by Michael Mikolajczyk

Created on: April 20, 2008   Last Updated: March 14, 2009

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in many ways a harder team to define than the surface might suggest. When most people think of the Cavaliers, they picture one thing: their premier player, LeBron James. He is a phenom, hands down, and the only way that teams can truly have a chance at beating this team is to find a way to either shut him down; or play such tough defense on the rest of the team that LeBron is not enough to power them through.

Sounds relatively easy, right?

No so much. This guy isn't just some freak talent in the NBA; he's a leader, a fighter, a warrior, and has more heart than most people around the nation want to give him credit. Still, basketball ultimately is a team game, and his supporting cast is improved over last year, so let's examine them for a moment.

After LeBron, the team has technically three centers that they can turn to: Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Anderson Varejao. Ilgauskas is second in points on the team with 14.1 per game while leading the team with 9.3 rebounds a game. He may not look it, but this guy can be dangerous on the court.

Delante West, at shooting guard, is averaging over 10 points per game and is a valuable part of the backcourt. Along with the three centers, Wally Szczerbiak anchors the Cavaliers post play at shooting guard, averaging around 8 points a game.

In most sports, including basketball, a team is more than just the sum of its players, however, so I believe it's a bit more effective to examine the team as a whole, not just the mind-numbing statistics.

The Cavs powered to a second-place finish in the East Central division behind the Detroit pistons with a respectable 45-37 record. Considering the time that LeBron spent injured and other players were benched, traded, or unaccustomed to the system, that's a very good number to have. Now, they come into the playoffs with a 4 seed and will start their playoff lives with a series against the Washington Wizards.

What are the possible problems that could encounter this team, though, and what could keep them out of the championship hunt?

Well, their biggest pro is also their biggest con: LeBron James. Although the guy is phenomenally talented, he's averaging over 40 minutes per game: compare that to the Detroit Pistons' players, where no one averages above 33 per game. That extensive playing time will catch up to James throughout the postseason not good, considering his back is a bit bothersome already. Secondly, throughout the season, this team has actually been outscored, on average. They need to find some stronger defense to complement the powerful offense, or they are destined to lose.

Overall, I see the Cavaliers being good enough to win one postseason series, but not quite good enough this year to make it to the Conference Finals. If they hope to be able to truly win a championship, they have to find a way to give LeBron a breather here and there and be able to utilize his entire spectrum of talents. Only time will tell if they can do that, but until then, we will simply have to watch and be entertained.

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