More Than LeBron James; Cleveland Cavaliers' Depth Puts Them Atop NBA

He may not have his Scottie Pippen-like sidekick, but LeBron James isn’t complaining.

Cleveland’s all-everything superstar picked up his third Eastern Conference Player of the Week award following a stretch that proved the Cavaliers are anything but a one-man show.

Latest exhibit: The emergence of forward Jawad Williams.

The former North Carolina Tar Heel, who grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, began playing meaningful minutes when Jamario Moon was sidelined with an abdominal strain Jan. 5.

With Moon out three weeks, coach Mike Brown turned to Williams, who has responded by averaging eight points in 17 minutes a game. That’s an upgrade over Moon’s season average of five points a game.

It’s been a pleasant surprise for the Cavaliers, who seem to just keep on getting richer.

Shaquille O’Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas have figured out how to make their tag-team arrangement work at center. Their teammates have adjusted to the improbable pairing and have learned how to play to their big men’s strengths.

Delonte West is giving opponents fits off the bench, exhibiting the savvy and resilience of the seasoned pro that he is.

Anderson Varejao, meanwhile, has responded to Brown’s guidance and repented, at least somewhat, of his renowned flopping ways. A recent article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer detailed Varejao’s new approach to defense and how it’s paying off for the Cavs. The 6’11” supersub is having perhaps his most impressive season as a pro.

Then there’s Williams, who came off the bench firing with the confidence of a veteran. He scored 10 points in 17 minutes in a win over Portland on Jan. 10 and followed it the next night with 11 important points in 20 minutes in a close win at Golden State.

Inside the organization, Williams’ success comes as no surprise. In his second season with Cleveland after stints in Spain, Japan, Israel and the NBA D-League, Williams is James’ daily opponent during Cavaliers practices. Going against the NBA’s best, even in a practice setting, has prepared him for the bright lights of game night.

Cleveland’s depth may be the deciding factor if they’re to be successful in their quest for a first-ever NBA crown. Moon is scheduled to return by the end of January, and Leon Powe should be ready shortly after that. Add to them backup guard Daniel Gibson, who is currently the Cavs’ odd man out as Brown juggles the riches that await him on Cleveland’s bench.

Also in their favor: the rages of time that confront their main rivals atop the NBA.

Orlando pinned a lot on the offseason acquisition of 34-year-old Vince Carter, who suffered a shoulder separation on Jan. 8.

Boston’s talent is unquestioned, but so is their collective age. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Paul Pierce are all on the downside of 30, and have battled their share of bumps and bruises in recent years.

At 32, even Kobe Bryant appears suddenly vulnerable, given his recent bout with back spasms. As Kobe goes, so go the Lakers.

Equally revealing is how the four teams have fared in recent weeks. Boston is 6-6 over its last 12 games, including three losses during a four-game West Coast trip.

The Magic and Lakers are just 7-5 over similar spans. The Lakers haven’t had to travel to the opposite coast during that time, and Orlando just won the first of a challenging four-game set out west.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 10-2 over their last dozen games, including five wins in six games on two separate West Coast swings. Home or away, the team appears to have jelled and is playing its best basketball of the season.

When it comes to age, O’Neal and Ilgauskas may pose a concern, but the fact that they’re splitting time evenly has enabled them both to avoid injury and get ample rest as the playoffs approach.

Injury can befall anyone at any time. James could go down tomorrow just as easily as Garnett, Carter, or Bryant. Things being equal, however, the Cavaliers’ combination of youth and depth gives them a significant edge as February dawns on the NBA’s stretch run.

With Defense Firing On All Cylinders, Cavs' Offense Should Look to Shaq

Once again, talk of the Cleveland Cavaliers is focusing on their defense.

A strong end-game closed out the defending champion Lakers on Christmas, and a few days later the Cavs held Atlanta scoreless for the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter in sealing another road win.

Defense is the name of the game for the Cavaliers, and has been in their five seasons under Mike Brown.

Offense is another story.

