LeBron leaves again and where the Cavaliers go next?

I've given myself a few days to reflect on the loss of LeBron James and by the time that my thoughts had been sifted through and filed away, it was a pretty easy finale' to say I'm OK.

Don't take that the wrong way -it is a huge loss for the city of Cleveland and a larger one for the Cavaliers organization, however, it feels far different from when the first defection to Miami occurred.
On that occasion, I felt anger toward LeBron James.
This time, it's a two-pronged feeling- Relief and Confusion.

Relief, because finally the Cavaliers and their fans can move on from the constant drum of counting down when LeBron James could test free agency and begin the long process (More on that later) of the second rebuilding after a LeBron James departure.
Confusion because unless this move to the Los Angeles Lakers is all about post-career ambitions and has little to nothing to do with basketball (and it may be just that), this decision to pick Los Angeles just doesn't add up to a smart one from a basketball viewpoint.

From a basketball viewpoint for LeBron, he leaves a team that would be the third seed at worst in the Eastern Conference (Boston and Philadelphia) for a team that would be the fifth seed at best in the Western Conference.
The Lakers haven't done a great job in attracting talent around James as most of their major targets have signed elsewhere and to my surprise allowed restricted free agent Julius Randle to leave the team to create the space to sign the often-mercurial Rajon Rondo.
I'd think that bringing in James, Rondo, Lance Stephenson (Can't wait to see how that works out) and JaVale McGee with holdovers Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lonzo Ball will be more than enough to turn a lottery team into a playoff team, but I don't see how one can rank them above the Spurs and maybe even the Jazz, let alone the Warriors, Rockets, and Thunder as the Western's elite squads.

As for the Cavaliers, life after LeBron looks to be one that will hinge on one decision- will the team attempt to make the playoffs, which in the East still might be possible despite the loss of James or will the Cavaliers begin revamping the roster?
Cleveland's constant assuaging of James has placed the team in a salary cap situation that ranks as quite dire and some of these contracts would be very difficult to move, even if another team was motivated to add some of the players that would not be part of a long-term project.
The Cavaliers have three options that are plausible and reasonable, it simply depends on the selection and direction that they take.

Option number one:
If the team decided to try to contend, they do have some parts that could be enough to make the playoffs with a few veterans and a handful of interesting younger players.
They could run the offense through Kevin Love as the number one option and hope he returns to the form that he displayed in Minnesota. hope that Rodney Hood flourishes after settling into Cleveland, first rounder Collin Sexton turns out to be the player that they hope he is, use Kyle Korver and George Hill as solid veterans and hope that they can get anything out of J.R. Smith to enable them to make the playoffs.

Option number two:
They do all of the above with Love, Korver, Hill, Smith and Tristan Thompson, but they do so not to try to make the playoffs, but to increase their marketability at the trade deadline to accumulate assets for a team that will have to send a first rounder to Atlanta, if they finish with a higher pick than 10th in the draft and should they finish in the lottery, would have to send the following years number one to the Hawks.
This could mean a possible awful sign to the fanbase as if those players play well, the Cavaliers could be jettisoning players that could have the team in the playoff hunt at the time before trading the veterans away.

Option number three:
The Cavaliers decide now to start their revamping of the organization and start trading everyone in sight before the season and build around Rodney Hood ( a restricted free agent, but likely to have any offers matched), Larry Nance Jr, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman and maybe Ante Zizic.
The Cavaliers would likely be well under .500 and a lottery team, but the rebuild would start sooner and there would be some excitement with watching the young players develop and yes, take some lumps.

I'm not sure which option that the Cavaliers will decide to choose, but I lean towards the second option.
That gives the team some flexibility to decide at the deadline in what direction to head and would give Cleveland more options than either one or three.

In any event, I understand that Cleveland fans have hurt feelings and will now watch their team take a significant step back to among the pack from the best four year run of basketball that the almost fifty-year franchise has had in its history.
Still, for all the drama that consistently surrounded LeBron James for his skill as a player and lack of such in player personnel, he'll be missed and at the same time, a sense of normalcy will set in.
Normalcy is when you don't have the best player in the game and you have to build in the same manner as every other team that doesn't have the best player in the game- slowly and smartly.

Back later with some boxing notes and coming soon- my weekend in Ohio.

Cavaliers draft Collin Sexton

The Cleveland Cavaliers may not know if LeBron James is returning and they may not know who will actually be on the roster come October when the season starts, but they still had to make a selection in the first round of the NBA Draft and their selection made sense from a positional need but did the selection of point guard Collin Sexton of Alabama move the needle enough to bring James back or he is desirable enough to deal with another team as part of a package to land the star that the team needs to team with James in a possible return?

The 6'3 Sexton averaged 19.2 points in his only season at Alabama under former NBA player Avery Johnson and shot 44 percent from the floor ( 33 percent from the shorter college three-point area).
Sexton is very explosive to the basket, handles the ball well, is a willing passer and has the type of game that the current point guard in fashion in the league is favoring.
In other words, he's the point guard that likes the ball in his hands but isn't afraid to score himself.
Sexton is also regarded as a player that likes to play defense and isn't afraid to get rough when he defends either, neither of which is always a box that is checked when discussing draft prospects.

Of the available point guards, I thought Sexton was the best available as I graded him slightly ahead
of Trae Young of Oklahoma (Atlanta through Dallas), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Kentucky (Charlotte) and Boston College's Jerome Robinson (L.A.Clippers) as more of what the point guard challenged Cavaliers might be looking for.

I don't think Young is a playmaker, I think he may be an excellent player, but he's going to be a scoring guard that is listed as a point due to his size, Gilgeous-Alexander is more of a two-guard as well and Robinson doesn't bring the quickness and speed that Sexton brings to the table, so with the Cavaliers largest need (Other than keeping LeBron James), Sexton was the safest pick and one that made the most sense on the surface, especially if you believe the various whispers that James preferred Sexton as his choice among the available draft prospects.

