Game 3 thoughts

Just some quick thoughts after the Cavs 108-106 loss in Game 3 last night:

• I said that the Bulls would have to play a near-perfect game to get a win in this series. They basically did yesterday with a HUGE assist from the Cavs (more on that below). You had to know they would play better in the United Center and they did. Derrick Rose torched the Cavs "defense" and Kirk Hinrich was on fire, which helped the Bulls' cause a lot. A combined 58 points from their starting back court went a long way in deciding this one...
• That said, the Cavs really handed this game to Chicago by first allowing 32 points in the first quarter... then showing no signs of life on defense for much of the rest of the game even after that initial embarrassment... also missing 10 free throws (a recurrent Achilles heel for this Cavs team all season long)... and finally just taking their 8th-seeded opponent far too lightly.
• Now with the bad stuff out of the way, let's look at some positives... overall I honestly think this was a good thing to happen to this team. Last year's first two rounds (both uncompetitive sweeps) were far too short of actual playoff preparation for this team and may have had as much to do with the eventual ECF loss to the Magic as their hot shooting. Yes, it sucks losing any playoff game, but if we're going to lose one I'll take one like last night's wake-up call. Go back to the Magic's run through the playoffs last year... do you think it was a big deal that they dropped two games to a dreadful Sixers team? And before the bashing of the Cavs runs too far, keep in mind that the top-seeded almighty defending-champ-Lakers also lost last night to their 8th-seeded competition. All I'm trying to say is let's not overreact here - it's a marathon, not a sprint. I still say Cavs in 5.
• And can we stop with the whining about JJ Hickson? Yes, he was solid in whatever role was asked of him this season. But Shaq is the starting center for this team and he NEEDS to be worked back into the flow. To me this is similar to the beginning of the regular season when Shaq looked a little lost out there while getting used to his new surroundings. And JJ Hickson isn't going to help keep Noah off the offensive glass. That's just not going to happen. JJ's time will come, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking he's some sort of savior. We knew going into this that one of these big men would be the odd man out. It happens to be JJ. End of story.
• And in this age of TV dollar-driven scheduling, losses like last night's are further magnified as the wait for Game 4 extends to Sunday afternoon. I'm already tired of hearing the overanalysis and complaining and it hasn't even been 24 hours. This might be the first and only time I ever agree with Stan Van Gundy's blustery complaining. I HATE WAITING FOR THE NEXT GAME. Go Cavs.
  

We're going streaking!

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

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

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

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

Nice to get an easy one

After an average margin of less than 3 points in their previous 7 games, it was nice for the Cavaliers to get an easy one last night against the Timberwolves. They won their 6th straight overall and pushed their record at home to 18-3 with a 14-point win. They have won 16 of their last 17 in the friendly confines of the Q.

It's not often that LeBron James will be your 6th leading scorer, but such was the case last night as the King only attempted 8 shots in just 30 minutes of action. That was still enough time to put together a tidy stat line of 12 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds. Player of the game honors went to JJ Hickson for his career-high 23 points and 8 rebounds in 24 minutes. His +17 for the game was a nice turnaround from his atrocious -17 he put together just two nights before in Miami. But that's what you get with JJ - wild inconsistency. Shaq also put together his 6th straight game in double figures and Jamario Moon chipped in 14 off the bench.

In my boredom on a snowy Thursday morning I put together some numbers below to see which category most affects Cavalier wins. Most astounding to me is the fact that we have had less turnovers than our opponents in only 25% of our games, yet still have the league's best record. If they can clean that up and improve the FT shooting, last year's mark of 66 wins might still be attainable. Stay tuned.

	Wins	Losses	Frequency	Win Pct	% of Total Wins
More Assists	30	1	66.0%	0.968	0.833
More Rebs	26	9	74.5%	0.743	0.722
More Blocks	25	7	68.1%	0.781	0.694
More 3PM	22	7	61.7%	0.759	0.611
More FTA	21	3	51.1%	0.875	0.583
More FTM	20	3	48.9%	0.870	0.556
More Steals	19	1	42.6%	0.950	0.528
Less Fouls	15	4	40.4%	0.789	0.417
Less TO	11	1	25.5%	0.917	0.306

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?

