But after the final whistle, LeBron used a different form of aggression to (tactfully) implore the Cavaliers to make upgrades to a roster that he could drag along behind him but not outright carry. He'd just played the best game he could at this point in his transcendent career, but something happened this time, something that, dating back to eighth-grade AAU ball, had never happened when he performed at his best:
He lost.
When Saint Vincent-Saint Mary lost the 2002 Ohio state championship game to St. Bernard Roger Bacon, LeBron's 32 points and six assists were almost enough to get it done, but everyone could tell that the self-proclaimed King of Akron was distracted. He turned the ball over seven sloppy times, perhaps the direct result of the game being played during an early peak of his prep popularity. That was the only year SVSM didn't win a state championship with LeBron on the team, and that wasn't his best.
When the Cavaliers got swept by San Antonio in the 2007 NBA Finals, LeBron had no answers for a team that could win in many different ways. The Cavs could only win two ways, and neither defense nor LeBron were enough to stop the Spurs. But even though the Cavs had waited 37 years to reach the NBA's championship round, the Finals berth still felt premature, a testament to what lay ahead of King James. What took place at the time, however, was an overmatch, and that wasn't his best, either.
LeBron doesn't look back with regret on those games. He's said so himself. But he did regret the Game 7 loss on the parquet floor in Boston, a missed opportunity only compounded when the Celtics won the NBA title by dispatching the Pistons and Lakers with much more ease than they had the Cavs.
So he took the podium, unashamed of how he played, and more ashamed of how he didn't have any help. He asked for it, and Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry delivered by acquiring an explosive point guard and re-signing key parts that also happen to be some of LeBron's favorite running mates.
The talent, finally, may be there. Let's see what his Heirness can do with it.
2008-09 Preview
The fellas
Basketball players are the most relatable athletes in sports. Not because we share the lifestyle, not because we share the athletic prowess. It's because they're front and center. It's because they're incredibly visible. A basketball player is more under the lights than any other athlete. There aren't any helmets or pads covering these guys up. You know what they look like, you're familiar with them, and there are only 15 of them, which makes you feel that much closer to them. You attach yourself to them over the course of an 82-game season.
I like hanging out with these Cavs.
The Franchise
LeBron James
The best player in the league. Physical freak. Wakes up and pisses triple-doubles. Could be the most ruthlessly talented basketball player ever to have lived. Bill Simmons recently said that if Bron ever grits down and develops a reliable turnaround jumper, the NBA would have to fold until he's too old to play. Simmons ain't kidding.
Robin
Mo Williams
With this deal, Ferry did as well as he could given the market this summer. Williams fills three huge needs (point guard, reliable No. 2 option and ability to create offensively), and he's only 25. His defense sucks, but the effort to improve was there during preseason, and he's got 82 games to figure it out.
The white wizard
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Big Z is the best of an increasingly decrepit front line, and despite his mileage, he's been healthy the past few years. In return, we've gotten a solid scoring center with excellent range, free throw shooting and rebounding. We're gonna need more of that, along with some leadership.
The running mates
Delonte West and Daniel Gibson
Both signed new contracts in the offseason, both have athleticism to spare, and both can fill it up like Matt Leinart at a high school kegger. West appears to have won the starting two-guard job, which makes his size (6-3) an issue, but luckily there aren't any 6-8 megalomismatches like Tracy McGrady in the Eastern Conference. Gibson is our top guard off the bench, and he subjected himself to a rigorous offseason training regimen, which should help eliminate all the girly injuries he keeps suffering.
The past forwards
Ben Wallace and Lorenzen Wright
Big Ben was clearly rejuvenated by the big trade last February, but it remains to be seen how much is left in the ol' fro. Wright is just happy to be in the NBA, which is surprising, because he's a quality big at an affordable price. Both could see their minutes cut, however, if our up-tempo plans work well and LeBron spends a lot of time at the 4 like he does on Team USA.
