Archive for the ‘Basketball’ Category

More important than lifting his team to fight another day.  More important than scoring 37 points.  More important than posting a triple-double, was the look in Lebron James eyes late in the fourth quarter.  As Dwight Howard fouled out and jawed at Lebron, the look Lebron shot back said more than anything, we aren’t quitters.

You know Lebron is performing like a king when they put his name and stats right next to the 1965 Jerry West game-by-game stats.  It is a record that hasn’t been flirted with often.  Lebron will probably not break that particular record in this series.

I feel refreshed that Mo Williams can still shoot.  Lebron’s supporting cast stepped up last night and played the way they had all year until the start of this series.

Game 6 in Orlando is not only do-or-die for the Cavs, but I feel it is now do-or-die for Orlando as well.  If the Cavs can sneak one out in Orlando, then I feel Game 7 would see the Cavs as big home favorites.  One game will dictate an outcome of a great season for the best Cavs team in history.

If Lebron has that look in his eye Saturday, beware Magic, the king knows what’s up.

With Cleveland’s pure outside shooters (Delonte West & Mo Williams) struggling to hit outside shots, why is Zydrunas Ilgaukas outside the arc firing threes?  I was never a fan of Ilgauskas shooting very far from the paint.  Why not keep your biggest player close to the hoop?  Maybe he would get a rebound or get Dwight Howard to foul him.  I have been fired up all year when Big Z shoots these long-range shots.

To me, this is the equivalent of bringing in that utility outfielder to pitch when you are getting clobbered and realize realistically that you have no chance to win.  It is lining that fat tackle up as a tight end eligible on the one and throwing to him when you are up by more than 10 points in the fourth quarter.  It is something that should be seen as a novelty in sports.  Unfortunately for Cavs fans, Ilgauskas has his mind set on firing bricks from more than 20 at least three times a game.  This all started in the early 90’s when Manute Bol would get the ball with big leads or deficits and shoot the 3.

Message to Mike Brown:  Tear that play out of the arsenal.

Sadly, a few of Z’s threes have gone in.  Take a six-year-old to a putt-putt course and they might get a couple hole-in-ones for getting lucky enough to hit the clowns mouth.  Big Z hit the clowns mouth a few times from three this season, so now he thinks he is Robert Horry and wants to hang outside the three-point line and just wait for the ball.  In the meantime, Lebron James is driving and if he misses and doesn’t get his own rebound, there is no one else around.  They are all having a picnic waiting for the ball to be kicked out.  The two exceptions are Anderson Varajeo and Ben Wallace.  They hustle after loose balls and play the game according to what their size dictates they should do.

Maybe we should turn Ben Wallace loose.  He can fire up his new McDonald’s sponsored 30 foot hook shot.  If they start to fall, people get a free sixth Quarter Pounder if they buy five.  Or we can let Anderson Varajeo (Sideshow Bob) run give and go plays with Big Ben all night.

Bottom line is real simple…  If Delonte and Mo can’t hit the outside shot, bring in Joe Smith and Sasha Pavlovic and go to the bigger post-type lineup.  Where is Wally Szcerbiak?  He gets hot and nails threes in bunches.

There are a million opinions as to what has to happen for Cleveland to pull this series out.  I don’t think you would hurt your chances of winning any if you didn’t waste three possessions a game on Zydrunas Ilgauskas firing up bombs from long range.

Lebron James was the hero Friday night, hitting a three with one second left against Orlando to further his rapidly growing legacy.  Cleveland sports have been one failure after the next for over half of a decade.  These kinds of plays usually happen against Cleveland teams.  For years, this areas sports fans have had to endure memories of Michael Jordan hitting a shot over Craig Ehlo, John Elway and “the drive“, the Florida Marlins unlikely burst in the World Series… Sigh.

I cannot remember a bigger play in Cleveland sports history.  Usually the person Cleveland fans have banked on to deliver in the clutch comes up with some new and bizarre way to stun fans into waiting for next year.  The shot that Lebron made only won one game, but being down 2-0 heading back to Orlando would have been much tougher.  I sincerely feel those nine days off take a team out of “game shape“.  It got obvious in the third quarter of games one and two where the Cavs blew huge leads.

Yesterday I went to The Eastwood Mall in Niles.  It was pretty crowded and I could not believe the amount of people I saw wearing #23 Cavs jerseys.  People in this area who have rooted for Cleveland teams have waited a lifetime for that moment.  24 years ago, had I went to the same mall, I am sure I would not have seen Ehlo jerseys everywhere.  The other thing that impressed me was the window display of every sporting goods store was flooded with Cavs merchandise.  I asked clerks at a couple of the stores if they redid their displays this morning and unanimously was told, “no, we haven’t touched that window display for months”.

If Lebron can continue his heroics through the finals and secure a championship for the city of Cleveland I am not sure what to expect.  I do know that Cleveland fans everywhere are zoned in.  With a championship, Lebron James can carry over 50 years of grief to the dumpster.

So far the 2009 NBA Playoffs have been a cake walk for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  They have swept Detroit and Atlanta and are awaiting either Orlando or Boston in the East Finals.  Both teams had some success against Cleveland this season.  In one of their last regular season games, the Cavs pounded a Kevin Garnett-less Celtics team.  Orlando blew out the Cavs in Orlando.

