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Seriously though if the Cavs can't exploit the Lakers biggest weakness which is the point guard match-up I doubt they can win 4 games in a 7 game series.
Gasol is massive problem due to his skill level and size. AV can only pester him so much.
28mins of post offence a game and being healthy for the playoffs is what I'm hoping he provides. Big Z and Shaq should both be fresh for the playoffs due to being able to split time throughout the season and being able to sorta subs ute for each-other on back to backs.
Seriously though if the Cavs can't exploit the Lakers biggest weakness which is the point guard match-up I doubt they can win 4 games in a 7 game series.
Gasol is massive problem due to his skill level and size. AV can only pester him so much.
Shannon Brown will shut Mo down if Mo even bothers to show up.
That's the thing. Yes, Williams is better than Fisher but its not like Williams is going to be iso'ing Fisher - or as if that's his game. Williams lives off the catch and shoot from LeBron (and will from Shaq) but LA knows well about that and will just stay home on him. Its not Parker getting in the paint or even Nelson breaking the defense down and setting up others.
Yeah, Gasol would tear Varejao a new one.
Whats also tough for Cle against LA is the speed of LA's big men. Pau, LO, and Bynum will all beat Shaq, Z, and Varejao downcourt so LA can play big but still use their speed game. Cavs will be exclusively a halfcourt team except for LeBron's breakaways.
Cavs only hope against LA would be to play physical basketball, grind it out, and hope LeBron wins it in the end. But they don't have the defenders to do that at any position.
So plan B has to be Shaq turning back the clock 3-4 years. Cle also has to find another perimeter player that can create their own offense.
Has anybody been consistently dominant at Shaq's age?
I mean, maybe Kareem. But he tapered off slowly, he didn't fall off so substantially year to year.
And even then, Kareem was playing with Magic at Shaq's age.
Counting on Shaq to be consistently dominant when he's sitting out back to backs is pretty optimistic, I think.
I mean, sure. If you want to say "LeBron will win 3 games, Shaq only has to win one" I might buy that from an optimistic homer, but it's a bit of a mistake to count on Shaq so much.
Typically all big men fall off at Shaq's age. Robinson, Hakeem, Wilt, Ewing, etc...
Phx was smart in limiting Shaq's B2Bs and minutes. Can Cleveland resist and do the same?
What LeBron needed was a 2nd star. Shaq is it but Shaq can't be counted on for 82 games and 30+ minutes a night. Or for an entire playoff series (his last 2 years in LA he showed a drop off when games were every other night).
Not to mention the East is tougher. Whoever doesn't get the first seed will likely face a tough 1st round (Atl, Chi, and Wash won't be easy outs) and go through the other two great teams as well.
So HCA is paramount and Cle doesn't have the help to do it.
What Cle should be doing is keep going after Michael Redd. Even if it costs them Z and Delonte'.
Mo had a bit more of that 1 on 1 game with the Bucks. Obviously with less of the ball in his hands he became a more efficient shooter but scored less off his own bat. Delonte is a guy who has to be more aggressive when he gets minutes against the Lakers PG's, however he is not a guy that is going to score many points off iso's.
Foul trouble is the way the Cavs will have to try break the Lakers big men. Shaq and LJ are capable of this but the Lakers have players capable of doing the exact same to the Cavs. The Cavs going small with James at PF and Moon at SF or even Anthony Parker (can he? I don't know much about him) would be a way to speed the game up however this line-up would only be used against the Lakers when Odom is playing at PF. Moon or LJ guarding Gasol means trouble.Yeah, Gasol would tear Varejao a new one.
Whats also tough for Cle against LA is the speed of LA's big men. Pau, LO, and Bynum will all beat Shaq, Z, and Varejao downcourt so LA can play big but still use their speed game. Cavs will be exclusively a halfcourt team except for LeBron's breakaways.
This physical play is something that Brown and LJ talk about in interviews but in that Orlando series the Cavs weren't physical at some points and it cost them. I'll be looking for a change to that but we'll only see how physical they are when they play the Celtics/Magic in the ECF or 2nd round.Cavs only hope against LA would be to play physical basketball, grind it out, and hope LeBron wins it in the end. But they don't have the defenders to do that at any position.
There is improved athleticism on the bench now. It's something that I hope could be used in a high intensity defense. Giving the players less time but asking for more intensity. Full-court press anyone?So plan B has to be Shaq turning back the clock 3-4 years. Cle also has to find another perimeter player that can create their own offense.
I think Shaq's post offense is a great weapon and something LeBron hasn't had. We'll have to see how it works. Another perimeter scorer would be great but it is what it is.
LeBron, Shaq, and shooters. Having Big Z come off the bench could throw opposing teams off a bit. Totally different style to Shaq. The Cavs have got to make LA try match-up with them and that comes down to Mike Brown and his development as a coach.
In the end it would take a massive defensive effort whilst having the shooters 'making the shots they're supposed too'. It would be exciting seeing LJ vs Kobe, take their rivalry to new heights with a bit Shaq mixed in there to e it up.
We all gotta wait until the season starts to see how these acquistions fit, but right now its the Lakers le to lose IMO.
