65 Down, 17 to Go

Wow, a lot has happened since my last post. 12+ inches of snow has melted in Cleveland... the Tribe is off to a meaningless 5-0 start in the Cactus League... Derek Anderson was cut, then blasted the fans, then half-heartedly apologized. But my thoughts are still squarely with the Cavaliers. Here's sort of my "state of the Cavaliers" address with 5 weeks left in the regular season (this is cross-posted from my other blogging grounds - www.numbersdont.com):

So here we are in the midst of the Cavs' longest non-All-Star-break break since November. The beautiful weather in Cleveland (for early March) has been a welcome thing. And aside from a ton of dog poop in my yard, the warm weather has also revealed a stroke of genius on the part of the Cavaliers. Their wise decision to sit LeBron against the Bucks and Spurs has allowed the King a rare chance to recharge his batteries before a final regular season push. The selfish Cavs fan in me really wanted LBJ to play on Monday night. But when it was over I walked out of the Q with an even bigger sense of satisfaction after seeing the wine and gold outlast the Spurs in a tough-fought win minus LeBron, Shaq, Z, and Jamison (for nearly the entire 2nd half).

As this current rest period nears an end, the Cavs have 17 games left to get everything ironed out for the playoffs. Their current three-game lead (really 4 with the tiebreaker) on the Lakers for the top overall seed has afforded them this opportunity to rest key players. Over the final 17 games the Cavs only face 8 opponents currently above .500. Just to put things in perspective, if the team completely tanks and goes something like 10-7 over that stretch, the Lakers would need to go 14-3 to surpass the Cavs. Does anyone think that will happen given how the Lakers have performed in their last four games? Or how the Cavs have performed all year? I didn't think so.

Of greater importance is getting all the key players on track so the team will be peaking in May and June. The #1 seed may seem like a mere formality at this point, but there's still plenty of work to be done. The laundry list includes a lot of moving parts:

1) Dealing with Antawn Jamison's creaky knee: This was a known issue when the Cavs dealt for Jamison and something that will just have to be coaxed along with proper rest. He will likely miss tomorrow night's game in Philadelphia but says he'll be ready for Sunday's showdown at the Q against the Celtics. Such will probably be the formula for Jamison over the next few weeks.

2) Getting Mo Williams back into the flow on both ends of the court: Mo arguably hit rock bottom with his 3-for-17 shooting performance in Milwaukee on Saturday night. He looked lost on both ends of the court as Brandon Jennings had his way on offense. It was encouraging to see Mo come back and hit some big shots Monday night against the Spurs and begin to play tougher defense in the 2nd half of that game. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little concerned with the way he seemed to be flexing his previously-injured shoulder before hitting two late free throws to ice the game. We'll have to keep an eye on that one. But I'd rather see Mo get a chance to play his way out of this funk than having to rest that shoulder yet again.

3) Figuring out how to integrate Z back into the rotation: March 22nd is only 11 days away now and that's the date Z has given to "begin negotiations" again with the Cavs. That's a polite way of saying he won't re-sign until a roster spot opens up. Darnell Jackson is likely the odd man out in this situation. Once the final playoff roster is ironed out, Mike Brown has the unenviable task of sorting out the rotation and figuring out who goes back to the bench. Things will be a little easier for the time being since Shaq is still out of action.

4) Incorporating Shaq back into the flow: This one is important to me because we saw how uncomfortable Shaq and the Cavs looked figuring out his role in the beginning of the season. It should be easier this time around now that both know what to expect of each other. But I'm hoping that the big man gets to test that thumb a bit late in the regular season before the playoff grind starts.

5) Getting back to their defensive roots: It's no secret that the Cavs' defense has been lacking for the better part of a month now. In my view, it began to slip in the game against the Knicks on February 6th, a 113-106 win in which they nearly coughed up a 30+ point lead. Aside from the 108-88 win in Boston on February 25th, the defense hasn't really been up to par since. I would be hammering this point home to the team over the next five weeks if I were in Mike Brown's shoes.

The to-do list for the coaching staff is a big one, but all parts are manageable. The Cavs know what they need to do and they have been in this position before. They were the first to 50 wins this year for a reason and we all know what has transpired over the last two seasons with the team that is first to 50. These final 17 games may afford the Cavs a chance to repeat that trend and give this city its first championship in 46 years. No pressure, right?