When looking at potential matchups, I would rather see the Big Baby / Scalabrine led Celtics than Dwight Howard.  Right now, Howard is establishing himself as a big-time inside force.  For this reason I think the Cavs would much rather play Boston. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think either series will be tough for Cleveland.  Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and now Stephon Marbury are playing well and Big Baby Davis is playing way above his expectancy.  However, I just feel that the Cavs match up much better with the Celtics than they do with Orlando.  Offensively, Lebron James will make or break this team in the end.  He can kick out to Delonte West and Mo Williams who have repeatedly hit big shots, but ultimately, James shooting, and more importantly, shot selection, will be crucial in either series.

Cleveland lacks that big guy who can post up and get to the hoop.  Big Z thinks he is a guard sometimes and Ben Wallace was never a weapon on offense.  Anderson Varajeo is about the closest thing there is on this years team.  If Orlando wins and Howard is patroling the paint, it diminishes the Cavs arsenal to Lebron and the outside shooting of the rest of the team.  Against Boston, Cleveland would have some success in the paint.

These are just my thoughts, please comment if you agree or disagree.

Cleveland is in a great situation.  They can sit at home, watch the Bulls and Celtics beat the hell out of each other and wait for Atlanta or Miami.  The Cavs disposed of Detroit in 4 straight games.  Rumors of Kevin Garnett returning to play in Game 7 against the Bulls are still unknown.

In blowout wins all season, Lebron James would usually sit on the bench for a quarter or so anyway, so it isn’t like the rest is going to hurt the Cavs chances of playing a solid series against whomever is next.  I am sure that this years team will keep a pretty strong focus on winning a championship. 

The one thing, in my opinion, that will chase Lebron away from Cleveland is if this team fails to win a championship before his contract is up.  This could be the year.

Lebron James is always in the spotlight, that is just his thing.  He is awesome and deserves all of the accolades coming his way this season.  Lebron will be the first to tell you that the reason Cleveland has had so much success this season is because of Mo Williams.  Mo Williams is such an upgrade over Eric Snow. 

Mo scored almost 18 PPG, averaged just over four assists per game, shot over 90% from the line, and just does everything with so much enthusiasm.  His hustle earned him a trip to this years NBA All-Star game.

To me, Mo Williams is the reason the Cavs are the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.  He and Delonte West have upped the team’s standards.  Delonte and Mo can hit the outside shots when the defense collapses around Lebron in the paint.  This was not there the last few seasons even though Lebron was there. 

I love the way Lebron rallied to get Mo on the All-Star team, it just proves that this is a very close knit team.  It was also Lebron making the statement that The Cavs are a much better team with Mo Williams on board.  Mike Brown winning NBA Coach of The Year is another direct reflection on Mo.  Remember Cavs fans, Eric Snow and Larry Hughes were Lebrons help in the recent past.  They did not do much, especially in the playoffs.

In the playoffs, Mo is averaging 16.5 PPG and 5.5 assists / game.  He will have an impact and Lebron would be the first to tell you that I am right.

Lebron James wont win any Emmy’s for his efforts in this Nike commercial.  Simply titled Basketball NBA2334.  Interesting to see how Lebron will look as an old man.  The video almost makes Lebron kind of Eddie Murphy playing everyone in the video.

One of my favorite Lebron James video clips of all times.  Is he really shooting or is the whole thing enhanced by computers?  It looks to me like he is shooting.  I predict Lebron will make a more than half court shot at some point of this years playoffs.

Remember years ago when people saw the Gatorade coolers on the sidelines of every major sporting event? Vitamin Water has taken over those sidelines for a hefty price I’m sure.  I did notice while watching a few Elite Eight games that the Vitamin Water coolers were behind the bench of each team.  The neat part was that when CBS switched to a different game, the coolers were a different color.  Great marketing but dumb at the same time.  If Vitamin Water really had their act together, they would have coordinated the coolers to match the team colors.

Personally, I do not like the way the stuff tastes.  It is like Kool-Aid without sugar and just tastes bland.  Gatorade still is better tasting than Vitamin Water.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took another big step toward a number one seed in the Eastern Conference against Dallas Sunday.  The Cavs used a balanced scoring attack to blow Dallas out 102-74.  The most impressive part of this victory was the teamwork again displayed by the Cavs who are playing like one big happy family.  With just nine regular season games left, the Cavs seem to have a firm grip on home court advantage throughout the playoffs. 

The reason why it is essential for the Cavs to finish ahead of Boston in the East is because both teams are nearly unbeatable at home.  They share 35-1 home records.  The Cavs are also a couple of games in front of Kobe and his LA Lakers.  That could weigh huge if Cleveland can get to the finals.  Tuesday, Cleveland hosts Detroit in a possible preview of a first-round playoff matchup.

Kevin Garnett sat out again as his knee is acting up again, and that is bad news for Celtics fans.  Garnett needs to be 100% for Boston to have any shot at all with Cleveland.  Whichever team ends up with the home advantage will be the team likely to advance.

Fresh off of a 60 Minutes interview, Lebron James is in the national spotlight more than ever.  Senior citizens who do not follow sports got an inside look at the force driving The Cleveland Cavaliers, and The NBA for that matter.  Look for Lebron to have a huge game Tuesday against The Pistons.  I’m calling it here and now, a triple-double with at least 40 points.