Photo: The Sporting News

Rejoice, Cavalier fans! There is some BIG help on the way for King James and Company!

Just minutes ago, the Cavaliers finalized a deal that will send Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and their 46th overall pick in tomorrow's draft for Shaquille O'Neal. This move will save the Suns millions and keep them from luxury tax hell. Wallace will likely be bought out, and Pavlovic may in fact be cut since only 1.5 million of his $5 million contract is guaranteed.

The deal gives LeBron a legitimate post threat for the first time in his career. O'Neal will more than likely take over as starting center for Zydrunas Ilgauskas. If the Cavaliers re-sign Anderson Varejao, Andy and O'Neal would provide a nice frontcourt more capable of defending against the LAs and Orlandos of the association. This will allow Z to adjust to a bench role where I believe he can still be a 8-10 ppg and 6 rpg guy. This is only the first of multiple moves for the Cavaliers as I feel they will look to still move up in the draft tomorrow night. They will probably look to add a perimeter guy with the MLE.

All I know is that Dan Gilbert, Danny Ferry, and the Cavalier organization are committed to winning, and let's hope the Big Diesel gets to put a fifth ring on that hand this coming June beside LeBron.

More to come tomorrow and as news breaks!

Kirk

The Cavaliers are in one of the most unique situations of any team heading into the draft. While many teams are looking to get rid of picks to rid themselves of guaranteed contracts and maintain financial flexibility, the Cavaliers are looking to move up in the draft to acquire a player that can play in their rotation next season. While this draft is not regarded by most as very deep, the Cavaliers could be willing to purchase a pick for up to $3 million cash, the maximum amount allowed under the rules, to add an impact player. Because of the urgency of the franchise's need to improve, the Cavaliers will likely look to avoid projects, such as J.J. Hickson types, and opt to pursue college players with 3 or 4 years on a high profile team.

Rumors have circulated about the Cavaliers potentially moving up to take Minnesota's 5th or 6th pick. There are also more prevalent rumors that the Cavaliers will look to move up somewhere in the teens and grab one of the perimeter players that should be there.  But, as it remains right now, the Cavaliers hold the 30th overall pick. So, in this preview, I'll take a look at a few people the Cavaliers could get just outside the top five, just outside the lottery, and at their current position.

Possible Selections at 5/6

Stephen Curry PG/SG (Davidson) - He may not have a true position at 6'3", but this guy is a flatout scoring machine, leading the NCAA in scoring last season. One of the most pure shots in recent memory, he reminds of Ben Gordon in many facets. He's just a basketball player, and if you can put him on the court with someone who can handle the ball and make up for his lack of true point guard skills, he could be something special. LeBron is crazy about this guy...

Jordan Hill PF (Arizona) - At 6'10", he is athletic with great size. He averages over 18 points a game for the Wildcats last year shooting almost 54 percent. Hill can rebound and block shots, but he shot just 64 percent at the line, which is definitiely a spot for improvement. Must polish the offensive game to reach full potential.

Demar DeRozan SG/SF (USC) - DeRozan would really intrigue the Cavaliers because of his length and defensive potential on the perimeter. At just 19 years old right now, DeRozan can get to the rack and is an explosive player with a great vertical leap. He needs to improve his 3-point shot and free throw strokes, and he doesn't distribute the ball very well. A lot of potential here.

Possible Selections in the Teens

Tyler Hansbrough PF/C (North Carolina) - The ultimate competitor, Psycho T is just a flatout hustle and heart player. He's not the traditional NBA post player, but Carlos Boozer was undersized and many wondered how he would perform as well. Hansbrough is a great foul shooter and fierce rebounder. His offensive game isn't incredibly diverse but can hit an elbow jumper, and at 6'9" who knows what his position will be. I think he's capable of contributing right away, which the Cavaliers need and he could help off the bench.