Not a time to panic

So the Cavs have lost three in a row on the heels of their franchise record-tying 13-game winning streak. Now the sky is falling, Mo can't hit a shot, and the annual call for Mike Brown's head has begun. We are certainly spoiled by this team's winning ways. Were the last three losses fun to watch? Of course not. The team has drifted from its defensive principles and just coasted for long stretches. But closer look at each loss might leave us all feeling a little better...

Last Thursday: 118-116 OT loss to Denver. Your classic "giveaway" game by the Cavaliers. They've been skating on thin ice for a while now at the free throw line and this time it finally bit them. 23-for-40 from the stripe just isn't gonna win many games, regardless of the competition. The fact that they still had a chance to win this one until LeBron's shot at the buzzer rimmed out is actually quite baffling. Denver is a solid team, the Cavs were coming off a long All-Star break, Z was just traded, Antawn was still unavailable, and the Nuggets were surely rallying around George Karl's announcement that he's once again battling cancer. Not surprisingly, the 118 points is the most the Cavs have surrendered so far this season. What makes this loss doubly frustrating is the fact that the Cavs also gave one away earlier in the season to the Camelo-less Nuggets in Denver.

Last Friday: 110-93 loss in Charlotte. This was a scheduling nightmare. A long, late national TV game at home the previous night followed by the 7:00pm start against the much-improved Bobcats. The Cavs had a bad shooting night (39%), played bad defense (55% shooting for Chalotte), and really were embarrassed by a hungrier Bobcats team. Now the chatter is that this would be a horrific matchup should these teams meet in the first round of the playoffs. I'm not ready to think that far ahead just yet, but let's try to not blow this loss out of proportion. It was Antawn Jamison's first game in a Cavs uniform and he clearly was nervous, as his 0-for-12 shooting night should illustrate. The Bobcats are truly a perplexing team... they follow this one up with a loss to the Bucks, then a loss to the Clippers. Go figure.

Sunday: 101-95 loss in Orlando. We knew this one would be tough going into it. The Cavs had beaten Orlando twice already this season. The Shaq/Dwight Howard war-of-words was escalating. Orlando would be ready for this national TV matchup. Their hot-shooting 4th quarter is what did the Cavs in as they outscored Cleveland 27-20 in the final 12 minutes. Encouraging things to take away from this one were Antawn's first solid performance as a Cavalier - 19 points and 8 rebounds, before fouling out on some terrible calls - and Shaq's nice offensive performance (20 points on 9-for-10 shooting). Foul trouble ultimately killed the Cavs as Shaq was also strapped with 5 fouls. It still kills me that Howard seems to get away with most everything, yet Shaq is whistled for any sort of contact. This will likely be the matchup again in the Eastern Conference Finals, so it was nice to get a preview of how things now look with the new line-up for the Cavs. We play this guys one more time in April at the Q and I'll be looking forward to that one as things should be more stable by then.

Also, keep in mind the Cavs had not had a practice with a healthy Mo in a month. And Z is gone from the locker room and the rotation (at least for the next 25 days or so, wink, wink). And the Cavs are now trying to shuffle their lineup with Mo and Antawn in the mix and Leon Powe soon to follow. My point is that Mike Brown is juggling a lot of moving parts right now. And the goal is not to be peaking in February, but in April and beyond. The Cavs have 25 games left to get things running smoothly and soon this 3-game skid will be forgotten. Enjoy the rest of this season and try to keep the big picture in mind. The team will look to get things back on track tonight at the Q vs. the Hornets. I don't expect to be writing about a 4th consecutive loss here tomorrow. But even if I have to, remember to take a deep breath and relax fellow Cavs fans. It's a long season, and titles aren't won in February.

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?

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.

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?

10 years gone

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

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

Brother Red took another hard fall on Thursday night

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

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

Rolling along...

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

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

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

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

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

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...

Finally, a losing streak

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

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

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

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

23-0

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

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

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

21 and MO!

So the Cavaliers beat the Kings at the Q last night to extend their home record to a perfect 21-0 and their NBA-best record to 35-8. That much was expected. What wasn't expected was the shootout-style final score, 117-110 (highlights), or Mo Williams' huge near triple-double performance of 43 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds. Words can't express just how great Mo was last night. To put things in perspective, only seven NBA players since the 1986-87 season have put up at least 43 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds in a game. Bravo Mo. I hope it didn't come too late for the coach's All-Star voting. In the last four games (all wins) Mo has averaged 28.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on 51.3 % shooting (including 51.4% from three). Talk about consistency.