I agree with most of your points.
That's the thing and the biggest problem each of the main contenders have. Cle, SA, Bos, Orl - How do they dictate style against the Lakers?
When LA was controlling the game last year - whether its pounding the post, pick and roll with Kobe, or going uptempo - no team had a chance to beat them. So far, only physical teams have been able to contain them at all. Boston in 08. Houston for a few games in the 2nd round. Denver for a few spurts in the WCF.
But to do that next year, especially with LA having one of the most physical players out there in Artest, is going to be even tougher.
The other key factor is LA's top 7-8 are so talented, versatile, and play both ends. Its not like they are going to have to take out any starters for specialists because of matchup problems. Kobe, Fisher, Artest, Pau, Bynum, LO, Brown, and Walton. That's what LA is going into the trench with every night no matter who they are matched up against and it plays well against the other top teams. Only Fisher and Walton can't defend but Fisher can flop his way through and they can hide Walton enough and don't depend on him to finish.
Yeah, LA is the clear-cut favorite for a reason. I haven't been this confident about a ring since the 2000-01 season.
Back to Cleveland, how they use Shaq is paramount.
If I'm Cleveland, I watch lots of video of the third Laker championship team - when Kobe was arguably better than Shaq.
Shaq will come in talking about being a sidekick but that never will sit with his ego. Don't even feed into that. In the first 3 quarters, whenever Shaq is in the game the entire offense has to run through him, even if it makes LeBron just a shooter. You have to milk him for what he's worth when he's able to preform. When he sits, LeBron then can iso and attack to do his thing. But when Shaq is in there, Cleveland has to use him wisely. Kobe got that, Wade did too. Nash didn't have a clue.
Also, come playoff time, forget about Shaq being the defensive stopper to Howard. He'll only be able to do it in spurts.
On defense though, Cleveland is going to be a mess. Whether its Z or Shaq, teams are going to pick and roll them to death at the endgame. No way getting around that one I fear.
Shaq can still be relatively dominant in today's NBA because the center position has been the weakest it has been basically in the history of the game over the last decade. And, it's weaker now, especially with Yao out for the season. There aren't dominant centers in the game. Dwight Howard might be the only current younger center who is, and his game is pretty flawed itself. That's why Shaq can still make a difference maker. He'll be going up against much smaller centers or power forward/center hybrids or just really average skilled players at center. With Zydrunas, Shaq only has to play 25-30 mpg and probably on the shorter side of that range. He can sit out plenty of games during the regular season. The major concern is him staying in pretty good shape and not getting injured. He can still make a difference.
Whether that gets the Cavaliers past the really good teams that have the size and talent up front is another question. Shaq doesn't put the Cavs past the Celtics or Lakers. But, I think Shaq does help the Cavs.
He'll goose the gate.
These Cleveland trolls are getting so feisty. LeBron won't win a le any time soon. He has to wait for Duncan and Kobe to retire and then it will be his turn.
But until then... witness this you chumps:+
Oh and one more thing... why is it that Cleveland fans are so y going in to next season? There's a reason why LeBron didn't sign that contract extension...
Please. You got 3 regular rings + that strike 1.But until then... witness this you chumps:
No that's 4 + the one that we're going to pry from Kobe's finger tips this season...
And that strike ring is so sweet Cully
I couldn't even make it through one sentence before
vince carter will do all the things that hedo did, callin it now....
cavs are good, but there not a garuntee
Cavs will be better than the Lakers the day the two teams decided to switch supporting casts.
Cleveland has made great additions, but I don’t see them having many advantages against the top tier teams (except against Orlando):
San Antonio has enough depth to contain whatever Shaq is able to bring on offense at his age, and we all know how Shaq is almost a non factor on defense against teams that can play pick and rolls involving their bigs. Cleveland doesn’t have anybody who can stop TP, and Lebron can’t carry the offense by himself during PO’s. And there’s not need to talk about which team has the better coaching.
Boston, has one of the best defenses in the NBA, and have too many options on offense for Cleveland to defend. Shaq could have more of an impact against the Celtics, but would he be consistent and/or healthy enough by the time the PO’s arrive?
LA, will be better equipped for tough physical opponents, and still has arguably one of the more dynamic and effective frontcourts in the league. Mo Williams is not the type of PG that causes problems for LA defense, and neither Parker nor Moon have the offensive game to be consider X factor offensively.
The bottom line is that among contenders Cleveland will have to make the biggest adjustments to accommodate the new players, it will be nice to see if Lebron is capable of becoming a better mid-range and long-distance shooter now that he will have Shaq clogging the lane. Can shaq be healthy for 90+ games? Can two egos coexist in Cleveland? Is Mike Brown good enough to make the needed changes? Too many question marks for Cavs fans to be so optimistic at this point.
Lakers have balls, and they play D in the big games, and win those games.
Shaq isn't dominant anymore. And Mo Williams was only an all-star because of injuries
According to Lebron4mvp, they don't. He is playing too much NBA 2k9 that it is mind ing him.
Yeah it's not like the Lakkers were missing their starting center(Andrew had been playing like an all-star before he got hurt)...
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