Thoughts on Shaq, Draft, Vince, Free Agency

Let me start by apologizing to the few but faithful readers who comprise CMCR nation for the lack of posts since the Cavs were bounced from the playoffs. To put it simply, it's summer, the Indians stink, it took awhile to be able to think about the Cavs, and there's not much to talk about with the Browns or Buckeyes until the start of fall camp (that is, unless you have a thing for felonies or civil litigation).

But now, it's time to talk Cavs again. We'll start with Shaq and go Terry Pluto style:

So Shaq's finally a Cavalier! Do you like the move?

Yeah, absolutely. I mean I can't say I'm blown away by it but I think it certainly makes the Cavs a better team heading into next season. Any time you trade pure cap relief for a guy who just averaged 17.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, I think you've definitely made yourself better. Shaq may not be an elite player at this point in his career, but I'd still challenge you to find five centers (not big 4's that play the 5) who you'd rather have on your team. This was a classic case of something for nothing. You may wonder if there were better deals to be had out there but it's hard to argue that this particular trade doesn't make the Cavs a tougher team.

But he's so old! How can the Cavs build around a guy who's 37 years old?

The most beautiful aspect of this trade is that given the circumstances, Shaq's age is completely irrelevant. As an expiring contract, in all probability, he's only going to be on the roster for one season. Thus, the only thing that we have to care about as fans is what Shaq is capable of doing in 2009-10. That snapshot is all that matters. If he has one more year of 15+ points and 8 boards left in him, then the Cavs just made a very good trade. If not, we're no worse off than we would have been witnessing the funeral processions of the careers of Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic.

But this team was already too old up front. Don't we need to find a younger player to be a long-term solution in the middle?

Good luck with that. I don't know if you're aware of this but you won't find too many franchise centers in their 20's on the trade block of floating around in July looking to sign for the MLE. Yes, the Cavs are eventually going to have to get younger up front. Although Shaq doesn't fix that problem, he does allow the Cavs to be a better team next year without compromising their ability to sign longer-term solutions down the road. I'll say this again: He's an expiring contract. There is virtually no risk in this deal for the Cavs. The only thing it did was take away their ability to make a deal at next year's trade deadline. Given what we just went though (every attractive deadline deal falling through), did we really want to place all of our eggs in that basket again anyway?

What about Tyson Chandler? He's 26 year's old and could've been had for expiring money just like Shaq.

I actually had this thought about a week ago before the Shaq deal went through and before I even knew that Chandler was the Cavs' backup plan. There is some merit to the notion that the Cavs might have been better off trading for Chandler. He's younger by more than a decade and is certainly a better pick & roll defender. If you're looking for that final piece to win a title next year, however, do you really want to bank on a guy who averaged 8.8 pts and 8.7 rebounds in 32 minutes a game last year? Chandler's PER last year was 13.4. Shaq's was 22.3. Even considering the problems presented by Shaq's lack of mobility, he's going to be a far better player in 2009-10 than Chandler. For the Cavs, that's really all that matters.

But wouldn't it have been nice to have Chandler under contract for an extra year?

Um, no. If you consider Chandler's numbers, he's certainly not a guy you're dying to have on your books for 12.5 million in 2010-11. The Cavs are walking a very tight rope with Lebron right now. They absolutely must give him the best possible chance to win a title right now. At the same time, they've got to be in position to put a team around him that will contend for the next 3-5 years. Given the depth of the free agent class of 2010, the best way for the Cavs to address both needs is to take a one-year flyer on an impact player (Shaq) without giving up their ability to sign a top-level free agent to play with Lebron one he re-signs next summer. Now, some might argue that it's not going to matter because Lebron is leaving anyway, but I would certainly rather take my chances with a better title shot and cap space than on the possibility that Lebron would be really impressed by the fact that the Cavs had Ty Chandler under contract for 2010-11.

Ok, so Shaq was a better move than Chandler. How do you think he will play with Lebron?

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I don't know, uh well? It makes me laugh to see all of these writers out there talking about how Shaq will clog the lane and interfere with Lebron's penetration. Keep in mind, we're talking about a 17-year veteran in Shaq and the guy with the highest basketball IQ on the planet in Lebron. I'm pretty sure that they'll find a way to make each other better. I also don't recall Shaq being too much of a hinderance to Wade when he was doing his kamikazee routine to the basket on every possession in the 06 finals. Trust me, I understand that Shaq will bring an extra defender into the paint. I also understand that the second that the extra defender slides over to help on Lebron, all hell is going to break loose and Lebron is either going to finish or Shaq is going to be sitting under the hoop without anyone on him to deny the pass or box out. Shaq might be old and slow but he's still gigantic and powerful. If his man is constantly being asked to be the help defender down low, that's going to cause a lot of problems for opposing teams. Shaq could end up averaging ten points a game on assisted dunks and uncontested putbacks alone.

Fine, Shaq and Lebron make sense together. I still don't know if that will be enough to beat the Magic.

First things first. Don't talk to me about beating the Magic. The idea of building your roster specifically to defeat one team is completely asinine, especially when said team is a one-hit wonder like Orlando. First of all, we shouldn't forget that the Cavs already tried this once. Last year's team was engineered for one purpose and one purpose only: Beat Boston. Of course, we all know how that played out. The Cavs were well equipped to hammer Boston in five games, except they forgot that they were completely helpless against bigger teams with shooters like Orlando and L.A. The rest is history. The truth is that in order to win a title, you're going to have to get through a least a couple of great teams, and chances are, those teams are going to play different styles of basketball. You can't just build a roster to beat one type of team. You have to build the best all-around basketball team that you can and hope that they're good enough to match up with anyone.

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One more thing on this topic: Are people seriously just considering it a given that Orlando will be the team waiting for the Cavs if and when the Cavs return to the Eastern Conference Finals? Aren't we forgetting that a) Orlando almost lost to the Sixers, b) Orlando had to ride the most ridiculous wave of statistical anomalies in playoff history to make their run, and c) Orlando just basically gave up the chance to re-sign their best crunch time player to acquire the NBA equivalent of the Tin Man (more on that in a minute)?

I get it. We can't just assume that Orlando will be the team to beat next year. But what about Shaq's attitude? Hasn't be basically been run out of every town that he's played in?

I don't know if it's fair to say that he's been run out of town, but he certainly has a tendency to end things badly with his former employers. For the most part, however, the bad blood doesn't develop until he's already moved on to another team and begins to run his mouth a little bit. I can't really say that's much of a concern as it pertains to the Cavs. He's going to be here for one year. Anything that happens after that is inconsequential. Plus, I have to admit that I'm secretly excited to have a front-row seat for all of Shaq's antics. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that he's one of the most colorful, innovative, and gregarious personalities in the history of the league...or of professional sports in general for that matter. As long as the Cavs are winning (and of course, everyone has forgotten that the Cavs were a 66 win team even without Shaq), it's going to be a lot of fun to watch Shaq and Lebron yuck it up every night. Plus, I love the idea that having Shaq, as pedestrian as he is at this point in his career, is going to take away from the "Lebron is the only relevant player in Cleveland" angle that the media holds so dear. There is now a second personality in town to absorb some of the spotlight. Maybe it's my own insecurities about Cleveland coming to the surface, but I'm comforted by the fact that at least for next year, Lebron won't be the only reason to talk about the Cavs.

So basically, you're happy that the Cavs traded for a media spectacle?

