A Cavalier Attitude...

All right, we did a brief profile on the Utah Jazz recently in our blog-series where we take a quick look at possible NBA champions. Ideally I would like to go back and forth between the two leagues, but the fact of the matter is that, as we all know, the Eastern Conference sort of, you know, sucks. Not to say that the champion can't come from there, however, because they certainly can. And one possible Eastern champ is the Cleveland Cavaliers, due to their number one reason...

1. Lebron James
James is not scoring ridiculous amounts of points like Carmelo Anthony, but there is no doubt who is king of this team. Everything rests on his shoulders, and as everyone knows and can see, biting his fingernails is not a symbol of nervousness--it's just one of those habits...

James spreads the ball, grabs rebounds, has improved his D, and is capable of taking over a game whenever he chooses to do so. There is little that he cannot do, the only question resides on what the rest of the Cavaliers can do, and here it becomes a little shaky.

Drew Gooden leads the team in rebounds and FG%, and lately has shown more consistent play. He followed a thirty+ point/15 rebound game with another double-double (11th of the year), and will be a key to their continued success. Another key is Big Z who is having an up and down year. At 7 foot 3, the man has to be more of a presence. Always had a sweet jump shot, he needs to become more of a presence in the paint on both ends of the court. 1.4 blocks is just not enough. The Cavs need Big Z to step up and slap the ball right back down the other team's throat. If these two power men can stay healthy, they form a solid enough front court complimenting the many abilities of Mr. James.

Dare we say Larry Hughes is back to some sort of respectable everyday player? Hurt again this year, he came back after ten games and has shown his ability to not only make big shots, but to make shots in general, especially from beyond the arc. If these three people can bond together under their general, expect big things. On paper, this is a fine team, it's just a matter of executing. Their fifth player, Eric Snow, is the veteran presence who has been having a quiet but productive-enough season. Approaching 35, he has, and will continue, to provide a nice compliment to King James.

Varejao is the X factor, with his funky hair, coming off the bench. He's got the energy. Donyell Marshall can resemble a tank running through Polish cavalry at times, and is capable of huge numbers as evidence by his 30 point/10 rebound performance against the Milwaukee Bucks. That's the thing though, do these guys have it when it counts? They put up a huge fight against the Pistons last year in the playoffs, and look for them to improve on their performance this year.

Heading off on a seven game road trip, it's going to be important for the Cavs to come back with at least four wins. They have shown their ability to play at home, rolling out to a 15-3 record for one of the best in the league--but are a dismal 6-9 on the road. Those numbers have to improve. Otherwise, this is a team that has played well together, that has experience together, and unlike a lot of teams in the East--and even in the West--show a healthy amount of team play, unselfish and respective of each other.

Can they win the championship? Hey...anything is possible.