Well, someone is taking notice of what the Cavaliers are doing. One thing that has been noticeable duing the first couple of weeks of the season is that this Cavaliers team is far more balanced and the bench has more depth. Consider if you will the fact that a couple years ago, Mike Brown often called Sasha Pavlovic’s number first off the bench. He has virtually vanished thus far this year.
One thing you’ll notice as you take in a Cavaliers game this season is that this is no longer the LeBron James show. Sure, LeBron’s going to be called upon to make big plays at big times, but much like the L.A. Lakers and Kobe Bryan, the Cavaliers have tried to surround LeBron with enough quality pieces that he won’t have to carry the team for 48 minutes every night.
He supported the candidate of his choice, which is his right. He appreciated the emotions of his family, which is to be respected. And he understood the impact of Obama’s election.
After two consecutive games where he played impressively, it finally looks as if Mo Williams is finding his spot within the Cavaliers. At least one local blogger, Matt Loede, believes that James finally has his Robin in the point guard acquired in an off-season trade.
The Cavaliers have wanted a long time for a Robin for their Batman, with that Batman of course being LeBron James. After taking in Monday night’s 100-81 win over the Dallas Mavericks on the road, it seems more evident that they may have finally found that player. Hello, Mo Williams.
It remains to be seen whether Williams is actually The One, but he, unlike other players who tried to fill that role, is at least showing promise. It doesn’t hurt that the rest of James’ supporting cast has been upgraded.
I recently wrote about Ben Wallace and his how he’s turned his game up a notch. That trend continued against the Bulls last night as he pulled in double digits in rebounds for the second consecutive game. Branson Wright, the Plain Dealer’s former Cavs beat writer and current blogger thinks it’s time for Wallace to come off the bench.
Wallace showed signs of slowing down last season and during this preseason with lower back pain. Against the Celtics in the season opener, Wallace had two points and four rebounds in 19 minutes.
For another perspective on Wallace, check out Bob Finnan’s piece in The News-Herald, a paper where I once toiled.
Is it time for Big Ben to come off the bench? It’s too early in the season to tell, but the fact remains that he knows his role on the Cavs and it’s Rodmanesque. He’s not going to go out and score points, his job is defense and rebounds. The Cavaliers have scorers. If Wallace is protecting the middle and rebounding, that’s all he needs to do.
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If memory serves, at this same time in 2005, Michael Reghi was also hollering (literally) that Larry Hughes was LeBron’s Robin.
The Cavs are still one ugly LeBron injury away from being a bad lottery team. I know you’ve gotta write something, but way too early for any of those other folks to write any keen analysis. Wallace will be laying on his stomach with back issues by February, and Ilgauskas will be dragging his legs by March. And who knows about the guards.
I still think their biggest weakness, by far, will be not having a low-post player. Ilgauskas is only effective on offense if he’s playing against somebody who’s short. Who cares if it will be doing the Knicks their LeBron cap room services early, Ferry should still do whatever he can to try to shoehorn Zach Randolph off the Knicks’ roster.
They’re now a better squad than the joke that played San Antonio two years ago, but Mo Williams or not, it’s still LeBron or bust. Even if they finish .500 during the regular season, if James is still walking, they still have a good shot to beat any of the East teams in a series. He’s that good, but a low-post guy would sure as hell help.
George, I don’t want to be a dick, but you are in some serious need of proof-reading.
And Alan, Zach Randolph? Please, let’s not be that desperate yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lvYf08X6tc
Watch that and tell me you want this guy on our team.
“If memory serves, at this same time in 2005″
If reality serves, this is 2008….stay in the present jerky.
“The Cavs are still one ugly LeBron injury away from being a bad lottery team.”
Just as any other team with a superstar.
“I know you’ve gotta write something”
I know you gotta write something too but must you? Can you just not anymore please?
“Wallace will be laying on his stomach with back issues by February, and Ilgauskas will be dragging his legs by March. And who knows about the guards.”
