The season is approaching (but not quickly enough), so that means it’s NBA preview time. Starting with the league’s worst team and working our way to the top, we’ll preview one team per day.

Mo Williams has Mo' problems this year.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Last year’s record: 61-21
Head Coach: Byron Scott
Projected Starters: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, Antawn Jamison, Anderson Varejao

Outlook:

My cousin played basketball at Boston University a few years ago, and opposing fan bases had a great chant whenever they played his team. “Sucks to B.U.! Sucks to B.U.!” Get it? Well, that chant applies to all Cleveland fans. It really, beyond belief, sucks to B.U.

Suckers.

X-Factor:

I’ve got a real “Decision” to make here. I could choose Leon Powe, who averaged a whopping 4.0 points and 3.0 rebounds last year but should be better after a season of recovery; Mo Williams, who barely decided not to retire (how admirable of him!) after Lebron James bolted, but should now be the team’s star; Daniel Gibson, who stands to see more playing time in the post-Lebron stage; Jamario Moon, who could be the starting small forward by default; Antawn Jamison, who loves compiling impressive stats on bad teams; or Anderson Varejao, who should have started last year but had to wait for Shaq to depart. Whoever I pick, I doubt it will bring comfort to Cavs fans. Lebron James is not walking through that door.

Biggest Question Mark:

It sounds almost cruel to say it, but who will be the Cavs’ starting small forward: Joey Graham or Jamario Moon? Either way, they’re in great hands.

Just kidding.

Most important newcomer:

Ramon Sessions. I’ll be honest, though: he didn’t have very much competition, and I don’t know how he’ll fit in with Mo Williams. The other most important newcomer? Joey Graham. Let’s just say Joey probably won’t completely fill the shoes of his predecessor.

Key loss:

Duh. Lebron. Who did you think I was going to say, Sebastian Telfair?

Most compelling storyline:

Dan Gilbert’s comical guarantee. “I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE.” Clock’s ticking, Dan. I’ve got a feeling you’ll be proven a liar.

Player to watch:

J.J. Hickson. The one Cavalier to truly get excited about, Hickson’s the player the Cavs refused to part with in a potential trade for Amare Stoudemire. Hickson’s also the player who has never averaged more than 8.5 points or 4.9 rebounds per game and posted only 3.5 ppg and 0.8 ppg in last year’s playoffs. Is he ready to take the keys to the franchise? Nope. But, at least for now, Byron Scott doesn’t really have a choice. God knows Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison can’t lead a team to the promised land.

Descriptive movie quote:

“You know, in the ten years that I coached, I never met anybody who wanted to win as badly as I did. I’d do anything I had to do to increase my advantage. Anybody who tried to block the pursuit of that advantage, I’d just push ‘em out of the way. Didn’t matter who they were, or what they were doing. But that was then. You have special talent, a gift. Not the school’s, not the townspeople, not the team’s, not Myra Fleener’s, not mine. It’s yours, to do with what you choose. Because that’s what I believe, I can tell you this: I don’t care if you play on the team or not.” – Norman Dale, Hoosiers

I’m pretty sure that Norman Dale line isn’t what Byron Scott said to Lebron James. But you can imagine what it would have been like if it was.

Projected record: 27-55. In his letter to fans after The Decision, Dan Gilbert wrote, “Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day.” Too bad tomorrow, tomorrow, is always a day away.

Cue the fans: “We should have kept Leon!” Which might be true…

But I’m pretty content with a frontcourt of Perk, Shaq, JO, KG and Big Baby.

The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

"III'mmmm baaccccckkkkk."

John Denton, OrlandoMagic.com – “‘People were quick to jump on the whole age thing, but there were some health problems there,’ Van Gundy said. ‘Garnett was coming back off a major leg injury. I think he was hurt; it doesn’t look now like there was any slippage. Paul Pierce had the bad foot. I think a lot of what people were calling slippage was health-related,’ Van Gundy continued. ‘All I know is what I’m watching, not only in the Cleveland series but in the Miami series, does not look like a team on the decline. If (the media) thought they looked like they were on the decline, I would like you to watch film with me and show me the signs of decline that you see.’”

