The Cavs: Not Looking Forward to a Brighter Day

The Cleveland Cavaliers won't be better next year. Sure, their regular season record will probably pick up some, but overall - nope. So for those of you hoping that this would be the beginning of something big - no dice, not one, not even at Walmart.

The Cavs are convinced that Larry Hughes, healthy, is the answer. But Larry Hughes doesn't really play point guard now does he? Then again, neither does Daniel Gibson. And Hughes isn't much of a jump shooter.

In fact, no one on the Cavs appears to be much of a jump shooter, though we knew that all along. Tonight, LeBron James could have had 15-20 assists easy. He got the ball to his best shooters with loads of room. The result - clang. The dynamite did not go down. Even if there was dynamite, and I doubt it, they would have forgotten to light it. Sickening.

In the offseason, some fo the pundits will say "the Cavs will be able to keep this nucleus that got them to the finals together." I say that's a pity, cause that nucleus lacks talent. There isn't one player other than LeBron who I would be especially sad to see go. Actually, Scot Pollard.

Now THERE'S a nucleus - Pollard and LeBron. They should definitely trade Gibson because he doesn't play point and his trade value will never be higher than it is now. Of course, they're drinkin' the koolaid too, so there's no chance of that. It's true that they have a bunch of good players. But not one has the potential as a second banana. Hughes maybe a third banana. Gooden is a fourth banana. Pavlovic, Gibson, and Varejao are all bench bananas. Big Z? He's a retired banana if I had my way. (That's not to say I don't love Z, it's just that he's not built for LeBron's skills)

Next years starting 5 will probably look just like this years starting 5. And there's no first round pick so there goes that idea - of course with Danny Ferry drafting, what good is a first round pick? That's for next time.

To conclude, the Cavs are doomed. They aren't doomed like the 90's Jazz with two great players but a tough conference, but more like the Ewing Knicks - one star and no supporting cast. This is the first moment where I've truly thought LeBron will leave in two more years. He's going to get frustrated because he won't see how the team can get better. And they won't. And he'll leave.