Google “Mike Brown offense” and see for yourself. There are mostly blog entries offering scathing indictments of the coach and his decidedly non-creative approach to putting the basket in the ball. There's certainly nothing testifying to his offensive innovations or strategies.

Do the same with Phil Jackson, and you’ll get enough X’s and O’s to start a basketball clinic (along with a hilarious spoof from The Onion about the Zen Master’s “Tetrahedron Offense").

What gives? You’ve got a perennial candidate for the NBA scoring championship in LeBron James. You’ve got three of the top three-point shooters in the game: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker and Daniel Gibson.

You’ve also got Shaquille O’Neal.

Don’t laugh. As Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote this week, Shaq is still a force to be reckoned with inside, and the Cavs have yet to figure out how to capitalize.

In a loss to Charlotte on Sunday—their second stumble against the Bobcats this year—Shaq took just five shots, making four on his way to a 10-point night. This while being guarded down the stretch by Boris Diaw—all six-feet, eight-inches of him.

It’s part of a disturbing recent trend that has seen O’Neal taking fewer than 10 shots a game; in many cases, far fewer.

As Windhorst pointed out, the Cavs have been winning, so it’s no big deal in the immediate context. However, their inability to truly integrate Shaq into the offensive flow is indicative of the fact that Brown’s approach to scoring still seems to consist of getting the ball into LeBron’s hands, and little else—and that will hurt them in the long run.

Much has been made of how the Orlando Magic beat Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals last spring. The Cavaliers didn’t have an answer for Dwight Howard. Orlando’s perimeter shooters lit up the Cavs’ small guards. Orlando was simply better all along, said the experts.

But it was also a case of having to finally pay the piper. When your offense revolves so much around one player and his ability to create shots, you’re asking for trouble.

Commentators from Charles Barkley to Mark Jackson to Magic Johnson warned that asking James to carry the team offensively, playoff series after playoff series, was a prescription for disaster. They were right.

As much as the Magic’s offense came to life, the Cavs’ offense went stagnant. The result was another long summer for Cleveland, and another lesson learned.

Or was it? Concern over the way Cleveland frequently closes quarters—with LeBron dribbling, dribbling and dribbling before firing a last-second shot—is nothing new. Yet it still happens with disturbing frequency.

Let Windhorst say it: “LeBron has to be a leader enough to allow the ball to go elsewhere if he doesn’t have the right situation…He’s got to set up teammates more, no matter what the score is. This is something he’s been poor at all season.”

(Windhorst is a refreshing and articulate voice among NBA beat writers. Even though he co-authored a book about James this past year and knows the MVP well, it hasn’t kept him from being honest and objective in his observations about LeBron and the Cavs. He is consistently insightful and a joy to read for any hoops junkie.)

The Cavaliers appeared to grow offensively during their 66-win season a year ago. Much of their improvement was credited to then-assistant coach John Kuester.

With Kuester now steering the Detroit Pistons’ ship, Cleveland’s offense has too often fallen back into old, bad habits—most of them centered around giving the ball to LeBron and waiting to see what happens.

Again, the team has been winning, so it's not as if the sky is falling. However, this team operates best when attacking the basket—pushing the ball up the floor on fast breaks, setting up their perimeter shooters for three-point opportunities, and hurting teams with a relentless effort inside.

The Cavs' expected twosome underneath, O’Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, has actually become a trio. Anderson Varejao has been a key component in the paint all season and has shown more skill and aptitude around the basket than at any point in his career.

Ilgauskas, who has finally adjusted to coming off the bench, remains one of the best outside shooters among NBA centers.

Neither Varejao or Ilgauskas offer what Shaq does inside, however. O’Neal’s brute strength still poses problems for every center in the league. Howard couldn’t stop him one-on-one earlier this year. Neither could Amare Stoudamire, Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol, to name just a few.

Mind you, O'Neal isn't complaining. He's been a model citizen for the Cavs. He's playing about 25 minutes a game and has accepted a reduced role, knowing that it will leave him rested for the playoffs.

Cleveland’s offense will continue to revolve around LeBron, but Shaq offers a legitimate option underneath. Brown has four months to figure out how to capitalize on it.

As well as they’ve played, there is still significant room for improvement for the Cavaliers. The thought of James employing his breathtaking athleticism on the offensive end, while simultaneously involving the strengths of O'Neal and the rest of his teammates, is a frightening prospect for the rest of the league.

Minus LeBron: The Cavs' 'Non-LeBron' Team Since 2003

The fortunes of the Cleveland Cavaliers changed dramatically in 2003, when the team hit the NBA Draft lottery jackpot and secured the first overall pick. Their choice of LeBron James literally turned the franchise around and placed the city of Cleveland on the NBA map.

Within two seasons the Cavs went from a hapless 17-win pretender to a 42-win playoff contender. Two years later, they played in their first NBA Finals. Two years after that, James was the league MVP.

Conventional wisdom dictates that, to be considered one of the truly legendary NBA stars, LeBron will have to win at least one championship during his career. It’s also widely held that, just as Michael Jordan had his Scottie Pippen, LeBron will need a true, star-caliber sidekick to get his ring.

The Cavs have tried to deliver, but thus far have come up short. The jury is still out on the current pairing of James with Shaquille O’Neal; however, Shaq has rarely, if ever, been considered sidekick material.

As Cleveland tries to steady its current ship for another title run, let’s look at the “All Non-LeBron” team: the five best players—apart from James—who have played for the Cavs since his arrival in the NBA in 2003.


Forward: Drew Gooden

At times puzzling and sometimes accused of being lazy, Gooden nonetheless manned the power forward position capably for three-plus seasons and was with the Cavs for their only appearance in the Finals in 2007.

His defense was suspect, but he was a scoring threat on offense and was an above-average rebounder. His numbers with the Cavs from 2004 through 2008: 12.0 points and 8.6 rebounds a game.


Forward: Carlos Boozer

It’s problematic selecting two power forwards, but James has been the small forward since his rookie season, so Boozer it is—despite the fact that he is one of the most despised players among the Cavalier faithful.

His backing out of a handshake agreement with then-Cavs owner Gordon Gund in 2004 burned his bridges to Cleveland. However, there can be no disputing the fact that Boozer was on his way to being one of the league’s best power forwards, even back then.

He only played one season with LeBron, 2003-04, but he averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds a game. No Cavalier has averaged a double-double since, nor has anyone averaged double figures in rebounding alone. Although Boozer’s not a popular choice, he’s a logical one.


Center: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Big Z has remained healthy during James’ career, recording solid numbers for six straight seasons as the Cavs developed into one of the league’s elite teams. His numbers since 2003: 14.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

He was also an All-Star in 2007. Ilgauskas is a respected elder statesman in the NBA and has been one of the league’s most consistent, if not spectacular, centers.


Point Guard: Mo Williams

The fact that Williams is in only his second season with the Cavs shows just how shallow the talent pool has been since LeBron’s arrival. Who else could one possibly choose? Eric Snow? Jeff McInnis ?

Just as Boozer put up big numbers in LeBron’s first year, Williams instantly did so last season, averaging nearly 18 points a game and stretching defenses with his deadly outside shot. Williams is not a classic point guard, but continues to fill the position admirably for lack of another option.


Shooting Guard: Larry Hughes

If choosing Boozer rankled any of the Cavalier faithful, tapping Hughes might really stir things up. But, love him or hate him, Hughes posted some of the best numbers of any Cleveland player during the past six years.

He averaged 15.5 points in 2005, until that season was cut short by a broken finger. In parts of three seasons with the LeBron-led Cavaliers, Hughes averaged 14.3 points a game.


There are some notable Cavaliers absent from the list, but not many. Delonte West is the only other true candidate at guard; however, his 10 points a game and gutsy court presence have been offset by ongoing personal and legal problems. He’s been dropped from the starting lineup this year.

Then there's Anderson Varejao, who, even though he's always a factor when on the court, has been primarily a bench player during his six-year career.

