WANTED:  Any single person in (your current city) who believes they can defend LeBron James when the Cleveland Cavaliers come into town.  This statement should be stapled to every telephone pole in your neighborhood if you live out of the state of Ohio.  James is playing out of his mind right now and the Cavaliers are rolling on an 11-game win streak without two key assests that include Mo Williams scoring and floor leadership along with Delonte West’s scrappy defense and 3 point shooting.

I was never worried about it because I know how Lebron James operates and how no matter who is on the flor with him, he will not get blown out or be embarrassed.  It’s a matter of self-esteem that he carries on a nightly basis.  His demeanor is undeniably relentless and he will do whatever he can to win games.  So with Daniel Gibson at point and Jawad Williams playing a significant amount of minutes, we are looking great.  We are not the hurt and limping team everybody thinks we would be with a starter and energetic bench player out.  We have progressed and we are showing the league how much depth we actually have on our bench.

Gibson is number one in the league in three point percentage and is showing that he can be the reliable back up for Mo Williams throughout rest of season and into the playoffs.  On another note, I was extremely worried about Shaq starting to wear down around the All-Star break but he looks great and I have caught him smiling and laughing on the sidelines on more than one occasion, which is good because the younger players on the team will feel more relaxed and at ease when the seasoned veteran is having a good time on such a heavyweight contending team.  It should bring a smile to every Ohio residents face when they see the Cavs getting closer and closer to an NBA Championship.

LeBron James has been dishing out assists as the Cavs have been serving up win after win.  This is exactly the type of unselfish play that contributed to the team’s success last year and the year before.

I must admit, at the start of the season I was concerned with the way the team didn’t seem to have the same mentality as they did last year.  Something just wasn’t clicking with Shaq starting in the middle and Ilgauskas coming off the bench.  Now the team’s running on all cylinders and playing like there’s no stopping them.  That’s what happens when everyone gets involved.

The key to winning for the Cavaliers isn’t Lebron scoring 40 points or Shaq dominating down low, it’s the combination all five guys on the floor working together and feeding off of each other and not relying on one or two players.  The Cavs have so much talent that they can beat any team on any given night as long as they play as they have been.

Only one variable can take them down and that is what’s in their own minds.  If they lose confidence in each other then the whole thing falls about like it did in the playoffs last year against Orlando.  They could have won that series but they lost their edge and quite playing as a team.  As long as they can continue to play together as one, there is no stopping them.

After all this is the dunk contest we’re talking about here.  People want to see premiere athletes who they recognize souring, spinning, windmilling through the air and slamming an orange sphere through a hoop while flash bulbs go off in a blaze.  They don’t (for the most part) want to see Gerald Wallace.

Sure, they don’t just ask anyone to be in the dunk contest.  The guys in the event are all respectable players who can obviously dunk but that’s not what the fans remember.  They rememberVince Carterhanging from the rim by his elbow.  They remember Michael Jordan taking off from the free-throw line.  They remember Dr. J and his patented windmill.

It’s easy to understand the superstars not wanting to get hurt but then again isn’t their ability enough that they should be able to pull off athletic feats like dunking without hurting themselves?  I mean the players are the only ones on the court for a dunk contest, generally speaking.  That should be enough to alleviate fear of injury.

Going back to talking about Shaq (as if he doesn’t get enough attention) when is enough enough with him?  Every time you turn around, he’s on some TV show or shooting off his mouth about something.

This whole deal with Shaq promising his “client” LeBron James for the dunk contest if guys like Kobe and Dwight Howard step up is just another reminder that he’s got an ego that’s about the size of Neptune.    I guess that just comes naturally when your legacy include four NBA Championships.

