NBA playoffs: The Cavs are back

Things have not been easy for fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers the last couple years. The Cavs feature one of the most passionate fan bases in the league, and the losing had ... interesting effects on some of us. Some of the lineups we would see were a collection of misfit toys. Some of the losses the team would suffer seemed like they were enough to break the collective will of the fan base. A prime example of this is this hysterical article by Angelo capturing the inner workings of the mind of a Cavs fan watching the Detroit Pistons wipe the floor with the Cavs. It features such highlights as:

7:44: Parker dribbles down the shot clock and drives in for a layup. AC calls it as being from "deep in the Palace". Even the announcers aren't motivated to care about this game.

7:50: Jamison clangs his first junk hook shot instead of passing to a team mate. You know, veteran leadership.

8:22: WILL BYNUM IS SIX FUCKING FEET TALL AND HE JUST REBOUNDED A PISTONS FREE THROW! WHAT THE HELL, CAVS!?

9:13: I could be at a Springsteen concert right now. Cavs are down 50. Yes, fifty fucking points. 100-50, Detroit.

Then there was last season. The tanking was "over". There was so much hope. LOOK AT THESE IDIOTS. THE LOWEST PREDICTION FOR WINS WAS 43 (I'm not counting Boosh's "somewhere around 40" because that's not an answer). Of course last year featured such successful moments as:

Jarrett Jack being upset that Earl Clark stepped out of bounds to seal the loss:

Jarrett Jack proving that he won't pass in late game situations, even if he's inbounding.

Andrew Bynum jacking up threes in practice until the team had to suspend him.

Luol Deng quitting the second he arrived in Cleveland.

Anthony Bennett's ... well ... everything.

While the losing was painful, there was always the hope that the team would be able to once again become a contender either through the developing of their young talent, or using that talent to acquire the pieces necessary to contend. LeBron James returned, the Cavs got Kevin Love and the rest is history. WIth Friday's win over the Indiana Pacers, the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched a playoff berth for the first time in four years.

The Cavs feature a legitimate championship caliber roster that's having fun with plenty of promise for the future. Fun is back at The Q and soon the playoffs will be back. It's a great time to be a Cavs fan.