CHISOLM: CAVALIERS ARE FINALLY A LEGIT LE CONTENDER
Tim Chisolm
The Cavaliers are finally legit. After years of second-rate play around superstar LeBron James, and after an embarrassing 4-0 annihilation at the hands of the Spurs two springs ago, the Cavs are at last looking like the kind of team that could threaten the powers-that-be in the NBA. Their 12-3 start to the season is only part of the story as to why this team looks poised to make some serious noise come May and June, so long as they can keep a sensible head about the whole thing.
The first, and most obvious, difference with this iteration of the Cavs is the addition of point guard Mo Williams. For years this team has failed to pair James with a point guard who could relieve some of his playmaking and scoring duties, though not for lack of trying after a number of attempts made to pry Mike Bibby away from Sacramento the last two years that ultimately failed.
This summer the Cavs entered into a three-team deal that nabbed them Williams - a younger version of Bibby - who is an adept shooter that helps spread the floor while also bringing legit playmaking skills to the table. His arrival has allowed James, who has been a point forward for most of his career, the freedom to play off of the ball at times to find easier avenues for his already unstoppable offense (as evidenced by his career-high 49% shooting accuracy this year).
The trick with adding Williams wasn't to pull James off of the ball permanently, though, but rather to allow head coach Mike Brown the ability to tap into a deeper array of James' talents. Throughout games James is rotated around from point-forward to wing scorer to power forward, making thorough use of his many skills and attributes (including passing, rebounding, stealing, blocking, post-play, penetration and his awe-inspiring combination of size and speed). While a certain team may be able to match-up with him in one of those roles, very few have the versatility and roster depth to deal with all of the various hats he dons throughout a game. Williams has the scoring a en to play both on the ball and off as an offensive player and that luxury has afforded James, and the Cavs a mul ude of options not previously available to them with Larry Hughes, Eric Snow and Delonte West running the point.
Another side benefit of having Williams manning the point guard spot is that is has allowed West to return to the shooting guard spot he played at Saint Joseph's before being drafted by Boston and getting stuck at point guard. He's flourished at the position, averaging 11.5 points on a stunning 53% shooting from the floor and 44% from three (his previous career-highs had been 49% and 39%, respectively) and has mitigated the damage done by the fact Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson have been thoroughly inconsistent early in the season at the spot.
The trickle-down affect of having a player like Williams on the team will really be felt come Playoff time when rotations are shortened and each possession is vital. The balance he affords this roster will allow Brown to field lineups that aren't riddled with compromises (like being forced to play Pavlovic or Donyell Marshall to round out a rotation). The offense of the Cavs has finally started catching up with their typically effective defense and the results should send shivers down the spines of team's who used to bank on long Cleveland scoring droughts to defeat them in the Playoffs when they would simply double- and triple-team LeBron James and force his teammates to make plays. There is a chance that teams will finally be forced to play for such a stratagem and that could be a huge factor considering that the Cavs were already a force in the post-season, even with a triple-teamed LeBron James.
There is a danger looming on the horizon, though. There is a chance that this team, currently firing on all cylinders, could throw a wrench into their own machine, and even if it may be done with the best of intentions, it could upset everything they've worked so hard to get right.
Wally Szczerbiak, he of the $13-million expiring salary, could pose a scenario too tempting to pass up for GM Danny Ferry. The team, infatuated with the idea of pairing LeBron with another star, another high-wattage player to relieve some of the burden from his shoulders, could cause all of their progress to come to a screeching halt.
Of late, people seem to always want to refer back to the mid-season trade that saw Rasheed Wallace enter the fray for the Pistons on their way to an improbable le in 2004 as an archetype of solid team-building. It's a story that has only gained traction since the Lakers pulled a similar move last winter to nab Pau Gasol en route to the NBA Finals. Lost in those sagas, though, are the stories of the teams that followed the same through-line only to be denied the same fortunes of the teams that came before. Consider the Phoenix Suns of last season, sitting atop the Western Conference, trading for an aging monolith in Shaquille O'Neal only to fall from the top of the Conference and ultimately suc b to the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the first round of the Playoffs. They did not get the same storybook ending as the Pistons or Lakers; instead they fired their coach and endured a summer of bashing as over-the-hill washouts.
