Fear The Links - 10/30/08

A new feature here at FearTheSword, the daily look around the web at what others are saying about the Cavaliers.  I'll add a short snippet from the article and give a few of my thoughts as well.  Let's start, shall we?

LeBron and Jay-Z stump for Obama at The Q -- I'll let the following video say it all for me.  Regardless of my own political affiliation, I'm not sure about how I feel when athletes, or the Cavaliers for that matter, openly support a political candidate.  While LeBron can surely do what he wants, I feel it is in bad taste to get "Cavs Insider" e-mails promoting what was a political rally.  That's just me.  Here's some video --

Mo Williams Knows It Will Take Time To Click -- Mike Brown and Mo Williams were honest with their evluations of Williams in his regular season Cavaliers debut.  Brown had this to say about the effort -

Overall I thought he was pretty good.  I thought he responded well playing into the fourth quarter for the first time with the starting unit. I wouldn't give him an A, but probably a little bit above average.

Williams didn't disagree --

It went OK, obviously it could have been better.  I'm still trying to feel my way. It's going to come with playing more meaningful games. It's just getting to a comfort level. It's not a confidence thing. There's a difference between confidence and comfort. Once I get there, I'll be fine.

When asked how long it would take for him to feel comfortable in the offense, Williams was optimistic -

I don't think it will be long. I don't think it will be long at all. You've got 81 games left in the season, playoffs, etc.  It's not the time to get bent out of shape. It's good that we played Boston the first game. They give you a real test in things you have to get better in and things that you have to tighten up in a lot of different areas.

My only disappointment on Williams in Game 1 were the missed open shots that he was specifically brought in to hit.  The Cavaliers have been looking for that type of guy for 5 years now and just can't seem to find him.  Obviously I am still very optimisitc on Williams, but can anyone blame me when I watch Williams hoist jumpers similar to Larry Hughes and Wally World?

The Cavaliers Are Excited To Come Home  -- It might have been a short 1-game trip, but for the Cavaliers, who also played a week's worth of pre-season road games, it feels great to be home again.  They entertain the Charlotte Bobcats, one of two teams still waiting to start their season, and I always worry about the effort, especially from a certain #23, when the Cavaliers are facing a team they consider to be an inferior opponent.  LeBron tells me I shouldn't be concerned -

We approach it like it's our last game of the season, like it's a game we need to get into the playoffs

I certainly hope LeBron is speaking the truth.  The Cavaliers found out last year just how important home court advantage is in the playoffs.  The difference between a 50-55 win team and a 45-48 win team are wins in games like this.

History, unfortunately, isn't on the Cavaliers side.  The team is 13-25 in Home Openers, including a complete stinker last year against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Cavs Lack The Depth Up Front -- Patrick McManamon thinks that Cavaliers might be short a big man who can provide offense --

The Cavs might be one big guy short. That's because they traded Smith for Williams, a move to add a point guard. It was a move that needed to be made but did hurt, because losing Smith is not insignificant.

Rookie forward J.J. Hickson played a lot in the preseason but didn't play at all in the opener. Those minutes went to Lorenzen Wright. Perhaps one game is too early to judge Wright, but he did not provide the offense from the short-range jump shot that Smith did.

Most nights, the Cavaliers will be able to counter-act the dificiency with better players.  In the playoffs, against quality opponents with solid depth, they will struggle at times, as they did against Boston.  Personally, I think the situation will be resolved sometime in February with the Wally-Bullet.  What remains to be seen is which big man will be available.