The flash-forwards
Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson
Varejao once said he never wanted to play in Cleveland again. Tempers have cooled since his holdout last December, but he can opt out after this season, and if he has any interest in getting the kind of money we won't give him, he needs to prove himself on the court, which can only help us. Hickson's athleticism is ridiculously good, his post game is surprisingly developed and his defense is embarrassingly bad. His future is bright, but his chances of playing early this season aren't.
The albatross
Wally Szczerbiak
Unless he shoots 70 percent from beyond the arc and suddenly develops Rip Hamilton's on-ball defense, his $13 million expiring contract is a huge asset at the trade deadline. Since our roster is deep with guards, chances are better than Wally missing a clutch 3-pointer that we'll dump him for help in the frontcourt.
The enigma
Sasha Pavlovic
Will he stink and/or get hurt like he has for most of his pro career? Will he provide the big shots and man-up defense like he did during our Finals run? Will we shop his contract at the trade deadline, even if he's playing well? Will Mike Brown inexplicably bury him on the bench a la Devin Brown? Will he ever crack a smile?
The coach-in-waiting
Eric Snow
Normally, I'd be upset about paying $7.3 million to a guy who won't play 7.3 minutes this season. But Snow is one of the hottest coaching commodities in the league, and he's expressed interest in joining us after his contract ends next summer. Book it.
The Riddler
Tarence Kinsey
The coaches must have seen something they liked in this former Turkish League, uh, "standout." He's a decent mid-range shooter and a wretched 3-point shooter, but he's built like an Angelina Jolie adoptee. Scrawny folks are fewer and far between in the NBA these days. Hopefully this head-scratcher can contribute.
The feel-good stories
Darnell Jackson and Jawad Williams
Jackson was born in the ghetto, got in trouble at school for accepting booster money and lost his grandmother to a drunk-driving accident. His game is suitably hardened, though he's out a few weeks with a fractured wrist. Williams is a Lakewood native who wasn't expected to make the roster, but did anyway. He won a state championship at St. Edward's and an NCAA championship at North Carolina. One level left.
The issues
If things work out perfectly, we'll use our guards and athleticism to play more up-tempo, acquire a talented big man in exchange for Szczerbiak at the trade deadline, get another monster year from LeBron, continue to play excellent defense and coronate with an NBA title next June.
What a nice little scenario. If only we could live in a world like that. If only we could live in a world where people don't dump fashion models for Fergie.
Bottom line, something's gonna go wrong at some point in time. Here are the things that'll hurt the most.
1. LeBron tears or breaks something other than the competition
2008-09 season, exit stage left.
2. The Cavs start sluggishly (again)
We're built for the postseason. We have a superstar, an excellent second option, a deep bench and great defense. The early games are just as important as the late ones, however, and a repeat of last year's 9-13 start means we'll likely be on the road for any significant showdowns in the playoffs.
3. Roleplayers don't produce
These guys were brought in so LeBron wouldn't have to play more than 40 minutes a night. Coming off an Olympic summer, they must be able to spell him. And when the going gets tough, they must earn their cash. If they don't, well, we managed to make it through Larry Hughes alright.
4. Mo Williams doesn't know his role
Pushing the tempo, even off made baskets, is only half the deal. He must be solid in the halfcourt game, and prevent LeBron from gobbling the ball at the top of the key for 5/6 of the shot clock. Better improve on defense, too.
5. We don't do anything with Szczerbiak's deal
This is seriously like the golden bullet, and almost anything we'll get in return will be a big improvement, especially if guys like Marcus Camby or Udonis Haslem are available. Plus, landing Camby would mean a revisitation of this 2001 incident, which will no doubt be fun for everyone except Danny Ferry and Marcus Camby. Make it so!
Fellow forecasts
Since I always like hearing what others have to say about my teams, here's a sample of the love or lack thereof the Cavs are getting from several major media outlets.
ESPN The Magazine: Projecing us third in the conference behind Boston and Detroit, while Chris Broussard, Jalen Rose and Marc Stein pick LeBron James as their MVP. Ric Bucher is the lone dissenter. Broussard is also the only guy who says the Cavs (not the Celtics) will represent the East in the Finals. I'll give you two guesses which one of them used to write for the Plain Dealer.
