Red Right 88

In Cleveland, hope dies last

Archive for the category “LeBron James”

01 Jul 2010

Great Scott! Byron’s the Man

The Cavs have reportedly filled their coaching vacancy, agreeing with Byron Scott on a four-year contract.

Did they make the right call? Can Scott lead them to a championship? Will his hiring impact LeBron’s decision? Let’s try and figure it out.

What do we think?

Scott is the Cavs third choice for head coach, after Tom Izzo and Brian Shaw. Izzo thankfully turned down Dan Gilbert’s bouquets to stay at Michigan State, while Shaw appears content to wait out Phil Jackson in LA and take over the Lakers, probably after next year.

LeBron James reportedly wanted a head coach with NBA experience, both as a coach and a player. Scott fills the bill in both categories.

Scott is hardly known for pushing his teams too hard, usually preferring a bit of time on the links to an extra round of practice on the court.

Scott has been around superstars both as a player and a coach, so he shouldn’t have a problem dealing with LeBron if the need arises.

Scott may have gotten a raw deal in New Orleans.

What do we know?

Scott took the Nets of all teams to the NBA finals twice, losing both times. The Nets lost to the Lakers and the Spurs, which is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

He won only eight playoff games total over the next six seasons he was a head coach (all eight coming in New Orleans).

Scott was fired in both his previous spots after the team turned against him. Players will like him, but he’ll eventually be tuned out. He won’t develop the younger ones — the younger ones who will be a challenge to develop, the type of development that separates good coaches from great coaches. He’ll clash with some players, he’ll refuse to play others and he’ll be let go after a while.

Chris Paul liked playing for Scott in New Orleans. “Anybody who knows me knows that Coach is my guy,” Paul said at the time of Scott’s firing in New Orleans. “It’s not just because of basketball stuff. I understand that it’s a business and all that stuff, but I’m honestly not the player I am today without Coach. I don’t have the Olympic gold medal and All-Star Games without Coach.”

Scott went through rebuilding efforts in both NJ and New Orleans, so in the highly unlikely chance that LeBron leaves and the Cavs have to start over, he’s experienced.

Scott stresses defense and prefers an up-tempo offense, demanding full control over choosing his assistants. His teams reflect his personality — scrappy and tough, not just physically but mentally.

Scott has a losing record as a coach, albeit he’s only three games under .500.

What does it mean?

With the hiring of Scott, the Cavs have brought in an experienced head coach that gives the team credibility with LeBron and other free agents. The learning curve that would have been required with Izzo or Shaw no longer exists.

Hiring Scott may have torpedoed the Knicks and Nets before they even get started on courting LeBron.

If Phil Jackson wasn’t willing to leave LA, and Shaw wasn’t either, Scott appears to have been the best option available. He certainly is better than the coaches of the teams that are allegedly the “frontrunners” to sign LeBron: Miami (Erik Spoelstra), Chicago (Tom Thibodeau), New Jersey (Avery Johnson) and New York.

So while hiring Scott is superior to hiring Izzo, it may be a step behind hiring Shaw.

Let’s call it a solid B and get on to the next order of business: Has anyone asked Chris Bosh what he thinks of the hiring?

Posted in Byron Scott, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, NBA | Leave a comment
30 Jun 2010

I Heard it through the Grapevine

People say believe half of what you see, son, and none of what you hear – Marvin Gaye

Those words are true when applied to all the hot air that has been spewed over the past few weeks concerning LeBron James and free agency. The latest in a long line of nonsense comes from Chris Broussard at ESPN:

“A modified version of the ballyhooed free-agent summit that was initially suggested and then downplayed by Dwyane Wade has indeed taken place, ESPN.com has learned.

“Sources close to the situation said Monday night that three of the biggest names in basketvball – Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James – met over the weekend in Miami to seriously discuss their futures, with a focus on the increasingly plausible possibility of those three teaming up with Wade’s Heat.”

Ooh, I bet you’re wondering how I knew about your plans to make me blue.

Wow, a plausible possibility. Pretty strong stuff. Of course, who could this mystery source be? The barber at the corner shop? The waiter who delivered room service to the summit? We don’t know.

But, we do know who the source is not: Chicago-based agent Henry Thomas, who represents both Wade and Bosh.