Shaq might enjoy running his mouth and seeing his name in print but don't ignore the fact that the guy has four rings and cares about the game. Shaq has always been a basketball player first and a personality second, just like Lebron. I have absolute confidence that he'll show up to camp in shape and focused on the task at hand. Think about it: Kobe just won his fourth ring. He probably has one or two more years left where he can carry a team by himself. His window is closing. You can't tell me that Shaq wouldn't just LOVE to have a hand in slamming the door closed on Kobe's career as an elite player, while at the same time, ensuring that he ends up with one more ring. I don't know for sure how much Shaq has left in the tank. What I do know though, is that whatever is still in there is going to be left out on the court during the 2009-10 season.

The Draft:

I've got to tell you how shocked I was at how much stock Cavs fans seemed to be puting into the draft last night. I understand that it's always exciting when you have the opportunity to change your roster, but really? You were holding your breath that the Cavs would move up into the middle of the first round? Who, exactly were they going to to get that might make a meaningful impact this season? By all accounts, this draft was atrocious. By most estimates, it had a couple of potential all-stars, a handful of quality starters, and then a bunch of borderline bench guys. I'm not exactly devasted that the Cavs essentially punted.

I know there are a lot of people out there who are upset about passing on Sam Young and Dejuan Blair. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't seen enough of either guy to have an intelligent opinion on one or the other (I don't watch a lot of college basketball these days...you know, because it's become unwatchable for all but a month of the year). All I can say is that there seemed to be a pretty solid consensus around the league that neither guy warranted a high pick, and as it pertains to Blair, it seems like he has some serious medical red flags. With that being said, I would've liked to have seen the Cavs take Blair for his rebounding ability, but I understand that there are other issues to consider. First, when you're a luxury tax team, signing anyone, even a rookie, becomes an expensive endeavor. Obviously, that's not an issue if you're going to stash a guy overseas for a couple of years. Second, when you have the type of depth that the Cavs do, every roster spot becomes important. Consider: 1) Lebron, 2) Williams, 3) West, 4) Varejao*, 5) Shaq, 6) Z, 7) Hickson, 8) Gibson, 9) Kinsey, 10) Jackson. That's 10 guys right there that you pretty much know will be on the team next year. Now take into consideration the fact that the Cavs are almost assured of signing one or two guys with their MLE and you can see that the roster spots are quickly filling up. I'm not saying that the Cavs couldn't have made room for a guy like Blair (at the expense of perhaps a guy like Kinsey). I'm just saying that I can understand their reasons for passing on him.

I don't know the first thing about Christian Eyenga, although from the video footage, it looks like he's been selling out junior high schools across Europe for some time now. Apparently he's quite the athlete, but it's not even worth trying to discuss him. I'd say the odds of him ever suiting up for the Cavs are probably 1-4.

As for Danny Green, however, I have to admit that I'm a bit intrigued. 6'7, four-year player on the National Champions, all ACC-defender, decent shooter... It's always a long shot with second-rounders but there is at least some possibility, albeit remote, that he could step in and be the wing defender that the Cavs so desperately need. If you tell a guy that he can make your team if he just forgets about offense and plays tenacious defense, I think you have a legitimate shot of molding him into the specialist that you want him to be. I'm excited to see what he can bring to the table. If we could at least partially address our perimeter defense issues internally, that would be a huge plus.

Free Agency:

1. It's time to sign Sheed. I know, it makes me a little queezy too, but it's the right thing to do. If the Cavs had Lebron, Shaq, and Sheed, they would be a force to be reckoned with. I know, I know, for the last two guys on that list, it's not 2001, but still, they'd be a matchup nightmare. With Sheed stretching the floor at the four, they would be almost impossible to defend. People can bitch all they want about the guy's attitude, but there's nothing wrong with rooting for a guy who's a complete asshole, as long as he's your complete asshole. Sheed has a ring. You can win with him. He's going to be able to give the Cavs infinitely more at that position than any other guy available could. He can stretch the floor and defend guys like Garnett and Howard inside. It's time to swallow our pride and sign him.

2. It's too bad San Antonio had to take Dick Jefferson's contract off Milwaukee's books, all but assuring that they'll re-sign Charlie Villanueva, aka Chuck Newhouse. Newhouse will now re-sign with the Bucks and continue to be an inconsistent, frustrating player. Cavs fans will look at him and say, "See, it's a good things we didn't sign him to a big offer sheet. He still can't put it all together." Just remember, a player's development has a lot to do with his circumstances. If Villanueva came to an elite team like the Cavs, he would develop into a dominant 4 on both sides of the floor. He has all the tools and is right at the age where he could break out if playing for the right franchise. Unfortunately though, we'll just never get to see that scenario play out.

3. The Cavs will re-sign Varejao. I'm not worried about this in the least. They're smart enough to know that they can't go to war with every meaningful player up front being well into their 30's. It's just a question of how much cap space for 2010 they'll have to use up. My hope is that other teams are smart enough to realize that Varejao is nothing unless he's alonside an elite player like Lebron, so they won't stupidly dangle any unreasonable offers. Then again, it is the NBA so chances are some team like the Bobcats will throw out some ridiculous 5 year, $50 million offer.

4. Last but not least, congratulations to Orlando for killing the heart and sould of their team for no apparent reason. Anyone who watched the Magic in the playoffs last year knows that Turkoglu was the main reason they made the run that they did. He was their best crunch time scorer, ball-handler, and overall player. They just traded him for the Tin Man, Vince Carter, one of the few players in the league without any semblance of an actual hart. How do you decide to swap a blood, sweat, and tears guy like Hedo for the small-forward equivalent of Larry Hughes? Yes, I'm aware that Carter had a very good year in New Jersey last year, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that aside from Devin Harris, he really didn't have to share the ball. He could get his. Winning didn't matter. It's exactly the type of scenario in which he thrives. I'm sure Howard, Nelson, Lewis, and Van Gundy are just going to love him when he's jacking up 3's early in the shot clock in the 4th quarters of close games next year. Essentially, Orlando just traded Courney Lee and Hedo Turkoglu for a selfish, injury-prone, 32-year-old perimeter scorer. Way to build on that momentum fellas.

That's all for now. We'll have more as soon as the Cavs make their next move, the Indians move out of town, or another Brown kills someone.

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Yao

Yao? No way. Way? Could Yao Ming end up in Cleveland along Lebron James in 2010? The best big we could hope for in the 2010 free agent class had been Amare or Bosh. But they aren't true centers. Yao being "available" in 2010 would be huge. A young legit center who can shoot and defend is exactly what we (and every other team) needs. We could actually stop Dwight Howard.

Now, realistically, this is all rumor and speculation based probably on nothing more than Cleveland having a new bunch of Chinese investors. But that does give this rumor the possibility of truth.

Why would Yao give up the extra money to sign with Cleveland instead of resigning with Houston? Sure a championship ring with Cleveland would be nice. But I bet he would actually make more money signing with Cleveland. These Chinese investors would throw money at Yao to advertise. Can you imagine the Yao and LeBron commercials. It makes me giddy thinking of the possibilites.

Clearly this is nothing more than pure speculation. But this is the offseason. It is our time to dream. Read the rest of this article

LeBron snub?

The Cavs just got upset in the Eastern Conference Finals. The magical (no pun intended) season was over. And what is the story that refuses to go away? LeBron leaving the arena without congratulating Orlando or speaking to the media. Give me a frickin' break.

This isn't youth sports where you have to lineup and shake hands after the game. This is the NBA. Let's not get our panties in a bunch because someone didn't want to talk to you in his moment of disappointment. Now David Stern wants to speak to LeBron about it. How is this a story?

Be a good sport and gracious in defeat, they say. Give me a break. What makes someone great is the unstoppable desire to win. T0 put winning above all else (without resorting to performance enhancing drugs or otherwise cheating). Just a few years ago we were bashing Larry Hughes for not caring about the team and putting himself first. I, for one, am glad LeBron was so pissed about the loss that he had to leave without congratulating Orlando or speaking to the media. I wish the whole team was that pissed. They should be. I want players who care about winning that much. And I don't want players who are so sensitive that they would feel slighted if the opposing team didn't shake hands with them after a crushing loss.


Bad sportsmanship is going to the other team after the loss and picking a fight. It's talking sh*t and making excuses after a loss. What LeBron did is not bad sportsmanship. But the oh so petty media insists on getting its interviews. Especially with the big stars in the league. And if that star spurns them, the media is compelled to lash out with this stupid story. Heaven help all those sports fans out there who are agreeing with the media and buying this "story."

Until next time, this is Barry Lakin, sayin' all the world is schlach. Read the rest of this article

It happened, We're Over It, We're Moving On

Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. The sky is not falling . . . .

I attended game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals last night expecting to be treated to another 48 minutes of Cavalier poetry. Needless to say, 24 of those minutes fell a bit short of my expectations. I left the Q hoarse, angry, and exhausted.

I'm not going to recap the game. I'm not going to point out all of the obvious and ridiculous things that the Cavs botched, both in their execution and strategy in the second half. All I'm going to do is offer a few suggestions that I think might help the Cavs handle a team that they just don't match up with particularly well; and yes, I'm well aware that "don't stand around on offense" is probably near the top of the list of adjustments that need to be made, but we're going for a few things that are a little more subtle:

1. Take 75% of Szczerbiak and Gibson's minutes and give them to Sasha. Keep in mind, I am not a Pavlovic fan. But I just don't see how you can justify playing a guy a) whose feet are glued to the floor, or b) who is undersized and brings nothing to the table right now, over a guy who is 6'7, agile, and can also put the ball on the floor on the offensive end. Listen, I'm well aware of Sasha's deficiencies. I just think that with both Lewis and Turkoglu out on the floor, when the Cavs decide to change things up by going to the bench, the should do it by bringing out a big perimeter player who can bother Orlando's shooters a little bit.

2. Increase Lebron's minutes. I know, this sounds a little bit ridiculous since he only sat about 90 seconds in the 4th quarter but part of what has made the Cavs such a tough playoff out for the last couple of years is that the team becomes significantly better when Lebron is playing 48 minutes. I thought it was a costly mistake to put him on the bench to start the 4th last night. Playoff leads are too hard to build. It is senseless to have a guy work all game to build and maintain a lead just to let it slip away so that he can get a quick blow. There are no back-to-backs in the playoffs. The TV timeouts are endless. Lebron can go 48 minutes without a problem. Let him do it. At the very least, eliminate the rest at the start of the 4th. The Cavs can't afford to take him off of the floor for defensive reasons, let alone offense.

3. Give Andy a crack at Howard. I completely agreed with the strategy of forcing Howard to beat single defenders to win the game. Boiled down to its simplest form, in a pure pissing contest between Howard and Lebron, Howard loses 99 times out of 100. He just doesn't have the offensive arsenal to score every time down the floor like Lebron does. That said, having Z guard him all game is making things a little too easy. At least Andy might be able to stay in front of him and draw a cheap charge or two. I'm not saying the Cavs should do it all game because they can't afford to have Varejeo in foul trouble but he definitely needs to spend a little more time on Howard, if only to force him to make a few more baby hooks. Obviously, if the Cavs do this, it means more time for Wallace and Joe Smith because one of them is going to have to guard Rashard Lewis. I'm fine with that (assuming they stop screwing up the switch-offs on the sideline pick and roll). I love Z but unless the Cavs are going to run offensive set through him in the low post (which they won't as long as Howard is down there), then there isn't much reason to have him out there all game.

4. Stick Lebron on Alston and leave him there until somebody else gets hot. I'm not sure why the Cavs switched the assignment last night when Orlando's perimeter players were quiet in the first half. Plus, having Lebron on Alston gives him a little more flexibility to be a helpside defender down low. I'm not saying he can just go roam and block shots, but it's not like Turkoglu or Lewis where helping equals instant death.

5. Stop making Z show on screens 30 feet from the basket.

6. Push the perimeter defense out even further out. I know, it sounds absurd but Orlando can't win games with 2 point shots. On that last possession, I wished Varejao had just waved Rashard Lewis by him and made him make an uncontested 8 footer. I know, putting guys in a position to beat you off the dribble forces defenders to help and causes things to break down. Still, I'd rather take my chances with that than allow Lewis and Turkoglue to get good looks at the rim all game. The Cavs defenders need to be up in Lewis and Turkoglu's chests swatting at the ball trying to make their lives difficult and disrupt their shooting motions.

Aside from the aforementioned, there are a host of other obvious adjustments that need to be made (e.g. Mike Brown not doing his best S.V.G. impression by pissing his pants and overreacting to his opponent's play by abandoning his gameplan) but I have confidence that the Cavs will make them. The Cavs are a 66 win team. The Magic are a team that is built to succeed one night and fail the next. The sky is not falling. The Cavs have spent 8 months convincing us that they're the best team in the league. One bad half doesn't change that. Keep the faith everyone. This series is going to be a roller-coaster but I still believe the Cavs will prevail.

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It's Orlando: The Road to the Finals Just Got Harder

And so ends the reign of the Celtics . . .

I can't help but feel a little disappointed. There were so many reasons to want the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals: The inflated media hype they generate, the cliche' "team of destiny" storylines that would've inevitably developed, the fact that they're completely finished and would've probably been pounded by the Cavs in 5 games, the revenge factor associated with embarrassing an aging and decimated Celtics team . . . It would've been a lot of fun.

With that said, I guess I can appreciate the silver lining in the Celtics' defeat: This was absolutely the end for them. Garnett may come back but he's never going to be the defensive enforcer that he used to be. Paul Pierce has crested the hill and is rapidly crashing back toward earth. Did you see him trying to take guys off the dribble in these playoffs? He looked like he was running in sand the entire time. Ray Allen? Entering the Reggie Miller "I can only contribute on a great team that can create wide open looks for me" phase of his career. The Celtics are done . . . for a while. Of course, when their cap situation improves, they are bound to land a marquee free agent or two. Players are always going to want to play in Boston. It's a decent town that gets a ton of media attention and the Celtics have a fantastic basketball tradition. But before the Celtics rebuild, they're going to have to pay the bill for the Championship they (along with Kevin McHale) won last year.
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Another silver lining from the Celtics' failure: With Garnett going down, Glen Davis got to show just enough for someone (hopefully the Celtics) to wildly overpay for him this Summer. As a Cavs fan, you have to appreciate that. Sure, we may have our own bill coming due with Varejao but at least he's a legit 6'11 and can play center when called upon. The Celtics are genuinely screwed. Seriously, they're probably a 50-55 win team next year. It's our time now.

Bring On Orlando:

Before I can start breaking down the Magic as a team, I have to address a major subplot to this upcoming series that the networks are sure to miss. You may not have known this but Magic Center Dwight Howard has a real thing for porn stars; and not just any porn stars. He likes porn stars that poop in hot tubs. The sight of a floater cruising along in a steaming whirlpool really turns him on. Don't believe me? Follow the link below:

http://yourhollywoodnews.com/?p=7919

Some highlights:

-Howard invited his porn star friend to a Magic game but insulted her by giving her crappy tickets.
-The object of Howard's affection seems to enjoy defecating and menstruating in hot tubs.
-Howard cornered Ms. Carey in a bathroom and whipped it out.
-Howard is a devout Christian.

You stay classy Superman.

Ok, so I've been waiting to post that for about, oh, I don't know, two years. Now that I've gotten it out of my system, lets talk basketball. Just for fun, we'll break down this matchup Terry Pluto style:

Can the Magic beat the Cavs?

Yes. Orlando is extremely dangerous but very little of that has to do with Dwight Howard. Howard may be able to protect the rim and hammer the glass but there's only so much damage he can do by himself. Rather, it's Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu that really present the problem for the Cavs. Both are 6'10 and can be extremely dangerous from the outside. If one or both of them get hot, there won't be a ton that the Cavs can do about it. When you're giving up that much size on the perimeter, closing out on a shooter will only protect you to a certain degree. The Cavs' defense thrives on packing the paint and making teams beat them with jump shots. Orlando is one of the few teams in the league that can actually win that way (hence the reason they were able to beat the Cavs twice by double-digits this year).

Can the Cavs pound Orlando like they did Detroit and Atlanta?

Yes. Here's the thing about Orlando: They may punch harder than Boston, and they may present a greater danger of knocking us down (aka, winning at the Q) but they don't have Boston's jaw. If we hit them hard in the mouth early in the series, they might just hit the canvas for good. This is a team that is a) inexperienced, b) built around the 3-point shot, and c) coached by a guy who is prone to freaking out in big moments. If the Cavs had taken games one and two at the Q against Boston, the Celtics would've come back and fought hard at home. However, if the Cavs really take it to Orlando Wednesday and Friday, the series might be over early. Orlando may have more talent than Boston but they don't have the Celtics' leadership, experience, or intestinal fortitude.

So what's the game plan?

Well, I'm sure with as much time as they've had off, Mike Brown and his staff know exactly how they're going to handle the Magic. If it were me, I'd make it my number one priority to contest EVERYTHING from the outside and take my chances with Howard. If nothing else, the Cavs have enough big men in Z, Varejao, Wallace, and Smith that they can just foul the shit out of him and make him beat them from the line. I'll take my chances with Howard shooting lots of jump hooks and free throws.

The Magic will win if:

They have an absolute lights out shooting night in either games 1 or 2 and steal one from a stunned Cavs team at the Q. Then, they go back home, take advantage of their crowd, and beat a still somewhat bewildered Cavs team twice more to go up 3-1. Then, they come back to Orlando for game 6 and finish it.

The Cavs will win if:

They can keep Orlando from penetrating. It sounds counter intuitive to worry about penetration when you're talking about a team with a dominant center and a bunch of 3-point shooters but realistically, it would be tough for the Cavs to lose 4 times unless they're getting beat off of the dribble. Howard might be good for one Orlando win on his own. Turkoglu and Lewis could win two more with hot shooting nights. Still, I don't see Orlando getting to 4 unless Alston and the other perimeter guys can break down the Cavs' defense allowing Howard to dominate the glass and get easy second-chance points. If the Cavs can stay in front of their men, I like them to win the series.

The good news for Orlando is:

The Cavs might have to rely heavily on Sasha Pavlovic in this series. Aside from Lebron, he's the only guy with both the size and quickness to bother Orlando's big shooters.

The good news for Cleveland is:

Lebron might just assassinate Orlando by himself. This isn't the same player we've seen in years past. He is now good enough not only to win games by himself, but to win entire series by himself. Then again, even if he doesn't, the great thing about having the home court is that you can count on your complimentary players to show up for at least 4 games in the series.

More good news for Cleveland:

Orlando's point guard is Rafter Alston. He is, uh . . . let's just say unreliable.

Prediction:

If you're betting against the Cavs at this point then you're insane. Orlando is capable of giving the Cavs a very tough series, and even capable of beating them if everything breaks just right for them. Still, if you're playing the odds, the Cavs have to be a pretty good favorite in this series. I'd say with the homecourt and the extended rest, they could probably beat Orlando in 7 series out of 10. That's why for my prediction, I'm going with Cavs in 6.

Wednesday can't arrive soon enough. Read the rest of this article

LeBron's March to the Sea

I haven't written about the Cavaliers in a while because truthfully, I haven't felt like it. Now I know what you're thinking: I only chime in when I have something to complain about, but please, allow me to explain . . . .

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When I watch the Cavs right now, I don't have to think. I don't have to worry. I don't have to do anything. Right now, being a Cavs fan is the most relaxing and enjoyable experience that you could possibly imagine. I watch the way they play the game, and my body experiences this indescribable euphoria, the likes of which I have never approached through any other (legal) activity.

Generally, I get motivated to write about one of my teams when they're doing something that requires some sort of analysis. What exactly do you want me to analyze about the Cavs right now? They're playing at a level that only a handful of teams in NBA history have ever played at. They do everything right. They never take games off. They never shit the bed. They just go out there every game and please me. That's what they do. Why ruin that by trying to engage in some long-winded analysis. For the first time since maybe the '95 Indians, one of my teams requires no explanation or commentary. As a fan, I can only sit back and enjoy them. In a way, they're like a beautiful sunset. If I try to deconstruct their beauty instead of just enjoying the moment, I'll ruin the experience. I would encourage every blogger to take this approach with the Cavs right now. Don't tell me how they're doing what they're doing. Just let me sit back, relax my brain, and enjoy the breathtaking show that they put on every time they take to the floor.

Given the feelings I've just expressed, I'm not going to offer much in the way of Cavs analysis. All I will say is that right now, Lebron is doing more damage to Atlanta than any man since Sherman. I mean he could literally beat the Hawks with four NBADL stiffs around him right now. He's playing at a level that's higher than anyone since maybe '96 Jordan and even Jordan couldn't hold a candle to the type of efficiency numbers that Lebron is generating right now. I've been watching him for six years and I'm just flat out in awe. He does whatever he needs to do whenever he feels the need to do it. The floor is his. Everyone else, especially the opposing team, is just there for decoration.

It won't always be this easy. Certainly, there are a few teams out there that could challenge our juggernaut. But right now, I don't want to think about them. I just want soak up all the love and positive energy that the Cavs are sending in my direction. For once in my life, I want to enjoy the fact that I don't have to work to be a fan.

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Garnett, Stephen A., Braylon, Etc.

A few quick thoughts:

1. I don't think it matters all that much but as a Cavs fan, I'm a little upset that Garnett is out for the playoffs. First of all, the Magic give me far more concern than Boston. While I'm 90% sure the Cavs would beat a healthy Boston team in a 7 game series with the home court, I am far less comfortable playing Orlando. With the Magic's size and 3-point shooting ability, they could very easily get hot and steal one at the Q. Meanwhile, the Cavs have struggled mightily in Orlando. What's more, if Boston still manages to get past the Magic, I think they'll be a slightly more dangerous team playing with an "us against the world" or "nothing to lose" mentality in a potential Eastern Conference finals than they would have been with Garnett out there hobbling around at 60%. Overall though, I'm confident it's not going to matter. The Cavs are going to win the east. That's right, I said it. This is the year and this is the team.

On a side note, what a gift this is for Celtics fans. In spite of what Bill Simmons wrote this morning, we all know that this will give Celtics fans the title defense excuse they are so desperately seeking. Ten years from now, instead of telling everyone that they couldn't defend their title because they were the 3rd best team in the league, they'll be pulling the whole, "yeah, and we were poised to do it again but then Garnett broke down so we never had the opportunity" routine. Leave it to Boston fans to come up with some great revisionist history. Make no mistake: The Celtics had NO chance of defending their title, even with a healthy Garnett. Both the Cavs and Lakers are younger and more talented, and Boston is terrible in the clutch away from home.

2. Well Stephen A. Smith is no longer with ESPN. That's right, the man who built his career on making up stories and being the loudest guy in the room is apparently a free agent. According to deadspin, the worldwide leader asked Smith to take a pay cut and he was not having it. Shrewd career move Steve. I'm sure, given the huge demand for journalists right now, you'll have no problem landing a better gig. Even if you don't though, you can always hang your hat on the lasting impact you made on the sports world with "Quite Frankly."

3. I sincerely hope that the Browns trade Braylon for a first rounder but wouldn't it be fitting that they'd end up spending an insane amount of money on first round picks shortly before the collective bargaining agreement is completely rewritten to include a rookie pay scale.

4. If I were Mark Shapiro, I'd be spending my days studying the minor league prospects of contending teams that need a catcher. Victor's value is going to be sky high this summer and the Indians need to seize the opportunity to move him.

5. I started thinking today about a scenario that would make the city of Cleveland spontaneously combust. Game 7, NBA finals, Cavs win a thriller, the fans are going berzerk as the players hoist the O'Brien trophy, and then, out of nowhere, Lebron grabs the trophy, the microphone, and a pen, and then Ferry walks out with a new 3-year contract that Lebron announces he is signing. I honestly think people would start having heart attacks. Now that would be some kind of something.

Ok, I obviously have nothing more to talk about. That's it for now.

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Swamp Thing

You know how over the last few years we've been beaten over the head with stories from "reputable" media sources like ESPN saying that Lebron is headed to Brooklyn in 2010 to play for the Jay-Z owned Nets? Well, it seems like such talk may have been a little premature . . . And by premature, I mean partially fabricated and completely misleading.

You see, Jay-Z reportedly only owns about 1.47% of the Nets. That we've known for quite some time. But perhaps more important is the news coming out of yesterday's New York Post that the Nets are most definitely NOT moving to Brooklyn:

The renowned architect who designed Brooklyn's embattled Atlantic Yards project
says he now believes it will never be built because of the economic downturn. In
an interview with The Architect's Newspaper, Frank Gehry yesterday referred to
Bruce Ratner's $4 billion plan to bring an NBA arena and 16 residential-office
towers to Prospect Heights as one of several "unrealized commissions" he most
wishes had been built. "I don't think it's going to happen . . .

More than two years after officials approved the project in December 2006, little work has been done, private land remains to be acquired, and Ratner is scrambling to keep the project afloat. There is no timeline to compete the plan anymore. At best, construction on the arena and, perhaps, one of the skyscrapers could begin this year and possibly be completed by late 2011.

So, based on this article, it would appear that if Lebron shows up to play for the Nets in Brooklyn in 2010, he's going to be sorely disappointed and roughly 20 miles away from where any Nets games are actually taking place. Sadly, if Lebron wants to play "for" Jay-Z, he's going to have to do it in the house formerly known as Brendan Byrne Arena. Now I know downtown Cleveland isn't exactly paradise but if there's one place on earth that it trumps, it's the swamps of New Jersey. But don't start breathing too easily Cavs fans because there's always the Knicks; You know, that flagship NBA franchise full of tradition, stocked with great players, and coached by a wizard of all facets of the game. Face it Cleveland: Lebron is outta here. Stephen A. Smith told me so.

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Cavs Win in OT

Quick thoughts after the Cavs OT win over Portland:

1. I actually attended the game tonight, my first at home this season. You would think that since I now live about a 5 minute walk from the Q, attending games would be a no-brainer. Well, a funny thing has happened as I've grown older: My tolerance for all the hassles of attending major sporting events has been greatly diminished. The horrible music, the atrocious entertainment, the lines at the bathroom, the absurd concession prices, the uncomfortable seats . . . it was one thing when the alternative was sitting at home and watching the game on a grainy pixelated tube. But now, with gigantic HD plasmas and LCDs and DVRs . . . you can make a very compelling case for staying home. Still, my buddy DC has great seats in the lower bowl and even for someone who has attended his fair shair of NBA games, there is something special about being that close to NBA players. The same can be said for guys in the NFL but even that's not quite the same. NBA players are just a different species.

2. As for the game, the Cavs did their now common sleepwalk through the first half taking bad jumper after bad jumper. It was amazing, given the way that they played, that they were only down two at the break. Then, in the second half, as soon as they started taking the ball to the hoop, the game changed dramatically. Brandon Roy did a nice job hitting free throws down the stretch to force the game into OT but I felt fairly comfortable, once the Cavs got the lead, that they weren't going to lose it.

3. I like the way Delonte took the ball inside a couple of times in the second half. I can't stress enough how much the Cavs need him ready to go for the playoffs. It's an old NBA cliche' but it only takes a few easy buckets to get a shooter's outside stroke going again.

4. The Blazers, even without Batum and Aldridge, are a very good young NBA team. We were talking during the second half about the fact that if the Blazers had taken Durant instead of Oden, the NBA might have to shut down operations in the next couple of years because the Blazers would be OWNING everyone including the Cavs. A top 3 of Durant, Roy, and Aldridge plus an owner who could afford to pay all three? That, my friends, would've been game, set, and match. Luckily, they took Oden and the rest is history. I know people like to point out the fact that this is still technically his rookie season and he's still young BUT . . . I can't say I would be too excited if I were a Blazers fan about a skinny, timid 7 footer, with no offensive game, a fragile psyche, and a microfracture procedure under his belt. Oden could very well be a 17-12 guy some day but I wouldn't be the farm on it.

5. It's been a while since I've said this and I know some of you think I'm too hard on Lebron so let me just say this: My god, he is breathtaking. The ease with which he was getting to the hole down the stretch was just amazing. How does one guy just slice through an entire defense that knows exactly what he's going to do? Ridiculous. If that's playoff Lebron, and history would indicate that it is, then I feel pretty good about our chances of getting out of the East.

6. Nice adjustment by Mike Brown to go small and Bring in Sasha in the 4th quarter to contain Travis Outlaw, who had developed quite the hot hand. Normally, I like to see Andy on the floor late in the game but sitting him tonight was the correct move.

7. I had no idea that the Cavs were on the verge of setting the record for fewest turnovers until I was told after the game. Obviously, you don't notice a turnover unless it happens.

8. Looking at the schedules, the Cavs play better teams down the stretch than the Lakers but LA has almost all of theirs on the road. I would say if the Cavs lose 3 or fewer games the rest of the way, they'll get the top overall seed. With games against Boston, San Antonio, and at Orlando just to name a few, that's going to be a tall order. The Cavs will almost definitely lose at least one more game against a sub-500 team so limiting the remaining losses to 3 is going to be a tall order.

That's it for now. Happy Friday everyone!

(MORNING UPDATE)


You've got to be shitting me ESPN. Against my better judgment, I just went to the worldwide leader's NBA page to read the daily dime. I was actually somewhat pleased at the "Beast of the East" headline for the article. I should've known better. Inside, I was treated to a nice sloppy Tim Leger/Celtics BJ featuring a host of completely insane comments. Allow me to post some of my favorites:

With all their injuries, the Celtics have no rhythm right now and the Magic
need to figure out a way to steadily feed Dwight Howard at crunch
time.

Those are the two biggest reasons I don't think that Boston or Orlando can catch Cleveland. Cleveland is 4.5 games in front of Boston and five games ahead of Orlando, and with the exception of Ben Wallace, the Cavaliers are the one team that is not dealing with injuries.

. . .

It is more important for the Cavaliers to have home court than it is for Boston . . . The Celtics won big games on the road last season so they are confident they can do it again.

. . .

[The Celtics] are the most complete team in the league and they have more options offensively than the Cavaliers or Magic.

. . .

The Celtics are mentally tough.

. . .

I think Paul Pierce needs to get a mention [for MVP].

So let me get this straight: The reason that Boston can't catch the Cavs right now is because of injuries? Now that's interesting. You see, I thought the reason was that the Cavs never fucking lose and have already played 95% of their tough road games. Silly me. I can totally see your point though Tim. With a healthy Garnett, I could definitely see Boston jumping the Cavs in the seeding. The selection committee would certainly take into account the way Boston played after Garnett's return.

And really? The Celtics don't need home court because they've already shown their ability to win on the road? Are you sure it was the Celtics that won on the road last postseason, Tim? Are you sure it's wasn't, I don't know, NOTHING?

The Celtics have more options offensively than the Cavs or Magic? That must be why they've established such a strong offensive identity. It's a good thing they're not just a sloppy offensive team with a great defense.

The Celtics are mentally tough? Are you sure about this? When did this new information come to light? You've been holding out on us the entire time! You should really alert the rest of the gang at ESPN as to this fact so that they can incorporate it into their regular schtick.

Paul Pierce for MVP? Are we talking about Celtics MVP because I think Ray Allen would disagree with that statement. I know you can't be talking about league MVP because statistically, that type of argument would be ridiculous right? I mean Lebron averages 8 more points a game and his team is 4.5 games ahead in the standings. Wade has single-handedly made the Heat dangerous. Certainly, you're not proposing that someone should actually vote for Pierce for MVP are you?

ESPN, seriously, your NBA coverage has become a joke. How can you let people write this stuff! It's one thing to take a controversial position. It's quite another to make statements that are so asinine that no reasonable person could believe them (like that Paul Pierce deserves MVP consideration). Get a life ESPN. And while you're at it, could you do some research for me? You see, I've been sitting around all morning wondering whether Kevin Garnett is intense. That fact was strangly omitted from the dime this morning and so I'm now questioning whether everything I've read about him prior to today was just unsubstantiated rumor. Can you get back to me on this?

I really wish the playoffs were here because I can't wait for the Cavs to shove it right up ESPN and Barkley's ass.

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Tales From Beantown

A couple of months ago, I decided that this would be a great season to catch the Cavs on the road. As any diehard fan can tell you, there is something special about being a road fan. You can't help but feel like a bit of a celebrity walking into another fan base's house wearing enemy colors. It's impossible not to enjoy the fact that you stick out like a sore thumb and everyone that sees you knows that your love for your team is unimpeachable. You instantly begin to revel in all the dirty looks, snide remarks, and empty threats you receive from opposing fans. I know it sounds a little ridiculous but anyone who has traveled for a big game can tell you that you just feel like a little bit of a hardass the entire time.

There is one small problem with the "road fan" concept in the NBA, however: There is nothing inherently significant about attending an NBA road game. In baseball, there is an unmistakable novelty attached to attending a different ballpark for the first time. Since the death of the stadium and rebirth of the park, being a baseball road fan has regained its appeal. My buddy and I attended a mid-season Pirates/Nationals game at PNC last year and even though we couldn't have cared less about the game, the whole afternoon couldn't have been more enjoyable. Every baseball park is like a new world to explore. You don't even need your own team on the field to enjoy the experience. In the NFL, while each stadium is a little different, it's really the unique gameday atmosphere of each city that makes the travel worth it: the tailgaiting, the fans, the traditions....the overall experience in each city is always unique. Plus, with only 16 games in a season, every game is a big game.

The NBA doesn't have any of that. For all intensive purposes, an arena is an arena and based on my limited experience, there is nothing particularly special about the "atmosphere" in any given city. For the most part, over the course of an 82 game season, a team is only going to play a few truly meaningful or memorable games and the rest are just forgettable snoozefests attended by tons of corporate types entertaining their clients and season ticket holders paying their dues to get playoff priority.

So, the point is that traveling with your team in the NBA lacks the cache' of the other two major sports. Given this reality, when picking my destination and game back in December, I tried to ensure that regardless of how the season went, my game would be memorable. Thus, I settled on the March 6 Cavs/Celtics tilt. Aside from the fact that I assumed that the game would have a meaningful impact on conference seeding, I figured that even if one of the two teams went in the tank, I would still get to experience the whole Celtics . . . you know . . . thing. As a Cleveland fan, I don't really know anything about tradition. Sure the Browns were great before the merger but that almost doesn't even count. If your team hasn't won in the modern era of its particular sport, it's hard to say that the fan base has truly been enriched by tradition. Now I know the Boston Garden is long gone but I thought that there would still be something special about going to a Celtics home game . . . just because, well, it's the Celtics. Bird, Russell, McHale, Havlicek . . you get the point. Just because I may hate the Celtics, it doesn't mean that as an NBA fan, I can't appreciate their cultural relevance.

Having decided upon my game, I hit Craigslist hard for about a month and found a Celtics season ticket holder willing to part with his 3rd row floor seats (about 10 feet beyond the baseline by the Celtics' tunnel) for a fairly reasonable price (Yes, I know it's shocking that my CMCR press credentials weren't enough to get me in with the rest of the mainstream media). Thus, last friday afternoon, the significant other and I headed for Beantown.

So, without any further windup, I'll give offer my observations from the evening. You'll notice that I don't have much to say about the game and really, there are two reasons for this: 1) It was a terrible game and in my opinion, aside for a few disturbing trends, was an aberration rather than a harbinger; and 2) It's really hard to understand the x's and o's of a game when you're attending it, especially when you're sitting at court level. I mean I figured out that our guys were dominated down low, but in terms of Boston's defensive schemes or any really insightful observations as to why we were dismantled, I would need to see the tv footage. Ok, oberservations:

The Arena:

As I said earlier, there really isn't much you can do with a basketball arena. There may be some unique ones out there but I certainly have been to one. Still, I expected that there would be at least something unique about TD Banknorth. After all, it is home to the most successful NBA franchise in history in a city that prints money. However, after attending a game in "the new Garden," I'm pleased to report that I was wrong. There is absolutely nothing noteworthy or significant about it. It's built on top of North Station and I found it hard to tell where the station stopped and the arena began. Everything in the place is a little bit drab and underwhelming. The concourses seemed a little bit narrow and poorly appointed. The concession stands were uninteresting and the merchandise shops were small and forgettable. Inside the arena, the dimensions actually look similar to the Q. It seats about 2,000 fewer people than the Q but you can't really tell just by looking at it. About the only noticeable difference other than the parquet floor is the ugly urine colored seats. Overall, although my expectations were probably a little bit too high, I was completely underwhelmed by the place. Without all the banners hanging from the rafters, it's just another sterile NBA arena. Even my girlfriend, who has never been one to heap compliments on anything Cleveland-related, admitted that she preferred the Q to TD Banknorth.

