Let’s face it, the Cavaliers are a fun team to watch. But this season has not gone down without drama. Fortunately for us, the only drama has been the type we can’t control….injuries. The bad news is there’s been too many of them so far.
Since Zadrunas Ilgauskas went down with his injury, we’ve been missing a strong presence in the center position. Yes, Anderson Varejao has filled in admirably and he has proven his worth above and beyond what’s been expected of him. But if you watched the Lakers game last week, you saw that this team has a big weakness without Z in the middle.
Time after time, the Lakers big men poured in shots over a helpless Varejao. It was frustrating, especially when compounded with the turnover bug we caught every once in a while at the Staples Center. With Z in the middle, those shots get contested and aren’t as easy as they were without the 7-foot-2 All-Star.
Two nights ago, Z was missed again but we escaped Portland with the victory. If Greg Oden had played last season, he would have eaten us alive. His inexperience led to multiple mistakes that helped give us the win (fouling out was the inevitable end of the line for the Blazers).
Tonight and tomorrow, we conclude our mini-west coast swing with games at Golden State and Utah. Golden State shouldn’t be difficult (but they did beat the Celtics a few weeks back, so beware), but I’m concerned about the Jazz.
If we escape the weekend unscathed, it’s a huge win for this team. Going 3-1 on the road against three teams that will see the postseason will be another notch in our belt.
And it gets better for us very soon. Z has begun working out on the court and is expected to return soon. Technically, his timetable is non-existant, but the writing on the wall says that limited action against Sacramento at home Tuesday would be favorable before the big Thursday night game at Orlando.
Story By The Buckeye Battle Cry
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