“Dwyane was here in Chicago over the weekend and did not meet with LeBron and Chris in Miami,” Thomas said in published reports. “Have these guys talked about their futures with one another? Absolutely, and I am sure they will talk again. However, this report of a summit over the weekend in Miami involving Dwyane is untrue. He was here in Chicago with his kids and when he left town on Sunday, he was not headed back to Miami.”

So the big free-agent summit that the mainstream media wants to occur so badly, like LeBron’s “Summer of Me Tour,” is all a myth.

ESPN also reported that unless Miami trades away former No. 2 overall pick Michael Beasley to a team with salary-cap space, so it can avoid taking salary back, the Heat can’t offer the estimated 2010-11 maximum salary of $16.5 million to all three Team USA stars.

Broussard, of course, doesn’t want to let the facts get in the way of his story. He went on air today to explain that, to make the deal work, one of three will have to take less money to sign with the Heat, especially since Wade has gone on the record as saying he won’t take a penny less than the max. He concluded that LeBron will take less money since he makes more in endorsements than Bosh and Wade combined.

I can’t help bein’ confused, if it’s true please tell me dear

Let’s think about that for a moment: no top-flight free agent has switched teams since Shaq left Orlando for Los Angeles. No free agent has ever left money on the table.

But somehow, LeBron, the two-time MVP and the most sought-after, talked-about free agent in sports history will be willing to do both so he can go play with Bosh and Wade?

Why isn’t it just as plausible that James and Bosh have agreed to work out a deal for Bosh to join James in Cleveland? Because the mainstream media, led by Adrian Wojnarowski and ESPN, doesn’t want LeBron in Cleveland and shudder at the thought of all their predictions and “confirmations” of James leaving town turning out to be false.

Here are a few more thoughts on the subject, from Cleveland Frowns and Waiting For Next Year.

Only 27 hours to go until the start of free agency.

Posted in ESPN, LeBron James, Marvin Gaye, NBA free agency, summits | Leave a comment
29 Jun 2010

Brian Shaw may be what the Cavs need

With the Tom Izzo flirtation (thankfully) in the rear view mirror, the Cavs have turned their attention to interviewing actual NBA-caliber coaches.

After talking with former NJ and NO coach Byron Scott, the team is now talking with Laker assistant coach Brian Shaw. Shaw has been on Phil Jackson’s staff for five seasons; he won three titles as a player before retiring in 2003 and taking over as the Lakers’ scouting director.

There’s a lot to like about Shaw, as is evident from this 2006 interview with the LA Times.

First is his coaching philosophy: “I like the triangle offense, but every game that we play, if there’s one or two wrinkles out of (our opponent’s) offense or defensive scheme, I keep a book with all the different ideas that I like. Overall, I like pressure defense, I like an aggressive rotating defense, and I like the ball to move on the offense and for everybody to get a touch and feel like they’re part of the game.”

The Cavs were a defense first team under former coach Mike Brown, so playing an “aggressive rotating defense” should fit well. And the ball moving on offense with everyone getting a touch? Sounds good so far. And don’t forget that LeBron is reportedly “interested” in the triangle offense.

What he’s taken from Jackson: “I like Phil’s brand of doing things. He allows players to figure things out for themselves and challenges you mentally every single day. He’s not going to baby you, so if you’re not mentally tough you’re not going to be able to handle the system. And I like that because it makes you mature and it makes you responsible for your actions out on the floor.”

Letting the players work though their mistakes, with a squad led by LeBron James and his high basketball IQ, would work well at the Q.

On his relationship with Kobe, who can be somewhat difficult to say the least: “We’ve had confrontations many a time. And I think he respects the fact that we want the same thing, but I’m not gonna back down or compromise how I really see things and how I think that they should be. If I think he’s dead wrong, I’m going to tell him. And he’s going to respond because he’s an alpha male and that’s how he is. But I’m not going to sugarcoat anything. I’m going to say what I’m going to say, he’s going to say what he’s going to say. And I think he respects that.”

If Shaw can put up with Kobe, he’ll have no problem working with LeBron, who works so hard to make everyone around him better. Additionally, Shaw played with Shaq in both Orlando and LA, so he knows the what to expect if Shaq returns. Wait, let’s not think about that for now.

It seems, at least on the surface, that Shaw is an ideal candidate for the Cavs vacant coaching position. Of course, this being Cleveland, there are a couple of catches. First, no one knows if Jackson wants to come back next year and coach and, if he does retired, LA would want to consider Shaw for the same reasons that Cleveland does.

