Game 8 Review (5-3)

“It’s just one game. We will see them later on this season.” - LeBron James

LBJ made it look easy tonight

I love that LBJ quote for two reasons. On one hand, he's right. By the time the Cavs get their chance to take a real slice of revenge (is that an expression?) out of the Magic ('s pie?), both of these teams will look completely different. So yes, in that sense:

It's one game. Great. Moving on.

On the other hand, regardless of how you slice it (it meaning either the win, the Magic themselves, or some appropriate application of the aforementioned 'Magic Pie' metaphor), the act of saying 'it's no big deal' is kind of passive aggressively rubbing it Orlando's face. And in that sense:

It's one game (in which we easily handled you on your home court, which, by the way, was no big deal). Great. Moving on.

So what am I trying to say? What conclusion do we reach? None. None, whatsoever. Just...I f'n hate the Magic.

Game Review

I think tonight's game officially supplants the Wizards game as the Cavs' finest performance yet this season. And for the offense, that applies tenfold.

The Supermen

The Cavs beat the Magic 102-93...and it wasn't near that close. Here are my observations:

• Say what you will about either team and their current level of play, but I just think it was good for the Cavs to get a win in this building. It hadn't happened for a while. Hadn't happened since Larry Hughes went for 41 in his good game with the Cavs. Also, LBJ added one of his massive 30+ triple doubles. So not only had it been a while, when it did last happen, the circumstances were far from routine. Save for the 24 minute appearance of Super-Mo, that wasn't the case tonight.

• Chalk this one up in the "What I Hope I Know" file: With fresh legs, Shaq looked like he might be just enough of a road block for Dwight Howard to allows us to play the Magic, rather then play the Magic's match-up advantage. Not that Dwight won't prove to be more of a handful later down the line, but remember...this is the guy who went for a relatively easy 26 and 13 on us in the conference finals, despite massively intricate double and triple teams. Tonight, he was effectively nullified (albeit with a little help from the refs, and Dwight's subsequent pouting). Dwight is so much quicker, so much more athletic, but it still looks like The Diesel is in his head a bit. And regardless of how it is accomplished, any game where Shaq is within 1 point and 3 boards of Dwight statistically...well, that means we're winning. Specifically, the biggest effect I saw Shaq having on Dwight is that he (along with a concerted effort from all Cavs) seemed to be able to keep him off the offensive glass, where DH had a very quiet 2 boards. That's huge, as Dwight is not Hakeem Olajuwon, and gets most of his points by positioning himself for dunks. His most effective way to do that? Offensive rebounding. That KILLED us last year, and it was a complete non-factor tonight. If we can keep that up (a hefty task), the Magic will not beat us.
  

On a scale of 1 - 10, here's how Mo rated his performance.

• Mo Williams!!!! Boy, when that guy is cookin, it's fun to watch. The following is a synopsis of Mo Williams in the first half: Early in the second quarter, he attempted a 3 pt FG that rolled around the rim for about five seconds, and then went in. I don't think he took another shot that hit rim. 9-9 from the field. 22 points, and some killer drive/dish plays to LeBron. Just sensational to watch. So far this year, it's been pretty obvious that the team's play has been strongly tethered to Mo Williams shooting (5 wins - 53 % fgs, 3 losses - 31 % fgs). He picked a good night to show up. Aside from hitting from everywhere on the court, Mo made life a lot easier on LeBron tonight. Especially in the first half, when Mo's penetration allowed LeBron to move off the ball, and get numerous easy, at the rim finishes. One new set in particular seemed to aid in that dynamic, as it looked like Mike Brown was hard at work over the Cavs' extended break...
  

Mike Brown had a good idea, which earned him a picture

• The 1-3 pick and roll! I just was just reading John Krolik's blog (linked on the blog roll) and it reminded me of that. Someone on the coaching staff deserves some credit here. We've seen LeBron and Mo run pick and roll before. But how often with LeBron as the screener? I literally can't remember seeing that before, and it looked like what Nash and Amar'e do, but (how much of a homer am I?) better. Because LeBron is better then Amare, and Mo is just as much of a threat to pull up for that jumper as Nash. Good Lord, that looked awesome. And kind of one of those, 'why the hell didn't we think of this before?' moments. Here's wishing that sticks around.
  