Ty Lawson PG (North Carolina) - The 5'11" Lawson is a true point guard in every sense of the word. Lawson averaged 17 points and 7 assists a game for the national champion Tar Heels, and he shot 53 percent including 47 percent from three point range. He can slice to the hole with the best of them, so his biggest issue will be defense at his height. He can create turnovers on defense, and his assist-to-turnover ratio on offense is excellent, a guy some people are sleeping on.

Sam Young SF (Pittsburgh) - At 24 years old, Young is a guy that is ready to play now. A physical freak at 6'6" with a longer wingspan, Young is strong, athletic, big, and long for a perimeter player, and defense will be his niche. The main drawbacks on him are that his shot is not smooth, his game is still choppy and lacks fluidity at times, and he has come close to reaching his potential at 24. He still averaged 19 points a game last year.

Earl Clark SF (Louisville) - Clark is another guy incredibly high on potential, and he showed a lot of that promise at a high profile program in Lousiville. He's 6'10", but he really is more perimeter oriented in nature, only occasionally going down in the post to score on mismatches. As it was so well put in the ESPN article earlier in the week, he translates to a guy like Lamar Odom or Rashard Lewis who often gets criticized for not knowing what to do as far as decison making because of his vast skill set. He averaged 14 points and almost 9 rebounds per game for the Cards.

Possibilities at 30

Patty Mills PG (St. Mary's) - Mills is another undersized point guard at 6'0", but like Lawson, he is very quick as well. He could very well slip to 30 where the Cavaliers will be picking (for now). Great at driving, forcing steals, and getting to the charity stripe. Mills is, however, just barely a 40% field goal shooter and his size will give him trouble getting shots off.

Darren Collison PG (UCLA) - Collison has fantastic experience in running the show for the Bruins on their three trips to the Final Four. He is a strong leader, decison maker, and is good at on-the-ball defense. His jumpshot, however, is questionable, and as is a reoccuring theme with most of the point guards available at this juncture, his 6'1" height is an issue.

Danny Green SF (North Carolina) - Green is a real sleep with some people projecting him in the middle to late second round, but this guy was truly overshadowed by Lawson, Hansbrough, and Ellington on the championship team. Green, though, could become a lockdown defender and an incredible tweener at the 2/3. Excellent three point and free throw shooter, and he averaged over 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists a game on a team with those three players, not too shabby.

Taj Gibson PF (USC) - Gibson, listed at 6'9", was at Southern California for three seasons, and he is a good face up post player with a nice touch inside. He is pretty athletic, and he runs the floor well able to catch the pass on the run. His drawbacks include a frail frame and poor free throw shooting.

PREDICTION: The Cavaliers buy the 18th pick (one of Minnesota's four first round draft picks) and select Pittsburgh's Sam Young to come in and immediately make an impact off the bench. With the 30th pick, they take either Danny Green or Taj Gibson.

We'll find out tomorrow night!

Kirk

Photo: Michael Wallace/Miami Herald

Photo: Morry Gash/AP

In today's installment of the Cavaliers' offseason strategy, we take a look at the shooting guards, point guards, and small forwards that the Cavaliers may look to target in the trade and free agent markets. As I mentioned before, the Cavaliers hope to add a player to their starting lineup that could potentially send Delonte West to the bench. The move likely wouldn't cut West's minutes too dramatically, but it could provide the Cavaliers with a more sizable backcourt instead of teaming the 6'1" Mo Williams with the 6'3" West again. Especially if Pavlovic departs via a trade, the backcourt will consist of Mo, Delonte, Boobie Gibson, and Tarence Kinsey, which would likely be the smallest backcourt in the league. Some of these potential acquistions, however, are too big to play consistent minutes at the 2-guard. So, some scenarios would keep Delonte in the starting lineup and force LeBron to the power forward position. Then, Anderson Varejao, if re-signed, would likely round out the starting lineup if no one else is signed. The Cavaliers would ideally like to have both West and Ilgauskas come off the bench to pack some scoring punch and experience, but it remains to be seen if they can accomplish that.