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.
  

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...

Deadline day!

The Cavaliers returned from the break last night and played well, especially on defense in a fairly ho-hum 93-76 drubbing (highlights) of the Raptors in Toronto. The win again puts the team 30 games above .500 and 17-10 on the road.

Is this the last we'll see of the masked Cavalier? The deadline is looming...

But the real news today is the trading deadline, now a little over 3 hours away. Will the team make another big splash? Can they resist the urge to unload Wally's expiring contract for another piece of the championship puzzle? How desperate will teams looking to unload salary get as the deadline approaches? We will know the answers to these questions soon. My gut tells me that the Cavs will make a major move today. Just a feeling I have. I'll update here later today if anything does go down.

I do have to say that I feel for Wally and JJ (whose name has also been mentioned repeatedly in rumors). I don't think JJ will ultimately be dealt, but who (besides Danny Ferry) really knows? I do know that Wally has been a true professional this year and has done anything and everything the team has asked him to do. If he is moved I hope he can work out a buyout with that team and re-join his teammates after the 30-day wait. An NBA title just won't be the same without his emphatic high-fives and ass-slaps along the way...

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.

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...

Week 9: Browns vs. Ravens

I didn't have time this morning to post anything too significant, so this will have to do...

Sunday the Baltimore Ravens come into Cleveland Browns Stadium. Here's what we currently know about the AFC North:

• The Browns have clawed their way back to a somewhat respectable 3-4, after starting out 0-3.
• The Ravens are just one game ahead of the Browns in the AFC North at 4-3.
• The Steelers, leaders of the AFC North sit at 5-2 with a tough Monday night matchup in Washington to face the Redskins.
• No one cares about the Bengals (aside from their drunk hillbilly fans).

Why am I laying this all out? Because if everything aligns perfectly this weekend, by late Monday night the Steelers will be 5-3, the Browns 4-4, the Ravens 4-4, and the Bengals 0-8 (the bright side for them is they can't possibly lose this week). The problem is that we've seen these type of opportunities numerous times over the years and the Browns typically fail to capitalize when the pressure is on. So what should we expect on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium? Believe it or not, I actually have hope (that is not to be confused with expectations).

As the great Andy Dufresne said in Shawshank, "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." We've learned to live by that motto in Cleveland. And when in doubt, but still full of hope, I find it best to modify my favorite Shawshank quote of them all, delivered by Red himself:

"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 Browns fan can feel, a Browns fan at the start of a matchup with the Ravens whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope the good DA shows up. I hope to see my friend Braylon, and watch him actually hold onto the ball. I hope to see Jamal Lewis get even more carries than the 20 he had in my dreams. I hope. "

I'm calling on Red for some hope this Sunday at the Stadium

Remember no expectations, just hope. And full of hope I'm going with Browns 20, Ravens 13.

Cavs Update: I was at the Q last night for their home opener. And damn was it good to see the way they played. Aside from the third quarter, where they seemed mostly bored and toyed with Charlotte, they looked great on their way to a 96-79 victory. Mo Williams' contant pushing of the ball up the court was a sight for sore eyes. The team defense was outstanding for most of the night. Boobie Gibson's 25-point outburst was a thing of beauty, reminiscent of his Game 6 performance in the ECF vs. the Pistons. LeBron's thunderous dunks were expected. And J.J. Hickson's powerful first two NBA points were not-so-expected. Overall, a solid first win before they head off a couple road games. New Orleans and Dallas will be two good early season road tests for this Cavalier squad.

J.J. Hickson throws down his first NBA points

The wait is finally over

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

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

First, my fearless predictions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finally... a game!!!

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

Big Ben throws one down vs. Toronto last night

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He really likes us!

