Lebron James
The road to the NBA Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers is firmly in the hands of ….Lebron James.
Ok, so it was not a hard one to figure out. However, over the course of the past week, in an effort to save the Cavs star from potential injury, Mike Brown has decided to error on the side of caution, and the team going James-less, despite good efforts, lost to Chicago, Atlanta and in its regular season finale, fan appreciation day, to Orlando.
Wise decision or not, only the outcome of the Cavs playoff run will tell.
A season-ending injury to Toronto’s Chris Bosh during the Cavs’ 113-101 win last Tuesday night at the Quicken Arena, the Raptors may be the first post-season opponent startled everyone, even if no one said anything initially.
Bosh took an inadvertent, unintentional elbow from Antwan Jameson, which fractured his nose and cheek. The Raptors were fighting to maintain the final playoff eight spot that night, and the Bosh injury had residual effect on Brown.
For Brown, it initially did not bother him as much as it eventually would as the week progressed.
“It’s in the back of my mind, it’s probably in the back of everybody’s minds,” he said. “But you don’t think about it too much. You’ve got just keep playing. If you don’t you end up hurting yourself more. You’re gonna have contact on the floor.”
The question now is did not playing James and limiting playing time to the likes of J.J. Hickson, Jameson and Anthony Parker hinder or help rest the team for a hopeful extension into June of the NBA playoffs?
In this the Cavaliers 40th year of NBA existence, team, coach and fans alike are hoping the rest of their reigning MVP was the right one.
In 2008-2009 the team set a franchise record of 66 wins and just 16 losses. It blew Detroit and Atlanta off the court, sweeping the two teams to set a team record eight straight post-seasons wins, before the Orlando Magics ended the historic run of the Cavs, taking the Eastern Conference finals, 4-2, including one win in Cleveland where the Cavs had only lost twice before all season.
So what is different about this year? Hope is still springing eternal among Cleveland sports fans for a winner to break the city’s 46-year drought of having a world championship to celebrate. We take what we can get. And right now all focus is on the Cavs and their post-season chances.
Much like last year, Brown has guided his team in being a defensive team first, but he admits to the balance of the basics in being what his team is all about.
“Our staples are the same, on defense we don’t want to give up scores, we don’t want to give up the middle, and we want to contest all shots. Offensively, we want to mix the floor space, ball reversals, and we want to attack.”
What actually makes the 2009-2010 Cavalier chances more possible, can be broken down into a few areas:
Acquisitions: the colossal pickup of veteran power center and future HOFer Shaquille O’Neal from Phoenix, swing forward and perennial all-star 6-9 forward Jameson from Washington(along with point guard Sebastian Telfair), the resigning of longtime Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, after having been traded to the Wizards for Jameson, and shooting guard Parker from Toronto.
Jameson, in his 13th season has been one of the best transactions across the NBA board this season. Besides his 16 ppg and 8 rpg, Jameson is a gamer and has used his foot and hand speed to create some quick easy interior scoring to go with steady defense.
“I have been waiting all my years for this,” Jameson admitted. “To be part of a team that has a chance to win it all… (and) to add me to the mix, not just to make it to the playoffs but have a chance to win, that is what this team is all about.”
This is a very tight-knit group. They all pull for one another, no egos involved the only thing this team is worried about is winning a championship. This is the first time I have experienced that.”
Match these players up against the aging duo of Joe Smith and Ben Wallace, and the inconsistency of shooters Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic, and you start to see that the Cavs are stronger, more cohesive, solid and balanced than the team of a year ago.