Every Cavaliers' fan knows it deep down (even if they don't want to admit it), the Cavaliers are the oldest and softest frontcourt among the title contenders. With Ben Wallace (35), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (34), Joe Smith (34), and Wally Szczerbiak (32) all getting significant minutes most of the season, the Cavalier bigs likely tired a bit by the Orlando series, and they were no match for Dwight Howard. Orlando's not going anywhere, so if the Cavaliers address only one thing, this is the most glaring void. Here is a look at the 10 most intriguing possibilities in my opinion. Some of these would require a trade while others are restricted or unrestricted free agents. Included at the end of each player is the chance I think the team has of acquiring them (of course those numbers are independent of one other). Some of the sources considered were Brian Windhorst and HoopsHype scouting reports.

Power Forward/Center Options:

Rasheed Wallace: 2009 Stats (66 games, 12.0 PTS, 7.4 RBS, 1.4 AST, 1.3 BLK, 35% 3PT, 77% FT)

Pros: A big guy with a championship ring and plenty of playoff games under his belt, Rasheed can stretch the floor out to the three point arc and has a very nice shot from the post as well. Has success in guarding Dwight Howard, and his team's record against the Magic last season reflects that. He's definitely capable of providing a consistent third scoring option for the Cavaliers. Has a solid friendship or at least respect for Ben Wallace and LeBron James.

Cons: Wallace is a hothead; he's consistently near the top of the league in technical fouls and he really lets it affect his play. Rasheed will get three-happy at times similar to LeBron, but LeBron's probably a better marksman from deep. He shot just 42 percent from the field last season after being a 47 percent shooter over his career. He'll be 35 when the season starts, he'll join an old frontcourt already, and he's going to want too much money.

Take: It sounds like the Cavaliers are really interested in adding their former rival to the team. If they can get him for a reasonable price just above the mid-level exception, Rasheed haters that are Cavaliers fans may have to change their tune. He could provide an interesting starting frontcourt teamed with his current nemesis, Anderson Varejao. 60 percent chance.

With the NBA season wrapped up and the Los Angeles Lakers capturing their 15th title, I think it's finally time to reflect briefly on the season that was for the Cavaliers. Following that, I'll take a glance at what I think the Cavaliers should do this offseason.

Let's begin with two quotes that I think are important to remember going forward into the 2009-2010 season. The first is from my Q&A with Fred McLeod mid-season. McLeod said the following.

"I hope everyone is enjoying this season to the fullest, because the fear of getting your heart broken, or the belief in a curse will only make you look back, wishing you had enjoyed the total experience to the max."

I posted that quote in my room at school and kept it in mind for the rest of the regular season, into the postseason, in the waning moments of that Magic series, and in the darkest hours of sleepless nights since then. After days and weeks of contemplation, I decided that I had made good on McLeod's request. I enjoyed this season to the max. I couldn't have squeezed one more ounce of enjoyment out of what the Cavaliers provided for me than I did. It was truly the best season in frachise history, and for people to look back at this season as only an epic failure is unfair and short-sighted. Am I still upset about the team not reaching its ultimate goal? More than anyone, but as is often said sometimes it's not the destination but the journey. This 2008-2009 journey was one that saw the Cavaliers reach a milestone in wins, their first MVP, numerous franchise records eclipsed by LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the emergence of a running mate for LeBron in Mo Williams, two sweeps to start the postseason, and the best game-winning shot of LeBron James's career. Is it really fair to throw this season on the "Curse Of Cleveland" scrapheap of Cavaliers, Browns, and Indians' seasons that has been growing ever since 1964? I for one don't think so. One day soon, we will hopefully look back at this shortcoming as a necessary step in the journey to the ultimate prize. There's one thing to keep in mind for all you pessimists out there. The Cavaliers have NEVER stopped moving forward since LeBron James was drafted. They have gotten better and become more legitimate title contenders each and every year. His supporting cast, despite what you will say, has drastically improved. My god, do you remember what LeBron took to the Finals two short years ago! Anybody want to take Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic, and Drew Gooden over Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Anderson Varejao? I didn't think so. The other thing to keep in mind is that the Cavaliers have not lost to a team in the playoffs twice in the LBJ era. It shows in part that they have adjusted to the challenges in front of them. They overcame Detroit, they were poised to do it against the Celtics if not for Orlando, and now they have a chance to do it against the Magic.