What is also painfully evident from the above list: There has been no co-star for LeBron to pair with since 2003, no one truly capable of helping James lead the Cavaliers to the title. Shaq was brought in to be that guy, but the early returns have been rocky at best.

Time and circumstances may keep James in Cleveland for three more years beginning in 2010, regardless of what other teams offer. But GM Danny Ferry will need to secure another marquee star between now and then if the Cavs hope to compete for a championship and, more important, keep LeBron in the wine and gold for the long term.

This article is also posted on BleacherReport.com.

On Shaq, Phil, Brady, Josh...and Sweet Lou Brown

Caught the Cavs’ preseason game Wednesday night against Washington. LeBron James was out with flu symptoms, so it was up to Shaquille O’Neal to make things interesting, and he did, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds in less than 20 minutes of action. You don’t get much from preseason games, but:

-- O’Neal looks good. If he averages 13 and 6 this season, he’ll match what Zydrunas Ilgauskas put up a year ago. If last night’s game was any indication, he’ll exceed that. He remains a force.

-- O’Neal is also entertaining. All eyes were on him, especially with LeBron out. He handles the attention and adulation with ease and is calm and unflappable. That will rub off on his teammates.

-- Ilgauskas looks lost. Sure, he’s adjusting to coming off the bench. But Mike Brown has to find a way to make Big Z feel like he’s an integral part of what’s going on out there. He was mostly on the floor with second, third and even fourth-stringers, and he didn't appear to be comfortable.

-- Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon are going to make a big difference. In fact, if this team stays healthy, they will be incredibly deep and versatile.

All that said, there was no real electricity in the arena last night, and that’s because LeBron wasn’t there. Anyone who doubts how much he transcends the sport today simply isn’t paying attention. It’s his team, his city, and, for that matter, his league. No one on the floor last night comes remotely close to James in talent. Dan Gilbert needs to do whatever is necessary to keep Number 23 in a Cavaliers uniform.

Browns fans can relax: Phil Dawson is on the mend! Let’s face it, the co-MVPs of this team are Dawson and punter Dave Zastudil (last week’s AFC Special Teams Player of the Week) -- at least, that’s how it seems. Dawson, who has been nursing a sore hamstring for two weeks, may not kick against Pittsburgh this week, but should be fine for the Packers the following week. I’ve said before that Dawson has quietly put up numbers that make him one of the all-time greats in Browns history. You can read my thoughts on the subject here. Maybe the new Browns marketing slogan should be, “We’re Kickin’ in Cleveland!”

So Brady Quinn has put his house up for sale. Wouldn’t you? All the right things have been said this week, by Quinn and the Browns. But the situation is curious, if not ominous. Reports say Quinn is unhappy with his benching. Ah, yet another young quarterback casualty in Cleveland. What a mess. Eric Mangini seems committed to Derek Anderson, who has steered the ship through two close games. Yet Anderson’s 2-for-17 performance against Buffalo was so astonishingly inept that it’s impossible to believe he’s the answer. But, as Terry Pluto pointed out in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns think their running game has improved because D.A. is a threat to throw deep. So Anderson it is, and, one way or another, Quinn will be moving.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated thinks Josh Cribbs is the best special teams player in the NFL. He’s not alone. I joked with a guy at the stadium recently that the Browns should line Cribbs up 30 yards behind the quarterback on offense, and then have Anderson turn around and throw a high lob pass back to him. In other words, simulate a punt or kickoff return on every play. The law of averages, not to mention recent evidence, says that Cribbs would return one for a touchdown more frequently than the rest of the offense would ever score.

Cribbs was an explosive offensive weapon at Kent State (right), where he played quarterback for four seasons, leaving as the all-time total offense leader with 10,839 yards. He also holds school records in completions, passing yards, touchdowns and total points. Twice, he rushed and passed for over 1,000 yards in the same season -- one of only four players in NCAA history to accomplish that feat. His senior year, he completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 2,215 yards and 17 touchdowns, against just six interceptions. He also rushed for 893 yards and nine TDs! He is the only player in NCAA history to lead his team in passing and rushing for four consecutive seasons.

