by Bruce Bostwick

Created on: December 25, 2008   Last Updated: February 22, 2011

When it came to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it had to be a case of wondering what was it going to take to get to the top and win it all.  After the 2007 NBA Finals, it may have sent a measure of optimism in terms of being able to contend the next season.  Then, along came the Boston Celtics who would become a powerful team when they acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.  They competed in what would be probably the most competitive series for them that year.

Going into it, there was some thought that Boston was better and giving Cleveland little to no chance of winning the series or even making it competitive.  After that series would happen, it proved to be completely competitive with the home team winning every game.  It does beg the question of what would have happened had Cleveland been the home team and would they have beaten them.  The world will never know.

That series did send the Cavaliers into a deep thought on what would be needed to defeat the Celtics.  They upgraded the team and would acquire Mo Williams and later reacquire Joe Smith.  They went to the playoffs and were expected to face them but instead would face the Orlando Magic.  While it was a close series in terms of competitiveness, it was not good enough as they would fall to them.  Orlando would then become the team to target on how to beat.  In essence, what happened was that the target was shifted.

As for LeBron James during that time, it was frustration and walked away after the Orlando series without saying a word right away.  He didn’t shake hands, which earned him a light of criticism and tried to justify it but nobody was buying it.  Regarding not saying anything, it could have been ugly but who knows for sure.

The following season would see a rematch from 2008 but a different Cavaliers team.  That team did not and would not be able to compete.  LeBron was alleged to have quit in that series and from the outside, it looked like it but no one will ever know, which the reality is.  The thought process for this has more to do with the fact that Cavaliers had to change again.

If there had to be a wake up call, it would be never to put all the eggs in one basket.  The Cleveland Cavaliers are paying the price and the fans are suffering through it and could get to the point of attendance dropping.  If they do not get their act in gear, it could be a team that would be out of Cleveland in a few years.  LeBron isn’t the leader that people thought he was and is now with D-Wade in Miami.

The chain of events may have awakened the Cavaliers to the truth.  They may be good but no matter what they do, they will never be good enough to win it all.  LeBron realized he couldn’t lead them to a championship and decided to do his TV show publicly implying he couldn’t win in Cleveland as the man.

Ultimately, the issue with the series with Boston sent them on a path that didn’t end well.  Only time will tell what will happen from that point forward.

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