Huge Night for the Cavaliers

Wow! Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 was a huge night for the Cavs franchise. Everything we could've hoped for came true. We could have had the Heat, Pistons and Bulls with only the first round home court, or we could have what we got, the depleted Wizards, the winner of the Nets/Raptors, and then either the Bulls/Heat/Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.

One series at a time, but great teams take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. A great team would sweep the Wizards who are sputtering right now. A great team would want to be rested for a potential 2nd round matchup with a savvy Nets team. Yes, I think the Nets will beat the Raptors. The Cavs should advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and should have fresh legs against whoever they face.

What a big win by the Wizards against Indiana. Playing the Arenas/Butler-less Wizards is much better than playing the Magic in the 1st round. Thanks Washington!

Also, thank you Chicago! You played uninspired ball in the biggest game of your season. Skiles is a great coach, but he needs to have Nocioni on the court more. Ben Gordon is a terrific player, but he's streaky. He can be an asset one quarter and a liability the next. Deng is also a terrific player, but I'm not convinced that he's going to be a superstar, like Walton and Barry said last night. Hinrich is a very, very good point guard. I really like watching him play. If I were Skiles I would consider starting Hinrich, Deng, Nocioni and bring Gordon off the bench again. Noci is a really, really tough player. He needs more minutes. More than the 28 he had last night. Ben Gordon played 44 minutes! If I'm Chicago, I plan my future with Hinrich and Deng. See what you can get for Ben Gordon and the Knicks 1st rounder. You have some depth at guard with Duhon and you really need a low-post threat. Maybe not trading for Gasol was a mistake. I'm curious to see how this plays out this summer.

FYI - Richard Jefferson is a totally different player since his stint on Team USA. Banged up? Yes. But also less confident.