Happy New Year everybody.  Here’s hoping the Cavaliers look as good in 2009 as they have in 2008.  If they do, an early Summer parade is in the works.

What to watch for tonight when the Bulls come into town:

1.  The Bulls have been playing very poorly on the road, sporting a 4-14 record on the season, a road record on par with the truly bad teams in the league.  While one of those wins did come against Utah, there’s little to indicate that the Bulls are poised for the upset tonight.  The Bulls are still more a bunch of mismatched parts rather than a cohesive whole, but that Derrick Rose sure can play.

The one thing the Bulls do well under head coach Vinny Del Negro is get out in transition, something that has been the bane of the Cavalier defense all season.  While the Cavaliers have won the first two meetings with Chicago this season, the Bulls have been competitive, despite the fact that LeBron James dropped 41 points on them both times.  If the Cavaliers start settling for long jump shots - a distinct possibility given their recent play - the Bulls could get out and run and make it a tough night for the home team.

Still, I believe the loss to Miami will re-focus the Cavaliers a bit, and that the recent offensive and rebounding issues will be less present tonight.  The Bulls are allowing a bunch of points lately (104.6 ppg allowed over the last five games, even while holding the Nets to 87 in their one win), and they don’t have any kind of reliable inside presence, even if Drew Gooden returns tonight from an ankle sprain that has sidelined him for the past week.  

2.  Will the Cavs show the energy that has been lacking for the past week?  Over the last three games, the Cavaliers have not brought the same level of intensity and focus that fans have come to expect from the team, especially on the offensive end.  The Cavs have averaged just 93.7 ppg in the last three, nearly 8 points per game off of their season average (101.5 ppg), and instead of breaking down the defense with dribble penetration and crisp passing, the team has been settling for too many jump shots.

Part of that inefficiency can be placed right at the feet of Daniel Gibson, who’s shot actually looks worse than it did prior to his toe injury.  Over the last three games, Gibson has hoisted 25 shots, connecting on only 7 (28%).  In contrast, Anderson Varejao has made 10 of his last 16 shots (62.5%) in that same span, but was only allowed one field goal attempt on Tuesday.  While the two are very different players, the fact remains that the Cavaliers have been settling for lower percentage jump shots rather than creating higher percentage shots for the big men.

AP Photo/Mark Duncan

3.  Will the Cavaliers regain their commitment to rebounding?  The Heat gathered in 9 more rebounds than the Cavaliers on Tuesday, including 10 offensive rebounds.  That’s a sharp contrast for the Cavaliers, who have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 4.3 rpg this season.  While part of the problem can be attributed to Zydrunas Ilgauskas slowly recovering from his ankle sprain (he’s not rebounding well at all), the rest of the team isn’t picking up the slack.  LeBron has only averaged 5.2 rebounds a game over the last five games, 1.4 less than his season average.  Rebounding is a hustle stat, and the lack of rebounding of late is more evidence that the team isn’t bringing the same level of intensity that was their trademark over the first quarter of the season.

4.  What does LeBron do when his teammates don’t step up?  There are plenty of reasons the Cavaliers lost in Miami, but in my mind the real difference was that Miami had their point guard (Mario Chalmers, 21 points) and three point specialist (Daequan Cook, 17 points) providing solid offense, while the Cavaliers (Mo Williams, 10 points; Daniel Gibson, 9 points) did not.  

Hector Gabino/El Nuevo Herald/MCT

I stand by my statement that the Cavs would have had a better chance of winning in Miami if LeBron had decided to go for fifty points, rather than passing off to Delonte West and Mo Williams.  It’s not that LeBron didn’t shoot in the fourth (he took 8 shots), but he didn’t play with the kind of reckless abandon that got the Cavaliers back into the game in the third quarter, when he proved that there was no way the Miami defense could keep him from going where he wanted to go.  

On nights when the team just isn’t committed to the offense, I’d be more than happy to let LeBron take over and do what he does.  I know that people complain about the offense devolving into “watch LeBron dribble,” but the fact remains that there isn’t a single player in the league better at breaking down the defense and scoring the basketball.  Sure, when the Cavalier offense is flowing, and the shooters are making their open shots, the Cavs offense looks great.  But when the players stop moving off the ball, when the ballhandlers dribble away the shot clock looking for the perfect pass even as the defense crowds them, when they stop getting the ball into the lane… I’d rather see LeBron take over.  

Hopefully that won’t be necessary tonight, but if the Cavaliers don’t bring the energy tonight, they are in for the same kind of dogfight they experienced against the Wizards and Heat last week.  And if you give the opposing team enough chances, even a team like the Bulls can beat you at home.

Go Cavs.

