For the Cavaliers, An Unfamiliar Role As Underdogs

For 82 games this year, the Cleveland Cavaliers were on a mission.

They bulldozed through the 2008-09 regular season, only to find themselves ousted by an upstart Orlando team in the conference finals. With an entire summer to chew on that and with LeBron James’ impending free agency looming on the horizon, the Cavs were motivated to win a title this year. Even after winning their division, home court advantage, and James’ second straight MVP, the message was clear: None of this means anything without a title.

And yet, their focus has all but disappeared here in the playoffs. They would race out to huge leads against the 8^th seeded Chicago Bulls, only to let them fight back into the game before finishing them off. An aging Boston squad that has turned into Rajon-Rondo-and-a-cast-of-role-players now has the Cavs on their heels. Meanwhile, the other three conference semifinals have been wrapped up, with the three winners advancing in sweeps. Suddenly, Cleveland doesn’t look like the juggernaut that they were during the regular season.

In fact, you might consider them the underdog.

It’s hard to think of a team featuring LeBron James as an underdog, but I don’t think it’s too far from the truth. Take a moment and think about the path they have to take just to get to the Finals this year. For starters, they’re in a dogfight with the Celtics. They don’t seem to have any answer for Rajon Rondo, who has been abusing Mo Williams all series. The Big Three might be getting older, but they can still put up some numbers. There’s no guarantee they’ll even get out of this round.

Assuming they do, the red-hot Magic are waiting for them. Orlando caught Cleveland napping last year, and would have taken both of the first two games at the Q were it not for a miracle three from LeBron to salvage Game 2. Not only have the Magic swept out both of their playoff opponents so far, they’ve won an incredible 14 straight games (yikes) and a mind-blowing 28 of their last 31 (double yikes). The Magic are no pushovers. Dwight Howard shot just over 84% from the field over the course of the entire Atlanta series, shattering a playoff record. His teammates do their part to help by raining threes (they shot just under 40% over the series). Oh, and it’s worth mentioning that they beat the Hawks, a potent 53-win team, by an average of 25 points per game.

And that’s just getting to the Finals. We haven’t even considered whether they can beat the height of the Lakers’ frontline or run with the scorching Suns.

So yes, I think Cleveland is the underdog. They’re the team fighting for their lives while the other three conference finalists get a week to rest and prepare. I’d even go so far as to suggest that they’re the least likely team of the four (assuming they beat Boston) to win it all this year.

And I hope they hear that, because I think they need to hear it right now. This is a team that has heard all year long that they’re the best, and that the 2010 championship is a foregone conclusion. They expect to coast through the playoffs and pick up their rings at the end. If their series with the Bulls didn’t wake them up, one would hope this series with the Celtics will.

They need to flip a switch and play with passion, because the other three remaining teams all have.

The Lakers got hit in the mouth early by a potent young Oklahoma City team that many thought could have beaten them. After two demoralizing losses, the Lakers showed the world why they’re the defending champs by blasting the Thunder and going on to sweep the Jazz. They’ve rounded into form nicely and look as vicious as ever.

The Suns had some trouble with a battered but determined Trail Blazers team, leading many to assume the Spurs, their hated rivals, would polish them off in the second round. Instead, Phoenix dug deep and found the grit and determination they needed to not only beat the Spurs, but sweep them away. Oh, and they finished the season on a 14-2 kick, blasting two contenders for the West’s #2 seed by an average of 16 points.

We’ve talked about the Magic, but not as much about their motives. They were destroyed by the Lakers in the 2009 Finals, losing in just five games. They’ve been ignored and overlooked all season, and they’re itching to prove that they not only belong, but that they’re the best team in the Association. That 28-3 jag that they’re on doesn’t hurt, either.

Which leaves us with Cleveland. They’ve seemed content to toy with their opponents, letting them run out to double-digit leads before turning up the intensity and finishing the game. It worked pretty well against Chicago. It’s been somewhat less effective against Boston. If they try that strategy against Orlando, they’ll find themselves down 40 before they realize it.

Maybe the Cavs have an extra gear hidden away that we haven’t seen yet, but if I were to guess which team was most likely to win the title at this point, Cleveland would be at the bottom of the list, behind Orlando and both West team. To be honest, I might even put them behind Boston.

If they can’t flip that switch, it’s going to be another long summer in Cleveland.