Kirk Minihane, WEEI – “Cleveland Cavaliers forward Leon Powe, a member of the Celtics’ 2008 championship team, said that the 2010 Boston group is playing ‘a bit better’ than the team that he won a title with. ‘They are playing as well as that team, a bit better,’ said Powe following Boston’s Game 6 series-clinching win over Cleveland on Thursday. ‘They are clicking on all cylinders right now. First series against Miami, they did pretty well. The team [in 2008] needed seven games in the first round. This series they were great. They are locked into that championship defense that everyone is accustomed to.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “His reward for surviving the six-game Texas death match? A paint battle with the well-rested Dwight Howard, the pseudo 7-footer known to devour rebounds, swat away layups and floaters, and crush opposing big men like a movie monster does to small cities. The Magic haven’t played since finishing a sweep against Atlanta last Monday. ‘It’s just the playoffs,’ Perkins said. ‘It’s not going to get any easier. It’s tough going into the next round, but that’s what I’m here for, to be a defensive stopper on the block and guard those big guys. I can’t run from the challenge. It’s there, so I’ve just got to accept it.’ [...] ‘With [Howard], he’s more athletic,’ Perkins said. ‘Not stronger, but more athletic. That’s the difference. I kind of use my weight against him. He kind of uses his athleticism. So it’s going to be interesting.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “And Howard is coming in with a head of steam, having made 27-of-32 shots (84.4 percent . . . yes, 84.4) against Atlanta. ‘I can’t worry about that,’ said Perkins. ‘I’ve just got to worry about going out and playing my defense. Obviously everybody gets better over the summertime and throughout the season, so I just can’t worry about if he’s going to hit shots or anything like that. At the end of the day it’s just about competing – going out there and having heart, going out there just to try to get the job done the best way you can.’ Said Glen Davis of Howard, ‘He does look better. He’s been working on his game. I think Patrick (Ewing, Magic assistant coach) has been helping him out a lot. I’ve been watching him. He’s been doing a great job of playing and executing. But I feel like me and Perk and Rasheed are three guys that can really guard him, so we’re going to try to do our best to limit him.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “Rivers stayed the course, and his team followed. And because of that, the Celtics have taken another step toward filling that blank banner hanging in Waltham. ‘The only thing that’s going to make our season is winning a championship,’ Paul Pierce said. ‘We have those types of goals around here, where you look at some teams that get moral victories for hanging around in a series or winning a series, not here in Boston. We strive and we get excited when we put that banner up.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “‘One thing we don’t lack, and that’s confidence,’ Garnett said. ‘Even when we were playing like crap and trying to get our chemistry problems together in our locker room and all the things that come with the season. I thought we hit our stride at the right time. We’re a veteran team, we understand that when it’s time to lock in as a group, as a unit, I think we did just that. I think if anything, the experience has totally taken over versus anything else. We’re not celebrating. I think, if anything, that everyone is going to go home and relax with their families, obviously. Get ready for [the Orlando scouting report]. We get these massive books, and you’ve got to know your coverages and all the schemes that come with it. So [Friday] it’s back in the classroom, getting ready.’”

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel – “‘Over the course of the season, I’ve been fortunate to be healthy and can honestly say I’ve gotten stronger,’ Garnett said after the game. ‘And the playoffs come around, it’s time to step it up another notch, and that’s all I’ve been trying to do — nothing more, nothing less — it’s no secret. I take care of my body. I’m a workaholic when it comes to trying to better myself and nothing’s changed, so it’s paying off.’ Lewis said the best plan against KG is to ‘keep the ball away from him or keep him as far as away from the basket as possible.’ Lewis said he expects Garnett to make a difference this time. ‘It’s definitely a big difference,’ he said. ‘He’s the anchor of their defense, a great offensive low-post player. Not only that, he’s a good defender and shot-blocker. Kevin was somebody they were missing last year and it’s not going to be easy to beat them again this year like we did.’”