Not that you'd hear or see anything about this on the major national news outlets, but I thought it was worth posting here in case you missed it over the weekend... LeBron James actually likes us! On a Saturday stop at the Register for Change Rally in downtown Cleveland, the King offered some brief words to the crowd on hand. Of particular interest to Cavalier fans should be what he says starting around the 1:30 mark:

"Thank you Cleveland. You know I love you all. I love Ohio. And I ain't going nowhere - I'll be here." - LeBron James

Of course the doubters will say it's still two years away (although decision time begins in June 2010, just 20 months from now). It's not a sexy story outside of northeast Ohio to report that LBJ would actually want to stay here. But I live here and it's important for me to hear how the King is thinking. Nothing is iron-clad right now, but it's nice to know where his head is. And my head is about to explode in excitement with the Cavs' season starting in just 21 days. I can't wait for basketball to start again...

Other Cavs Notes: The Cavs held their annual Wine & Gold scrimmage in Akron on Saturday. No one got hurt and it sounds like they had some fun... Rookie JJ Hickson showed some flashes on defense... And Mo Williams just showed some flash all-around... And finally, I thought this was another nice story about LeBron. I don't think everyone fully realizes how lucky we are to have this guy in Cleveland, not just as an athlete, but a person too.

Just Checking In...

As I said before, I hate the bye week for the Browns, especially when it happens to coincide with the end of the MLB season. And really, it has ended for me now that the Tribe is done. I'm only watching the playoffs in passing if my team isn't a part of the fun. And that's mainly just to root against the Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, and Brewers. The Red Sox for obvious reasons. The Cubs just because it's been 100 years for them and I like to see them suffer even more than us Tribe fans (And who are we kidding here? The Bulls won six titles in 8 years and the Bears even won a Super Bowl in '85. So F Chicago). The White Sox just because they're the White Sox. I can't stand Jim Thome, Ozzie Guillen, A.J. Pierzynski, or their annoying fans. And of course the Brewers because we gave them CC in a mid-season trade. But at least he is treating the playoffs this year in similar fashion to how he did last year. His rough outing yesterday has the Brewers on the brink of elimination. I hope their fans think it's worth giving up their two best prospects for a half-season rental that got you into the playoffs (for the first time in 26 years) only to be swept in the division series. This could end up being another stroke of brilliance by Mark Shapiro, a la trading Colon for Lee and Sizemore (yes, I'm purposely leaving out Phillips).

Tribe Update: Why are we still talking about Luis Isaac being fired??? He is (was) a bullpen coach. Enough already... A look at some former Indians in the postseason... And here's a comprehensive look at the Tribe's roster for 2009.

Cavs Update: 25 days and counting until the season tips off. I received word yesterday that Flash Seats will still work for our season tickets, we just won't be able to re-sell them via the Flash Seats website (which I never had much success selling with anyway)... Our two rookie big men seem to be making a good impression so far in camp... But Brian Windhorst says JJ Hickson is already experiencing some growing pains on defense.

We'll soon find out what Hickson can provide for the Cavs this year

"In the summertime, J.J. showed his talent level was really high. He's young, but his potential is unlimited. When you're as good an athlete at he is at that size, I think you can do a lot of things when it comes to running and jumping and getting by guys off the dribble. He can play with his back to the basket. He can step out and face up a little bit. He's a decent shooter." - Mike Brown

Streak ends at five

All good things must eventually come to an end. We knew the Tribe's winning streak couldn't last forever, and it ended at five as the Orioles took them down 6-1 last night at the Prog. The good news is that the Royals continued their losing ways and spared us from last place for another day. The bad news was that another ex-Indian came back to haunt us. This time it was Jeremy Guthrie, our one-time can't-miss prospect that never panned out for us. He went 7 solid innings against his former team last night to win his fourth straight game. I guess we can add Guthrie to the growing list of former Indians that couldn't figure things out here but have gone one to have solid seasons elsewhere (joining Ryan Ludwick, Russell Branyan, Brandon Phillips, Jody Gerut, etc., etc.). And yes those guys really have combined to hit 71 HR's this year...

"I just focused on what I had to do, blocked things out, and the guys got some big hits," said Guthrie, refusing to say he felt that he extracted any revenge on an Indians team that put him on waivers in January 2007.

