The Cleveland Trinity
Promises of winning were often echoed, but results never followed. Insert Danny Ferry, Phil Savage, and Mark Shapiro, and Cleveland fans now have a sense of hope and direction.
|  |
|
Cleveland’s Iron Giant
Durability no longer remains an issue for Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He has played in 396 games out of a possible 410 over the last five years.
|  |
|
Getting Defensive
The Cavaliers must stay to true to their identity of defense to battle with the likes of the upper echelon teams in the East like the Celtics and Pistons. They have gone from 4th in defensive efficiency to 14th, but signs point to a turnaround.
|  |
|
An Overdue Resolution
In essence, Anderson Varejao never truly became a “free” agent. His future was almost as much at the mercy of the team as if he were under contract with them. This is not only unfair to Varejao, but also to other teams who could have bid for his services, but were scared away by his restricted status.
| |
|
Miller Could Be The Answer
Could the Cavaliers bring Andre Miller back to Cleveland to run the point guard position? He certainly appears available.
|  |
|
Breaking Down The Varejao Situation
It is understandable that the Cavs don't want to lose future cap flexibility by signing Anderson Varejao to the type of contract he seeks. But if they didn’t want to do that, then they shouldn’t have signed Ilgauskas, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones to long-term contracts in the summer of 2005 and given huge money to an injury prone Larry Hughes in that same summer.
| |
|
Eastern Conference Preview
The Cavaliers certainly have their work cut out for them if they plan to repeat as the Eastern Conference champion. Almost every team in the East improved with the influx of talent in the East from either the draft or migration from the West.
|  |
|
Cavs stand pat amidst shakeups in East
Teams in the East watched the Cavaliers make the Finals and said "why not us?", and what followed was a flurry of offseason activity. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have improved by standing pat.
|  |
|
30 Teams, 30 Days: Cleveland Draft Preview (None)
This draft isn’t short on young bigs, so if they could get themselves into the end of the first round, or anywhere in the second, Danny Ferry will be able to grab some size.
| |
|
Is LeBron James The Next MJ Or The Next KG?
Now that LeBron James can reflect on his first NBA Finals appearance, the obvious question now is, will he be there again? The answer lies in his teammates. Here is a look at their top-7 rotation minus LeBron James.
|  |
|
Proof By Contradiction
Mike Brown, unfortunately, is proving that even in a player-driven league like the NBA, a quality head coach is a key factor in a team's success (or should we say that poor coaching can be instrumental in a team's downfall?).
|  |
|
"Experts" wrong - Cavaliers can defeat Spurs
Not only can the Cavaliers keep it close and not embarrass themselves against the mighty Spurs, but they have a realistic chance at pulling an upset.
| |
|
Here He Becomes Legend
For at least for the time being, LeBron silenced the critics who have claimed for so long that he wasn’t good enough, skilled enough, nor clutch enough to take over the game at critical moments of the playoffs, like some of the all time
greats who have played before him.
| |
|
The Truth On LeBron's Late Game Performances
While his team is down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Detroit Pistons, LeBron James is 2-2 when it comes to his performance in the closing seconds of both respective games.
| |
|
Sorry Skip Bayless, but the Cavaliers are going to win the East
I've been letting this go unmentioned for quite some time because I thought that Skip was one of those people, like Charley Rosen, that just simply doesn't "get it"...
| |
|
NBA playoffs - random thoughts
It's no surprise that, as I thought about the Cavaliers upcoming playoff series against the injury-depleted Wizards, my mind started to wander. Let's face it - if the Wizards win more than one game in this series, everyone associated with the NBA will be in massive shock.
|  |
|
Trade Deadline - can the Cavaliers help themselves
The trade deadline is fast approaching - can the Cavaliers make a move that will improve their team and increase their chances at winning the East and possibly competing for an NBA title? And what can their competition do?
| |
|
Mid-Season Report - grades for everyone (even me!)
The players, teams, coaches, GM's - they all have their own individual goals and expected results, and we grade them on whether they have met or exceeded those goals. I had the gall at the beginning of the year to make some predictions, so now seems like a good time to see whether or not they are panning out, and in the process summarize what's happened so far this year.
|  |
|
The Cavaliers and Ray Allen need each other
The Cavaliers are hitting the season's midpoint in the a bit of a tailspin, and while their 24-17 record puts them among the leaders in the woeful Eastern Conference, the first half of the season can hardly be considered a smashing success.
|  |
|
Players to Watch
Some players will be moving up in stature with their performance this season, while others decline. Some key players have changed addresses and will be counted on to change the fortunes of thier new teams, while others are just looking to return healthy from an injury-riddled campaign. So who's who? I'll review the key players and storylines for this NBA season in "Players to Watch".
