The CavsHQ Blog

We've Moved!

2008-11-24T18:16:29Z

....at least for the time being. Ohio.com, home of the Akron Beacon Journal, has decided to add us to their list of blogs. You can now find CavsHQ at www.ohioverticals.com/blogs/cavshq, or by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by, and come see what's going on at Ohio.com, as we talk about what is going to be a great season for the Cavaliers.

Thanks,

Mike Curry

www.ohioverticals.com/blogs/cavshq
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We've Moved!

2008-11-24T14:42:00Z

...at least for the time being. Ohio.com, home of the Akron Beacon Journal, has decided to add us to their list of blogs. You can now find CavsHQ at www.ohioverticals.com/blogs/cavshq, or by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by, and come see what's going on at Ohio.com, as we talk about what is going to be a great season for the Cavaliers.

Thanks,

Mike Curry

We've Moved!

2008-11-24T14:42:00Z

Thanks for stopping by, and come see what's going on at Ohio.com, as we talk about what is going to be a great season for the Cavaliers.

Thanks,

Mike Curry

Carmelo Anthony - Some Thoughts

2008-11-13T16:56:00Z

Don't know if you saw Bill Livingston's article today about the LeBron-Carmelo rivalry, but I strongly disagree with one of the things he wrote.

The thing that ticked me off was this line: "Anthony is a very good scorer, but it is the only blade in his scabbard."

First off, that's a completely inapt metaphor, because all scabbards contain only one blade. What he means is arrows in a quiver, or some other similar metaphor. That's just sloppy.

Second, Anthony isn't just a "very good scorer." He is an elite scorer. When it comes to putting the biscuit in the basket, Anthony has been a top-5 guy over the last two seasons. And right now, today, he is the third-most dangerous scorer in the league, behind only LeBron and Dwayne Wade (Kobe's legs aren't what they used to be). It's ridiculous to brush off Anthony's scoring prowess when we're talking about a guy who scores 26 points per game on 49% shooting.

Third, Anthony is also a very solid rebounder, with a rebound rate matching LeBron's last season. If LeBron gets to count it among his skills, so does Anthony.

I know that yesterday I showed how his statistics paled in comparison to LeBron's last year, but that tells you much more about LeBron than Carmelo. And Anthony's habit of drawing negative attention to himself is another matter, one that causes problems that don't show up on the stat sheet. And while I was comparing Indiana's Danny Granger to Anthony last week, that was in praise of Granger, not to denegrate Anthony.

At the end of the day, there just no doubt that Carmelo Anthony is a world-class talent, a superstar player who should not be dismissed as "just a scorer."

Other notes:

Dave Berri (who's Wages of Wins and Win Score metrics I would use more often if I could ever understand them) has an interesting thought about former Cavalier Shannon Brown, who is currently a Charlotte Bobcat. Essentially, the Bobcats are telling Brown to worry about things other than shooting the ball. But despite the fact that he's trying to do that, he's still warming the bench while other players, like Adam Morrison, are getting minutes simply because they shoot all the time. I agree with Berri's contention that scoring is rewarded greater than other facets of the game.

What to Watch For - Cavs v. Nuggets

2008-11-13T14:18:00Z

What to Watch For - Cavs v. Nuggets

1. Is the LeBron James - Carmelo Anthony rivalry still a rivalry?

It wasn't that long ago that people wondered who should be the Rookie of the Year in 2004, LeBron or Carmelo Anthony. LeBron won the award, but there were plenty of people who thought that Anthony deserved to win after leading his team to the playoffs, including Magic Johnson, Tracy McGrady and Michael Wilbon. As recently as 2006 people wondered if Carmelo rivaled LeBron because of his late-game heroics, something that James had been struggling with that season. And prior to this Summer in Beijing, it had been Anthony, and not James, who had been Team USA's top scorer in international play, an arena specially suited to Carmelo's skill set.

Still, despite the comparisons, there is no comparison. While Carmelo Anthony is a quality player and an All-Star, LeBron James has become the best basketball player on the planet. While Anthony was putting up an impressive line of 25.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game last season, LeBron was leading the league in scoring at 30.0 points per game while adding 7.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists. LeBron has guided the Cavaliers into the second round of the Playoffs three straight seasons, with one (short) appearance in the NBA Finals, while Anthony's Nuggets have been bounced out of the first round every year Anthony has been in the league. LeBron is the one who draws comparisons to Michael, Magic and Oscar, while Carmelo seems to draw only controversy with his suspension in 2006 for throwing a punch against the Knicks, and another suspension for his DUI arrest earlier this year that cost him the first two games of the regular season.

But at the very least, Carmelo Anthony will always be the first stick against which LeBron is measured. The entered the league into similar situations, and have shared many spotlights. And Anthony is an excellent player, better than most fans realize thanks to his poor decisions and the Nuggets' lack of playoff success. He is certainly the equal of 2nd-tier superstars like Tracy McGrady, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki.

But when Anthony and the Nuggets come into Cleveland tonight, there will no longer be any discussion about who is the better player. We're all living in LeBron's world now, and the young man casts a shadow that Carmelo will never be able to escape.

(Though it must be some consolation that the Nuggets have owned the Cavaliers since Melo's arrival, winning 7-of-8 games over the Wine and Gold.)

2. Will the Cavaliers be able to keep the Nuggets off the offensive glass?

The Cavaliers' recent rebounding struggles have been well-documented, and while they have been able to survive sizeable rebounding deficits to the Pacers, Bulls and Bucks, there is less room for error against a team with as much talent as the Nuggets. Denver comes into the game 5th overall in total rebounds at 44.6 per game, but the team is only 24th in offensive rebounds at 10.3 a game. The overall rebounding number is a bit misleading, however, as the Nuggets play at a pace that generates more possessions, and therefore more rebounding opportunities, than most teams. While the Nuggets are 5th overall in rebounding, they are still being outrebounded by their opponents by 1.3 rebounds per game. The Cavs, despite their recent poor showings on the glass, are still outrebounding their opponents by 2 rebounds per game.

Offensive rebounds allowed the Bucks and Bulls to stay in the game despite shooting around 40% from the field. The Nuggets are far more efficient in scoring the ball than those teams, and they will absolutely kill the Cavaliers if the home team doesn't do a better job of getting their hands on the ball. At the same time, the Nuggets have proven that they can be easily frustrated by tough, aggressive defenses, something that Cavs head coach Mike Brown has preached from day one. How hard the Cavs are willing to work on the defensive end should be the difference in tonight's match-up.

