ESPN Predictions: Cavaliers vs Lakers in NBA Finals

Hollinger playoffs odds for the 2008-09 season picks the Cavaliers as the favorite to win the East by 56%. The Hollinger Power Rankings are a computer measure of each team’s performance in the season so far.

“The idea is to predict what a team’s odds are of making the playoffs, winning the division, making the Finals, etc., by simulating all the remaining games in the NBA season. We have a computer at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., that automatically plays out the rest of the season every night — not once, but 5,000 times. And we can see from those 5,000 trials how many times a certain outcome resulted, then assign a probability from it. For example, if the Blazers make the playoffs in 2,500 of our trials, we say their odds of making the playoffs are 2,500 divided by 5,000, or 50 percent. ”

So based on ESPN computer, the Cavaliers will win the East and go all the way to face the Lakers in the NBA finals. Unfortunatily for Cavaliers fans, the Cavaliers odds to winning a championship only 18% compare to the Lakers 45.3%.

You can read more about how it works here.

LeBron’s thoughts on 2010

LeBron’s Thoughts

Though he reiterated he is happy in Cleveland, he did provide some insight into what might go into his decision in 2010.

“When I decide to make the decision, it’s going to basically put me in a position where I feel like I can win multiple championships,” James said. “If it’s staying here, I’ll be here. If it’s moving elsewhere, I’ll have to look at my options.”

Asked what part loyalty plays into such a decision, James said: “You do what’s best for you and your family and what’s best for your career. Loyalty definitely has a big part to do with it, but the time you spend with that respective team, you give a lot of loyalty. Every night I go out, I play hard. That’s loyalty.

Mike Brown’s Thoughts

“We don’t need to clear no cap space,” Brown said. “We just need to get busy right now. . . . I like the direction we’re headed. I like my team. I believe in the guys in that locker room.”

Asked if he felt pressure to keep winning to keep James happy, Brown said: “There’s nothing I can do about that, nothing the organization can do about that. We’ve got to make our organization the best it can be, not just for LeBron but for all the employees who work there, from the custodians to the receptionists to the vice presidents, the people in the city of Cleveland and the rest of the players. We want our organization to be a first-class organization so people say, ‘I wish I could be a part of that.’ If we do that, then all that other stuff will take care of itself.”

Cleveland.Com

Mark Cuban is charged with insider trading

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been charged by the SEC for insider trading according to the Wall Street Journal.

Mr Cuban allegedly sold his entire stake in Mamma.com, an Internet search engine, upon learning it was raising money in a private offering.

“The SEC alleges in a civil action that Mr. Cuban sold his entire 6% ownership stake on June 28, 2004, after learning that Mamma.com was raising money through a private investment in a public entity, or PIPE. The next day, on June 29, the company announced the PIPE financing and shares of the company dropped by more than 10%. By selling his stake, the SEC alleges, Mr. Cuban avoided more than $750,000 in losses.”

To read the full complaint, click here.

Joe Tait signs extension

 Joe Tait, the voice of the cavs for 36 seasons has signed a two-year contract extension with the club Saturday, committing to stay behind the microphone through the 2010-11 season.

Tait, hadn’t committed to staying past this season even though he has a  has a lifetime agreement with team owner Dan Gilbert.  “I still love doing the games,” Tait said. “We just had to get something down on paper.”

Tait who is 72 originally planned to retire two years ago but has been re-energized by the team’s recent success.

MVP Race, Lebron takes the top spot

Cavaliers fans and Lebron James have learned the past few years that averaging close to triple-double and being the scoring champion didn’t help Lebron win the MVP award the last few seasons.Winning games and showing discipline in the regular season are the main ingredients in the formula to winning the MVP.

So far, the Cavaliers are on the right track. Starting the season with 7-2 record, winning 6 straight games and Lebron’s three 41 points games and averaging 28, 9, and 7 will give Lebron a good chance to winning the MVP race.

In this week “Race to MVP”, Rob Peterson, NBA.com columnist, ranked Lebron No.1 from No.7 last week.

In the last four games, Lebron had 131 points, 35 boards and 29 assits and averaged 32.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

You can see the Race to MVP ranking here.