And we’re lamenting the fact that he isn’t a true #2…receiver? The mind reels. All I know is, when Josh Cribbs steps on the field, there is hope. Make of it what you will.

Good one, Big Ben – very funny: Read an item that said when Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, an Ohio native, was passed over by the Browns in the 2004 draft – they traded up to take Kellen Winslow – Big Ben was upset. Now, he admits he “wouldn’t trade where I am now for anything. . .I’m kind of happy here.” No kidding.

The Indians are interviewing Manny Acta for their managerial position? Really? Acta went 158-252 in two-plus seasons managing the Washington Nationals. I mean, could we please bring in a proven winner? Is it that hard?

Then again, it is the suddenly moribund Indians. The mind wanders to the classic line from that wise sage Lou Brown (left) in the movie “Major League,” when fictional GM Charlie Donovan calls him at the auto shop where he's working and asks him if he’d like to manage the Tribe: “Let me get back to you, will ya’, Charlie? I’ve got a guy on the other line asking about some white walls.”

Till next time…

Call Him the 'Big Deal' -- That's Good Enough For Me

Shaquille O’Neal is coming to Cleveland.

I have no concrete idea what level of talent, at this point in his career, he will bring to the Cavaliers. The goal is to team with LeBron James to win a championship. Does he have the talent? Yes. Does he have the desire? Probably. Will that desire translate into the motivation necessary to demand at least one more All-Star caliber performance from his 37-year-old body? Stay tuned.

No matter. Shaquille O’Neal is coming to Cleveland.

Think about that. When was the last time a major star of Shaq’s stature came to Northeast Ohio?

LeBron doesn’t count. Neither does Jim Brown. Both were drafted, and arrived in Cleveland as young stars-in-waiting.

You have to go back to 1974, when the Indians obtained legendary outfielder Frank Robinson from the Angels. Robby was named player-manager – the first black manager in the history of the major leagues – during the subsequent offseason and punctuated it the following April by hitting a home run in his first at bat on Opening Day.

Is O’Neal the answer? Will he help bring Cleveland its first major pro sports championship since 1964? Maybe. He’s certainly larger than life – figuratively and literally – and will bring a whole new attitude to Cavs’ Town. If he’s motivated to get into better shape – even if it’s just for one final run at a championship – then look out, the Cavaliers could be scary.

Mike Tirico raved about the deal on ESPN radio Thursday. He later interviewed Danny Ferry, the Cavs’ general manager. As Ferry put it, the chance to add a player of Shaq’s stature, including the presence he brings to the court and the locker room, is too good to pass up.

Ferry also pointed out that he and other Cavalier executives watched a lot of game tapes of O’Neal, and were impressed with how well he played for the Suns. Indeed, O’Neal averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds a game in 75 games with Phoenix. Contrast that with the numbers posted by the Cavs’ Zydrunas Ilgauskas: 12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per, in 65 games.

Don't write Shaq off just yet.

O’Neal is a 15-time All-Star and four time NBA champion. Add in the fact that there is no more consummate entertainer, and he promises to bring an attitude to Cleveland unlike any we’ve seen in these parts.

It’s called star power. It makes the trade worth it. That the Cavs only gave up Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and this year’s second-round pick is gravy.

I mean, think about it: As I’ve written this, and as you’ve read it, LeBron James has been an afterthought.

That’s why Shaquille O’Neal is special. And it’s why he could be exactly what the Cavaliers – and LeBron – have needed.

Bored with the Playoffs? Try...Cavs vs. Cavs

Former Cavaliers center Brad Daugherty, now a NASCAR analyst on ESPN, stirred the pot this week when he suggested that his Cavs team of the late 1980s and early ’90s could beat the current version.

Did I say stirred the pot? Seems like he was smokin’ it, actually.

Daugherty’s teams were exceptional. There was a sense, in 1989, that they were about to be championship caliber. Daugherty. Price. Nance. Williams. Harper. It was an exciting young team. Magic Johnson called them “the team of the ’90s.” Few disagreed.