Anthony Reyes had another decent start for the Indians, who may have just found something in that minor deal with the Cardinals. Reyes went 6 innings, giving up only two earned runs on 96 pitches. The bullpen did not fare so well (again). This time it was Brandon Donnelly's turn to help raise the ERA of the AL's worst bullpen. He entered in the top of the ninth and promptly gave up 5 hits and 4 earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning, turning a manageable 2-1 deficit into a 6-1 hole. The Tribe will look to make it 3 out of 4 from the Orioles tonight when newly-promoted Zach Jackson gets the start.

Reyes had a second straight solid start for the Tribe on Wednesday night

Other Tribe Notes: Victor Martinez and Josh Barfield are set to start rehab assignments soon. And apparently Masa Kobayashi is getting tired. I know the feeling - I'm tired of watching him get lit up on the mound. And Shin-Soo Choo just wants to watch Korea in the Olympics.

Cavs Update: Now onto the big news of the day yesterday. The more I think about it, I just love the trade for Mo Williams. I liked it when I heard about it yesterday, but I love it now. The fact that Ferry pulled this off without having to use our two biggest tradeable assets (Varejao and Szczerbiak) really shows how hard he must have had to work to get this done. Now we still have their expiring deals, along with Eric Snow's $7M, to package in another deal before the deadline in February. I still think that we will work to get another big man, especially given the loss of Joe Smith. It will really come down to how ready rookie J.J. Hickson is to step into the rotation. And it will be interesting to see where this trade leaves Delonte West in his contract negotiations...

Some trade reactions from around the web:

• Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer
• Bud Shaw of the Plain Dealer
• Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon Journal (more on him in a moment)
• Cavs GM Danny Ferry
• John Hollinger of espn.com
• Marty Burns of SI.com
• Damon Jones (and yes, this finally puts my mohawk tribute site to rest)
• Mo Williams himself on WKNR yesterday evening
  

And my favorite piece from yesterday's trade comes from Henry Abbott's Truehoop blog, where he gives some background on Brian Windhorst breaking the news of the trade. It's good to have you back Windy :)

After 55 days in the hospital, dealing with all manner of health trouble that I'll let him tell you about if he's so inclined, today was the day that he got to go home for the first time.

Would you believe he actually dictated this story over the phone, from the car, on the way home from the hospital?

Most sportswriters never get to have a "Willis Reed" moment, but Brian has certainly had his.

Also, as expected this morning, Team USA exacted some revenge on Greece in game #3 of their Olympic run. The Americans won 92-63, with LeBron James chipping in 13 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks.

Browns Update: Nothing big today, just some news of a rough practice yesterday. I can't wait till we can start hitting other teams, instead of each other. The real season is now only 24 days away if you can believe it...

Back in action

To the faithful readers out there, I apologize for slacking yesterday. I took a day off and enjoyed some fun at Cedar Point in Sandusky. For those of you that have never been there, or maybe have been there but haven't tried out Top Thrill Dragster, I highly recommend it. The best way I can describe it is an experience where you almost crap your pants and have an orgasm at the same time. Just standing there watching it is intimidating as it accelerates to 120 mph and ascends straight up to 420 feet, and then straight back down again for the 17 second ride of your life. It gives you that nervous/sick feeling in your stomach just waiting in line to ride it (very reminiscent of the feeling I had watching Joe Borowski warm up during last year's playoff run). But I digress.

My day away from the TV and computer did allow me to avoid the pitching mockery on display by the Tribe yesterday. All I know is that they lost 14-11(!), Grady Sizemore hit another home run, and Aaron Laffey has been mystifyingly bad in his last two starts. Oh, and Tom Mastny is still not good (1-1/3 innings, 4 earned runs, and a 14.90 ERA). I've harped on it here before, so I guess I will again today - the 2008 Cleveland Indians are just awful during the day this year (10-19). And in weekday 'getaway' games they are even worse. By my own unofficial count they are now 0-6 on the year, being outscored 40-25 in such games. And there are still four more of them left on the schedule, which gives me another dumb reason to keep following the year of futility. Ugh.

