PostsThe Byron Scott-led Cleveland Cavaliers this year are, at least for me, more exciting than any team LBJ/Mike Brown led. They move the ball more than ever. They move, more than ever. So many times in the last few seasons the 4th quarter has become nothing more than isolation, isolation, isolation. The talents of this team have been smothered for years…think about that…years!
All the analysts who predicted the Cavaliers would only 20-30 games were tricked by how dominating Lebron was. He controlled the ball for at least half of the 24 seconds, every single game. Jump shooters stood on the wing like gargoyles, waiting ever so desperately for the chance to participate. Hickson and Varejao made random cuts to the middle, just in case Lebron decided to pass. And Mo? Well…
Mo Williams, you are a free man! You can now take control of this team the way you’ve always wanted.
Daniel Gibson…you are free to be the Dell Curry of this generation.
J.J. Hickson. Congratulations! You will no longer be publicly chastised by Lebron for being ‘inexperienced’ or forgetting to do something. You are a man.
Anderson Varejao! You now have starter’s minutes and the chance to finally average a double-double. Don’t even think about leaving to become a bench guy for a contending team. This is your season to finally prove yourself.
Ramon Sessions! You are new, but can you please be the speed/tone-setter. By that I mean more like a Rondo guard. No shooting, only tempo, and sharp passes. I see your talent…your role is crystallizing.
Other players to be discussed later…
Will we float around .500 most of the year? Perhaps. Put yourself in this team’s shoes. Most of these players have been living under a shadow for three years. Most of these players are trying to remember what made them so good ‘individually’ in the first place. Most of these players are still trying to fathom shooting more than 8 times in one game.
It’s going to get better. The third quarter is going to get better. Halftime is mentally kicking their ass. My belief is that this team plays best when it plays on instinct. And when they get back into that locker room, high from ‘mattering’, high from being useful, they come back to reality.
This team is only going to improve. And I got to tell you, if they can sneak into the playoffs and play that ‘beloved’ Heat team, I wouldn’t be surprised if something miraculous happens, because when it comes down to it, Byron Scott is a chemistry coach, and he’s got a group of guys who have played together, yet never really gotten a chance to show each other what they’re made of. By the end of this season, the chemistry will be set, and it will be better than that Heat squad.
Buckle up.
