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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 2007-2008 SEASON ANALYSIS
Behind the top-notch leadership of NBA superstar LeBron James, the Cavs have fought their way to another winning campaign (45-37). Everyone knows that they can win during the regular season, but do they have enough talent to dethrone “The Princes of the Palace in Auburn Hills” (the Detroit Pistons) again this year? Is Cleveland actually a solid enough team to knock out “The Green Machine” (the Boston Celtics)? Can the L-Train really be expected to drag his inferior teammates all the way down the playoff trail and to the promised land of the NBA Finals two years in a row? I, quite frankly, think that anything is possible; however, if I were a betting man, there is not a snowball’s chance in hell that I would hang money on the Cavaliers returning to the NBA Finals in ’08. Prove me wrong, LeBron! I know a lot of people that would love to watch you carry your team all the way into June. Plus, besides Kobe, you are the only player with the ability to do just that; make it happen! CLEVELAND CAVALIERS -- TOP 3 PLAYERS1. LeBron James — 30 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.1 bpg, 48.4% (FG%)
Where do I start? King James is, in my opinion, the most well-rounded player in the game today. He has the body of a power forward (6’8” and 250 lbs. of pure muscle), the quickness and ball-handling skills of a point guard, the leaping/finishing ability of Air Jordan, the aggression of Dennis Rodman, the court vision and passing proficiency of a star guard, and the innate ability to take over games in an almost effortless manner.
2. Zydrunas Ilgauskas– 14.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.6 bpg, 80.2% (FT%)
Big Z. is part of the recent European big man breed in the NBA (very tall players with the ability to leave their mark on a game without pounding their defender in the post). He is an expert at floating in mid-range shots and utilyzing high quality footwork to drop a sweeping hook over his defender with either hand. He is also a decent rebounder for his height (he is 7’3”).
3. Daniel Gibson– 10.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 44% (3p%), 81% (FT%)
For most players, there is a notable time when they turned a corner and everything took off from then on. This occurred for Daniel “Boobie” Gibson in the Cavs playoff run last year. While LeBron was getting double and triple teamed by Detroit defenders, Gibson was moving to the open spot and calling for the ball. Bron, being the unselfish man he is, would snap a laser-like pass to Mr. Gibson without hesitation, and Daniel Gibson did something that the other Cavaliers couldn’t seem to do. He drilled 3-pointer after 3-pointer! He went from a bench warmer to one of the top shooters in the League in a single playoff run.
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