But a guy named Michael Jordan had other plans, and the rest is history.

Daugherty joked in an article on ESPN’s “Water Cooler” website that his team would win by “20 or 30” – before admitting that it would be much closer than that. But he still claimed his group would win.

Key reasons:

1. While he admitted there’s no denying LeBron James’ greatness, he suggested that former Cavs Larry Nance and Hot Rod Williams could alter some of LeBron’s shots and thereby affect his game. (My take: Could be. But from what I’ve seen, you can alter one of LeBron’s shots one moment, then be watching as he dashes away from you on an unobstructed path to the basket for a monster dunk the next. In other words, the guy simply keeps coming at you until you break.)

2. Daugherty believes the pick-and-roll play he ran with point guard Mark Price would have given Zydrunas Ilgauskas fits. “If you don’t guard Mark coming off the screen, he shoots a 3-pointer instead of just pulling up and shooting a two or passing the basketball, so that would put a lot of pressure on them,” he said. (My take: Okay, but who would guard Ilgauskas at the other end? Let’s not overlook Z’s ability to step out and hit 15-to-20-footers with ease. I think Ilgauskas would give as good as he got.)

3. Ron Harper. “Ron was a very, very difficult opponent for anyone,” he said. “You can ask Michael Jordan. When we traded Ron, Michael said that’s the best thing we could have ever done for the Bulls. Ron was very good at moving and defending the basketball, he was a good rebounder, and he could score at different angles, outside or inside.” (My take: He’s right about this. I was always a Harper fan, and think things would have been different had he stayed with the team.)

To be fair, Daugherty acknowledged that it’s easy to sit where he does now and claim his team would win. He’s obviously having fun with it. And you can’t blame him for taking pride in that team and believing they could win.

Had Jordan not hit “The Shot,” there’s no telling how history might have treated that Cavaliers team.

But he DID hit the shot, and that’s an important part of this debate. Sometimes, one player makes a difference.

I wrote last time about why LeBron James matters. It’s because he’s a bonafide superstar. He has the same larger-than-life persona that Jordan did.

And that’s what would make the difference if the current Cavs played the team of Daugherty’s era.

I have to admit, I wonder to this day what might have been had Wayne Embry not traded Harper away in 1990. Harper made the All-Rookie team in 1987 and was a 20-points-per-game scorer. Some even called him “Baby Jordan,” because his game so resembled MJ’s.

But he wasn’t LeBron. Nobody on that team was.

LeBron James would give those guys fits the same way he does every team today. His breathtaking combination of speed, strength and court vision more than makes up for any deficiencies in his game. Yes, he has off nights. But he imposes his will on each and every game in which he plays.

And to suggest the overall cast in the ’90s was better, as Daugherty and ESPN’s Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy recently did, is to overlook the quality of the current Cavs team.

Think about it. Daugherty’s Cavs were outplayed in the 1990s by Bulls teams that sported Bill Cartwright and Luc Longley at center. I used to scratch my head over that one. How could the Bulls win championship after championship with guys like that in the post?

Michael Jordan, that’s how.

Likewise, the current Cavs have LeBron James. And that’s why they would beat the Cavs of old.

Random Thoughts as December Dawns

Limping to the Finish

The Browns have shot this season all to you-know-where. No news there. It was sad to see Brady Quinn sidelined for the year with a broken finger, just when he was getting the chance to play. It was just as sad to see Derek Anderson go down with a season-ending knee injury in Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis. That some fans jeered as he was helped off the field is distasteful, but then, Browns fans are so frustrated and fed up after 10 years of mostly blatant ineptitude that some of their wrath is bound to be misdirected. It was reminiscent of several years ago when Tim Couch left a game to similar derision, a scenario that was the beginning of the end of Couch’s run in Cleveland.

That said, I was struck by something Anderson said after the game. When asked if we might see Josh Cribbs at quarterback, Anderson responded with a jeer of his own and said anybody who thinks that would have to be “on crack.” You don’t put a receiver at quarterback, he said tersely.