Welcome to the city of Cleveland, OH.  A place where luck hasn’t visited since 2003 and the Cavaliers got the chance to draft Lebron James with the first pick overall.  Since then we have made playoffs multiple times, been to the finals, Lebron became MVP, and finally we have acquired the most feared man in the NBA for the past 17 years.  Enter Shaquille O’Neil, 7’1 325 lb. who happens to be a former league and finals MVP, a four time NBA champion, former rookie of the year and also first pick overall in 1992 draft just to name a few accomplishments.  He was brought to us courtesy of Steve Kerr, the General Manager of the Phoenix Suns. We got rid of the old and busted Ben Wallace while also getting rid of the inconsistent Sasha Pavolvic, virtually nothing for the man of steel.  Now let’s look at the positive aspects of the Cavs getting this “Shaquisition” before the 2009 season began.  The only body big enough to handle Dwight Howard in this league now plays for them , which is good because Cleveland would not be getting past Orlando without fixing the situation.  Shaq ranks fifth in all time scoring in NBA history but his offense is not what Mike Brown seems to be focusing on.  He is a defensive minded coach therefore he will utilize Shaq in that very way.  So Shaq being ranked seventh in all time blocks of all time is a very excellent attribute.  He will not play a lot of minutes but that is mainly because he is 37 years old and they need him for playoff time.  What people don’t understand about Cleveland is that it’s a city where we have to put up with below zero weather with lake front effect the majority of the year, the constant let down of every sports team in the city, and the thought of our king leaving us for another land.  This city relies on its sports teams for comfort and it’s the only thing that keeps the spirits up so when Shaq came to town, it was affirmed that we now have a legitimate chance of winning a title for our city in the 21^st century.  Now Shaq not only serves as a key player for our team on the court, but also as a key role model for our younger players who need guidance and someone to look up to during the early stages of their careers.  I’m referring to JJ Hickson, Anderson Varejao, Leon Powe, and Darnell Jackson.  These guys are young and inexperienced as well so for Shaq to lend a helping hand to them would be a big step forward for our entire team as a whole.  Getting to listen to the advice that Shaq can give to these guys are priceless and they are very lucky to have him to listen to and learn from.  He is a key asset to this team and under the circumstances in Cleveland, it’s a necessity that he plays a bigger role than just the new guy in town and the starting center.

Since the 2007 finals season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been missing a key piece in their roster.  A missing puzzle piece you could say.  A dominant power forward with not just the ability but the proven statistics to score 20 plus points and 10 rebounds a game.

Drew Gooden was the starting forward alongside Lebron that season, and as far as a double digit threat every night, he was not what we would call consistent.  He had the ability but not the skill and mindset to actually complete the task on a nightly basis.  If you look at the past three teams to win the NBA championship, it has been the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and the Los Angeles Lakers.  The starting power forwards on these teams were at the time and still to this date: Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Pau Gasol.  Two of them are MVP winners and all of them current all-stars at their positions.

The Cavs do not have that sort of talent at that position, and no matter what their record looks like, how they shoot from behind the arc (Anthony Parker, Daniel Gibson, and Mo Williams all in the top ten for 3 pt. field goal percentage this season), and how they acquired Shaq in the offseason matters if you don’t have a player with that uncanny ability to put numbers like that up.  If you don’t have a scoring threat and a defensive presence at that forward position, you will not beat those teams.  It’s been a proven fact for this team in the past three years.

JJ Hickson is like a piece of art that isn’t finished yet.  He’s a little less than half way.  He needs to develop a reliable jump shot and be able to create his own shot so when Lebron sits down he can contribute significantly.  Dunks don’t win games or improve your game. They just look good to the audience.  Hickson is still a boy playing alongside men, so give him a few years and let’s see how he pans out.

As for Anderson Varejao, he is no more than an energetic bench player that fits the Cavs system great.  He plays hard for Mike Brown every time he steps onto the floor, and more importantly, he plays very well off of Lebron.  He is not a dominant scoring forward with freakish skills for someone his size and never will be during his career.  His game is based around hustle and smart defense, and the franchise does not expect anything else out of him.

Cleveland needs a big man who is youthful yet experienced, offense minded yet defense savvy to play alongside Lebron.  There are two players that I believe would fit this role great and I believe are in the range to get considering the front office of the Cavs creates enough roster moves to afford them and be able to reel them in.

First choice would be Chris Bosh, the starting power forward for the Toronto Raptors.  This man can play the game of basketball and improves his game dramatically not just every year but every game.  He can hit the 15 footer with ease and can create his own shot while being able to hold his own on defense down in the post.  He is a great teammate, and from what I can see, is staying loyal to his team although it is not currently the Cavs.  But a sign of loyalty is a must in players these days.  Bosh is a double-double threat every night no matter who the opponent is.  He will square up with the best of the best and play his heart out for you.  The Raptors record does not show how hard he works for them mainly because I believe the team chemistry is not there.  He would be a great fit for this current Cleveland team, especially with aging big men in Shaq and Ilgauskuas.

The second player I have been interested in ever since he went to Washington and found his game is Antwan Jamison, who is a little bit more realistic for the Cavs.  He is a strong and hardnosed forward with seasonal stats ranging up to 20 plus a game, and he plays like he is holding a grudge against the opponent he is facing.  He can shoot from behind the arc and can bang with the best in the league.  As of late, the Wizards have been reported as to trying to break up their current team and distribute their key players for youth, money, and draft picks.  With Gilbert Arenas pleading guilty to felony gun charges, this may not be such a bad idea for this franchise.  It just isn’t working with what they got, so why don’t the Cavs take advantage of this before another one of the Eastern Conference teams makes a move before we do?

The last problem we need right now is to have to face Jamison on an already stacked up Magic team or an exuberant Atlanta team that scares me to death already as it is.  The time is now to go get one of these players.  The summer of 2010 approaches, and that cloud over our head seems to be getting darker every day.  And we ask ourselves a simple yet gut wrenching question:  Without a ring, do we lose the king?

Joe's back to help the Cavs out...and 'Bron's feeling it!

I know that it’s been a week, but kudos has to go to Cavs’ management for adding Joe Smith to the roster. I can’t say it enough – it was a much needed addition and will help to tighten up an already well-rounded bench. I went on record last offseason in saying that the only setback we had was losing Joe in the trade with Milwaukee that brought 2009 All-Star Mo Williams. As sweet justice would have it, Mr. Smith is back, and as one report I read pointed out, his return makes the trade look more as if it were a straight up trade between Cleveland and Milwaukee – Damon Jones for Mo Williams. I’ll let you guess who won that trade.

The Cavs caught a lot of heat for not picking up newly-acquired Celtics Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore. Even before the Smith pick-up, I was ok with not picking up either of those two guys for a couple of reasons. First of all, Marbury, in my opinion, would add nothing to the backcourt rotation here in Cleveland. Right now, the rotation of Williams, Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, and Sasha Pavlovic is working well, quite well. In addition, as much as I have been a fan of Marbury’s talent for a bulk of his career, I can’t overlook the disruption he has brought to every NBA team he’s been on (except his final year in Phoenix – look it up, great career year). On top of that, unless Rajon Rondo gets hurt for an extended time, I’m not sure about his impact in Celtics green. As far as Mikki Moore, I’ll let Cleveland fans tell that story. I won’t forget him donning a New Jersey Nets jersey and unsuccessfully trying to bully himself on the Cavs in the 2007 NBA Playoffs (again, look at the tapes – you’ll see it). I never really cared for his game and still think that his energy is overrated. Maybe he’ll just be another set of fouls that the Celtics can use come playoff time to save Garnett and Pierce.

And, of course, why I love Joe Smith. Joe was a #1 draft pick a little over a decade ago but never quite reached equivalent fame. Regardless, this guy knows his role and comes to work. He contributed in a major way following last year’s mid-season trade to the Cavs and showed everyone, including myself, how dedicated he was to playing his role and helping this team get to a championship. I was a little disappointed that we had to lose him this past season to get ahead, but now that he’s returned, it all comes back full circle. Bottom line – the Cavs needed one more “insurance policy” to fortify this year’s championship run, considering Ben Wallace’s injury and the ever-present need for a strong bench. Thanks Ferry and crew, this cup of Joe may be the final jolt that we needed to reach the NBA Championship.