• More good things: J.J. was very solid. Z shot poorly again, but was effective defensively. And Anthony Parker looked very efficient. I'm realizing the thing with him seems to be related to the rest of the team. On a night like this, with so many people rolling, AP is able to amplify that with his smart game. Good passing, solid team defense, and 3 point shooting. It's on nights when the offense is bogged down that he finds himself in situations that he can't handle. Like having to create his own shot. Or even, in some cases, when we rely on his 3 point shooting to be a focal point, rather then the 4th scoring option it should be. What I'm starting to think is that AP can only be as effective as the rest of the team. That said, I think that means he can be really effective.

• Only downside on the court for the Cavs (off the court, it looks like Delonte had a bit of a setback), is that Jamario Moon continues to look uncomfortable. I badly wanted to see him develop into a Cavalier version of 'turn of the century Bruce Bowen.' And it just doesn't look like it's happening. Jamario Moon: elite athlete seems like he came as advertised. The guy jumps like he's in a spacecraft. But here's the problem. Jamario Moon: elite defender is nowhere to be found. Truth be told, I don't know if he ever existed. I started to have a bad feeling about this ever since watching Marquis Daniels absolutely fry him in the last preseason game. I just didn't think a guy who could let that happen to himself could possibly be a good defender. And here's the issue...JM is not playing tough. Even tonight against Vince Carter, who is literally the exact opposite of "renowned for his toughness." Jamario's playing soft, and letting bigger guys body him out of the way, thereby removing his athleticism. Definitely not time to write him off, but it's about the time I was hoping to see a little more from him. Don't need points, just minutes of tough defense.

Up Next

D-Wade and the Heat in Miami. LeBron just issued a moratorium on free agency talk. I have a feeling that will last until 8:00 tomorrow.

Game 7 Review (4-3)

It's funny how quickly my emotions can swing over the course of 24 hours. Over-reactive realist.

LBJ in MSG

LeBron James and the Cavaliers cruised to a 100-91 victory over what seemed to be a (already!) decidedly disinterested Knicks team. Indeed, the most notable thing that came of this night seems to be the vast number of 2010 articles that have since popped up on ESPN.com. Please stay LeBron. It's really fun to watch you play basketball.

Game Review

I will preface this review with the following: It's become increasingly difficult to judge a team's offensive development when watching said offense operate against the New York Knicks. It's a safe assumption that the Cavaliers had more trouble finding their way through the revolving door of the Ritz Carlton then they did weaving through Knick defenders. The point there being twofold: The Knicks suck, and sometimes those revolving door can be tricky.

Notes on the game...

• LeBron put on a show (and it was a show)...quite obviously loving every minute of playing in the Garden. While some seem to see this as a negative (i.e. LeBron has a thing for attention), I see it as a major plus. Most importantly, I believe this ease in/thirst for the limelight is what makes LeBron a really good (and somewhat overlooked) big game player. And not as importantly...as a basketball fan, it's kind of amazingly fun to watch LeBron "go showtime." It's not always the best thing for the Cavs, but provided it's not costing them any games, it's hard to complain about the MVP throwing down a few showpiece games throughout the course of the regular season. Had the Knicks put up more of a fight, we might have been looking at something more along the lines of 50, 10, 10. As it were...33, 8, 9.

Well, the kid can jump...

• Perhaps the most interesting non-LeBron development of the night was Mike Brown inserting J.J. Hickson into the starting lineup. Kind of a ballsy move considering Andy Varejao has been the second best player on the team through 7 games of the season. That said, I'm excited to see where this goes. J.J. didn't blow the roof off the place tonight (really he didn't even play particularly well), but he did show glimpses. Very early, J.J. was able to get a couple quick buckets (and display his freakish athleticism) by taking advantage of the attention paid to the rest of the first unit. When all J.J. has to do is finish, the Cavs are putting him in a position to get comfortable in a specific role. Which is really step one for him.

• Better yet, the lineup change didn't seem to hurt Andy's momentum at all. He continued his torrid start (8 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks), and proved he can play just as well with Z as he can with Shaq. Through 7 games, Andy's sizable new contract is really looking like money well spent. And be it a result of his familiarity with Andy or the Knicks atrocious defense, Z was able to play far more effectively tonight as well.

