Dear Cavs Court Readers,

I will be extremely busy over the next couple weeks working on new projects for In-Focus Training & Seminars, as well as taking time here and there to migrate the contents of this site over to a new location.

During this time, I ask that you be patient with regards to news updates, and especially email follow ups.  I receive a bunch of email from here, my personal address, as well as, my business address.  Though pretty good at times…I am far from being anywhere close to what Leo likes to call an ”Email Ninja,” particularly during chaotic bursts like this when I’m juggling 4 or more hefty projects, and 1 always fun and interesting ongoing project called, “Time For My Fiance.” 

To get the latest on what’s going on with the Cavs, check out Brian Windhorst’s blog, as he always has a steady dose of Cavalier-related news and game reviews.  Also, don’t forget to pick up a copy of ”The Franchise,” which Brian co-wrote with Terry Pluto.  If you’re still craving more…my friend, Carolyn Hastings, also runs a fantastic Cavs blog over at And One, or you can always stick around here and skim through a couple of the past posts til I get back (the popular ones to the right are a good place to start).

I apologize for the inconvenience, and I promise to provide you with more information at a later time, including a link to the new place.

Thanks,

~Dee

New York Fansite to Lure Lebron James

When you think you’ve seen it all…Trust me, you haven’t. 

In an effort to to lure Lebron James to opt out of his contract in 2010 and come to the New York Knicks, a fan has created a site requesting donations for the cause.  The money is said to be placed in an account and will be used to purchase a welcome gift basket for James, including his own suite at Yankee Stadium, a Ferrari, and additional salary. 

SIMPLY PATHETIC! 

I will be laughing my butt off when James re-signs with the Cavs and those fools who thought they were paying into a so-called “campaign” to get Lebron, waste their money to a fake New York fan site owner.

Lebron James Becomes Cavs All Time Leading Scorer in Win Against Toronto

Friday, March 21, 2008, in a 90-83 win against the Toronto Raptors, James hit a layup to surpass Brad Daugherty as the Cavs leading scorer in franchise history.  This accomplishment came in the 1st quarter of play on a driving layup pass Anthony Parker, giving him his 10,391 career point.

Mike Brown took a quick time-out to let Lebron soak in the emotions of the moment, as fans paid tribute to the Cavs new all-time leading scorer with a standing ovation and screams that rang throughout Quicken Loans Arena. 

Gloria James came out on the floor after the game to congratulate her son and give him a kiss for a job well done.

“I think I made my mom proud,” James said after the game.

James finished the night with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Here’s a nice video recap of the game.

Cavaliers vs. Raptors Tonight!

The Cavs take on Toronto tonight as the Raptors look to tie the season series at 2-2 on our homecourt. 

The Cavs are coming off a win on Wednesday against the Pistons, looking to get better in each game of this home-stretch towards the post season, and working to maintain the 4th seed in the East to have homecourt advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs (potentially against these same Raptors).

For a couple great pre-game analyses, check out the Preview by Rock over at Waiting For Next Year, the Raptors Q&A Session hosted by Carolyn of And One, and the Preview by Sam over at Raptors Talk.  Then tune in at 7:30pm ET (Locally – FSN Ohio, Nationally – NBA League Pass).   If you can’t watch it on TV, you can stream it live here. 

Just Like Ole Times, Baby!

Coming off a loss to Orlando on Monday, the Cavs came into the Q and handled business against their long-time rivals, the Detroit Pistons.  They played killer instinct defense and held the Pistons to only 73 points in the game, the fewest they’ve allowed all season.

Here’s the rundown:

• Ben Wallace joked with his former teammates before the game, but frustrated them during it.  He held Rasheed Wallace to 1/7 from the field in the first half and 6/17 for the game.  He blocked shots, altered shots, and even hit few baskets (including a put back jumper to beat the buzzer at the end of the 2nd quarter). 

• Mike Brown’s rotations looked fairly solid.  He gave the Pistons a steady dose of big men off the bench, and subbed quickly off mismatches. 
• The team went on a 9-0 run to end the 2nd quarter, and went into the half up by 7 (45-38).
• Andy Varejao provided good energy off the bench, and pulled in 6 points and 6 boards.
• Lebron was just that…Lebron.  He was 11/19 from the field and 6/7 from the freethrow line, pulling in 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
• The Cavs had a field day in the 4th quarter, shooting 68% from the field.  Lebron hit 11 of his 30 points in that quarter, going 4-5 from the floor.
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas got off to a good start and finished with 20 points and 8 boards.
• The Cavs held the Pistons to only 39% shooting from the field.  What a difference from the Pistons game the night before against Denver where they shot 60%.
• Wally Szczerbiak, who has been struggling to find his shot since the trade, pulled in a solid 10 points on 4/7 shooting. 
• The Cavs got a 89-73 win, tied the season series at one a piece, and extended their home-winning streak to 8.

Next Up:  The Toronto Raptors on Friday, March 21st. 

Detroit Pistons Coming to the Q!

The Cavs take on the Detroit Pistons tonight.  Check out the the Game Preview over at ESPN.com, and tune-in tonight at 8:00pm ET (Locally – FSN Ohio / Nationally – ESPN).  If you can’t watch it, you can stream the game live through your computer.

The Home-Stretch Starts Tonight for the Cavs

With players getting healthy and the newbies continuing to get settled in, the Cavs are getting closer to being in full force for the playoffs. 

Anderson Varejo returned on February 26th, after missing 13 games with a sprained left ankle.  Sasha Pavlovic made his return on March 12th against the New Jersey Nets, after being out 7 weeks with a sprained left foot.  Zydrunas Ilgauskas came back this past Sunday, March 16th, after suffering a lower back injury, and missing the most games this season of his 7-season career.  Ben Wallace is back after being out a couple days due to back spasms suffered in the March 10th game against Portland. 

Since Eric Snow, the Cavs veteran point guard, will be out for the remainder of the season with a left knee injury, the only return the Cavs are awaiting is that of their 3-point marksman, Prince Gibson.  His return is slated for a week or so.  This is a good sign for the Cavs as they enter the home-stretch heading into the playoffs.

Tonight the Cavs play the, now ranked #3, Orlando Magic.  They will face the team again in April.  Wednesday, they play the Detroit Pistons, whom they will see 2 more times before the season ends - one of those being the Cavs season finale.

During this stretch, the Wine and Gold will also play the Toronto Raptors once and the Philadelphia 76ers twice, either of whom they may meet in the 1st round of the playoffs.

Right now the team is sitting on a 38-29 record, with 15 games left in the season.  In order to continue their 2-year, 50-game winning streak, they would have to win 12 of those 15 games. Can they do this? 

Well…anything is possible when you have the guy with the number 2 followed by the number 3 on his jersey.  However, I would much rather see the team focus on fine tuning their offense, getting everyone adjusted to Mike Browns defensive scheme, and simply playing these last few games with passion and intensity, than worrying about a 50-win season stat. 

None of that really matters once you hit the playoffs anyway.  I don’t care if you do win 50+ games during the regular season.  If you get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, trust me…that record will mean nothing to the team, the organization, the fans, or anyone else for that matter. 

So, the playful regular season ends here, and the real playoff preparation begins now.  It is during these final games of the season that a team must prove whether or not they are playoff worthy, and if they have what it takes to contend for an NBA title. 

Not that all games must be won (though that would be nice and a guaranteed momentum-booster), but every game must definitely be a fight and a draw for fresh blood.  With that said, lets see how the Cavs step up.