UPDATE: People are reporting that Zydrunas Ilgauskas will miss tonight’s game to rest that sore ankle that has been slowing him down.  I’m all for that, but it will mean that some players (read: LeBron, Wally) will need to be more aggressive on the boards.  Oh, and consider that an update that Wally is expected to play tonight, after missing the last two games with a bruised knee.

What to watch for tonight as the Wizards try to end the Cavaliers home winning streak at 14 this evening:

1.  Will Cavalier fans get what they wished for this Christmas?  The Cavs are looking excellent at home, and are the only team in the league with a perfect record at home.  While the Cavaliers are currently winning at an absurd rate, the home wins are the best indicator that this team is looking at an excellent record no matter what happens, even if they fall short of their current historic pace.  The Cavs will have an opportunity to continue that tonight against a Washington Wizards team that has played the role of LeBron James’ whipping boy for the last three seasons.  

In a city so desperately starved for on the court/field success, the Cavaliers are the shining beacon of success.  The team is not plagued by controversy and questionable personalities.  They have done very well the past three seasons, perhaps even overachieving when the Playoffs arrive.  In short, they have been an admirable franchise, led by the best player on the planet.  That is a nice gift for Cavalier fans this season, and if things keep going this well, the season could end with the greatest gift the City has recieved in over 40 years.

2.  Are the Wizards as bad as they look?  Things certainly haven’t been rosy in D.C. this season, as the Wizards have by far the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 4-22, and they are in the middle of a 7-game losing streak.  They are losing their games by an average of 7 points per game, and they are 1-10 on the road, the only victory coming in New Jersey over the Nets.  With Gilbert Arenas still out with injury (who would have guessed?), and Brendan Haywood also laid up, the Wizards are at a significant talent disadvantage whenever they take the court. 

But are the injuries the whole explanation?  While Arenas and Haywood are good players, are they the difference between a 4-22 team and a playoff team?  Last season the Wizards finished with the fifth seed in the East with a 43-39 record despite the fact that Arenas played in only 13 games, as Caron Butler (20.3 ppg) and Antawn Jamison (21.4 ppg) carried the team.  But while Butler and Jamison were playing at an All-Star level, the rest of the team was also contributing, as Haywood (10.6 ppg), DeShawn “I can’t feel my face” Stevenson (11.2 ppg) and Roger Mason (9.1 ppg) were giving the Wizards consistent production night in and night out.

This year, Butler (21.6 ppg) and Jamison (19.8) are still doing their thing, but the rest of the team has fallen off.  Haywood has missed the whole season with injuries, Mr. Overrated is down to just 7.4 ppg, and Mason is currently playing very well (12.8 ppg), but for the San Antonio Spurs after the Wizards refused to match the offer sheet last Summer (and he just hit a 3-pointer to beat the Suns as I’m typing this…what a game that was).  The Wizards aren’t getting the production they were expecting out of the roster, and that’s the reason that Eddie Jordan was fired despite the injuries.  

Still, if you want to find the source of this season’s problems, you have to look at GM Ernie Grunfeld, who has built a team that, even if healthy, has no chance of winning a championship as currently constructed.  Red Auerbach couldn’t get these guys into the second round.  Want another example?  The Wizards will start Dominic McGuire tonight and give him the first chance to guard LeBron James.  If you don’t know who Dominc McGuire is, well, welcome to the club.

Last note:  Last year, the Cavs were just two games better than the Wizards in the regular season (45-37 v. 43-39).  Going into tonight’s game, the Cavaliers are 19 games better (24-4 v. 4-22).

3.  What does Nike have up their sleeve for tonight?  Nike has unveiled a new Witness tee for tonight’s game, and they are giving away confetti to let the fans mimic LeBron’s now-famous “powder” move before the game.  Seems like it could be a neat production, and say what you will about Nike, they know how to drive a marketing campaign.  With the exception of some commercials that were banned in China, Nike hasn’t made many missteps with LeBron.

And also in LeBron endorsement notes, have you seen the new LeBron ad for the “where amazing happens” campaign?  LeBron singing along with Cindi Lauper’s “Time After Time.”  We all know that there’s a notion that LeBron won’t reach his marketing potential until he ends up in New York, but with more ads like this, he’d be marketable in Timbuktu.

Go Cavs.  The prediction here is that LeBron is singing to himself for the whole fourth quarter…resting on the bench.  Merry Christmas everybody, running notes to (hopefully) follow later tonight.

