Ranting and raving!

The Cavaliers are in a bit of a funk lately. They have lost 19 straight and 29 of their last 30 games. We're currently 8-38 with the worst record in the league. However, I'm continually hearing the same thing out of ignorant people that have no idea what they're talking about.

"THE CAVALIERS ARE NO WHERE CLOSE TO WHAT THEY WERE LAST YEAR!"

Why am I having such a problem with this? Because people are seriously comparing this team to last years team. They are saying LeBron was the whole team and how his "decision" to leave shows how it was all LeBron.

Sure, LeBron WAS a big part of the Cavaliers for the past seven years, but to say the reason the Cavaliers are 8-38 is because "The King" left is just ludicrous.

First lets take a look at the 2009-2010 Cleveland roster that won 61 games.

Head Coach: Mike Brown

Starting lineup: PG- Mo Williams
SG- Anthony Parker
SF- LeBron James
PF- JJ Hickson
C- Shaq

Key players off the bench: Boobie, Delonte West, Big Z, Andy Varejao, Antawn Jamison

The Cavaliers had a strong front-court that included the 2-time MVP, LeBron James, and a future hall-of-famer in Shaq. They also had hustle big-man Anderson Varejao and Cavalier legend "Big Z". A team that had proven players and proven veterans mixed with solid role players that fit the team perfectly.


Now lets look at the 2010-2011 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Head Coach: Byron Scott

8-38 record so far

Starting lineup: PG- Ramon Sessions
SG- Boobie Gibson
SF- Christian Eyenga
PF- Antawn Jamison
C- JJ Hickson

Key players off the bench: Manny Harris, Joey Graham, Ryan Hollins, Anthony Parker, Alonzo Gee

Injured: Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Leon Powe

The 2011 Cleveland team is so much different than last years team. We lost the 2-time MVP in LeBron. We lost a future hall-of-famer in Shaq and Cavalier legend "Big Z". The lost of LeBron, Shaq and Z has proven costly defensively for the Cavaliers. Missing big bodies down low, the Cavs are struggling on defense.


We are also one of the youngest teams in the league and two of the players (Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels) went undrafted. Ryan Hollins and Ramon Sessions are both young players trying to find a home in the NBA and Alonzo Gee was picked up after just playing in a few games with Washington.

Out of the regular rotational players for the Cavaliers this year, LeBron played with 4 of them. And LeBron played with Jamison for only a half a season! You can't sit back and tell yourself that the Cavaliers are this bad because of LeBron leaving.

The Cavaliers have been hit hard with injuries this season. Mo Williams has continually battled an injury since training camp. Anderson Varejao (who was second in the NBA in +/- minutes last season) is out for the entire year. Boobie and even Parker have both bothered by injuries.

I'm fully convinced if we would have stayed healthy then we would be fighting for the 8th seed as we speak.

Now I'm not using the injuries as an excuse in why we are 8-38 but it is pretty hard to win games with your key players out. In the beginning of the year we started 7-9 and in the thick of the East. Now, with injury after injury, we have fallen to 8-38.

The Cavaliers have been forced to develop their young players such as: Christian Eyenga, Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels, who all might have been in the D-league if not for all the injuries. All players who LeBron didn't play with.

We have also been forced to play JJ Hickson at the Center position and use Ryan Hollins as the backup Center, who LeBron also wasn't teammates with.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is, stop comparing this years team to last. Stop saying it was all LeBron because these teams are completely different.

Think about what you are saying about the Cavaliers, just because LeBron left doesn't mean its the reason we are 8-38.