Thanks, LeBron. Now let's go get them.

Was it better to stick with your hometown than chase millions in bigger markets? LeBron thought so. If he left Cleveland he would have received universal damnation like Art Modell. Not that that isn't so bad considering Modell's Ravens won a championship a couple years after skipping town. But think about it, Ray Lewis would have been our draft choice and it could have happened here. Jim Thome thought he could live on his good-guy image when he returned to Jacobs Fields this year with the White Sox. Get real, Jimmy, you left town for another contract year worth $18 million and you play for the enemy team. So you get booed. So it goes.

Back to LeBron and the Cavs. Let's see how Danny Ferry does with limited cap room. He's got a great 25th pick in Shannon Brown, a physical freak at an early age like LeBron, but Danny is hampered by a shrinking free agent market. Needs are backup center and more physical nastiness under the backboard.

Regarding Z. He is the type of player who will get you to the playoffs but not to a title. Z will win us many regular season games with his points and offensive boards but this gets shut down in a very physical playoff series. This is why a "big nasty" in the middle can step in and get it done while leaving the scoring to LeBron, Larry and others.

It all adds up to another good playoff run next year. We should be able to get past Detroit this time perhaps even winning our division. Chicago has improved by picking up Ben Wallace but they will need some time to work together as a unit. Washington hasn't done much to improve itself this off-season. Their top draft pick, forward Oleksiy Percherov of France, isn't expected to play in the NBA next year.

All I can ask from LeBron is get rid of the NBA brotherhood thing and start seeing teams as the enemy. No more laughing and joking with Rasheed Wallace after he just busted your center's head with a flagrant foul. Next time it will be your head. LeBron can do more in getting others to respect our players by giving opponents brush-offs. That will get their attention. They won't get hugs on national t.v. from the number player in the world if they continue to play cheap and dirty with his teammates.

This is a good day for me (season ticket holder), Cleveland, Akron, the NBA, and LeBron. My prediction: we play for the title in 2007. We win it in 2008. Go Cavs!

Copyright 2006 James D. Fisher
All Rights Reserved.