3. Will the shooters start making some shots?

The Cavs were lucky that LeBron was making his outside shots on Tuesday, because the rim was sealed for the rest of the Cavaliers. With the exception of the still-smoking Delonte West, the Cavs backcourt of Williams, Gibson and Szczerbiak combined to shoot just 3-of-22 from the field. After watching the Cavs let the Bucks hang around on Tuesday, many fans were concerned with the defense and the rebounding, and rightfully so. But if the Cavs had gotten even a respectable 40% (9-of-22) from that trio, they would have won the game with ease. LeBron's high-scoring performance was more out of necessity than anything else, as the guys being paid big bucks to put the ball in the hoop were doing anything but.

Go Cavs.

HQPQ - Cavs v. Bucks

2008-11-12T04:34:00Z

The CavsHQ Postgame Quick Hits from the Cavs victory over the Milwaukee Bucks last night:

The Good:

1. LeBron James was once again fantastic, scoring 41 points (again) on 16-for-24 shooting, while grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing off 6 assists, and coming up with 3 steals. LeBron's jump shot is finally coming around, as he converted 0 -of-16 of his shots outside the key. And all you math majors out there will notice that those stats add up to LeBron going an amazing 8-for-8 inside the key tonight. This was the first game this season where James played more than 40 minutes, but he certainly made the most of it.

2. Anderson Varejao is starting to become as common to the top 3 as LeBron James. Varejao had another great game, scoring 13 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from the line, and 3-for-3 from the free throw stripe. Andy also grabbed 10 rebounds in just 23 minutes, and was all over the court, making life hard for the Bucks' Charlie Villeneuva and Andrew Bogut. Varejao has become the most consistent of the Ilgauskas-Wallace-Varejao big man triumverate, and he has done a great job in helping the Cavaliers get through the malaise that still sometimes infects the team on offense, constantly cutting his way into the lane and working the offensive glass.

3. The Cavaliers had no turnovers in the second half. Well, the stat sheet will say one turnover, thanks to a 24-second violation that LeBron took in the waning seconds, keeping the final Cavalier total at 99 and disappointing an arena full of chalupa-loving Cavs fans. The Cavaliers are doing a very good job of taking care of the ball in the second half of games. Over the last three contests, the Cavaliers are averaging

The Not-So-Good:

1. The backup shooting guards were genuinely atrocious tonight, as Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson combined for 0 points on 0-for-9 in 47 combined minutes. The Cavaliers have gotten much more out of Delonte West (11 points tonight, a ridiculous 56% from the field for the season) than this observer expected, but Gibson and Szczerbiak have been woefully inconsistent. Gibson's shot is very flat, and he's shooting just 22% from the field and 21% from 3-point range in his last 5 games. Wally has been more inconsequential that outright bad, but he's only shooting 12.5% from beyond the arc in the last 5. The Cavaliers have been very lucky to have #23 out there to pick up the scoring slack for these two, because lately the team is not getting the scoring they expect from their designated jump shooters.

2. The Cavaliers still allowed the Bucks to grab too many offensive rebounds. Milwaukee came up with 17 offensive rebounds tonight, helping them stay in the game despite shooting just 38% from the floor. The Cavaliers have given up an average of 17.6 offensive rebounds per game over their last three games. Part of the problem has been Ben Wallace's lack of rebounding, as he once again pulled down just 4 rebounds (with 0 points) in 21 minutes.

3. A quiet moment for Herb Score, who passed away at age 75 on Tuesday. As a kid growing up in the 80's, Herb Score was the voice of the Cleveland Indians as I began to understand and appreciate the game. Cavaliers radio announcer Joe Tait worked with Score on Indians broadcasts in the 70's, and he had a nice tribute to Score prior to tonight's game. Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer has the story.

The Questions:

1. What exactly is the Bucks' gameplan?

Woe to the Bucks fan. A few years ago it got to the point where Bucks fans were actually petitioning to bring in Bill Simmons, of ESPN.com fame, to be the GM. With Scott Skiles, the Bucks have their third head coach in three seasons, and have a combined 57-115 (33% winning percentage) in that span. It's low tide for a team that once teamed Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) on an NBA Championship team.

And now, they seem to have built their team around a head coach (Skiles) who has a history of losing his players after just a few seasons, a non-stop shooter (Michael Redd) who is looking less like a superstar and more like a rich-man's Ben Gordon, and a second-tier wingman (Richard Jefferson) who is a Robin desperately needing a Batman. The Bucks also had the misfortune of choosing Andrew Bogut over Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the 2006 NBA Draft. At the moment, they already have $55 Million in salary committed for the 2010-2011 season, meaning that without a trade, this is their team for the foreseeable future.

At least they have their awesome old logo.

2. What's it like to have this kind of fall-back plan?

Buck's player and former UCLA Bruin Luc Mbah a Moute is a rookie trying to make his name in the league with his size, athleticism and defense. But it turns out that Mbah a Moute is also a Camaroonian prince. Unlike Austin Carr, I'm not sold on Mbah a Moute's chances in the league, though he has the physical tools to be a quality overall defender. But if this whole NBA thing doesn't work out, "prince" looks nice next to "former NBA player" on a resume.

3. How will the Cavaliers handle Western Conference teams this week?

The Cavs have gotten fat on their Central Division opponents, with wins over the Bucks and the Indiana Pacers, and two wins over the Chicago Bulls. Now they welcome the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz to Cleveland on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. The Cavaliers are 1-1 against the Western Conference this season, and they will make it very difficult for the Cavaliers to extend their current 5-game winning streak.

Go Cavs. Still loving this "basketball every other day" thing.

What to Watch For - Cavs v. Bucks

2008-11-11T14:43:00Z

What to keep an eye on when the Cavs and Bucks match up tonight at the Q:

1. Which new addition has made a bigger impact for the Bucks, new coach Scott Skiles or trade acquisition Richard Jefferson?

The Bucks added two new faces this offseason, bringing in former Bulls coach Scott Skiles as a defensive-minded head coach, and trading Yi Jianlian to the New Jersey Nets for Richard Jefferson on draft day. The jury is still out on both in this young season.

The Bucks brought in Skiles to assert his defense-first attitude on a team that finished worst in defensive efficiency last year, giving up 112.8 points per 100 possessions. Through the first seven games of the season, the Bucks are "only" allowing 97.9 points per game, 19th in the league, and giving up 102.9 points per 100 possessions, good for 14th overall. Unfortunately for Skiles, the Bucks have had problems defensively over the last three games, giving up 103 points per game to the Wizards, Celtics and Suns last week. Skiles and his schemes will be put to the test by the Cavaliers' new, more active offense.

As for Jefferson, he has been solid, dropping in 18.3 points per game while adding 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Jefferson is a solid player, but he's not quite an All-Star, and it's hard to tell what the Bucks were doing in acquiring Jefferson but trading away Mo Williams for a bag of balls a few months later. With Williams, the Bucks might have had enough offense in the backcourt to keep things interesting, but there's just no reason to expect that a Jefferson and Michael Redd combination can amount to anything more than a .500 team.

2. Will Michael Redd play?

Redd has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, and is questionable for tonight's game. Redd was averaging 21.3 points per game in the Bucks' first four games, and the Bucks were 2-2 when he went down. Last season Redd beat up on the Cavaliers, with 25.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, and he hit this mean 3-pointer to give the Bucks one of their three wins over the Cavs last year.

With Redd, the Bucks are a much bigger threat when they come into the Q tonight. Without Redd, I don't see how the Bucks are going to score enough points to keep up.

3. How will Mo Williams match up with his Bucks' replacement, Ramon Sessions?

The Cavaliers were able to acquire Mo Williams from the Bucks during the summer in exchange for Joe Smith and Damon Jones. It was a very good trade for the Cavaliers, but one of the reasons the Bucks were able to part with Williams for so little was because they had Sessions waiting in the wings. Sessions is off to a hot start for Milwaukee, averaging 17.2 points, 6.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game, numbers that are eerily similar to what Williams averaged last year (17.2 points, 6.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds).

Williams may be looking for a little revenge against his old team, and Sessions will be looking to prove the Bucks made the right choice in turning the point guard duties over to him. Should be fun to watch.

Go Cavs.

NBA Week in Review - November 9, 2008

2008-11-11T14:42:00Z

Stuff that happened this week in the league that you might have missed.

- Ok, everyone knows, but the Detroit Pistons traded Chauncey Billups andAntonio McDyess to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. Also, there was a presidential election.

- Antonio McDyess was bought out by the Nuggets, agreeing to take $6 Million not to play for the Nuggets. McDyess can now negotiate with other teams, including his former team the Detroit Pistons. McDyess can join any team he wishes, but if he wants to return to Detroit, he'll have to wait 30 days from his release to return to the Pistons. The Cavaliers, Lakers, and Celtics are among the many teams interested in bringing in McDyess, but right now nobody seems certain of which way McDyess is leaning.

- The Nuggets won their first game with Chauncey Billups coming back to his hometown in Denver, defeating the Mavericks at home. Billups had 15 points.

- The new-look Pistons are still adjusting to the arrival of Allen Iverson, losing games to the New Jersey Nets and Boston Celtics.

- The Celtics did an absolute job defending the Pistons, holding Iverson and Rasheed Wallace to 10 points apiece, and Richard Hamilton to just 3 points. On the flip side though, the Pistons did manage to hold Kevin Garnett to just 8 points and Paul Pierce to just 7 points. Not exactly a battle of superstars in Boston on Sunday.

- LeBron James has taken over the scoring lead, averaging 28.1 points per game after two 41-point performances against the Bulls.

- Tony Parker is currently in second place at 27.8 ppg, but he'll be falling out of the list soon as he's out for four weeks with an ankle sprain suffered in the Spurs' loss to the Heat on Friday.

- The Utah Jazz suffered their first loss of the season Sunday against the New York Knicks, 107-99, dropping them to 5-1 on the season. The Jazz will be in Cleveland on Saturday.

- The Jazz loss leaves the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks as the only undefeated teams left in the league, both at 4-0. The Lakers and Hawks play late Sunday, meaning that the Cavaliers have played seven games in a span where those teams have played only four. That will all balance itself out in the end, but so far the Lakers and Hawks are getting a lot of rest in the first two weeks of the season.

- On the flip side of the standings, the Washington Wizards are the only team without a victory, going 0-5 during the first two weeks of the young season. The Wizards are giving up the most points in the league at 108.8 point per game, and are an absolute mess right now without Gilbert Arenas, to the point where Antawn Jamison refused to get into the huddle during a timeout in their most recent loss, to the Orlando Magic.

- Carmelo Anthony lost a bet playing NBA Live 09, and lost his trademark cornrows as a result.

Go Cavs.

HQPQ - Cavs v. Pacers

2008-11-08T19:09:00Z

The CavsHQ Postgame Quickhits for the Cavs' hard-fought victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The Good:

John Kuntz/PD

1. Anderson Varejao doing all the dirty work, and having his best all around game in two seasons. Varejao finished with a career-high 18 points and 8 rebounds, and he was the catalyst the Cavs needed down the stretch. Varejao came into the game with 11:06 left in the fourth quarter and the Cavs trailing 79-72, and proceeded to score 7 straight points, 3 off a spinning layup and a foul, 2 off a steal that he took all the way to the other end, and 2 more on an offensive rebound that he slammed back home. That cut the Pacer lead to 3, and got the home crowd roaring. Varejao was the perfect example of the Cavs' bench depth, giving the Cavs a boost when Ben Wallace proved completely ineffective.

2. Zydrunas Ilgauskas kept the Cavs in the game in the first half, going 4-of-6 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line for 14 first half points. He also managed to limit himself to just one turnover, while coming up with 3 blocks.

3. LeBron James's Friday wasn't as good as his Wednesday, but it was still pretty good. LeBron finished with 27 points, 9 rebound, 8 assists and 4 blocks, the last of which was a game-saver, as he charged back to block a T.J. Ford layup that would have cut the Cavalier lead to 2 with 39 seconds left. LeBron also managed to hit his first 3-pointer of the season, a shot that gave the Cavaliers a 7-point lead with 1:15 left in the game.

The Bad:

1. After a four straight very good games, Ben Wallace was completely lost last night, failing to grab a rebound or score a point in 19 minutes. The Cavs went into the game with a major advantage in the frontcourt, but they were outrebounded 44-30, giving the Pacers 13 extra shots last night. That was the only reason the Pacers were even in the game, as the Cavaliers shot 52% from the field.

2. While the Cavs were able to keep T.J. Ford in check - don't ask me how - they once again had major problems keeping a stop-and-pop scorer from scoring. On Wednesday it was Ben Gordon who dropped 31 points on the Cavs, and last night it was Danny Granger going off for 33 points 13-of-21 shooting. Granger is becoming a very good player, keeping the defense off balance with strong drives and accurate outside shooting. He was really getting into with LeBron down the stretch, and could be said to get the better of James if it wasn't for that amazing block by LeBron in the last minute.