The biggest question that I and others have about Collin Sexton is the outside shot.
Let's face it 44 percent isn't a great percentage and that is likely inflated by the easy drives to the hoop.
The 33 percent from three-point land is a greater concern when you consider how much the game has placed more importance on the ability to consistently connect from behind the line.
If Sexton's outside game doesn't at least improve to league average. the value of this selection dips considerably.

I must admit to preferring the 6'10 wing player Michael Porter of Missouri over Sexton.
I know that he had back issues at 19 and that often leads to bigger problems down the road, so I realize that the Cavaliers would be taking a huge risk in Porter, had they decided to go that way.
However, the Cavaliers aren't exactly stacked with future number one's as they have peddled several around to acquire various players in attempts to bolster the roster around LeBron James.
Sometimes, you gamble on greatness and sometimes you take the lower ceiling player that is more of a sure thing.
Without the back injury, Michael Porter would have been nowhere near the Cleveland pick in the eighth position, so it would have been a risk to try to land him, but his talent might have made such a risk understandably taken.

The selection of Collin Sexton also closes the book on the Kyrie Irving trade with the Cavaliers holding three role players in Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance Jr to go with Sexton as the return for Irving.
At this particular stage and despite the injury that ended last season to the oft-brittle Irving, I would still rate the Boston side as the better half of this swap, although Sexton could swing that pendulum more toward the Cleveland side.

Is Collin Sexton enough to retain LeBron James?
Could Sexton be involved in a trade to land a veteran that might be more of an immediate help?
I don't have the answers to those, but at best, the Cavaliers have made a major step forward, they could also have drafted a major piece of a possible rebuild without LeBron or at worst, they might regret not taking Michael Porter.

This just hasn't been my year with Cleveland drafts.
For the Browns, I preferred the safer and more prototypical passer in Sam Darnold and the Browns gambled on the risky hype train that is Baker Mayfield.
For the Cavaliers, I wanted them to take the big swing at the green with Michael Porter and they laid up with the more guarded selection of Collin Sexton.
It's funny to see how these things occur sometimes.
It'll be interesting to take a look back in a few years to see who had the better ideas.

Cavaliers swindled in Game 1 overtime loss!

The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn't have asked for much more than they received from themselves in game one at the usually raucous Oracle Arena in Oakland.
Cleveland gained even more than usual from LeBron James with 51 points, eight assists and eight rebounds and Kevin Love added 21 and with under forty seconds to go, the Cavaliers held a two-point lead and possession of the basketball and looked to be in position for a stunning upset.

The usually inept NBA referees stepped in and changed the perception after a consultation, which set a parade of events together cost Cleveland victory and could weaken them in game two.
First, LeBron James forced Kevin Durant into a charging foul that the referees looked and changed the call into a blocking call on James.
This allowed Durant to hit two free throws to tie the game and that was a huge swing in momentum towards the home team in an awful call that saw the arbiters reason that James was "not in a legal guarding position" outside the restricted zone.
Most observers not in Warrior blue felt otherwise and thereafter the game was scarred with controversy.

Following a James layup and a Stephen Curry score and free throw, Golden State led by one with Cleveland holding the ball for the potential last shot of the game.
James drilled a pass toward the basket and a cutting George Hill for the layup and lead.
A beaten Klay Thompson had no choice but to grab Hill and put him on the line with just under five seconds to play.
Hill nailed the first free throw to tie the game but came up painfully short on the second shot, which would have given Cleveland the lead.
However, J.R.Smith had slid under Kevin Durant for the rebound and had a chance for the putback, which likely would have meant victory.
It would not have been a sure thing as Smith would have to have laid the ball in over the taller Durant, but there was an opportunity for sure.
Instead, Smith "took the ball back" almost like in a bizarre scene out of a half-court pickup game, ate the time away and the Cavaliers chance for a win escaped like air from a balloon as the game headed to overtime.

Usually, in these situations going into overtime, it plays out like this-the underdog is fatigued by the effort and the better team pulls away and that's exactly what happened as Golden State took the 124-114 win.
In a game that that could have been remembered for so much more, it'll be remembered for awful officiating, unwarranted replays and an addle-minded decision by J.R.Smith.

Swashbucklings

1) Just cannot get past the decision to look at the block/charge call.
James was clearly outside the area that he is required to be in to use a replay review to begin with and then to change the call based on James movement (He held position) might have been changed in a game before, but I've never seen it and to pick this time???

2) And to top that off, the play not only shouldn't have been changed but not even reviewed because to activate a review-James must be in the restricted area and he clearly was not.

3) LeBron James became the first player to score over 50 points in the NBA Finals and lose.
James did all of this with one eye, after being poked in the first quarter by noted clean defender Draymond Green.

4) J.R. Smith's simply head-thumping decision to run out the clock is just beyond words to write about.
However, Smith has made a career of these types of plays and considering how he has played this season, why was I not surprised.
It's too bad though because just getting the offensive rebound was a hustle play and was quickly forgotten after his "Webber" like mistake.

5) Don't forget another Smith mistake at the end of the first half, where Smith ridiculously left Stephen Curry alone by going for a steal at mid-court.
Curry then calmly drained an uncontested thirty footer to tie the game at the half.
Awful.

6) I'm generally not an officiating whiner, but this game was bad.
When Steve Kerr AND Draymond Green both are quoted as "We caught a break"-that tells you all you need to know.

7) The end of the game scuffle between Tristan Thompson and Draymond Green needs to be forgotten about by the league for both players.
Considering how the game was called, frustration is inevitable and after watching, the league needs to pass on suspensions.

8) This game wasn't just lost, it was given away by officials and players.
On one hand, I am hopeful that the Cavaliers have proven that they can play with the Warriors.
On the other, game two might be ugly as it's going to be tough to bounce back from a crusher like this Sunday night..

LeBron James and the Cavaliers

Watching the 2018 postseason and wondering just how it is that the Cleveland Cavaliers have completed their fourth straight run to the Eastern Conference title on the eve of game one of the NBA finals has been a full day of pondering here and even though I'm very

short on time, I wanted to get a few sentences down.

Do I think that the Cavaliers have a chance of upsetting the Golden State Warriors in the championship round?
Sure, but that chance is what in boxing is called a puncher's chance.,which basically means it's highly
unlikely, but that the underdog does have a chance of scoring the knockout if everything falls perfectly.
Why only a puncher's chance?
Well, considering the struggles in getting by an average Indiana team in seven games and seven more against a Boston squad with injury issues and inexperience and you can see why the Cavaliers deserve to be underdogs despite looking sharp in the semi-finals in dispatching top-seeded Toronto in four straight.

Even as a Cavaliers fan, I cannot logically come up with one reason to pick them over the Warriors except one- LeBron James.
For the play of James in these three series has been beyond what anyone could expect from even the best player in the game and that alone gives Cleveland that puncher's chance.
I usually don't like to make declarative statements about the great players of any game as far as just who is the best, that after all is a matter of players and the times that they played in, but I'll make a stretch and call this one- If LeBron James can lift this bunch of the Cavaliers to an NBA championship, I'm ready to say that he has become the best player ever in NBA history even over Michael Jordan.
MJ and LBJ truly are different types of players and deserve to be on their own equal pedestal, but Jordan will never have delivered what James has the chance to do in this series-bring an underdog to victory over a powerful opponent and to do almost by himself.

James has used the occasional odd game from the supporting cast (Jeff Green in game seven vs the Celtics for an example) to help himself out a bit, but he's been playing almost every minute and that has to eventually take its toll unless someone is able to pick up their play to take even a small amount of pressure off James.
No matter the results of this series, this might be the best run of basketball that I've seen and it's been something special to see-now can he do it one more time and against one of the best teams ever?

Praying for the miracle, but this time I'm picking with the head.
Warriors in six...

LeBron-Again- Cavaliers cut down Raptors at the buzzer

The Cleveland Cavaliers had allowed the Toronto Raptors to crawl back into game three with a fourth quarter that bordered on obtuse and with eight seconds to go, Toronto's OG Anunoby's three-pointer tied the game with Cleveland using its final timeout.

Cleveland to the surprise of Hubie Brown at the announcer's table decided to throw the ball in from the far end of the court rather than half court.
It turned out to be exactly what the situation called for as Toronto somehow allowed the one man that could beat them in this scenario to get the ball and do just that as LeBron James took the inbounds pass, dribbled up the floor, tossed up an off-balance shot off one foot and banked it home to pandemonium in Cleveland for a 105-103 win and a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
James led Cleveland with 38 points with Kevin Love stepping up again with a 21 point, 18 rebound game and Kyle Korver scoring 18 to support the King in his efforts.
Game four is Monday in Cleveland with the Cavaliers having a chance to close the show and eliminate the Raptors, who have to be shaking their head and wondering what they have to do to defeat LeBron James four times in a row without a slip-up.

Swashbucklings

1) Tell me, just try to tell me that LeBron James isn't coming back to Cleveland.
Well, if he isn't, he is going full speed ahead in his final days and with a recklessness that borders on unsafe at times, James is playing like a player that is making a stand and one that wants to attract players to Cleveland, rather than one promoting himself to others.
At least I hope.

2) Tell me why Toronto even allowed the ball to get to LeBron, to begin with.
They didn't double-team him off the ball, didn't try to trap him or even press him until he hit the frontcourt with a head of steam.
The degree of difficulty was extremely high with eight seconds remaining as it was, but even using one of those tactics might have made that shot close to impossible.
Those decisions allowed the greatest player in the game a chance to beat you and anytime you open that window...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmTpuTSkDWk

3) Kevin Love played well on the stat sheet, but Love also played well in the third quarter when James rested, scoring seven points without him and keeping the Cavaliers ahead by double-digits before the Raptors rally in the final period.
However. Love wouldn't take a shot in the fourth quarter, this offense still runs best with Love as the second option, not with LeBron and four extras.

4) Don't forget why the buzzer beater was needed though, missed free throws by LeBron James (I think I can overlook it) and Jeff Green to allow the tying three-pointer hit by OG Anunoby to tie the game.
It is a quibble in a victory, but it can be huge in a defeat.

5) Want to know another reason Toronto is struggling?
When you can't play your star at all in the fourth quarter because he's a liability and you rally from 14 down entering the quarter, that says a lot for your star.
Demar DeRozan disappeared from the game with eight points and Toronto played better without him?
That's not just something for Toronto to think about before Monday, it might be something to think about in the off-season.

6) So, that just about wraps this series up.
The question is now is does the series last four, five or six games?
I can see Toronto scraping together a win Monday and game five in Toronto, but I think that's the limit.
It would be better for the Cavaliers to end this series and save the legs, especially with Boston leading Philadelphia 3-0, but this series essentially ended in Cleveland last night..

LeBronto! Cavaliers roll over Raptors in game two!

LeBron James took command of the game in the second half with a sizzling shooting performance and lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 128-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors in the second game of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
James finished with 43 points and 14 assists on the evening with Kevin Love adding 31 points with 11 rebounds in support.
The series returns to Cleveland for game three Saturday night with the Cavaliers up two with a chance to put the Raptors down a deep hole...

Swashbucklings

1) Just when you think LeBron James has shown you what he can do and you cannot be surprised any further, James steps up and shows you again just how good he is.
Last night against Toronto, James was hitting fadeaway jumpers against good defense and he was still knocking them down.
James kept dropping back and the shots kept falling,
On nights like these, opponents aren't going to defeat LeBron James very often.