It was the 'Mo Show' at the Q on Wednesday night

And it took a huge night like that from Mo to top the exploits of his more famous teammate. LeBron notched his 20th career triple-double with a sparkling 23/11/15 effort. If Mo would have been able to grab those last two rebounds they would have been only the third pair of teammates since 1989 to notch a triple-double in the same game. Wow.

I won't go into details about how poorly the Cavs looked on defense throughout the night. I'd rather just chalk it up as a lax effort on their part, perhaps with the team already looking ahead to the big showdown tomorrow night in Orlando. And judging by Mike Brown's post-game comments, you know he won't let the guys lose focus on that end of the court for very long. See you tomorrow with some thoughts on the Cavs vs. Magic...

That's more like it

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

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

The King acknowledges the classy Minnesota crowd on Wednesday night

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

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

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).

Browns win?

I know I should abide by my own made-up rule that a win is a win, especially in Cleveland. But I just can't help tearing apart last night's 29-27 win (highlights) over the Bills. I just can't. First, those were two really bad teams playing each other last night. That's not to say that each side doesn't have individual talent... but when looking at the overall team aspect of football, the Browns and the Bills are equally bad. Good thing for us that it resulted in an entertaining (for reasons both good and bad) game on national TV. But if you really stop and think about it, this is what today's NFL has become. A bunch of teams that are pretty close in talent level, battling it out. How many really good teams would you say there are in this league? Three? Four?

There are so many things that you could criticize both the Browns and Bills for last night. Here are just a few off the top of my head:

• With Trent Edwards basically handing the game to the Browns in the first quarter with three interceptions, how do we only capitalize with two field goals? The Browns took possession on each drive at the Bills' 44, 40, and 10 yard lines. Six points? Really?
• The Bills exploited the inexperience of Brady Quinn by consistently blitzing him. And linebacker Kawika Mitchell ran seemingly untouched through the Browns' line about a dozen times. Was anyone paying attention to him? Would it hurt to keep Jamal Lewis or Charles Ali as an extra blocker back there so Quinn doesn't get killed?
• After Trent Edwards' awful start the Bills rightfully handcuffed him by only allowing him to throw the ball near the line of scrimmage for almost the entire remainder of the game. This meant that any pass was basically going to Marshawn Lynch. And of course the Browns couldn't tackle him to save their lives. How is an NFL team so inept at something as fundamental as proper tackling?
• With Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson basically ripping the Browns' defense a new one, how did the Bills only rush 35 times? I would have handed off 50 times if I was them, especially considering how bad a QB Edwards is.
• What was up with the Browns' play-calling when they kind of got into field goal range late in the fourth quarter. It was like they saw the imaginary line drawn on the field by Monday Night Football to indicate Phil Dawson's career-long field goal and decided that they were close enough right there. They followed it with three awful pass plays to the sideline, forcing Dawson to hammer home a 56-yard field goal with 1:44 left. Kudos to Phil for that kick (and his other four on the night) - as Doug Dieken said, "If Phil doesn't make the Pro Bowl this year, then no one deserves to be there."

Dawson was money from 56 yards on Monday night

• In true Browns fashion, they decided to squib the ensuing kickoff and the Bills took over at their own 44. I know they were gunshy after the kickoff return for a touchdown earlier in the quarter, but come on.
• Of course Trent Edwards made his one good throw of the night on that drive, getting the Bills into their own long field goal range at the Browns' 38. The the Bills decided to tear a page out of the Browns' playbook by playing it safe and opting for their own long field goal, except this one was going into the swirling wind.
• Also on that drive, Romeo Crennel and the Browns' coaching staff made another really boneheaded move. After Edwards' one good pass there was about 1:15 left on the game clock and the Browns still had all three timeouts. Instead of calling one immediately after that play to preserve the clock in case the Bills made that field goal, Romeo decided to let the Bills run another play and then call a timeout, effectively losing another 20 seconds. Brilliant.

I'm sure there are other things I missed, but like I said these are just off the top of my head after a late night. And I didn't even mention the continued drops by Braylon Edwards, coupled with another procedure penalty against him as well. These are mistakes that a good football team just doesn't make. But thankfully the Bills aren't a good football team either. The saddest part of all of this is that without two epic fourth quarter collapses at home (where the Browns are 1-4) this team would now be at 6-4 fighting for a playoff spot, or maybe even the division title. Only in today's NFL...