3. While the Cavs could expect Granger to have a good night, they also did nothing to slow down Marquis Daniels, who finished with 17 points, 7 assists and 11 rebounds, including a whopping 5 offensive rebounds. Daniels was also a major threat in the transition game, where Indiana scored nearly all of its points. With the Cavaliers sporting a shorter backcourt, big guards like Daniels can be a problem, and he was last night.

The Questions:

1. Can the Pacers win with the way they play?

Hard to tell right now, but the Pacers definitely play an interesting style. While their half-court sets are uninspiring, the team does a great job of turning long rebounds into transition buckets. It's not quite the Suns in their heyday, but I was impressed with how they attacked off missed shots, especially long rebounds. They could definitely surprise teams that start to settle for long jumpers, which the Cavaliers did during the big Pacer runs. The Pacers could be a sleeper team if they can start putting the pieces together.

2. Who would most GMs rather have, Danny Granger or Carmelo Anthony?

With Granger coming into his own as a star in the league, it's interesting to figure out where he is in the pecking order of scoring wings. While Anthony has established himself as a great scorer in the league, he also brings with him a mess of baggage, and may have plateaued as a player. Meanwhile, Granger is developing into very dangerous scorer, with a Melo-esque long- and mid-range game. But also like Anthony, Granger is not especially active on the boards, doesn't do anything exciting defensively, and isn't much of a passer.

If Granger continues to develop, he could find himself in the top-tier of scoring wings very soon. Compared side-by-side, Anthony is the better player, but I wouldn't be surprised if some front office personnel would prefer to have Granger's workman like persona to Anthony's habit of attracting the wrong kind of attention.

3. How will the Cavs respond to their first back-to-back game of the season?

Expect this to be addressed further in the What to Watch For for Saturday night's contest in Chicago. The Cavs played 19 back-to-back games last season, going 8-11 in the second game. The deeper Cavalier bench should give the team a better chance to win more of these second-night games this season.

Go Cavs.

What to Watch For - Cavs v. Pacers

2008-11-07T19:47:00Z

What to watch for tonight as the Cavaliers take on the Indiana Pacers at the Q:

1. Are the Pacers giant killers? The Pacers are 1-2 on the year, but their one victory was a 95-79 shellacking of the Boston Celtics at home. The Pacers have had an even tougher schedule than the Cavaliers through the first two weeks, facing the Pistons, Celtics and Suns, and were competitive at the very least in their two losses. Holding the Celtics to 79 points is pretty impressive, and if the Pacers can bring that kind of defensive intensity to bear, they could catch the Cavaliers by surprise. The Pacers are also a good 3-point shooting team, which can keep them in the game if they make their shots.

2. How will the Cavs deal with T.J. Ford? Ford is the quintessential Cavs-killing point guard, a guy with tremendous speed and a knack for slipping past his defender and getting into the lane. The Cavs had a tough time containing Derrick Rose on Wednesday, and Ford presents similar matchup problems. Ford had 23 points on Wednesday when he matched up with Steve Nash, and he could put up similar numbers tonight. The Cavaliers interior defense has been superb this season, but the perimeter defense is still very much a work in progress.

3. Will LeBron James one-up Amare Stoudemire? In the Pacers' last game, Amare Stoudemire dropped 49 points while grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing off 6 assists, nabbing 5 steals and picking up 2 blocks. Yes, that's a lot of "ing" phrases, but when someone is putting up numbers like that, it can leave you at a loss for words. LeBron is coming off a 41-9-6-4 night of his own, and should be able to take advantage of some suspect Indiana defenders. I'm not expecting a 50-point night, as LeBron's minutes could be cut short with the Cavs headed to Chicago for a back-to-back game Saturday, but I expect LeBron to make his presence known tonight.

Go Cavs. I am really expecting the team to get fat on these weak Central Division opponents this weekend.

HQPQ - Cavs v. Bulls

2008-11-06T14:09:00Z

The CavsHQ Postgame Quickhits from a very entertaining and enjoyable Cavalier win over the Chicago Bulls.

Three Deep Dish Pizzas:

1. Ben Wallace in his current role. I have to say, I'm shocked. Wallace looked completely ineffective in the preseason, and it looked like his body was just not going to allow him to be productive this season. But Mike Brown committed to keeping his minutes under control, letting him run at full speed for shorter stretches with the promise of plenty of rest. The result has been a Ben Wallace who is active and aggressive, both defensively and on the glass, even at age 34. Wallace had another 14 rebounds tonight, including 6 offensive rebounds, and he was the only Cavalier defender who managed to stay in front of Derrick Rose, forcing the talented rookie to airball a jumpshot in the 4th Quarter. Very good performance by Big Ben tonight.

2. Delonte West did indeed get a little better. West dropped 16 points tonight, while adding 3 rebounds and 3 assists. A consistent West at the shooting guard spot really helps this team offensively. With Wallace still an offensive liability even with his recent excellent play, getting consistent offense from the off-guard really opens things up. Last season Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic and Wally Szczerbiak took turns being wildly inconsistent, and when teams didn't have to guard the 2 or the 4, it made scoring that much tougher for LeBron. Like Wallace, I'm not yet sold that West can keep this up all season, but for now the Cavs can ride West's solid performance into a nice string of victories.

John Kuntz/PD

3. LeBron James scoring 41 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing off 6 assists and picking up 4 steals. Or as LeBron likes to call it, "Wednesday." That backwards layup over his head was unreal.

Three Billy Goats:
(Please note: every game leaves room for improvement, even nice solid wins like tonight. Just because something makes the negative list doesn't mean it overshadows the positives.)

1. The perimeter defense, or lack thereof. The Bulls stayed in the game because Derrick Rose (20 points) and Ben Gordon (31 points) combined to score 51 points on 1f-35 (51%) shooting. Rose was able to get into the lane too easily, and Gordon kept the Bulls in the game with his excellent outside shooting. If the Bulls had any interior presence whatsoever, the game would have been a lot closer, and the Cavs need to tighten that perimeter defense against the better teams.

2. Zydrunas Ilgauskas' shot selection. Z went 6-for-16 tonight, but still managed to put up a respectable 15 points and 10 rebounds on the night. But last night Z was taking shots when he would be better off giving up the ball. In the past, Z had to take a few tougher outside shots because the Cavalier offense wasn't going to open up any better options. This year, with the added weapons, Z would be better served by passing up an 18-footer with a defender closing in fast. Z did manage to hit a 3 tonight, and I really give him credit for digging in and being effective after a miserable 1-for-6 start. But a just a couple of extra passes would be ideal.