• Nice to see Jamario Moon work his way back into the rotation. I feel like most of what happened during this game will be difficult to replicate, but the bench was really strong tonight. Just take a look at the +/- of the core reserves. Big Z (+19), Delonte West (+15), Daniel Gibson and Andy (both +6). That hasn't been happening much yet this season, and it will be key as the Cavs move forward. I think a lot of their success tonight had to do with Mike Brown's (slowly) improving rotations. The lineups seemed more compatible then they have thus far. Everyone seemed in better position to succeed. Yes, again, the obligatory "the Knicks play no defense"...but nevertheless, the bench was strong.

Wednesday Night

The Cavs will have four days off before they travel to Orlando, and to be honest, I have no idea what to expect. The team is obviously struggling to gel, but Mike Brown and staff have to have been fixating on this spot in the schedule. After a busy start, the Cavs will finally have a chance to string some practices together (perhaps even four days worth?), and I'm hoping we'll see the results on the court.

And then of course, ready or not, Wednesday will come. LeBron and the Cavs return to the site of their premature dismissal last May. And just as importantly, the Cavs get their first chance to see how their new toys fare against Dwight Howard and his 3 point assassins.

Superman vs. Superman

Even this early in the season, it will be telling to see how everyone responds. Orlando has looked unbeatable from the season's opening tip, but the Cavs will have vengeance on their side. And while granted, this isn't a ninja movie, I'm hoping that will be enough to see the Cavs make this season's first statement.

Up Next

The Orlando Magic. If there's anything to learn from last year, it's this: It doesn't matter if the Cavs enter the playoffs with the eighth seed...provided they had proved themselves able to handle the big boys prior. This is their first chance to do so. The Cavs haven't won in Orlando in 3 years. Thus (and because openers don't count), the first real test of the season comes Wednesday.

Game 6 Review (3-3)

This is the type of game that can frustrate the hell out of you as a fan, and if I'm being honest with myself, we're likely to see a few more of them.

LeBron doesn't get the call

The Chicago Bulls came into the Q on Thursday night and handed the Cavs their second home loss of the season, which is the same number of home losses the Cavs had all of last year.

For the most part, LeBron & company didn't seem too down after the game. They seemed to take solace in the fact that they'll surely be a stronger team by season's end than they are now. What concerns me, however, is this: Ultimately, at season's end, I believe there will be three teams in the league capable of beating the Cavaliers in a seven game series, and their mediocre start almost certainly assures that the Cavs will see all three.

Game Review

An 86-85 loss, at home, to a Bulls team not yet at full strength (Derrick Rose recovering from an ankle injury, Tyrus Thomas with the flu). Any way you slice it, that sucks, and it is the type of game the Cavs just didn't lose last year.

Derrick Rose takes advantage of the Cavs transition defense

For reasons such as these, it's becoming quite apparent (for better or for worse, I'm not sure yet), that this is a different Cavs team. There's a ton of talent on this roster, but right now, everything about them seems unsettled.

• Pretty clear Mike Brown and Co. decided to do some experimenting tonight. I'm guessing that will be a theme of the season, and I'm guessing this won't be the last time it costs the Cavs a game. Coming off his sensational performance against the Wizards, the game plan seemed to be to force-feed Shaq in the post for long stretches of this game. Not surprisingly (considering this plan of attack has not yet been consistently effective), things didn't go as smoothly as they did two nights ago. The Diesel actually played pretty well, with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks (his defensively ability beginning to show signs of life?), but his teammates failed to have any success playing off him. At no point during the entire game did the Cavs seem to find any type of discernible rhythm, and the blame for that is shared by many.
  

• There were some new sets added today (did I see the triangle offense being run at one point?), and the Cavs looked in no way comfortable running them. I suppose that will be a necessary evil for a team that apparently made no use of the preseason, but they will have to find ways to incorporate such fare without losing to inferior opponents.
  

• I never thought I'd be typing this prior to the season, but Daniel Gibson is playing really well. Far beyond my expectations. At one point tonight (it was when D-Gib executed a really strong step back maneuver on Derrick Rose, then canned a baseline jumper), I found myself remembering how pundits once thought Daniel Gibson could possibly develop into a Chauncey Billups-type player once he filled out a bit. I know, it was one freakin' move...but it was a Billlups-esque move, and it was good to see. Why do I go into all this in the game review? Because Daniel Gibson played 17 minutes tonight. A very effective 17 minutes that saw him score 8 points on 3-4 shooting, all while playing some very solid defense. Just was confusing to see him disappear when no one else really had it going.

