Is anyone seriously worried about Cleveland?

[billfromBoston]

...I mean honestly...

Cleveland is a good defensive team who limits mistakes in order to give LeBron a chance to win the game...hats off to them in the first game when KG was playing, but lets get real...

This was a playoff level intensity game, in Cleveland's house, and the Cavs won a single possession game against a Celtics team missing its best player...

Now, i'm not saying that the Cavs are some type of cake-walk in a series, they beat the Pistons on the strength of LeBron's greatness (and Billups decision not to show up for the playoffs), but this Celtics team is at its deepest right now, getting big-time contributions from almost every player on the roster...

-Perkins
-Tony Allen
-Rondo
-Davis
-Powe

These guys are all playing at a high level and all contributed to a tough, tough ball game in Cleveland...quality playoff teams are suppose to win at home and the Celtics gave Cleveland all they could handle by getting contributions from their role players...think how far this team has come...

If Boston plays Cleveland into the 4th quarter during the playoffs LeBron can win any game single-handedly....but in a seven game series with Allen, Pierce, and KG all playing at a high level and the team getting big time minutes from Perkins, Tony Allen, Rondo, Posey, House, Davis/Powe...it doesn't seem likely that LeBron will be able to win that series all by himself offensively-the Cavs are still desperately one-dimensional offensively in terms of playmakers...Z has stepped up his game as has Larry Hughes, but they are not going to be able to live with a rotating group of role-playing contributors for the length of a 7 game series...

Cleveland is living on the lie of last season...if Detroit wasn't so disfunctional they would have lost that series..the team isn't better than it was last year, despite LeBron's improvement...this is the 2000 76ers all over again...

KG's absence has actually dramatically improved this team overall...Ray Allen is finding his groove, Rondo's agressiveness has substantially increased, Tony Allen is rounding into form, Powe has been re-discovered from the bench, etc...when KG comes back this team will be at its single-season best...

...and there is more to come...Sam Cassell is looking more and more like a buy-out acquisition and that will absolutely drive a dagger through the heart of Cleveland no matter what their bravado...

The Cavs are a very solid team, but a fully operational Celtics team getting 48 minutes of high-level play out of each position will: A. Absolutely murder this team at home for their last regular season meeting, and B. Bring a helluva tough matchup in the playoffs with homecourt...

..let the Cavs fans have their "bragging rights" now...every Cavs fan who vehemently objects to this post "doth protest too much.." because they know how desperate they are for more firepower...

I'd say its 80/20 right now...80 percent chance the Celtics DEEP, 3 star led attack will win a 7 game series, 20 percent chance that Defense, role play, and LeBron take that series...

Don't sweat the Cavs...they're pretending to be title contenders-you want to rest easy, watch the finals again...better balance beats LeBron badly...

Sorry Cavs fans...nice game, deserved win, but be honest with yourselves...you've got a chance, but you know you're not looking forward to that playoff match-up...and you know it...

[L&H_05]

Honestly, that original post looks more like someone trying to convince themselves that the Cavs are not a problem moreso than any Cavs fan trying to convince themselves that they'll be able to handle Boston.

You refer to your depth but neglect the fact that the playoffs are shortened rotations.. Thus, doesn't really come into play..

You've also neglected the fact that come playoff time the game becomes more half court play with low possessions.. And a team like Boston is not intimidating on the glass at all...Rebounding and defense wins come playoff time... The Celtics come up short in one of the two..Wheras the Cavs excel in low possessions games, and prefer it..

Not to mention, a thin PG rotation, and counting on a young inexperienced PG that teams will force to beat him with the jumper as opposed to the drive come April, May and possibly June...

Now, I'm not suggesting the Cavs will beat Boston, or any other team will... However, Boston is very beatable.. Especially if they don't sure up their two major short comings..

Here's hoping we get to test your theory come playoff time... Cause I'd love a matchup with the C's, and based on your post, it sounds like you'd love to see LBJ and the Cavs...