It’s very likely that as the NBA’s trade deadline comes and goes Thursday, that the Cleveland Cavaliers will brave the winds without making any moves. After all it’s very hard to work out a deal, one that can benefit both teams equally and the Cavs wouldn’t want to risk breaking up the chemistry that they already have. Even Lebron James says he is happy with the team that he has now, that seems to be the general consensus for the Cavs. But if you ask me, the Cavs loss against the Lakers last weak was very indicative of the lack of depth in big men that Cleveland has. So if I’m Danny Ferry and I see an opportunity to acquire Amar’e Stoudemire, Marcus Camby or Brad Miller then I would go after them in that order.

Stoudemire is a freakish athlete, obviously an all-star who can put up 20 points and 8 boards a night no problem. If he joins James in Cleveland, the points may go down but I’m sure he can find a way to contribute more boards and blocks on defense. He has the game set to compliment James well and he has the added dimensions to his game to put the Cavs over the top. On the other hand, the Chicago Bulls are the favorites to land Stoudemire and if they pull that off then that’s bad news for the Cavs. Stoudemire would solidify the Bulls’ front court and get the team headed back in the right direction with Derrick Rose. So maybe it would kill two birds with on stone if the Cavs can somehow acquire A’mare.

The tier drops off significantly for Camby and Miller and in fact the Cavs turned down a trade of Wally Sczerbiak, JJ Hickson and a second-round pick for Miller. True, Miller is aging but he is a solid rebounder and passer who could at the very least provide solid depth at the center/power forward position for the Cavs. But I can’t blame Ferry for passing on him.

Looking at Camby, it seems the Clippers want to much for him. L.A. got Camby for practically nothing, which help offset the loss of Elton Brand so if I’m the Cavs I offer Wally, JJ and a pick and leave it at that,. If the Cavs have to give up more than that then forget it.

I just see the Cavs staying put at the trade deadline as settling with what they have. I believe a team should always look to improve itself every chance it can get and after Thursday the Cavs will not be able to have a chance at any other major trades. The Cavs clearly have an issue depth at the forward position so they should address that. When Delonte West returns that will help the Cavs significantly but West doesn’t play forward. Ben Wallace is aging and Anderson Varejao doesn’t have the offensive game to put the Cavs over the top so they should clearly look for help there if the chance arises to acquire it.

Two All-Stars on a new mission - 'Bron & Mo

What an All-Star weekend! Two Cavs representatives holding their own respectively (James: 20 pts, 5 boards, 3 assists - Williams: 12 pts, 2 boards, 5 assists), new 3-point champ (Daquan Cook), new Slam-Dunk champ (Nate “Kryptonite” Robinson, and a landslide West victory in the feature game and…we’re back to the ultimate mission of getting a new ring on every Cav finger – something big enough to make a Jared’s employee blush. Don’t let me stop the celebration, I mean, I’m glad that LeBron got his face-time (and a U.S.A. Basketball ring at halftime) and Mo finally got the recognition he deserved, but we have only a couple of months before the road to the championship glory known as the playoffs comes to fruition. There are a couple of things that are on my mind as we go into this crucial part of the season:

1. Are we trading or not?

There’s so many questions around this trade deadline that’s closely approaching. The biggest of them all with the Cavs is if Amare Stoudemire is coming to town. I personally think that Amare’s an awesome player (one of my favorite non-Cavaliers to watch) that would not fit our blueprint for success. Don’t get me wrong, the guy can play! He’s one of the game’s premiere big men, can play power forward or center if need be, hasn’t even hit his prime yet, but his lack of desire to reach his full defensive potential as of late is a big chink in his otherwise solid credentials. Granted, his defensive lapse could be from falling out of love with Phoenix, but I still don’t think that it’s enough to build a case to bring him in. Besides, this guy is free to move in 2010 - it might be more reasonable to grab him then!

2. Can we stay healthy?

Obviously, we don’t have much control over this one. Fact is, I know that the Cavs are arguably the deepest team in the east (for those disagreeing, note the word arguably), but an injury here or an injury there can make things a little tougher than we’d like. True, we’ve had some injuries to Z, West, and even Big Ben from time to time and still managed to hold our own, but I don’t think that we can ill-afford to have one or too many M.I.A.’s in this home-stretch. We’re gunning for position and we’ll need all hands on deck to take on the Celtics and the Magics of the world and then the Spurs and the Lakers of the world when we go for total world conquest. Let’s cross our fingers on this one!

3.  Do we believe?

I know that I can’t speak for everyone when I say that I believe that this team is capable of winning it all. If I could speak for everyone, then this wouldn’t have even been a point to mention. The way I see it, this is the best Cavs squad that I’ve seen since ‘92 when we were a play or two away from meeting the Blazers in the finals (if only Chicago’s #23 had missed a shot or two). I sometimes joke that teams have to be like decent hands in poker, have a couple of pairs at your disposal. We have two players deep at almost every position and we have MVP-to-be LeBron James leading the charge. Throw in Mo Williams at the point, a top-tier team defense, and strong team chemistry, and I think we have the tools to make it happen. So now that I’ve said all of that, now that I really think about it, you can disagree if you want, but this third point is actually null and void as of now.

So let’s get ready for an interesting ride! I’m sure there will be a lot to talk about - a lot of “oohs” and “ahhs”, and maybe a banner of championship quality to put up next to those great Cavs jerseys in the Q. I’m anxious to see what’s to come and know that we will bear witness to something special. Stay tuned!!!

OK ladies and gentlemen, we’ve reached the midway point of the season – or, for the Cavs, the 62.2 percent point of the season – and it’s time to give out the First Annual Scott Miles Cavs Midseason/62.2 Percent Report Card.

Through 51 games, the Cavs stand at 40-11, setting a franchise record for reaching the 40-win mark earliest in the season (the 1988-89 Cavs reached 40 wins in their 52nd game). In case some of you forgot – and judging by the attendance numbers back then, you never even KNEW to begin with – the Cavs went five seasons between 1999 and 2004 without winning more than 35 games.

(Six seasons in a row, if you count the strike-shortened year in 1998-99 when the team went 22-28. Personally, I’ve deleted that season from my memory bank.)

Without further ado, here are the grades…feel free to discuss and debate below:

Daniel Gibson: C
>> Has been very, very inconsistent with his jumper this year. Unfortunately, that’s his lone offensive skill. He’s shooting career lows from the field and 3-point range. I actually think he’s a bit underrated as a defender – he’s been pretty scrappy despite his size, and people seem to forget how well he battled Rip Hamilton in the 2007 playoffs. Still, he’s on this team to hit from the outside, and he hasn’t been doing that this year.

JJ Hickson: C+
>> This was a higher mark until he forgot how to box out Lamar Odom in that debacle of a second half against the Lakers . Overall, though, you can’t help but be impressed with what he has brought to the table and how good of a player he can be in the future. Did I mention the fact that I am older than he is too? I can’t wait to see him develop.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: A-
>> Z just keeps chugging along, year after year. At 33 years old, he’s averaging 13.5 points and 7.3 points in 27 minutes per night. Translation: that’s pretty good, especially for an old center who has more screws in his feet than a hardware store has on its shelves. And now, he’s starting to hit the 3-ball a little bit, too. Who said you can’t teach a bald 7-foot-3 Lithuanian new tricks?

Darnell Jackson: Inc.
>> Rookie forward from Kansas had been MIA before getting 12 minutes against Phoenix last night. Has the size to develop into a serviceable backup in time, and definitely has more court-savvy than Hickson at this point. Still, he hasn’t been enough of a factor to warrant a grade this year.

Tarence Kinsey: Inc.
>> After running with the third team for the first 30-35 games, Kinsey was just beginning to get some legitimate minutes in the rotation as Mike Brown utilized his versatility and size. Then, fittingly, he gets hurt and is out for a few more weeks. He’s just 24, so it’ll be interesting to see if or how he factors into the Cavs plans in the future.

Sasha Pavlovic: B-
>> You know what I’m most impressed with about Sasha this year? He’s finally starting to dribble with his head up. I swear, pop in a game from the last two seasons and watch him stare at the floor and the ball every time he tried to drive – most 7th graders don’t even do that anymore. He’s hitting 47 percent from the floor, 40.5 percent from threes and scored eight or more points in seven of the nine games he started before, of course, getting hurt.

Wally Szczerbiak: B
>> “WALLY! It’s not what you think!”

