Cleveland Cavaliers: Are They Really That Bad Off?

Bloggers everywhere are decrying the "sad state" of the Cavaliers, calling for head coach Mike Brown's job and pining for the days when LeBron James will get some "real help" on the roster. But is Cleveland really in that bad shape?

• The team put up with enough injuries to sink their season, plus had half of their roster traded away, and still finished fourth in the conference.


• They took the top-seeded Celtics to 7 games in the conference semifinals, winning each of their home games.


• Three of their losses at Boston were by less than 10 points. Had the Cavs had home court advantage, they very well could have won the series. Heck, they almost won it without home court.

So I'm optimistic for 2008-09. The Cavs will have had a little more time to work on their chemistry, plus (hopefully) they'll be slightly more injury-free. Clevelanders, prepare for the Cavaliers to Rise Up again next season.