The Cleveland Cavs had a terrible post season by their standards. Their standards meant winning it all!
The general assumption for most NBA fans was the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – the Lakers fulfilled their end of the bargain, Cavs did not. Instead, the Magic took their place.
The Cavs were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic, and relatively easy to. If it wasn’t for Lebron James miracle shot at the buzzer, the Cavs would have been embarrassed at their performance.
During the 2008-2009 season, the Cavs looked like the team to beat. Boasting the best home record in the NBA (they had a 39-2 home record), the Cleveland Cavaliers also had the best record in the NBA. A 66-16 finish gave them the top seed in the Eastern Conference and home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. It looked like it’d be the year for Cleveland.
Elaborate pre-game shows don’t win games in the spring and summer time. The Cavs might be the favorite to come out of the East but their true test doesn’t come in a Dec. game against the Minnesota Timber wolves on a Tuesday.
Surely, the team was lacking in the big man department. Enter Shaquille O’Neal. The Cavs now enjoy the presence of the big man on their roster, and will look to use his physical prowess and playoff experience to bring home an NBA title.
There’s a lot on the line, and the Celtics and Magic have both made some big moves themselves during the off season. The changes by both the Magic and Celtics should have big impacts in the East, but the Cavs have made their power moves as well.
With Lebron’s contract coming to an end, the time is now for Cleveland. If they have any hope, it’s only going to be while Lebron’s in town. There’s a chance he stays in Cleveland, but there are going to be some real hefty offers from some major market teams, which Cleveland may not be able to match.
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