Wazopia: The Web Blog of Jim Fisher: Cavs vs. Nets: It's pile on time!

I know everyone is ready to pile on the Cavaliers (myself included) but there is some light. First of all we know where the holes are. Let's start at shooting from the perimeter. Jim Paxson's current crop of clunkers and rim clangers (Lucious Harris, Juri Welsch, Sasha Pavlavic, Dajuan Wagner) aren't doing it. Teams are not being made to pay for sagging in the lane to cover LeBron, Zydrunas, Drew or Varajeo.

Next is defense in the front court. Only Ira Newble and Eric Snow do a decent job of it. In fact, watch Eric when he is defending against the fast break. Time and again is does an amazing job of splitting and confusing the attackers so that they just take up the dribble and set up the offense. Snow should stay but Newble just doesn't have a game. Remember Mike Sanders? Similar in height and size to Newble, Lenny Wilkens found a way for him to be an offensive threat in the first half of the game in order to make the other team's leading scoring work on defense. Newble never gets in to any offense.

Next, use the cap money room and get some veterans in here.

Finally, its not going to be easy to get a coach here. This team is a grave yard for coaches. Before you could use Cleveland to launch your career. Just ask Chuck Daly, Bill Fitch, George Karl and Stan Albeck. With six coaches in the last six years Cleveland is becoming the place where a coach tries to resurrect his career.

So will LeBron get antsy or will he show the same patience as Michael Jordan did when he worked eight years before he won his first title? If LeBron demands a trade or doesn't extend his contract he should be reminded that you can't just jump from team-to-team to find a winner. You also have to learn to play defense too.

Here's the last of my pictures for the year. Enjoy.

There is a problem when the Cavaliers play against New Jersey's Vince Carter. He just knows how to kill us.
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Vince Carter pops a jumper over Ira Newble.
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Ira Newble, Drew Goooden, and LeBron James all had a turn guarding Vince Carter.
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Anderson Varejao lays one in against New Jersey.
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LeBron James hauls down a rebound against New Jersey.
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Anderson Varejao dives after a loose ball against Vince Carter.
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Gee, if only we knew what they were thinking these days? It definitely isn't defense.
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Anderson Varejao fights for a rebound.
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It's easy to beat Cleveland. Just stack the middle when LeBron has the ball. Here LeBron James gets ready to pass while guarded by Jason Kidd.
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