And I thought, why not? First of all, he was a quarterback all the way through his playing days at Kent State. Furthermore, we’re talking about the one guy on the entire roster who consistently, week in and week out, makes plays. Every kickoff or punt return is cause for excitement when the ball is in Cribbs’ hands. Every opposing kickoff or punt return is cause for excitement when Cribbs has a shot at making the tackle -- which, more often than not, he does.

When the Browns started this long downward spiral, Cribbs was one of two players (Jamal Lewis being the other) who dared to say what others only thought: That perhaps some players were guilty of quitting. He later apologized, sort of, because it was the politically correct thing to do, but his words carried weight because, well, he never quits. This on a roster with too many people who seemed to be going through the motions.

This week Cribbs was quoted as saying yes, he could play quarterback, because he did it all his life before the NFL. He admitted it probably wouldn’t happen, but the point was made. “I want the ball in my hands,” he said.

So do the rest of us. I understand turning to Ken Dorsey to steer the sinking ship and I wish him well, but I couldn’t disagree with Anderson more when it comes to Cribbs. If you ask me, if there were 22 guys with number 16 on their jerseys, or at least number 16’s heart in their bodies, this franchise would be a lot better off.


On the Cavaliers…

Earlier this year I bemoaned the presence of Ben Wallace in the Cavs’ starting lineup, because of his age and his offensive shortcomings. It’s early, and the long season could yet take its toll, but I’m happy to admit that, thus far, Big Ben has made me eat those words.

The Cavs are playing championship caliber basketball, and Wallace is a big part of their success. His defensive intensity and rebounding prowess have helped fuel their recent run. I was concerned that perhaps he’d lost the one aspect of his game that had made him so formidable -- that being his intensity. My concern was misplaced. He’s been a one-man wrecking crew at times, and his teammates have picked up on it. That’s leadership, and I tip my cap to him.

Momentum is a funny thing in sports. As miserable as the Browns’ performances have been -- and as much as one lousy game fuels another -- the Cavs’ performances have been dominant. Players are feeding off of one another, and Mike Brown is doing a remarkable job of getting people their minutes.

Give credit to LeBron James on that count. His minutes per game are finally down to a reasonable level, and he’s not complaining at all. He’s getting much-needed rest because the Cavaliers are simply overpowering most of their opponents, and he’s not needed in the fourth quarter of many of those games. As his minutes decline, Brown can spread them among the Cavs’ bench players, and everybody’s happy. You get the sense that LeBron is less interested in accumulating personal stats than he is in getting the ring, and when your leader exhibits that approach, the rest of the team will follow.

Mo Williams and Delonte West are quickly becoming one of the best guard tandems in the league. And Zydrunas Ilgauskas just keeps rolling along, giving other teams fits with his offensive rebounding and outside shooting. Meanwhile, the bench is the deepest it’s been in years -- maybe ever -- and continues to make meaningful contributions night in and night out.

This team is good. Very, very good. I’m already looking forward to May and June.


High school football

I was treated, along with the rest of our town in North Canton, Ohio, to a remarkable season by the Hoover High School football team. The Vikings defied most preseason forecasts by losing just one game in the regular season, winning the Federal League title with a perfect 7-0 league mark, and going on to three straight playoff wins and a regional title.

That’s where it ended, of course, as the Vikings ran into the buzz saw that was Cleveland St. Ignatius in the state semifinals. The Wildcats went on to win the state championship in Division I, but Hoover’s overachieving roster will go down as one of the best teams in school history.

St. Ignatius is to be applauded, but I was struck during the postseason by all the talk of their 10 state championships in the last 20 years. I was reminded of a column last May by Bob Dyer of the Akron Beacon Journal, in which he wrote of the disproportionate advantage that parochial and private schools have over public schools in athletic competition. The stats that he cited were undeniable.

The playing field isn’t level by any means when it comes to private and public schools in Ohio. It’s not the private schools’ fault, of course. But, on the whole, it’s tough for public schools to reach the highest rung on the ladder on a consistent basis. A look at St. Ignatius’ web site reveals that it’s run more like a college than a high school, complete with a sophisticated advancement office that is only too happy to share information about annual gifts, capital gifts, and planned giving. Families pay tuition for their children to attend there. Even the web site suffix, “.edu,” is the one typically used by colleges and universities.

