Wednesday, October 31, 2007

NBA opener for Cavs a daunting challenge


Last night the NBA season officially kicked off with the Warriors vs. the Jazz, Spurs vs. Trail Blazers, and Lakers vs. Rockets. Negative light overshadowed one game despite how close it turned out. The real action starts tonight as the Cleveland Cavailers look to show off their strengths against the powerhouse Western conference Dallas Mavericks. The home opener for the Cavs ought to put some extra spring in their step. Since their last game was there in the NBA Finals against San Antonio resulting in a loss they'll want to do their best to make it up to the fans.

Lebron gears up for first game of the season with high hopes for the still young Cleveland squad. Rather than see the superstar put on a scoring clinic it would be great to see the rest of the lineup and bench make big contributions. Lebron averaged 27.5 points last year and isn't worried about scoring. Their main concern is finding a way to shut down the middle and cut off the inside offense from the Mavs. I know Dirk, Terry, and Howard have proved they can hit from the outside, but Cleveland can take their chances with such high volume shooting attempts from beyond the arch.

Cleveland is coming off a remarkable season, pulling out the stops to eliminate the Pistons in the Eastern Conference championship series and go on to face the Spurs in the Finals. Their youth and inexperience caught up with them in route to being defeated. That's okay, but now they can take that experience and build upon it. Coach Mike Brown has done a terrific job in his first 2 seasons with the team. His expertise and knowledge of the game could get them back to the promised land in 07-08. The Cavs have Gooden, Illgauskas, Gibson, Hughes, and Snow returning so the lineup is still the same. I think a bit of restructuring to the bench and few trades will provide a boost. Overall, the Cavaliers remain a top contender in the East.

No comments: