Category: Cleveland Cavaliers (Page 22 of 88)

The Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James showed the NBA that they will be a top team this season. The Cavs won in San Antonio for the first time since 1988. James led the Cavs with 35 points and 10 rebounds as he dominated the floor from beginning to end.

Tim Duncan and the Spurs made a late run, but Cleveland held them off for an 88-81 victory. The Cavaliers defense looked better than against Washington, as they were able to make some critical stops at the end to preserve the victory. James played like a future MVP making big shots and pulling down critical rebounds. If LeBron and the Cavs continue to play this type of defense, Cleveland will be making a run at a championship.

The Cavaliers finally were able to get it done in San Antonio. It had been eighteen years since they last won on the road against the Spurs but edged them out 88-81 Friday night. LeBron led with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

It’s only been two games, but the Cavs are already showing signs of a championship-caliber team. They go into a tough environment against one of the best teams in the league and come out winners. Winning on the road is essential if you want to be a team that advances far in the postseason. So far, we’re proving that we can hang with the elite teams, home or away.

The Cleveland Cavaliers started the season with a hard fought 97-94 victory over last year’s playoff opponent, the Washington Wizards. The Cavs led early, but had numerous turnovers and converted only 50% of their free throws. This allowed the Wizards to stay close and almost pull off a victory at the end.

The Cavs were led by Larry Hughes with 27 and LeBron James with 26 as the duo showed a glimpse of what we can expect this season. Cleveland and their fans have put high expectations on this team; the Cavs need to concentrate on one game at a time.

Forget the Browns for a moment, let’s talk about a winner for a change. LBJ and the Cavaliers will begin their playoff and potential championship run in just seven days. Big things are expected from Mike Brown’s squad this season and anything less than an Eastern Conference finals appearance may be termed as a disappointment. In any event, we can’t help but be ecstatic over Cavs season finally starting. I think we all have a bitter taste in our mouths over the way last season ended. Ten of ESPN.com’s experts weigh in on how they think the Cavs will finish this season.

Here’s a sample of some various opinions:

Scoop Jackson:
Am I the only Witness? It’s not about LeBron this year, it’s about getting Larry Hughes back. They did everything last year without him — and they still came close. Now watch it really go down.
DIVISION RANK: 1 | CONFERENCE RANK: 1

Chad Ford:
With LeBron, the Cavs are contenders. A healthy Hughes will be gravy. Still, with major issues at point guard and no depth in the middle, the Cavs look like they’re a piece or two away from the title.
DIVISION RANK: 2 | CONFERENCE RANK: 3

Marc Stein:
The Central is so brutal that the Cavs could win another 50 games and still finish third. They’ll need an MVP season from LeBron — or big improvement from Hughes, Donyell Marshall and D-Jones — to avoid that fate.
DIVISION RANK: 3 | CONFERENCE RANK: 5

LeBron James has always put high expectations upon himself, this year the leagues GM’s have done the same. In a preseason poll, the GM’s around the league have predicted that the San Antonio Spurs will become NBA Champions and LeBron James will be this years MVP.

If the General Managers are correct, the Cleveland Cavaliers need to show some support for LeBron and they will go deep into the playoffs. Last year, James showed he can be the “go to” guy in clutch situations. The rest of the team needs to do the little things and the Cavs will be hard to beat.