3. Boobie Gibson going 0-for-6. Like Z, Gibson took some shots with the defense closing aggressively, and instead of making the extra pass for a better look, he tried to release quickly and broke his rhythm. Gibson has a very good, quick release, but when he rushes his shot he's just as inaccurate as anyone else. On the plus side though, he did end up with 4 rebounds.

Three Questions:

1. What free throw problem?

Over the last two games, LeBron James is 28-for-31 (90%) on free throw attempts, and his season average is up to 78%. I'm not saying all the problems are solved, but LeBron seems to be keeping himself much quieter at the line, and it has paid off over the last two games.

2. What's the news on Antonio McDyess?

When McDyess was traded to the Nuggets, I suggested that the Cavs should seriously consider adding him if possible. Brian Windhorst has some more newson that development, and apparently I'm not the only person with that idea.

3. Is it "Cheers"?

An in-game contest asked a fan to identify a television theme song as sung by a number of Cavaliers (alas, no Big Z). The end of the clip had West taking off his headphones and, in a solid deadpan, asking the above question. Delonte was kidding; the song was the theme to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." It's really hard not to like this guy.

Go Cavs.

What to Watch For - Cavs v. Bulls

2008-11-05T16:25:00Z

What to watch for tonight as the Chicago Bulls come into the Q tonight:

1. Will the Cavs have a letdown after the nice win in Dallas?

I was ready to put a fork in Dallas after watching them unravel against the Cavaliers Monday night. But the Mavericks rebounded nicely last night, beating the San Antonio Spurs on the road, making the Cavalier win a little more impressive.

But that win won't matter if the Cavs can't follow it up with a win tonight against the Bulls. As has been mentioned many times here, the Cavs lost 3-of-4 games to Chicago last season, largely because of a mid-season lack of focus. The Cavs will have the chance to exorcise last year's demons this week, with two matchups against the Bulls, tonight and Saturday night. Add the game against the Pacers at home on Friday, and the Cavs can pick up some early season momentum against inferior teams this week. And if they win these games, it will be a strong sign that the concentration breakdowns of the last few years are a thing of the past.

2. Can Delonte West keep getting better?

Tim Sharp/AP

West was great against the Mavericks, filling up the stat sheet with 14 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. In four games this season, West has increased his scoring each game, with 4 against Boston, 6 against Charlotte, 12 against New Orleans, and then 14 against Dallas. I'm still not sold on West as a starting shooting guard, but if he can grow into that role and give the kind of production he's offered in the last two games, this experiment could last a little longer. West has been inconsistent throughout his career, mixing his seven double-digit scoring games in last year's playoffs with six games in which he failed to score more than 6 points. If he can find a way to score an efficient 10-12 points a night, he can be a solid contributor to this club.

3. What will the Cavs do about Derrick Rose?

Number 1 overall pick Derrick Rose makes his Cleveland debut tonight, and if early returns are any indication, he's going to be a factor in this league for a long time. Rose is averaging 17.3 point and 3.5 assists per game in his young NBA career, and his quickness could be an issue for the Cavs' perimeter defense. Fortunately the other Bulls are still adjusting to Rose -Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich combined for 5 points against Orlando on Monday - and the Bulls are still at a significant talent disadvantage against the Cavaliers. If the Cavaliers can keep Tyrus Thomas in check - he nearly doubled his season averages in points and rebounds against the Cavaliers last year - there's no reason the Cavs can't send the crowd home happy tonight.

Go Cavs. Let's make this a big week.

HQPQ - Cavs v. Mavericks

2008-11-05T14:12:00Z

The CavsHQ Postgame Quickhits from last night's win at Dallas:

Three Free Things for Voting:

1. That's what I'm talking about fellas. The Cavs played an excellent all-around game last night, and absolutely imposed their will on the Mavericks down the stretch. The ball movement was crisp and decisive, the offense was aggressive, and by the middle of the fourth quarter, the Mavericks didn't know what hit them.Mo Williams was hitting that hard-left-hand-drive, pull-up-19-footer that he loves (go look at the shot chart - would you let him have those shots from the left free-throw extended?). Delonte West (4-for-5) and Wally Szczerbiak (4-for-6) were destroying the Mavericks shooting guards. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a very solid night, scoring 17 points and corralling 11 rebounds. And LeBron James was more to form, finishing with 29 points on only 20 shots, while adding 13-for-15 from the stripe, in a mere 34 minutes. Unlike the game in New Orleans, the Cavs established themselves as the better team in the fourth quarter, executed with deadly precision, and won the game going away. Just a good, solid performance from just about everyone involved. And you could see how much the Cavs were enjoying it on the sidelines.

Tim Sharp/AP

2. On the defensive end of the floor, the Cavs hawked the Mavericks relentlessly, taking them completely out of the flow and forcing a number low-percentage shots. Dirk Nowitzki was a complete non-factor, as Ben Wallace andAnderson Varejao harassed him into a 3-for-11 shooting night and just 8 points. Jason Kidd only added 9 points and 6 assists, and was all-but-invisible until he led the brief Mavericks charge in the third quarter. The Mavericks shot just 41% for the game, and just 20% (3-for-15) from 3-point range. Dallas looked completely unfocused on offense, and for now I'm crediting the Cavalier defense for making that happen.

3. And after forcing those bad shots, the Cavaliers were absolute hounds on the glass, outrebounding the Mavericks 52-35. Ben Wallace managed to grab 13 in just 22 minutes. Combine that with the cut down on turnovers (only 11), and the Cavs had a very good formula for winning on the road.

Three Hanging Chads:

1. Ben Wallace's utter lack of touch. Love the hustle on the offensive boards, but when there are no put-back points the impact is diminished.

2. LeBron James still can't find the range, shooting just 1-of-7 on shots outside the key. Fortunately the rest of the team is picking him up and finding a way to win even without LeBron playing his best ball.

3. Third quarter issues remain. The Cavs were outscored 21-12 in the first 8:30 of the third period. Fortunately they righted the ship before the end of the third, going on their own 9-3 run to end the quarter, and stretching it out to a 30-6 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, effectively ending the game.

Three Questions:

1. Have the Cavs begun to take the next step, which includes winning on the road? Last year, the Cavs had their first really good win of the season in game 10, when they beat the Utah Jazz at home 99-94 on LeBron's 40 points. Their first really good road win came much later, also at Dallas, in game 30 of the season. That was one of only four big road wins all of last season (San Antonio, Los Angeles and Orlando were the others). If the Cavaliers are committed to establishing themselves during the regular season, they're going to need to win more games like this. But it's nice to get one before game 30.

