Fresh off the first loss of the playoff season for the Cavaliers, Clevelanders used to the sky falling in on their championship runs have a right to feel pessimistic. In fact there are some definite signs this could have been a harbinger of things to come.
a)The Cavaliers have yet to show they can stop a quality big man so far this season. Dwight Howard owned the area around the rim even though it is obvious he has a minimal offensive arsenal outside of his ferocious dunks. The Cleveland big men do not seem to have the athleticism or strength to slow him down.
b)This was the fourth game between the two teams this year and Orlando has won three. Over the last couple of years, they have taken 9 of 12 from Cleveland.
Of course these are the playoffs and they are a different animal than the regular season. The Cavs were not going to go undefeated in these playoffs so here are a couple of reasons why this is just one loss and hopefully not a trend.
a)The Cavs have played the minimum games required thus far in the playoffs and have not been tested. Most of the important minutes were done after three quarters. Against a better opponent in the Magic, it looked like the Cavs legs just gave out. With a game under their belt and back into the flow of things, the fade from last night should not happen again.
b)The chances of Mo Williams, Delonte West and the rest of the outside shooters staying cold throughout the series is pretty remote. One or more should emerge to provide a second offensive weapon.
c)They have LeBron James
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