There were some good things to take away from last night's game for the Browns, aside from a much-needed win. Jerome Harrison showed outstanding speed on his 72-yard TD run and again is making a case for more carries. Brady Quinn knows how to manage a game and avoid costly turnovers in just his second NFL start (he really should be 2-0 now). Despite his drops and mental errors, Braylon Edwards still was able haul in 8 catches for 104 yards. And I loved the play that Chud called with the 'Flash' package for the Josh Cribbs TD. More of that, please.

Cavs Update: The Cavaliers look to add on to their 7-game win streak when they face the Nets at 7:30 tonight in New Jersey. It will be the first of a tough back-to-back on the road before heading to Detroit tomorrow night. So it's imperative for the Cavs to try to get a win tonight. Mike Brown is ignoring the win streak in an effort to keep the team focused... LeBron isn't satisfied with just winning seven in a row... The team needs to be successful on the road and this will be a good test... You'll never guess who was again named Eastern Conference player of the week... And don't look now but there's a new #1 on NBA.com's latest power rankings. Uh-oh.

"We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves because when you start thinking, 'We've got to take care of our road trip,' or 'We've got to handle this winning streak,' that feels like an enormous burden. If you just think, 'Let's go handle our business this next game,' to me that's simplistic and you go out there and do what you do and you have a chance to win if you do it right."
- Mike Brown

Another good weekend

Although greatly aided by the fact that the Browns didn't play yesterday, we made it through another Cleveland sports weekend without a blemish. The Cavaliers took care of the Jazz on Saturday night with a 105-93 win (highlights here) at the Q. That makes seven in a row for the good guys and they now sit atop the Central Division at 8-2, one game ahead of the Pissed-ons.

1/8th of the way home and looking good...

This was one of the funner regular season games that I can remember attending in quite some time. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that old friend Carlos Boozer was in the building (his team now 0-5 in Cleveland since his backstabbing departure). My personal favorite moment of the night was when LeBron soared high to reject a shot attempt by Boozer midway through the fourth quarter. It was part of a highlight-reel fourth quarter by James and Mo Williams that had the Q rocking.

LBJ hit some daggers in the 4th on his way to 39 on Saturday night

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - stick with this team. Enjoy them. They won't disappoint you. This is truly a talented squad, ready to reach new heights for this franchise and this city. And for those of you that like to complain about Mike Brown and his lack of offense, this team currently sits fifth in the league in scoring at 101.1 ppg. Mo Williams and Delonte West in the starting line-up make this a very formidable bunch. And the bench is contributing greatly to the cause. And they will get better too.

Other Cavs Notes: Just to expand on what I touched on last week, the Cavs can offer LeBron one more year and $31.5M more than any other NBA team in the summer of 2010. How do I know this? Because the great Brian Windhorst laid out all the numbers today. So suck on that national media... Bob Finnan has a nice piece today on Boobie and his unwavering confidence... And George Thomas gives some more details on the Cavs' new high-powered offense.

Browns Update: The orange and brown continue the beginning of the Brady Quinn era tonight as the kid gets his first taste of Monday Night Football at 8:30 in Buffalo. I've been avoiding talking about the Browns for the last week because frankly, I'm a little sick of all the blind love they get in this town. That's not to say I don't love this team and root for them no matter what... but I just think they get too many free passes for their bumbling ways.

There aren't many things to look forward to when watching a 3-6 team that actually had Super Bowl-type expectations a few short months ago. But we can be excited about Quinn finally getting his shot now that the season is officially in the toilet. The Bills have also been somewhat of a disappointment, losing four of their last five after starting the season 4-0.

So what should we expect when a 5-4 team hosts a 3-6 team tonight in what could be some very sloppy conditions? Perhaps a replay of the Ice Bowl last year in the Stadium which resulted in an 8-0 Browns victory? Probably not that bad, even though that was one of the more memorable sports experiences of my lifelong Cleveland fanhood. The Browns are obviously (to me anyway) a much more talented team than the Bills. We are certainly better than our 3-6 would indicate. But there's also a reason we are 3-6... we just can't finish teams off as evidenced in the last two fourth quarter debacles. So taking all that into account I still think the Browns will find a way to win this one tonight. I'll go with Browns 20, Bills 17. And I'm also going with Billick on the sidelines in '09.

Six in a row

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

Offensive Game Balls of the Night:

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

Mo is quickly becoming the Robin to LeBron's Batman

Defensive Game Balls of the Night:

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

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

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

Weekend Sweep

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

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

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

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

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