The two schools featured in the Ohio Division I championship game -- Cincinnati Elder being the other -- are both private, all-boys schools. And, unfettered as they are by geographic restraints, they welcome any student who can make the daily drive to their often glittering campuses -- and who can afford their rather hefty tuition fees.

Before Hoover’s game with St. Ignatius, Viking coach Don Hertler put it as politely, and plainly, as it can be put: “They’ve got kids probably from five counties, and we’ve got them probably from five neighborhoods.”

Officials from the Ohio High School Athletic Association acknowledge the disparity, but also lament the complexities involved in operating separate tournaments for public and private schools. I can understand their dilemma, but anyone who saw the St. Ignatius-Hoover semifinal and didn’t come away scratching their head over the issue just wasn’t paying attention.

Again, it’s not St. Ignatius’s fault. The system is what it is. But schools like Hoover only get so far every so often. Perhaps they can find some consolation in the fact that, among public schools in Ohio, they were one of the top two -- the other being the Pickerington Central Tigers, who were a perfect 13-0 before losing to Cincinnati Elder in the other state semifinal game.

Hoover’s football team wasn’t the only one of the school’s squads to make it so far this fall. The girls cross country team, a remarkable collection of talented runners from a small town of 15,000 people, was edged out at the state meet by the perennial powerhouse team from Magnificat High School in Rocky River, a suburb of Cleveland.

Magnificat was nowhere to be found in the boys’ race. That’s because it’s a private, all-girls school.

I checked their web site, too. They have five people in their advancement office.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

And so it goes.

Meanwhile, in Bulls' Town...

Couldn't help but notice this item as it trickled across the newswire. New Chicago Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro (left) added former NBA coaches Del Harris (center) and Bernie Bickerstaff to his coaching staff. This is Del Negro's first head coaching opportunity, and it shows either confidence, or stupidity.

Confidence, because it would indicate that he's secure in who he is and knows that he will benefit from having seasoned, experienced coaches around to advise him as he learns the role. Stupidity, because if he isn't up to the job, GM John Paxson can just install Harris or Bickerstaff in his seat.

I suspect it's the former. "When I first accepted this position, I made it a top priority to surround myself with an experienced coaching staff," Del Negro said. "Now. . .you would be hard pressed to find a staff with the combined number of years experience that we have assembled."

It's an approach that makes a lot of sense for someone new to coaching. And it reminds one again of the reservations many fans, and members of the media, have about Cavs coach Mike Brown.

Brown has proven that he can get a team to play defense -- often, great defense. But his offense hasn't worked, and doesn't work. At best, the Cavs offense seems to succeed when they overwhelm teams with athleticism -- usually on the part of LeBron James -- with the occasional and timely tip-ins of Zydrunas Ilgauskas as a follow-up to missed shots (which tend to be numerous). The roster has been littered with lousy shooters, and the offense typically deteriorates into the LeBron-James-dribble-dribble-dribble-shoot pattern. It elicits what one might call the "Ilgauskas chant": Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z. . . .

A frequent topic of radio talk shows and Internet message boards has been the need for Brown to hire an offensive guru to bring the Cavs into the 21st Century. He's resisted the idea, apparently operating under the belief that he and his current assistants can oversee an offense that will win championships.

My 13-year-old son knows that isn't true. Tens of thousands of frustrated Cavs fans do, too. And, as I've written here before, TNT's Charles Barkley told it like it is when, during the playoffs, he called the Cavs' system a "crappy offense."

The Bulls have been on the verge of being a contender for the past two seasons. With Harris and Bickerstaff (both with 13 years' experience as NBA head coaches) now on board to help Del Negro, this could be the year things get serious again in the Windy City. Brown would do well to take a page from Vinny's book and bring in an expert who could help the Cavaliers take full advantage of LeBron's talents and install an offense that will be both entertaining and productive.