Jarrod N. Rudolph, Boston Globe – “Jameer Nelson has silenced his critics and created a fan base, and Rajon Rondo has taken over the floor for the Celtics. With a return trip to the NBA Finals on the line, Nelson will try his best to put out Rondo’s fire and stop the budding star from leading his team to the championship. ‘He’s a beast, man,’ Vince Carter said of Rondo. ‘He’s playing with a lot of confidence. He’s controlling the game and running the team. He’s earned respect around the league.’ [...] ‘I think [Rondo] has a lot more time and experience under his belt,’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ‘He’s clearly become their leader. You watch him on the floor, he’s directing traffic and his confidence level is very high. I don’t think it’s any one or two things he’s doing differently, he’s just continued to get better and better.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “‘Tom Thibodeau has been great (in) both series,’ [Tony] Allen said of the C’s assistant coach and defensive whiz. ‘Every time I listened to him, I was able to stay on the floor. So I’m listening to Tom Thibodeau as much as I can.’ Allen also has found his niche on offense, filling the lanes in transition and awaiting passes from Rajon Rondo. ‘I’m enjoying playing with him,’ Allen said. ‘I just have to read him and be ready to catch the ball. He’s great.’”

Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel – “‘Some people are calling it a major upset,’ Van Gundy said. ‘I don’t know how a team that’s essentially the same two years removed from winning a championship and is healthy pulls a major upset. But I think it’s because of the whole LeBron James thing. There’s a lot of people in the media that can’t fathom him getting beaten.’ The reporters clustered around Van Gundy laughed. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I mean that. I just think there’s a lot of people that just [say], ‘Oh, if you’ve got LeBron James, you’re gonna win every night, and no matter who else is on the other team it’s a major upset.’ Call it an upset if you want because they were the underdog, but Boston’s pretty [darn] good.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Finley has been on two teams that dashed James’s title hopes — the Celtics and the 2007 Spurs, who swept Cleveland in the Finals. ‘Great players will win a game or two, great teams win series,’ Finley said. ‘In my opinion we were the better team in the series. It was a tough series for him. He needed some help. Not just one or two games, but some consistent help. When you have that, it takes a little bit of pressure off the superstar.’”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.

The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

The best player in this series being defended by whoever kidnapped Lebron's body last night. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

Duane Rankin, Boston Globe – “The best player in the series, Rondo had a stretch in which he scored 8 of Boston’s 11 points in the third quarter to signal the beginning of its 120-88 blowout win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. ‘Just tried to take what the defense gave me,’ Rondo said. ‘Didn’t try to force anything. In the second half, I had those looks. Had those gaps. I took advantage of them.’ Rondo finished with 16 points, all in the second half, and seven assists as the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is tomorrow night at TD Garden. ‘That’s what you call a floor general,’ Glen Davis said. ‘A guy that can dictate the game by just calling plays and putting guys in the right spots at the right time. That’s the makeup of a legend.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘He is so young and I couldn’t turn the TV on or read a paper without it being Rondo this and Rondo that,’ Rivers said. ‘I was like ‘Please, just be quiet people, stop it.’ Because it’s tough. When you’re young, that’s a lot of attention, but I thought he handled it perfect. We kept telling him, ‘Your job is to run this team.’ Don’t worry about matchups. Just run the team, and he’s doing a great job. The plays he’s calling on the floor without a coach’s call, you have no idea how good he’s been, and it’s great for me.’”

