Why Is Everyone Sleeping on the Cavs: Incl Their Own Fans?

Baseline Runner · Post #1 » by **Baseline Runner** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 11:24 am

Everyone was picking the Cavs to win it all last year after winning 66 games. Most of us knew better, that it would be tough to get by Orlando or LA, though we could beat the Celtics. Now that we lost in the ECF people are rating us as a second tier contender, the 4th or 5th best team in the league. Yet we improved our team more than any of the contenders. Turning Ben Wallace into Shaq is a more significant improvement than Alston/Lee/Turkoglu into Carter or Ariza into Artest. We acquired the second best center in the NBA basically, yet in the eyes of most fans we were more of a contender last year.

I don't understand why losing one close series has turned everone off on the Cavs, even their own fans and despite acquiring Shaq. We will own the Magic next year with Shaq on Dwight, West, who always defends Carter well and them losing Alston/Lee/Turkoglu, all of whom played their minds out against us. Turk was the main mismatch problem for us, a versatile forward that could do everything. Carter launching fadeaway jumpers won't be as much of a problem. They are still a jump shooting team and if Shaq can contain Dwight they will be no match.

James, Mo and West are all very young and just entering their primes. Our chemistry will be outstanding. We were already better than the Celts last year and we might have lost to LA mostly due to frontcourt mismathces, but it would have been a close series. This year a motivated Shaq is better than anyone on LA's frontline, even Gasol, and we no longer have to worry as much about the frontline mismatch.

People are using spurious arguments against the Cavs like we won't be able to defend the pick and roll with Shaq (uh, we had that problem with Z), Shaq will clog the lane (he didn't seem to do that with Wade or Kobe before), or Shaq will get injured (he was perfectly healthy last year and same thing can happen to any team), etc. This team just keeps getting better and better throughout the years by upgrading our talent and Lebron getting even more dominant.

Its easy to doubt the Cavs since they have been coming up short every year, but this team will be an absolute nightmare to play against for every team in the NBA. We have two of the best shooters in the league, the second best center in the league who can still dominate the paint on both ends of the floor and the MVP, along with a great defensive system. I don't know why were aren't veiwed as one of the top two teams in the league along with the Lakers.

D Kakes · Post #2 » by **D Kakes** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 11:41 am

Baseline Runner wrote:We have two of the best shooters in the league, the second best center in the league who can still dominate the paint on both ends of the floor and the MVP, along with a great defensive system. I don't know why were aren't veiwed as one of the top two teams in the league along with the Lakers.

Because Cavs fans are slightly disillusioned. Your supporting cast surrounding Lebron is mediocre at best.

Mo Williams is not an all-star. Delonte West is not an all-star. Were Big Ben and Wally really supposed to push it over the top? And then Mo Williams? Yeah, you won 66 games and had an OUTSTANDING season, but the Cavs getting exposed didn't really shock the NBA world that much.

Remove Kobe from the 2008-09 Lakers, and put Lebron in, having one of their other #2 guards step up to start.... THAT team wins a championship in 2008-2009. By the same token, put Kobe on the Cavs in place of Lebron and that team doesn't get out of the East.

Remove Dwight (or Rashard) from the 2008-09 Magic, and put Lebron in... THAT team wins a championship in 2008-2009. Put Dwight (or Rashard) on the Cavs, and... well, you get the point. Lebron is all the Cavs really got, and Ferry has failed. Ferry waits until Lebron's contract year to finally bring in an aged (but still highly motivated) Diesel?

Basically nobody's sleeping on the Cavs, it's just that the NBA world knows that Lebron still may not have enough help to go all the way this year, and that his days are numbered.

Q: Why do you think Ariza, Artest, CV, etc. wouldn't take MLE $ to play with the King? A: Cuz he's got 1 year left in CLE

prekazi · Post #3 » by **prekazi** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 1:00 pm

Because we're no where near Lakers and Magic, Spurs, Celtics are all better than our team.

wallsfamily · Post #4 » by **wallsfamily** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 1:29 pm

Listen guys the Cavs are top 5 teams in the NBA. As the injury to Garnett showed and the matchup issues in the ECF and finals showed the top five other than the lakers all have flaws that the others can exploit. We have a good team and what we need is support not putting down the team. Don't worry we will get someone who fits the bill and we will win the east.

Post #5 » by **TheOUTLAW** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 1:42 pm

Even last season I really didn't think that the Cavs were the best team in the NBA. I had no doubt at all that they could beat any team in the NBA except LA and Orlando (Houston with Yao would have given us fits as well). People talked about how good Denver was and yet, we would have punked them. It really was a matchup issue with our team but the fact that it was the matchups make us a bit more leary about the team unless we see those matchups being fixed (which they have not).

ugkfan2681 · Post #6 » by **ugkfan2681** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 1:52 pm

prekazi wrote:Because we're no where near Lakers and Magic, Spurs, Celtics are all better than our team.

celtics are not better neither are the spurs calm down seriously.

ugkfan2681 · Post #7 » by **ugkfan2681** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 1:54 pm

i do hope lebron leaves this franchise because cavs fans are a joke at times.imo cavs are still the 3rd or second best team in the nba.they are behind the lakers of course and orlando they are above the spurs and celtics.

Baseline Runner · Post #8 » by **Baseline Runner** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 2:46 pm

Last year I made a similar post during the offseason saying that the Cavs would win 60 games (though I didnt claim they would win the title). Everyone laughed saying there was no chance in hell that would happen. I understand the pessimism, this being Cleveland but come on, we one of the two teams in the NBA.

prekazi · Post #9 » by **prekazi** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 2:59 pm

Last year I predicted a championship, I'm not pessimist at all. I'd no idea that we'd win 66 games but I was counting on LeBron's progress and Wally's expiring of course. Anyway, this year is another story and sadly time will prove me right.

