Listeners,
As you may know, I'm a big Cleveland sports fan. Here are my thoughts on the Cavs as they gear up for the playoffs:
The NBA playoffs are almost here, and as a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, this is the time of year I had been anticipating since the Cavs fell in the NBA Finals in early June. Sprinkle in a better-than-ever LeBron and the biggest trade in Cavs history, and I should be getting ready to celebrate Cleveland’s first major sports championship since 1964.
Problem; the Cavs don’t look like a champion right now and I’m almost dreading the start of the playoffs. Maybe that’s a little overkill, but I definitely don’t think—with the combination of injuries and new players—this team is ready to make the postseason run yet.
The Cavs are like a college student who lost their cell phone, their car is in the shop and their significant other just broke up with them—all one day before a big research paper is due—they need an extension.
With players going in and out of the doctor’s office and newly-acquired Wally Szczerbiak pulling a Larry Hughes impression, the team has been unable to jell. The luster of the trade has worn off as folks have realized how hard it is to replace half the team and have them all playing in sync by the playoffs.
Delonte West has been inconsistent as the point guard, often deferring to LeBron. Perhaps most importantly, coach Mike Brown hasn’t seen enough of all 11 players healthy to know what rotation will work best and who will see a decrease in minutes.
It’s hard to even know what the best, most productive lineup to put out on the floor will be. Mike Brown essentially needs to figure out how much of each ingredient he needs to make the best batch of cookies. That’s something that should be accomplished during the regular season, not the postseason. Mmm, cookies.
The Cavs won on Sunday against Philly in the final game before press time, and I have to admit that it was a solid, hard fought win and I was very happy. I was also basically done with this article, and decided that one win wasn’t enough to make me spend the next two hours writing a wildly optimistic NBA Champions Cavs column. The team has been much too inconsistent and unpredictable for me to do that.
Maybe the most troubling thing is that the Cavs will run into tough opponents, and I’m not just talking Pistons or Celtics, I’m talking about a tough first-round match-up, which will likely be with Washington, Philadelphia or Toronto. The Sixers are red-hot, Washington is a familiar but strong opponent and the Raptors have one of the most underrated players in basketball in Chris Bosh. Unless the Cavs really get things together, they will still likely have a longer, more difficult first round than the four-game sweep of the Wizards from last year.
One positive to remember is that the Cavs weren’t all that impressive or consistent heading into the playoffs last year, but still won the East. Starting Wednesday against Charlotte, the Cavs have eight games to figure it out and then the playoffs begin.
I’m not trying to be a downer; in fact I hate the unflappable pessimism of some Cleveland fans. I’m just being realistic. The Cavs surely have the talent to go toe-to-toe with anyone in basketball and make a run at the title, but they need to get that talent working in sublime fashion if they hope to match or improve upon last season’s playoff run. I’m also not forgetting the LeBron factor: in the playoffs, he will stop at nothing to win and can carry the team on his back.
Finally, just to prove I’m not some Cleveland pessimist, let me say this: the Indians will take home the World Series title in 2008. By next February, three major sports championship trophies will reside in Cleveland. Not to mention the Gladiators in the Arena Football League.
Alright, fine, maybe just one trophy.
Please?
The NBA playoffs are almost here, and as a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, this is the time of year I had been anticipating since the Cavs fell in the NBA Finals in early June. Sprinkle in a better-than-ever LeBron and the biggest trade in Cavs history, and I should be getting ready to celebrate Cleveland’s first major sports championship since 1964.
Problem; the Cavs don’t look like a champion right now and I’m almost dreading the start of the playoffs. Maybe that’s a little overkill, but I definitely don’t think—with the combination of injuries and new players—this team is ready to make the postseason run yet.
The Cavs are like a college student who lost their cell phone, their car is in the shop and their significant other just broke up with them—all one day before a big research paper is due—they need an extension.
With players going in and out of the doctor’s office and newly-acquired Wally Szczerbiak pulling a Larry Hughes impression, the team has been unable to jell. The luster of the trade has worn off as folks have realized how hard it is to replace half the team and have them all playing in sync by the playoffs.
Delonte West has been inconsistent as the point guard, often deferring to LeBron. Perhaps most importantly, coach Mike Brown hasn’t seen enough of all 11 players healthy to know what rotation will work best and who will see a decrease in minutes.
It’s hard to even know what the best, most productive lineup to put out on the floor will be. Mike Brown essentially needs to figure out how much of each ingredient he needs to make the best batch of cookies. That’s something that should be accomplished during the regular season, not the postseason. Mmm, cookies.
The Cavs won on Sunday against Philly in the final game before press time, and I have to admit that it was a solid, hard fought win and I was very happy. I was also basically done with this article, and decided that one win wasn’t enough to make me spend the next two hours writing a wildly optimistic NBA Champions Cavs column. The team has been much too inconsistent and unpredictable for me to do that.
Maybe the most troubling thing is that the Cavs will run into tough opponents, and I’m not just talking Pistons or Celtics, I’m talking about a tough first-round match-up, which will likely be with Washington, Philadelphia or Toronto. The Sixers are red-hot, Washington is a familiar but strong opponent and the Raptors have one of the most underrated players in basketball in Chris Bosh. Unless the Cavs really get things together, they will still likely have a longer, more difficult first round than the four-game sweep of the Wizards from last year.
One positive to remember is that the Cavs weren’t all that impressive or consistent heading into the playoffs last year, but still won the East. Starting Wednesday against Charlotte, the Cavs have eight games to figure it out and then the playoffs begin.
I’m not trying to be a downer; in fact I hate the unflappable pessimism of some Cleveland fans. I’m just being realistic. The Cavs surely have the talent to go toe-to-toe with anyone in basketball and make a run at the title, but they need to get that talent working in sublime fashion if they hope to match or improve upon last season’s playoff run. I’m also not forgetting the LeBron factor: in the playoffs, he will stop at nothing to win and can carry the team on his back.
Finally, just to prove I’m not some Cleveland pessimist, let me say this: the Indians will take home the World Series title in 2008. By next February, three major sports championship trophies will reside in Cleveland. Not to mention the Gladiators in the Arena Football League.
Alright, fine, maybe just one trophy.
Please?
-Matt Friedman
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