A Lonely Bench: As the Cavs have more than a dozen games by 15 points or more, the bench play of: Daniel Gibson and Juwad Williams, Anderson Varejao, and meaningful minutes for off-season pickup of 6-8 swingman Jamario Moon picked up from Miami have strengthened the depth of this Cavs squad. Second-year guard Williams has continued to gain valuable minutes and prove his worth from the perimeter and is a key backup defender against the likes of Raschard Lewis and other tall guards. The Cavs have seen steady and stellar play of 6-11 Varejao, who by all rights should make, but is at best, is a long shot for a post-season NBA All-Defensive mention. Not to anyone’s surprise Varejao, has continued to improve on his passing, scoring and leads the team in rebounding at a 7.7 rpg clip. His ability to keep loose balls alive, tap rebounds out to teammates, hustle and tenacity have been contagious with this team more so than last year.
Not a Lonely Injured Reserve List: What’s more, the team’s waltz through the last season’s regular season came with a few bumps and bruises, but not to the degree of this year’s injuries. This year’s club has had to do it the hard way from start to finish, having sustained the loss of 151 player games. The Cavaliers have had every conceivable injury possible. This has meant more minutes for the bench. This points to a team without quit and one which has weathered the rigors of a more physical league.
It all adds up to another season of leading the league in wins and home-court playoff red carpet, but a depth and team of interchangeable parts, it definitely did not have a year ago.
With all the extra help, James had still been able to have a career-high 8.6 assists per game to go with his 29.7 (second in the league) and 6.4 rebounds per contest. He may not gain his second consecutive scoring title, as Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant was ahead of him 30 to 29.7 ppg heading into the regular season home finale versus the Magic, Sunday.
But James is not one to at least publicly admit to focusing on such personal accomplishments. He told me more about the mindset of what the final week of the regular season means, having clinched the home court throughout.
Does he even care who the team’s first-round opponent will be?
“Nah, of course not.” I’m not getting into that.
So what is the goal down the stretch?
“These last four games, win lose or draw, we want to continue to get better. We don’t want to take a step back. Continue our rhythm and we are gonna be the team to beat,” James said.
Mo Williams completing his second year as the Cavs starting point guard has been steady. He seems to have shaken off his mid-season left shoulder strain injury, averaging nearly 16 ppg and 5 apg. His team-leading 90% free throw accuracy will be big in the post season and needed.
If there is one Achilles for the Cavs it has been at the charity strip. The team is dead last in team ft percentage at 72.2, with the only consolation being Orlando is second to last in the league at 72.3.
Ironically, the Cavs and Magic are ending the regular season campaign two and three respectively in three-point accuracy at 38.3 for the Cavs and 37.5 for the Magic. Phoenix is leading the league at 41.3.
But Williams acknowledges the key difference from last year to this year is depth of bench.
“Especially this year, we’ve been banged up with injuries, they have come in with the basic knowledge and have built up the confidence along (the way) and with coach.”
Delonte West, who has had a broken left finger, and left knee injuries, will be a key support for Williams and his ability to create his own shot has helped him to an 8.6 ppg average. He is the only other Cavalier to be above 80 percent from the line at 82 percent. The Cavs will need his gritty guard play and ability to penetrate during the playoffs.
Yes, if the Cavs did not have James they would not be where they are, but they also would not be a cellar-dweller either.
As of this writing the positioning for the Eastern Conference post-season is still as unsettled as Cavs fan’s stomachs after last seasons’ finish. Needless to say, the Cavs will play either Toronto or Chicago in Round One.
The Cavs have gone 2-1 versus the now Chris Bosh-less Raptors, with one game going to OT back in February, 126-118 in Cleveland. Against the Bulls, the Cavs have split the season’s series 2-2, with a major asterisk next to the final meeting, as a James-less Cavalier squad resting for the eminent post-season, lost 108-109 this past week. Neither team should be a formidable first-round foe.
In one short off-season and into the 2009-2010 regular season Cavs GM Danny Ferry reconstructed the supporting cast for James and Williams.
Last year’s team made it to its second Eastern Finals for the second time in four seasons with the supporting cast of: veteran Joe Smith, perimeter inconsistency from the likes of Wally Sczcerbiak, Tarence Kinsey, and Sasha Pavlovic.
Ferry wiped the slate somewhat clean.
