The numbers tell the tale

[-KingofKings23-]

Pretty good write up!

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/05/16/sports/nh903503.txt

The numbers that count most are 66 and eight because the Cavaliers won 66 games to finish with the best regular-season record in the NBA in 2008-09, and they won all eight of their playoff games heading into the East finals.

The numbers behind those numbers explain why they rolled like a tsunami through the regular season and so far in the postseason. Last year while finishing 45-27, the Cavaliers scored 7,903 points and allowed 7,932 points.

In 2008-09, when Mike Brown was named NBA Coach of the Year and LeBron James was named MVP, the Cavs piled on 8,223 points and allowed 7,491.

In other words, the Cavs did not get to where they are today by winning games with half-court buzzer beaters.

"We're a better team now than last year at this point," Brown said after practice Thursday. "How much, I don't know, but we definitely are a better team now. We're a better offensive team. I do think we're a better defensive team, too, but our defense last year was pretty good. But offensively we're better in every category."

Brown then rattled off the areas in which the Cavaliers have improved offensively, starting with better coaching and better execution:

-- Setting screens.

-- Making cuts

-- Spacing the floor

-- Ball reversals.

"You name it, we're better in that area," Brown said.

The biggest difference between the Cavaliers of last year and this year is point guard Mo Williams, who was acquired in a trade with the Bucks on Aug. 13. Also, Delonte West is in his first full season with the Cavaliers after being acquired in a multi-player trade on Feb. 21, 2008.

"With Mo on the floor and Delonte on the floor, it makes a ton of difference," Brown said. "Those guys have a great feel for the game. It makes my job easier and the coaching staff's job easier as well as LeBron's job everybody's on the floor."

Wally Szczerbiak was also part of the deal for the Cavaliers along with Joe Smith and Ben Wallace. They along with West all contributed to what success the Cavs had last year, but being traded in late February to a playoff team was like falling out of the sky, landing feet first in the middle of a race and sprinting just to avoid being trampled.

Szczerbiak actually had better numbers last year — 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 22.3 minutes a game in 25 games. In 2008-09 he played in 74 games, averaging 7.0 points in 20.6 minutes. His rebounds were almost identical at 3.1 a game.

But he says he feels more at home now. He could easily have been speaking for West and the others.

"Trades are tough, especially in the middle of the season," said Szczerbiak, who was playing for Seattle when his address changed. "But I'm really comfortable here. I've gotten acclimated to the city and acclimated to my teammates.

"We've added Mo, and that helped a lot. We added new personnel and gotten comfortable with the offense. We've added new wrinkles to the offense. As high a level as LeBron has always played, I think he's playing at an even higher level this year. We've added components that help him, and he in turn can help other guys. It all starts with our unselfishness, our moving the ball and our willingness to help each other at that end of the floor and doing the same on defense."

The Cavaliers demolished the Pistons by an average of 15.75 points a game. The Pistons' highest total was 84 in a 102-84 loss in the series opener.

It was the same in the Atlanta series — 99-72 and 105-85 in Quicken Loans Arena and then 97-82 and 84-74 in Atlanta.

The Cavs will know by about 11 p.m. Sunday whether their next opponent is Boston or Orlando. The Celtics and Magic are tied 3-3 in their East semifinal series. Game 7 is 8 p.m. Sunday in Boston. Game 1 of the East finals will be played Wednesday night at The Q.