Why the Cavs are better than the Lakers

[bostonguy]

It is simple, the Cavs just don't match up well with the Lakers. Unless they are able to pull off a Gasol like trade (Which they won't) that isn't changing anytime soon. Lakers have the edge in just about every category.

[carrao45]

According to Lebron4mvp, they don't. He is playing too much NBA 2k9 that it is mind ing him.

I guess its pointless for me to argue. But he so stupid it's hard to resist arguing

[Muser]

Lol @ Delonte being a stud.

[KSeal]

I don't know why this Lebron troll is so obsessed with the Lakers, he should be worrying about Orlando and Boston.

[TheMACHINE]

Lol @ Delonte being a stud.

that guy is HOT! He gets the ladies!

[j-money24]

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.

+1
Great post

[TheManFromAcme]

Stats - shmats.....

You can throw me all the stats of Shaq post Lakers but the fact of the matter remains that Cleveland will not get out of Shaq what L.A. did during their run. Heck, the Suns probably got the last 6 oz. Shaq had left. Shaq is a nice pickup and does help but to start calling it "significant" is a stretch. Your going to have to start the big fella or deal with this complacency. This "sitting him for most games" bit is nonesense.

Careful what you wish for Cavs.

[Lebron4MVP]

I am bumping this thread. With JJ Hickson emerging, the Cavs have another guy to throw at Gasol/Odom. This gives us yet another matchup advantage.

[Purple & Gold]

Get past Boston or Orlando first

[Lebron4MVP]

Get past Boston or Orlando first

Scared aren't you?

[Purple & Gold]

Not really

[Culburn369]

Careful what you wish for Cavs.

Too late. They're so screwed.

[Banzai]

[poop]

LMAO the cavs are still just a one-man show. shaq helps cause of his immense size but all the other players are scrubs.

mo and west as a backcourt are average at best. without Lebron this is a 35 win team LMAO

[bostonguy]

So because of the "emergence" of JJ Hickson, the Cavs all of a sudden match up to beat the Lakers? Gasol will make Hickson his as would Odom. I'll take my chances on Leon Powe of today over Hickson.

[Banzai]

So because of the "emergence" of JJ Hickson, the Cavs all of a sudden match up to beat the Lakers? Gasol will make Hickson his as would Odom. I'll take my chances on Leon Powe of today over Hickson.

Is Powe coming off the bench? or starting?

[bostonguy]

Is Powe coming off the bench? or starting?

He will be a bench guy but his torn acl will cause him to be out a few more months.

[carrao45]

Scared aren't you?

The Cavs are 5th best in the NBA. Hurts don't it.

God it would suck to be a Cleveland sports fan

[Lebron4MVP]

The Cavs are 5th best in the NBA. Hurts don't it.

God it would suck to be a Cleveland sports fan

You were saying?

[Lebron4MVP]

Todays game proved that this Cavs team is BY FAR the best team they have ever had in the Bron era. Man I am in a damn good mood. This team just proved they can beat the Lakers when it counts. HAHAHAHAHAH how is defeat Laker fans?

[MiamiHeat]

hahah

[ducks]

Todays game proved that this Cavs team is BY FAR the best team they have ever had in the Bron era. Man I am in a damn good mood. This team just proved they can beat the Lakers when it counts. HAHAHAHAHAH how is defeat Laker fans?

to bad willliams will not play like that in the postseason

[mogrovejo]

I am bumping this thread. With JJ Hickson emerging, the Cavs have another guy to throw at Gasol/Odom. This gives us yet another matchup advantage.

Hickson is too bad defensively and rebounding wise to be a factor. But...

....the Cavs have three 7 footers, a big wing to put on Artest and West/Parker/Moon to throw at Kobe. The Lakers are by far the contender with which they match up better. They have no dribble penetration except from Kobe, no one who can play off-the-ball on the perimeter (except stand-and-watch shooters like Fisher and Vujacic), they are too big to run consistently, their use of the pick'n'roll is seldom and therefore rudimentary and their offence is heavily predicated in the post game: Kobe is playing more and more on the post and their 4 other offensive weapons are more comfortable playing in the post - that's great for a team with Cavs size and slowness.

The problem for the Cavs will be teams like Boston, Orlando and Atlanta, with good transition game, lots of dribble-drives, pick'n'pop&'roll and bigs that stretch the floor.

[Culburn369]

Todays game proved that this Cavs team is BY FAR the best team they have ever had in the Bron era. Man I am in a damn good mood. This team just proved they can beat the Lakers when it counts. HAHAHAHAHAH how is defeat Laker fans?

Yer O & 40 ya dumbski, you.

[mogrovejo]

to bad willliams will not play like that in the postseason

Right. Because he won't be facing Fisher every game. In his last 5 games vs Fisher:

18 points/9 assists
28/6
16/6
19/2
28/7

Just a bad matchup for the Lakers, unless they put Kobe on him. Again, I have no idea how they thought that swapping a quick Ariza for a slow Artest would be a good move when they already have one of the slowest PGs in the league and Shannon Brown is their only decent perimeter defender in the bench (and even Brown struggles a lot with quickness).