Rich Levine, CSNNE – “And, to the surprise of everyone but themselves, in Game Five, the Celtics became most dangerous with Rajon Rondo on the bench. It began at the 9:44 mark in the second quarter. At the time, the Celtics looked sluggish, were trailing 29-21, and much of that stemmed from Rondo’s inability to find his rhythm. The point guard had just finished the first quarter without scoring a basket or tallying an assist, and seemed to be feeling the effects of his recently acquired superstar status. ‘Rondo was tired,’ said Doc Rivers. ‘You could see it. He needed [the rest] for whatever reason. He got tired early.’ With Rondo out of the game, Rivers went to a lineup of the Big Three, Tony Allen and Kendrick (although Glen Davis would soon replace him) — a five-man unit void of a point guard, an offensive facilitator, or a guy capable of getting the team out in transition. But despite all that, the Celtics took the floor, at a potentially game-turning juncture, without the “key to their success” . . . and, quite simply, it just didn’t matter. The Celts went on a 16-0 run with Rondo on the bench. Over that time, Pierce and Garnett each scored six, and Tony Allen had four. Meanwhile, Ray Allen stretched the D, and Perkins and Davis crashed the boards. ‘It was big,’ said Rondo of his teammates taking over. ‘Tony started it off with his defensive intensity, and did a great job. I wasn’t playing well, so he came in and gave us a lift. That group did a great job of closing the court out, giving us that stretch, and the lead, and a little bit of a cushion going into the second half.’”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe – “Doc Rivers was happy, for sure, but he was also pragmatic. ‘One thing we told our guys was that we’ve done nothing,’ he said. ‘All we’ve done is win three. You’ve got to win four.’ This is, in fact, a very similar situation to the one the Celtics were in at a comparable stage last year. They were up, three games to two against the Orlando Magic then, and they had the luxury of knowing a potential Game 7 would be at home. If the Celtics don’t get the job done at TD Garden tomorrow night, we’ll all be back here Sunday. By the way, the Celtics lost that Game 7 at home last year. There have now been three road victories in this series. No one should be struck dumb if there is a fourth.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “They didn’t need any heroes. They just needed to execute. As the pace slowed, the Celtics’ defense began turn LeBron James from MVP to mortal. The offense had weapons at every angle, from Garnett in the post, to Allen on the perimeter, to Paul Pierce, who was free to assert himself as a scorer. That execution led to a 120-88 win that gave the Celtics a three-games-to-two lead with a chance to close out the series at TD Garden tomorrow night. After being picked apart by one player, the Cavaliers had a hard time finding an answer for a Celtics team that seemed to have a scoring threat everywhere on the court. ‘That’s the beauty of our team,’ said Pierce. ‘It makes us so dangerous. When you look at Cleveland, you know you’ve got to stop LeBron. With us, we’ve got four or five guys who can lead us in scoring. You never know where it’s going to come from and that’s what makes us so dangerous — different guys stepping up different nights.”

Brian Windhorst, Cleveland Plain Dealer – “With a stiff resolve, James declined to blame the elbow or anything else for the below-standard performances. ‘I put a lot of pressure on myself to go out be great and the best player on the court,’ James said. ‘When I’m not, I feel bad for myself because I’m not going out there and doing the things I know I can do. But I don’t hang my head low and make excuses, because that is not the type of player or the type of person I am.’ But the was no missing the malaise and broken-looking spirit that hung on James’ face and body language during the game. He could offer no insight other that he was battling expectation as much as the Celtics. ‘I spoil a lot of people with my play,’ James said. ‘When you have three bad games in a seven-year career, it is easy to point that out.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘I wanted to be more aggressive,’ Pierce said. ‘I knew they were really keying on (Rajon) Rondo because of the way he’s been playing, with his penetration, so I knew that would kind of open things up for me. So I took advantage and was aggressive from the start. Coach kept telling me to be more aggressive, especially off the pick and rolls and transition, rebound the ball better. I was able to do that, and at the same time do it within the flow of the offense. But at the end of the day, I don’t really put pressure on myself to go out there and try to score. We have so many players who can step up. Today they needed it, and I brought it.’”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe – “Seven months later, Glen Davis said he is still paying the price for his impetuous actions. ‘I still don’t feel I’ve gotten my game back,’ he maintained. He’s talking offense. Defensively, he’s fine. ‘I feel good about it,’ he said. ‘It’s one of my strong points, as far as help defense is concerned. I’ll be there for the next guy.’ He’s been that way almost since Day One. Professional defense is often mystifying for young players. It’s not quite as simple as guarding your man. Take Leon Powe, for example. Who among us didn’t love Leon Powe when he had the basketball in his hands? But when they went the other way the coaches took very deep breaths, and were often afraid to look. Leon wasn’t exactly hip to the rotations. But Davis caught on immediately. In that vein, he remains reliable. The offense is another matter. Even if he had not cost himself the first 28 games of the regular season after requiring surgery to repair a broken right thumb sustained in a bizarre altercation with a friend (inside an SUV, no less), Davis would have had a major adjustment to make this season. Said adjustment, he said, has not yet been made.”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.