2. Will there be a letdown when the Cavs come back home? The Cavs are coming home for two games against Central Division opponents this week, meeting up with the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday and the Indiana Pacers on Friday. In order to really take advantage of a win like this, the Cavs have to take care of business at home against weaker opponents like the Bulls and Pacers. Unfortunately the Cavs have a history of losing these types of games, which kills their mid-season momentum and keeps them from running out exceptional regular-season win totals. Last year the Cavs managed to lose 3-out-of-4 to the Bulls, who finished with only 33 wins all season. If the Cavs have really turned the corner and started to establish themselves as an elite regular season team, they will show that by winning to division games at home next week.

3. Seriously, how good does it feel to have a solid win this early in the season, one that makes you think this team has what it takes to win a lot of games this year?

Go Cavs. I like this "basketball every other day" thing.

What the Iverson Trade Means to Cavalier Fans

2008-11-03T20:30:00Z

Allen Iverson is now a Piston, heading from Denver to Detroit in exchange forChauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess.

What does that mean for Cavalier fans?

1. The Cavs should consider acquiring McDyess.

The Cavs should seriously consider acquiring McDyess from the Nuggets. He is a very good spot up shooter from 15 feet, he's still a valuable rebounder and defender, and he would provide much-needed insurance for the aging frontcourt. Obviously he's not a long-term solution, but as P.J. Brown proved last year, a veteran big man who can hit an open jumper can be the difference between winning a Championship and going home empty-handed.

It's hard to tell exactly what the Nuggets would want in exchange for McDyess, and it could be that they want to keep him around to bolster a front line already weakened when the Nuggets gave away Marcus Camby this Summer just to be rid of his salary. But there are already rumors that the Nuggets might consider buying out McDyess' contract, thereby shaving part of his salary off their books as they continue to cut costs. If McDyess were bought out, he could go wherever he likes, likely back to the Pistons.

But a better solution, for the Cavs and the Nuggets, would be a trade for McDyess, with the Cavs taking on his contract in exchange for an expiring contract, ideallyEric Snow. The Cavs bolster the frontcourt, the Nuggets shave even more money off the books for next season, and McDyess doesn't head back to Detroit to help the Pistons. While McDyess is 34, and doesn't have too many miles left on those legs, Cleveland could be a good fit. The Cavs are only getting 24 reliable minutes out of Ben Wallace at the moment, and having McDyess able to fill in the other half of the game is a solid solution that wouldn't harm the team's long-term flexibility. While the thought of relying on two former Pistons at the power forward spot is unsettling, I like the idea of McDyess hitting those open corner jumpers that Carlos Boozer used to drain with regularity.

At this point in the season, I would usually recommend a wait-and-see approach, carefully guarding assets on the chance that the perfect player might become available as the season wears on and the contenders and pretenders sort themselves out. But I think that a McDyess-for-Snow or even a McDyess-for-Pavlovic deal would be a solid move if the Nuggets are willing to listen. I wouldn't sell the farm for McDyess, but I would certainly take a look.

2. Joe Dumars is a very good General Manager, and the Pistons are going to be a problem for a long, long time.

You don't have to like the Pistons, or Joe Dumars, but you have respect the organization and the man as professionals. Just when the window was closing on this Pistons team, Dumars was able to acquire Allen Iverson for an overpriced and aging veteran point guard and an overpriced and aging veteran power forward (while keeping in mind that Iverson is an overpriced an aging shooting guard). In doing so, Dumars has freed up $20 Million in cap space for next season and beyond, and has immediately made the Pistons players in the Summer of 2010 Free Agency debacle. Just like he did with the Nazr Mohammed trade last season, Dumars was able to move his expensive, long-term assets for similar, short-term assets, maintaining the quality of the team while enhancing economic flexibility. And he did it once again by exploiting a team in a weak position. As long as Dumars is able to make these kinds of moves, the Pistons are going to be good.

I am impressed with the addition of Iverson, not only for what he does on the court, but for what he does to the fan base. While the Pistons fans have been wildly supportive of the Pistons in years past, they have never had a truly marketable superstar. Now they have that in Iverson, someone who will reinvigorate ticket sales even in a flagging Detroit economy that forced the Pistons to offer discounted tickets to the Home Opener of all things. Even as Dumars was saving his franchise money long-term, he was providing an economic boost this season, just in Iverson jerseys alone. I believe that basketball decisions should be made for basketball reasons, but when the basketball and the economics converge, that's the best of both worlds. That's what Dumars accomplished today.

And still, none of this would have been possible if Dumars hadn't drafted Rodney Stuckey and Jason Maxiell, two mid-round draft picks who have developed into solid NBA players. In Stuckey, the Pistons have their point guard of the future and a player who can guard opposing shooting guards, making him the perfect compliment to Iverson both offensively and defensively. Maxiell just signed an extension, and appears ready and able to take over a chunk of McDyess' minutes at the power forward spot. Dumars was able to let go of his starting point guard and power forward because he knew he had acceptable replacements in place, and that's something that many franchises simply could not do.

Go Cavs. This certainly does make things interesting.

What to Watch For - Cavs v. Mavericks

2008-11-03T20:29:00Z

What to watch for tonight as the Cavaliers head into Dallas to take on the Mavericks:

1. Do the Mavericks still have what it takes to contend?

In 2006, the Mavericks were up 2-0 in the NBA Finals before losing the next four games and ending the season as runner-up to the Miami Heat. In 2007, the Mavericks won 67 games, but were bounced in the first round by the Golden State Warriors, and the team suffered a similar fate last year when they went down in five games to the New Orleans Hornets. While the Mavericks seemed poised to start a dynasty to rival the cross-state San Antonio Spurs in 2006, now they are a Western Conference afterthought, despite adding Jason Kidd midway through last season.

Last season's disappointment led to a pink slip for coach Avery Johnson, and the Mavericks have turned to former Pacers and Pistons coach Rick Carlisle to guide the team through what may be its last chance at a title with the current core. The Mavericks have a talented roster with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and the much-maligned Josh Howard, and a solid rotation of role players, and the team is hoping that Carlisle will be a welcome change to Johnson's sometimes overbearing style. Carlisle is a good coach, the Mavericks are good at home, and if they really flow against the Cavaliers tonight, it could be a sign that they have one more good run in them.

