LeBron, Cavs focused on the present
Sorry, Charlie (Barkley). Say what you want about LeBron James disrespecting his teammates with all that 2010 talk, but the Cavs don't seem the least bit distracted. While the Lakers and Celtics get most of the attention, Cleveland quietly has raced out to its best start in franchise history.
James deserves most of the credit, of course, but he has been getting plenty of help. The backcourt of Mo Williams and Delonte West has helped boost the Cavs' once-sluggish offense to fourth in the NBA in points scored (103.58) and third in field goal percentage (.481). Defensively, coach Mike Brown's unit ranks fourth in points allowed (92.64) and second in field goal percentage allowed (.421).
Can the Cavs keep it up? We'll see. For now, the Lakers and Celtics remain head and shoulders above the NBA pack. But LeBron is at least showing that his focus -- despite all the talk about the future -- is squarely on the 2009 NBA title.
This week's high riser: Nets (No. 15 from 21)This week's big drop: Sixers (No. 20 from 15)
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Got a different view than Marty?
