You know, we can win it all now.

[cavfanintexas]

we do have some good shooters that can play above average def.
Player FG%
West/pg .444 Gibson/pg .430
Wally/sg .487 Sash/sg .412
James/sf .467 Wally/sf .487
Ben/pf .473 Smith/pf .456
Z/c .477 Varejao/c .486

 

[RogueChedder]

The right coach could've taken this team to the finals. The Celts series could've gone either way, and Lebron owns Detroit (GM 5-RAGING INFERNO) Is the laker lineup any better than ours? Gasol played like exactly like Z in the finals, i.e contributing nothing. D Fish and Odom probably add as much as D-West and Wallace. I'd say our bench significantly better. The point is Mike Brown isn't nearly creative enough to be a head coach much less utilize the talent we have right now effectively. Is there any reason we are so attached to this clown? The best move we could've made was to hire D'Antoni and demote Brown to pyro technic-coordinater...IMO

 

[-Akronite-]

In my opinion, this team has a shot.

Wally could become consistent again after a camp and some time.
Sasha could get back on the horse when healthy.
Boobie could contribute for bigger part of the season this time.
LeBron can continue to blow us away.
Delonte could have a break-out season.
Z could continue to impress.
Ben can lead our defense.
AV could get back to business and be our energy guy.

But there is also possibility we completely fall apart.

I say we go after Childress and/or Posey and call it an offseason.

We have some young talent, and we have some veterans who still have game. We are one of if not the best team out there when our players have it turned up. Plus our expirings could mean chasing a star like Wade or Bosh soon.

But again, we could fail in so many ways.

Whether you stay the same or make big changes, one thing is for sure, the next season is a gamble. Injuries can flush away everything you've built. Bad chemistry can leave a team ready for lottery and dismantling in a few seasons. I like our chances of grabbing someone with the MLE and going, because a training camp could do a lot for this team. Also, those expirings could add up to something in the future.

It's a gamble, but so is getting any of the injury prone players we want or the ones who are used to a system with a fluid offense.

Either way, good luck to Cavs next season. Hopefully, they prove everybody wrong and give LeBron a reason to stay.

 

[Karma]

How anyone can think this team isn't close is beyond me. The team played poorly, had injuries galore and were just a piece of luck away from being in the show again! You tend to forget this team that is claimed to be badly coached, have a horrible roster and coming offer a horrendous injury ridden season were the only legitimate challenges to the Champions. Apparently though we aren't close.

Can we approve?

**** Yeah!

Doesn't mean we ain't close if we dont make major moves.

Alot can be said for stability and health.

 

[LBJHeath]

How anyone can think this team isn't close is beyond me. The team played poorly, had injuries galore and were just a piece of luck away from being in the show again! You tend to forget this team that is claimed to be badly coached, have a horrible roster and coming offer a horrendous injury ridden season were the only legitimate challenges to the Champions. Apparently though we aren't close.

Can we improve?

**** Yeah!

Doesn't mean we ain't close if we dont make major moves.

A lot can be said for stability and health.

Excellent point Karma!

**********************************

The Cavaliers' are close; don't doubt that for a moment. LeBron is a huge piece/reason for that goal, but he cannot do anything by himself.

I agree that if LeBron was hurt, we'd be a worse team, but we would NOT be "garbage!!!"

LeBron is such a polarizing player, that when he is on ANY team, the focus automatically shifts to him. Need proof?

Okay, let's use last summer for an example. LeBron played with KOBE, KIDD, CHANDLER, REDD, ANTHONY,etc,etc,etc.

Despite ALL of those ALL-STARS, who was the player that everyone talked about????????????????????????

LeBron!!!

Had we not known the names of the other players, we'd have been saying the exact same thing about team-USA, that we are saying about the Cavaliers! LeBron just makes EVERYONE look small, when they are compared to him.

We are contenders NOW!!!

Don't doubt that.

Can we get better? Yes!

But, we are good-enough to win it right now!

 

[Splitz]

Excellent point Karma!

**********************************

The Cavaliers' are close; don't doubt that for a moment. LeBron is a huge piece/reason for that goal, but he cannot do anything by himself.

I agree that if LeBron was hurt, we'd be a worse team, but we would NOT be "garbage!!!"

LeBron is such a polarizing player, that when he is on ANY team, the focus automatically shifts to him. Need proof?

Okay, let's use last summer for an example. LeBron played with KOBE, KIDD, CHANDLER, REDD, ANTHONY,etc,etc,etc.

Despite ALL of those ALL-STARS, who was the player that everyone talked about????????????????????????

LeBron!!!

Had we not known the names of the other players, we'd have been saying the exact same thing about team-USA, that we are saying about the Cavaliers! LeBron just makes EVERYONE look small, when they are compared to him.

We are contenders NOW!!!

Don't doubt that.

Can we get better? Yes!

But, we are good-enough to win it right now!