• I don't want to keep harping on Anthony Parker's shortcomings, but I am getting increasingly antsy to see Delonte back in the starting lineup. Perhaps now isn't the best time to increase his role (and therefore the team's dependence on him), but the Cavs are consistently starting games slowly, and I think at least part of that issue might be resolved with Delonte's playmaking and defense in there from the opening tip. On the whole, the Cavs' rotation seems, at best, inconsistent.

• It frustrates me to no end to watch LeBron take a back seat offensively as the Cavs work through their growing pains. Tonight, although he didn't really have the jumper working, going to a small lineup, with LBJ at the helm, probably would have been enough to pull out the W. But the Cavs stuck with the bigs, and the plodding flow that defined this game never really changed. Looking at the big picture , I'm glad we're giving our new look a fighting chance to develop. Looking at tonight alone, I'm frustrated as heck.

• Continuing with LeBron, the offense, and the rotations: Last play of the game. LeBron drives, gets contact from both Luol Deng and Joakim Noah, but doesn't get the call. Game over. More curious then the no call to me was that Shaquille O'Neal was on the court. I'm wavering a bit on this one, but I'm pretty sure I still think that was a mistake. The 4.3 seconds on the clock made it exceedingly unlikely he would ever touch the ball, and ultimately, Noah just left Shaq alone to go chase LeBron. And Noah's presence is what turned an easy layup into a contested turnover. Just wasn't sure why Shaq was in there.
  

And now, for the sake of getting all my whining into one review, I present...

Cleveland's Twin Towers

Granting a mild exemption for a brief third quarter spurt in the opener, the seven-foot combo look has been a (okay...mitigated) disaster. Which, to most, seemed pretty easy to predict. How can anyone look at this lineup and possibly see the positives as outweighing the negatives? Yes, I get what we're trying to do. It's tough for anyone to finish at the rim with two seven-footers camped out near the paint, and I presume at some point we'll begin to see some resulting benefit on the offensive glass.

But because both seven-footers are camped out near the paint, versatile big men are granted free reign on the perimeter. Also, when both Z and Shaq crash the offensive glass, the Cavs are left completely exposed with their transition defense. Put it this way, neither Z or Shaq is beating many people to the opposite end of the court without a head start. Their collective foot speed will also continue to be attacked via more of heavy doses of pick and roll we're already seeing. The Cavs look for their bigs to show on the ball handler in such situations, and neither has proven to be able to recover when they do.

Also of note, in this lineup Z becomes a glorified stretch 4, where his greatest strengths (his unusual range and skill set for a CENTER), become increasingly marginalized as his defender becomes more likely to be a player used to dealing with such abilities (i.e. a power forward). There's just really not much to be gained here for Z unless he's hammering some undersized 4 in the post. Which has never been something he was good at.

And lastly (and to me this is the big one): What everyone feared could happen with Shaq actually does come to fruition with the two centers on the court.

With the Twin Towers on the court, we don't see enough of this

LeBron has no room to drive. I've been impressed at the way he's managed to keep aggressive with the Diesel on the court, but add Z occupying the other side of the lane and there just isn't any room left. This lineup (at least thus far), has effectively turned LBJ into a jump shooter, which effectively marginalizes what is always the Cavs' greatest advantage...the slashing ability of LeBron James.

Next Up

The Cavs are at Madison Square Garden tomorrow night. On the day of the Yankees' World Series parade. Media blitz, see you at 8:00.

Looking Ahead

The Knicks! I get it world...no more looking ahead.

Brian Windhorst's post game notes

I'm literally re-posting Brian Windhorst here, but he covered a few things in his blog that I didn't touch upon, and I thought they were worth reading.

ALMOST all roses in Cleveland

Some really interesting subtext (both positive and negative) to last nights game:

• "Standing at his locker getting ready to get into the shower, LeBron James was chatting with teammates and shaking his head and giving knowing glances. Regardless of what anyone writes, says or speculates, LeBron completely wants it to work with Shaq and is fully committed to it. He has spent time with him talking about it and the two have their own plan. It was LeBron who told management he wanted Shaq and to pull the trigger on the trade. It was LeBron who was convinced it could work. Maybe it won't work. Maybe this game, where Shaq took a stuggling team down 18 points and anchored the turnaround with his style, will be a rarity. There's reason to believe the plan won't come off. But games like this one, against a team headed for the playoffs, show why the Cavs tried it. And why LeBron is trying hard to make it work." -BW