Photo: Jon Fobes/Cleveland.com

Well, folks, the miraculous and unforgettable season of the 2008-2009 Cleveland Cavaliers has come to an end. The national media will weep at the loss of a LeBron-Kobe NBA Finals, but I will be saddened for a different reason. I'll try to leave as much bitterness as I can out of this article, but that will be next-to-impossible. The Orlando Magic will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

I'm not going to dwell much on stats from Game 6, because let's face the music. You don't have to look at too many stats from this series to show that the Magic dominated it. They won in six games, stole Game 1 on the Cavaliers' homecourt where they were 44-2 at that point, and would have swept the Cavaliers if not for the best shot of LeBron James's amazing career. Sure, the OFFICIALS WERE AWFUL in this game. But, the Cavaliers should've never been in the position to be eliminated on the road in Game 6. If they had taken care of their business at the outset (and at home), they'd be going back to Cleveland for a Game 7. Instead, they're going back to Cleveland to pack their bags and go their separate ways.

AWF-ficiating: Let's get this out of the way first so hopefully the rest of the article can be a little less sour. Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore, and Derrick Stafford ought to be taken out back and shot after their performance tonight. They absolutely handed Dwight Howard a free pass to do whatever he wanted to in the first three quarters tonight. He swung his elbows at will, and like most of the series, the officials ignored it. The problem tonight was LeBron James couldn't buy a call as he drove into Dwight Howard at least five times, there was significant contact from Howard, and the officials swallowed their whistles along with something else that if I said it might get me in some hot water. Basically, LeBron stopped being as aggressive because he wasn't getting any calls. His 42 points per game average certainly dropped a bit with his 25 point performance on 8-of-20 shooting. Also, Anderson Varejao's 2nd foul where he barely laid a hand on Howard was a freaking joke call by Derrick Stafford and proved he doesn't belong in big games. That severely hampered the Cavaliers as they had to either go small or to Ben Wallace for the rest of the quarter. Say what you want about LeBron carrying the Cavs, which is true, but his performance tonight wasn't close to enough. Most of the supporting cast was there tonight (except Z) and LBJ gave 25 instead of his "average" 42. I know that's unfair to LBJ, way unfair, but it's 100% true that we needed LBJ to give us 35+ points for a victory, especially on the road.

You Sank My Battleship: The Magic threw everything they had at the Cavaliers tonight, and every single tactical strike was a hit on the Cavalier Battleship board. When they wanted points in the paint, they got them. When the Cavaliers slowed (not stopped) Howard inside, he made the perfect pass on the perimeter and Orlando would knock down a three. When the Cavaliers missed a 3, it was a runout and a transition basket for Orlando. The problem is that this was not a one game occurrence but rather a series trend. The Cavaliers not only had to live with the incredible mismatches of Lewis on Varejao, Turkoglu on West, and Howard on everybody, but their throat was cut by the role players in Rafer Alston, Mickael Pietrus, and Courtney Lee. The Cavaliers' defense basically failed to stop anybody on the Magic who didn't stop themselves. The Cavaliers will need to address the matchup difficulties they face against Orlando this offseason if they hope to have any more relevant seasons after the next one. I.... think you all know where I'm going with that statement.