The Atmosphere:

This was by far the most shocking aspect of the night for me. I was walking into the home of the defending NBA champions, the most storied franchise in the sport, on a night when they would be taking on perhaps their biggest current rival with Eastern Conference supremacy on the line . . . and I was wearing the colors of the other team. I thought for sure that people would be getting in my face. As we made our way to our seats, I was a little surprised that there was absolutely NO buzz in the air . . . no "let's go Celtics" chants in the concourse . . . no yelling or high-fiving among fans. It was, for lack of a better word, weird. When we arrived at our seats, I observed the other individuals in the immediate vicinity, figuring that I was destined to have a few words with at least some of these people throughout the course of the night. Sitting directly behind us was a young kid, about high-school age, and his overly made-up high-school girlfriend. He had obviously been given the tickets by his father and seemed more concerned with impressing his female companion than anything related to the game. To our left was a 30-something woman, at least 200 pounds, attending the game by herself. I gathered throughout the course of the night that she was a) a season ticket holder, and b) attended the game for the sole purpose of getting absolutely shitfaced. I'm not kidding when I tell you that she sat there the entire night pounding beer after beer without saying anything to anyone. It was bizarre. By the end of the game she was an absolute mess.

To our right were a couple of 20-something guys that looked and acted like they'd rarely been out of their mothers' houses or spent much time away from playing World of Warcraft. It's not like we were sitting in the cheap seats and these guys didn't know the first thing about the Celtics. Throughout the game, they would take turns offering inane observations while the other would act like he had just been given color from Hubie Brown. I couldn't help but be reminded of the following exchange from The Waterboy:

Paco: Look at Bobby tackle. I haven't seen a tackle like that since Joe Montana.

Walter: Joe Montana was a quarterback, you idiot.

Paco: I said Joe Mantegna.

. . . except the guys sitting next to me could've both played the role of Paco. In front of these two oracles of NBA wisdom sat a group of 65+ grandparents that looked like they got lost on the way to Country Kitchen and ended up at an NBA game. Suddenly, I was starting to get worried that there wouldn't be a serious Celtic fan in the vicinity to get in my face and make things interesting. Then, about 10 minutes before tip, my fears were allayed when two gigantic meatheads-walking stereotypes if you will-sat right down in front of me. The one was wearing gigantic diamond earings, a massive diamond encrusted watch, a gold and white "Bird" USA Basketball Jersey, and was sporting some religious ink on his shoulder. I was sure that this guy was going to turn around and get into it with me at some point.

Now, you guys all watched the game. The Cavs absolutely laid an egg. I mean other than about a 5 minute stretch in the second quarter, the Celtics absolutely OWNED the game. Plus, the game featured a skirmish in which Varajao and Z completely overreacted to a hard fould by Glen Davis. This was exactly the type of game in which, if I were at home at the Q and the Cavs were dominating, I would be absolutely crucifying any opposing team's fans. Well, would you believe that I spent the entire night standing up and yelling for the Cavs and got no more than a few glances from the guy in front of me. I mean nothing! I was shocked. This was Boston. These fans were supposed to be merciless. Yet, I stood up the entire game and didn't receive a single insult. Moreover, the atmosphere in the arena was terrible. If I didn't know better, I would've thought I was attending a January matinee against the Bobcats. I mean the fans got a little loud when the Celtics dropped the hammer in the 3rd but other than that, the only times they made any noise all night were when Lebron blew the dunk and Rondo came back from the gimpy ankle. I was astonished. Maybe one or two chants, standing for a couple of possessions . . . but other than that, nothing. I don't know why the energy level in the building was so flat but here are my best guesses:

1. Boston is and always will be a Red Sox town. Walking the streets all weekend, you would've thought it was October. Red Sox gear everywhere. Just because the Celtics are a legendary franchise, it doesn't change the fact that Boston's first love is baseball. The same could be said for the Browns in Cleveland. We may love the Cavs and adore Lebron but the Q will never match the type of atmosphere that could exist in Browns stadium if the franchise ever stopped trying to murder professional football in Cleveland.

2. This Celtics team....doesn't look like the old one. I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for saying this but there is something very different from Bird, Cousy, Cowens, Havlicek, Heinsohn, McHale and Walton when compared to KG, Allen, and Pierce. I'm sorry but Boston isn't exactly known for embracing cultural diversity. I have absolutely no way of backing this up (and I know guys like Russell stand in direct opposition to the point) but I just get the impression that Boston would be a little happier to root for white superstars.

3. This team was not built organically. These Celtics fans went from hoping to land Oden or Durant and praying that Doc Rivers would get fired one day to being a title favorite the next. I've used the analogy before but it's like a mother waking up one day and being handed her baby without ever being pregnant. Unlike Cleveland's relationships with the Cavs, Boston fans never went through the growing pains with their team. I know we've gone through a lot of roster turnover but essentially, we've watched our "core" guys go from lottery team to perennial contender over about a five year period. Boston fans probably know that Kevin McHale and Sam Presti have more to do with their team's success than shrewd management or player development. You can just tell that these fans don't quite connect with their team in the way that you would expect. There are only two players that really seem to have a special connection to the fans: Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. This makes total sense. Peirce is a career Celtic and Rondo is Boston's guy. As I've said, you develop a special connection to a player when he makes his breakthrough with your team. Do Boston fans love Garnett? Of course. Still, it's just different. The connection isn't the same. (Side note: Does anyone else think it's a little ridiculous that everyone is blowing Garnett for being "so intense" that he can't even sit on the bench while he's injured? I mean if J.R. Giddens pulled the same thing, would the Boston media slobber all over him like they've done with KG?)

The Entertainment:

Completely contrived: The opening video during player introductions was WAY too long and reaked of the idea that this was a franchise that had a lot of tradition but didn't know how to incorporate it into the present. It featured tons of old game footage, former player interviews, and speeches by Red that all had the cumulative effect of lulling the fans to sleep rather than pumping anyone up. The video culminated with the obligatory "Kevin Garnett is intense!" shot of KG growling into the camera. Objectively speaking, it just didn't do it for me and surprisingly, I got the impression that even the Celtics fans were a little bit over it.


The in-game entertainment was horribly cliche'. Lots of clips from Hoosiers and 300. Lots of "fan cam" timeouts. Overall, there was not an ounce of originality on display the entire evening, which, in all fairness, could really be said for any NBA arena including the Q. Every place is doing the same tired annoying stuff during every break in the action.

The Players:

Kendrick Perkins is huge. Mikki Moore is massive and looks a little like Busta Rhymes. Big Baby Davis is extremely short and wide and has the potential to sport some Antoine-Walker-like neck fat later in his career. Rajon Rondo looks like a Somali Warlord. Paul Pierce looks like a catfish.

The Game:

1. If you attend a road game, you can see why the people that know say that the role players are the reason that it's so hard to win on the road in the NBA. Sure Lebron stunk up the joint but the more alarming trend was how tenative some of our role players were. Everyone just looked terrified that they might make a mistake. Sure guys like Gibson, Hickson, and Pavlovic can give you a handful of passable minutes when they're feeding off the energy of the home crowd but on the road, they're complete liabilities. About the only one who looked comfortable is Varejao who, no matter what the venue, always plays with energy and reckless abandon. I walked away feeling even more convinced that the Cavs need homecourt all the way through to win a title. Sure they have a chance to win a series against a team of equal or greater talent without the home court...if Lebron pulls another game 5 at the Palace. But, there's no way he's doing that in two consecutive series and without it, the Cavs don't have the bodies to win two consecutive series against good teams without having both of them begin and end at home.