"I never thought I'd see the day when I struck fear in opponent's hearts."

Anderson Varejao, the man who ran circles around Celtics bigs less than a month ago, will miss today’s game against the Boston Celtics with an injured left hamstring.  Thank God.  I’d hate to see that big, goofy Brazilian destroy my beloved Celtics again with heart and hustle I wish the C’s showed on a daily basis. 

Doc Rivers agrees with me. He had nothing but good things to say about Varejao. (Boston Herald)

“In the first game, Rasheed (Wallace), Perk (Kendrick Perkins) and Kevin (Garnett) dominated that game with their size, with their strength,” said Rivers. “The second two that they won, they beat us on their energy. Varejao has been a superstar in their two wins. He’s dominated the game with his effort, with his quickness. (J.J.) Hickson has played well, and in the little time he played, Leon (Powe) hurt us. So it comes down to that, and then their guard play. Everybody knows that. It’s just tough to stop.”

And how do you do that?

“With muscle,” said Rivers. “With power. By putting bodies on each other. It’s tough for a quick guy to move when a 300-pound guy is leaning on him.”

Varejao’s injury could leave the door open to playing time for Leon Powe. Since scoring 16 points during a March 21 game against Detroit, Powe has only seven total points over his last four games.

The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Powe's return has been an early Christmas present for Cleveland.

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “In four of the last seven seasons, Wallace has taken fewer 3-point attempts per game in March and April, than he took for the season as a whole. But his drop-off this month has been the steepest 3-point shooting dip of his career. Although he’s averaging 3.97 3-point attempts this season, he’s only taking 1.83 per game this month. Wallace said his 3-point shooting isn’t something he’s consciously trying to cut back on. ‘It’s just happening,’ Wallace said. ‘Just playing.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “His scoring is down from 7.0 points per game a year ago to 6.2, but since the Celtics brought in Nate Robinson, [Glen] Davis has been his on-court bodyguard, setting screens and running interference. If there’s been a consistent element off the bench in recent weeks, it’s been Davis’s energy. ‘Over the last two weeks he’s been very consistent, and that’s who we need him to be,’ said coach Doc Rivers. ‘It’s important that he does that. That’s who he actually has to be in order to be a good player. You can’t be a finesse player. That’s not who he is. When he tries to do that, when he goes in the game with preconceived ideas of scoring or whatever, he’s not as good. But when he goes in the game and says, ‘I’m just going to play as hard as I can and see what happens,’ then he’s a good player for us.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘I have to bring energy, play defense, take what the defense is giving me, do my role and set picks,’ [Glen Davis] said. ‘I have a knack for the ball, being there the right time at the right time, reacting to the ball. Some people just have the ability to do that. My strong point is offensive rebounding. Go back up, try to get a foul, try to get an and-one.’ The key, though is not to think about any of this too much. ‘I don’t really pay attention – I just know what I have to do to play on this team in order for us to be successful,’ he said. ‘When I go onto the floor now, I just think that I don’t have a long time. Try to affect the game in any way possible – offense, defense, take a charge. That’s how I take care of things.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “‘Paul [Pierce] kept his hands up, he was active, and [Rajon] Rondo had some great deflections,’ said Rivers. ‘Our deflections were way up [against Dallas]. We chart them, and they were way up. Even when they were scoring in that one stretch, we kept getting our hands on the ball, and they kept getting it back and scoring. But, you just think, at the end of the day, if you keep getting enough deflections, one of them will bounce your way and it will break the game open.’ And that’s what happened Saturday. With Boston clinging to a four-point lead with 90 seconds to play, Dirk Nowitzki lost control of the ball beyond the arc and while scrambling to pass it off to the wing, Paul Pierce deflected the pass. Pierce quickly chased the ball down and fed Rondo up ahead for a breakaway layup and a six-point cushion with 1:18 to play, essentially sealing the victory.”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.