Playoffs are LeBron's only goal for Cavaliers

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Playoffs are LeBron's only goal for Cavaliers
October 24, 2005

By Sandy Zinn
SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) - If you listen closely, you can hear people in Cleveland using the "P" word when speaking of the Cavaliers.

As in playoffs.

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LeBron James is talking about it. So is Paul Silas. And if the offseason moves that general manager Jim Paxson made work, "playoffs" could be the city's buzz word come spring.

The Cavaliers narrowly missed out on their first playoff trip in six years last season, fading down the stretch following an injury to point guard Jeff McInnis and finishing a game out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference at 35-47.

McInnis was healthy as training camp began this fall. His presence, alongside James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and newcomers Eric Snow and Drew Gooden, could be enough to push the Cavaliers into the playoffs in a watered-down East.

While jelling will be important, the key remains how Cleveland's role players function around James, a 19-year-old superstar likened to Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan by one of his new teammates.

James came straight out of high school and won NBA Rookie of the Year last season, displaying an amazing array of skill, speed and power. The 6-8, 240-pounder averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game last season.

"He's got a confidence in his game to be able to get things done on the basketball court, a la Birds, Magics and Jordans, that only special players really have the ability to possess," new teammate Scott Williams said.

It was quite a year for James, a local product selected first in the 2003 draft. But the days of individual achievement take a back seat to what he has planned. Anything less than a playoff appearance is unacceptable.

"That's my only goal," said James, one of only three rookies in NBA history to average 20 points per game. "I don't have any other goals, individual goals. My only goal is to make the playoffs."

James was in attendance for a playoff game between Minnesota and Denver - he's good friends with Nuggets star forward Carmelo Anthony - and noticed a completely different atmosphere.

"I want to be a part of it," he said. "That's my only goal this year."

James isn't alone. Silas, his coach, thinks he has the components of a playoff team, especially in the East. He says as long as the team stays healthy, it should qualify for the postseason.

"And if we don't make it and everything remains equal, then there's a problem somewhere," said Silas, beginning his second season as Cleveland's coach.

It's Silas' responsibility to have the team jell around its superstar. He has usable parts, with the accomplished Ilgauskas at center, McInnis and Snow sharing the point and Gooden on the blocks.

Gooden may have the biggest responsibility, especially since he's replacing the ever-popular Carlos Boozer, a rebounding force who ditched Cleveland for Utah.

"(Gooden) averaged 12 rebounds a game in the (2003) playoffs," Silas said of Gooden's playoff run with Orlando. "I want to see him develop into that kind of player."

Silas likes Gooden's outside touch, post play, ability to rebound and size - he's 6-10 in a small conference. He also thinks the team will have a potent 1-2 punch down low with Gooden and Ilgauskas complementing each other.

With free agent acquisition Robert Traylor helping out in a rotation of big men, the Cavs should be OK in the post. Keeping his guards happy may not be as easy for Silas.

McInnis had finally developed into a serviceable NBA point guard before going down last season. With the reliable Snow pushing him for minutes, McInnis isn't ready to concede the position of floor general.

"I can (play 2-guard) at times, but I don't want to be relegated to being a 2-guard because I'm a point guard in this league and have been for seven years, and I'm going to continue to be a point guard," he said.

That's fine with Snow, the ultimate team player who, along with Lucious Harris, adds playoff experience. He is less concerned with minutes and more with teaching stability and accountability.

"If you come in and do your job, do everything you are expected to do, respect each other, help each other, we're ultimately a better team if we can just do those things," said Snow, one of the team's elder statesmen at 31.

In Philadelphia, Snow helped smooth over some rough edges with his professional approach. He may have the same duties here. Ilgauskas and McInnis are playing for contracts and James was upset that Paxson allowed Boozer to get away.

James, who isn't used to losing, seems to be ready to move forward.

"I feel like I did after I lost in the state championship my junior year now," he said. "I was so hungry after I lost that, I wanted to go back to practice the next day and get ready for my senior year.

"I'm trying to get to the playoffs because I fell just short."

[Bloodline666]

Okay, how old is this news?

And as much as I wish LeBron nothing but the best in his career, if he wishes to make the playoffs with the Cavs, then the Cavs need to start making better player transactions, better draft picks, etc. (in this year's draft, they had no picks), otherwise LeBron's tenure in Cleveland is going to mirror Vince Carter's in Toronto; good players on bad teams.

However, on the flip side of things, the Cavaliers' record has been improving since LeBron was drafted. Last season, I believe they were 42-40, which, in some cases, is good enough for a #8 seed in the playoffs. If the Cavaliers can improve their record from last season, then chances are, they'll have the "Gone Fishin'" sign at their home court later than they did the last few seasons.

I also believe that a factor in the Cavaliers not making the playoffs is because of trades that landed outstanding players into Eastern Conference teams, thus making them threats to the Cavaliers. I don't need to even make mention of one of those trades that happened during the off-season. Had that trade not happened, not only would the Lakers have been in the playoffs this past season, but the Cavaliers probably would have been, too. The Vince Carter trade relieved him of the burden of having to play on a crappy team, and sent him to the Nets, who made the 8 seed. And, of course, the man notorious for costing his team the NCAA championship got traded to the 76ers at the trade deadline. They finished with a 7 seed, I believe. The Chris Webber and Vince Carter trades may not have meant much to the playoff standings of the teams those two players ended up on, but they were enough to keep the Cavaliers out of the playoffs. So out of those three trades, the one that posed the biggest threat to the Cavs was the Shaq trade that sent him to the Miami Heat. And now, right after the Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified, five teams engaged in a 13-player trade deal. The Celtics and the Heat were involved, sending Damon Jones off to Memphis, and Antoine Walker to Miami. I don't think the Cavaliers were involved, though. So that trade may prove to be a threat to the Cavaliers. It's hard to tell, as the Regular Season is less than a week away.