Hey everyone, I decided to do both the W2W4 and the Running Notes in one post for better or worse.  What to Watch for tonight:

1.  Since Scott Brooks became the Thunder Head Coach, he has allowed Kevin Durant to be a much bigger part of everything.  I know, not exactly the most original strategy for a head coach, but it was still something the departed P.J. Carliesemo never quite figured out.  You can find and extensive evaluation of Durant’s progress under Brooks here.  In the month of December, Durant is averaging 25.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and his is developing into the force that he was expected to be when he was drafted number 2 overall last season.  

Unfortunately, it hasn’t led to many more wins for the Thunder, who are 1-9 in December, and 3-24 overall.  The Thunder did surprise the scuffling Toronto Raptors on Friday, but they are on a pace that approaches the worst records in the history of the league.  I don’t expect them to turn that around tonight.

2.  The Thunder have a couple of players who might interest the Cavaliers at the trading deadline, however.  Joe Smith, who had a decent run with the Cavaliers last season, might be available, and is averaging 7 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 20 minutes a night.  The Cavaliers would certainly consider bring Smith back should he be bought out by the Thunder later this season, something that might be more likely if the Thunder add former Net Nenad Krstic as was rumored last week.  Smith knows the Cavalier system, and could be the source of a few extra points from the frontcourt.  

But in addition to Smith, the Thunder have some other decent big men that could contribute for the Cavaliers in Chris Wilcox and Nick Collison.  Wilcox is a big, strong, quick forward who would thrive on the receiving end of LeBron James assists, and Collison is a hard-nosed rebounder in the Anderson Varejao mold.  Between Smith, Wilcox and Collison, there is probably one decent backup big man that could be had on the cheap.

3.  Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that LeBron told him that he will consider signing an extension this offseason.  As much as I supposed this could be construed as good news for any Cavalier fan, I don’t think you can read any more into this than any other statment by James of late, be it telling New York fans to get excited about the 2010 free agency Summer, to rumblings that he would consider playing in Europe.  LeBron didn’t even say that he wanted an extension, he just said it would be a consideration over the Summer.

At the same time, the whole “Summer of 2010″ thing has been driven with the underlying idea that LeBron would be signing a maximum extension at that time.  But from my understanding of the absurdly complex NBA salary structure, LeBron could always sign an extension this Summer that would keep him in Cleveland for another year or two beyond his current contract, while still allowing him to leave soon.  For most players, leaving money on the table would be absurd, but LeBron already did that once, when he signed his first extension, so it’s not crazy to think he would do the same thing again.  And if it’s a short extension, it will keep places like New York dreaming of LeBron even while he’s winning Championships in Cleveland.

-  Running Notes later tonight, updated at least quarterly!

-  Sorry about that, I started just about as sluggishly as the Cavaliers.  There is one degree of temperature outside, that’s it, just one.  

-  In the third quarter, the Cavs are ahead 64-60, as the Thunder refuse to go away.  The Cavs are getting worked on the glass, and that’s the reason the Thunder have been able to hang around.

-  With 3:39 left in the third quarter, the Thunder are shooting 51% from the field.  The Cavaliers have not been effective in getting the Thunder out of their comfort zone.  

-  Sorry Fred, Dick Goddard jokes when talking about the Thunder are not needed nor wanted.

-  LeBron, get your butt on Jeff Green and keep him off those boards.  The Thunder now have 10 offensive rebounds and have 13 more rebounds than the Cavaliers (31-18).  The only reason this game is remotely close is because the Thunder want the ball more.  It’s not just LeBron, as Z and Varejao have only 5 rebounds combined to this point.  

-  LeBron with a 3-point play, and the Cavaliers play suffocating defense for the last few seconds, and the Cavs end the third quarter up 82-72.  This one is a long way from over, but the Cavaliers have such a talent advantage over the Thunder that OKC would have to play a perfect 12 minutes to come away with a victory tonight.  Stranger things have happened, but the late flurry by Cleveland shows how tough it is to beat the Cavs at this point in the season.

-  Guess Gibson wasn’t working on his free throws during his recovery from the toe injury, as he misses two out of three after drawing a fout on a three-point attempt.  Still, the lead is up to 13 points, and the Cavs are starting to pull away.

-  Andy picks up 3 fouls in 3 possessions and 1 minute.  That’s not a record, but it’s close.  Joe Smith must have learned some Portuguese to agitate Varejao, because since the two of them have been on the floor going against each other, Andy has been out of control.  

-  In the words of Austin Carr, “LeBron to Boobie, from deep!”  There has never been a better cross-court passer in the NBA than LeBron James.  It allows him to be more patient with the ball in his hands, even though it causes him to stop the ball movement from time to time.

-  After what can only be called a predictable fourth quarter, the Cavaliers win 102-91, and it wasn’t that close.  The Thunder were able to stick around by working hard on the glass, but they just do not have the talent to compete with an elite team like the Cavaliers.