2) Toronto has to be shaking their heads, especially after a first half that saw them shoot extremely well, their home crowd was loud and rocking and yet the Raptors led by just two at the half.
How many times in sports have you seen this "They played almost as good as they can and the opponent played terribly and the game is close, look out in the second half" line play out in sports?
This game was one of those nights for the Raptors and they had to know it entering the locker room.

3) Kevin Love lives.
Love scored 31 points and did it with 11 of 21 shooting with only two from three-point distance.
When Kevin Love is playing well, this Cleveland team is an entirely different animal and perhaps some of that might be when he tries to score inside the paint rather than force three-pointers.
No matter the reason, Kevin Love's performance is the key to how this team plays.

4) Cleveland struggled against Indiana to get any scoring from anyone other than LeBron James, but the offense has been able to add some varied production against Toronto.
J.R.Smith with 15, Jeff Green 14 and George Hill finished with 13 to give Cleveland five players in double digits.
Toss that type of production with an excellent game from Kevin Love and LeBron James is going to get all the help that he needs.

5) So, rumors of the Cavaliers demise were a bit exaggerated to paraphrase Mark Twain, but it isn't just one thing for Cleveland's bounce back from a less than strong series against Indiana.
Yes, LeBron James has literally choked the Raptors to death in these two games on the road and we mentioned a few things above, but maybe Toronto's stars (DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry) don't match with Cleveland as well as Indiana's (Victor Oladipo and five others that average between 11 and 14 points a game) do.
Toronto also doesn't have an attitude guy like Lance Stephenson to harass and annoy LeBron James.
Sometimes in sports, a better team with a better record isn't always automatically a more difficult team to defeat,
It could be that Indiana is a better team than I thought or simply that they match up better with the Cavaliers than the Raptors, who won eleven more games than the Pacers in the regular season.

6) Is this series over?
Even with the next two in Cleveland, I wouldn't go that far yet-BUT Toronto has defeated the Cavaliers in Cleveland just once in the last ten tries and that was in the final game of the 2016-17 regular season when with nothing onthe  line, Cleveland rested most of their top players.
SO considering all of that, Toronto will now have to defeat the Cavaliers twice at the Q.
Possible, but unlikely and right now the Raptors are wobbling to the E.R- a loss on Saturday and Barney the dinosaur will be on full level oxygen.

Cavaliers put away Indiana-Win game and series

LeBron James battled through leg cramps and exhaustion to score 45 points and carry his Cleveland Cavaliers past the Indiana Pacers 105-101 in game seven of their Eastern Conference series and take a victory in the series four games to three.
The victory lifts the Cavaliers to the Eastern semi-finals against the top seed in the East-the Toronto Raptors.
Game one is in Toronto on Tuesday.
No promises on coverage as I will be away during the game.

Swashbucklings

1) LeBron James not only accumulated his stats against Indiana, he fought through the above problems that sent him to the locker room for a tenure.
James also had nine boards and seven assists and certainly would have had a triple-double had he not been forced to leave the game.
James has literally tossed this team on his back, the bigger question is how far can he carry them?

2) I may be thinking of a hopeful bias here, but I think yesterday might give the Cavaliers a hint of hope that LeBron James might return.
LeBron had every chance to pack it in yesterday (like he arguably did in Boston before he left for Miami) and yet he continued to push through the pain.
I'm not saying that I KNOW he's is staying, but he had a chance to spit out the bit and he didn't.
I just have a feeling he's going to stay.

3) Tristan Thompson has had a bad year and rarely saw the court in this series, but Tyronn Lue took a chance and not only started Thompson, but played him 35 minutes.
Thompson rewarded Lue with 15 points and 10 boards in an inspired performance.
Thompson is always going to be overpaid and he may be a player that's time has passed with the evolution of the game, but on occasion might pop out and give some value as an energy player.

4) Kevin Love's shooting woes continued to a degree with a 5 for 13 shooting afternoon.
However, Love was 4 of 8 from three-point range, so that is a positive to take away from this game.
The answer to Love's problems might be as simple as letting him be aggressive and try to shoot his way out of them- as risky as that could be.

5) Kyle Korver scored just three points, but his biggest play came late in the game when Korver passed up a reasonably open three to run a give and go with LeBron James for the basket that essentially broke the back of the Pacers.
Korver's never been known as an ace passer, but he has a high level of trust with James and saw that was an open option.

6) Glad this series is over. The uniforms are just too similar to see on television and it's easy to become confused.

7) SO... Onto Toronto and after a series that was tougher than expected against a Pacers team that isn't anything special, it is the top-seeded Raptors that await.
The stats show DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry as the keys, but keep an eye on Jonas Valanciunas in this season.
Valanciunas averaged around 13 points and 9 boards and down low is going to be a force against the Cavaliers lighter post players- Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr, and Kevin Love.
Is it possible that we see some very limited action from Kendrick Perkins to pound on Valanciunas a bit in an attempt to slow him and help the Cavaliers quicker, but smaller defenders?

8) LeBron James is tired and it's asking him a lot to carry this team out of the East, let alone to a title.
If that has a slim chance of happening, Cleveland is going to have to end a series in fewer games at least once in order to save some mileage on the legs.
Toronto's the top seed, but again just a hunch- but this might be the chance for the Cavaliers to do that.
Call it an upset special- Cleveland in 6

LeBron steps up! Cavs pop Pacers at the buzzer!

The Cleveland Cavaliers had frittered away another lead to the Indiana Pacers by not making a shot from the floor since the 7:19 mark and a turnover with 26 seconds to go gave Indiana the ball and the opportunity to lead with mere ticks of the clock remaining in the game.

However, Indiana didn't have the best player in the world on their side and he decided to take over and make sure that his side was taking game five home.
LeBron James raced by to block the reserve layup of Victor Oladipo and called timeout with three seconds remaining to set up the movie-like ending as James took the ball on the inbounds pass and drained the long three-pointer for the game-winner by a 98-95 score at the Quicken Loans Arena.
James finished with 44 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists with Kyle Korver adding 19 points as the second highest scorer.
Cleveland can polish off the Pacers Friday in Indianapolis with a win on the road.