Sports Illustrated: Projecting us second in the conference behind Boston. All six staff writers say we'll face the Celtics in the East Finals, and two of them, Steve Aschburner and Paul Forrester, say we'll upend Beantown. All except Ian Thomsen tag LeBron for MVP. I love Sports Illustrated.
CBS Sportsline: In typically sissy CBS fashion, they're only picking the division winners, but that's okay, cuz they picked us. Good show, fogies.
Yahoo! Sports: They leave it up to computers, and the so-called "accuscore" says we're gonna win 55 games along with the Central Division and Eastern Conference and lose to the Hornets in the Finals. I can live with that.
The Sporting News: I shit you not, this is their Cavs outlook, verbatim: "Wallace will be benched, and he will not be happy about it. There will be pouting, there will be sulking, and there will be a major problem. As the Bulls learned, an unhappy Wallace can do some serious damage to chemistry." Yeeeeah. I'm just gonna ignore your magazine for the rest of my life.
Power Rankings aggregate: Incorporating the power rankings of ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated and NBA.com, the Cavs average fifth among the 30 NBA teams. That might be too high, given the depth out West. We'll see.
Cavalier predictions
Cavalier (kav-uh-leer), adj. 1. Showing arrogant or offhand disregard. 2. Carefree and nonchalant.
Shall we?
DESHAWN STEVENSON WILL SHOW UP TO A GAME IN A DRESS
Wait, that won't surprise anyone.
THE CAVS WILL WIN A PLAYOFF GAME IN THE BLUE UNIFORMS
Ever since LeBron's 48-point detonation in the Palace two years ago, we've been getting raped in those things. That'll change this postseason.
LEBRON WILL OUTSCORE THE KNICKS BY HIMSELF IN TWO OF OUR FOUR MEETINGS
That's right. Two. Place your bets.
DANIEL GIBSON WILL PUT UP 50 POINTS IN A GAME
He's due to burst into flames and stay that way for 48 minutes.
J.J. HICKSON WILL PLAY MORE TOTAL MINUTES THAN BEN WALLACE
I'll smoke the hype. I'll drink the Kool-Aid. Hopefully I don't get pulled over.
MO WILLIAMS WILL BE AN ALL-STAR
That may not seem like a stretch, but the East has a lot of guards vying for a few spots on the team.
A ROTATION FORWARD OR CENTER WILL GET HURT AND IT WON'T MATTER
I think we're deeper up front than everyone else does. Besides, it's not a crucial phase of our game, anyway.
THE CAVS WILL LOSE ONLY TWO GAMES IN THE CENTRAL DIVISION
We match up really well with our four fellow denizens. You watch.
I WILL MAKE IT TO ONE OF THE TWO GAMES THE CAVS PLAY IN LOS ANGELES
I'm sure you laugh, but you haven't seen the bills I've gotta pay. Penn State going to the BCS will likely cripple my checkbook as well.
The final send-off
Sports fans have a natural tendency to pay more attention to the sports in which their teams are thriving. That's been the case with me and the NBA the last few years. The NFL is probably my favorite league (although I have my fair share of beefs with it), but since the Cavs have outperformed the Browns and Indians recently, I've just eaten up the NBA as long as it's in season. It's a league that doesn't buy the disgusting hegemony of 21st-century pro sports. It embraces the fact that it's not driven by the game's fundamentals, and that its players aren't saints. It fully acknowledges that it's far from perfect, and the NFL and MLB could stand the humility.
It's all for show -- which is what pro sports are about these days, anyway -- and the Cavs put on a better show than most teams in the league. We're relevant, we're winning, we're getting big games and winning even bigger ones. I've got my eyes planted on the Browns and the Tribe's offseason, but nobody's brought me more fulfillment than the Cavs over the past few years.
Tuesday night, we tip off where we left off: on the parquet floor in Boston, just in time to watch those green bastards raise their 17th NBA banner.
That's what we want. That's what we'll take. Starting Tuesday night.
LET'S GO CAVS
1 comment:
This was really good. You need more unfounded optimism, though.
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