Thursday Morning Starting Five: The Real Rivalry is LeBron vs. Dwight Edition
I was gonna write a piece on this, but I don’t think the sports world is ready to acknowledge the 
inevitable…yet…too busy soaking up the Hey Koolaid Kobe and LeBron bs. Think about it, at 24, Dwight and Lebron are at the top of their sport athletically. Yeah, Dwight has to get better in the post, but that’s what Big Pat is for. He will grow and he will get better. Dude…he’s 24. Don’t give it all to LBJ just yet. Of course, Kobe and LeBron head the marquee, but as Kobe becomes legendary, these two will carry the league deep into the next decade. So what they play in the same conference. After they become possibly two of the greatest, what the hell is next? Imagine the possibilities. I gotta admit that I punked out even though I wanted to take the Magic. Nobody to blame by myself, but damn that Crew Pop to blazes. Last night’s game played out just how I thought it would, but logically the result was most likely a condition of Cavalier boredom and monotony.
They ran through not ready for prime time Atlanta and a dead in the water Detroit, so sometimes games like this happen. Someone has to step up on the defensive end to halt those Gulliver like transition threes from Lewis and Turk or the NBA fan base might be in for a shock of David Stern is hot proportions. Could you imagine if it’s Denver and Orlando? That can’t happen. Could it? Did you see LeBron cramp up at the end? Painful. Oh yeah, Denver is getting blown out tonight 115-100. Some teams have to learn how to win and Denver is early in the process. Too many missed free throws, errors and coaching mistakes in Game 1. Do I think they can still pull it out? Hell yeah. I picked them didn’t I? But, just like Orlando with the Cavs, Denver might have woke up the beast in Cali.
To the links:
Scott Schoeneweis’ wife found dead. God bless the fam. (CNNSI)
Lefty’s wife was breast cancer. He’s leaving the tour. (LA Times)
Four charged in bomb plot. (AP)
Stop texting behind the wheel please. Please. (NY Times)
Bulls name Gar Forman new GM; Paxson still on top. (Chicago Sun Times)
Who is checking out Terminator Salvation? (MTV)
So, so def…
Whassup Texas? How you durrrin’? How ya Momma durrrin’?
I know, I know 
From one of my favorite flicks, Sugar Hill…
Sphere: Related Content
May 21st, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Miz,
Do you think CLE just had too much time off?
May 21st, 2009 at 2:21 pm
This loss should be a ‘wake up’ call for Cleveland. Although the 11 days off may have affected their inability to put together two great halves of basketball, I still don’t think the Magic can or will beat them in a 7 game series. Delonte West and Mo Williams shot a combined 10-32, their bench didn’t show up (5 points total) and they only lost by 1 point.
The Cavs should keep their 1st half strategy of allowing Dwight Howard to “get his”, while containing everyone else. It was very effective as Hedo and Lewis only made 1 FG each. The Cavs’ defense was swarming the perimeter and the Magic shooters could not get a good open looks. This is the same strategy the Bulls used on Shaq early in his career and it seemed to work the majority of the time.
The Cavs’ lack of focus in the 3rd Qtr allowed Orlando back in the game and led to their defeat. If they are to be a championship team, they must play 4 Qtrs of basketball. I look for them to come out in game 2 and try to mirror what they did in the first half of game 1. They also might want to put Lebron on Hedo.
Game two should be just as exciting as game one.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:58 pm
GN:
I agree.
Mizzo:
Seven Pounds.
May 21st, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Do I think it was a fluke? No, but obviously there was a combination of factors contributing to the loss. Orlando seeing all the clowning Cleveland has been doing on the tube had to fire up everyone down to the ball boy.
The layoff was nine days. Cats probably thought they were on summer vaca.
The one thing, I noticed about the Magic this year is there success hitting weak side jumper. I asked almost every coach in the league about defending that baseline jumper after the interior double and the length of the Magic helps tremendously.
Rashard Lewis is a problem and if the Cavs continue to check Lewis with Anderson, they will lose this series. Straight up.
Going into Cleveland and winning is big…even after the layoff.
I hope this is a long series so can see Howard grow up before out eyes. He needs this experience.
Gotta love the playoffs.
May 21st, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Mizzo:
For me, Dwight Howard and the Magic have to win this series before he’ll have a legitimate opportunity to demonstrate his prowess. Big Z is no challenge for him. He has to play against a competent, athletic front line. Denver and LA pose the proper challenge for him. Cleveland does not.
He scored an easy 30 points last night. It was the same thing in the Boston series. He won’t score loud meaningful points until he has a man in his face who can consistently contest his shot. He hasn’t had to dust off any of his Ewing School post moves. He hasn’t had to show any range on his shot. He gets what he wants.
Contrast that with the insane, creative shots that LeBron made in the lane last night with Howard in his grille. Amazing! Cleveland can’t call Dwight up to a higher level. Only Denver and Los Angeles can do that this season.
————–
Just for a little perspective, Rashard Lewis came into the NBA in the SAME YEAR as Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitki and Vince Carter. Perhaps its his face or the fact that he played in Seattle, but I believe there is a tendency to see him as something like a 5-year project. He’s far from that. He’s never been on this stage before, but this is his time.
Rashard is not a kid.
Mo Williams said he was up at 5 in the morning — nerves. It showed when his legs were gone and he front-rimmed so many shots last night. The Cavs probably felt a little pressure. Delonte makes that corner J and this is a totally different conversation. It’s on the Coach of the Year to show some bonafides and induce another panic.
May 21st, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Nene and Kenyon will offer somewhat of a challenge but LA? Naaah.
May 21st, 2009 at 7:48 pm
You know LA had 9 blocks in Game 1. You think they’re just going to stand politely to the side?
May 21st, 2009 at 11:45 pm
No he’s gonna go over and through them. LA is soft. Gasol is overrated in my book. He’s good but he’s not championship. Kobe needs championship…at least mentally.
May 27th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
[...] is why I said the real rivalry is LeBron and Dwight. All that other stuff is sky rockets in flight outta sight like the Mars [...]