Posted on
10/17/2007 12:53:42 AM
NBA Basketball Betting: Cavs Look for a Repeat
By Tim Furious
The Cleveland Cavaliers got to the NBA Finals last year ahead of some teams that may have been better clubs on paper. But the Cavs got hot at the right time, as so many teams who get to the Finals so unexpectedly do. The problem for them is, will there be any carry-over? After all, while the East is clearly the lesser of the NBA's two conferences, it still has some strong teams, including Detroit, Chicago and Miami, who are all back, and all deep. Then there is the Boston Celtics, who have added a couple of superstar players. And all of them have to deal with the insurgency of the Toronto Raptors.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Last Season: 50-32 - 2nd place, Central Division; Eastern Conference champions
NBA BASKETBALL BETTING ODDS
To win Eastern Conference: +450
To win Central Division: +170
Over/Under regular season wins: Over 49.5 (-115), Under 49.5 (-115)
Can Cleveland, which did not make any substantive changes in the off-season, keep up?
The suggestion here is that, on balance, they can't - at least not enough to reign supreme in the East again.
The truth is, one-man teams have the capability of going on a run, but that's in the SHORT run, not the LONG run. Those teams don't often experience sustained success, even if the one man is as good as LeBron James (27.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg).
The Cavs have some useful role players like Daniel Gibson (4.6 ppg, 42% threes), pegged by some to be a future star, and offensive specialists like Damon Jones (39% threes) and Donyell Marshall. But there is no one around who can play Scottie Pippen to LeBron's Michael Jordan, so to speak. The Cavs can play some defense, but they have been desperate for someone who can deflect the attention of opposing defenses away from James on a consistent basis. And the answer doesn't reside on the current roster.
Some Cavaliers' statistics of interest:
* Averaged 43.5 rebounds per game (2nd in NBA)
* Opponents shot 32.9% three-pointers (1st)
* Allowed 92.9 ppg (5th)
* Shot 69.6% free throws (29th)
There are too many shaky elements in Cleveland. Power forward Drew Gooden (11.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg) is soft. Larry Hughes (14.9 ppg) has spent nearly his entire career in a sort of limbo between being a point guard and a shooting guard, and needs the ball to be effective; Zydrunas Ilgauskas has not missed many games over the last few years, but his foot problems will always limit his minutes. Eric Snow, a solid point guard in his heyday, is getting old. And in a development that may or may not work itself out, center Anderson Varejao (6.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg), who is a necessary backup for Ilgauskas, is in a contract dispute and had not reported to camp by press time. If he is not available for part of this season, that is going to radically alter the options coach Mike Brown can use off his bench.
In the opinion of many, the Cavs were one of the least accomplished teams to reach the final round, and it showed in the series against San Antonio. This is one club that couldn't afford to move ahead into the new season without making some significant moves, and that didn't happen.
LeBron may be better than Kobe, but until he gets himself a Shaq to complement his efforts he will struggle to keep his team in the upper reaches of the conference. Cleveland is certainly a playoff team, but may experience a bit of a drop-off as other teams pass them by.
JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 49.5 wins *** (Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)