The sun is shining, so chalk up another Tribe loss

Thankfully the Tribe will be given a day of rest today to travel back home. They will resume play tomorrow night at the Prog for a three-game set with the Minnesota Twins. At this point I just want to see us embrace the role of spoiler in the Central and try to make things difficult for both Minnesota and Chicago. And of course end up ahead of the lowly Royals. Yes, I'm now inventing reasons to keep watching.

In other Indians news, Shin-Soo Choo owes his country something. And as we've been speculating for a while, Casey Blake appears to be on the trading block. Also, the bullpen will likely undergo an overhaul before next season.

Browns Update: In more hopeful news, the Browns did finally begin training camp yesterday morning in Berea. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for no devastating knee injuries, resulting staph infections, or any of the other problems that seem to have plagued training camps of the past. Officially, both Joe Jurevicius and Ryan Tucker were placed on the active PUP list. The Browns have until first roster cuts (August 26th) to decide their status for the start of the season. Even with the injury to Jurevicius, Braylon Edwards is ready for the huge expectations this season. But I'm not sure even he was ready for the 'Super Bowl' chants heard on Wednesday.

Can K2 and the rest of the Browns live up to the massive expectations?

''Around here for a long time there were no expectations. We're glad people have some confidence in us, and we're going to try to prove worthy of those expectations.'' - Romeo Crennel

Bill Livingston and Bud Shaw give their thoughts on all the optimism in Berea. And Tony Grossi will check in today at noon for a training camp chat.

Cavs Update: J.J. Hickson continues to receive positive reviews, writes the ABJ's Pat McManamon. And LeBron almost gave me a heart attack last night when I read that he sprained his ankle (thankfully only a 'mild' sprain). Now he is guaranteeing gold in Beijing and I think he will deliver. And finally, Bob Finnan gives us a Delonte West update.

Weekend Wrap

The second half of the Tribe's season got off to a rather rocky start with an 8-2 loss to the woeful Mariners in Seattle. Aaron Laffey was rocked in the bottom of the 2nd for five runs after a bad error by Jhonny Peralta opened things up. But the Indians were able to rebound nicely on Saturday and grab a 9-6 win behind Shin-Soo Choo's bat. And it marked Jeremy Sowers' first big league win since May 24, 2007 (trust me, I looked it up). I wish I could give you more details from Saturday's game, but due to MLB's ridiculous Fox Saturday TV rule, I was not able to watch the game in Cleveland. If someone could explain to me why I would rather watch the Red Sox vs. the Angels on Fox, instead of my favorite home team on STO, well, I'm all ears.

So in Sunday's rubber match between two AL disappointments, Cliff Lee took the mound for our Tribe. And not surprisingly, he notched his 13th win on the year going the distance for the 6-2 victory. Kelly Shoppach provided all the support that Lee would need in the 4th inning. The only bad news from Sunday's game were the two horrendous plays (at least the ones that I saw) turned in by Jhonny Peralta at short. One was officially credited as an error, the other wasn't, but allowed a runner to get a hit on a routine grounder. Look, I'm not trying to pile on Jhonny and I love the way he's been hitting lately. I'm just stating my case for moving him to third base sooner rather than later. Asdrubal Cabrera needs to be our every day shortstop and I'll keep repeating it until I'm blue in the face. Unfortunately, Eric Wedge doesn't agree. Maybe they are just waiting for the right offer for Casey Blake? We'll find out soon I guess.

Just another day at the office for Cliff in Seattle

So after taking two out of three in Seattle, the Indians improved (?) to 11 games under .500, yet are still looking up at the Royals in the standings. But the good news is they've won six of their last seven games overall. They look to continue their improved play in a three-game series starting tonight against the Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles of Anaheim (or something like that). Paul Byrd will be on the hill for the good guys, so pray for rain or just lots of run support!

Browns Update: Training camp starts in less than 48 hours and I'm happier than a teenage girl at an NKOTB concert in 1989. Terry Pluto talks about the high hopes for the 2008 Browns. And Tony Grossi gives us a video preview below. I'm officially pumped.