|  |
|
Season Preview - The NBA is *back*
Not in recent memory have their been so many teams with a legitimate shot at the NBA title. With such parity at the top, a marked improvement of the teams at the bottom (severely curtailing the "pushover factor"), and a number of high profile young stars just approaching their primes, this could be the most fascinating NBA season ever.
| |
|
RotoFreak.com: Cleveland Cavaliers Fantasy Preview
Despite the likelihood of LeBron James being drafted 1st overall in 90 percent of fantasy leagues this year, statistics suggest that he doesn't deserve that top spot. His below average FT% digs into his value a bit, and the 3+ turnovers per game dig in a little more. Sure, he's still only 21 and his game will improve; however, you also have to factor in he's been playing close to 43 mpg each of the last two years.
| |
|
Time for a coronation - Cavaliers are the best team in the East
It sounds unbelievable to long-suffering fans, but a closer look reveals that the Cavaliers, top to bottom, have the best team in the Eastern Conference.
| |
|
NBA Draft recap - is there ever a 'bad pick'?
One thing that drives me craz about the NBA Draft - in the first round, we usually hear about all of the potential positives of a player and how the team has really set itself up well for the next 7-10 years. Oh really? Does it really work out that way?
|  |
|
NBA Draft Preview: "Uncertainty" is this year's theme
It's not a strong or deep draft, but it's an interesting one. Never before has there been so much uncertainty about which players will end up where. That's not to say it doesn't matter though; you can bet that 5 years from now some team will be an obvious winner while there will be another burning the memory of their pick and emerging from the ashes with a new coach a new GM, and probably a lot more lottery picks to come.
|  |
|
James Exceeds Expectations Yet Again In Exciting Playoff Run
You'd think that by now, I wouldn't be surprised any more...but the way LeBron James continues to exceed even the highest expectations has even caught me off guard this time.
| |
|
Cavaliers and Wizards prepare to duel
The Cavaliers playoff series against the Washington Wizards, will be their first since 1997-1998. But Cavs guard Larry Hughes was in the playoffs just last year, only as a member of the Wizards. It is one of several interesting subplots of what will be the most hard fought matchup of the first round.
| |
|
Wade better than LeBron? Get serious
Dwyane Wade is a great talent, but he's not LeBron James, and he's not the MVP.
|  |
|
LeBron the king of a royal draft class - but is 2003 the best ever?
LeBron James is the king of a royal draft class - but is the 2003 draft the best ever?
| |
|
Cavaliers 'flip' out at trade deadline
While some bigger names were being thrown around elsewhere in the NBA, Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry quietly made two moves for role players that can only help the team's playoff push.
|  |
|
The 100 greatest players of all time - pick up style
Who are the best basketball players of all time? I excluded players with less than 5 years experience, so anyone drafted in 2001 or later has yet to qualify for the discussion. But there was still plenty of talent to choose from.
|  |
|
The Two "obs"
You might call it procrastinating, but with more and more unknown players coming in from overseas and high school, and more and more free agent movement each year, it's difficult to make any realistic kind of evaluation without the two 'obs' - objectivity and observation. So I decided to check out each team in the league before doing a season preview. It turned out that analyzing the Eastern Conference really isn't all that complicated this year.
| |
|
Cavaliers a contender even in improved Eastern Conference
While the competition in the East certainly did what they could to improve, it's not as though the Cavaliers were left behind.
| |
|
Making Moves
The Cavaliers used to be the franchise that stood back and watched other teams make moves, and then took their pick of the leftovers, the Ira Newble's and Lucious Harris's of the world.
We all saw how that worked out...
But now, things are different.
|  |
|
Ferry Makes Instant Impact The Second Time Around
Danny Ferry did as much for the Cavaliers in two weeks as Jim Paxson did in five years.
|  |
|
Redd to decide his own legacy
Michael Redd has a chance to decide his own legacy, i.e. how he will be remembered after his playing days are over. Redd has already established himself as a winner, and an All-Star. But now he can choose - should he go the path that may make him the modern-day Walter Davis? Or instead, the modern-day Byron Scott? His choice will have a large impact on the future of the Cavaliers.
|  |
|
Mock Draft starts well, then shot to hell
Now that the draft is over, we can put the rumors aside and evaluate what really happened, although, ironically, some of the reality was just as unbelievable.
|  |
|
Final Mock Draft
It's never too late to adjust the mock draft; after all, NBA teams are making moves up until the very last minute, so why shouldn't we?
|  |
|
Updated Mock Draft w/ Player Evaluations
Several players have withdrawn from the draft, and I have received more information on others, so it's time to make an update to the mock draft. I think Andrew Bogut will be the top pick, and while time will tell us just how good Bogut is, I think it's a pretty good bet that he'll be better than the last center coming out of college to be chosen #1 overall (Michael Olowokandi). In fact, I think there are several players in this draft that can have an impact sooner rather than later.