Sorry, but I can’t help but think about that SportsCenter commercial every time I defend him from the onslaught of Cleveland fans who would trade him for a pregnant Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks’ first round pick in the WNBA draft.

He’s been asked to play shooting guard and defend Ray Allen in last year’s playoffs. He’s been asked to play power forward and defend the likes of Chris Bosh this year. Through it all, he’s just kept playing and playing hard. Wally’s not an All-Star and never will be again. But I’ll take a guy who hits over 40 percent of his threes and plays hard every night.

Anderson Varejao: B
>> He’s no longer the offensive black hole that he had been in his first few seasons. Andy’s got career-highs in field goal percentage and free throw percentage this year, not to mention scoring (nearly nine a night).

But something just doesn’t feel right with Andy. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but for some reason, I just don’t feel like he’s having the same impact on the game like he has the last two seasons. Am I crazy here, or is someone else seeing that too? His rebounding numbers are down, but that could be explained by the fact that we don’t miss as many shots this year (hooray for guys who can hit open jumpers! More on that below). Overall, though, I just don’t think Andy has been playing like Andy this year.

Ben Wallace: C+
>> The turning point in the Lakers game, I felt, was Ben bricking those two dunks in the third quarter. They could have helped stave off the big run the Lakers were on and energized the team and crowd. And we know how that game turned out.

But his defense has slipped incredibly, and he has largely gotten a pass for it. He’s not quick enough for the athletic power forwards who have just been carving us up this season (see: Odom, Lamar). And he’s not tall enough to battle with the 6-11 or taller centers in the post, especially without that leaping ability anymore (see: coming up short on two dunk attempts, Lakers game). Though he still brings the same type of energy and hustle, he just can’t guard anyone one-on-one like he used to.

Delonte West: B+
>> For the record, I have loved Delonte West since he was at St. Joe’s. I had a serious man-crush on him in college, watched his game develop in the NBA, and was thrilled when the Cavs picked him up last year at the trade deadline. At 25 years old, he’s really found a nice niche (say THAT 10 times fast) as the third or fourth scoring option on a very good basketball team. Not to mention that he’s also our best on-ball defender.

His return to the lineup, which I’m hearing will be pretty soon after the All-Star break, will be the lift that the Cavs need. The offense has grown stagnant – stand around and watch LeBron time – over the few weeks that he’s been out. When Delonte returns, I think the offense will start flowing like it was in the first two months of the season.

Mo Williams: A
>> Sidekick (noun): A close companion or comrade. Synonyms – assistant, associate, helper. Antonym – Larry Hughes, Ricky Davis, Darius Miles.

Over 17 points per game. Nearly 47 percent shooting. Over 40 percent from beyond the arc (a career-high). Fourth-best free throw shooter in the league (I can’t remember the last time I saw him miss). Did I mention the 44-point outburst last night or the All-Star nod that he FINALLY picked up?

My only complaint is that he’s let LeBron dominate the ball at times, when Williams should be taking control. But his impact on this team has been unbelievable. Plus, we don’t have to watch him torch us with the Bucks like he had the last few seasons, so that beefs up our win total even more.

LeBron James: A++++++++++
>> Let’s be serious. I’ve been a Cavs fan, and a Cleveland sports fan, long enough to understand that guys like this don’t usually play for teams in our city. I want you to think about whatever shortfalls exist in LeBron’s game – inconsistent jump shooter, awful from 3-point range, doesn’t post up as much as he could/should, dominates the ball a lot of times on offense.

Now, look at these numbers: 17, 29, 32, 30. Those are the win totals for the Cavs in the four years before LeBron. I’m thinking about going up and adding a few more plusses to his grade.

Mike Brown: A
>> OK, I loved the rant the other night. It has some “Coors Light Commercial” potential to it. (If you missed it, here’s a small snippet.) Was it warranted? Probably not – after all, in that Pacers loss, everyone not named LeBron combined to make 19-of-57 (33 percent, kids) of their shots and 8-of-15 free throws.

