Stuck In Netural, First Place Cavs Need To Make a Move

With the All-Star break just around the corner, the NBA grind is over halfway completed.

Steam-rolling through the vast majority of the league, the Cavs are sitting pretty at 41-11. They are currently 22-3 at home and have ripped off 11 W’s in a row. They are rolling even without the services of two of the most important guards on the team: Delonte West and Mo Williams.

LeBron James has been…well he has been LeBron James. His second straight MVP award might be on the way as he has dominated to the tune of 29.8 PPG, just over seven rebounds and eight assists to go along with a career high in shooting percentage (50.4 percent) this season.

Daniel “Boobie” Gibson has filled in for the injured guards averaging over 12 points a game in the last eight games. He has taken over the offense and is looking like the 2007 playoffs version of himself.

Back then I thought he was destined for stardom as he hit big shot after big shot as the Cavs made it to their only ever NBA Finals appearance. Considering he’s only 23, he can be a big piece of the Cavs offense for not only this year but for the foreseeable future.

One guy that is not in the Cavs future plans is the “Big Aristotle,” or “Shaqtus,” or “Big Witness Protection,” Shaquille O’Neal.

He is averaging just a shade under 12 points and seven rebounds a game and is starting to finally feel comfortable in his new 23 minutes a night role. He is getting easy buckets off the pick-in-roll with LeBron and has held his own on the defensive end.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been with the team longer than any other player and he hasn’t created chemistry problems in the locker room due to his new role of coming off the bench and receiving less playing time. Now, he is some sort of a three-point specialist.

J.J Hickson is not making the offensive jump many expected from him this year. Scoring 7.2 points a game is underwhelming and he needs to show more if he expects to play key minutes in the playoffs.

The new guys Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon don’t do a whole lot for me or the Cavs. They are role players for a fourth of fifth-seeded team, but not the Cavs with their championship aspirations. Their contributions are minimal and certainly not vital for the Cavs to succeed.

So, just like last year, the Cavs are dominating yet are still missing something. This team added a 37-year-old Shaq to the playoff mix. Will he really be able to control the wild beast also known as Dwight Howard?

Can the much younger Cavs play smart enough to win in a seven game series against the heady cast of players in Boston? And what about the Hawks, whom have some terrific one-on-one scorers that get it done in crunch-time.

And these are just the hurdles in the Eastern Conference!

I don’t trust Mo Williams in the crunch time. Ditto for Moon and Parker. Shaq can’t play in close games due to his wonderfully awful free throw shooting. So what is going to happen when LeBron is double teamed and forced to pass? Hmmm, sounds like the same problem the Cavs had last year.

They need to unload Moon or Hickson and a guard to swoop in to steal a guy that is on the trading block because of financial reasons. Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire might be too much, but what about Caron Butler?

A proven crunch-time scorer that plays excellent defense as well. Or how about the Wizards’ other All-Star forward Antwan Jamison? He is a 20 point a game guy that has hit big time shots in the past. Each player can be had for less than their value as the Wizards cut their losses on a disastrous season.

Or what about Kevin Martin of the Kings. One of the league’s leading scorers lost his spot when he went out with an injury and super rookie Tyreke Evans took over. Andre Iguodala is available, as is Marcus Camby. Richard Jefferson hasn’t worked out for the Spurs and is looking for a trade. There are lots of options for the Cavs and what player doesn’t want to play with LeBron?

Last year, the Cavs thought they had enough to win a championship with the team they had and we all know how that worked out. The Cavs need another bona fide All-Star (sorry Mo—you aren’t) that wasn’t in the league when teams still wore short-shorts (sorry, Shaq).

This year, it’s the same exact situation. Don’t repeat history, Cleveland—this city has already been tortured enough. Find a guy that spreads the floor, plays strong post D, and can make a shot in the clutch. Who knows…maybe this year affects the next 10-plus years of the franchise. No pressure, Dan Gilbert!