He coordinated the acquisitions of Parker, Jameson and O’Neal, an accomplishment that should earn him NBA GM of The Year.
The additions of Jameson and O’Neal were obvious pluses, but Parker has proven to be equally pivotal.
“(He is) one of the best pros I’ve been around (since 1992) on the floor or off the floor,” said Brown. “AP’s a guy we don’t call plays for. He just plays off of whoever’s on the floor. He does a terrific job.
Parker has averaged 7.2 ppg and 2 apg and plays solid defense, and also ranks among the league leaders in 3-point accuracy at 41.5% from beyond the arc.
Parker’s role is not a shooter by design by a byproduct of James and Williams finding him and spreading the offense.
“A lot of my shots are created by other people. It’s easy in a sense, but it’s also tough going for however many minutes without touching it (the ball) by when you get it you’ve got to be ready.”
The emergence in the paint of Hickson has been big for the Cavs as his minutes have climbed from 11 to 21 since his rookie year. The 6-9 second-year power forward had gone from tentative to a regular starter with a dominating interior presence and 15-foot range jumper.
Telfair has come on in the regular season’s final week to show he could provide some up-tempo guard play and scoring.
What’s more, the Cavs have made better use of its strongest bench ever, as players like former St. Edwards prep star 6-9 Williams who has proven to be a slasher and 3-point threat in increasing minutes played. Off-season acquisition 6-8 forward Leon Powe, who sat out a bulk of the season healing his surgically-repaired left knee, is back in the fold. He provides the Cavs with another wide body in the paint, and can score and rebound much the way he did for the Celtics.
The off-season acquisition of the 7-1 O’Neal has shored up the paint with a future HOFer who isn’t at his best, but certainly provides the Cavs with a more formidable defensive presence against Howard. He is averaging 12 ppg and 7 rpg.
This year, despite his recent recovery from a thumb injury O’Neal has helped the team to a regular-season split in the regular campaign versus Orlando. More importantly, Howard, who averaged 25.8 points and 13.0 rebounds against Cleveland in the East finals, has been held to 17.3 points and 11.3 boards per game against O’Neal and the Cavaliers this season.
Yes, while the Cavs will not admit the Celtics are aging and scrappy as opposed to the swagger they had two years back when they won it all, it is the Magic which pose the biggest hurdle to the NBA Finals still.
Gone from the 2009 Eastern Champs are Hido Terkoglu, Rafer Alston, and Courtney Lee all who scorched the Cavs from the perimeter and contributed to the Orlando Eastern Finals 4-2 series win. But gained are the ageless scorer Vince Carter, now in his 13th season who is averaging 16.7 a contest.
Back from a season-ending knee injury mid season last year is Jameer Nelson who is back in rare form at 12 ppg and 6 apg. JJ Reddick is also having a career year at nearly 10 ppg as a starter. The Magic also gained Matt Barnes from Phoenix and veteran backup point guard Jason Williams, both veteran guards who have playoff experience.
Yes, the road to the NBA Finals goes through Cleveland, but Cavs fans know to get to back to the promised land they must be rude hosts to the Orlando Magic, and with O’Neal back in the fold to share battle with Ilgauskas in the paint, a stronger, more seasoned bench could make the difference.
So in brief, the Cavs can get by the Magic, by limiting the domination of Howard, not allowing Orlando to light up from three-point land and controlling the guard penetration. Offensively, aside from James having to carry the team on his back, the Cavs will have to spread the wealth from beyond the perimeter to interior passing and penetration.
Yes, the road to the finals is in the hands of James, but also the supporting cast of Cavaliers. And then there is that team from Los Angeles which could prove to be a battle in Cleveland winning it all.
Yes, the Cavaliers swept the Lakers in the regular season. But anyone with common sense will tell you the post season is a whole new season.
For now, Cleveland is 16 playoff wins from the crown, and King James and entourage should be well rested to have its best shot to bring it home, and that means even getting by Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant’s squads. But time will tell.