-  Delonte West with 18 and Mo Williams with 20, covering for the fact that the bench was unimpressive and Z couldn’t find a way to work effectively.  

-  LeBron James was impressive as always, scoring 31 points while dishing off 7 assists and grabbing 4 rebounds.  He was a little lackidasical on the boards, and he didn’t get to the line (only 2 free throws all night, both on and-ones), but even on the “average” night LeBron is the best player in the league.

-  Durant, Westbrook and Green combined for 66 points, which I’m sure is encouraging for the Thunder.  That’s a decent nucleus to build around, but the Thunder are still a long way from being competitive.  I think they’ll have a much better second half of the season as the young players grow together.

Go Cavs.

Some things to keep an eye on tonight when the Cavs head into Denver to take on the surprising Nuggets, who are 17-8 and 16-5 since the arrival of Chauncey Billups:

1.  Like the Cavaliers, the Nuggets don’t have what you would call a “bad” loss on their record since acquiring Chauncey Billups.  Those five losses are to Cleveland, New Orleans, San Antonio, Houston and the L.A. Lakers.  In that same stretch, the Nuggets have beaten the Celtics in Boston, the Spurs in San Antoinio, the Rockets and Raptors at home, and the Mavericks twice, so it’s not as if the Nuggets are just getting fat on the bad teams.  If the Cavaliers find a way to win tonight in Denver, it will be their best win of the season so far.

However, the Cavaliers have come out flat in these tougher road games this season.  Say what you will about it being the fourth game in five nights, the Cavs didn’t come out firing on all cylinders against Atlanta on Saturday.  In New Orleans at the beginning of the season, the Cavs faced a Hornets team missing Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic, and didn’t come out quickly.  Tonight the Cavaliers have the rest and should be ready to go.  But they’re going to need to find energy throughout the night if they want to bring home a win.

2.  Which Mo Williams will show up?  In the first game against Denver, Mo had a whopping 24 points and 6 assists, giving the Cavaliers a much needed spark against the high-octane Nuggets.  On Wednesday, however, Mo couldn’t find his spots, and finished with just six points against a Wolves point guard crew that can only be called suspect.

With Z and Bobbie out tonight, the Cavs need to find some extra offense against the Nuggets, who are averaging 103.4 points per game.  Williams is one of those players that needs to step up and deliver if the Cavs are going to win tonight.

3.  About that LeBron-Carmelo rivalry…  I know, I haven’t talked about Carmelo Anthony in like a week, you’re having withdrawal.  Melo’s scoring and field goal percentage numbers are down thanks to an elbow injury he’s fighting through, but I’m really impressed by his rebound rate (8.0 rpg, rebound rate of 13.4, good for 5th among small forwards).  He seems more comfortable with Billups at the helm (futher proving Iverson’s disruptive nature), as do the rest of the Nuggets.  

To be honest, this is looking like one of those games where the two teams battle back and forth, LeBron drops 36 to Anthony’s 24, but Anthony hits a single big bucket and gives Denver the edge.  I’m hoping that the Cavs come to play early, but I think this is going to be a back-and-forth contest throughout the night.

Go Cavs.

What to watch for tonight:

1.  How will the Cavaliers handle the loss of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Daniel Gibson?  

With Z on the bench with his ankle sprain, look for the Cavaliers to try to get out and run, as the offense will no longer benefit from waiting for Big Z to get down the floor.  The Cavaliers will likely look for more early offense as well.  But the mostly likely change, at least for the first few games, will be more LeBron isolation in the half-court, whether it be on the perimeter or in the post.  

While Z is getting plenty of praise all around this season, even I was surprised to see that Ilgauskas is putting up 14.8 points per night in just 26 minutes.  The Cavaliers have to find a way to make up some of that production, and a number of players are going to get that opportunity.  Hickson will likely get the first chance to pick up some points in the paint, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if Darnell Jackson shows off that solid 12 footer from the corner, a spot that is often open in the Cavalier offense.  

When you add the loss of Gibson’s scoring (9.4 points per game), the Cavaliers are looking at a deficit of 24.2 points per game.  Expect LeBron to cover about 6 of the missing points, and Mo Williams to cover another 4.  That leaves 14 points for the rest of the players to make up.  Even though the Cavaliers are currently beating their opponents by a whopping 13.36 points per game, they need to find some more points from the other guys if they want to keep this win streak rolling.

2.  How will the Cavs handle the 76ers break?

The 76ers had 26 fast break points on Wednesday while scoring only 93 points overall.  That means that 28% of their total point output was through the fast break, and anyone watching the game could see that the only way the Sixers were effectively scoring was when they were running in transition.  If the Cavaliers want to shut down the Sixers tonight, they have to keep them from running.

To do that, there are two things the Cavs need to do offensively.  First, they need to avoid taking too many long jump shots.  The jumpshot is the perfect catalyst for the transition game, and the Sixers were certainly giving the Cavaliers a little extra space on Wednesday, daring the ballhandlers to shoot.  The Cavaliers have to resist that urge and focus on moving the ball and getting into the lane.

The Cavalier bigs should also crash the offensive boards a little less, instead getting back on defense when the shot goes up and the rebound is legitimately out of reach.  I know the Cavaliers thrive on getting offensive rebounds, especially at home where the hustle is quickly rewarded by the fans.  But discretion is the better part of valor, and with the 76ers having no luck against the Cavalier halfcourt defense, I think the Cavs would be well-served to give up a few of those offensive boards for better defensive position on the other end.  Again, I think the Cavs should go out there trying to win this game 80-60, because the Sixers have no idea how to score effectively in a slowdown game right now.

3.  Will the crowd have an impact in the game tonight?

The Cavaliers are 11-0 at home, and given the terrible season the Browns are currently finishing, the city has turned it’s attention to the very impressive Cavaliers.  That can lead to some very excited fans filling up the Q, and that extra boost might be just what the team needs to help them weather the storm with Z and Boobie on the bench.  With a rough road stretch coming up next week, it is very important that the Cavs end tonight with that home winning streak still intact.  The Sixers put up a tough fight on Wednesday, and I imagine they will be even tougher tonight.  Here’s hoping the home crowd stays loud and involved, and carries the good guys to victory.

Go Cavs.

What to watch for tonight when the Cavaliers try to pick up their eighth straight victory in a road contest against the Charlotte Bobcats:

1.  Will LeBron James light it up in front of Bobcats head coach Larry Brown and GM Michael Jordan?  LeBron has made his feelings known about Larry Brown after their time together on the 2004 Olympic team, and Jordan has always held his Airness in the highest esteem.  After a rough night last night, it wouldn’t be too crazy to expect an early explosion from LeBron, though he might end up sitting through another fourth quarter if he does go off early.  

2.  Who will win the matchup between Bobcats rookie point guard D.J. Augustin and Cavalier guard Boobie Gibson?  Both Augustin and Gibson played their college ball at the University of Texas, and Augustin is off to a hot start to his rookie campaign, scoring 12.5 points per game and dishing off 4.2 assists.  Gibson on the other hand has struggled to start the season, averaging 8.9 points per game on just 38% shooting from the field and 27% from beyond the arc, an astounding 17% drop from last season’s 44% 3-point percentage.  Gibson has shown signs of snapping out of this funk recently, and has scored in double figures in four of the last five games.  It could be interesting to watch Augustin and Gibson go head-to-head for a bit tonight.

3.  Are the Cavaliers still window shopping for Bobcats players?  When the Bobcats came to Cleveland for the Cavalier home opener (a 96-79 Cavs victory), there was plenty of talk about the Cavaliers possibly acquiring either Jason Richardson or Gerald Wallace from the ‘Cats.  To get a better feel for how the Bobcats and their fans feel about Richardson and Wallace, and the likelihood of a trade, I consulted David Arnott of RufusOnFire.com (say it out loud).  His thoughts:

Gerald Wallace is the best player on the team, with Emeka Okafor the only other player giving him a run for the honor. Jason Richardson scores the most points, since the offense tends to be funneled toward him, but his defense is lacking when compared to Crash.  Should the Bobcats trade Wallace, they won’t only be trading their defensive stopper, best finisher at the rim, and best slasher, they’ll be trading their emotional center, who happens to be signed to a multi-year contract for very reasonable money.  Richardson, on the other hand, is the team’s third worst contract, after Matt Carroll’s and Nazr Mohammed’s.  In a very direct way, as long as they’re responsible for Richardson’s contract, they’ll be unable to sign a truly transcendent player, a perennial All Star type.

But try telling the average fan that the guy with the most points per game is only the third best player on the team, and there’ll be lots of resistance. If the Cats can trade Richardson for a better contract–say, as part of a package for Chris Kaman–it would be an utter coup.  It is highly unlikely, at this point, that Richardson gets traded, and somewhat unlikely Wallace gets traded, now that Zach Randolph is in Los Angeles.

Any possible trade you could see happening?

