All in all, going 3-2 on a five game road trip out west is a successful trek.  The only disappointment was the Utah game where unknown Sundiata Gaines, hit a three with Anthony Parker guarding him well, otherwise the wine and gold would have gone 4-1 on the trip. 

 

Still, the Cavs ended the trip with the best record in the Eastern Conference, and with a favorable schedule to come, it will be very difficult for the Celtics, Magic, or Hawks to overtake Cleveland and finish the season with the #1 seed. 

 

The Cavaliers play 11 of their next 13 games at home, a streak that extends past the All-Star game, well into February.  There are some tough opponents on the slate, including three games against playoff teams this week at the Q against Toronto, the Lakers, and the surprising Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Kevin Durant. 

 

After a couple of road games next week, the wine and gold return to downtown Cleveland for five straight home contests.  That’s a very long home stand by NBA standards.

 

Now the debate is whether or not the Cavaliers have enough to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Cleveland after the playoffs.  It says here they do, but that doesn’t mean GM Danny Ferry should pass on an opportunity to make his team better.  There were some in the media who panicked after the loss to Utah (WKNR host from 6-9 PM was one), but it was one loss.

 

It’s more important for the wine and gold to operate their offense properly down the stretch of games.  They have lost more games because of that than the more play of individual players.  That’s why it’s not necessary to make a move. 

 

Also, remember that basketball is the ultimate team sport, and bringing in a significant player may cause more harm than good.  You also need to keep in mind the salary cap, meaning that Antawn Jamison’s mega-salary for next season would hamper Ferry from making a big move in the off-season. 

 

Another thing to be aware of is that the Cavs will get another role player after the all-star break in Leon Powe, who should return from his knee injury around that time.  All of the home games on the schedule during this period will give Powe a chance to practice and get on the same page as his new teammates.

 

If Ferry can make a move that makes sense, why not do it?  However, screwing up the chemistry is something that cannot be overlooked.  Remember how the Cavs started the season?  Everyone was shocked at two straight losses. 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are ready to win a title.  They were last season as well, but they have made changes to address the weaknesses that showed up in the Orlando series last summer.  This team has different ways to beat teams, they have shown that ability already in putting together a 31-11 record thus far. 

 

JK 

 

Recently, it was reported in Sporting News Today that the Detroit Tigers are interested in free agent closer Jose Valverde, because they feel the AL Central race will be wide open and they don’t want to be caught without having a proven guy at the back end of the bullpen.  Yesterday, they went out and signed him.

 

What a novel idea!

 

In a related story, the Cleveland Indians are hoping right-hander Jake Westbrook will remain healthy enough to be the team’s opening day starter.  Keep in mind that Westbrook hasn’t started a major league game since early in the 2008 season. 

 

Isn’t it great to be an Indians fan!

 

Once again, it’s not like the Tribe is in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox, who have high payrolls.  They are in a division with a bunch of middle markets, except for the White Sox, who certainly do not spend like a big market team. 

 

The ownership talked last fall about how the best-case scenario for this team is to contend every few years, and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.  How do Larry and Paul Dolan explain the Minnesota Twins, who seem to be in the mix every season? 

 

Even the national pundits are starting to figure out that the Dolans have no intent of spending anything this off-season.  In a chat on Baseball Prospectus.com, John Perrotto stated that GM Mark Shapiro is in no-spend mode.  My question is why?

 

The owners told us many years ago that they would spend when they had a chance to win.  Certainly, the 2009 Tribe was a flawed team that won only 65 games last season.  To the naked eye, that would be a rebuilding club, but once again be reminded the AL Central is winnable, even for the Cleveland Indians.

 

Just a little over a year ago, the Detroit Tigers finished last in the division, and they vaulted to a playoff game to get to the post-season with the Twins in 2009.  It can be done.  The Tigers added one pitcher by trade (Edwin Jackson) and another prospect (Rick Porcello), improved their defense by adding SS Adam Everett and moving Brandon Inge back to the hot corner, and they improved greatly. 

 

As of this moment, the Indians aren’t doing anything to improve their pitching staff, and the help they are bringing in general are guys who coming off injuries (39 year old infielder Mark Grudzielanek), a bad couple of seasons (Austin Kearns), or career minor leaguers (Shelley Duncan).

 

That’s pretty much doing nothing.

 

Spring training used to be a time of hope for all baseball fans.  Even growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, fans always hoped things would change, usually because trades were made for guys like Gaylord Perry, Bobby Bonds, and Bert Blyleven. 