The other issue that the Cavs have to seriously consider is that the Jackson coaching tree is, to put it nicely, extremely infertile, as Kurt Rambis is the only former Jackson assistant currently with a team.

There are several potential reasons for that, with the most common one, according to Sports Illustrated, being that Jackson and his teams imbued the triangle with a mythology that has made other front offices hesitant to buy in.

“I think a lot of general managers think that what we run won’t be a good for the personnel that they have and they think that’s all the basketball we know,” Jim Cleamons told SI. “You have to look at upper management. They have to be open-minded to see what we run can produce and does produce winning basketball. But it takes time to learn if your personnel is amenable, and by amenable I mean they have somewhat of a basketball IQ.”

Say what you will about Dan Gilbert, but he’s nothing if not open-minded and willing to go against the norm of the NBA. That willingness to take chances may just pay off if the team does land Shaw as coach.

And if they do, it may just put the team one step closer to that illusive championship. Because if they can’t talk Jackson into coming to Cleveland, maybe his right-hand man would be just as good of a choice.

Posted in Brian Shaw, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Phil Jackson, triangle | Leave a comment
26 Jun 2010
1 Comment

Cancel those dinner plans & tour bus

ESPN’s Chris Broussard is reporting that LeBron James will not be going on tour when free agency starts July 1. Rather, he will speak with teams at a neutral site, cutting down the circus atmosphere that has been fueled by non-stop speculation on his next move.

According to Broussard:

All the elaborate recruiting plans for LeBron James will have to change. James will not go on a recruiting tour, his longtime business manager Maverick Carter told ESPN.com Friday.

“LeBron is not going on a tour,” Carter said. “He never planned to go on a tour and has not been a part of any team’s plans for a recruiting trip.”

Instead, James will visit with individual clubs at a neutral site once the free-agency period begins July 1.

James’ decision throws a monkey wrench in the plans of several clubs that hoped to sell him on non-basketball-related enticements such as the vibrancy of their city, the social life it may afford or the A-list celebrities that support their teams.

James, the most coveted player in this historic free-agent class, wants the focus to be on basketball and doesn’t want it to turn into a spectacle.

Clubs were made aware of James’ decision on Wednesday and many went into scramble mode. The New York Knicks, who were planning a spectacular, celebrity-laden dinner cooked by a world-renowned chef for James on July 1, quickly cancelled it and held an emergency Plan B, according to two sources.

Plan B? More like Plan Z for the hapless Knicks. What a joke.

But if the Knicks really have their hearts (and stomachs) set on food, they can always pick up a pizza at Luigi’s on the way to their meeting with LeBron.

Of course, the mainstream media will find a way to turn this around and make James look like the bad guy for acting like the only responsible adult in the room. But that’s been the norm ever since the Cavs season ended; no matter what happens it’s somehow James’ fault or reveals some type of character flaw.

And Frank Isola did just that in today’s NY Daily News:

There was an Internet report Friday that James had come to his senses and had decided not to make a spectacle of his much anticipated entrée into free agency. In other words, LeBron’s “Summer of I Love Myself” tour will not happen. Instead, prospective teams will have to visit James at a yet-to-be-determined location.

If this was Carter’s idea, then give the young entrepreneur credit for recognizing that his celebrity client was starting to alienate fans. It was getting to the point where James as well as Chris Bosh were celebrating their free agency with more verve than Kobe Bryant showed in winning a fifth championship.

So let’s follow this logic: the media speculates non-stop that LeBron will go on a cross-country tour once free agency starts, which will alienate fans (which fans we don’t know); now that LeBron has said he won’t be doing that – and in fact he never said he would in the first place, it was the media that assumed – it’s LeBron’s people keeping his ego in check.

OK, then.

Posted in food, LeBron James, lunacy, NBA free agency, New York Knicks, tours
25 Jun 2010

Not Exactly Plan A

I don’t think the New York Knicks understand this whole free agency business.

According to Brian Windhorst in the PD, the Knicks are embracing their inner Martha Stewart and hosting a dinner party July 1 to try and lure LeBron James to New York:

“According to a source, the Knicks are making plans to host an elaborate meal and meeting with James in a high-end location in Manhattan during the afternoon and evening of July 1, which is next Thursday. The tentative plan is for Knicks management and officials to host James and his various agents and friends for a large dinner party catered by a celebrity chef.

“There is no confirmation that James plans to be in New York on July 1 and the Knicks aren’t technically permitted to contact him until that day. However, it is clear the Knicks are preparing for that contingency.”