The player on the Cavs who is both expendable and would make a real difference for the Bobcats is probably Delonte West. We don’t need another spot up shooter like Wally, but his expiring deal certainly looks tasty. If I were running the Bobcats, I’d propose this trade and hope the Cavs see how it benefits both of us.

http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=4852098

Straight talent-wise, the Cavs get the best player in the trade, Richardson, to start at the two and give LeBron the best second banana he’s ever had, so that the starting lineup is Williams, JRich, LBJ, Ben/Andy, and Big Z. Carroll is a jump shooting two for the end of the bench, and you put up with his awful contract in order to get Richardson. Felton is essentially a younger Mo Williams and is only a slight step down at the point coming off the bench, allowing Boobie to be a shooter at his natural spot at the two when the Cavs go small.

For the Bobcats, the primary attraction is converting Richardson’s long contract into Wally’s expiring deal. West is a better partner for DJ Augustin, since he’s more defensive-minded and makes more sense playing the two than Felton does.  (And we’ve seen that West can thrive next to a shoot-first point guard in Mo Williams, a guy Augustin should try to emulate.)  Hickson is a lottery ticket who might be the sidekick Emeka needs in the front court. And Pavlovic would give Adam Morrison competition for PT. Based on what Larry Brown’s done all year, he’d start a lineup of Augustin, Wally, Crash, Hickson, and Okafor.

Interesting ideas there.  Before the season started, there were (legitimate) concerns about Delonte West in the starting shooting guard spot.  By acquiring Richardson for West and Szczerbiak, the Cavaliers would be adding size and scoring firepower to the backcourt.  While Cavalier fans love Delonte West and his recent play, I don’t think any player is safe as the Cavaliers have just a 2-year window to win a Championship before LeBron James has to make his 2010 decision.  

I can’t see the Cavaliers making a move like this for a couple of reasons.  First, I don’t see the Cavaliers shipping out four players on a team that is playing this well.  Such a dramatic overhaul midway through what could be a championship season seems unlikely.  Second, the proposed trade would weaken the Cavalier front line more than it appears, as Wally Szczerbiak is actually getting a number of minutes alongside LeBron James in the frontcourt, and Hickson, for better or worse, will be expected to contribute for more minutes as the season progresses.  

But take Hickson out of that deal and you might have something.  Make it just Szczerbiak and West for Richardson and Felton, and I think the Cavaliers make that deal tomorrow, even if they have to throw in a first round pick.  Obviously we’re just kicking this stuff around, but I still wouldn’t be shocked if there are serious conversations between the Bobcats and the Cavaliers before the trade deadline.

Then again, maybe Danny Ferry and Bobcats GM Michael Jordan still have some bad blood from this.  

A last note from Arnott:

As for Saturday night, the Cats are on the second half of a back to back, and they just lost to the Bucks tonight. They’re nowhere near the Cavs’ class. The frontcourt after Emeka is totally overmatched, and the bench in general is totally overmatched. 

I couldn’t agree more.  The schedule has been great to the Cavaliers this season, and they have taken full advantage.  Even the typically dicey road games on the second night of back-to-backs have been made easier of late, because the opposition has been coming off of a back-to-back as well.  

Thanks again to David Arnott and the fantastically-named RufusOnFire.com (Rufus is the name of the Bobcat’s mascot).  Enjoy the game tonight, and Go Cavs.

What to watch for tonight as the Cavs go for their eleventh straight home victory over the Indiana Pacers:

1.  Can the Cavaliers keep up this torrid pace?  The Cavs have won six in a row overall, ten straight at home, and they are winning games by an average of 12.33 points per game.  It’s gotten to the point where even ABJ beat writer George Thomas is calling the excellence downright boring, and it’s hard to disagree with him.  The Cavaliers are bringing multiple weapons to each game right now, and even when one piece has an off night (take Wally Szczerbiak’s 2-for-7 performance on Wednesday), there is more than enough left to push the Cavaliers over the top.  It’s hard to know who the hero will be night in and night out (besides LeBron James of course).  Tonight I’m guessing that Delonte West finds his stroke again after going just 11-for-29 (38%) over the last three games.

2. How have the Pacers been able to come up with wins over elite teams like the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers already  this season?  Despite a 7-11 record, the Pacers are ranked 11th in John Hollinger’s Power Rankings, thanks in large part to the fact that they have played by far the toughest schedule in the league (Pacer opponents have won 61% of their games this season).  For a little insight on all things Pacers, I asked Tom Lewis from IndyCornrows.com the same question.  His response:

This Indiana Pacers team doesn’t always play well but they do play hard for 48 minutes, so when they do play well they have a shot to beat any team in the league. Unfortunately, their margin for error is slim regardless of the opponent. Without a bona fide superstar I think some of the better teams think they can impose their will and beat down the Pacers.

