Imagine 10 stories of this across from the Q.

Ugh.

Waitingfornextyear.com is taking a poll asking for a vote on LeBron's best dunk. I pick the one against Boston, a spine-tingling moment if there ever was one.

Stan van Gundy makes this point when he discusses LeBron James' idea to retire Michael Jordan's number: "It's a nice gesture, but he (Jordan) is not Jackie Robinson."

My first inclination when LeBron James said he wouldn't talk anymore about free agency was to think, good for him, he shouldn't. Especially if he meant what he said about not doing so for his team.

But then you get to thinking, and you realize that James has done nothing but talk about his impending free agency for some time. He talks about it in New York, he has conversations with Dwayne Wade about it, he talks about it in Cleveland … and he has Cavs fans wondering what will happen.

It's a little disingenuous to think it's not worth asking about, no? This is going to be the greatest glut of free agent talent in NBA history. Players could almost collude to make one team into a title team, be it in Cleveland or Miami (I don't think James and Wade would join Chris Bosh in Toronto) or elsewhere. James was asked at the team's media day how he would not let this be a distraction, and he basically said, "I just won't." Wednesday night he grew weary of questions about Wade and him and said "No mas."

Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski really took James to task.

"This has been a game to James, an exercise in self-love that finally transformed into sheer loathe at Amway Arena," he wrote. "'He can’t feed the monster, and then get pissed when the monster wants more,' a Western Conference executive said Wednesday night."

There are some pretty good points in this column, including: "Around the league, rival executives, coaches and players have considered James’ willingness to enthusiastically play out his free-agency scenarios in public as disrespectful, if not a distraction, to his Cavaliers. Around the Cavs, they mostly considered it the price of doing business with the game’s greatest young star."

And: "James’ balancing act between his coy and downright overt suggestions on a future elsewhere has been both a public and private embarrassment to the organization. But the Cavs never dared to tell James to stop with the 2010 talk. They don’t tell him anything."

Three thoughts about James:

—If he says he won't talk about it anymore, he won't talk about it. He'll be asked, for sure, and how he reacts will be interesting.

—It is understandable he'd grow weary of the questions. They come often and everywhere. But perhaps the best time to make this stance was prior  to the season. Just my opinion.

—James is going to do what he wants to do. I've kind of learned that all the guessing and speculation with him is nothing more than guessing and speculation. He's going to analyze the situation, make the decision is best for him and that will be that. In the offseason, I wrote a lot about James giving up money if he didn’t re-up with the Cavs, and that the cap might get lower … now I imagine him hearing those things and laughing. It doesn't mean squadoosh to him. He's going to do what he wants to do.

Well, for one night the Cavs changes all paid off handsomely. They looked like a championship-caliber team with depth in Wednesday's impressive win in Orlando. LeBron James was his usual self, Shaquille O'Neal got Dwight Howard in early foul trouble and played Howard well, and the entire team seemed into the game. The play of Mo Williams was vital. He was the polar opposite of the guy who struggled in the playoffs against the Magic. Orlando was without Rashard Lewis, but the Cavs treated this game with the importance it deserved.

Some other takes:

ESPN's John Hollinger: "While the Cavs used this game to show they may have overcome some of the early hurdles that plagued their offense, the Magic demonstrated that their early 5-1 start may be something of a mirage."

Interesting how James acted when the game ended.

Tim Povtak, a friend who wrote Shaq would be embarrassed against Howard before the game, had to change his tune after: "If Dwight Howard wants to keep that Superman moniker — if he wants to deliver on his promise to bring an NBA title to Orlando — he better turn his game up another notch real soon. Playing Shaquille O'Neal — who is well past his prime and 14 years older — to an uninspired standstill like he did Wednesday night won't get his team anywhere close to the Finals again."

Chris Tomasson of AOL hyped Mo Williams' big game.
 
Finally, prior to the game, SI.com's Chris Mannix wrote this of Shaq: "I spoke to an executive from one of O'Neal's former teams last week and he warned that if things stay status quo in Cleveland, Shaq will start to divide the locker room. 'It happened to us,' the executive said. 'It will happen to them.'"

The Cavs are playing quite a game against Orlando tonight. Mo Williams has been outstanding, and the Cavs have played a very strong overall game. At this point it's 81-64 Cleveland, so don't yell at me if they lose the lead.

Oh … by the way … LeBron James said before the game that he was tired of answering free agent questions and was done talking about it. Good for him. That's a no-win situation. The more he talks about it, the more he'll be asked. Nothing's going to change until the offseason, so he may as well put a stop to it now.

Which calls for at least one "where is LeBron going to play" next season link.

LeBron James evidently will not attend the New York Yankees parade.

Sam Smith offers a new location for LeBron after this season: The Lakers with Kobe Bryant. He writes: "I believe James has no idea yet what he wants to do next summer. But I also believe the Lakers’ scenario makes the most sense for him if he wants a chance to be considered among the greatest winners of all-time. I believe that’s what he’s about now, and he accomplishes that only with the Lakers." No need to panic. It's one man's opinion, and we all know what opinions are like.

Well the Cavs didn't lose two in a row last season until February, nor did they lose at home until February. They've done both in two games this season. This isn't your 66-win season anymore, Toto.

It's only been two games, but to date there's been a lot of talk about what needs to be done and knowing how to get there, but not of lot of … well … actually getting it done. Austin Carr kept saying during the second half Wednesday night that the Cavs had gotten out of presason mode. Pardon me, and with all respect, but shouldn't preseason mode have ended with the tipoff on opening night? While the Cavs have stubbed their toe twice, Boston has won twice and Orlando won without Rashard Lewis.

The Cavs have lost at home to a team with strong big men (Boston) and on the road to a team with more athletic big men (Toronto). Suddenly the Cavs look like they have two aging big men trying to fit in rather than two big men who can help LeBron James. A few wins can change this, but right now the Cavs seem a ways from Boston and Orlando.

In fact, the Raptors looked pretty good — like a playoff team. If they're that improved and the Wizards are that improved, lump the Cavs in with those two teams, Boston and Orlando and Miami and Chicago and Detroit and … well … suddenly the East doesn't seem to be the Cavs to claim anymore.

It's a long way to go and the reigning MVP is on the roster, but a lot went right a year ago en route to the 66 wins. It was almost idyllic. This season looks like it might be a little more challenging.

Perhaps a lot more challenging. As in 52-wins-and-the-fourth-seed-in-the-playoffs challenging.

That's not the end of the world, mind you. When you go into the playoffs with LeBron James you always have a chance. The plan is for the Cavs to be playing their best at that point. They well may, because that's what's happened the last few years (even with Orlando's buzzsaw).

It's just that right now that time looks and feels like it's about three exits down the road.