Paying a rare Sunday morning visit to the variety store...



Anything is possible

Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of appearing on The Sports Report, the radio show hosted thrice a week by Joe “Mr. Sports” Pete — aka, The King of Ashtabula County Media — on ESPN 970 WFUN.

As he likes to do, Mr. Sports put me on the spot and asked a simple question — is this the year the Cleveland Cavaliers will win a championship.

I didn’t hesitate in answering, “yes,” back then and on this February morning, that statement looks better than ever.

After last night’s victory against the woebegone New York Knicks, the Cavaliers own an 11-game winning streak and stand at 41-11 overall.

That means, coach Mike Brown’s club is on pace to win 65 games this season, just one off the pace of its 66-win campaign of a year ago.

However, when the injuries to Mo Williams, Delonte West and Jamario Moon are factored in — not to mention the Cavaliers expect to add Leon Powe to the mix after the All-Star Game — and it would not be a surprise if Cleveland approached the 70-win plateau this season.



Make a move?

Speculation is running wild that has the Cavaliers involved in pretty much every trade rumor making the rounds.

The combination of the expiring contract of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, young-buck forward J.J. Hickson and, perhaps most important of all, the willingness to take on another big-money contract, has the Cavaliers primed to make one final big-time move.

General manager Danny Ferry has gone all in this season and now is not the time to change that philosophy.

With the place where LeBron James will hang his hat after this season still completely up in the air (though it says here he reups with the Cavaliers after relishing all the pub when he becomes a free agent this summer), Ferry’s now-or-perhaps-never attitude seems appropriate.

In a perfect world, Ferry finds a trade partner that will give him the piece he’s looking for — ideally, a stretch four — who will then buy out Big Z, paving the way for him to return to the Cavaliers 30 days after the deal is consummated.

The Cavaliers have been constructed to win in the postseason with the added size and strength of Shaquille O’Neal and even Powe and the added length and athleticism of Anthony Parker and Moon and, to a point, Hickson and Jawad Williams.

However, if last season’s collapse against Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals proved anything, it showed the world that the best record in the league means nothing if you aren’t prepared to do whatever it takes — and specifically, have the means — to make whatever adjustments are necessary to win games when every possession can make or break a season.



OK, so now what?

LeBron is stampeding toward a second-straight MVP award.

Shaq’s titanic presence on the block has directly led to a sweep of the Lakers, an early season win at Orlando and he’s improving by... ahem... giant strides as this season progresses.

Shooters such as Mo Williams, Parker and Daniel Gibson are among the best in the league from beyond the 3-point arc this season.

Not to mention, the aspect that has Brown smiling from ear-to-ear — the team defense — which is anchored by James, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Anderson Varejao, Shaq, Moon and, soon, Powe, up front and Parker and West in the backcourt.

With the team headed for salary cap strangulation this summer after it re-signs LeBron, the next 11 days might be the only window of opportunity it has to make one final major move.

If Z, Hickson and a meaningless first-round draft choice (meaningless only because the Cavaliers will be drafting so low) can bring one more major piece such as Antawn Jamison or maybe even Amare Stoudemire, Ferry simply must pull the trigger, especially if Z can be brought back a month later.

Chemistry and cohesiveness are vital ingredients, without question, but the Cavaliers had more of both than ever seen in these parts a year ago and it wasn’t enough to get them over the hump.

While my gut tells me LeBron stays put this summer, nothing in this world is certain — other than death, taxes and the fact one sock always comes up missing when I use my dryer — so Ferry must do what he’s done at every turn leading up to and during this season — go for broke, throw all his chips in the pot and go for broke.

There’s no time like the present.



In Mike, we trust

Though I haven’t been a Browns fan since the NFL allowed some gas bag to steal the team off to Baltimore, I can’t help but believe Randy Lerner has finally gotten it right with the hiring of Mike Holmgren, who has since gone about making the Browns into something we haven’t seen in the better part of two decades — an actual professionally run organization.

And if today’s Super Bowl shows nothing else, it speaks volumes as to the importance of the quarterback position with Peyton Manning of the Colt s and Drew Brees of the Saints trading salvos tonight.

That vital position just happens to be Holmgren’s specialty, which leads me to believe Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson should both be making sure their resumes are dusted off and updated.

Quinn has a rag arm and has proven brittle. Anderson has a rocket arm, yes, but a popgun through process when it comes to reading his progressions.

Neither is the longterm answer for the Browns under center and it says here Holmgren will make upgrading that position his first, second and third priorities, be it through trade or free agency (preferred) or the draft (please, no).



Tribe talk

Yes, it’s difficult to get too excited about the Wahoos when the Twins, with revenues from their new ballpark filling their coffers, the White Sox and the Tigers are making major moves while the Indians sign a backup catcher (Mike Redmond).

Admittedly, there are major questions with the rotation when you’re banking on a guy coming off Tommy John surgery (Jake Westbrook) and another who has been pretty much awful the past two seasons (Fausto Carmona) to fill the first and second spots, respectfully.

However, with a healthy Grady Sizemore and a healthier Travis Hafner, I expect the offense to be much improved.

With Asdrubal Cabrera anchoring the infield from the get-go at shortstop as opposed to the human statue who is Johnny Peralta and Sizemore in center, the defense should be better, too.

I like the bullpen with flamethrowers Chris Perez and Tony Sipp setting up Kerry Wood, who while an overpaid luxury on a team like this, only needs regular work to be a door-slammer.

All of which means if Westbrook and Carmona can just be solid and the the likes of Justin Masterson, Aaron Laffey, David Huff, Jeremy Sowers (ugh) and perhaps Hector Rondon can improve as they go, I believe the Wahoos can be a .500 team this summer.

Which, coming off the 97-loss debacle of 2009, would be a big step forward.



For what it’s worth...

Colts, 34-24, tonight. Saints’ defense, while opportunistic as it showed against the bumbling Vikings two weeks ago, is no match for Peyton Manning.

Not sure what this means, but the NFC champion has won the coin toss in the last 13 Super Bowls.



McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.