CAVS.SPACE

The Cavaliers had interesting back-to-back games last Friday and Saturday. In these games, they lost to the now 7-9 Charlotte Bobcats, who have not yet qualified for the playoffs in franchise history and currently sit at 7th place in the Eastern Conference; and defeated the Dallas Mavericks, runners-up in 2005-2006, owners of the league's best record in 2006-2007, and currently 3rd in the Western Conference with a record of 13-5. In Friday night's game , the Cavaliers came out flat. This was likely the cliche "trap game", in which the Cavs overlooked the Bobcats in favor of Saturday night's opponents, the Mavericks. Also, the game against the Bobcats took place the day after Thanksgiving, meaning that the lethargy of the team could be linked to heavy eating, including the consumption of tryptophan-containing turkey. Still, as Mike Brown, Danny Ferry, and others declared during the 2007 playoffs, the Cavs are a "no excuses team". The performance was beyon...

Last week, Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin passed away at age 85. Pollin was the longest tenured owner in the NBA, having owned the Wizards (formerly the Bullets) since 1964. Pollin moved the team from Baltimore to the nation's capital. Among his franchise's accomplishments was winning the NBA Championship in 1978. Pollin was not only a long-tenured owner but also very well respected across the league and sports in general. He previously owned the Washington Capitals (National Hockey League) and the Washington Mystics (WNBA), both of whom he sold to a group led by Ted Leonsis of AOL (who will take over the Wizards with Pollin's passing). He was loyal to his employees, who were loyal to him as an employer. At the same time, Pollin was not afraid to speak up about his concerns internally or externally. Internally, Pollin gave Michael Jordan much power as a team executive, allowed Jordan to make a second comeback from retirement, then let Jordan go following Jordan's ...

The Cavaliers have made some roster moves, including bringing in future hall of fame center Shaquille O'Neal. Meanwhile, Delonte West, who helped stabilize last year's 66-win team as the starting shooting guard and backup point guard, is currently getting back up to speed after addressing some personal concerns. Overall, it is obvious that the team chemistry is not where it was all of last season. Moreover, the team seems much more tense than it was last year. With this year's team seeking to develop good chemistry, it is likely that they will not win 66 games this regular season. A more likely estimate is 58 wins. The Cavs have already lost as many games at home this year as last year (2). However, it is quite possible with the new additions that the team will improve on its franchise best road record of 27-14 from last season. In fact, this team might be a better team on the road than at home this year. In the end, even with a lower win total in the regular season...

A pleasant surprise this season is the re-emergence of Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko , who regained his starting role with C.J. Miles currently out with an injury. As a solid all-around player, Kirilenko is currently averaging 13.7 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, 3.9 assists per game, 1.4 blocks per game, and 1.0 steals per game. On Monday, he scored 23 points, including 5 3-pointers. At age 28, Kirilenko should have several more years of good basketball in his system.

A couple weeks ago, Indiana Pacers co-owner Melvin Simon passed away. Alongside brother and co-owner Herbert, the two helped keep the Pacers in Indianapolis back in 1983. The pair then led the team to continuous improvement for a number of years. Their management drafted Hall of Fame hopeful Reggie Miller and brought in other successful players as well as several prominent coaches, including Boston Celtic and Indiana State legend Larry Bird, Detroit Piston and Indiana legend Isiah Thomas, and Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown. The team peaked in 1999-2000, when it moved into a new arena and later reached the NBA Finals, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. Off the court, Simon was known primarily for his contributions to the real estate industry. In particular, he and his brother helped popularize indoor shopping malls. Simon and his family also contributed a good amount to education, charity, and politics. Simon did spend a short time working as a movie producer as well. He is the t...

The Cleveland Indians have had a rough season. The Cleveland Browns are having a bad season right now. Games like Sunday's Browns loss to the Ravens makes me (as well as a myriad of Cleveland sports fans) eager for the start of the NBA season and Cavalier basketball. The Indians and the Browns have been putting up similar records the past few years: namely, a winning record here or there with a handful of losing seasons. While the Browns seem to change the Head Coach and the General Manager every 3-4 years, the Indians have ridden Eric Wedge since 2003 and Mark Shapiro since the end of 2001. Thankfully, the Cavaliers followed up a horrendous season in 2003 by winning the 1st pick in the NBA Draft and taking local prodigy LeBron James. After new owner Dan Gilbert hired current Head Coach Mike Brown and current General Manager Danny Ferry, the team made the playoffs for the first time in 8 years in 2006. Although the team advanced to the Finals in 2007, the team appears to have...

The Cavaliers are on the brink of elimination, trailing the Orlando Magic 3-1 in the Best of 7 Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs have been somewhat shaky in this series, including reverting to the 'Lebron-ball' (aka 'Lebron and Four Guys') offense. Yet, they have managed to take each game down to the wire. On the other hand, the Magic seem to be playing the best basketball they have played all season. If the Cavaliers continue to make adjustments as they had done for Game 4, they can put the pressure back on Orlando. While the Cavaliers have looked tentative, nervous, and scared throughout this series (as could be seen through their body language and facial expressions), they finally seemed to overcome this at the end of Game 4. Meanwhile, for the first time in the series, Dwight Howard (among others) had a look of fear in his eyes during the overtime period last night. On this off day in between games, the Cavaliers need to adjust their strategy against the Magic. He...