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**Pioneer10** · 10-19-2006, 11:02 PM

Quote:

An opposing team's scout sizes up the Cavs

Here's what amazes me most about LeBron James: It's the way he runs. He's probably the best athlete in the NBA -- might be the best in pro sports -- and I've never, ever seen a guy run as fast as him that has a duck walk like he does. Have you noticed the way his toes turn out when he runs? With most good athletes, their toes turn in, they're slightly pigeontoed. Michael Jordan's toes turn in. I haven't seen a lot of athletes that have the duck walk and are able to get it done. Here's the fastest guy running up the court with the ball in the NBA and he does it with a funny stride ...

The beauty of LeBron is that he's a distributor, a playmaker as well as a great scorer. Plus he's in that category with Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade where they get every damn call. Breathe on them and they're going to the free throw line. That's such a huge advantage to have them on the floor, knowing that something is always going to happen, that either they're going to score or get fouled. Most teams don't have that. With the way the new rules are set up, how can you guard LeBron? If you back off, he'll make the three-pointer, which has been a big improvement in his game, and as soon as you come up to guard him, he'll put the ball on the floor and get the whistle, or if he's inside and throws it anywhere near the basket and falls down, they're going to blow the whistle on his behalf ...

I don't know how much more James can improve offensively. He'll continue to improve from the three-point line, but the real improvement has to come from the rest of the team. The players are going to have to finish when he dishes off to them and they'll need to upgrade at a couple of positions ...

The one thing James can work on improving is his weak defense. He isn't a good defensive player, and it's not because of anything physical. He just tends to drift defensively, doesn't play his man, loses weakside help -- he's not a good defensive player, and that's where you separate him and Kobe, who is good on the defensive side. That's why I'd say Kobe is the best player in the league and LeBron is second ...

I think Cleveland can improve simply by getting a full year out of Larry Hughes. I was never a big Hughes fan but he has gotten better each year. His last year in Washington he took his game to another level before getting hurt last year. He gives Cleveland a second potent offensive player, so long as he understands -- which I think he will -- that he's taking a backseat to LeBron and they learn to mesh together. Hughes gets credit defensively because he's running off his man and stealing the ball. Defensively they need him to be solid on the perimeter ...

Their Achilles' heel is at point guard, where Eric Snow is an adequate leader, distributor and coach on the floor, but he's also an old-timer who just can't make a shot, which enables the defense to lay off him and devote more attention to LeBron and other guys. Damon Jones isn't really a point guard; he had a terrible year last year. He seems to spend more time talking to crowd than to his coaches and players. He loses focus and I don't know how much they can rely on him ...

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is not as big factor as he was three or four years ago, when they used to run everything to him -- a turnout and throw it to Ilgauskas and play off him. They don't do that anymore obviously, they play off LeBron now. And with Hughes back, Ilgauskas is going to be your third option because they want to run and push it up floor. The game is played so fast today, but to make use of Ilgauskas you've got to wait for him. He may outlet the ball and never see it again because they're shooting with 16 seconds left on the shot clock and he's just arriving into the post. When they're running early offense they keep Ilgauskas on the high post, which they do lot, and he'll set screens high for the guard and he'll pop off of those. And maybe after a timeout they'll set up a play for him ...

The way they're playing now, they can get more production from Anderson Varejao as a rebounder and active defender who runs the floor and can score in transition I also prefer Varejao to Drew Gooden, who isn't the smartest guy in the league and can forget what they're trying to accomplish on the floor. Gooden doesn't know his limitations and that leads to mistakes from him. But he is also capable of getting a double-double every night, and if he's splitting the power forward spot with Varejao -- who is also shifting over to play center at times -- then they're OK for now at the big spots ...

Donyell Marshall is good to have if he's in their eight-man rotation, but if they're having to start him then it shows you've got a problem ...

The bench is an area that Cleveland needs to work on. They'll definitely miss Flip Murray, who did a good job of filling in for Larry Hughes. Someone like Sasha Pavlovic is not going to help, and Ira Newble is a big disappointment who can't score off the bench, and Damon Jones and Marshall are coming off poor years. And I don't see rookie Shannon Brown playing a whole lot for a team that's hoping to go far in the playoffs ...

First-year coach Mike Brown did a good job last season, the players bought into him. I saw a lot of San Antonio in their offense. San Antonio runs a really good system, where they run everything out of their early offense -- they push it and force the defense to make a quick decis while they're pushing the ball up the court, and that prevents the defense from getting into a comfortable position. Utah does the same kind of thing, with offensive counters based on whatever the defense does. Those teams been running it for seven or eight years with the same coach, so the longer Mike is around the more I can imagine Cleveland flowing into that offense. Then at the ends of games all they run is pick and roll with LeBron. But Mike is a defensive coach, and this was not a good defensive team in spite of what the coach wants to emphasize ...

Mike is a very good people person and he's an excellent X's and O's coach too, which are two good qualities to have. Now, if they don't get to the NBA Finals, will that owner be unhappy? Without a doubt. But as long as LeBron's happy with Mike then he should be in good shape ...

I was surprised by how well they played in the playoffs last year. For them to take the next step and reach the conference finals, they need Hughes to stay healthy and have a really good year -- in that case they'll be able to contend with Detroit. But if we're talking about them winning a championship someday, then a lot of things need to happen. LeBron has to become good defensively and show some leadership at that end of the court, they have to upgrade at power forward by bringing in a shotblocker to defend the goal, and they need to improve at point guard.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/bas...cavaliers.html

**Benedict_Boozer** · 10-20-2006, 06:54 AM

^Not a terrible review. I don't necessarily agree with all of his assessments, but the bottom line that we need production from support players and Hughes to stay healthy is right on target.

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