A dinner party? Seriously? That’s the plan? Well, I guess if you can’t sell free agents with your on-court success – the Knicks haven’t won more than 40 games in a decade – you have try to sell something else.

And if you don’t have to clue how to draft players, then maybe linen tablecloths and fine china is an option.

Of course, if the way to LeBron’s heart is through his stomach, why would he need to leave home? You got me.

Posted in dinner parties, LeBron James, NBA free agency, New York Knicks | Leave a comment
24 Jun 2010

The Myth of New York City

With only a week to go until the start of the NBA’s free agency season, much has been written and spoken about the future home of LeBron James.

New York City and the Knicks have long been considered by the mainstream media as front runners for the two-time MVP, with three reasons always being cited: the chance to play in Madison Square Garden, increased endorsement opportunities and the history of the Knicks.

But if you look behind the curtain just a little bit, you realize the allure of the Knicks franchise and playing in New York City is long on myth and short on reality.

As for MSG, when the 2010-11 season opens this fall, the arena will be the second oldest in the league. The 41-year-old arena is allegedly going to be renovated, but like most things in NYC, you never know exactly when that will occur and how long it will take. Contrast that to playing home games at the Q and practicing at the team’s new facility in Independence.

What about endorsements? The mainstream media acts as if the streets of New York are paved with gold. Taking a closer look, however, shows a different story.

Consider the New York Yankees, probably the biggest sports franchise in America. You’d think if you were a star on a successful team playing in the largest market in the country, you’d be rolling in piles of cash from commericals. Well, think again:

  • CC Sabathia made $250,000 in endorsements last season.
  • Mark Teixeira made the same.
  • Alex Rodriguez made $6 million.
  • Derek Jeter made $8.5 million.

LeBron? He pulled in $28 million in endorsements playing in Cleveland. So it would appear that companies are finding LeBron just fine here on the north coast.

Finally, the biggest laugh is the talk of the Knicks’ “great” history. Sure, the Knicks have two titles to zero for the Cavs, but NY’s last championship came 37 years ago in 1973. Not exactly recent history.

Since the start of the 1973-74 season, the Knicks have won 10 more games than the Cavs (1,473 vs. 1,463), although over the past 20 years the Cavs have won more games (861 vs. 813). The gap is even wider over the past decade (Cavs 437 vs. 327).

Both teams have won three division championships, with the Cavs most recent coming this year while the Knicks haven’t won their division since 1994. Both teams have also made four appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Cavs last appearing two years ago while the Knicks haven’t made it that far since 1999.

So there’s really nothing separating the teams on the court.

But somehow we’re supposed to believe that LeBron will give up everything he has here at home to play for a franchise that, by every measurable statistic, is inferior?

Fuhgeddaboudit.

Posted in Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, myths, NBA free agency, New York Knicks | Leave a comment
01 Jun 2010

Searching for an Edge

The Cavs may not have a head coach, but they apparently have “an edge” when it comes to LeBron James.

In an interview with CNN’s Larry King, James said that Cleveland has “an edge” to re-sign him when free agency hits July 1: “Absolutely. Because, you know, this city, these fans, I mean, have given me a lot in these seven years. And, you know, for me, it’s comfortable. So I’ve got a lot of memories here. And – and so it does have an edge,” James told King, according to published reports.

And James is 100 percent correct. The fans have been behind him and the team every step of the way, from the first time he took the court against Sacramento back in 2003, through all the playoff disappointments and all the way through this year’s collapse against Boston.

But it’s more than just loyalty and knowing that the majority of the fans have your back night in and night out. It’s also knowing you are in a situation that puts you in the best position to win a championship.

Consider that, according to John Hollinger at ESPN, Chris Bosh is the best player to pair with LeBron. Bosh has made it clear he wants out of Toronto – he’s not the only one – and the Cavs have the assets (J.J. Hickson or Anderson Varajeo and Shaq) to work a sign-and-trade with the Raptors to acquire Bosh. That would give the Cavs a frontcourt rotation of James, Bosh, Antawn Jamison, Leon Powe and either Hickson/Varajeo.

That certainly would be of interest to James, yes?

* * * * *

If you’re looking for something silly to kill some time, take a spin.

* * * * *

Finally, Brian Windhorst of the Plain Dealer is no friend of the hoople heads. In his Sunday column, he laid out what the smart folks have been saying, namely that firing a coach is the easy part. I especially enjoyed the part where he tracked down the contract situation of two European coaches.

