The Cleveland Fan on Facebook

The Cleveland Fan on Twitter
Cavs Cavs Archive Sitting & Waiting
Written by Sam Amico

Sam Amico
Time to sit and wait. And hope the Hawks and Heat go seven games, with each of the last three going into double overtime. While we wait, enter Sam I Am Amico, our high maintenence television star diva of a Cavaliers columnist. He takes some time today to share some thoughts with our readers, reflecting on the sweep of the Pistons, and also on some of the team's personnel as we get ready for the second round.

Lots of thoughts pertaining to the Cavaliers and the playoffs:

* All the Cavs can do is sit ... and wait. But hey, ain't it great? I've been saying all season this team needs a rest (as do most NBA teams at this time of year), and forget all that talk about the long stretch off between the first and second rounds making them "rusty." Getting out of rhythm has nothing to do with playing less. It has to do with chemistry, tired legs and mental fatigue. These Cavs don't need to worry about any of those things.

* My favorite line of the playoffs so far was uttered by Mo Williams. It came after Game 3, in which he and Delonte West combined to shoot a miserable 1-of-18 from the field. "I was 1-for-11, Delonte was 0-for-7 and we had eight turnovers between us," Williams said. "And we win the game by 11 points on the road? What more do you want me to say?"

* Williams' point is well-taken. Even when the Cavs are bad, they're still pretty good. It's amazing to me that they are THIS good THIS soon into the LeBron James era, but hey, give GM Danny Ferry credit. It's not easy to build around a young superstar. You can't just go out and get good players. You have to get good players who are willing to accept a secondary role for the rest of their careers. That's Williams, West, Joe Smith and all the others Ferry has traded for during the past two seasons.

* Last season, it seemed nearly every Cavalier other than James spent too much time on my nerves. I cringed nearly every time I had to watch Varejao, Sasha Pavlovic, and even Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The ball movement was flat and those guys too often seemed lost (particularly Varejao and Pavlovic).

* That's exactly the opposite this year. Varejao's improvement on offense is a huge reason the Cavs are where they are, as is Z's outside touch (and underrated defense). Z in particular has really benefited from the addition of Williams -- as those two work very well together.

* Granted, Pavlovic has become a non-factor just one season after holding out, and will likely be playing in some version of pro basketball Siberia next season (i.e. Sacramento, L.A. Clippers, Memphis). But at least he hasn't gotten enough playing time to get under my skin.

* Actually, I shouldn't be so tough on Sasha, who played pretty well on the Cavs' final West Coast swing of the season -- helping them big-time in wins over Phoenix and Sacramento. But the problems with Pavlovic are his defense and inconsistency on offense. He's pretty weak getting to the rim, and most of all, he often seems to be running around without any real purpose. Yes, he can score, but does he really help you win?

* I know, the Cavs just swept the Pistons and I'm writing 200 words about Sasha Pavlovic. Can you tell the Cavs have a break?

* Anyway, there is only one player who bugs me every time he takes the court, and if you love the Cavs, you already know who I'm talking about. That player is Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, who has had the most disappointing year of his young career. Gibson has regressed since helping the team upset Detroit in the conference finals two seasons ago, when he went nuts in the Game 6 clincher by burying something like 212 three-pointers. Well, not really, but it sure seemed that way at the time.

* But today, Gibson is nothing but a jump shooter who can't really shoot, not to mention an average ball-handler, subpar passer, and lousy defender. Why he has received chance after chance after chance from Cavs coach Mike Brown is beyond me, and pretty much anyone else who follows the team.

* One theory is that LeBron LOVES Boobie, and Brown doesn't want to do anything to upset his star. Not a bad practice -- but if that truly is anything more than speculation, then Brown needs to sit down James and explain to him how Gibson kills the momentum nearly every time he's in the game.

* All of that said, the Cavs now have some time to work out some kinks, heal up, and get ready for Atlanta or Miami. And that's never a bad thing.

Sam Amico is the editor of Pro Basketball News and a frequent contributor to The Cleveland Fan and SportsTime Ohio.

The TCF Forums