Hopefully both team can get healthy and stay healthy...

[Kaykoose]

Did not read, but to answer your question, no, I don't think anyone is seriously worried about the Cavs

[BrokenLeftyJumper]

How could you not be worried? Lebron James is stepping his game up to such a ridiculous level I think the Cavs would be a very tough out in the playoffs. Frankly, I think the Cavs and Detroit are equally worrisome. Luckily, those are the only two Eastern squads that I think could beat the C's in a 7 game series.

[MaxwellSmart]

Well, the Cavs had a few players missing tonight also...no doubt that Clev or Detroit would give us all we could handle---let's just hope they face each other in the 2nd round---tonight's win by the Cavs actually was a good thing for us,cause it gets them closer to the 3rd seed.

[devwat12]

Some other things to consider:

Boston shot 57% from the floor, 50% from 3, and 91% from the line. Still lost.

KG was missing, but what about Varejao, Pavlovic, and Gooden for half the game? Cavs fans will tell you that on many nights AV is the 2nd best player on the team.

If the Cavs can swing a deal and land another scorer to put around Lebron, it's big trouble for the East. You can blow the Cavs off as a fluke, but I would ask Detroit first. I think they'd tell you otherwise.

I guess it depends on what side of the story you are looking at. Something tells me that if you checked Cavs forums, they'd be saying that they aren't afraid of Boston. That's why the play the games though. We'll all find out in good time.

[B Mac]

I hate to come on to your board and post, but I think it needs said that the Cavs were also without their second best player (Varejao) and best defensive wing (Pavlovic) tonight. Dont underestimate how important those two are to this team. Without both of them we dont win the Detroit series and the Nets probably give us a hell of a lot more problems as well without Sasha shutting down Vince.


Edit: Sorry fellas I missed your posts while I was slowly typing up mine. Kudos.

[devwat12]

Double post, ignore this.

[GuyClinch]

You always should be a bit worried about the Cavs. The NBA is a dirty league and star players rack up alot of unnecessary calls and points because of that. That being said with KG we can probably take the Cavs. But Lebron could pull a Wade..

Pete

[Al n' Perk No Layups!]

I'm not worried. Cavs have a very good team, with a lot of underrated players, but I'm not worried about anyone in the east really, concerned about Detroit, but not worried.



As far as the Varejao-Pav thing goes.

KG>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Varejao and Pav.

Seriously, not even close.

[SLCceltic]

not really,
cleveland would need for bronbron to go off 4x----wont happen, and we could still handle them if he were to go off

the last time clevlick beat us gooden had the game (quarter) of his life, and ilshitligus was hitting everything his broke a threw up

veraj0 cant guard kg, and sasha cant even guard TA, much less paul or ray

lucky win tonight
we take a play off series 4-1

cleveland is ok
boston is elite

cavs fans, stay on your average, mediocre's team board------dont want to see your hatin

[billfromBoston]

Honestly, that original post looks more like someone trying to convince themselves that the Cavs are not a problem moreso than any Cavs fan trying to convince themselves that they'll be able to handle Boston.

You refer to your depth but neglect the fact that the playoffs are shortened rotations.. Thus, doesn't really come into play..

You've also neglected the fact that come playoff time the game becomes more half court play with low possessions.. And a team like Boston is not intimidating on the glass at all...Rebounding and defense wins come playoff time... The Celtics come up short in one of the two..Wheras the Cavs excel in low possessions games, and prefer it..

Not to mention, a thin PG rotation, and counting on a young inexperienced PG that teams will force to beat him with the jumper as opposed to the drive come April, May and possibly June...

Now, I'm not suggesting the Cavs will beat Boston, or any other team will... However, Boston is very beatable.. Especially if they don't sure up their two major short comings..