The issue is that sometimes teams, in their lust for star-power, ignore common sense as it applies to their roster. The Nuggets were infatuated with the idea of pairing Allen Iverson with Carmelo Anthony, and what they got were two players who were marginalized by their too-similar skill set. The same could be said of Chicago, in desperate need of post-scoring instead fell in love with Ben Wallace and threw a massive contract his way to lure him away from Detroit. He only served to further diminish what they team could do around the basket offensively and he was swiftly shipped away as soon as the team could find a taker (coincidentally it was the very Cavs under discussion).
The danger is that the Cavs could go about landing a Vince Carter or a Josh Howard only to realize that they don't really fit on this current team. The reason Rasheed and Pau were such effective transactions is because they filled a need that the teams identified, they weren't just big stars that they felt they could put a package together to acquire. What would adding a high-power scorer do to a team like the Cavaliers? They are already the second-best team in the NBA in field goal percentage (.485), and they are scoring well over 100 points per game, why risk messing that up? They don't need another scorer, as of right now it doesn't look like they NEED anything. What would be gained from acquiring another big contract in February? Is it so they can brag to their friends about how they turned Wally Szczerbiak into a more recognizable name? What if the import only serves to upset the balance that this team has spent five years cultivating, could they brag about that? What if that new player halts the momentum of a really good team?
We're not talking about a middling Playoff team in need of talent to get to the next level, here. We're talking about an elite team with arguably the most talented and unstoppable force in the NBA. They are on the cusp, they are right there as a le contender. To strike that balance it takes a steady hand and to maintain that balance it takes an even steadier one. One botched move and the whole thing comes crashing back down to Earth (isn't that right, Dallas?). It takes time to integrate star players into new systems (just ask Philadelphia or the Clippers), and sometimes the months of February and March aren't enough time to regain the momentum a team had before the trade (right Phoenix?). To risk upsetting that balance before one even sees if this team is good enough as built seems reckless to eyes of at least one writer.
Let's not mince words, here. This team needs to field a Championship-caliber team within the next two years. They need to be making trips to the Finals and ideally winning once there to make it nearly impossible for LeBron to leave in 2010. People want to talk about how much time teams have to position themselves to seduce him, why don't they talk about the fact that Cleveland has just as much time to prove there's no place like home? This team is really good right now. GM Danny Ferry and Mike Brown have shaken off some very iffy early years to get themselves to the place that they're at today. Does it really make sense to fix what hasn't even proven to be broken?
After years of harboring one of the best young players to come around in a generation on one of the most mediocre teams of that same period, the Cavs are finally on a course for a Championship bout they could actually win. While a cynic could say 'it's about time', let's instead just be happy that the time finally arrived.
Too long to read. But, I agree to a certain extent that Cleveland looks like legit le contenders this year.
But, to really convince me, they need to win a few games on the road against good teams. Every road game against good teams they've played, they've lost. They've played decent and could have won a couple of those games, but still lost. Start stealing games on the road that they shouldn't win, and I'd say they have a solid chance to be in the Finals.
LeBron is ridiculous.
They will get manhandled by w.e team comes out of the west.
I think the Cavs are a very good regular season team butthey lack the Star Power to be a legit contender.
We all know LeBron but after that, there's no main guy. Every Champion has had at least 2 stars that I can remember:
Jordan/Pippen
Shaq/Kobe
Duncan/Tony/Manu
Sheed/Prince/Rip/Billups
Shaq/Wade
The Cavs have LeBron. Until LeBron hooks up with another star legit star or big time 4th quarter player, he won't win a ring. And hopefully, that star will be a very good free throw shooter.
And also, they have a deplorable records vs the
Jazz
Rockets
Lakers
SA
Phoenix
2003 Spurs had one star, Timmy. Parker and Manu were good role players.
1994 Rockets had one star, Hakeem. That was before Clyde.
For example, Mo Williams of today is a better player than Parker or Manu were in 2003, and better than anything Hakeem had that one year.
Exactly, and LeBron can be every bit as dominant as Duncan and Hakeem were in those years - they guy is that good. People also dont realise how good that Cavs defense is, its been top 3 D in the league ever since Mike Brown showed up, now they also have 3 legitimate scoring options in LeBron, Mo and Z.