The Lakers put a 17-0 run on the Pacers to end the third quarter on Tuesday night to head to the fourth up 15. The Lakers normally cruise home with that big a lead in the fourth and they appeared stunned when the Pacers hopped up off the mat and scrapped their way back into the game. The Lakers weren’t able to turn the go switch back on.

So effort is a big part of it, not backing down. Then there is the depth of talent the Pacers use. Again, no superstars but Danny Granger averages over 24 points per game and Troy Murphy is averaging a double-double on the year. There are playmakers in T.J. Ford and Marquis Daniels who have had some great games this year. So when the team takes care of the ball (unlike the last Cavs game when they had 24 turnovers) and the shots are falling, a W over any team, even the Lakers and Celtics, shouldn’t be a surprise.

In short, even if the Cavaliers do sprint out to a big lead early, they are going to have to contend with the Pacers all night tonight.  It should be a good test for a team that has been cruising against bad teams of late.

3.   Will Danny Granger continue his string of excellent performances against the Cavaliers?  In his trip to Cleveland, Granger had 33 points and played so well that it caught the attention of LeBron James as the two got into it down the stretch, LeBron jawing at Granger while making some game-sealing free throws.  Granger is really developing into a player, enough that I compared Granger to Carmelo Anthony after the first matchup between Indy and Cleveland.  

Granger has continued his solid play since then, and is averaging 24.4 points, good for seventh in the league, and 5.1 rebounds per game.  Just looking at the numbers, it’s easy to see that he is foul prone (4.06 fouls per game) and turnover prone (3.24 turnovers per game compared to 2.7 assists per game), and if he can limit those mistakes, he could develop into a top-10 overall talent in the league.  That’s no small feat for a player who fell to number 17 in the Draft three years ago.  

Go Cavs.  I’m expecting tonight’s game to be even tougher than the one in Milwaukee last Saturday.

What to watch for when the Cavaliers host the New York Knicks tonight at the Q.

1.  How about those throwback jerseys?  The Cavaliers will be unveiling the third throwback jersey of the LeBron James era, heading all the way back to the team’s first season in 1974 for this gold number.  The Cavaliers have done a great job in showing off the iconic color schemes from the team’s history, and the bright gold-yellow color is unique in the league at this time.  Here’s hoping that the team finds success in the jersey tonight, because we’ll be seeing it five more times this season, including big home games against the Hornets and Pistons.

2.  Al Harrington is loving his current role with the Knicks, who acquired Harrington in a trade two weeks ago.  Since his arrival in New York, Harrington is averaging 22.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.  That doesn’t mean that Harrington is playing well, as he is shooting only 38.7% (30-81), but he sees himself as a scorer, and so far the Knicks have allowed him to hoist whenever he feels like it.  But while Harrington might end up with solid numbers, he’s not going to help the Knicks win very many games.  There’s a reason why a bad team like the Warriors would happily send him packing.

3.  Will the Cavaliers overlook the Knicks?  The Cavs enter tonight’s game as the clearly better team, but the disparity isn’t as great today as it was last Tuesday, when the Cavaliers beat the Knicks by 18 points in New York.  The Knicks are still adjusting to the departure of Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph and the addition of Harrington, Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.  But the sea change in the roster hasn’t kept the Knicks from scoring bunches of points, as New York is averaging 105 ppg on the season and scored a whopping 138 points against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.  The Knicks love to push misses, so the Cavaliers best defense might be a good, methodical offense that creates good shots and keeps the Knicks from getting into transition.  But if the Cavs try to shoot over the Knicks defense, this game could end up being a lot tougher than the Cavaliers expect.  Still, with the Knicks playing on the second night of a back-to-back, I expect the Cavaliers to roll the Knicks one more time as they start a relatively easy week.

Go Cavs.

What to watch for tonight when the Cavaliers head up to Milwaukee for a matchup with the Bucks:

1.  Can the Cavaliers keep rolling?  The Cavs have won four in a row, they are winning by an average margin of 11 points a game, and they are coming off three straight games that have gone so well that LeBron hasn’t had to play a single fourth quarter minute.  Road games on the second night of back-to-backs are the hardest challenge in the NBA regular season, but the Cavaliers seem to be playing so well lately that it might not matter.  Especially when the opponent is the Bucks.

2.  Have the Bucks gotten any better since we saw them two weeks ago?  It’s hard to tell, as the Bucks have had a very uneven schedule to start the season, playing both the best teams and worst teams in the league.  At 7-11, Milwaukee has beaten the teams they should beat (New York twice, Charlotte, Oklahoma City, Washington, Memphis), won one game they should have lost (at San Antonio when the Spurs were struggling), and have lost to teams they should lose against (Boston twice, Denver, Utah, Detroit last night, etc).  Head Coach Scott Skiles was brought in to instill a defensive mentality to the team, and so far he’s been mildly successful, as the Bucks are currently 15th in opponents’ points allowed this season at 97.4 points per game, better than the 103.9 ppg they allowed last season, good for 23rd overall.  The biggest problem plaguing the Bucks so far is turnovers, where the Bucks rank 28th in the league, coughing the ball up over 16 times a game.  On the flip side, the Cavaliers average the third-fewest turnovers per game in the league, at just over 13 turnovers a game.  

3.  How will Michael Redd perform in his first game back in almost a month?  Redd has missed 14 games due to a sprained ankle, and is probable for tonight’s game.  Redd was averaging 21.4 points per game before the injury, but this long layoff certainly hasn’t helped him adapt to Skiles and new Bucks forward Richard Jefferson.  Redd has been known to hurt the Cavs in the past, but with the way Delonte West has been playing defense, combined with some post-injury rust for Redd, I would be surprised if Redd is a determining factor in tonight’s contest.  And without Redd lighting it up, I just don’t see how the Bucks can beat the Cavaliers with the way Cleveland has been playing.

Go Cavs.

What to Watch For tonight as the Cavaliers stray their vagabond shoes into the Big Apple.

1.  Will the Knicks’ players be ready to unleash a little pent up aggression against LeBron and the boys after a week of stories about how it’s okay that they stink, because it will help bring LeBron to New York? 

When the Cavs were in New Jersey last week, there were some rather thoughtful columnists saying that the best thing the Nets could do to woo LeBron would be to actually win a game against him, showing him that there was talent in New Jersey to build upon.  The Knicks gave up any thought of that last Friday, when they sent their two best players out of town and replaced them with Taco Bell food. 

But while the Cavaliers head into Madison Square Garden with a significant talent advantage and coming off of two days rest, don’t be surprised if the Knicks show a little fight, getting chippy as the fans shower LeBron with applause and thin-crust pizza and sub-prime mortgages and whatever else New York is teeming with these days.  Remember, the Cavaliers actually lost in New York last season - even with LeBron wowing the crowd with 31 points and 6 steals - when David Lee and the now-departed Jamal Crawford combined for 43 points and powered the Knicks to an 18-point victory.  Don’t be surprised if these two teams get on each other’s nerves very early tonight, with some jawing and some shoving and other extracurricular activities throughout the night. 

Fortunately, Isiah Thomas is no longer around to tell his players to go after the opposition, like he did when he incited a small brawl two years ago when the Nuggets were in town.

2.  Keep an eye on diminutive Knicks point guard Nate Robinson.  Robinson is out to a hot start, averaging 15.3 points per game and shooting 41% from beyond the arc, and he averaged 18 points per game last season against the Cavaliers.  Robinson, like Tyronne Lue and many other small-but-superquick guards, has a history of making life difficult for the Cavs, and he could be a factor tonight.  And at least twice tonight he’s going to grab a rebound that he can’t possible reach (even though those might be his only two rebounds of the night.  Serious, dude looks tiny at 5′9″).  And if anyone is going to throw a sucker punch tonight, it’s going to be Robinson and his Napoleon complex leading the way.

3.  The Cavaliers have to avoid getting into a running game with the Knicks, who will be constantly pushing the ball in new Head Coach Mike D’Antoni’s system.  D’Antoni, who made his name with the 7-Seconds-or-Less Phoenix Suns, will be looking to exploit a shaky Cavalier transition defense that had its hiccups against teams like Chicago and Indiana a few weeks ago.  Despite the talent disadvantage, the Cavaliers must remain disciplined tonight, imposing their will upon the Knicks, rather than allowing the Knicks to dictate the pace of the ballgame.  You will know the Cavaliers are in trouble if they start settling for long jumpers instead of exploiting the very weak interior defense of the Knicks. 

4.  Knicks forward Al Harrington, acquired in that Friday trade for Jamal Crawford, will sit out tonight with a sore back.  Cuttino Mobley, who the Knicks added from the Clippers in exchange for Zach Randolph, is also out as there are apparently some issues with his physical.  Is anyone else still flabbergasted the Knicks made these trades and people are happy?  At the very least, it means the Knicks are shorthanded tonight, which means that a focused Cavalier team will make quick work of New York and head right back to Cleveland for tomorrow night’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Yeah, the schedule-makers have been much nicer to the Cavaliers to start this season.

5.  More Than a Game, the documentary about LeBron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School team has been sold to Lionsgate, and is tentatively scheduled for a Fall 2009 release.  If you have a few minutes, go back and take a look at my thoughts from the Toronto Film Festival screening this Summer.  In short, I loved it.

Go Cavs.