The 2010-2011 Cleveland Cavaliers did a number of things in winning their season opener. They defeated the Boston Celtics, who had knocked the Cavs out of the playoffs last year. The Cavs also won at home, where they last lost by 32 points to the Celtics in the foreshadowing Game 5 playoff loss. They won tonight with a new Head Coach--Byron Scott. And, they did it without superstar LeBron James.
The victory tonight was very refreshing. Coach Scott showed the poise of an experienced coach, and he did not shy away from making frequent calculated substitutions during the closing minutes of the game. He played the lineups that he felt gave the Cavs the best chance to win, with former All-Star forward Antawn Jamison accepting a role as a bench player. He did not give up on his players; Daniel Gibson, for one, kept shooting confidently, and the shots eventually fell for him.
The way the Cavs played tonight was reminiscent of the Cavs squads under former Head Coach Lenny Wilkens. The offense was fluid, and there were no egos limiting the offense's capabilities. The offense run by LeBron James--the offense of the Miami Heat that lost to the Boston Celtics last night--was not present tonight. People did not just stand around and watch LeBron like the Heat did last night down the stretch.
Likewise, the defense was pretty impressive. LeBron James was supposedly the Cavaliers' best defender, but that was not evident tonight. The team defense and individual defense played by guys like Anderson Varejao, Jamario Moon, J.J. Hickson, and Ramon Sessions kept the Celtics' players in check. It seemed like Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis were the ones trying to rally Boston, not the Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Even the O'Neals--Shaquille and Jermaine (no relation)--were held in check. While former Head Coach Mike Brown's defense limited points allowed, Head Coach Byron Scott's defense forced more turnovers and scored more points off those turnovers.
Sure, the Cleveland Cavaliers no longer have LeBron James. They lost Zydrunas Ilgauskas as well, as Z was a link all the way back to the Mike Fratello/Wayne Embry days. Furthermore, this team does not have Jason Kidd or Chris Paul--premier pure point guards who ran the show for Coach Scott's championship contending teams in New Jersey and New Orleans. However, whether people realize it or not, this Cavaliers team just might have more talent overall than any of Coach Scott's previous rosters. In lieu of superstars, the Cavaliers have a roster full of capable players. Add in the fact that a lot of these players are hungry to prove themselves and hungry to win--the fist-pumping of Ryan Hollins exemplified this--and it is hard to see the Cavaliers crumbling like they did in the 2007 NBA Finals, or the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, or the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals. One win does not make a legacy, but a win like the one tonight opens the door for a new era and a new legacy to be written.
The victory tonight was very refreshing. Coach Scott showed the poise of an experienced coach, and he did not shy away from making frequent calculated substitutions during the closing minutes of the game. He played the lineups that he felt gave the Cavs the best chance to win, with former All-Star forward Antawn Jamison accepting a role as a bench player. He did not give up on his players; Daniel Gibson, for one, kept shooting confidently, and the shots eventually fell for him.
The way the Cavs played tonight was reminiscent of the Cavs squads under former Head Coach Lenny Wilkens. The offense was fluid, and there were no egos limiting the offense's capabilities. The offense run by LeBron James--the offense of the Miami Heat that lost to the Boston Celtics last night--was not present tonight. People did not just stand around and watch LeBron like the Heat did last night down the stretch.
Likewise, the defense was pretty impressive. LeBron James was supposedly the Cavaliers' best defender, but that was not evident tonight. The team defense and individual defense played by guys like Anderson Varejao, Jamario Moon, J.J. Hickson, and Ramon Sessions kept the Celtics' players in check. It seemed like Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis were the ones trying to rally Boston, not the Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Even the O'Neals--Shaquille and Jermaine (no relation)--were held in check. While former Head Coach Mike Brown's defense limited points allowed, Head Coach Byron Scott's defense forced more turnovers and scored more points off those turnovers.
Sure, the Cleveland Cavaliers no longer have LeBron James. They lost Zydrunas Ilgauskas as well, as Z was a link all the way back to the Mike Fratello/Wayne Embry days. Furthermore, this team does not have Jason Kidd or Chris Paul--premier pure point guards who ran the show for Coach Scott's championship contending teams in New Jersey and New Orleans. However, whether people realize it or not, this Cavaliers team just might have more talent overall than any of Coach Scott's previous rosters. In lieu of superstars, the Cavaliers have a roster full of capable players. Add in the fact that a lot of these players are hungry to prove themselves and hungry to win--the fist-pumping of Ryan Hollins exemplified this--and it is hard to see the Cavaliers crumbling like they did in the 2007 NBA Finals, or the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, or the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals. One win does not make a legacy, but a win like the one tonight opens the door for a new era and a new legacy to be written.