Things To Watch as the Cleveland Cavaliers Close Out the Regular Season

It's not exactly the most exciting time of the year for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The regular season is all but wrapped up, the final games are absolutely meaningless, and fans are counting down the hours until the playoffs start (less than 192 now, just so you know).

I think the most appropriate word to describe the Cavs right now is "anxious." Anxious to finish these final three games and get to the postseason. Because, really, that's what they've been waiting for since the regular season kicked off in late October.

That being said, there's not much news in the Cavalier camp right now. It's inconsequential to try to analyze the roster and lineup changes used by coach Mike Brown, or to examine a potential first-round playoff matchup, since the opponent is yet to be determined.

So think of today's post to be somewhat of a "mini-blog"—just a few things to look out for as the regular season closes and the playoffs begin.

Who Do the Cavs Want to See in the First Round?

On Tuesday, the Cavs hosted the Raptors, who are fighting for their playoff lives. Most people expected Brown to rest his starters for a majority of the time.

Instead, LeBron James played 36 minutes, Antawn Jamison 32, Mo Williams 31, and Anderson Varejao 28...not exactly letting the bench players get their feet wet, right?

The Cavs won, 113-101. Oh, and Chris Bosh fractured his face and could miss "weeks," depending on the source you read.

Last night, the Cavs went to Chicago. LeBron sat out and Brown shared the minutes: Jamario Moon played 27, Jawad Williams played 24, and even Sebastian Telfair and Danny Green combined for 20-plus minutes.

The Cavs lost, though, 109-108.

So what, if anything, was Brown and the coaching staff trying to do? Am I reading too much into this, or were the Cavs playing favorites? Or was Brown simply trying to give James almost a week off before playing him sparingly on Sunday against Orlando?

I'm not going to try and pretend like I know what Brown is thinking. But I find it odd that he would sit James against Chicago, just because it seems like the Bulls would be a more difficult first-round opponent.

They have a lightning-quick point guard in Derrick Rose, who has consistently given Mo Williams trouble in the past, and did last night as well.

At times, the Cavs find it difficult to match Joakim Noah's intensity and hustle. He had a tip-in last night that gave the Bulls the lead for good, and he tipped the ball out to halfcourt after Rose missed his second free throw with just over a second to play.

Toronto and Chicago still play each other before the season ends, so it's not like the Cavs are the ultimate deciding factor. But if I were Toronto fan, I'd be a little pissed.

Antawn Jamison's Status

Jamison had his foot stepped on late in the fourth quarter last night, and, as the replay showed, it wasn't pretty.

Thankfully, it's just been diagnosed as a contusion, and no X-ray or MRI was needed.

Still, Jamison has been battling minor, nagging injuries since he's come to the Cavs. He definitely won't play tonight, and I think it'd be wise to rest him until next Wednesday in the regular season finale at Atlanta. Get him about 20-25 minutes in that contest to prep him for the first round.

Which Mo Williams Is Going To Show Up for the Playoffs?

Ever since I wrote about the Cavaliers' need to get Mo involved in the offense, he's been on a tear.

In the last five games, he's scored 21, 24, 17, 14, and 35 points on 57 percent shooting, also tallying nearly seven assists per game as well.

Brown is obviously an ardent follower of my columns, because he's put Mo in small-ball lineups and started to run more plays for him.

The question is, though, can Mo sustain his hot play into the postseason?

Without Mo, the Cavs offense can still sustain its overall effectiveness. The team still has James and Jamison as the one-two punch and can find hoops for Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anthony Parker, and Delonte West.

But with Williams, the Cavs offense becomes nearly unstoppable. You can't collapse on the driving lanes because there are two or three shooters on the perimeter. And when Mo drives in the teeth of the defense, he's great at finding the open guy.

Couple that in with what's sure to be a renewed vigor on defense, and Cleveland will be tough to beat in the postseason.

But a lot of it relies on the success and confidence of Williams. A repeat of last year's ECF performance could spell trouble.

Where Does J.J. Hickson Fit in the Playoff Rotation?

After last week's game against Atlanta, Plain-Dealer beat writer Brian Windhorst made a great case for finding minutes in the playoffs for J.J. Hickson.

Don't forget that when O'Neal comes back into the starting five, Hickson will be relegated to the bench, a role that he hasn't really thrived in.

But Hickson is proving to be too big of a difference maker to keep on the bench for the occasional five-minute spurt.

Against Atlanta last week, he was the difference in the game. With no Varejao, the Cavs were lacking their spark guy, their energy guy. Hickson grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end, allowing the Cavs to get more opportunities on a night when they didn't shoot the ball well.

It wasn't his first big performance in a big game; he had 14 rebounds against the Lakers and 20 points against the Magic earlier this year.

Against teams like Boston, or even Atlanta, his athleticism is difficult to handle. He's an ideal X-factor that can swing a game or two in Cleveland's favor.

He's young, he's a bit inexperienced, his hands aren't the softest, and he's going to make mistakes. But the Cavs can't afford to have him lost on the bench for long stretches.

Sebastian Telfair: Another Quality Bench Player?

It was just one game, but Telfair looked solid last night, getting into the paint with ease and scoring eight points while dishing out three assists in 17 minutes.

Bassy gives the Cavs a true backup point guard. Daniel Gibson is a shooting guard trapped in a 6'2" frame, and West, while a solid ball-handler, often dribbles too much and doesn't get others involved as often as he should.

Whether or not Telfair gets any playoff minutes remains to be seen. But look for him to get some good minutes in the final three games so the coaching staff can evaluate his potential playoff impact.

Cavs vs. Magic, Sunday at 1 p.m.: How Will It Play Out?

The Cavs have the No. 1 seed locked up and haven't been shy about resting players.

The Magic have the No. 2 seed clinched and will have nothing to play for.

As a possible preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, neither coach will want to tip his hand, even though both teams know each other very well.

But a plea to Stan Van Gundy and Brown: I'll be at the game, so let James, Mo, Howard, Lewis, and the rest of the big guys get some quality minutes...for my sake, at least!