• "There was another matter that was happening below the surface, though. In the third quarter, Delonte West became angry about a non-call and spent the next several possessions arguing with the officials. Then he committed a hard foul on Mike Miller and glared at the official. Mike Brown instantly took him out of the game and never brought him back, though it made it easier because Daniel Gibson was playing well. In the first game, Delonte was hit with a technical foul. On top of his bipolar disorder, West has anger management issues. He's had trouble with officials in the past. Two games in, he is obviously teetering. Was a tough day for him no doubt, he was hit with six gun charges by a prosecutor in Maryland who is famously tough on gun charges and, based on the press release he issued today, intends to make this a public case. But the anger issues with West are real and another thing for the Cavs to manage. He's a valuable player but he's got a full plate and today and tonight were just another reminder of it. And another reminder of why it is perhaps not prudent to count on him being there." -BW
  

Don't know what to say other then I hope Delonte's around for the long haul. It's now come out that both D-West and the team dealt with elements of this last year...I hope they're able to again.

Game 5 Review (3-2)

I really don't like the Wizards.

LBJ, displaying increasingly consistent form

So when I started typing this update toward the top of the second quarter (with Cleveland down by 18), it was set to be a doozy. The Cavs had uniformly mocked any notion of a rivalry with the Wizards, and then come out flat. Those are the types of games I can't stand (well, really, any loss, but for the purposes of this opening...). Had the Cavaliers already forgotten that it was just a week ago when their 0-2 start had left them mired in (granted, irrationally premature) national doubt? As it turned out...they hadn't. On Tuesday night, the Cavs strung together their most effective 3 quarters of the season, and I strung together a more positive review.

Game Review

I should really start with Shaq, who's performance tonight was quite notable, but I'd rather start with this:

• Boy, did Delonte West do a number on Gilbert Arenas. Agent 0, Caron Butler (who was also to be put on ice), and the rest of the Wizards were cruising early. Just shooting the lights out of the ball, penetrating at will, and when they did miss, they were offensive rebounding. Worse yet, it didn't look like reining them in was entirely under the Cavs control. Then, Delonte came in. His statistics were modest (4 points, 4 assists), but anyone who watched the game saw D-West absolutely hand it to a previously spry looking Arenas from the moment he stepped on the floor. The rest of the Cavs picked up their intensity as well, but rarely in today's NBA do you get the opportunity to watch a complete shut down of an elite player, and the only thing I noticed about Gilbert in quarters 2 and 3 was that Delonte was beating him to his spots. Every time.

• LeBron was able to corral Caron, and the rest of the team followed suit (Mike Brown deserves some credit here). Great defense all around, with a usual notable (Andy), and a not so usual notable (Daniel Gibson). If Daniel Gibson can consistently play defense like he did tonight...well, then maybe he's significantly better than the player I thought he was. At some point in the broadcast, someone quoted Ferry as saying that Daniel Gibson was the best (and let me preface the following with, "something along the lines of...") guard defender on the team. I'm pretty sure that was a misquote (with Ferry presumably talking about Delonte?), but regardless, it was a good omen. D-Gib was able to consistently stay in front of the Wizard penetration attempts, and I'm not sure I've seen that out of him before. It also didn't hurt that he was shooting the ball like he was a rookie and Detroit was in town. Great game for Daniel Gibson.

• And that brings us to Shaq, who had, far and away, his best game at a Cav.
  

Mike Miller, getting Dieseled

• On a night that saw his rhythm and pace continue to improve, the Diesel put up 21 and 8 (on 7-9 shooting), and his impact on the game was far larger then that. After falling behind 31-17 after one quarter of play, the Cavs started pounding the ball inside where the Big Fella promptly threatened to foul out every member of the Wizards' front line. Additionally, Shaq forced the Wizards to pay far more attention to him then it seemed they wanted to, which once again opened up opportunities for our three point shooters, and led to some pretty wicked interior passing. For a few games in a row now, Shaq and the Cavs are getting good shots, and they're beginning to hit them with increasing regularity.

• One of the only significant names currently exempted from the parade is Anthony Parker. I don't want to disparage what he's brought so far (it's obvious he's exceptionally steady, and that's valuable for a team that relies so much on discipline), but AP is looking pedestrian out there. Three wide open 3's off LBJ passes in the second quarter, and not one went down. That happens some nights, but it's been the norm to open the season. I'm still betting he improves, but he's not proven to be a real difference maker thus far.

