There isn’t much to discuss about the Cleveland Cavaliers because they are on a roll. They have won five straight and 13 of their last 14 games. Last week, they breezed through a four games in five nights schedule with only one close game, a road win against Milwaukee. They currently sit at 14-3 overall, and they are clearly played like one of the NBA’s elite teams.
As a season ticket holder, this team reminds one of the Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Ron Harper teams of the late 80’s in that you go to the game feeling a win is imminent. Those were the days when the Cavs would go 37-4 or something like that at home. Of course, the difference is this edition of the Cavaliers has the best player on the planet in LeBron James.
Obviously, James is the leader of this team, but the mark of a very good team is they get contributions from everybody on the roster. Saturday, Sasha Pavlovic stepped up and played excellent defense on Michael Redd. Earlier, rookies J.J. Hickson, Darnell Jackson, and even Tarence Kinsey played well against Oklahoma City and Golden State and allowed the starters to get some much-needed rest.
LBJ is averaging a little less than 36 minutes per night, way below last year, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace are also playing less, which will keep them fresh as the season goes on. It’s also a plus that Hickson and Jackson are getting experience. That will also help the team as the season goes on.
Some people have suggested a soft schedule is the reason for the wine and gold’s impressive start, but in reality, Cavalier opponents are slightly above .500 on the year, so the quality of the slate has not been ultra-easy. Here’s a memo to the east coast media that has gotten lost with all of the LeBron to New York stories. James is already on a great team, one of the top three teams in the NBA.
That being said, we have to weigh in on the debate of #23’s impending free agency after the 2010 season. I have to agree with Charles Barkley and The Plain Dealer’s Bill Livingston. It is disrespectful to the city, Dan Gilbert, but most of all, LBJ’s teammates to keep talking about what may or may not happen in July 2010. The Cavaliers are off to a tremendous start and if they stay healthy are most definitely a title contender.
Any thing or wasted time that take away from that goal should be avoided. LeBron should understand that.
The media also brings up how all these teams (Knicks, Nets, Pistons, etc.) are creating cap room for the ’10 free agent class. However, they fail to mention that the Cavaliers are prepared for that date as well. It has been pointed out by many that the wine and gold are the only team with a superstar that can sign another one. Why wouldn’t a Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudamire come to Cleveland to play with James, especially with a couple of visits to the conference finals, The Finals, or even a title in the past two years?
Maybe the Cleveland newspapers should start talking to those guys when their teams visit “The Q”.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 