But Cavs fans, especially pessimistic ones, can learn a lot from looking at the Mavericks. The team has talent, but the parts often seem mismatched, and they have spent a lot of money (Jason Terry at $9 Million, Eric Dampier at $10 Million,DeSagana Diop at $5.5 Million) on players who are serviceable, but can't provide the team an extra boost when needed (what I call the Leon Powe Effect, though an official name is still pending). Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they've already tried all the last-ditch efforts (trading for the vastly overpriced veteran, firing the coach), and they still can't consider themselves a top-tier contender just yet. Be careful what you wish for Cavalier fans, sometimes those easy solutions leave a team much worse off.

2. What about Dirk?

Nowitzki is averaging 28.5 points in the Mavericks' first two games, including a 36-point explosion against the Rockets. But last year he struggled against the Cavaliers, averaging just 17 points. Nowitzki has an unguardable combination of size, skill and quickness that can torture defenses, but he's become the forgotten superstar in the league thanks to the early playoff exits for the Mavericks. Nowitzki had his best seasons under Johnson, but some believe that Carlisle's offensive schemes might allow Dirk to return to his superstar status this season. And if the Mavericks get more out of Dirk, they will be very difficult to deal with throughout the season.

If Dirk does start going off, here's hoping that Mike Brown will have LeBron Jamestake a shot at defending him. LeBron's size allow him to battle with the big-but-not-especially-strong Nowitzki, and he can stay in front of the big man when he gets the ball on the perimeter. If the game is close, expect LeBron to be carrying the load on both ends of the floor.

3. Can Lebron get his offense untracked?

LeBron James is averaging 19.7 points per game, 10 less than the 30 points per game he averaged last season. His jump shot is a wreck, and he looks uncomfortable finding his opportunities in the offense. Fortunately, he is still passing the ball well, and he there's no reason to worry about this being a long-term problem, but it would be nice to see LeBron break out against a quality opponent on the road, while propelling his team to a victory. Josh Howard, the guy who will be defending LeBron most of the night, as length but he's skinny, so LeBron has a perfect opportunity to keep working on that post game. And if the Mavericks decide to let Nowitzki guard LeBron, LeBron can pull him out to the perimeter where he can use his speed, while keeping Dirk away from good rebounding position.

Go Cavs. These are the games you have to win if you want to have a successful regular season.

The Cavs HQ NBA Week in Review - November 2, 2008

2008-11-03T03:36:00Z

The CavsHQ NBA Week in Review: stuff you need to know about the week that was in the National Basketball Association.

- The top 4 contenders in the Western Conference started strong, with the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets each jumping out to 3-0 records in the first week, with the Utah Jazz hot on their heels at 2-0. The Lakers outscored their opponents by a whopping 21.7 points per game, and are looking just as dominant as expected.

- While the fast-starters are plentiful in the West, so are the have-nots, with the Los Angeles Clippers (0-3), Sacramento Kings (0-3) and even the venerable San Antonio Spurs (0-2) finishing the first week of the season without a W. In perfect juxaposition to the Lakers team with whom they share a building, the Clippers are being outscored by an even-more-whopping 23.3 points a game, including a 38-point loss to those same Lakers. Yeah, that'll skew the numbers a bit.

- With the exception of the Detroit Pistons (2-0), all of the true contenders in the East suffered a first week loss, with the Boston Celtics (2-1) losing in Indiana on Saturday night, and the Cavs, Magic and Sixers each ending the week at 1-2. The Toronto Raptors (3-0) and Atlanta Hawks (2-0) each hopped out to undefeated starts, while perennial Cavalier whipping boys the Washington Wizards are only winless team in the East (0-2).

- Greg Oden made it all the way through 13 minutes of his first real NBA game before having to end his night with a mid-foot sprain. I expected Oden to play short minutes on Tuesday thanks to foul trouble, not yet another injury, and yet another setback. He'll miss 2-4 weeks. Fellow former-Buckeye and 2007 Draftee Mike Conley is off to a slow start as well, averaging 7 points and 2.3 assists as the starting point guard in Memphis, and his supposedly-improved jump shot is nowhere to be found, as he's shooting just 36% from the field.

- Conley got his first look at this year's #1 overall draft pick Derrick Rose, who proceeded to drop 26 points on the Grizzlies on a Chicago Bulls win on Saturday. Rose is averaging 18.3 points per game through the first week, edging out Michael Beasley of the Heat (17 ppg) for the rookie scoring lead.

- Rose teammate and former Cavalier Drew Gooden is now sporting "the Johnny." Explanations are futile.

- Andrew Bynum, Danny Granger and Jason Maxiell all signed extensions this week.

- Brian Windhorst has an interesting article about the current troubles in which the New Jersey Nets franchise finds itself. The implication is that the Nets' troubles are enough to prevent them from being a legitimate destination for LeBron come 2010. I'm not sold, but it does prove how premature all the "where is LeBron going" articles are. There is a lot of time between now and the Summer of 2010, and a lot can change between then and now.

- But for a Nets fan's perspective on the current state of the team on the floor, check this out. And remember it every time you try to convince yourself that guys like Tarence Kinsey are the keys to a successful season.

Go Cavs.

Postgame Quick Hits - Cavs v. Hornets

2008-11-02T16:02:00Z

The Disappointed CavsHQ Postgame Quick Hits:

Three Positives:

1. Zydrunas Ilgauskas taking advantage of Tyson Chandler's absence, going 8-for-11 and scoring 18 points on the night.

2. Ben Wallace with another effective night. I wouldn't pay $14 Million for it, but at least the Cavs are getting useful production in Wallace's 20+ minutes a night right now.

3. LeBron James can play poorly and still score 15 points, dish off 13 assists, grab 7 rebounds and come up with 3 steals.

Three Negatives:

1. LeBron has not been agressive offensively in the first 3 games this season. Instead of forcing opponents to shift three defenders in his direction, thereby opening up the other side of the floor, James has let opposing defenses defend him more conventionally. Part of it has to be LeBron's inability to make a jump shot, as he missed 9-of-11 shots outside of the paint last night. Add that to his 0-for-8 against the Bobcats and 2-for-10 against the Celtics, and LeBron is 4-of-29 (14%) on shots from beyond 4 feet. I'm no basketball expert, but I imagine that makes LeBron, and likewise the Cavaliers, much easier to defend.

Anne Hisenfelt/AP

2. Mo Williams was eaten up by Chris Paul, going 5-for-15 and committing 4 turnovers against his 4 assists. Williams has to have an assist-to-turnover ratio of at least 2-to-1 to be effective. Last year his ratio was 2.25-to-1, so it's very possible. This year though, his assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.43-to-1 through 3 games. That's fine as he learns the system and his teammates, but if his ratio stays there throughout the season, it's going to be a problem.