Three Point Barrage, Howard Onslaught: The Magic hit 12-of-29 three pointers tonight for 41 percent, and that kind of shooting will take you a long way. My biggest gripe is that I think, nay, I know, the Magic cannot keep that hot shooting up consistently. Going into a 7 game series fresh, I would STILL gamble that the Cavaliers could get the Magic to miss more of those 3 point shots at least from the role players. Sure, Dwight was still going to control the paint, and Hedo and Lewis would get theirs at times, but the role players pretty much made the difference. I'm pretty sure most Magic fans didn't think that Mickael Pietrus would have such a profound impact on this series, but he did as he outscored the entire Cleveland bench. Howard showed his true stardom today with a 40 point game and 14 rebounds on 14-of-21 shooting and 12-of-16 from the foul line. Yes, Howard was giftwrapped the opportunity to dominate, but he still went out and absolutely manhandled the Cavalier big men. The Cavaliers will have to contend with Howard moving forward, so they need to get younger and more skilled up front. Rookies J.J. Hickson and Darnell Jackson will help that cause next season, but it may be time to get a new starting center and give Z a significant bench role.

Uncharacteristic: That's the best word to describe this series on the Cavaliers' end. The Cavaliers played uncharacteristic basketball for six excruciating games. They shot just 11-of-22 from the free throw line tonight and were outrebounded 47-34. Their shrink-the-floor defensive philosophy, which is the rock that this franchise is built on after LeBron James of course, was absolutely exploited and had holes shot right through it repeatedly. Mike Brown made some incredibly difficult calls this series, many of which I think were incorrect. If the Cavaliers had neglected to double Howard and make him score 40 EVERY game instead of just one, they may have had a shot at tiring him out, or getting a bad game or two from him while holding the three pointers in check more. Also, his bench use was wildly inconsistent. He caught what he thought was lightning in a bottle with Gibson, Wallace, and Szczerbiak instead of Joe Smith and Sasha Pavlovic, but I think he erred in keeping Pavlovic off of the floor. The guy played pretty solid defense and had a great Game 2, and just because he didn't score in Game 3, he was tossed aside for the rest of the series. Smith, after being the team's sixth man down the stretch and in the postseason, was left with 10th guy minutes at about 4 a game.

LeBron's Early Exit: LeBron James did not talk to the media after tonight's game as he got dressed quickly and loaded the team bus. Instead, Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson were left with the task of placing a bookend on the season. Mo said some great things about how much he has confidence in the GM, owner, and coach, he thanked the Cavs' fans for all the great support, and asked the media to give him and his teammates credit for their accomplishments. The thing that sticks though is that LeBron was so angry that he did a first in his career and did not speak with the media following the game. LeBron invested so much into this season, and he and the rest of the team thought they were going to have what it takes to win it all. Sure, they got a little overconfident, but that's not what cost them. This was a matchup defeat plain and simple. I hope the Cavaliers make the necessary adjustments in the offseason to be right back here next season with a shot at redemption.

goes to: Delonte West. Delonte had the second 20 point game by a Cavalier other than LeBron with 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting to go with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in almost 47 minutes. He also battled all series long on the 6-10 Hedo Turkoglu and did a pretty solid job all things considered. Combat that with struggling through tonight's game with a hip pointer, and Delonte personifies how bad this team wanted this series and the whole f***ing thing.

Bottom Line: The Cavaliers had a pretty subpar playoff performance from LeBron, with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in 45 minutes. They shot 44 percent, and they were 9-of-20 from three point range, but they shot just 11-of-22 from the line and were outrebounded severely at 47-34. The Magic had five guys in double figures, and Dwight Howard posted 40 points with 14 rebounds in probably the best and most significant game of his career. The Magic also added 12 threes and 46 percent shooting. In other words, their best game was better than our average or even below average game. But, you cannot take anything away from the Orlando Magic.

The NBA Finals start on Thursday night, but the Cavaliers' season is put to bed now. The Magic and Lakers will kick things off Thursday night at Staples Center, but it will take a lot longer for me and many other CavFanatics to get over this crushing Eastern Conference Finals defeat.

Kirk

Photo: Peggy Turbett/Cleveland.com

The heart of a champion was needed to stave off elimination tonight in Quicken Loans Arena, and at least for tonight, for once this series, the Cleveland Cavaliers showed that determination and grit. They used their first fourth quarter victory of the series to force Game 6 in Orlando with a 10-point victory.

INJURY UPDATE: Delonte West suffered a hip pointer late in the fourth quarter tonight, and he did not return to the game. He will obviously have to be in pretty bad shape to not play on Saturday in Orlando, but it could truly hurt his effectiveness and minutes load. If he cannot go, Daniel Gibson, Sasha Pavlovic, and Wally Szczerbiak would be huge in that setting.

Change in Strategy: Mike Brown finally decided to take LeBron James off of Rafer Alston to start the game. Who did he stick him on you ask? Hedo Turkoglu? Rashard Lewis? No, Courtney Lee, with the idea being that LeBron could roam and let someone else try to beat them from the outside. I think it was a mistake, one that Mike Brown corrected later in the game when he put LBJ on Hedo Turkoglu.

Yet Another Good Start: What else is new? The Cavaliers got off to a fantastic start in their home building during the playoffs. Cleveland hit their first five shots, 10 of their first 11, and they got all five starters in the scoring column very early once again much like Game 4. Much of that can be credited to Mo Williams, who hit his first 4 shots for 11 points. The Cavaliers have now scored 30+ points in the three home games in this series thus far, and they have absolutely dominated the first quarter battle in the series. The Cavaliers led 32-10, but gave some of it back to lead 35-18 after one. The Cavaliers shot 67 percent in the first, while the Magic shot only 33 percent.

Bench Story: Just like in Game 4, Daniel Gibson, Ben Wallace, and Wally Szczerbiak were the first wave off the bench for the Cavaliers, while Joe Smith and Sasha Pavlovic saw very limited playing time for the second straight game. The Cavaliers' bench has played much better in the last two games, and much of that can be attributed to Wallace and Gibson. Wallace, a Game 4 gameball recipient, has been playing solid defense even though he is fighting a losing battle in size and age most of the time. Big Ben had five rebounds (two offensive) in 16 minutes of action tonight, and Ben played big minutes as Varejao and Z battled foul trouble the entire game. Gibson hit three treys for 11 points in 22 big minutes for the team tonight; Boobie also added an impressive defensive play that forced a shot clock violation early in the fourth quarter.

Yet Another Lead Washed Away: Guess what else isn't new? The Cavaliers got off to a great start and then gave the entire lead back as they led by just one at the break. What happened? Well, the Cavaliers defense went south and let the Magic score 37 points in the quarter. The low point in that entire debacle was two awful turnovers by James that led to two transition buckets by Orlando which cut the lead from eight to four. Then, the Cavaliers let Rashard Lewis hit an open three to go into the locker room down just one. The magic used a 16-6 run during the last 4:13 of the second quarter to close that gap.

What more can you do? That’s the question the Cavalier coaching staff, the players, and the whole city of Cleveland are scrambling to answer. The simple answer is nothing. You’re not going to beat a team that is playing as well as the Orlando Magic is right now. They’ve absolutely gotten hot at the right time, and I cannot name one player on their team who is struggling. The simple fact that we’ve lost three games by a total of 13 points and two games by 2 points or less is a credit to the fact that LeBron James is having one of the most statistically amazing postseason series in NBA history, averaging over 42 points a game. With all that’s gone wrong, the Cavaliers have had shots in the air for the win as time expired in two of their three losses.