And you will be bitching about Cleveland the whole way until they start winning in the playoffs when you will disappear for a long stretch and blame your disappearance on a coma. Come on comaguy, your MO is so transparent.
“Ferry should still do whatever he can to try to shoehorn Zach Randolph off the Knicks’ roster.”
Why, so you can insult Ferry some more and then criticize everything Randolph does should he become a Cav?
“They’re now a better squad than the joke that played San Antonio two years ago”
I recall this time very well. It was when you were gone from this blog for a good 2-3 weeks and it was awesome reading everyone else’s thoughts and opinions without you monopolizing every other post. Oh, the good old day – what I wouldnt give for another one of your people to lapse into a coma again.
Dude, I’m not saying he’s the very best low-post guy out there, obviously Randolph has his faults. But a guy has to be on the market in order to acquire him. Randolph is on the market, and he is a good player. A beast down low. Ferry should be trying to shoehorn him. If you believe Pete Vecsey, a Cavs scout was giving him a looksy several weeks ago.
And Rick the Stalking Dick, you rascal you. In full glorious stalking form. Well done, Sir. Well done.
Well, dude, if you want me to deny that, I won’t. Unfortunately writers generally tend to be their own worst editors when the opposite needs to be true. I’ll try to clean it up.
rick, do us all a favor and when you see an “alan t” post just go right past it. i’m starting to feel like the third wheel on a hot date.
hey george, what about some halftime posts on the blog? a general sense of how the game is going would be nice for those of us who live thousands of miles from cleveland and are too cheap to pay for nba games. possible?
New mind halftime, I’d rather read some entertaining blog posts about George’s brand-new life on the road. Getting gravy stains on his favorite work shirt, the airline losing his luggage, a cab driver getting lost in the middle of Harlem at 3 A.M., a rental car that smells like cabbage and stuck on the highway in a Wisconsin blizzard with a bad case of diarrhea and no rest area within 50 miles, that sort of thing.
if george has stories like that to tell i recommend he submit them to http://www.poopreport.com.
some of those stories make me laugh so hard they almost make me have a report of my own to write.
Branson Wright showed in his time as Cavs beat writer that he knows very little about NBA basketball. Wallace, off the bench? I think the rotation is working out pretty well right now.
“Just as any other team with a superstar.”
Absolutely, wrong. If Kobe goes down, the Lakers are still int he playoffs. They’re no where near as good, but they still have plenty of talent.
I think the cavs showed us they could play with LeBron on the bench…could they play like that for a whole season? hell no!
And the Lakers example is not relevant who knows a team react when they lose their leader?! they may play better! look at the wizards last year! they just played differently.
And please alan t, no zach randolph in cleveland. the guy is just a pain in the ass. Plus it’d be the best way to get LeBron leaving in ‘10 maybe even before!
I’d rather have boozer again! And that says a lot.
Why do certain folks insist upon always insulting the writer and always ignoring the writer’s underlying point? Branson Wright has a brain, and he’s probably right.
Although, truly, I don’t know what the difference is if Wallace starts or not. He still will end up getting the same amount of playing time, which is bench minutes time. 20 minutes a game starting or off the bench, who cares. And it’s a major negative to have a purely defensive specialist in at the end of close games, when you can’t even play this guy without him getting hacked at the first opportunity. And don’t discount the fact that he was probably pretty jazzed to play the Bulls. Pretty soon he’ll be having his back spasms and inner-ear infections.
The point Wright was making is that the Cavs would be better served by giving Varejao more of Wallace’s minutes. In the long run, Wright is probably right.
Kevin, “that says a lot?” if the dollar numbers matched and his contract could be extended, I’d trade Wallace, Varejao, Ilgauskas, Wright and Hickson straight up for Boozer.
i like the idea of wallace off the bench too if his back can tolerate sitting on the bench for a bit. some guys need to warm up and then get in the game right away.