Yeah and that is evidenced by the, what was it, 6 games in a row that we lost when Lebron was injured last season? Your analogy to the Olympics is absurd on so many levels. Do you even watch Cavs games? How many game threads was I in where people panicked when Brown chose to sit Lebron for more than 5 minutes while the other team built momentum? TONS...The trade made us better without Lebron but let us not mistake that unless our defense is at "best in the league" form, we have literally no shot of going anywhere without Lebron and even then it is too hard to score. We had a hard enough time putting the ball in the basket against the Celts with Lebron then without. This offense is too reliant on him to make plays, exert himself beyond comprehension, and make something out of nothing. Would it improve with a healthy squad? sure, but like I mentioned earlier you are going to have some injuries and that is just a part of the game. We would be lucky to have Bron go for 80+ games. Yeah we are close, but guess what folks? No cigar. I don't want Lebron to have to shoulder the burden of not having a second fiddle any longer. We are relying on Sasha, Boobie, and Delonte to do this when they are the definition of BENCH players.

 

[Karma]

Our poor record with LeBron out can also be attributed to our other players either also being injured, or playing hurt.

Wind the clock back to the previous years and our record minus LeBron was very good. Did we suddenly just suck all of a sudden.

You know why is it ok that the Spurs can fall back on Manu not being healthy, the Lakers saying if only we had Bynam. Yet we battle all year with more interuptions that I care to count out, and its just jibberish.

Its easier being negative I guess. Certainly sells more papers.

 

[Splitz]

Our poor record with LeBron out can also be attributed to our other players either also being injured, or playing hurt.

Wind the clock back to the previous years and our record minus LeBron was very good. Did we suddenly just suck all of a sudden.

You know why is it ok that the Spurs can fall back on Manu not being healthy, the Lakers saying if only we had Bynam. Yet we battle all year with more interuptions that I care to count out, and its just jibberish.

Its easier being negative I guess. Certainly sells more papers.

I think you just proved my point and in my opinion there is a difference between being negative and caring so much about your star that you don't want him to be surrounded by average talent that requires every factor imaginable to go right in order to be championship caliber. You mention a Manu and a Bynum, yet we have noone of equal measure to fall back on as an excuse. The fact is that if Manu gets hurt there is still a Tony Parker, if Bynum gets hurt, there is still a Gasol and Odom. If Lebron gets hurt there is a couple of guys that won rookie challenge MVP over a decade ago and 3 bench players that we glorify as starter potential when they are not. Don't pin the negative stuff on me. It's hard for me to be positive about a few things in particular when I watch every game and see the same nauseating crap on repeat. I give Mike Brown credit for his defense and I give Ferry credit for what he has done in the FO but when it comes to our current offense and the quality of our personnel, I am sorry but I won't accept it.

 

[Lee]

I think you just proved my point and in my opinion there is a difference between being negative and caring so much about your star that you don't want him to be surrounded by average talent that requires every factor imaginable to go right in order to be championship caliber. You mention a Manu and a Bynum, yet we have noone of equal measure to fall back on as an excuse. The fact is that if Manu gets hurt there is still a Tony Parker, if Bynum gets hurt, there is still a Gasol and Odom. If Lebron gets hurt there is a couple of guys that won rookie challenge MVP over a decade ago and 3 bench players that we glorify as starter potential when they are not. Don't pin the negative stuff on me. It's hard for me to be positive about a few things in particular when I watch every game and see the same nauseating crap on repeat. I give Mike Brown credit for his defense and I give Ferry credit for what he has done in the FO but when it comes to our current offense and the quality of our personnel, I am sorry but I won't accept it.

Some of those gose are overated to be honest. Odom plays soft, and I have never been a huge fan. He has all the talent in the world, but never seems to really use it. I am not sure he is a better player than z by any means. And I like manu, but he gets alot of open shots and I can see gibson turning into a simular role player. Its nice that manu is 6-6, while gibson is 6-2, but its not like manu players better defense with his length. He shoots 46/40/82. gibson shoots 43/44/81 which is very simular. Manu gets you 2 more assists a game and takes 5 more shots a game. Manu is 8 years older than gibson. I definetly think that gibson can become a 16 point 4 assist sharp shooter off the bench. I have also seen signs from gibson being able to drive more, but that is the biggest difference in their game. All gibson has to do is get more confidence which will come in time hopefully and we can see more trips tot he free throw line. Not trying to say he is as good as manu, but who knows what he will become in his prime (still 4 years away).

My point is I think we are over valueing other teams assets while devaluing our non-tradeable assets. Z is one of the top centers in the league still. Definately can be the 3rd part of a big three if we get the correct 2nd player via trade (carter anyone). There are only a handful of better scorers that come off the bench currently than gibson, and those have more experience than gibson. Let him develope. Smith is as good as any 3rd big man in the league. West has flaws for a starting pg, but his athletic ability especially leaping ability is 2nd to none at that position and does come in handy defensively. We have peices, we just need that one great 2nd option and we are there.

Saddly I think a wally in his prime would put this team over the top. Anyone here have a time machine? lol...anyways until then lets not think this is a bunch of garbage around Lebron. We are missing that one piece, and i am sure Ferry knows it, but we get that one missing piece and watch out.

 

[Joel]

With the addition of Maurice Williams, I think we might now be the favorites in the East.

The Lakers will be better with the addition of Bynum, and the Hornets will be better with the addition of Posey, so we might be behind them for now. Still, every year there are a handful of teams at the top with a very legitimate shot, and right now we're certainly in that group.

 

[RonG]

NO, this team is not good, it's LeBron who is the best player in the NBA thats what makes this team a playoff contender every year, dont fool yourselves.

This TEAM played quite well in a play-off series where our Star was struggling and o yead! the team that won, went on to when the title.