The Boston Celtics Still Only 2nd Best In Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics were hoping to close the gap between them and the Cleveland Cavaliers this off-season. Signing Gordon Hayward was a good move, but was it enough to help them oust the Cavaliers as the Kings of the Eastern Conference. Hayward is a nice piece, but the reality is the Cavaliers are still the Beasts in the East. Let's look at why much has not change in the East since the NBA Finals.

Gordon Hayward is probably a Top 20 player in the league and will make the Boston Celtics alot better that's for sure. Is it enough to catch the Cavaliers? The reality is the Cavaliers have two aces that the Celtics have no answers for right now. Kyrie Irving and Lebron James are two players the Celtics just cannot stop. Look at the Eastern Conference Finals and the Cavaliers were dominate. Irving and James remind me of Jordan and Pippen and we all know how good they were when they were on. The scary part of James and Irving is they can carry the team by themselves.

I wish I could say the Celtics closed the gap enough, but defensively they are not capable of stopping the Cavaliers. Hayward was a nice piece added to the equation, but right now they just don't have enough firepower to take down the mighty Cavaliers.

Can The Cavaliers Hold On To Lebron James?

I know many Cleveland fans may not want to hear this, but there is a chance King James could bolt once again. This time the Cavaliers can blame the owner Dan Gilbert for this one. I have noticed that James has been very quiet about what is going on in the organization right now. I think right now there are several things that he does not like or has happened, but has mostly kept quiet about it. Let’s look at a couple of these things right now.


King James is all about loyalty and he liked David Griffin the former GM of the Cleveland Cavaliers. I’m not here to say they were best friends, but they had a mutual respect for each other. Griff was a guy that Lebron James trusted and had a good working relationship it seems. When he quit James got on Twitter and sent him a tweet which says alot.


The second domino was the Chauncey Billups debacle as GM for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Billups was a guy that James respected and wanted in the Cavs organization. Dan Gilbert low balled him on the contract offer, so that cannot sit well with King James either.


Loyalty means alot to James just look at the James Jones story. We all know Jones is past his prime, but a guy James has been loyal to through the years. Loyalty plays a big part for James and this could sway his decision to leave the Cavaliers in the future. Right now James is a Cavalier, but for how long we really wont know until next summer when James can become a free agent again.

Can Paul George Really Help King James?

Paul George probably has been called many things and down the road he will be called alot more, but at least he was honest with people. Many players in his position are not honest with management or the fans and it becomes ugly. At least he was upfront about what he wanted to do in his career and you must commend him for that move. Now many people have him going to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but can that help King James win another title. Let's look closer at this move and if its really going to help the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland would have benefited from George in the NBA Finals, but to get him the Cavaliers will lose Kevin Love in the process. Now many Cleveland fans might not see that as a big loss, but in reality it really will be. Yes, there were times when Love did not play well, but for the most part he brought it everyday. He is a player that can do alot for your team and is a team player. When he is not play well he has no issue sitting the bench. These days thats hard to find in a player of his caliber. Yes, George brings great scoring and good defense, but at times he looks disinterested in the game. The reality for me is you trade a little better defense, but thats really about it if you lose Kevin Love.

Love is a better rebounder and passer then Paul George, and the Cavaliers really dont know how Paul George will respond not being the top dog on a new team. The Cavaliers are hoping if they do get George they can convince him to resign with them.  No matter what happens give the Cavaliers credit for trying to get better.

Can Lebron James Carry Cavaliers To Another NBA Title?

If you would go to Las Vegas and want to bet on this series not many people are giving the Cleveland Cavaliers and Lebron James much of a chance. The odds look stacked against them and King James, but it's not a slam dunk for the Golden State Warriors. Let's look closer at the series and a few things you need to look for during the NBA Finals.

Lebron James gives the Cavaliers a chance, but in my opinion it's a slim one. I would love to see King James win another NBA Title, but I'm afraid this will not be his year. Here are the reasons I think the Cavaliers will fall short of their goal.