3. I would not have given James Posey the contract that he got from New Orleans (4-years, $25 Million), but he was fantastic last night, scoring 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and adding 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals, including picking LeBron's pocket in the 4th and going to the other end for a dunk. Posey might not be worth almost $6 Million a year, but he knows his role, he's good at it, and you can take his production to the bank.

Three Questions:

1. Speaking of Posey's role, can anyone define the roles of the following players? Delonte West, Sasha Pavlovic, Wally Szczerbiak. Do you think they know what their roles are? The Celtics were able to mesh three (former) superstars in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett because each knew and accepted their role in the system. Right now the Cavs have an identity crisis with one-third of the rotation. At least they have seem to have Daniel Gibson's role figured out, and have stopped pretending he's a ballhandler. He's had two good games since. And we can see how much better Ben Wallace has been since they established his role as a 24-minute defensive specialist.

2. Does anyone believe that the Cavs got up for the big road game against the Hornets? The Cavs preached the importance of the regular season, but that focus was missing last night. The Hornets were playing without two starters in Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler, but they absolutely controlled the game from the 2nd Quarter on. This was a game where the healthy Cavaliers could have imposed their will on the undermanned Hornets. Instead, the Cavs played with little urgency and focus, especially in the 4th Quarter, and the Hornets won the game going away. That's not the path towards a great regular season record.

3. Did you see Danny Granger of the Pacers lose his two front teeth in a win over the Celtics last night? The Cavs (and every team) need to bring it like they're playing the Celtics every night.

Go Cavs.

What to Watch For - Cavs v. Hornets

2008-11-01T17:33:00Z

What to watch for tonight as the Cavs head to New Orleans to take on the Hornets:

1. How do the Cavs stack up against the Hornets, a legitimate title contender?

The Cavs are headed to the Big Easy to match up with the Hornets, who are 2-0 after wins against the Warriors and the Suns this week. There are only a handful of teams in that upper-echelon of contenders, and the Hornets are one of them, finishing with 56 wins a year ago before bowing out in the second round to the Spurs. The Cavs lost twice to the Hornets last year, losing by 10 in New Orleans (after another miserable 3rd Quarter), and getting beaten at the buzzer here in Cleveland. The Cavs are thinking of themselves as contenders this season, but to prove that you have to win tough games on the road. New Orleans is a great place to start.

2. What are the Cavs going to do about David West?

It was David West who hit a 17-footer in the closing seconds to beat the Cavaliers at the Q last year, and he was excellent against the Cavs last season, averaging 23.5 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. West is one of the most underrated stars in the game, giving the Hornets an effective mid-ranger scorer to complement the Paul-Chandler two-man game and the outside shooting of Peja Stojakovic. Teams have to pick their poison when trying to defend the Hornets, and West is the biggest beneficiary.

3. Can the Cavs keep Chris Paul under 30 points and 15 assists?

Watch and you'll understand. LeBron is the best player in the league, but Paul is right there with him. The Cavs have trouble keeping opposing guards out of the lane to begin with, and Paul embarrasses even good perimeter defenses. Mo Williams and Delonte West will have their hands full tonight.

Go Cavs. This is the kind of game that can set a tone for the season.

Postgame Quick Hits - Cavs v. Bobcats

2008-10-31T13:49:00Z

The now-patented CavsHQ Postgame Quick Hits!

Roadell Hickman/PD

Three good things:

1. Daniel Gibson finding his inner Rip Hamilton. Gibson was finding the (many) soft spots in the Bobcats defense, taking the pass and making the shot. None of this overdribbling, create-your-own-shot stuff.

2. Ben Wallace looking really good. I've been very hard on Ben so far this season, worried that the Cavs won't get what they need out of their defensive-minded power forward. But he was very good last night, playing solid help defense, blocking shots (5!), and making a major impact in just 24 minutes.

3. Mo Williams putting up great numbers all around, with 17 points, 7 assists and only 1 turnover. Williams couldn't find his 3-point stroke, but he was hitting those mid-range jumpers with regularity. He loves that 18-footer from the foul line extended, and that shot should be there for him all year. 17 and 7 isn't too much to expect from a point guard, but it's far more than the Cavs have been getting from the position in recent years.

(4. Bonus Very Good Thing) The Cavalier Girl Calendar. Buy it, it's for charity.

Three not-so-good things:

1. LeBron's jump shot. Check out the shot chart here, then look at just LeBron's shots. He was 7-for-15, but he didn't make a single shot outside of 1 foot. Seriously, 0-for-8 on anything farther than 12 inches away from the basket. He did make all of his layups, and he was an absolute terror going to the rim, but his shot hasn't looked this bad in a long time.

2. The 3rd Quarter doldrums continue, and if the Bobcats were any good whatsoever, they would have taken the lead in the third despite a 17-point halftime deficit. How about we try something different for the Dallas and New Orleans games?

3. Memo to the Cavaliers: Fireworks do not equal Flaming Swords. The new intro as a whole started strong, but faded. And with everyone anticipating a wall of fire at the end, a couple of puny fireworks were a major letdown. Bring back the fire!

Three Questions:

1. Why didn't Boobie Gibson start the second half? We know the Cavs have struggled to score in the 3rd Quarter, why not keep riding Gibson's hot hand to get you through it?

2. With a shout out to Dan Labbe for the suggestion, did Jason Richardson look good enough to be a fit at shooting guard in a deadline deal for Wally? I don't like the fact that he's locked up for two years after this season, and he's never played for a winner, but I'm willing to consider him as an option. I just don't see the Bobcats parting with their captain and star for only Wally in return.

3. Is Sean May pushing 3 bills? Guy looks more like a defensive lineman than a power forward right now.

Go Cavs. Happy Halloween. It's troubling how much better I feel after a Cavs win.

We have a Cover Girl...

2008-10-30T18:46:00Z

The ballots are cast, the votes are in, and the winner of the 2008-09 Cavalier Girl Calendar Cover Girl Contest (say that three times) is.... JAMIE!!!

You can pick up the calendars at the Cavs Team Shop in Quicken Loans Arena, or you can order one through the Team Shop website here. And because the Cavalier Girls are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside, all proceeds to the Cavaliers Youth Fund.

Congratulations to Jamie and all of the incredibly beautiful and talented members of this year's Cavalier Girl team. Be sure to find the CG's in the walkways of the Q before tonight's game for pictures and autographs. And be sure to thank them for helping Cleveland get through the long Winter months with a calendar that is warm to the touch.

The Cavalier Girls: One more reason why it's great to be a Cavs fan.

Go Cavs.

Mike C. - The Cavalier Girls' #1 Fan.