Five things I like about the Cavaliers as we enter the most critical part of the NBA season, in no particular order:
1. LeBron James is healthy.
NBA history tells us the team with the best player has the best chance to contend. Stephen Curry and James Harden and Anthony Davis are all really nice players -- but LeBron is still the best. He's been to four straight Finals. None of those other guys have come close. When LeBron is feeling good, and he is, he has the size, athleticism and smarts to lead a team to great places. He's proven it. I have a feeling he's looking forward to proving it again.
2. Timofey Mozgov and the D.
The Cavs desperately needed a guy to defend the basket. And protecting the rim goes beyond just blocking or altering shots. Sometimes, it calls for sending an opposing guard to the ground (in a clean way). Mozgov gets all that. He's 7-foot-1 and athletic and exactly what this team needed. He may not be as good on a lesser team. But the talent around him covers for his mistakes and makes him better. Mostly, Mozgov makers the Cavs better all the way around defensively. As Kyrie Irving said, now the guards can afford to gamble and play up on their man. If their man gets around them, no biggie. You've got Mozgov standing near the basket, waiting to send a shot into next week.
3. Kyrie Irving.
Fans and media types were tough on Irving during his first three seasons. They called him soft, injury-prone and a guy who didn't understand how to defend or win. It wasn't fair, and now, everyone basically has to shut up. Irving is having a career season as he learns how to play next to LeBron and alongside Kevin Love and all the other newcomers. He is playing harder than ever, dedicating himself to defense and making winning plays. On top of all that, it would be hard to find a more consistently upbeat guy in the locker room. Nothing is getting this guy down. He's been through the lean times with this team and fully appreciates the good.
4. Kevin Love.
He doesn't always look the part of the superstar who dominated in Minnesota. But guess what? The Cavs have no shot at a championship without him. Even at his worst, he's grabbing 10 rebounds a game, as Love leads the Cavs with 28 double-doubles. (LeBron is next at 17.) Love had it easy his first six years with the Timberwolves. The ball came to him every possession, and he usually worked wonders with it. Now, things are different and he's adjusting. But he's still one of the top three or four power forwards in the game, and will likely only get better as the season and years progress. But even now, if the Cavs hope to be a power, they absolutely, positively need Love. He simply controls the glass.
5. Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith.
Like Irving, Thompson is having a career season. It helps when he's not expected to do as much. Now, people are sleeping on him. I don't see anyone in the league chasing down offensive rebounds like Thompson does. He knew that would be his role this season. As one practice observer told me in training camp, "Tristan MUST have every rebound. That's his mentality." It shows, and it helps immensely. As for Smith, the Cavs needed an explosive and fearless spot-up shooter. He's delivered.
Five things that make me worry about the Cavs:
1. The age factor.
Older guys like James Jones and Mike Miller are offering little on the floor. It's not a huge concern, because they are longtime veterans with championship rings. They often play their best in the playoffs. But I can't help but wonder if the tanks are empty. And with so many key guys lacking playoff experience (Irving, Thompson, Love, Matthew Dellavedova), the vets are going to be needed when it really matters. Will they be up for it?
2. Depth at center.
If Mozgov goes down or gets in foul trouble, the Cavs are back to their non-rim-protecting ways. That's trouble, especially in the playoffs, where teams tend to run a more methodical offense that stresses taking the ball to the basket and working for the best shot -- as opposed to settling for long jumpers. So for the Cavs, another big body is probably needed.
3. Backup point guard.
I like Dellavedova and think he deserves 10-15 minutes a night. He plays hard and doesn't make too many huge mistakes. But the Cavs could use another vet to spell Irving once in a while. And I only say that because, again, the Cavs' current point guards have zero postseason games between them. A guy who has been through playoff battles would be a nice addition if the Cavs can swing it.
4. LeBron's ball handling.
Not a huge concern, but James is averaging a career-high 4.1 turnovers a game. That's almost one more turnover a night than his previous career-high (3.3). He's never committed more than 284 turnovers in a season -- and he's already committed 189 with 27 games to go. With as much as James handles the ball, he needs to work on taking better care of it. With this team, every possession counts.
5. David Blatt.
I'm not really worried about the coach. Like every coach everywhere, Blatt is likely to find success with talent. But I didn't mention Blatt yet, so I figured I'd put him down somewhere. Like some of the players (Irving, Love, etc.), Blatt has never been to the NBA playoffs. How will he manage a game? Fortunately, Blatt seems to do best with a tighter rotation, and that's how things often work when it means the most. My only concern with Blatt is the unknown. None of us have seen him in a playoff situation. But other than that, the guy is hardly a concern. Frankly, I think he's doing a bang-up job.