2. I couldn't believe how badly Mike Brown messed up the game. The Cavs got outplayed in the 3rd and as I recall, began the 4th down 9. Now, on the road against a good team and down 9, you know that if you don't start closing the gap and take the momentum early in the quater, the game is going to get out of reach. So, what does Mike Brown do? Put Lebron on the bench and start the quarter with Gibson on the floor and Szczerbiak guarding Pierce. Shockingly, Boston blew the game wide open. I just couldn't believe that Brown was essentially conceding a game that wasn't even a double-digit deficit with a full quarter to play. I really like Mike Brown but that decision was indefensible.

3. If Garnett isn't in there, the Cavs should be running the offense through Z. Again, we figured this out about 40 minutes too late. Nobody on the Celtics outside of KG has the combination of size, instincts, and footwork to guard Z down low.

-

4. Having Marbury on the Celtics is like having a double-agent working for our team behind enemy lines. I have absolutely no fear for his game and I'm thrilled about the possible destruction he could cause in Boston. After a week, Celtic fans are already a little uneasy every time he steps on to the floor. A part of them is rooting for the great reclamation story but deep down, they're all a little disgusted with the fact that they have to root for such a despicable guy. Overall, in light of the cries of "don't shoot" I was hearing from the faithful every time he touched the ball, I get the impression that things between Marbury and Boston fans are going to end badly...and if he tries to do anything other than bring the ball up the court come playoff time, the fans, and more likely, Garnett, might kill him.

5. Our frontcourt is soft but you didn't need me to tell you that.

Overall, it was a strange night. The experience was a little bit of a letdown...the team's performance was terrible...and yet I came away oddly satisfied. Maybe it's just because I realized that as NBA fans, we're not missing anything. Attending a game at the Q is just as good, and I would even argue better, than attending a game in Boston.

One final note: It's a special feeling walking into an opposing arena knowing that Lebron is on your team. It's like showing up to a gunfight with a machine gun and knowing that everyone else is carrying a civil war pistol. The sheer terror harbored by opposing fans toward Lebron is palpable. Sure Lebron had a horrific night, but you know what: Boston fans are still terrified of him. And as you and I know, they have every reason to feel that way. We may have lost the battle on this night but I still believe in our chances to win the war.

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Winslow Trade Thoughts

From my recent trip across the internet message boards it looks like Browns fans are split on the Kellen Winslow trade. Now that the previously undisclosed draft picks have been disclosed to be a 2009 second rounder and a 2010 5th rounder, I'll give my take on the first big move of the new era. And that take is overwhelming support of the move.

Honestly, I think anyone who is against this trade is letting there emotions get in the way of reason. There are two main concerns about this trade. One is that people feel Winslow is our best player and trading him is a sure sign of rebuilding. Two is that Brady Quinn is a young "dink and dunk" passer who needs a great tight end like Winslow to be effective. Let me explain why both of these opinions are incorrect.

First, trading Winslow does NOT mean we are rebuilding. Sure he is the best receiving tight end on the planet. Yet he still managed to drop Quinn's 4th down, game ending pass versus Denver just as if he was any other Browns receiver. Come to think of it, he also dropped a touchdown pass from Quinn against San Francisco in 2007. Winslow's one great ability, to catch passes, is therefore not perfect. And for every drive that Winslow does extend with a great grab, he repeatedly stalls another one with mental errors. I can't count the number of times I lost my voice screaming at the television following a personal foul or false start on Winslow. Not to mention his little problems blocking and staying healthy.

Then there is the depth at tight end on this roster. Steve Heiden could be starting almost anywhere in the league. He seemed more than adequate against the New York Football Giants last season when Winslow was in the hospital. Also, last season we drafted arguably the top receiving tight end in college, Martin Rucker. The drop in talent at tight end will not be noticed in the win-loss column next year.

And for those who think Quinn can only dink and dunk, I say to you that you only think that because you watch DA play, and the only thing he could do was heave it long. If the deep ball is there, Quinn will throw it up and give our guy a chance to make the play. But a qb has to be able to move the chains with long drives to give a defense the chance to rest. Just because Quinn can do something DA couldn't, throw with touch and accuracy to a receiver, doesn't mean it's a bad thing. But I digress. The point of this paragraph was supposed to be that Quinn doesn't need Winslow. As stated above, Heiden is a very gifted tight end and I am fully confident that he will be more than able to fill Winslow's shoes.

This team has too many holes. To trade from a position of strength to acquire assets to fill the weaknesses is exactly what a good GM should do. Winslow's trade value is higher than it will ever be. Obviously ManKok learned from the mistake of the Savage regime when it failed to get value for DA when it had the chance.  On the Tampa Bay message boards, many posts indicated there would be hell to pay if the Bucs gave up more than a 3rd or a 4th rounder.  To get a second and a fifth rounder for this injury prone, penalty prone, malcontent is a steal. The move does not represent a complete rebuild. It is a way to fill the holes on this roster by getting rid of a guy who is injured half his career and is replaceable on the roster.

Now the daunting task of convincing Mr. Rogers to shut up and play ball lies ahead...



PS: I am stunned by the results of the current CMCR poll. The results should have been 100% for trading LeBron for Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum. These are two legit all-star centers and the man LeBron refers to as the best player on the planet. Please, loyal readers, explain to me how you could vote for anything else.

Until next time this is Barry Lakin sayin all the world is schlach.

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The Professional

Anybody that happens to follow Cleveland sports, or our little blog here, knows the importance of Mo Williams. I'll admit that my knowledge of our point guard prior to his acquisition was very minimal. I knew he was a good player for the Bucks, but I did not expect what we have witnessed this season. I figured he was a typical NBA player who would get his points on a combination of drives to the hoop and some streaky jump-shooting. Maybe it's because we had to suffer and watch Larry Hughes "have fun" the last couple of years that I have been surprised by Mr. Mo and his ability as a Professional basketball player.

Let me clarify what I mean by a Professional basketball player. Technically anybody that receives some form of payment for playing basketball can be considered a professional. In my mind what makes Mo a Professional basketball player is his ability to make his jump-shots when he is open. It sounds stupid and simple, but how many times have you seen NBA players miss open jump-shots the last 15 years? I know the stats show the M0 has been in the top 5 the last 2 years in FG% on 2-point shots, but I would love to see his FG% for shots he has taken while left open. Anytime I see him raise up for a shot when left open I feel about 90% confident that he is going to make that shot. That's what makes him a Professional. I expect Professionals to be at the top of their game and do things consistently that I couldn't do. I would never be able to consistently hit a jump-shot in an NBA game, let alone any other form of a basketball game. Whenever he makes one of those jumpers I'm always thinking, "I'm glad my team has that Professional basketball player".

Obviously this isn't to say that Lebron or any other NBA'ers are not professional basketball players, this is just a type of classification for basketball players. Some players are born to play the game: Lebron. Some are born with the genetic size to play the game: Varajeo and Big z. Some are born with IQ to succeed at the game: Eric Snow. Some hustle and work their tails off to play the game: Delonte. And some, like our friend Mo, have taken the time to hone their shooting touch so that they don't waste the opportunity of an open jumper. How many times have you seen Allen Iverson miss an open jumper? Anytime I see him raise up for a jumper I give the shot a 40% chance of going in. Even when Lebron shoots I give it about a 40% chance of going where it's intended. But with Mo that confidence level skyrockets. Derek Fisher is another player that elicits this type of confidence and for historical examples I will point our Steve Kerr and John Paxson. All good players, not superstars, but absolute Professionals in their field.

The confidence that I have in a shooter is what makes them a Professional in my mind. So next time Mo nails a 3 or an open jumper just think to yourself, "man, I'm glad my team has that Professional basketball player" and take another sip of your PBR in celebration. Read the rest of this article