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“The difference between winning and losing and the parity between teams is sliced as thinly as I’ve ever seen it in my 27 years in the NBA,” said Minnesota Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale.

With the season opening Tuesday night, USA TODAY’s David DuPree ranks all 30 teams: 

1. Phoenix Suns (West)
2. San Antonio Spurs (West)
3. Miami Heat (East)
4. Dallas Mavericks (West)
5. Chicago Bulls (East)
6. Detroit Pistons (East)
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (East):

David Wesley should help with the outside shooting, and a healthy Larry Hughes is a big boost. LeBron James could very well lead the league in scoring as he inches even closer to averaging a triple-double. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao are a tough center tandem.

8. Houston Rockets (West)
9. Indiana Pacers (East)
10. Utah Jazz (West)
11. Los Angeles Clippers (West)
12. New Jersey Nets (East)
13. Los Angeles Lakers (West)
14. Sacramento Kings (West)
15. Denver Nuggets (West)
16. Orlando Magic (East)
17. Washington Wizards (East)
18. Memphis Grizzlies (West)
19. Milwaukee Bucks (East)
20. Golden State Warriors (West)
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (West)
22. New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets (West)
23. Toronto Raptors (East)
24. Philadelphia 76ers (East)
25. Seattle SuperSonics (West)
26. New York Knicks (East)
27. Charlotte Bobcats (East)
28. Boston Celtics (East)
29. Portland Trail Blazers (West)
30. Atlanta Hawks (East)

Lebron James is scheduled to be host Jon Stewart’s featured guest at the first taping in Columbus.Stewart says many of the big-name politicians the show approached declined. He says that includes U.S. Senators George Voinovich and Mike Dewine, Gubernatorial candidates Ted Strickland and Ken Blackwell, and Governor Taft.

Stewart says the show is coming to Ohio because it played such a vital role in the 2004 elections.

After he was drafted, LeBron James talked about lighting up Cleveland ‘like Vegas.’  Four years later, the Cavaliers are bringing a new brilliance to Cleveland. The city is bustling and fans are charged with high expectations as the Cavs get set to officially tip off the 2006-07 season on Wednesday, November 1^st at 8:00 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena.  Inside The Q it will be electric, outside it will be illuminated as the city of Cleveland “Lights It Up” for the Cavaliers. 

“We’re asking downtown Cleveland to participate by leaving office and building lights on to show the country that Cleveland is lighting it up for the Cavaliers, and the Cavaliers are going to light it up for Cleveland,” said Chad Estis, Cavaliers executive vice president and chief marketing officer.  “It is a great opportunity to showcase Cleveland to a national and international television audience.” 

 

13 WHAM.COM out of Rochester reports that the Buffalo Bills got a reprieve Thursday. Local sports radio had a new villain – LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers.“Many fans, whether they want to admit it or not, were sold a bill of goods,” said Hot Talk 1280 WHTK host John DiTullio.

Rochester fans dethroned King James during the first NBA game here in more than 20 years.  “Didn’t they get an assurance LeBron James was gonna play?” said one caller to DiTullio’s show.  About 9,400 people attended Wednesday’s game, paying from $25 to $150 to see the superstar.  LeBron, however, was benched the entire game, prompting loud boos from the crowd. Some people held up signs saying “LeBron dissed Rochester” and “LeBron ruined my childhood.”

A promoter’s radio ad for the game touts LeBron as a main attraction.  The ad said, “Don’t miss your chance to see NBA All Star and Olympian LeBron James in action as his Cavaliers take on the Raptors.”

Blue Cross Arena Manager Jeff Calkins was disappointed the marquee player didn’t tear up the court.  “I can understand sitting a player out, but I didn’t want it in my city,” he said.  Calkins said there are never any contractual guarantees in team sporting events that stars will play. He said promoters may want to look at how such events are marketed.

“I think all learned something this go round and I think we will all be more cautious next go round,” he said.  The game’s promoter, Blue Ridge Sports and Entertainment referred our questions to the Cavaliers.  Team Vice President for Communications, Tad Carper, said, “We feel bad…It’s something we’ll take a look at in the future.”  Carper said the team was not sorry it benched LeBron, but that fans may have been misled.

“It’s something we’ll take a look at in the future.”  Carper said the Cavaliers would be happy to return to Rochester. But it remains to be seen if fans would welcome them back.

Maccabi Elite is one of the most successful basketball clubs in Israel.  The final score in Tuesday night’s Cavaliers victory certainly did not help to sway those that might not feel it was worth shelling out the price of admission for a Non-NBA team.  The final score was 93-67.  Last year however Maccabi became the first non-American team to beat an NBA team on North American soil, when they beat the Toronto Raptors.

Compared to the other preseason games, winning this game was more important for Brown.  All of his starters played significant minutes.  “A team like that is playing with nothing to lose,” Brown said.  “I’d prefer not to play those type of games at this point in the season.”

On a separate note Drew Gooden scored 21 points and had eight rebounds and Donyell Marshall scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds.

This is the latest of The LeBrons Nike Ads promoting Zoom 4

Just playing basketball: 

 

At the pool: 

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Dunk contest:

 

Antonio Daniels scored 15 points and the Washington Wizards ended the game on a 37-18 run to beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 in a pre-season game Saturday night. It was the first meeting between the teams since last season’s Eastern Conference playoffs, won by the Cavaliers in six games.

The Cavaliers led 71-56 with 55.9 seconds left in the third quarter before the Wizards took control. They scored the final four points of the period and then held a 33-18 edge in the fourth quarter.

Roger Mason added 11 points for the Wizards (1-2).

Anderson Varejao scored 14 points, Larry Hughes 13, and Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shannon Brown 10 apiece for the Cavaliers (1-2).

James, who sat out the Cavaliers’ game against Boston on Friday night for precautionary reasons, had 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

The Wizards’ Gilbert Arenas didn’t get his first basket until five minutes were left in the third quarter. He finished with three points and three assists.

Notes: The Cavaliers waived power forward Brandon Hunter before the game, cutting the roster to 17 players. … Wizards swingman Jarvis Hayes, who missed all but 21 games last year with a knee injury, turned his ankle in the second quarter.