So no, we didn’t deserve to win that game. But on the heels of the second Mo Williams All-Star snub, and the NBA’s ridiculous decision to go back and take away LeBron’s triple-double, Brown played the “no one respects us” card and has decided the team with arguably the best athlete on the planet and a solid corps of role players should embrace the underdog status for the rest of the season. Well played, Coach Brown, well played.

Reason two for the high grade: Brown finally brought in an offensive coordinator to the staff. John Kuester is as responsible as anyone else – including Mo Williams – for the success we’ve had offensively. Basketball-reference.com (my Bible) has last year’s Cavs rated as the 19th best offense in the league. This year’s version is 3rd, and that’s with long stretches without Z and Delonte.

The Team: A
Despite some recent struggles, you can’t argue with a 24-1 mark at home and a 40-11 record overall. Need I repeat that the Cavs have never been this good, ever??? I know everyone in Cleveland is desperate to move Wally and God knows who else to pick up Amare or Brad Miller. Yes, another big man would be nice, but people – this is a good thing we got going here. Trust me.

(You want some other numbers? Hickson can’t legally go to a bar in downtown Cleveland. Gibson’s not yet 23 years old. Kinsey’s 24. Pavlovic is 25. So is West. Mo and Andy are 26. The only other team I can think of with that kind of youth that is playing at a high level is Portland. Oh, and LeBron is still just 24, as well. Just thought I’d throw that in there.)

I know everyone is in panic mode over losing twice to the Lakers, a team we may or may not face in the NBA Finals (a lot of season to be played out, remind you). Here’s some recent history to remind you of: 88-81 and 82-78. Those are the scores of the Cavs’ regular season wins over the Spurs in the 2006-07 season, and we all know how that played out in the end.

So don’t be concerned, Cavs fans. Yes, things can be better, but who the heck cares? The Season of Dreams is back on track in C-Town, and we’re all there to Witness it.

Let’s face it – we just had a Sunday that we all as Cavs fans would love to forget. The Cavs just lost their first home game of the season to the Lakers. Well, it was nice while it lasted and at least it was the team at the top of the Western Conference hill. Believe it or not, the loss didn’t bother me as much as the waythat we lost the game. I know everybody has their opinion as to why the good guys lost arguably the biggest game of the season so far, but let me share a couple of my own that I think would have had us on SportsCenter claiming to be the NBA’s best. The only things that I will speak on are the things that were under their own control.

Reason #1- The Fundamental Box-Out

I played basketball for a long time and anybody who has even one ounce of fundamentals should know about the box-out. This game the Cavs did not use this one at all. Because of the lack thereof, Lamar Odom had 28 points and 17 boards – 17 BOARDS! I’m not saying that Odom isn’t talented (inconsistent is more appropriate), but if we could just put a body on him at 5 or 6 times, this game is totally different, trust me.If you look back at the game, you will see instances where different defenders on Odom (Ben Wallace, J.J. Hickson) just didn’t box him out and he had his way. I haven’t seen a game from Odom like this since…since…I really can’t remember, to be honest.

Reason #2 – Who Hired These Refs Anyway?

So being as unbiased as I possibly could, I saw a lot of fouls that went uncalled against the Lakers. Granted, the Lakers played ok defense, but they also put their hand in the foul “cookie jar” often without getting penalized nearly as much. To get to the point, the refs weren’t on their job much at all, but that doesn’t let the Cavs off the hook. Even though the no-calls were at an all-time high, we still should’ve been attacking the hoop and making this team work. The way I see it, the refs have been working against us all season, so this shouldn’t have been any different. It comes down to just having that “us against the world” mentality that’s made us who we are today. Refs aren’t our friends and won’t bail us out - bottom line.

These were the two main things that I saw in the game that I wish would’ve been different. I think that this game was a cry for us to get back to basics and do what we do best to become the best. I KNOW that we can beat L.A., Boston, or any other team in the league any time, any place. There really wasn’t a need to call any one player out because this was a team loss more than anything. We just have to make sure that even though we’re finally in the spotlight getting the lights, camera, and action for once that we still stick to the fundamentals that got us these W’s in the first place. All that said, let’s go to Indiana and get back to what we do best – WIN!