The 'Game-Changer'

It happened with 5:20 left in the third quarter on Saturday night. I immediately called it a "game-changer," but it ultimately could end up proving to be a series-changer. The Cavs, looking lethargic for the better part of two and a half quarters, found themselves down 11 points at home in Game 1 to the Celtics. They were shooting terribly, giving up way too many offensive rebounds, and just lacking overall energy and heart. They looked to be on their way to a possible shocking Game 1 loss that could have been a crippling early playoff blow. Then Mo Williams stole the ball and left me and thousands of others shocked and confused. He threw down the first dunk I've ever seen from him, and it was not a cheapie.


From my vantage point in the Q, the play was confusing to me because I was expecting Mo to lay the ball up and when that didn't happen I assumed that Paul Pierce had blocked the shot. And judging by the reaction of those around me, others were as equally confused. I couldn't figure out why the crowd in the lower deck was going nuts. And it still took a few replays on Q-tube to actually confirm what I missed the first time. The video guy for the Cavs must have been as equally shocked because the replay was run at least 6 times.

And that dunk was all it took. That ignited a 21-10 run by the Cavs (including a personal 10-0 run by Mo) that turned an 11-point deficit into a 1-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The Cavs ended up winning 101-93 thanks to some late-game heroics (yet again) from LeBron and some timely baskets (finally) from Shaq. But the difference in the game was that last 5:20 of the third quarter. Without that run, the Cavs probably would have found themselves in a 1-0 hole this morning.

I said earlier that Antawn Jamison's arrival would prove to be a difference for Mo in these playoffs. And so far Mo has delivered, aside from one rough game in the Chicago series. Jamison himself only notched 7 points on just 6 shot attempts in Game 1, but judging from moments like this one, the fire is there. He did add 9 rebounds and provided some stout defense against Garnett. I don't recall Antawn ever playing in such a pressure situation so far in his career and I expect to see him more involved in tonight's offensive game plan. And that's the beauty of the Cavs. There will be different guys stepping up on different nights to help out the two-time MVP in his quest for the ultimate trophy.

There's plenty more to write about this series, but I'll save that for tomorrow when we recap Game 2. My gut still says Cavs in 6, especially considering how well the Celtics played for so long in Game 1. They are one team that won't be intimidated by the environment at the Q. But if/when the Cavs take this one tonight, the writing should be on the wall for the proud Celtics. They won't go down without a fight, but it will be fun to see them go down. Go Cavs.

Random Notes:

• How cool is it to see LeBron include his teammates in yesterday's MVP ceremony? And consider the fact that all 14 teammates showed up to see the King accept the award. I challenge you to name me another NBA team for which this would actually happen... and two years in a row now. Somehow I just can't picture Ron Artest showing up for a Kobe MVP celebration. I'm laughing just trying to picture it.
  
• It's still fun to talk trash to Celtics fans. Walking down Bolivar towards the Q on Saturday we spied two green-jersey-clad C's fans enjoying drinks outside Local Heroes. I said something to the effect of "hope you didn't pay too much for your tickets boys." There may or may not have been some profanity included. And my comments were greeted by a look of confusion/anger from both. Do you honestly expect not to be called out when you show up in that attire?
• What is up with Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine on the C's bench? I don't think both of them were sitting simultaneously at any point during the entire 48 minutes on Saturday. It was fun to see Allen finally get whistled for a technical, but not so fun when Mo missed the free throw.
• Is Usher the ultimate fair-weather Cavs fan? I've been to my fair share of Cavs games this year (at least 17 by my own unofficial count) and this is the first time I've seen him there this season. Excuse me for not getting excited to see him there.
• It would be silly of me not to mention JJ Hickson and his 11 points in 12 minutes in Game 1. The truth is obvious now for Mike Brown/Z/the Cavs organization. JJ has to be part of the rotation, and will be. Doesn't mean we don't love you Z, but we've got a title to win.
  

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.
  

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?

Stuck without a center, but the timing is right

Last night came the news that many of us expected/feared... the Shaq thumb injury is indeed a serious one and surgery will be required. The big man will be shelved for the next 6-8 weeks, effectively ending his regular season. On the heels of losing Z in order to obtain Antawn Jamison, the Cavs are now stuck without a true center on their roster. And given the current slim one-game lead over the Lakers for overall homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, this is probably a good time to panic, right? Maybe not...

As far as the schedule goes, this actually happened at a decent place. Not that I'm thrilled about losing Shaq or the prospect of him being out of action for so long, but the Cavs have reached a point in their schedule where they can afford an injury or two. After the extremely tough stretch of Denver/@Charlotte/@Orlando/New Orleans/@Boston/@Toronto (that's 6 games in 9 days, all against playoff-caliber teams), things lighten up a bit now over the next month. March (can you believe it's already March???) features 15 games, only 6 of which are against teams currently at or above .500.

Now is the time when Danny Ferry's construction of such a deep roster may truly pay off. Anderson Varejao obviously slides into the starting center role for the time being (at least until Z returns on or around March 22). Until then we can expect a big-man rotation of Andy, Jamison, Hickson, and Powe. And depending on matchups, LeBron will surely be playing some minutes at the 4 spot. A week ago I would have been shocked to think that Leon Powe would actually be playing meaningful minutes at this point, but I'm encouraged by what I've seen so far in his limited minutes. And it's nice to see JJ will not be buried on the bench again - his performance in Boston should have all but guaranteed that. Funny that no too long ago I heard some fans complaining about us having too many big men on the roster... I'm not hearing those same complaints now.