Swashbucklings

1) You want to know why LeBron James is the best player in the world?
It's because he plays the total game.
Stephen Curry is a better pure shooter, Kevin Durant is likely a superior scorer and there are a few players that are slightly better defenders, but none of those gentlemen are elite at all facets of the game and do what LeBron James does every night and perform like he does logging 40+ minutes every night.

2) I've always said that I hate to define the best basketball player ever because the positions are so different- playing the low post, running the point, the athleticism playing the 3 or 4 and the shooting of the off guard that it's very difficult to weigh players that do such different things on the floor.
However, I think a real case can be made that of the elite players of all-time that would be in the conversation of the best player ever, LeBron James might have the best case as the most versatile of those players and therefore maybe the best/

3) LeBron James blocking Victor Oladipo might mean nothing in the big scheme depending on if and when the Cavaliers leave the postseason and if James leaves via free agency after the season, but that is the type of hustle play that great players make.
The Pacers and Oladipo may want to claim the play was a goaltend (arguable), but watch the replay closely Oladipo doesn't go up strong with the ball and the short time that it took for Oladipo to go the reverse route gave James a split second to catch up and make the block.
Oladipo might have more to blame himself with than a close call.

4) And we move to the three, which was on the same end of the same floor that James defeated the Orlando Magic in the playoffs years ago.
Straight out of the films, James drilled his only three-pointer of the night and it looked good from the moment it rolled off his fingers.
Thaddeus Young played decent enough defense, it was not a wide open look, but it was enough of a look to send the Pacers home with a loss.

5) George Hill missed the game with a back injury, so Jose Calderon ran the point.
Calderon hit two three-pointers, but what he brings is different from what Hill or any other Cavalier at the point this season.
Calderon brings what observers always call the "little things" or the "intangibles" and plays under control with a calmness that only floor burnt veterans possess.
Calderon may not have the quickness to defend young and quicker guards on the point anymore as he did in his salad days in Toronto with the Raptors, but in limited playing time, I like seeing him on the floor.

Streaky Cavs hold on for Game Two win over Pacers

Photo Credit: Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Cleveland Cavaliers blasted out of the gate in the first quarter that left the Indiana Pacers wobbling and feeling like Wednesday night was going to be a long night.

However as happens almost always in sports, such performance is extremely difficult to maintain over the course of a game and the Pacers chipped away and away and even more but could never get closer than the final deficit of three points as the Cavaliers took a 100-97 nod and tied their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at one apiece before the series returns to Indianapolis for games three and four.
LeBron James scored 46 points on a team that had just two other players in double digits ( Kevin Love 15 and Kyle Korver 12) and ripped down 12 boards in a game that should be remembered for a long time and if this game occurred later in the playoffs would certainly be remembered longer than this likely will be.

Game three is Friday night at seven o'clock from Indiana.

Swashbucklings

1) LeBron James not only scored 46 of his team's 100 points, he scored the first 13 points of the game period and the first 16 for Cleveland.
An angry LeBron James almost plays possessed and when the best player in the game is angry, it's not just look out- it's get out!

2) Kevin Love didn't shoot well for the second game in a row as he hit just five of sixteen from the floor, but the news gets worse as Love left the floor holding the hand that he broke earlier in the season.
The x-ray came back clean, but is it possible that the hand is bothering Love and therefore his shooting?

3) The Cavaliers will need to shore some issues inside the paint as they were outscored 62-30.
Cleveland has become more of an outside shooting team (11 to 6 from three-point range), but that difference is pretty vast and at least needs to be narrowed...

4) Kyle Korver drilled four three's and even though this is an easy take, it's still a true one-Kyle Korver more than anyone not named LeBron James is the Cavalier that helps make a machine run well.
Korver's shooting often can open up points for a player that may not be a scoring machine, although it didn't happen in this game.
Watch for that as the Cavaliers progress.

5) Just a note on three players brought in at the trade deadline- none of Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood and George Hill played more than 20 minutes, none scored more than six points and only one finished with a plus rating (Hill at + 16 because he started and was on the floor with LeBron's hot start). No judgment. Just some numbers.

6) I really hate playing the Pacers.
The main reason?
They wear gold, the Cavaliers wore black for their first two games and from a distance, it's not easy to keep the teams apart.
Ugh...

7) Can the Cavaliers take two in Indianapolis?
I think so, but they at least need to win one of the past.
It would be nice to see someone (two would be even better) step up and help LeBron James a bit and would go a long way to save James physically.
We'll see.

Kyrie Irving asks to leave

Kyrie Irving has reportedly asked the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him as he is tired of playing with LeBron James and wants to be the "focal point of a team".

Well,as long time readers might recall,Mr.Irving was the focal point of a team-the Cleveland Cavaliers at one time and they were at no point of that tenure,even a playoff team-let alone a championship contender.
Kyrie Irving has provided a list of teams that he wants to be traded to,none of which Cleveland is under any obligation to send him to or even at all since Irving's contract does not include a no-trade clause.
The fact that San Antonio is on the list is hilarious to me as the always gruff Gregg Popovich and the team concept that he has built there seems like an awful fit for a guy that would rather be "THE guy" than contend for championships,but if the Spurs would be interested in shipping Kawhi Leonard (no chance at all) than by all means,give the guy what he wants....

For Irving to not want to play with LeBron James is mind boggling.
I don't recall players wanting to leave Michael Jordan,Magic Johnson or Larry Bird and just a cursory look at the oft-maligned Kevin Durant in Golden State to see the importance of keeping a team together.
Irving had a run as the foundation of a team and it didn't go well,although Irving was a young player at the time and players do need to ripen on a vine a bit to lead a losing team.
In addition,the stats show that even now-the Cavaliers were outscored on the season during times that Irving played and LeBron James was on the bench-a number that might not bode well for a player that wants "his own team".
I've always thought of Irving as more of a 2 guard that moves with the ball more than a true point guard and those guys tend to put up big numbers on teams that range from bad to a marginal playoff team.
LeBron is a player that makes the other players on the floor better,I'm not sure that Irving is that type of player.