The one thing that you can count on is Kyrie Irving and Lebron James bringing it every game, but after that I do have some major concerns. During the playoffs this season Kevin Love has become more consistent in his play. He looks more comfortable in his role and what is expected from him. This has helped him play great in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but it is the Eastern Conference and the teams are not the best in the league. Love will be a key for the Cavaliers to win this NBA Finals.

Defense they say wins championships and I think that is what this Series will come down to in the end. Cleveland has been known not to play great defense at times. My biggest problem with the Cleveland Cavaliers defensive approach is they are not all in as  team. You will find players who play good defense, but others just stand around and watch at times. When you play the Golden State Warriors you must come at them strong defensively. If you just stand around and watch them shoot three pointers the game will be over quickly.

No matter how much I want to pick the Cavaliers there defense worries me and I do not think they can slow down this Warriors team. Kevin Durant is going to be a handful for the Cavaliers. Look for the Warriors to take it in 6 games. Unless Durant or another Warriors starter gets hurt they will be tough to beat.

Could Carmelo Anthony Be The Piece The Celtics Need To Be A Contender?

Carmelo Anthony could be a Knick all season, but he also could get traded to a number of teams. An interesting thought is Melo going to the Boston Celtics. Now the Celtics in recent years has been a team that has made some crazy moves in the past. When they brought in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen we all know how well that went. Could Carmelo give the Celtics what they need to compete with other teams in the East? Let's take a closer look at this idea and why it could become a reality.

Phil Jackson and The New York Knicks have been trying to move Melo for awhile now and without much success. They thought Cleveland would take him, but with Love going down that is very unlikely now. The Knicks now must look elsewhere and a interesting landing place could be the Boston Celtics.  Boston needs a player to help compete against the Cavaliers in the East and Melo could be that guy. He will give u 20 points a night which can be huge when playoff time comes.

The Celtics sit only 3 games behind the Cavaliers for best in the East. Isaiah Thomas has been carrying the Celtics, but I'm sure he would love some help against the Cavaliers in the playoffs. Like him or hate him Melo is an option that I'm sure Danny Ainge and the Celtics are looking real close at right now. With Brad Stevens as coach I'm sure he could get Melo to fit right in with the Celtics.

Does Lebron James Really Need That Much Rest?

The million dollar question in Cleveland, Ohio is how much rest does Lebron James really need. We have made it through half of the season and James is leading everyone in minutes played. For Cavalier fans they have taken notice and are starting to worry about the long term effect this could happen on James.

I have played sports all my life and I can tell you yes and no it can have an effect on you. During the season playing all the minutes can drag you down, but James is in great shape. The one thing the Cavaliers have going for them is they should have an easy time in the East when playoff time comes. This means you will want to get Lebron as many minutes off as possible. Saving his legs for the Championship is crucial if the Cavaliers want to win it all again.

If I was the Cleveland Cavaliers I would not worry if they are a one or two seed. With Lebron James they always have a chance. Getting him some rest during the second half of the season is something they probably should work on if at all possible. When playoff time gets here all players are tired, but winning an NBA Championship again will kill any fatigue a player might be experiencing.

Carmelo Anthony Getting A Raw Deal From The Knicks

Carmelo Anthony is a player that many people have various opinions on and how he hurts and helps a basketball team. Right now he plays for the New York Knicks, but they want to move him, but as of right now he still is a Knick. In my opinion Carmelo Anthony is getting a raw deal from the Knicks management including Phil Jackson. Let's look at why this could backfire in the Knicks face if they continue to go down this path.

The one thing the Knicks do not realize is Anthony wants to stay in New York and help turn the franchise around. There are not alot of players who want to do that in this city. The Knicks have struggled recently and they feel moving Anthony will make rebuilding alot eaiser, but the opposite will happen. One of the main reasons I say that is because players see how they are treating Melo. This means trying to lure free agents to the city will be much tougher.

Is Carmelo Anthony the best player around? No, but he is not a bad player and a good piece to build around. You get leaderships and a guy who will give you 20 ppg on average. He has not been injured very often and he wants to win. Why would you want to trade a player like that away. I guess he has rubbed some people in the Knicks organization the wrong way. Losing Melo will hurt the Knicks more then they think. Hopefully, the New York Knicks will rethink how they are handling this and change there attitude towards him before its too late.