Injuries are a part of life in the NBA and we should all be thankful we have a GM that has constructed a team that is built to withstand them. We saw it earlier when Mo and Delonte were down for a while and Boobie stepped up. Now is the time for others to make it tougher on Mike Brown to decide on his playoff rotation. And remember, Shaq was obtained to outmuscle Dwight Howard and the Laker big men deep in the playoffs. The Eastern Conference Finals are still roughly 11 weeks away. Take your time big fella... just stay away from the buffet.

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.

We're going streaking!

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

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

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

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

50 games in... time for a breather

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

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

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

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

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

Another easy one

The Cavs must certainly be enjoying the fact that they can rest Mo Williams and Delonte West and get both players back to 100% health. The current soft spot in the schedule affords them that luxury and still allows them to pound on their weaker opponents. Such was the case again in weekend victories over the Pacers and Clippers. First came a 94-73 thrashing of Indiana. And then last night at the Q the Cavs scored 46 points in the first quarter on 11-of-13 shooting from 3-point range. They built a 31-point lead early in the second quarter on their way to a 114-89 pounding of the Clippers.

I've never seen a shooting display quite like what was going on inside the Q in the first quarter. The Clippers were double-teaming Shaq from the opening tip and that freed up our shooters on the perimeter. And it doesn't hurt when LeBron has one of his sizzling stretches from beyond the arc. It was reminiscent of last February's game in Milwaukee when he went off for 55, including a stretch of 17 points in less than three minutes. When the dust settled after the first twelve minutes last night, LBJ was 8-for-9 (including 5-for-6 from 3) for 23 points and the game was all but over. You just knew it was going to be one of those nights when his patented "heat checks" (you know the ones that make you go no, no, no... YES!) are going in.

Things certainly got a little sloppy in the 2nd half as the Clippers actually cut the huge lead down to 11 points early in the 4th quarter. But such can be expected in a game like this, which was never really in doubt. And the Cavs responded nicely down the stretch and finished things off the right way. The team still has 6 more in a row at home... their longest such streak in 16 years. Hopefully we see a few more of these easy blowout wins along the way. The Cavs are currently still a half-game up on the Lakers for best record in the NBA (although they do hold the all-important tiebreaker there). And they are 5.5 up on Orlando, 6.5 up on Atlanta, and a whopping 7 up on Boston. Fun times.

Fun facts: LeBron has tallied at least 11 assists in 6 of the last 10 games. And Shaq continues to pick up the scoring slack in Mo's absence. Last night was his 8th straight game in double-digits. Over those 8 games he is averaging 16.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in just 26 minutes of action. And finally, for the season the Cavs bench is outscoring their opponents by a 29.2 to 25.6 average. That may not sound like much, but that wasn't the case last year. Don't look now but the Cavs are only one win behind their 66-win pace a season ago. I still think they can match or beat it if they remain relatively healthy.

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

Thoughts on the Cavs

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

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

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

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

He's Still BOO-zer to Me

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

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

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

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

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

Quality win

The first quarter of Tuesday night's game vs. the Wizards was not a thing of beauty. The Cavs found themselves down 31-17, missing 10 of their last 11 shots in the opening period. Washington was running all over the place, putting on an offensive clinic against a team that prides itself on playing defense first. Good thing a basketball game is not decided by just one quarter alone.

The Cavaliers decided to show up for the final three quarters and easily dusted off their wanna-be rivals from the nation's capital 102-90 (highlights) for their third straight win. They erased what had balloned to an18-point deficit early in the 2nd quarter by outscoring the Wiz 85-59 down the stretch. And they finally did it with the big man heavily involved. Shaq ended up with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from the line. This was the Shaq I'd been waiting to see - taking advantage of his size and not rushing his shots. He was consistent on both ends of the floor and punished the Wizards front court from the 2nd quarter on. The Cavs also shot 11-of-26 from beyond the arc, led by Mo (3/4) and Boobie (4/5).

Shaq was too much for the Wiz on Tuesday night

Aside from overcoming the early large deficit, the thing that impressed me most about this win was the fact that the Wizards went to the line 14 more times than the Cavs (41 attempts to 27) and outrebounded the Cavs (48 to 42), yet the wine and gold still seemed to cruise to victory. The team is still not firing on all cylinders, but Tuesday night's final three quarters were by far the best they've looked thus far in this young season. Things are starting to finally click and that could mean the victories will start piling up, much like after last year's slow start. And after the remaining games this week (CHI and @NY) the schedule gets a little more dicey (@ORL, @MIA, UTA). Let's hope what we saw after yesterday's first quarter jump starts this team to a nice long stretch of dominant play.

Delonte Update: Apparently the DA assigned to Delonte's case is going for additional weapons charges. This may end up getting even worse then we originally thought. I consider myself an anti-gun person and even I hope they take into consideration Delonte's mental state at the time this all went down. And that's not the Cavs fan in me talking, that's the human side of me that has experience dealing with someone with bipolar disorder. Someone in a manic state, likely where Delonte's head was when this occurred, just can't think clearly or rationally. He deserves to be punished for his dangerous actions, but jail time will not help at all. Just my two cents.

One week in

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

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

Delonte returned to the court on Halloween night

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

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

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

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...