I just don't understand it unless it comes down to Irving's ego and immaturity or an outside influence (Irving's father has been reported to have a LaVar Ball type of influence) pushing him to be more of a solo star,because other than that-it simply makes zero amount of sense.
LeBron James isn't blameless on the overall though.
He says he's committed to Cleveland (I think and hope he is),but it seems like every year or two,we play this LBJ hits free agency soon game and as a result,the franchise doesn't know what to expect and Cleveland is a destination for elite players only as long as they host James,so players are naturally reluctant to commit to Cleveland without the same commitment from James.

The Cavaliers won't have a small number of suitors for the services of Irving,but I would assume they would prefer to send him to the Western Conference,although a possible deal might link Irving to the Knicks (near his hometown in New Jersey) for some combination that would involve Carmelo Anthony.
I would want some draft picks involved as the Knicks should be delivering some high picks even with Irving in that type of deal.
I'd prefer that Irving be sent to the West and would really rather him be traded to a bottom dweller out there where he can score thirty points a night,be the star and go 30-52 every season.
Phoenix or Sacramento would fit that description nicely!
Had Irving made this demand a month ago,the Cavaliers might have been able to make a much better deal.
I would think Indiana would have preferred Irving to the Paul George deal they made with the Oklahoma City Thunder and I would especially think that the Clippers would have rather had Irving than what they acquired from Houston for Chris Paul.

Even though every Cavalier fan is broiling Irving right now,I won't-Not yet.
Remember when Kobe Bryant did a similar trade demand in the media and yet he spent his entire career as a Laker?
These things don't always result in trades and I wouldn't say that we have for sure seen the last of Kyrie Irving as a Cavalier quite yet.

I don't approve of what Kyrie Irving is doing,but I'll still have some problems ripping him too much.
That championship went a long way with me and even though this is shaping up to be an ugly divorce,I'll try my best to remember one jump shot in Oakland rather than the guy that wants to jump ship...

Cavaliers stop History-Win Game Four

The Cleveland Cavaliers zoomed to the lead with 49 point first quarter and never allowed history or the Golden State Warriors to seriously challenge them again as the Cavaliers stayed alive with a 137-116 drubbing in Cleveland in game four of the NBA finals.

LeBron James finished with a triple double (31 pts,10 rebounds,11 assists) with Kyrie Irving supporting James with 40 points and Kevin Love adding 23 more.
Golden State continues to lead the series at 3-1 and the Warriors can end the season Monday in Oakland.


Swashbucklings

1) To say that the Cavaliers were inspired to come out firing early would be a severe understatement.
49 first quarter points-NBA finals record for points in a quarter.
86 first half points-NBA finals record.
That says more than I can type....

2) LeBron James continued to show why he is the best player in the world still-no matter the eventual result of this series,
The overall play of James is what makes him the games top player.
He's not the shooter that Stephen Curry or the pure offensive force of Kevin Durant,but he's good enough at both to dominate on the right night and the other gifts in his game that James possesses far outweighs anything that Curry or Durant does beyond what their strength is.

3) Kyrie Irving's 40 points led the team,but his 15 of 27 was more important (seven three pointers made as well).
Irving is an offensive machine and when he's clicking like he was in this game,few are going to be able to defend him..

4) Loved the ball movement in this game by the Cavaliers.
The ball was kept moving and the Cavaliers didn't fall into the trap of constant isolation of James or Irving going one on five.
Ball movement creates open looks and open looks make complementary players much more likely to contribute..

5) Kevin Love fired in 17 points in the first half and even was a help on defense.
Combine Love with the resurgent games from J.R.Smith and Tristan Thompson and that goes a long way toward a victory.

6) The whole technical foul on Draymond Green/Not on Green thing is the type of thing that makes casual fans,some of which already question NBA basketball being on the level,cringe and wonder.
Put aside whether the technical that was called on Green or not,it looks bad...

7) Nice work by Zaza Pachulia,who will likely miss game five by suspension,for punching Iman Shumpert in the groin.
Add in the resume of Draymond Green and it's no wonder that the Warriors are so disliked.

8) When you are down 3-0 in a series,each game is the most important.
Cleveland came up with a huge effort to avoid the sweep,now they have to have another one in Oakland where they have been blown out twice in the series.
It's unlikely and will take another game of dazzling play to win,but for a second imagine this scenario-If Cleveland wins in Oakland,the series becomes 3-2 and the thoughts of last season has to be on the Warriors mind as they return to Cleveland for game six,where they 'should' have lost both games.
That takes it to game seven and then who knows what happens because then the pressure is all on Golden State,not Cleveland who is playing with house money.
Chances of this happening? Not very good,but there is your road map to a miracle...

Cavaliers cruise by Celtics in Game One 117-104

So much for rust and so much for the home court advantage of the Boston Celtics as the Cleveland Cavaliers ran up and down and through Boston on their way to a deceivingly small thirteen point win

in a game one that spent much of the game in the twenty point margin.

LeBron James led Cleveland with 38 points,but he had plenty of help with Kevin Love scoring 32 points and 12 rebounds along with Tristan Thompson's 20 points and 9 rebounds.

The 117-104 win gave Cleveland a 1-0 series lead and gave home court advantage to the Cavaliers.

Game two is Friday night in Boston.

Swashbucklings

1) I'm not sure what Boston coach Brad Stevens can do in any hope to stop LeBron James.

Stevens (who I'm a big fan of as a coach) tried big,small and in between defenders and none created even the slightest concern for James,who drove by everyone,but Red Auerbach to the basket for easy scores.

2) Boston's best two players were not their best players on this night as Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford combined to shoot 11 for 30 on the evening.