Cavs Update: Well the summer league has already come and gone, with the Cavs going 0-5 in Las Vegas. But the real story was how well J.J. Hickson performed out west. He ended the summer league on a high note last night, with 24 points and 5 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. In the five games in Vegas he averaged 19.4 points and 7.8 rebounds in 30 minutes a game. Not too shabby.

"The Cleveland Cavaliers' J.J. Hickson has displayed a powerful post game with a full repertoire of moves. It looks like he'll be a steal for the Cavaliers." Source

Filling the void

As I've said, this is the part of summer that sucks the most. The Browns won't start camp for another 6 days. The Tribe doesn't resume play until tomorrow night in Seattle. And the Cavaliers summer league team is playing some trivial games out in Vegas, but at least those provide us with a possible glimpse of what's to come. Last night the team fell to the Rockets 73-72, but J.J. Hickson had another solid outing, leading all scorers with 18 points and adding 6 rebounds. In two games he's poured in 44 points and grabbed 15 boards, while going 18-for-30 (60%) from the floor. Obviously we can't get too excited, given that this is just the summer league and a lot of these guys will end up in the D-League or overseas. But his two games have been encouraging so far. Here's a brief interview with Hickson after his summer league debut.

Two solid outing in Vegas so far for J.J.

In other Cavalier news, Daniel Gibson explains why he wanted to remain in Cleveland. And here's the audio from yesterday's conference call. It's nice to hear how much Boobie wanted to stay here alongside LeBron and I'm looking forward to watching him grow as a player. He'll only be 27 when this contract is up...

Now the Cavs can move onto other business, with the top priority being the handling of Delonte West's possible contract extension. And here's a look at the remaining free agents out there. With the full mid-level exception still at their disposal, expect the Cavs to sign someone at some point given owner Dan Gilbert's willingness to keep going way above the luxury tax threshold.

And this is a nice story I stumbled upon today, with the King giving a big assist to the Akron Zips program. Yet another sign he's ready to bolt from Ohio for Brooklyn! ;)

Tribe Update: As painful as it is, it's time to recap the first half of 2008 campaign. Paul Hoynes and Terry Pluto go over the agonizing details of a broken season. And when things go this wrong, it's always nice to look ahead to what the future has in store for Tribe fans.

My personal thoughts on how things came unglued for the Indians could go on for pages. But I'll spare you all the details. I think it comes down to the bullpen first and foremost. There are a lot of other large factors (poor hitting, injuries to key players, no big free agent acquisitions, the weight of enormous expectations, etc., etc.) but the bullpen's performance will usually make or break a team. This year the 'pen has just not been anywhere near where it was last year. Then when you add in all the other problems, everything begins to be magnified, losses start to pile up, and things just spiral out of control. I'm not going to use Wedge or Shapiro as a scapegoat. They were the darlings of MLB last year for good reason. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. But I don't think this team is nearly as bad as its record. And I expect them to be back in '09.

As for now, we found out yesterday that two of our guys will represent Team USA in the Olympics in a couple weeks. I really like what I'm hearing from this LaPorta kid...

LaPorta will be on his way to China soon

"Just the chance to represent my country and bring back a gold medal, it would mean so much," said Indians prospect Matt LaPorta.

*Update - 3:00pm* The Indians are set to recall Asdrubal Cabrera from Buffalo. He will join the team in Seattle tomorrow. To make room, Jorge Velandia was sent back to Buffalo. I'm glad to see Asdrubal getting another shot up here. His defense is outstanding and he needs to regain his confidence at the plate. Hopefully with less pressure on him now he will relax and start hitting...

13 years and counting...

Last night marked 13 straight non-wins (one tie if your memory stretches six years back) for the National League in baseball's mid-summer classic. Talk about domination. Cliff Lee started the game and worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and just one hit allowed. And Grady Sizemore figured prominently in the outcome. With the AL trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th, his 2-out single with nobody on started the rally. He then stole second and eventually scored on Evan (not Eva) Longoria's double into the left field corner. The score remained tied for what seemed like years, until eventually the AL won on Michael Young's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 15th.

