Game 2: Embarrassment of Riches

For our sanity's sake, let's start with the "riches."

The team with the best record in the first half of the season and no distinct disadvantage against any elite team traded for Antawn Jamison, an occasional All Star and prolific scorer. Through most of this, the starting and back up centers were hurt and gone, respectively. Then, right before the playoffs, everybody came back relinquishing the starting power forward for almost the entire season not only to the bench, but damn near out of the rotation. This is all without mentioning that the starting shooting guard is coming off the bench and the starting point guard from the team that went to the finals not even sniffing playing time. The guys in suits: trade throw-in but early round draft pick (Telfair), rookie Danny Green and champion backup power forward Leon Powe. When the Cavs went on their longest winning streak of the season, former All Star Mo Williams and back up point guard Delonte West was as well. This is a testament to how incredibly deep this team is.

Now, for the embarrassment.

I'm not even sure what any of this means, really. It was clear on Monday night that the Cavs were not at full effort and concentration. That's always annoying, frankly. Most fans can't imagine not being interested in playing in any NBA game but in the middle of such a long season, it's understandable however irritating. With that said, playing in the second round of the playoffs against a team that is owed a such a beat down and being as sluggish as the Cavs were in Game 2 is pretty hard to fathom.

Let's go back to that winning streak in the middle of the season with Boobie Gibson at point guard. It seemed as though the Cavs were constantly threatened by everyone. They assumed every team was out to get them because they seemed vulnerable. Every player stepped up like they had something to prove. Is that still there with everyone healthy? Does this team need someone to get hurt before they start playing well again? Mike Brown uncharacteristically criticized him team after that game. Maybe that's good. Maybe someone just needs to insult this team.

Now for the elephant in the room: Is LeBron OK?

Never have I seen LeBron play the way he has played in these first two games. When he says in response to questions about his elbow, "I'll be a productive player." For this team, that isn't good enough. The Cavs are based off of LeBron being constantly aggressive. Sometimes you'll get heat check threes and overshooting and turnovers...I'll take that over this passive James we've seen in this series. The supporting cast thrives off of the assertion of his dominance. He has at least one of those plays in most games. He's not even attempting them so far. If he's hurt or trying to prove something, I don't know. If there is something physically wrong with him that's causing him to play this way and it cannot be fixed, the Cavs cannot win. LeBron can't blend in.

I guess we'll see what's really going on with him and if the Cavs can overcome their own depth in the games to come.