 

Now, the game has changed and the owners use it as an excuse to do nothing.  There is no hope in Cleveland this winter.  The Dolan ownership has stomped it out of us.

 

There is not even any conversation on the Tribe on local sports talk shows, and spring training is a little over a month away.  It seems like interest in the Indians is at an all-time low.  Even when they were horrible in the Gabe Paul era, people would call to complain.

 

Congratulations to the Dolan family.  They have made people apathetic about their franchise.  That’s the worst thing that can happen.

 

KM

 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers have started out winning two out of three on their current and last west coast trip of the season.  They now have opened up a two game lead over the Boston Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference, and as previously written, the schedule gets easier for the wine and gold after this trip.

 

The biggest news of late for the Cavs is the emergence of another member of their bench, making arguably the deepest bench in the NBA even deeper.  The new contributor is even a hometown guy, who grew up in Cleveland and played at St. Edward High School before going on to North Carolina. 

 

Jawad Williams, welcome to the real beginning of your NBA career.

 

When Jamario Moon went on the shelf with an abdominal strain a little over a week ago, the common thought was that Daniel Gibson would pick up his minutes.  However, it has been Williams who has gained the most playing time.

 

He took advantage of his opportunity in the last home game against Washington, playing 25 minutes, scoring seven points and dishing out four assists.  He was also on the floor when the Cavs went on a couple of runs leading to an easy victory.

 

He played less than 10 minutes in a loss to Denver, but contributed two huge three pointers in Sunday night’s win at Portland.  Jawad played 17 minutes in that game, scoring 10 points (a career high) and grabbing a couple of rebounds.

 

In Oakland Monday night, Williams established a new career high in points with 11, and also passed out two assists in 20 minutes.  He’s long and uses his size on defense, which has helped him gain time in Mike Brown’s rotation. 

 

Meanwhile, Gibson’s playing time has dwindled since the coach decided to go to a nine-man rotation.  Williams seized his opportunity to pass Gibson on the depth chart, and he has been a big contributor in the past four games. 

 

We knew the Cavaliers were deep going into the season, but we had no idea they had a gem on the far end of the bench like Jawad Williams.  Based on their performances when they get on the floor, both he and Darnell Jackson could get a lot of minutes for many NBA teams, but it’s tough to get that time when you are playing for a team that wins 75% of its games.

 

The Cavs have been searching for a “stretch four” all off-season and this year as well.  Perhaps the answer could be Williams, who is 6’9” and 220 pounds, a similar build to Orlando’s Rashard Lewis, who hurt the wine and gold in the playoffs and is 6’10” and 230 pounds.  It will be interesting to see if the former St. Ed’s standout remains effective with extended minutes, and will he continue to play when Moon returns to the lineup.

 

Even if he goes back to the end of the bench, Jawad Williams has paid dividends for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  It’s a tribute to GM Danny Ferry for giving him a shot, and also a tribute to the coaching staff for developing a young player. 

 

Williams wouldn’t be the first player who is a late bloomer.  Just ask the guy he’s replacing in the rotation.  It took Jamario Moon a long time to be an NBA regular too.

 

JK

 

Mike Holmgren is set to name Tom Heckert as the Cleveland Browns’ GM as early as today.  However, his first move as the team president proved to be a stunner.  He kept Eric Mangini on as his head coach. 

 

Most observers figured Holmgren would bring in someone he has worked with in the past, someone who is also a West Coast offense aficionado.  But he stayed with Mangini, who won his last four games after starting out 1-11.

 

Why?  There are several possibilities to ponder. 

 

Perhaps The Big Show thought the four consecutive victories showed the team turned the corner.  After all, the last team to win their last four after a 1-11 start was the 1993 New England Patriots, and they made the playoffs the following season. 

 

It’s more likely though, that Holmgren wanted to wait until 2011 to look for a coach when Jon Gruden might be interested in coming back, or perhaps the Eagles’ Andy Reid may be available.  After all, that’s where Heckert is coming from. 

 

In the meantime, Mangini will get a year to see if he can work with Holmgren and Heckert, and to see if he can live with just coaching.  That’s not the job he came here for, he was to have control over the draft and the 53-man roster, something he likely no longer has.

 

Perhaps it’s just as simple as having to trust Holmgren on this one.  He was hired because of his experience in the NFL, and his success in the league.  Most Browns’ fans rejoiced at finally having a football man in charge.  So now, you have to trust that he knows what he’s doing in keeping Mangini as the head coach of this football team.

 

However, Mangini has to learn to coach talented players who might have a little different attitude.  It’s nice if your best players have a tremendous work ethic, but that always isn’t the case.  You can’t keep getting rid of guys who can play. 

 

It will also be interested in seeing the make up of the coaching staff.  Yes, the entire staff was welcomed back, but it would be stunning if some changes weren’t made, especially on the offensive side of the ball.  You know Holmgren will want a coach who is very familiar with the west coast attack.

 

The same is true with the hiring of Heckert.  The Eagles have had some good drafts recently and hopefully, he is responsible for them.  We have no way of knowing for sure, but you have to trust Holmgren and Reid, who recommended Heckert for the gig.  Apparently, Heckert will have control of the 53-man roster something he didn’t have in Philadelphia. 

 

Some of compared his hiring to making Phil Savage the GM, but the huge difference here is the presence of Holmgren.  Savage was the highest football man in the organization, and didn’t seem to want to be in the office much, preferring to be out on the road scouting. 

 

Heckert will not have that handicap as Holmgren is in the office running the football operations.

 

Mike Holmgren wants to win and wants to do it as soon as possible.  It is doubtful he would make decisions that would be detrimental to accomplishing that.  You have to trust the man based on his track record.

 

JD

 

It’s been such a bad year for the Cleveland Indians, that even its alumni can’t get a break.  Bert Blyleven missed election to baseball’s Hall of Fame by five votes, and Roberto Alomar was eight votes shy of getting to Cooperstown this summer.

 

The good news for each player is that every player who has gotten as close as the Dutchman has eventually been elected, and Alomar’s vote total is the highest for any first year eligible who didn’t get elected in his first year on the ballot.  Both will likely gain entrance into baseball’s shrine next season. 

 

Perhaps GM Mark Shapiro is contacting both players about a spot on the 2010 Indians.  However, if either wants to be paid, the Tribe is probably not interested.

 

In other news, the team signed OF Austin Kearns and 1B/OF Shelley Duncan to minor league contracts.  Can’t you see the line forming at the box office of Progressive Field?

 

Kearns hasn’t had a good season since 2007 (coincidentally the last time the Tribe had one as well) when he hit .266 with 16 HR and 74 RBI with the Nationals, where his manager was Manny Acta. His last pretty good year was the prior season when he hit .264 with 24 HR and 86 ribbies splitting time between Cincinnati and Washington. 

 

His best season was his rookie year (2002) as he hit .315 with 13 dingers and 56 RBI’s in 107 games. 

 

The downward trend of his career is inspiring, isn’t it?

 

He’s not really a platoon guy because his career numbers are about the same against right-handers or southpaws. 

 

The Tribe will tell you that he’s been battling injuries the past two years, but he’s a bargain pick up, and the fact all he can get is a minor league deal tells you all you need to know.

 

Duncan is 30 years old and has played all of 68 games in the big leagues with a career batting average of .219.  He hit 7 homers in 83 at bats with the Yankees in 2007, but in 80 at bats since, has hit just one dinger. 

 

He has hit lefties pretty well in the bigs, hitting 90 points better against southpaws, although it is a very small sampling.

 

Aren’t all Indians’ fans excited at these two signings?

 

What is beyond understanding is the acceptance of this inertia from the media.  Why do the Dolans get a pass?  Yes, yes, we know the system isn’t fair, and Cleveland is a small market.  However, this division is winnable!  However, the team has to add to the talent on hand. 

 

And in baseball, if you can get to the post-season, you have a shot.  Right now, the ownership is not even giving the players or the fans that chance.  That’s the crime. 

 

If the Dolan family cannot have a team with a middle of the road payroll, they need to sell the ballclub.  If they were really Indians’ fans, as they proclaim, they would understand it’s the best thing for the franchise.  No one expects the Tribe to have a $150 million payroll like the Red Sox or Mets, but to say this team is in full rebuilding mode after one bad year (they were a .500 team in 2008), is not acceptable.

 

Another week, month, season of disappointment awaits fans of the Cleveland Indians until the owners authorize the front office to make moves.

 

MW

 

Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to Charlotte Sunday night, they still sit at 27-9 as we near the midpoint of the NBA season.  That record gives them a tie for the best record in the Eastern Conference (with Boston who is 24-8), something that is probably startling for the national media, which focuses on the Celtics.

 

Early in the season, there was much hand wringing about Shaquille O’Neal fitting in, Delonte West’s absence, and Mike Brown’s coaching.  That’s all water under the bridge now. 

