Well That’s Just Great

Like many Cleveland fans today, Paul Lassiter's smile belies the fact that he's dying inside

I don’t really know what to say right now. My thoughts aren’t very organized so I suppose I’ll have to just structure them through–surprise–the magic of bullet points to try and get my entire stream of consciousness recorded for all five of you who read this blog to see.

• It’s official: Orlando can no longer claim that they don’t get any calls. Ignoring all of the touch fouls the Cavs were whistled for, and even ignoring the muggings the Magic got away with on defense, when Dwight Howard tackled Delonte West before that ball went out of bounds with six seconds left it should’ve been game over with Delonte on the line. Period. Instead the refs decide to eat the whistle and the rest is history. Brutal.
• I hate this team for making me believe. I really do. After the watershed Cleveland heartbreak year of 2007–OSU football twice, OSU basketball, the Cavs, Browns and Indians all crushing us in a 366 day span–I had promised myself to never get so attached to these teams. Even last year I felt that the Cavs were playing with house money after the Washington series. But this year seemed different; doesn’t seem so different now.
• If the Cavs can’t do the impossible over the next six days, it will mark the fourth time in twelve years that the bandwagoning, know-nothing fans of Florida will be rewarded over the fans of Cleveland. This proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the sports gods do not factor in the fans. What is it about Boston and Florida? Jeez.
• Two things are absolutely torching the Cavs’ defense right now: doubling ANYONE and going under screens. Every time the D collapses to double in the paint, SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS. At some point the defense has to admit that it’s better to let Dwight Howard get 39 than to let his teammates hit 17 freaking threes.  Doubling Howard in the paint is bad enough, but when the help comes over against the Turkish Edward James Almos or Rafer freaking Alston–especially Alston, who is borderline petrified of finishing at the rim–nothing good can come of it. I’m ready to say stop double-teaming Orlando, period. As far as going under screens, just watch: every time one of our guards goes under a high screen, it ends in a made three. Both of these things need to flat-out stop happening.
• Talking last night with Amar from Cavalier Attitude, we both agreed that Danny Ferry’s non-move at the trade deadline–passing on Shaq in the name of team chemistry–is looking absolutely putrid today. You don’t think Shaq would be a perfect answer for Howard right now? And for what? JJ Hickson and what’s left of Wally Szczerbiak? At some point you need to have, ugh, the Yankees mentality: do what you need to do to win THIS YEAR and screw everything else.
• I may try and be a bit less scatterbrained and assemble a real recap later, but don’t bet the farm on it.
• One last thing: woe is us.