Eight Game Progress Report

The Cavs have a 6-2 record after their 99-93 win versus Milwaukee on Tuesday night. The Cavs are in first place in the Central Division, a half game ahead of Detroit; the Cavs have the third best record in the East and are tied for the fifth best record in the league. Obviously, it is still early but the Cavs look a lot better than they did last year at this time when injuries and holdouts contributed to a 4-4 start and a 10-14 record after 24 games before the team’s performance improved down the stretch. With nearly 10% of their regular season schedule completed, here is how the Cavs measure up so far in several key areas:

Defense: The Cavs rank fifth in defensive field goal percentage (.419), fifth in point differential (6.6) and are tied for sixth in points allowed (93.0). Last year, the Cavs ranked 11th in defensive field goal percentage, 16th in point differential and ninth in points allowed; those rankings are deceptively low because by the end of the season when the team was at full strength the Cavs were playing much better defense than they did in the first couple months. Still, it seems safe to say that the Cavs are a better defensive team this season than last season.

Rebounding: The Cavs are fifth in rebounding differential (4.1). Last season, the Cavs ranked first in this category with roughly the same average (4.2). Despite the numerous personnel changes made in the past year, the Cavs remain one of the best rebounding teams in the league.

Offense: The Cavs rank fifth in field goal percentage (.467) and ninth in scoring (99.6 ppg). Last season, the Cavs ranked 28th in field goal percentage (.439) and 24th in scoring (96.4 ppg). Clearly, offense is the area in which the Cavs have made the most improvement. LeBron James (see below) is performing at a very high level. Newly acquired point guard Mo Williams is shooting poorly from the field (.408) but he ranks third on the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) and his speed and ballhandling skills have helped the Cavs play at a faster pace. Zydrunas Ilgauskas (15.5 ppg, .523 field goal percentage), Delonte West (10.3 ppg, .556 field goal percentage) and Anderson Varejao (8.8 ppg, .651 field goal percentage) round out the team’s top five scorers and are each shooting very well from the field. On the other hand, Daniel Gibson (8.3 ppg, .357 field goal percentage) and Wally Szczerbiak (6.4 ppg, .429 field goal percentage) are struggling to find their long distance shooting touch.

LeBron James: James is leading the league in scoring with a 29.8 ppg average, nearly identical to the 30.0 ppg he produced last year while winning his first scoring title. James’ field goal percentage (.485) is virtually identical with last year’s number, his rebounding and steals are up slightly, while his apg average is down slightly. He is shooting a career-high .776 from the free throw line, a welcome change—if he can maintain that number throughout the season. Unfortunately, he is shooting a career-low .200 (6-30) from three point range. So far, Coach Mike Brown has been true to his plan of reducing the wear and tear on James by limiting his minutes; James is averaging a career-low 36.9 mpg, down from 40.4 mpg last season. As even a casual observer realizes, James is a remarkably productive and consistent player. His final averages this season will likely be very similar to his current averages in most categories. The two areas that most bear watching are, as usual, free throw shooting and three point shooting. In the ideal scenario, James will maintain his current free throw shooting pace while moving his three point shooting percentage above the .300 mark.

Cavaliers Interested in Antonio McDyess

A week after Antonio McDyess, Chauncey Billups, were dealt to Denver for Allen Iverson, McDyess is expected to be bought out of the two years remaining on his contract today.

The Cavaliers and Celtics have expressed interest in him. “I saw that Boston and Cleveland were interested,” said Pistons coach Curry before the Celtics beat the Pistons, 88-76, last night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Pistons are also interested in signing him back. However, they will have to wait 30 days before he can re-sign. Also, the most Detroit can offer him is $1.5 million. Boston and Cleveland who have money left from their mid-level exception or trade exception, can pay him more.

McDyess and Celtics forward Kevin Garnett share the same agent in Miller. Garnett said he would “root for” McDyess becoming a Celtic.

McDyess is a versatile player who can play both power forward and center. He would fill the role vacated by  forward Joe Smith after the trade for Mo Williams. Also, he has a good relationship with Ben Wallace.

The Celtics have 15 guaranteed contracts on their roster and have $2.4 million left.  The Cavs,  have just over $5.1 million which they could use to sign him. However, it will cost the Cavaliers double that amount since they are already above the cap limit.