Here's hoping we get to test your theory come playoff time... Cause I'd love a matchup with the C's, and based on your post, it sounds like you'd love to see LBJ and the Cavs...

Hopefully both team can get healthy and stay healthy...

...actually this is me trying to diffuse some of the doomsdayers on my board...I expected to lose to the hottest team in the NBA on their homecourt, I just didn't expect Cleveland to have such a hard time doing it...

...truth is, you and every other Cavs fan know that you're one dimensional and the taste of last season's stomping at the hands of San Antonio is still lingering in the back of your minds...you know you can't win a ring with your current club because of the personnel....I don't need to convince myself of anything...

...I gave credit to Cleveland, you're a very good team...but I don't see how you're better than you were last season and I think the Celtics present much of the same problems that San Antonio does...we have less experience as a team together and I think a 7 game series is plausible, but I don't see the odds being in Cleveland's favor...

...you beat us at "full strength" earlier in the year thanks in large part to Ray Allen missing two FTs...but our bench has come quite a ways since then...I think by playoff time our 1-13 is going to be too much for the Cavs to handle...

..JMO, but its the CELTICS board...so eat me...

[billfromBoston]

Honestly, that original post looks more like someone trying to convince themselves that the Cavs are not a problem moreso than any Cavs fan trying to convince themselves that they'll be able to handle Boston.

You refer to your depth but neglect the fact that the playoffs are shortened rotations.. Thus, doesn't really come into play..

You've also neglected the fact that come playoff time the game becomes more half court play with low possessions.. And a team like Boston is not intimidating on the glass at all...Rebounding and defense wins come playoff time... The Celtics come up short in one of the two..Wheras the Cavs excel in low possessions games, and prefer it..

Not to mention, a thin PG rotation, and counting on a young inexperienced PG that teams will force to beat him with the jumper as opposed to the drive come April, May and possibly June...

Now, I'm not suggesting the Cavs will beat Boston, or any other team will... However, Boston is very beatable.. Especially if they don't sure up their two major short comings..

Here's hoping we get to test your theory come playoff time... Cause I'd love a matchup with the C's, and based on your post, it sounds like you'd love to see LBJ and the Cavs...

Hopefully both team can get healthy and stay healthy...

...and make no mistake about it, I DO want the Cavs in a playoff series...

...the Celtics were leading the league in rebounding differential for most of this season and have since fallen to second...KG was out for this game, don't think we can't hang on the glass...

You are 100 percent right about the PG depth of this team, but if Sam Cassell ends up on the Celtics-watch out...

...

[BillessuR6]

I think cavs are a good team but I am not worried about playing them in the playoffs. In a 7 game series quality will prevail and that is why we will win if we meet them.

[BadWolf]

I am worried about Cavs

- Lebron is getting better from game to game
- Varejao playing better then last year
- Boobie better, ridiculous shooting
- Hughes, well, better then last year anyway
- Z is having one of his best years
- Gooden solid as always
- Newble stepping up from time to time
- Damon having a solid year
- could make a deal for another scorer

[BadWolf]

I am worried about Cavs

- Lebron is getting better from game to game
- Varejao playing better then last year
- Boobie better, ridiculous shooting
- Hughes, well, better then last year anyway
- Z is having one of his best years
- Gooden solid as always
- Newble stepping up from time to time
- Damon having a solid year
- could make a deal for another scorer

[P2]

The Cavs are very good. Definitely better than Orlando.

[Rasheeed!!!]

The Cavs don't look like anything special, but they are a very tough team to beat. It wouldn't surprise me to see them back in the Finals.

[EvadedHavoc]

Lebron and Big-Z Are the main problems for the Celtics. Come play-off time the Celtics will by then have hopefully elevated there game and acquired the pieces they needed (C,PG) to patch up those gaping holes.

[theman]

I don't believe many Pat's fans were worried about the NY Giants.

What worries me, is while Boston could acquire Cassell; Cleveland could acquire Jason Kidd.