Cliff worked 2 scoreless innings for the AL

I'm still trying to figure out why I actually stayed up for the final outcome. I think I was hoping for Grady to be the hero. Or maybe for both teams to resort to position players having to pitch. Actually, I think I just wanted to see Bud Selig throw up his hands one more time and declare a tie, then flip a coin to see which team got home-field advantage in the World Series. But it wasn't meant to be and so I stayed up until 1:30am Eastern for no good reason. Now we begin the great summer sports void for the next two days. It's gonna be rough...

A repeat of 2002 just wasn't in the cards

Cavs Update: Not really a surprise, today the Cavaliers inked guard Daniel 'Boobie' Gibson to a contract extension, keeping the restricted free agent sharpshooter in a wine and gold uniform for at least 5 more years. Boobie will always have a special place in my heart after his Game 6 heroics against Detroit in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. I'm glad he was so quick and willing to re-sign, especially after last year's ridiculous holdouts from Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic. Next up is Delonte West.

And Posey Watch '08 continues. It seems to me like he is just playing these other teams to get the Celtics to lengthen their contract offer:

James Posey, the Celtics' highest-priority unsigned veteran, is seeking a four-year contract, an NBA source said yesterday. Posey, 31, is treating negotiations as if this could be his final contract and has been in talks with Detroit, the Lakers, New Orleans, Cleveland, and Washington. No team has been willing to offer a deal beyond three years. (Boston Globe)

*Update* as of 4:00 pm Wednesday, it looks like Posey is going to the Hornets in a 4-year deal. That still hurts the Celts and won't strap us for the next four years, so I'm fine with it. *End Update*

Finally, the Cavs summer league team takes on the Rockets tonight at 10:30pm in Las Vegas. It's another chance to get a sneak peek at J.J. Hickson. And maybe one of your final chances to watch Tractor Traylor lumber up and down the court. Anything to fill the sports void!

Let's get this over with...

I have to admit I'm not a big fan of the All-Star break. I hate how it creates a big sports void for two days (this Wednesday and Thursday). But I guess this year I should be thankful for that given how much the Tribe has disappointed us. And what makes this particular All-Star game even worse for me is the fact it is in Yankee Stadium in its final season. I understand all the history of that park, but I really don't need it shoved down my throat for 3 or 4 straight days. But maybe that's just me. At least will be able to see two of our guys in prominent roles.

Grady started things off last night with his first appearance in the home run derby. Even though he didn't advance to the second round, I thought he performed well. He has deceptive power - you just don't think he will be able to drive a ball that far when you look at him - but he hit some monster shots to the upper deck in right field. If he could have kept a couple more of them inside the foul pole, I think he had a good shot to get to the finals. But it was still fun to see him out there representing the Indians. And I have a feeling it won't be the last time he is part of the festivities.

Grady showed that 23 home runs is no fluke this year

Now tonight we will get to see Cliff Lee start for the American League, concluding a very fine turnaround story for him personally after a disastrous 2007 campaign. Paul Hoynes put together a nice story in today's PD about Lee. I'm hoping for a couple of shutout innings from Cliff and of course, no injuries. And speaking of injured starters, Fausto Carmona made a solid rehab start for Lake County last night. It will be great to see him back on the mound for the Indians, hopefully soon.

Cavs Update: Thankfully the NBA understands the sports void I'll be soon feeling and they decided to start the summer league right on schedule. The Cavaliers had their first game yesterday afternoon, falling to the Knicks 97-94. The outcome isn't important, but what is important is that first-round selection J.J. Hickson looked very solid in his Cavalier debut, racking up 26 points and 9 rebounds. I haven't had a chance to watch the game yet but I did DVR it for my viewing pleasure later during the big void (probably tomorrow night).

26 & 9 in J.J.'s wine and gold debut

And finally, the James Posey saga still drags on. But I'm not really encouraged about the Cavaliers hopes of landing him by what I read here.