Posted in Chris Bosh, Cleveland Cavaliers, edge, hoople heads, LeBron James, NBA free agency | Leave a comment
27 May 2010

Did Someone Really Say That?

In theory, anonymous sources are a last resort. Reporters are challenged to get people to speak on the record, but sometimes that’s just not possible. If the source remains unnamed, it must be a trade-off for candor and quality of information. Of course, there are times when information a source ardently believes to be true … turns out to be false. That’s why independent corroboration by a reporter is key. Bad sourcing or lax oversight can result in the equivalent of a journalistic drive-by shooting, aided and abetted by information cloaked in a shroud of anonymity.

This comes from Don Ohlmeyer, the ombudsman at ESPN, in his latest column about the use of anonymous sources. So using an anonymous source is a “last resort?” So we’re led to believe that ESPN exhausted all avenues with their recent reporting on LeBron James, yes? Let’s take a quick look:

This is from a May 21 article on ESPN.com:

  • Before Cuban’s entry, the most prevalent rumor had William Wesley, better known as “Worldwide Wes,” offering James and Calipari as a package deal to teams around the league. A person close to Wesley, who is a friend and advisor to James, denied the reports to ESPN’s Andy Katz earlier this week.

A person close to Wesley? His mom? His barber? Who? Seems like something the reader would want to know.

The following are all from the same ESPN story on May 18 by Andy Katz:

  • A source with direct knowledge of the Chicago Bulls front office’s plans says the team believes it has the right players in place — namely, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng — to surround LeBron James when it makes its case with the free agent-to-be on July 1. But the source said there has been no discussion of bringing Kentucky coach John Calipari in with James as part of a package deal.

  • Another league source told the Chicago Tribune that another person, described as an “unknown Calipari connection,” contacted the Bulls over the weekend.
  • However, ESPN The Magazine‘s Chris Broussard reported Monday on “SportsCenter” that according to his sources, James is not demanding Calipari coach him on whichever team he plays for next season.
  • And a source close to Wesley told ESPN.com that Wesley had not contacted the Bulls or any other team about a James/Calipari package deal.
  • A source with knowledge of the Los Angeles Clippers’ thinking denied there had been any contact with Wesley or any other inquiries about Calipari. The source called the report linking Wesley to the Clippers “inaccurate.”
  • Another Western Conference front-office executive questioned the validity of the story, telling ESPNLosAngeles.com via text message, “Nobody’s buying that.”
  • But a source close to Wesley said it was “insulting” to assume that Calipari could get an NBA coaching job only with James’ help.
  • Multiple sources close to Calipari have also recently said it would take at least $5 million a year to bring him back to the NBA.
  • The Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill., reported Sunday that according to league sources, James has contacted Rose to express interest in playing with him.
  • But the source close to Wesley said James has not made a decision and that leaving Ohio won’t be easy.

Wow, not a single piece of “news” is actually attributed to anyone in the article. But Andy did find someone to go on the record: Josh Cribbs of the Browns, who said Cleveland “wouldn’t be the same” without James.

That’s some mighty fine reporting.

Chad Ford has this game on May 13:

  • Within minutes of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ elimination at the hands of the Celtics, the speculation about LeBron James’ next destination resumed in full force. In the space of five minutes I heard from three NBA GMs via text, e-mail and phone. All three said that based on the information they have, they believe LeBron will leave the Cavs.

Three GMs, huh? Of course, Chad conveniently didn’t provide any names so we’re left to wonder if these GMs are real or not.

And let’s not forget the infamous free agent “summit” that is coming up:

  • A source told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard that the Toronto Raptor’s Chris Bosh also will join Wade, James and Johnson when they discuss free agency.

It just goes on, and on and on.

Anonymous sources have a role in journalism, for example when dealing with government officials making decisions that impact millions of people.

But passing on rumors about athletes without proper attribution just comes off as lazy and ridiculous.

Just another sunny day in the Summer of LeBron.

Posted in ESPN, jounalistic integrity, LeBron James, rumors | Leave a comment
12 May 2010

Has it Really Come to This?

“I hope I can put a lot of smiles back on the faces of the people of Cleveland. I’m not going to guarantee a championship. But we will get better every day, we will be a better team than we were last year.” LeBron James in 2003 after the Cavs won the draft lottery.

