The NBA season is a little over a week old and the feeling I had going into the campaign has not gone away. The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the Association’s elite teams, and their current four game winning streak has put an exclamation point on that.
Sure, they haven’t beaten the Lakers or the Celtics in this skein, but it is the way they have gone about getting the victories. The wine and gold have been very workmanlike.
First, they dismantled a good Dallas team on the road. Afterwards, they came home to hammer the Bulls, and overcame a lethargic start to beat Indiana, before traveling to Chicago to beat the Bulls again. If you haven’t watched the Cavs play yet this season, you will see they are a very different team.
First of all, much has been made about LeBron James not having found the range on his jump shot. The positive news is that James hasn’t been taking many. Because he has trust in Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Daniel Gibson, the King is now operating closer to the basket. The result has been 138 points in the four games, many of them coming from the charity stripe, where #23 has gone 43 for 51 in the winning streak.
Coach Mike Brown has tightened up his rotation and is using just Anderson Varajao, Wally Szczerbiak, and Gibson off his bench, with Sasha Pavlovic and J.J. Hickson getting some token appearances. Varajao has provided his usual hustle, defense, and rebounding, and even pitched in with a career high 18 points against the Pacers.
Szczerbiak is making the wide open shots he is getting, and Gibson is mixing up his three point shooting with the ability to go to the basket with the teardrop shot, making him more than a one dimensional offensive player.
However, the biggest difference has come just where we thought it would, the presence of Mo Williams, particularly when James is on the bench. Williams is averaging only 14.5 points and 4.5 assists per night, down from his totals in Milwaukee last year. But, he is taking charge when #23 is on the bench. He is also creating his own shots and making them off the dribble, a skill most other Cavs do not have.
Because of his presence and his skills, Brown has been able to limit James to just 36 minutes per night, almost five minutes less than last year. If this can continue, it will be huge come playoff time, when there will be less wear and tear on the body of The King. It also allows LeBron to not be the focal point on every possession. That’s what Williams was acquired to do, and thus far he has met expectations.
I would still like to see Hickson get some time, but on the other hand, if the Cavs can sign free agent big man Antonio McDyess, that might be the final piece to a puzzle which returns the wine and gold to the NBA Finals. The lone weakness this team has is frontcourt depth, and McDyess would take care of that problem. The Celtics are interested as well, and Danny Ferry cannot let Boston get him.
Right now, the Cavaliers are winning at home, and splitting on the road. Their only losses are away from The “Q” to the Celtics and Hornets, both among the league’s best teams. If this continues, the wine and gold are on the way to a 55 win season, and the second division title in team history.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 