Where do you start to place the blame? You have to start with the other starters around James. Mo Williams has fallen from grace pretty fast in this postseason after having an All-Star season and getting NBA-wide respect. He came out aggressive in Game 4, and he got the Orlando point guards in foul trouble as he sunk all six of his first quarter free throws, but he still struggled shooting the basketball. Mo made things worse on himself in the eyes of the national media by opening his mouth and guaranteeing a Game 4 and series victory. Sure, he was tricked into it, but you just cannot get caught with your pants down like that. Delonte West after playing incredibly well in the first two series against Detroit and Atlanta has struggled shooting it as well. Delonte has had the task of guarding Hedo Turkoglu for most of the game who has seven inches on him (at least). He hasn’t attacked the basket as much as he should and his post game is excellent, but the Cavaliers do not go to it nearly enough. I think Delonte’s unbearable minutes load is starting to take its toll in a big way. As for Big Z, I really feel for him. It breaks my heart to see him losing his grip on his starting-NBA-center-type play. I asked Brian Windhorst earlier in the season how long Z could still be a starter on this team. He replied that the Cavaliers better start looking for a replacement, potentially this offseason, because Z has one year tops left as a starter. I didn’t believe him at the time, but I do now. His lateral movement is shot, and in the playoffs, we need someone who can give guys like Howard a little more resistance. Don’t get me wrong, I still think Z can be a big part of the team off the bench for the next few years, but it may be time to find a new starting man in the middle. It breaks my heart to say that too, because this guy deserves the world for all he’s given this franchise when he didn’t need to keep playing. The bench deserves a share of the blame too. After having one of the more utilized and active benches in the league during the season, the veteran crew of Szczerbiak, Smith, Wallace, Gibson, and Pavlovic has really fallen off the face of the Earth.

So, what do the Cavaliers do now? We all have heard the numbers: 96 percent of teams up 3-1 have gone on to win the series. That’s an 8-for-190 batting average for teams in the Cavaliers’ position. Well, this team has preached that “One practice, one game, one possession at a time” mantra, so they’ll need to employ that for Game 5 at The Q tonight. There’s nothing I would hate more than to watch Orlando be handed the Eastern Conference trophy on OUR homecourt, the one where we’ve been 44-3 on this season. The same court and crowd that has provided countless moments and memories regardless of what happens the rest of the series. The Cavaliers have a lot of pride, and I think they need to show it by pushing a Game 6 in Orlando at the very least.

A couple of thoughts that no one outside of J.V. or I has discussed to my knowledge recently. How nice would it have been to give J.J. Hickson a shot on Dwight Howard? He’s probably the one big man on the Cavaliers who has the athletic ability to challenge Howard. Sure, he’s inexperienced and even a bit undersized, but he did play well on Howard during the regular season in his one true opportunity. It would be nothing earth-shattering, but he might have gotten some decent run in this series. We’ll never know thanks to J.J.’s back spasms that have left him out of uniform for the end of the regular season and playoffs.

Another one that gave me chills, the bad kind, was when J.V. texted me the other day and said, “How great would it be to have Antawn Jamison or Richard Jefferson right now?” And that pretty much says it all, the Cavaliers need an athletic scoring PF to truly complete their starting lineup and diversify their offensive options. RJ or Jamison would’ve been able to matchup against Lewis or Turkoglu much better than all of our other options except perhaps LeBron. It boiled down to, however, that the Wizards did not want to trade Jamison and the Bucks decided to keep Jefferson for a playoff run (an unsuccessful one). Still, that’s the kind of rabbit that Ferry needs to pull out of his hat this summer.

I’m 20, and you would think I would get used to this Cleveland sports scene by now. But, it hurts as much or more each time things come crashing down. I compare it to putting a large amount of money in a championship vending machine. The only problem is in Cleveland versions of the machine, the championship never pops out and you don’t get your money back either, leaving your pockets and soul drained. The two of us drew a lot from our emotional bank accounts this season, and Tuesday night neither one of us could bring ourselves to write essentially the season’s obituary.

So, that’s about it, I’ve emotionally flipped the switch from “expecting the Cavaliers to win the ECF” to “not expecting the Cavaliers to win the ECF”. Does it mean I’ll root any less for the wine and gold tonight? I don’t think so. Does it mean that when that guillotine finally drops that it will be any less painful? Probably not. Does it mean the eternal optimist in me has become a cynic? No, just a realist.