I think they, along with Boston are the clear cut top 2 in the East until the Pistons prove they can get their act together with AI.
Agreed the Pistons need to get their act together, but not so clear that Cleveland is clear cut top 2 over the Pistons when the Pistons beat them head to head despite being in transition with adjusting to Iverson. Cleveland has won the games they should be winning, and some of them impressively so. They haven't won a game yet that they were an underdog.
Fair enough, i think the Pistons have been either hot or cold since AI came over - obviously that expected with such an adjustment. They were smokin against LA, everything clicked, its like all their individual talent got them over the line. The Cleveland win was more of an old fashioned Pistons win which can only be a good sign.
But i still think Cavs are a little better than Detroit right now given they are still adjusting, depite beating the Cavs at home. If everyone keeps turning up to practice the potential is there for them to be right in the mix, even with Boston. (I couldnt help myself)
Let's not conveniently forget KG/Pierce/Allen.
The Cavs are a legit le contender. Not saying they will beat out Boston, but Boston is the only East team they need to worry about.
Coz LeBron can't hit the side of a barn. Am i right?
I believe the Cavs are a legit le contender in the East. However, they still need more scoring from the post before I believe they can win it all.
Cavs/Celtics have definitely separated themselves as the class of the East
Regarding the Pistons, it's just not a good sign that the shooting %'s of Hamilton, Stuckey, Prince, and Wallace have dropped since the AI trade. We'll see whether that's just a slump or a trend. If it's a trend, they're the 4th best team in the East behind the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic.
Don't mind him. I can clearly see he throws jabs like "spurs should get a big or tank the season" often, despite their subtle nature.
Yes, I don't think he's consistent enough at the FT line. He's improved but I think he needs to get in the 80s.
I always leave out the Celtics.
Give me Tony or Manu back then over today's Mo Williams any day.
Didn't the 2003 Spurs have David Robinson? Sure he wasn't as good as before but he was a star nonetheless and knew how to win. And Tony Parker was a budding star and Manu was already clutch. Captain Jack was also a star in the making. That 2003 team was stacked.
1994 Rockets had Kenny Smith and 2 prime time 4th quarter performers: Sam Cassell and Robert Horry.
Cavs have neither a 2nd star, a budding star or primetime 4th quarter guys.
Last edited by Allanon; 11-28-2008 at 03:25 AM.
It's a mirage IMHO. The Cavs are off to a great start but they won't keep this pace all season. They will be a threat in the playoffs because of Lebron but will likely fall to the Celtics unless they can get HCA.
As solid as the Cavs are, that current roster wont be enough to beat this Celtics team 4 times. Cavs have a tough compe ive team but it is going to take more than Lebron to get past the Celts. The D is solid but their options outside of Lebron wont cut it in the playoffs. Mo williams isnt enough. Ben Wallace/Big Z wont be enough on the offensive end either. Cavs need to make a trade to improve their chances. More importantly, they need to make a trade for a scoring big man. If they can do that, then we can talk about them being an elite team.
yes, let's overrate the cavs, shall we.
Last season the Cavs were 3 minutes away from eliminating you guys through simply LeBron James and great defense, now they have a legitimate second scoring option and that same LeBron guy and that same D - Cavs are right there with you guys.
They beat the Celtics 3 times in the playofs last year and game 7 came down to the final 5 minutes. It's certainly possible that the Cavs can beat the Celtics 4 times in a 7 game series.
I have a hard time seeing Cleveland beating Boston 4 times in a series unless the Cavs have HCA. Even then I don't think they have enough to win the NBA Finals against whichever Western team is fortunate enough to come out the conference. You realize that last years 8th seed (Nuggets) in the West playoffs won more games then the Cavs. Maybe this year they break thru but I doubt. After 5 seasons and a sweep in the Finals @ the hands of the Spurs LeBron is in danger of becoming overhyped. Stats are nice and all but what matters is the Rings. Wade who got lost in the LeBron and Melo hysteria already has his Ring and Finals MVP.
The west isn't that much more dominate than the east anymore
and the Cavs came within 6 points of taking the Celtics with no offense what-so-ever, even Lebron didn't play his best in 4 of the 7 games. Now the Cavs are top 5 in scoring and top 5 in defense
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