Windhorst: Cleveland Cavaliers "Aren't Playing Like a Team That Intends to Advance"

At times it looks like Delonte West does his best to provide leadership when LBJ is not on the floor. I’ve never believed Mo had any real talent to carry a team and for that matter still don’t. So it’s safe to say he won’t step up.

As for LBJ leaving…
I believe that no matter what happens this season he will re-sign with Cleveland in a contract that keeps him there for no long than 3 years. No matter what happens in the 3 years after LBJ signs he will leave. That is my opinion. Can I get a witness??? (No queen james pun intended)

I think Mo is capable of putting up big points but Jameer will have to be playing bad D or having to battle thru too much screens. Mo cannot guard Jameer well to begin with tho. Meercat and Vinsanity will need to step up because I don’t think either one can be stopped well if they are as aggressive as possible.

but, why not use him down the stretch yesterday?

I think Cleveland would be much more successful playing Shaq and Lebron opposite of each other. When Lebron goes out, you feed Shaq-Inside-out from there. I think it would maximize Mo Williams and Delonte’s ability to shoot from the perimeter.

One has to question Mike Brown’s ability. Why did you get Jamison, if you going to run spread and watch offense?

It’s pretty much a certainty that if we win that series, it won’t be in a sweep.

But I think what people are saying is that despite the similarities between our current postseason run and the Cavs’ run last year, the circumstances are different, and that cannot be overlooked. We have improved over last year’s team, we’re at full health, we’re playing very good basketball right now, and our opponents so far have been troublesome for all of the top teams in the East. These are all good reasons to believe that our current run hasn’t been due to our opponents laying down, but to us playing like a Championship-caliber team.

The Cavs last year were not challenged by a Pistons team that had no right to be in the playoffs or a Hawks team hit by a couple injuries from the previous series. The Bobcats gave us everything we could handle and were regarded as a lower seed who had a lot of potential to pull an upset. We’re playing a Hawks team at full-strength but we match up way too well with them. Plus, they also seem very demoralized after not being able to close out game 2. However, as I said on another thread, the reason we beat the Cavs was because we matched up very well with them; not because they played easy competition the first 2 rounds. Almost any knowledgeable, unbiased basketball fan could have told you that we’d win that series due to the match up nightmares we caused. Although we may not have all those clear advantages against the Cavs this year, I still think we match up quite well with them. Or if Boston makes it, I think we’re better equipped to handle them with KG. Either way, the ECF will be a dogfight. As for being over-confident, Stan WILL NOT allow that with these guys! So, I don’t think you have too much to worry about there.

Wojnarowski picks the Magic