I have no idea how will LeBron motivate himself for the next season after seeing all these off-season moves.

Post #10 » by **TheOUTLAW** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 3:30 pm

I don't think we are being pessimistic at all (well Pula notwithstanding). I think most of us believe that the Cavs are a very good team, but the entire point is for the Cavs to win a championship and right this moment, I don't see the Cavs getting past the Lakers.

Niko23 · Post #11 » by **Niko23** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 4:00 pm

But who is gonna guard this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFgCHhn7 ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ4pBwB_ ... re=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyI4xWPxki4&NR=1

Baseline Runner · Post #12 » by **Baseline Runner** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 4:02 pm

You don't think Lebron is excited to play with Shaq?

Benedict_Boozer · Post #13 » by **Benedict_Boozer** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 4:19 pm

If Shaq has a good season, the Cavs very well could be the 2nd best team in the NBA. The problem is 2nd place is worthless.

I'm not giving up hope yet, we may still make a good signing. As long as we have Lebron we have a chance, but the odds are stacked against us against LA. That's just being realistic, they have better players...

Cavsfan4lyfe · Post #14 » by **Cavsfan4lyfe** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 6:12 pm

It is a bit strange how people seem to have written off the Cavs as a second tier team. We had the best record in the league last year at 66 games despite injuries. If I recall correctly, there was a poll on the general board asking who the favorites to win the title were after the second round and the Cavs won.

We ran into a bad matchup in Orlando, and to compound the problem we weren't hitting a lot of the shots that went down during the regular season, while Orlando shooters were dead-on all series. I know this would piss off a lot of other teams' fans, but I still believe that if Boston would have won that game 7 against Orlando, we would have won the championship.

I thought the biggest reason we lost games last season most of the time was lack of meat in the paint. We were all finesse down low and teams with power post up players would bully us down there. Shaq isn't exactly a guy you bring in for his defense, but he helps in this aspect a lot.

We've really made a major roster upgrade this season in obtaining Shaq. He's not the player he used to be, but he was still an All-Star and an All-NBA player last season. We just need to pick up a PF like McDyess and another good wing player and I think we look much better than last season. We will have covered up a lot of our weaknesses while making a big talent upgrade.

ugkfan2681 · Post #15 » by **ugkfan2681** » Fri Jul 3, 2009 8:24 pm

prekazi wrote:Last year I predicted a championship, I'm not pessimist at all. I'd no idea that we'd win 66 games but I was counting on LeBron's progress and Wally's expiring of course. Anyway, this year is another story and sadly time will prove me right.

I have no idea how will LeBron motivate himself for the next season after seeing all these off-season moves.

yea im sure lebron will not be motivated to play with shaq and win the title. :roll:

tranjSAIC · Post #16 » by **tranjSAIC** » Sat Jul 4, 2009 12:47 am

As it stands you guys are a 2nd tier team, but then again EVERYONE is. After the Artest trade its Lakers at 1 and Magic, Cavs, Spurs, Denver somewhere in 2-5. Baring injury I seriously doubt any team has what it takes to beat the Lakers.

SportsInfoBar · Post #17 » by **SportsInfoBar** » Sat Jul 4, 2009 1:46 am

Mo- Fisher Advantage Cavs
West-Kobe Advantage Lakers (watch the finals again though, Kobe was very inefficient, if he plays like that against us, we beat the Lakers)
Lebron-Artest Advantage Cavs
Andy-Gasol- Advantage Lakers
Shaq- Bynum- Advantage Cavs

bench
Odom-Walton-Farmar Verse Z-Boobie- Free agent, or maybe Hickson or Jackson improve?

Really you guys think we are that outclassed here??

We won SIXTY SIX games AND IMPROVED a weakness...we were one missed Lewis shot from playing game 7 at home and going to the finals. Orlando did NOT roll us, that was a really close series and it is safe to say they played a bit over their heads and we played under our potential.

We have as good a shot as anyone next year to win the title.

Post #18 » by **TheOUTLAW** » Sat Jul 4, 2009 2:18 am

I think that Odom completely destroys the Cavs in that matchup. However, it's not as bad as the matchups during the season when it was JJ on Odom. That was just terrible.

D Kakes · Post #19 » by **D Kakes** » Sat Jul 4, 2009 2:25 am

SportsInfoBar wrote:Really you guys think we are that outclassed here??

Yes... and it's not even close. The Cavs have arguably the #1 player in the league, but I still put 4 or 5 teams ahead of you to win it all.

SportsInfoBar · Post #20 » by **SportsInfoBar** » Sat Jul 4, 2009 3:02 am

How can it not even be close when we have the better player at 3 of the 5 positions??

Odom is a wildcard, but when he comes in someone has to come out...

Mo-Fisher (who is another year older also, and he totally sucked in the playoffs sans the 2 shots he made in game 5 of the finals) Cavs
West-Kobe Lakers
Lebron-Artest Cavs
Andy-Odom slight Lakers (there is more to hoops than scoring, Andy has ALL the intangibles, does all the dirty work, he is a very very good player no matter what some of you may think)
Shaq-Gasol Tossup

So that is 2-2 with a tossup...and on the bench now would be Bynum-Walton-Farmer against Z-Boobie and free agent...another tossup....

We are MUCH better than people are giving us credit for...and some of you will see that next year in the finals.....