|  |
|
Talking Basketball with Dijon Thompson
I had a chance to talk basketball with UCLA's Dijon Thompson, who will likely be selected in the second round of Tuesday's NBA draft, although he could very well sneak into the first round. Dijon is a 6'8 209# swingman who has a versatile offensive game. He also just completed a degree in history. Years from now will Dijon be remembered as the steal of the 2005 draft, a la Rashard Lewis? Time will tell, but Dijon is already on the clock and ready to go.
|  |
|
NBA Draft Preview
The Cavaliers may not yet have a pick in the upcoming draft, but that won't stop Keith Berzanske from breaking down the prospects and disputing certain claims made by Chad Ford.
| |
|
One Brown Okay, Two Brown No Way
If I sound like Dr. Seuss, it's because the decision of whether or not to put Larry Brown in charge of the Cavaliers is simple enough for a child to make.
| |
|
Out Of The Box - Fixing The Cavaliers For Next Season And Beyond
It's fun to play GM, but can anyone really get the Cavaliers back on the right track? Yes, but that involves some creative thinking, as well as some perspective on NBA history.
| |
|
Don't Panic
DON'T PANIC! LeBron James isn't going anywhere, and eventually he will lead to the Cavaliers to the promised land.
| |
|
Magic Man (?)
| |
|
Korver Is Another Example Of Paxson's Failures
Kyle Korver is a player that Jim Paxson could have drafted.
|  |
|
Ineptitude of Competition Allowing Cavaliers to Back into Playoffs
The Cavaliers aren't exactly dominating the opposition, but will probably make the playoffs by default.
| |
|
Is Varejao the key to the Cavaliers success?
Originally thought to be just a throw in when the Cavalers acquired Drew Gooden, Brazilian rookie Anderson Varejao has turned out to be much more.
| |
|
Fan Article: Why I Love Being A Cavaliers Fan
I hated how poorly our team was constructed for a long time, but there was an upside to all the futility, the ability to draft Lebron James.
| |
|
My team's on the floor!
With the trade deadline now over, who you see on your team is who will be there at the end of the season.
| |
|
Being Cavalier about the future
For the first time in the history of the Cavaliers, it is one of their own players who is one of the signature faces of the NBA.
| |
|
'Some of you have been breaking the first two rules...'
Sorry, Tyler Durden, but in order to put the first half of the NBA season in perspective, we need to actually talk about Fight Club (arguably one of the top ten movies of the last 25 years).
| |
|
Injury Bug Hits Cavaliers hard
Injuries have a way of sneaking up on you and they're sneaking up on the Cavaliers.
| |
|
Overrated/Underrated
| |
|
Are the Cavaliers for real?
| |
|
Resist the Urge (Michael Redd can wait)
| |
|
1 on 1 with Anderson Varejao
| |
|
EAST preview - believe it! Cleveland is the conference's 4th best team
| |
|
Wally World
| |
|
Behind the scenes - an inside look at what plagues the Cavaliers
| |
|
Training camp report - Cavs need nametags as well as a point guard
| |
|
Keith Berzanske
| |
|
Wittman is Fired, Who's the Next Coach?
| |
|
What's Up With Illgauskas Foot?
| |
|
Just What Went Wrong?
| |
|
The Sonics are in the most unique situation of all the teams heading into this year's lottery because of their uncertain future in Seattle. However, everyone seems to agree that they could use a top-flight point guard.
Two years removed from winning the NBA title, the Heat have the best chance to land the top overall pick in June's NBA Draft. Miami fans tend to agree on one thing - they want Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose.
Larry Brown inherits a crop of hard-working players but a crop that unfortunately lacks the imagination and exceptionalness to become great. 
All year long people criticized Rashard Lewis because of the contract Orlando gave him last summer, but he has paid dividends for the Magic this postseason.
Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger had nice seasons, but they appear to be in that limbo between being good and being bad enough to get help in the lottery.
Billy Knight will be remembered more for his blunders than his successes.
Rudy Gay positively broke out this season and is the Grizzlies' focal building block moving forward, that is unless they land the number one overall pick.
The Bulls were thought to be a talented young team expected to take their collective game to the next level but instead played like a young team with less talent than anticipated.
Maybe it was the green hue that has been sprinkled on the league this season, or Atlanta’s losing record, but there didn’t seem to be a matchup Boston couldn’t exploit before this seven-game relationship began.
Who should the fans blame for the Nuggets sweep at the hands of the Lakers? George Karl barely runs an offense and the team doesn’t focus on defense. However, the answer to the question lies in the team's front office.
The Lakers' offense is synergistic; the Nuggets are a ticking time bomb with no semblance of offensive cohesion.
For the first time since the Run TMC days, three Warriors averaged 20 points a night and by winning 48 games, it was their highest win total since 93-94 when they won 50.