Cleveland Cavaliers Are Regular Season Kings, But We've Heard This Song Before

It's not hard to understand why the Cleveland Cavalier faithful have so much belief in their team, even though recent and distant history has shown us the Cavaliers' journey usually ends in failure and heartbreak.

The picture of Craig Ehlo getting scorched by Michael Jordan in the Eastern Conference playoffs is forever etched in memory and is the type of defining moment a team would rather avoid.

So too is the image of a broken LeBron James as he jogged off the court after Cleveland's Game-Six loss in Orlando last season, the hurt from the defeat clearly visible on his face.

The only escape from despair for fans of the franchise is the promise of tomorrow, and this season the Cavaliers are once again poised on the threshold of greatness, awaiting the cards of fate.

For many observers around the NBA, fate has already dealt Cleveland's hand and unfortunately the results mirror a familiar conclusion, which is recognized among all of the city's franchises.

Outside of Ohio, there is a widely held perception the Cavaliers will not be able to carry their regular season dominance into the postseason, and this year's quest for a championship will end like the last.

Namely, in defeat again either at the hands of the defending Eastern Conference champion Magic or to whomever the Cavaliers may face in the NBA Finals out of the West.

Much of Cleveland's confidence lies in the fact this year's team is far different from last season's, and based on what I have observed, my line of thought actually runs parallel to fans of the Cavaliers.

There is no doubt Cleveland has added depth, athleticism, and additional scoring punch, and to dispute that would be stretching the limits of honesty.

One of the fatal issues for Cleveland last season was an inability of their forwards to defend versatile players who were equally comfortable in the post and perimeter, and this flaw was exploited against Orlando.

The Cavaliers had no one to match up with the Magic's forward combo of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, who took turns abusing a much slower Anderson Varejao once he was forced to abandon the paint.

The acquisition of Antawn Jamison should provide relief, and even though he is closer to 6'6" rather than his listed 6'8", he is used to defending power forwards who can slide to the perimeter.

But it doesn't end there for the Cavaliers, because Jemario Moon is also a superior athletic talent who is capable of playing competent defense in stretches, and his occassional lack of discipline is masked by his teammate's stellar defense.

Throw in J.J. Hickson and Leon Powe for good measure, and the Cavaliers can come in waves from the forward position, which is definitely a luxury not present on last year's team.

Another postseason concern from last year was the failure of anyone to step up and provide viable help to LeBron on the offensive end, which led to a wasted brilliant performance from James in the East Finals.

If Mo Williams had been able to provide token assistance to James, last year may have been different, but Jamison represents the versatile scoring threat the Cavaliers desperately needed.

If Williams was unable to penetrate the opposing defense, his offense was limited to multiple long distance shots from the perimeter, which caused the entire offense to turn stagnant.

James, in turn, had to be the Cavaliers' best penetration option, and due to the streakiness of Williams, he was usually the best option from the perimeter as well.

Jamison is used to scoring points in a variety of ways, and his underrated rebounding ability makes him a threat in the post as well as the perimeter, which frees James up to do what he does best.

Which is create havoc by impacting each and every statistical category known to man. It's impressive that James leads the NBA in scoring, but his eight assists per game are much more telling.

The assists show James is able to simultaneously keep his teammates involved without sacrificing his own game. Add his overall improvement as a defender, and you have the recipe for consecutive league MVP awards.

It also helps that Cleveland was able to acquire Shaquille O'Neal to provide resistance to Orlando's Dwight Howard, and the probable resigning of Zydrunas Ilglauskas only strengthens them in that regard.

On paper, the Cavaliers have gotten deeper, stronger, and quicker, and the make-up of their roster suggest an ability to play the game at different tempos, which is a crucial element in the postseason.

Cleveland's team defense is superior, and the specter of James flying in and blocking shots from the weak side provides energy and intensity to his teammates in their own defensive assignments.

If the most complete basketball player in the game is expending enormous amounts of energy on both sides of the court, the least his teammates could do is match his intensity, if not his production.

The Cavaliers and their fans are brimming with confidence with their eyes clearly focused on the postseason, and even though their faith is complete, the ghosts of the past still linger beneath the surface.

I think most Cleveland fans would agree, this season is all or nothing for the Cavaliers, and nothing short of a championship will suffice. This season represents Cleveland's best chance at winning a NBA championship, but will the Cavaliers be able to conquer their demons of the past?