Given the utter lack of playmakers on the Cavalier roster, it will be up to LeBron to do anything and everything for Cleveland’s offense.
Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones are little more than one-dimensional shooters who fail in the clutch.
Daniel Gibson is more of a spot-up shooter than a point guard. Larry Hughes is talented, but has disappointed in Cleveland.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is still a boulder on the offensive glass, and a strong defender to boot, but his finer skills are deteriorating with age.
Drew Gooden is the only player on the roster besides LeBron who can create his own shot, but his poor decision-making and inability to avoid stupid fouls hold him back.
All this adds up to the Cavs once again needing LeBron to be Superman. While I won't doubt his ability to don the cape and tights, anything less from him will result in much less for Cleveland.
4) Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks should be able to contend for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Their guards are prolific scorers: Mo Williams has both a quality jumper and quickness off the dribble, and Michael Redd’s jump shot is rivaled only by Ray Allen’s.
At the 3, Desmond Mason is a physical defender and rebounder and a powerful baseline scorer, even though he can’t shoot a lick. Bobby Simmons can hit midrange jumpers all game long. Charlie Villanueva has a power forward’s body and a shooting guard’s range.
Sadly for Milwaukee, the Bucks stop there.
Despite Charlie Bell’s ability to score and run the offense, he still harbors resentment towards Milwaukee for preventing him from escaping to Miami. And none of the Milwaukee big men are physical or athletic enough to anchor a playoff-bound ball club.
Villanueva and Yi Jianlian may be the softest power forwards in the league, and Andrew Bogut and Dan Gadzuric are—at best—backups on a playoff team.
Until the frontcourt and the defense improve, Milwaukee will be on the outside looking in. To start moving up, the question of trading Michael Redd for a frontcourt player may be a valid and necessary one.
5) Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have done a good job of purging themselves of the cancers that once inhabited the roster.
Gone, mercifully, are Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest. If Jamaal Tinsely’s abhorrent decision-making and defense would join them, the Pacers could fully plunge into a true rebuilding phase.
Instead, the Pacers still have Tinsely—and the vastly overrated Jermaine O’Neal, whose reluctance to play physically in the post leaves Indiana with a gaping hole in the middle.
Troy Murphy could be a useful pick-and-pop guy on a veteran team, while Jeff Foster is a grunt who excels in the trenches. Neither have any place on the Pacer roster.
Shawne Williams’ best days are in his future. That alone is a reason to keep him. Marquis Daniels’ wild talents have yet to be harnessed. He too is a keeper.
Mike Dunleavy, meanwhile, has neither the physicality nor the athleticism to be a featured player. His presence only limits Daniels’ and Williams’ playing time.
Danny Granger is a versatile offensive scorer, and could be a great No. 2 option on a very successful ball club. Not only should he kept—he should be built around.
Indiana figures to be one of the worst teams in the league this season. Unfortunately for Pacer fans, they’ll start their reconstruction a year too late.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Milwaukee Bucks articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
6 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete