This past week, I was able to get in contact with the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst, who has been covering the Cavaliers since 2003 between the Akron Beacon Journal and PD.  Brian is one of if not the most knowledgeable person about the Cavs in my personal opinion, and I was fortunate to exchange a Q&A session with him.

CofC: What is your favorite moment/game since you've been covering the Cavaliers and why?

Windhorst: Probably the night when the Cavs won Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007. Not just because it was a historic moment but because of the circumstances. There were 20,000 people outside in the plaza watching the game on television. The Cavs were playing a classic rival that melted down. And Daniel Gibson had probably the game of his life. It reminded me so much of LeBron's freshman season in high school when Dru Joyce hit 7 3-pointers at Ohio State. Same sort of deal, LeBron set up the little guy to win the game. I know for LeBron that is a favorite memory and I'm sure the 2007 game is right there as well.

CofC: With your extensive time covering LeBron James, tell us something about LeBron that the average fan may not know.

BW: He is highly aware. It may not always give that impression, but his senses are tuned. He's very caught up on what is happening in the league. He reads and watches a lot. He's always aware of his stats and both teams stats in the game. He is aware of the history of the game. He is aware of fans and what they are saying to him. He is also aware of the value of perception, which is why he doesn't reveal these truths often. But when he says he doesn't know how close he is to a triple double, for example, he's highly aware that it is the correct thing to say.

CofC: Anderson Varejao has had a career year this season while seeing extensive time in the starting lineup. Is there any way that the Cavaliers let Andy slip away or have they learned just how important he is to this team?

BW: They will want to re-sign him but it has always been tough to put a proper value on Andy. The issue is that the suitors have slid away somewhat due to some trades -- the Heat giving away their cap space for Jermaine O'Neal changed the marketplace -- and the economy. It is a matter of weighing risk. The Cavs have no other quality bigs under 30 and they pretty much have to re-sign him or trade for another quality big (not easy). Andy has already left money on the table for risk and I don't think it is smart to do it again plus he loves playing with LeBron and Z. So there's a meeting ground there but with Dan Fegan and Danny Ferry at the helm -- these are hard-headed SOBs man -- it'll be a battle. I'm looking forward to it somewhat actually.

CofC: I know you've addressed this various times throughout the past few seasons, but how confident are you now after the Cavaliers' regular season success that LeBron will re-sign with the Cavaliers?

BW: I can list the reasons LeBron will re-sign but anyone can do that. What is important to point out is two things: 1. It doesn't matter how he feels today, it matters how he feels on decision day. 2. He has another option people don't seem to be remembering. He can use his player option and push the decision to 2011 if he wants to exercise maximum pressure.

No matter what happens, I don't predict he'll extend this summer even if that is the best financial decision.

CofC: Mo Williams has been more than any of us could have imagined. Did you think that Mo would have this type of impact from your past experience watching him?

BW: Actually Mo's had about the same season he did the last two years. A little bit more scoring and better 3-point shooting, a little less output in assists. He is just a great shooter and he's in his prime. And he gets that LeBron is No. 1 and he can get lots of benefits by being No. 2. Larry Hughes never got this nor was he as good a shooter as Mo, which you really need with LeBron. Mo is now an NBA star which he wasn't in Milwaukee playing the same game. Mike Brown has done something very smart with Mo, who in the past had trouble getting along with Mike Redd. He made the start of the second and fourth quarters Mo time and he knows he's the No. 1 scoring option at those times and he loves it. Those parts of the game are on national television, too. Plus LeBron has trusted him with late-game shots over and over again and he's been able to deliver. He's pretty much a perfect complementary player to LeBron.


CofC: Zydrunas Ilgauskas has come out and said that he wants to end his career as a Cavalier. How long can the Cavaliers have Z as the starting center until he needs to transition to a productive bench role?

BW: I'd say they better be looking seriously for a replacement center this summer. Whether that is committing to Andy or using their two prime trade assests, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, to find one. He's got maybe one more year as a starter. Maybe.

CofC: Was there any trade that almost went down at the last minute of the deadline that would have shocked Cavs fans? Also, with the Cavaliers' body of work, are you glad they did not make a move at the deadline?

BW: Not sure what "almost" means. They were not like in the final stages of anything. I think they felt good about their team and weren't willing to bend on offers. They made offers and if those were turned down then they were fine with it. It didn't hurt them, they have been the best team since the deadline. However, I think the inability to get a better interior defender could end up coming back to bite them. Interior defense and reliance on jumpers could very well be the reasons the Cavs don't win the title this season.

CofC: If the Cavaliers do not win the championship this year, what do you see them doing in the offseason to improve the big man situation? Along those lines, do you think Shaquille O'Neal is a realistic option for added frontcourt depth? If not, who is?

BW: They'll talk about Shaq I'm sure. I think there are a number of things that could happen. I think they may look at Marcus Camby again if they can get him cheap. First you have to see what other transactions happen around the league after the draft and early free-agent season. That is when opportunities present themselves, which is exactly what happened with Mo Williams last summer. There may be a free agent or two that the Cavs like and will look to grab as well.

CofC: What Eastern Conference team do you fear the most when we talk about potential playoff matchups?

BW: Orlando, Orlando, Orlando. They can do three things that are major threats to the Cavs. They can play inside-out with giant 3-point shooters than can cut down their defensive setup. They can completely defend the paint with Howard and make the Cavs and LeBron stay on the outside, which is disaster over six or seven games. And because they have the power to get so hot on long-range shots, they have the ability to win on the road. It also means they will get beat more at home, but the Cavs homecourt advantage is weaker against Orlando. This would be a red flag situation.

CofC: The Cavaliers have problems with giving up easy buckets inside. With Andrew Bynum healthy, what kind of shot do you give the Cavaliers against the Lakers in a potential Finals matchup?

BW: The Lakers have better personnel. The Lakers have height advantages at about every position. The Lakers have maybe the best coach in NBA history and a genius at making in-game and in-series adjustments. The Lakers have a star with three rings and five NBA Finals appearances under his belt. The Cavs have the better defense, they have LeBron James who at this point is more dominant at both ends than Kobe and they have homecourt advantage. Is it enough? I'm not sure. I'd have to see how the two teams were playing going into a Finals meeting. But I think very highly of the Lakers let me say that.

Thanks again to Brian for taking the time out to answer some questions that I'm sure all of us are wondering about as the Cavaliers embark on this postseason trip in what has been a storybook season thus far.

Get PuMped!

Kirk

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