Two notes in closing the review:

• Moving forward, I'm curious to see if this is one of those flash in the pan-type nights, where Shaq just finds a little extra bounce in his legs (and that's why his play improves), or if it's something we can rely on consistently. The Cavs won't need Shaq to do this every night, but it certainly would be nice to have on call.

• Rare is the player who goes for 27, 8, 6 and is barely mentioned. LeBron is the best player in the league, and his unselfishness as he allows everyone else on the team to find their way should be noted.
  

One "evil first quarter" thought that still remains applicable

Sometimes it looks like the general lack of sizable athleticism on the roster is catching up with the Cavs. I've felt this way in the past too, but early tonight it seemed disturbingly evident.

This is going to sound like a horrible overstatement, but there's something to it:

There is no Dwight Howard in Cleveland.

Shaq is going to help significantly, but there is no athletic big currently here that is capable of running and jumping with an increasingly large compilation of athletic big men scattered throughout the elite of the league. Most clear are the effects of this void on the Cavs' rebounding statistics. Yes, it's early, but they currently sit at 26th in the league in rebounding (a sharp drop off from previous years). Worse yet, you can tell that's the case without looking at the stats.

So how does this get fixed? The Cavs will learn to compensate as the season goes along, and their numbers will improve. But what about personnel? We have J.J., but he's not yet looking comfortable enough to fill that role. And really, he's neither big enough to be an all-encompassing defensive dominator, nor has he yet displayed a true knack for rebounding (if we've lucky, I see J.J. landing in the effectiveness range of a Paul Millsap).

Other then just cleaning the glass, the lack of an athletic big creates a problem for our defense, in that there is no second line of defense. The first line (our perimeter defenders) are really good...but players like Dwight, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace (even Andrew Bynum)...those are the figures who allow truly elite defense to be played against truly elite teams. Which ultimately, is the goal.

Is that guy out there to be had?

Next Up

On Thursday, the Cavs host Derrick Rose and the Bulls. I don't yet have too strong of a read on this year's Bulls, but if we're able to replicate the energy and focus we had tonight, it's likely to result in a win.

Looking Ahead

Still eyeing that Magic game...and was thrilled to see them lose tonight. What can we take from their defeat? Foul out Dwight Howard quickly. Like, 8 points, 5 rebounds, quickly.

Gay's Rights

From title to content, this post is stretching it.

Trade Deadline Target?

That said, Monday's deadline for contract extensions has come and gone with Rudy Gay and the Memphis Grizzlies unable to "pull a Rondo." As per an inside source (Adrian Wojnarowski at yahoo.com), Rudy is looking for something in the neighborhood of $12 million per, while the Grizzlies (they of frequent good personnel decisions), won't budge from $10 million.

How does this apply to a Cavaliers blog? Well (optimist that I am), I'm making the executive decision to add Rudy Gay to my semi-official, Oh my gosh, could he possibly be available at the trade deadline? list. My OMGCHPBAATTD list only includes names who I think could be beneficial to the long term health of the franchise. It thus far includes:

Chris Bosh
Josh Smith
Rudy Gay

Probably a pipe dream, but less so then the list's other two members. Next summer, somebody will offer Rudy Gay more then the Grizzlies are willing to pay him. Perhaps they'd be inclined to deal him prior.

Celts give Rondo $55 million extension

The Boston Celtics and Rajon Rondo just agreed to the 5 year, $55 million dollar extension I was kind of hoping wouldn't happen.

Rajon Rondo, pictured in front of a veiled reference to his shooting touch

There are players in the league who scare me more then Rondo, but that certainly doesn't mean I can't acknowledge him as a good player (at least until the next Boston game). His length and athleticism at the point guard position makes the Celtics all the more difficult for the Cavs to score against, primarily because it makes life difficult for Mo. And if RR's jumper continues to improve as it has (if the above photo were taken today, he would probably be standing against something along the lines of a cabin), it will become all the more difficult for the Cavs to guard the C's as well.

All that said, the reason I didn't want this deal to happen was more so as it pertains to the Celtics. I was enjoying the reports of Rondo and the team being at odds with each other. In reality, I guess that's just good bargaining. 5 years, $55 million for Rondo is a perfect deal for both parties, and indicative of the way the economy has affected player contracts in the NBA - that being it strikes me as exceedingly reasonable.

Congratulations Rajon. Enjoy your money. Buy a house and get fat by May.