My takeaway message is to just watch tonight’s game and enjoy it. Even if they don’t win, take in all that is the 2008-2009 Cleveland Cavaliers, the best basketball team to ever come through Cleveland. It may just be your last chance. If things don’t go as planned and the cocky Magic dance on our logo at center court, just shut off the television and go through your own personal highlight reel for the season. Remember all of the things that made you smile and made these last seven months truly unforgettable.

Kirk

Photo: Peggy Turbett/Cleveland.com

The Cleveland Cavaliers are now one game away from packing up their lockers with a bad taste in their mouth. Cleveland gave up an eight point halftime lead and lost in overtime. The Magic continued to use the three ball and mismatches to expose the Cavaliers. Cleveland is now down 3 games to 1, and the Cavs face three straight elimination games if they want to keep their championship hopes alive.

• Getting Going Early - After guaranteeing a series victory, Mo Williams came out with intensity and seemed to attack early; however, Mo Williams continued to miss shots. Mo was 1-of-5 from the floor in the 1st quarter, but Williams managed a perfect 6-of-6 from the line to make up for the missed field goals. The Cavalier offense was very focused on getting the role players going early; LeBron James only took one shot in the first five and a half minutes. Cleveland finished the 1st quarter with a 4 point lead.
  

• Magic Men - The Magic got strong starts from Rafer Alston and Dwight Howard. Howard and Alston combined for 17 of the Magic's 21 first quarter points and combined for 6 of the of the Magic's 7 1st quarter field goals. The Magic started the game 7-of-8 from the floor and then went on to miss their next 10 shots. The Cavaliers left Alston open early and are probably questioning doing that after two great starts from Alston in Games 3 and 4.

• Trying to Adjust - It is no secret that Mike Brown has been struggling to match-up with the Magic all series. Towards the end of the 1st quarter, Brown went small and played Ben Wallace, LeBron James, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Daniel "Boobie" Gibson. With lineups like this, you can tell Mike Brown is scratching his head. Wally and Boobie have both had DNPs or played less than a minute during a game in this series and now Mike Brown is going to them in the 1st quarter. In his first 7 minutes, Wally managed to miss one shot and turn the ball over twice.
  
  
  Read more

  Add comment (0)

  Hits: 272

Photo: Peggy Turbett/Cleveland.com

Hedo Turkoglu shot just 1-of-11, the Magic shot a human 43 percent, the Cavaliers won the rebounding battle 42-40, and LeBron James scored 41 points. It all sounds good, doesn't it? The only problem is the Cavaliers shot 37 percent themselves, they turned it over 15 times, and LeBron James's next step is to wear a sandwich board that says "Help Wanted!" because Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas have let the team down in these first three games.

Cleveland failed to get key stops in the fourth, and the Magic, with plenty of help from tight officiating that took any flow out of the game, marched to the line, made their foul shots, and held homecourt. Orlando now leads 2-1 over the Cavaliers.

Cold Start: Cleveland missed their first six shots from the floor; their first field goal came courtesy of none other than Ben Wallace with 7:52 to go in the first. The Cavaliers did go on to make five of their next six after that cold start. Meanwhile, the Magic were 6-of-7 to start and the Cavaliers had early deficits of 9-2 and 16-6. Both Anderson Varejao and Dwight Howard picked up two early fouls in the first and they sat for the rest of the quarter.

Skip To Their Lou: It took three games, but Rafer Alston finally found his "Cavalier Killer" cap and put it back on tonight. Alston took advantage of the same Cavalier defensive scheme used against the Celtics last season with Rajon Rondo and hit his first five shots from the field. Alston finished the quarter with 11 points. Overall on the night, Alston had 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, but the early shooting stung deep.

Mo Bloody: Mo Williams was on the wrong end of an Anthony Johnson elbow tonight in the second quarter. After Mo committed a personal foul, Johnson continued through and connected his elbow right below Mo's left eye as he fell to the floor. Mo had to remain in the game to shoot the free throws on a flagrant one foul called on Johnson; he then headed to the locker room to receive four stitches. It was originally called a flagrant two, but review changed the officials' minds, and I had no problem with that.