 

The Cavs are winning, winning a lot, and winning despite arguably the most brutal schedule in the NBA to date. 

 

Wednesday night will mark the first back-to-back home games for the team since November 28^th through December 4^th when the Cavs played Dallas, Phoenix, and Chicago at The Q.  That means the wine and gold has played 17 consecutive games in different cities spanning 28 days. 

 

After that game, the Cavaliers go on their longest road trip of the season, five games in eight days with games against Denver, Portland, Golden State, Utah, and the Los Angeles Clippers.  After this stretch, the wine and gold will have played 17 home games and 26 road contests.

 

Which means of the remaining 39 games on the slate, 24 will be played in the friendly confines of Quicken Loans Arena.  It also means that Boston and Orlando better have better records than the Cavs when Cleveland finishes its last west coast swing, because barring injuries, they will have no chance to overtake the Cavaliers.

 

Meanwhile, the Celtics are starting to get dinged up.  Paul Pierce is out for about two weeks with a knee injury and now Kevin Garnett looks like he’s going to miss the same amount of time with a hyper extended knee.  When you are over 30 years old, you don’t bounce back as quickly from injuries, and also they occur more frequently. 

 

All three of the Celtics stars are over 30 years old. 

 

As for the Magic, has anyone else noticed that Dwight Howard’s numbers are down?  The big man is averaging over three points per game less than a year ago.   However, the Magic is spreading the scoring around more with their acquisitions of Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, and the return of Jameer Nelson. 

 

However, in the playoffs, will Carter prove to be more effective than Hedo Turkoglu, who was their primary playmaker down the stretch in the playoffs last season?

 

The other team in the East that has played well is the Atlanta Hawks, but they have lost five in a row, and have been in free fall since the Cavs beat them in back-to-back games a week ago. 

 

The point is this, despite all of the changes; the Cleveland Cavaliers are set up to once again be the top seed in the East.  The schedule will be very favorable in the second half of the season.  The playoffs are the real season for a team like the Cavs, but even though they have had some ups and downs, the road to the NBA Finals will likely go through Cleveland if you are in the East.

 

JK

 

Ho-hum, the Cleveland Browns won again.  It was their fourth win in a row, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17 to finish the season 5-11 after a 1-11 start.  It’s the first win streak of this length for the brown and orange since 1994 when Bill Belichick coached and Vinny Testaverde was the quarterback.

 

It was the same formula the team has used in the previous three wins, that is, running the ball, controlling the clock, and limting mistakes in the passing game.  Cleveland ran for 214 yards, with Jerome Harrison getting his third straight 100-yard game, and his fourth of the year.  Why was he inactive or invisible for several games this season?

 

The Browns’ defense also controlled the running game and forced David Garrard to throw 39 times.  He was intercepted once by Eric Wright and sacked three times, as the Jags outgained Cleveland because of the big edge in passing yards (197 to 86). 

 

Of course, the Browns virtually stopped passing for a quarter and a half after Derek Anderson threw an interception in the second quarter.  It wasn’t until the Jaguar defense ignored the pass and started putting nine or ten guys in the box did coach Eric Mangini allow his quarterback to pass again.  In all, Anderson completed just 7 of 11 throws for 86 yards.  College teams that run the wishbone put the ball in the air more often.

 

By the way, Brady Quinn took heat early in the year for only throwing to backs and tight ends.  Today, Anderson completed just one pass to a wide receiver, a 14 yard play to Mohammed Massaquoi. 

 

Now, the fun begins for the Browns and their fans.  Tomorrow, meetings will start with Mangini and team president Mike Holmgren to determine the future of this franchise.  The four straight victories are nice, but they may be too little too late.  They also came against the league’s dregs (Kansas City and Oakland) or decent teams that were struggling when they played the Browns (Pittsburgh and Jacksonville).

 

You cannot compete with the better teams in the NFL with a one dimensional offense, and that’s what the Browns are.  They still simply cannot throw the football with any success or confidence.  All the Cleveland victories were attained with no help from the passing attack.

 

Also, the roster needs to be infused with talent.  Some might say the passing woes are because the team dealt Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr.  However, the head coach made those moves.  You can’t give away millions of dollars of your money and then claim you are poor. 

 

Winning with a mixture of free agents and special team specialists is fine, but to win consistently and in the playoffs, you need some impact players.  The Cleveland Browns have very few of this type of players. 

 

The two best players on the roster are Josh Cribbs, who is a tremendous utility player, making an impact as a returner and in specialized offensive sets, and LT Joe Thomas, who is headed to a third straight Pro Bowl. 

 

There are other good players such as offensive linemen Eric Steinbach and rookie Alex Mack, Harrison, aa well as NT Shaun Rogers, LB Kamerion Wimbley and CB Eric Wright on defense.  There are some good players sprinkled about the roster, but not enough to be a playoff team.

 

The lack of talent means the coaching staff must depend on tricks to win games.  Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is a master of disguising defenses and most weeks did well in keeping the Browns in the game until fatigue set in.  He would love to have some studs to build a defense around.

 

Holmgren probably is happy with the four wins, but he will likely want to bring in his own guys, and that is his right.  That’s why he was given the keys to the front office.  Whether Mangini is back or not is the new president’s decision, and only his decision. 

 

Within the next few days, we will have a better picture of where the Cleveland Browns are heading.  Winning these last four games was nice, but it would have benn better if the Browns were 6-6 heading into the last month, rather that 1-11.  No one should forget that.

 

JD

 

 

The Cleveland Indians continue to do nothing this off-season.  They are also projecting 2010 attendance to be in the 1.3 million range, easily the lowest figure since moving into Progressive Field following the 1993 season. 

 

That figure is causing the Dolan family to be very frugal with their operating budget, which was the reason for trading Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez in the middle of last season, and also the reason GM Mark Shapiro has basically done nothing to improve the club in the off-season.

 

However, it this a self-fulfilling prophecy for the Dolans?

 

If you do nothing in the hot stove circuit, there won’t be any buzz about your franchise, which means nobody is lining up at the ticket windows.  So basically, the ownership is at least partially responsible for the declining number of people who are paying to watch the Cleveland Indians.

 

The ownership will tell you that the depressed economy in the area is at fault too, but it doesn’t seem to deter fans from attending games of the Cavaliers, who reside right next store to where the Tribe plays. 

 

The difference is the Cavs are winners, and their owner is doing everything he can to win a championship. 

 

Yes, there is a salary cap in basketball.  However, the Cavs’ Dan Gilbert understands that if he puts a good product on the floor, people will attend the games.  It doesn’t hurt that he has the best player in the NBA on his team, but he knows a good product will draw fans.

 

The Dolan’s have it backwards.  They want people to show up before they spend money to better the ballclub.  But, if you aren’t doing anything to improve the team, you aren’t really giving the fans any reason to stop at the ticket window. 

 

If the ownership gave even a hint of trying to improve the team, fans would be interested. 

 

Again, no one expects the Tribe to sign John Lackey and Jason Bay as free agents.  They don’t generate that kind of revenue.  Perhaps GM Mark Shapiro is waiting for the price tags on other quality free agents to drop and then he’ll jump into the waters.  However, this waiting doesn’t promote ticket sales.

 

Many people are projecting less than 90 wins will win the Central Division, probably somewhere around 85-88 victories.  That’s not an unattainable figure for the Indians, who weren’t as bad as their 65-97 record says they were based on run differential.

 

However, doing nothing doesn’t help the team, nor does it make anyone excited for the upcoming season.  In fact, it makes most Tribe fans angry that the ownership and management is unwilling to do anything.

 

There has been a lot of baseball news over the past month with the winter meetings happening and the usual trades and free agent signings.  There just hasn’t been any news out of Cleveland. 

 

The front office will get what they deserve at the ticket window, when the same inactivity they have given fans is returned to them at the box office.

 

KM

 

The Cleveland Browns are proving to be the best of all of the NFL’s crummy teams as they defeated another squad on their level, beating the Oakland Raiders 23-9 to raise their record to 4-11.  Somewhere, the Eric Mangini supporters in town are raising a trophy symbolic of the Browns’ superiority against the mediocre teams in pro football.

 

The Browns took advantage of a solid running game and three interceptions by former Cleveland quarterback Charlie Frye to register their third straight win.  Jerome Harrison followed up his 286 yard performance by gaining 148 more in 39 carries, as the Browns went with what had working in their previous wins, a solid rushing attack. 

 

Derek Anderson, much like Brady Quinn, managed the game, didn’t make any mistakes, and basically threw the ball only when it was needed, completing just 8 of 17 throws for 121 yards and a touchdown to Mohammed Massaquoi.  He didn’t make the huge error he has made in the past, so all in all, it was a good job by Anderson. 

 

However, I doubt that Mike Holmgren is making plans to build around him or Quinn next season.