In my opinion,Thomas and Horford are nice players and well suited to win games in the regular season.

However,there always comes a time somewhere in the postseason that teams need to have an Alpha Dog-neither Thomas or Horford are that type of player.

3) Was nice to see Kevin Love setting a playoff career high for points with his 32 points.
Love hit six of nine from three point range and many of them were wide open shots.

The Cavaliers moved the ball around with ease,often leaving the Celtics scrambling and more often than not,unable to reach the open man.

I drove to work late in the third quarter and Sirius radio uses the home team feed,so the Celtics announcers were on and they were bemoaning the lack of defense on Love from beyond the arc.

When the home team's network is griping about their teams lack of defense,you know they have been dominated.

4) Credit to Tristan Thompson for not only his 20 points around the glass,but for establishing that the Cavaliers will be the more physical team inside.

Boston is one of the worst rebounding teams in the league and Cleveland figured to have an advantage inside,but Thompson's offense was unexpected,I'll take it.

5) Kelly Olynyk,the Celtic hero in their game seven win over Washington and before that best known for his MMA submission move on Kevin Love in the 2015 playoffs that knocked Love out for the duration of that playoff run,was completely ineffective.

Ineffective to the tune of two points in sixteen minutes.

6) Game two might be the Celtics stand.

At home and with most counting them out,Boston will need their best effort and I think Cleveland is going to get it.

Boston is in "all in" mode-if the Cavaliers can grab game two,I think this series ends in a sweep...

Podcast:Different thoughts on guns and one and dones..

We offer some different thoughts and theories on a mobile mini-cast.

I offer some thoughts on guns and the people that use them without discussing gun control legislation in the aftermath of the death of former Buckeye Will Smith.

I also look at a not thought of theory of how being a 18 or 19 year old NBA player can affect a players career longevity and peak along with how this could affect the Cavaliers...

LBJ hits 25,000 in Cavaliers win!

LeBron James hit 25,000 points for his career in leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 107-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Philly.
James finished one rebound short of a triple double in scoring 22 points.
Mo Williams added 21 points among five Cavaliers in double digit scoring in the victory.
Cleveland begins a four game home stand on Wednesday against the New York Knicks..

Swashbucklings

1) This game wasn't all easy.
A bad first period had Cleveland behind by as much as 15 points in the first half and against the second unit,the Sixers cut the score to as close as six with under a minute to go.
Still some edges to be sanded down....

2) LeBron James is the youngest player (30) to ever to hit 25,000 points.
Much of that is the four years that he was able to play from 18-22 that so many players from the past spent in college,but those four years,much like Kobe Bryant,might be the difference in being the top scorer ever with good health.

3) Philadelphia fans aren't usually known for their good manners,but give them credit last night for giving James a standing ovation.
Very classy...

4) Nice game from Matthew Dellavedova with 12 points,9 assists and some pretty passes near the rim to LeBron James.
Hard to believe that this team is so talented that Dellavedova will be the third string point guard when Kyrie Irving returns,...

5) J.R.Smith left the game with a knee injury.
An MRI is scheduled for today.
If Smith misses time,Jared Cunningham should be the player that watches his playing time rise....

Cavaliers hold off Warrior rally-win Game 3!

The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first ever home game in the NBA Finals and more importantly took a two to one series lead over the Golden State Warriors after a 96-91 at Quicken Loans Arena.
LeBron James led all scorers with 40 points and Matthew Dellavedova added a surprising 20 more to lead Cleveland to the win.

Cleveland dominated the game as they built a 20 point lead in the third quarter,but the Warriors came alive in the fourth period and cut the lead as close as just one point,but could get no closer.
Game 4 takes place back at the Q Thursday night at 9,where the Cavaliers will attempt to hold home court...

Swashbucklings

1) What more can you say about Matthew Dellavedova?
Diving on the floor,hitting some of the ugliest shots that you'll ever see from a pro player and other than some of the fourth quarter,shutting off the high scoring Stephen Curry from being the MVP force that he was in the regular season.

2) The concern for the Cavaliers,who are already injury riddled,is can they continue to keep this together using super glue and duck tape to get two more wins?
Iman Shumpert left the game after seeming to injure the same shoulder that kept him out for six weeks earlier this season and despite his return,one has to be concerned about that and....

3) Matthew Dellavedova left the arena and headed to the hospital with severe cramping in both legs.
Dellavedova has been the surprising breakout star of this series,but how much can his frantic style be cutting into his health?
And could Cleveland get two more wins without him???

4) LeBron James is doing this with mirrors and deception as James is averaging more than 40 points a game in the finals,but he is doing it with a bizarre stat line with a low shooting percentage such as last night's 14 for 34.
James is playing well and considering the way that this series has to be played,one couldn't logically expect a high shooting percentage-but imagine if you could!

5) What a crowd last night!
I've always told my friends (especially one noted Steeler fan) that it is the Cleveland fan that is the best fan in sports.
We watch some of the worst teams sports has to offer and give us even a playoff team and the town goes nuts!
That arena was rocking last night and the hype before game one about Oracle Arena being so loud (it was and their fans are great as well)-The Q was louder.
What an environment to play in!

6) The fourth quarter was scary though and it makes you wonder just what is waiting tomorrow night.
Stephen Curry finally woke up and hit some unbelievable bombs from sonar range and if that is any indication-this series is far from over and you'll hear no crowing from this corner yet!

7) The vice like defense that the Cavaliers are putting on Golden State is the basketball version of what the Browns hope to be doing-keep the tempo slow,be physical,don't allow Golden State to run the fast break and break the rhythm team's rhythm.
It may not be pretty,but it is the only way Cleveland wins this series...

8) The bench may not have been a huge help,but J.R.Smith and James Jones each knocked down two three pointers and Mike Miller went flying across the floor to keep a loose ball in play.
You take what you can get and I still think for Cleveland to win two more games,J.R.Smith is going to have to have one of those "Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson type of games like he did against the Hawks...

