Cavs 'Back to Back' to New York

by John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) on Feb 4, 2009 8:40 AM CST in 2009 Game Previews Comment 8 comments

After toying and disposing of the Toronto Raptors last night, breaking the team record for most consecutive home wins in the process, the Cavaliers jumped on a plane to head to New York to face the Knicks. Yes, another media frenzy as the New York fans and beat writers try to sell the world that playing for a bad basketball team is in the best interest of LeBron James just because New York "is better than" Cleveland.

We all know better, and so does LeBron, but being the flirt that he is he'll put on that smile and tease the Big Apple with more talk of "going to sleep tonight and waking up on July 1st, 2010". LeBron must love being the one athlete that can make the city that never sleeps stop on a dime and take notice.

Back to the game for a minute. We all know Kobe Bryant dropped 61 on the Knicks a couple nights ago, and most are looking for LeBron to try and match. Don;t count on it. LeBron James isn't a scorer by definition. He is, at his best, a fasacilitator who scores when the pportunity fits the flow of the game. Besides, LeBron will never get the fouls called that would allow him to take 20 trips to the Free Throw line as Kobe did, not with the whole "re-route" controversy.

No, LeBron will do what he does, and the Cavs will do what they do. So far this season against the Knicks, what the Cavs do is effectively end the game by halftime. In both games agaisnt the Knicks LeBron has yet to see the floor in the 4th quarter. James scored 26 in New York before sitting out the final 12 minutes of the Cavaliers' 119-101 victory on Nov. 25, then had 21 before leaving with 2:33 left in the third of Cleveland's 118-82 blowout on Dec. 3.

TO their credit, the Knicks have been playing solid basketball as of late, winning 6 of 8. Home wins against Houston and Atlanta are among those wins. There's something about LeBron at MSG, however, that seems to bring out the best of him, and regardless if he scores 50, as he did on March 5, 2008, or a "lowly" 21 in 20 minutes, the Cavs should get another 'W' to stay close to the Celtics.

The flirting and mindless obsession by New Yorkers is just the cherry on top.

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“Mindless obsession” would OK. Sense of entitlement is another thing entirely.

by JulioBernazard on Feb 4, 2009 9:01 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

^ would be OK.

by JulioBernazard on Feb 4, 2009 9:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I caught the end of the Knicks v. Lakers on NBA TV

Kobe stays in the game with 51 points and about 7minutes remaining with a 16 point lead. He made 8 out of his remaining 10 points at the line. So, no doubt Kobe was making a “statement”. Yes, he is a fantastic “scorer” and his jumper has perhaps no equal but his “me-first” ( I think he had one assist for the game) persona and the mindless acolades from the media grind on me.

Maybe LeBron will try and -one-up him and a large part of me wants him to. But in the end, I’ll take" The Kings" team game every time.

Oh The People You Meet When Your Out of Ammo.........

by Juannieboy on Feb 4, 2009 10:43 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I think I'm going to have go Obama here

And say that Kobe and Lebron fans have to stick together and don’t let the media pit these two against each other. Kobe is not “me-first”, his team won the game, and he had TWO assists! I kid. But Lebron is an awesome, fearsome player, I just don’t think you have to like one or the other, or resort to old crutches like “Kobe is selfish”, and “Lebron can’t shoot jumpers”. And as much as you think Kobe gets mindless accolades, he also has mindless detractors – same goes for Lebron, which is my point. YES WE CAN!

by Gils_Keloids on Feb 4, 2009 2:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

With-all-due-respect-,it’s-the-fans-AND-media-that-made-the-who’s-better-agruement-so-compelling.-It’s-part-of-any-fans-of-either-of-them-,or-just-the-NBA’s-DNA.-Sorry-Obama’s-not-going-to-change-anything-and-neither-are-calls(like-yours)-for-a-truce.

Oh The People You Meet When Your Out of Ammo.........

by Juannieboy on Feb 4, 2009 7:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

ny rumors

knick fan here.

not looking to get into a big thing here. but I am just sick of the why would lebron come to such a bad team argument. Say he has hometown pride. Say he is happy with the team that Cleavland has built and he wants to finish what he started. Say he wants the money only the cavs can give.

But without lebron, you really think you guys would be that much better? Do you think the cavs without lebron would have a better record then the knicks have right now? We are not a “bad” team anymore. are we a great team? no… we dont have that superstar we need (or a big man). But the Kicks are gaining confidence with every win (and more importantly, learning from every loss).

After the dust settles, be it lebron, bosh, wade, nash, stod, or a combination of them we will be contenders.

by gbaked on Feb 4, 2009 5:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

That’s fair. I just get sick of hearing that LeBron will go to NY just because it is NY. Dude wants to win, and I mean World Championships. Lots of them. The team that give James the best opportunity to do that, and right away, will be the team he signs with.

FTS

FearTheSword

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by John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) on Feb 4, 2009 6:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

While I dont think the Knicks are as bad as they were a few years ago, the surrounding team around LeBron is still better than the current Knicks squad.

Starting 5 – Duhon PG, QRichardson SG, Chandler SF, Jeffries PF, C Lee C, significant bench players – Harrington PF, N Robertson SG, A Roberson PG, Gallinari SF, Jeffries C

Compare to Cavs minus LeBron

Starting 5 – M Williams PG, D West (when healthy) SG, Pavlovic SF, B Wallace PF, Ilgauskas C, bench players – Varajeo PF/C, Gibson SG, Szczerbiak SG/SF, Hickson PF

I’d say the Cavs have the nod at PG, SG, and C and the bench is still deeper. I’d bet the Cavs minus LeBron would still win 5-10 more games than the current Knicks squad.

But wait … you must mean in that magical year of 2010 right?

The Knicks currently have $18.16M tied up in Curry C (currently injured), Jeffries C, Gallinari SF, and Chandler SF. Lets say you did get LeBron and say Wade to be the SG both at max contracts. Who is going to be the PG? LeBron? LeBron should play the 3, relegating Gallinari to PF or the bench with then Curry and Jeffries both playing at C/PF. Not to mention no backup SG, PG, etc.

But let’s look at the Cavs in 2010, they have …. wait for it … yes $18.83M tied up in the following players: PG M Williams, SG D West, PG/SG Gibson, PF Hickson, and PF D Jackson (a bench guy at best). Most likely Ilguaskas resigns at mid-level exception … pushing us to $25M or so. You mean to tell me that the signed Knicks players in 2010 are better than the Cavs players? I don’t think so. I’d bet Wallace also takes a low vet contract to come back if the Cavs win a title or 2 the next two years. And what if the Cavs sign Bosh? That would mean Bosh, Hickson, LeBron, West, M Williams and Z and Gibson off the bench. I do belive that would eb a title contender year in and year out.

by talonk on Feb 4, 2009 6:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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