How has it come to this? How, after seven years of highlights, excitement and the return of Cavaliers basketball from the NBA wasteland, have we reached the point where so much anger is being directed at LeBron and the Cavs? How has it turned so negative in less than a week?

Why do I have to hear some clown call Chris Russo’s Sirius Radio show on Wednesday and say the LeBron is a bum because he won’t give an interview to WKNR? Seriously? LeBron doesn’t have time to do an interview with a radio station who’s 100 listeners are comprised of shut-ins, hoople heads and Dumplin’ and this makes him a bum?

Are our memories really that short? Have we forgotten what it was like pre-LeBron?

  • Prior to drafting LeBron, the Cavs were losing $1.5 million a month, playing in a downtown arena that no one wanted to go to.
  • Fans were stuck watching Ricky Davis, DeSagana Dop, Chris Mihm, Trajan Langdon, the list goes on and on. How about the Shawn Kemp era?
  • At the end of the 17-win, 2002-03 season, the Cavs had about 2,000 season tickets. This past season, they sold out every game.
  • The team had employed Randy Wittman, John Lucas and Keith Smart as head coaches. Not exactly Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson and Hubie Brown.

Have we forgotten?

Now, after a bad playoff series that isn’t even over yet, we’re going to turn our backs on him and the team?

It doesn’t surprise me that the national media would churn out garbage like this “gem” from Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Of course, some national writers actually realize that even great players can have bad games: LeBron James played poorly in a big game? So did Jordan

And, apparently, lost is all the nonsense about how James doesn’t have the same desire to win as Kobe Bryant, people have forgotten some of these no-shows from Bryant’s post-season performances:

  • 2003: Lakers eliminated by San Antonio in a 32-point loss. Kobe has 20 points and 7 turnovers.
  • 2004 Finals: Kobe shoots 4-for-13 (Game 3), 8-for-25 (Game 4) and 7-for-21 (Game 5) as the Lakers lose the title.
  • 2006: Lakers eliminated by the Suns in a 32-point blowout. Kobe selfishly refuses to shoot in the entire second half to “teach” his teammates a lesson.
  • 2008 Finals: Boston comes back from 25 points down in Game 4 to win as Kobe shoots 6-of-19.
  • 2008 Finals: Boston eliminates the Lakers in a 39-point blowout. Kobe shoots 7-of-22.

But none of that matters because LeBron is the only high-level player who has ever had a bad game.

Go back and read the quote from LeBron again. Hasn’t he delivered on those words?

Look, I’m as shocked and disappointed as anyone over what has transpired the past two games. But I’m not ready to give up on this team. And the reason comes from LeBron himself:

“They’ve got me.”

That’s all I need to hear.

Posted in Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, NBA playoffs | Leave a comment
10 May 2010

This is Fun, Yes?

Cavs fans were left disappointed after last year’s playoffs. But it wasn’t so much because the Cavs lost in the Eastern Conference Finals, but because the team had so few home playoff games.

With homecourt advantage for the entire playoffs, just like this year, Cavs fans were looking at a potential 16 home playoff games if the team went to Game 7 of the finals. But thanks to sweeps in the first (Detroit) and second (Atlanta) rounds, and the eventual loss to Orlando, fans were only treated to seven home games.

Well, the Cavs are working on fixing that problem this year.

Following the Game 4 loss to Boston, the Cavs are heading home for Tuesday’s Game 5 – the sixth playoff game at home already this postseason. And more home games means more opportunities to appreciate a team coming off its second consecutive 60-win season and featuring a two-time MVP in LeBron James.

At least I think that’s the plan, right?

When the Cavs have come ready to play in this series, they have shown they are clearly a superior team to Boston. Even with all the hysteria over the play of Rajon Rondo, that’s not why the series is tied 2-2. In both Boston wins, it was bench players Rasheed Wallace (Game 2) and Tony Allen (Game 4) who had once-a-year games that made the difference.

Wallace hit the Hot Tub Time Machine in Game 2, scoring 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting. In the other three games, he’s scored a total of seven points.

Allen scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting in Game 4, after scoring just 19 total points in the first three games.

Safe to say that neither of them are going to match that output the rest of the series.

And, before this series ends, someone will deliver a playoff foul on Rondo to slow him down.

And Mo Williams (31 percent) and Delonte West (33 percent) are certainly going to start shooting better than they have over the past three games.

There are plenty of more home games left before this postseason comes to a close.

Right?

Posted in Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, fixing a problem, LeBron James, NBA playoffs | Leave a comment

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