9) If Iman Shumpert is able to play through the pain of his shoulder,he still will not be 100 percent obviously and could someone fill in for at least a few minutes?
Could this be the time for Shawn Marion to summon up a blast from the past and provide a few key spots?
The aging "Matrix" has been a bit of a disappointment in Cleveland,but he's had a great career and deserves a chance for one last stand...

10) Can the Cavaliers pull this off?
Yes,but in my opinion only with a win Thursday night at the Q.
If Golden State wins and makes this a best of 3 series,then I lean Warriors.
If Cleveland can win and go up 3-1,I doubt that the best player in the world is going to be beaten three games in a row.

Cavaliers rally in Orlando for 98-89 win

It's been  a while for a Cavaliers report between Devils games and the holidays,but I finally had time to watch a Cavaliers game!
LeBron James led Cleveland with 29 points and dragged the Cavaliers to a 98-89 win in Orlando over the Magic.
Kevin Love added 22 points with Dion Waiters finishing with 17 off the bench.

Swashbucklings

1) First,a little catchup from games that I didn't write on.
The loss of Anderson Varejao to an achilles tear for the season is one that the Cavaliers will have to address sooner or later.
Cleveland already had problems in the paint and those have just become massive.
Now for why Varejao was signed to such an expensive long term deal with an injury history?
I'll save that story for another day.

2) Kyrie Irving banged up a knee in the Christmas Day loss in Miami and missed the Orlando win with the injury.
Irving is another player with a long term contract with injury issues that I hope doesn't bite the Cavaliers in the playoffs...

3) The win over Orlando brought back memories of the days that LeBron James would put the team on his back and carry them to victory.
LeBron made the big shots and in the second half was clearly the dominant player with his aggressiveness in taking the ball to the basket,
LeBon outscored Orlando alone in the fourth quarter 15-14.
When James takes the bull by the horns and plays with aggressiveness (which is different than playing hard),there is no better player in the game..

4) Kevin Love did score 22 points,but did not play at all in the 4th quarter.
The reason? Love was having issues in stopping Nikola Vucevic.
This means that the Cavaliers are going to have playoff problems to solve with inside defense.
Cleveland is going to have to do something to address this and soon...

5) The defense was strong in the fourth quarter as noted above,but here is the key number-5 of 21 from the floor.
Sometimes this game is about more than scoring and with no Love or Irving,the Cavaliers can put a better defensive team on the floor...

Cavaliers steal one away in Boston!

After one of the worst quarters of basketball that you could expect to see,the Cleveland Cavaliers trailed by 17 points amid a terrible quarter of defensive basketball,I was ready to type a less than glowing report of "growing pains" and "processes".
However,those will wait for another night,as the Cavaliers destroyed the Boston Celtics in the fourth quarter and stunned the fans in Boston with a 122-121 shocker.
LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 41 points with Kyrie Irving finishing with 27 points.The now 4-3 Cavaliers will host the Atlanta Hawks tonight...

Swashbucklings

1) LeBron James and Kyrie Irving stepped up in the fourth quarter and simply refused to lose.
The pair outscored the Celtics 25-20 in the fourth quarter and took over the game.
That is what you hope to see as part of the "progression" and the play of the two produced a type of determination that is going to be awesome to see when they are able to put all things together for 48 minutes...

2) Kevin Love may have struggled with his shot (2-10 from the floor),but he still had a nice night on the boards  with 15 grabs and zipped off one of those long bomb outlet passes to LeBron James for a huge uncontested slam.
Those are beautiful to see...

3) Anderson Varejao scored 16 points to make up for Love's rough shooting.
Varejao hit seven of ten shots in the win with hooks low in the paint.

4) The biggest question entering the season was defense and its been warranted.
The defense in the third quarter was weak and it is pretty clear to me that the Cavaliers aren't finished tinkering before this season ends.
There is no shot blocking threat and no one to keep the paint clear from invaders.
The number one need is that type of player,it's up to David Griffin to figure out a way to get him there...

5) Dion Waiters returned to the court with 10 points in 17 minutes,but Joe Harris played more minutes with six points.
WAY too early to speculate,so I'll speculate anyway,if the team can develop Harris by mid-season,Waiters would be an appealing trade chip...

6) Disappointing night from Tristan Thompson,who scored just four points and was part of the bunch that allowed those uncontested drives down the lane.
Cleveland will need more than that from Thompson.

7) None of the comeback matters if Rajon Rondo takes the shot at the end of the game.
Boston had a chance to win with their best player having the ball in his hands.
Rondo wanted no part of the shot and spent the time looking to pass and dribbling and never put the ball in the air,....

He's back! LeBron James returns to Cleveland

I never really thought it could happen until a few weeks ago, but things fell into place just as they needed to and LeBron James will be returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

When we place all the animosity aside and I've had plenty of it towards James on my own, in my opinion, this might eventually be one of the greatest sports stories ever.
If things fall right and when it comes to Cleveland sports, things rarely fall perfectly.
However, this looks like it could work.
There are still pieces to be moved around and I'll be discussing the basketball end in a future post, but this strikes me as someone that simply wanted to return and rectify mistakes that were made.

I am choosing to believe that LeBron James truly has realized the mistakes that he made four years ago and although it is easy to say that after winning two championships, but in his well-crafted response in announcing his return, I believe it's sincere.
Now it is the time to get past the past and move onto the goal-getting a world championship for the city of Cleveland, state of Ohio and the Cavaliers organization.

Perhaps I'm guilty of approving the return because I want to win.
Likely that's true, Cherie looks at this differently and she wants no part of a return.
I also think that there is something to be said for forgiving, but not forgetting.at least until the career of LeBron James ends.
Today, he took a step forward in the court of not only public opinion, but in the eyes of basketball historians but attempting to right a wrong and I'll be pulling for the Cavaliers and LeBron James.
After all-he plays for my team.....