at the Q. And they are 10-3 overall with a two game cushion in the Central over the Pistons. They will have a big stretch of games this week with four games in five nights beginning tomorrow night in New York (where we will surely hear more rumors of LeBron bolting for the pathetic Knicks). Three of the four games will be against sub-.500 teams. In fact, 6 of the Cavs' next 8 games will come against teams that currently have losing records. I feel another streak coming on...

Mike Brown credits his "Committee" for helping the Cavs get off to a fast start this season... And Coach Brown isn't a big fan of gambling for steals... And LeBron isn't tired of the 2010 rumors (yet).

Eight straight

The Cavaliers continued their stellar play last night, notching their eighth straight win with a 106-82 beatdown (highlights) of the Nets in New Jersey. The victory included the usual stellar play of LeBron (31 points in 35 minutes), as well as some outstanding contributions from the starting backcourt tandem of Delonte West (16 points, 4-for-4 from 3-pt range) and Mo Williams (16 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds).

But the real key to last night's win was the team's play in the second half. The Nets led at halftime 52-49. From then on it was all Cavaliers. Their suffocating defense and timely outside shooting (10-for-17 from behind the arc) led to the Cavs outscoring the Nets 57-30 in the second half. So much for those dreary third quarters I guess. This is now three straight games in which the Cavs have outscored their opponents by double digits in the third quarter. The average margin in the third quarter in that span is Cavs +12.

And I have to make a special mention of just how great Ben Wallace has been playing lately. He looks like a new man now that he is healthy again. I don't know how long he can keep his back from acting up, but if it continues throughout the season we are in for quite a year defensively. Big Ben put up a typical Big Ben stat line last night - 3 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots in his 26 minutes on the court. But that doesn't tell the entire story. He was running all over the court, basically guarding any and all positions, even denying the inbounds pass after made baskets will full-court pressure on the Nets point guards. And my personal favorite moment of the game - the Nets decided to go with the 'hack-a-Ben' strategy when the Cavs were on a big run in the second half, trying to take advantage of his poor free throw shooting. Wallace detests when teams do this, so he calmly stepped to the line and swished both attempts. He ended the night 3-for-4 from the line.

Big Ben collects one of his 4 blocks Tuesday night

So the Cavaliers now sit at 9-2 with an Eastern Conference-best +9.0 ppg differential. They will face a big test tonight in Detroit where they will square off with the Pistons on the second night of a road back-to-back. But if their recent play is any indication, the Pistons won't be able to simply chalk up what would have been an easy home victory in years past. It should be a good one tonight.