 

The game really went the Browns way early, when Frye’s first pass was picked off by David Bowens, and two plays later, Harrison ran it in from 17 yards to give Cleveland a 7-0 lead.  From then on, the Raiders moved the ball only to make mistakes.  They outgained Cleveland for the game 389 to 282, because, much like last year, the Raiders threw for 301 yards against the Browns’ beleagued secondary.

 

The difference was this week, Rob Ryan’s defense recorded four sacks, one and a half by recent waiver pick up Matt Roth, which stopped the Oakland offense from getting into the end zone. 

 

Really, it was the same Frye we watched with the Browns, throwing the ball recklessly and taking unnecessary sacks.  He put up some big numbers, but couldn’t stay away from big negative plays, which was his history in Cleveland.

 

What this game showed was the discipline Mangini brought to the Browns.  The Raiders were penalized 13 times for 126 yards, the Browns just six times.  It is the one thing you can say the coach accomplished with the ’09 Browns.

 

The three straight wins over so-so opponents is nice, but you can’t overlook the 1-11 start.  Mangini most definitely made some changes going into the San Diego game after a 1-10 start, but why did it take rumors swirling about his job for him to make the moves? 

 

As for the players not quitting on the coach, it’s their job!  They are playing to stay in the NFL.  The coach shouldn’t get any extra credit for that.

 

The decision on Mangini rests with new team president Mike Holmgren.  If Holmgren and whomever he picks as general manager want him to stay, that’s fine.  However, it’s more likely that The Big Show (Holmgren) will want his own man in place, and he should.  He must make sure everyone is on the same page. 

 

Don’t get carried away with the wins, and the Browns could win a fourth straight game against a Jacksonville team that has nothing to play for next week.  It would have been better if the Cleveland Browns showed this kind of life in October instead of December.

 

JD

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers started their four game road trip with a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, who were playing without all star Dirk Nowitzke.  That loss seemed to fire them up for the rest of the sojourn because they followed it up by giving Phoenix their first home loss, beat Sacramento in overtime, and then saved the best for last.

 

They hammered the Los Angeles Lakers 102-87 at the Staples Center before what turned out to be an angry LA crowd and a national television audience.

 

The Cavs were physical from the get go and Shaquille O’Neal showed exactly why GM Danny Ferry acquired him from Phoenix in the off-season, scoring 11 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, and also being a brick wall in front of the basket that not even Kobe Bryant could leap over.

 

By the end of the contest, the Lakers were a thoroughly frustrated team, with Lamar Odom Kardashian getting ejected, and Bryant and Derek Fisher also picking up technical fouls.  The latter two players seemed offended that the Cavs didn’t just allow them to do whatever they pleased offensively. 

 

Bryant scored 35 points, but took 32 shots to do so, and was upset a couple of times when he drove to the hoop only to run into a stationary O’Neal.  When Bryant bounced off, as smaller things do to larger things, he was incredulous when no foul was called. 

 

Defensively, he spent the fourth quarter doing things to James and the other Cleveland players that would have been called fouls had someone done them to Bryant. 

 

Fisher was jacked up because Mo Williams abused him for 28 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, including a barrage in the third quarter when Mo scored the Cavs’ first ten points. 

 

The Lakers weren’t used to the physical play.

 

Last season, the Cavs lost twice to the Lakers because LA’s size inside was a huge factor.  Not yesterday.  Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Odom combined for just 21 points and 17 boards, and O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Anderson Varajao beat them up for 22 points, but 25 rebounds.  The size advantage was nullified.

 

The x-factor was Jamario Moon, who scored 13 points on 6 of 7 shooting, and played solid defense on Bryant, where is length and athleticism challenged Bryant. 

 

Mike Brown used O’Neal and Ilgauskas together at times, but this time it was appropriate because of the height the Lakers can put on the floor.  Brown coached like this was a statement game, and the Cavs, who have seemed to be drifting through the regular season at times, played with playoff intensity. 

 

James said the Cavs used the game as a measuring tool to see where they stood against the defending champs, but make no mistake, they sent a message to Bryant and the Lakers that they can play a physical game now with O’Neal and the other big men. 

 

Keep this in mind when you look at the NBA standings.  Of the so-called elite teams in the league, nobody has played more road games than the Cavs (18).  The Lakers have a better record, but they have played 19 of their 28 games at home.  In the East, all three of the other contenders for the best record in the conference have played equal amounts of games at home and on the road. 

 

This is a big advantage as the season is heading to the halfway point.

 

The wine and gold come home after delivering a great gift to the city on Christmas Day.  That had to put a smile on every basketball fan’s face in this area.

 

JK