Shallow Waters: Is the Cleveland Cavaliers' Depth Overrated?

LeBron James can't do it all by himself.

That was the popular sentiment which ran rampantly through last season's playoffs when the Cleveland Cavaliers were unceremoniously ushered out of the postseason by the Orlando Magic.

The line of thought had merit then, and while glancing at the Cavaliers of 2010 it looks like it may be a re-occurring theme as Cleveland find themselves locked in another tough battle while their supporting cast is mostly AWOL.

The series between Boston and Cleveland has been defined by blow-outs, Rajon Rondo, momentum swings, and emotional shifts, and through it all, Cleveland's reserves have been absent from the party.

James has been brilliant as usual, though not by his standards, but the rest of the Cavaliers' players have failed to reciprocate James' efforts, which is puzzling from a group of which much was expected.

The Cavaliers' faithful spent the better part of the regular season trying to convince whoever would listen that 2010's version of the Cavaliers was a major upgrade over the out-dated model of 2009.

The acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal gave the Cleveland the muscle they needed to compete in the middle with teams like Orlando and Los Angeles, and players like Anthony Parker and Jemario Moon provided the athleticism.

Bringing Antawn Jamison into the fold only enhanced expectations, and with stalwarts like Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Zydrunas Ilglauskas, a Finals appearance seemed to be a matter of course.

What Cleveland fans may have failed to consider is, it doesn't matter how many athletes you have on your team if none of them are talented enough to play a pivotal role in the outcome of a series.

Sure the Cavaliers have bodies to throw into the postseason fray, but as the Boston Celtics have shown a Williams, Parker, and West still doesn't add up to a Rondo.

Cleveland has players who can run, jump, shoot, and defend, but it really doesn't matter if the opposition has players who can do the same things in a better manner.

Depth is great, but talent is better and the Cavaliers may be one of the deepest teams in the postseason, but the quality of talent on the roster doesn't match the talent level of the teams still playing.

Jamison is the only other player who could be considered as a star, and even that is a stretch, and players the Cavaliers really need to step up, like Williams, are failing to answer the bell again.

James will perform at the highest level regardless of the situation, so you can understand his frustration when his teammates fail to provide the smallest iota of help.

Now LeBron may be called on to guard Rondo in an effort to save the Cavaliers' season, but that switch opens up a whole new can of worms, because who will guard Paul Pierce in James' stead?

Pierce has been mostly quiet in this series because of James' stout defense, but you have to imagine he would become the primary focus of the Celtics' offense if James defends Rondo.

James can't be everywhere at once, and even though he lead the team in nearly every statistical category, Cavaliers' fans still failed to see the handwriting on the wall.

Instead of focusing on the already established brilliance of James, more attention should have been payed to why James still dominated every statistical category even though the team was so vastly improved.

What those statistics meant was the Cavaliers still leaned heavily on James for support, but they lacked the talent, skill, or desire to back his play up with their efforts.

This series is far from over for Cleveland and I still expect them to prevail, but it may be time to put to rest any talks of James' supporting cast making any real difference.

The Cavaliers will still go only as far as the capable shoulders of LeBron James will carry them.