I was agreeing, I wasn’t associating the comments with you. Just agreeing that those “experts” don’t always know what they’re talking about.

Frank,

I think you’re underselling Cleveland’s supporting cast, as almost everyone does. They are a very good defensive team (3rd last season, 6th this season), and although LeBron is a very good defender that’s not all on him. They are also good offensively, and LeBron is easily the biggest reason why but he has some talented players around him. Mo Williams was already well respected in Milwaukee, where he got his contract. He’s not great, but he’s a pretty decent player. I don’t know how steaky he is, but he’s but up a TS% above .566 and a 3p% above .385 each of the last three seasons (above 58% and 40% as a Cav): the guy can shoot. Shaq hasn’t fit in there, but he and Z are still solid bigs… the Knicks, in comparison, have no true bigs (who actually play). “Varejao is not even as good as Jefferies.” I strongly disagree. Varejao is about twice the scorer, a much better rebounder, and a better interior defender. Jeffries strengths are his defensive versatility and b-ball IQ, but he’s not a good player.

“is better than any team the Cavs have thrown out there the last few years.” Again, I disagree. Douglas is really promising, but hasn’t shown much… especially not the ability to play anything resembling PG in NBA games. Hopefully Chandler has turned the corner, but on his career he’s way below average starter and not a SG. The Gallo/Lee frontcourt is great offensively, but will get eaten alive defensively. Bender has still only played 37 minutes. The Cavs are 6th and 8th in defense and offense this season after finishing 3rd and 4th last season. Knicks would probably be top 10 offensively, but I really doubt it would be in the top 10 defensively.

Jon,

“yeah, people don’t seem to understand how much better LeBron makes the players around him, much like Jordan used to do. they’ll see pretty quickly if he leaves Cleveland, though.”

Many of his teammates have played separately from LeBron, so all you have to do is look at their production pre- and/or post- LeBron vs. their production with LeBron. Mo Williams, for example, has played better with LeBron… but he put up only slightly worse numbers his last season in Milwaukee. Anthony Parker played better his first two seasons in Toronto than he is this season. Z was all-rookie 1st team when LeBron was in middle school and an All-Star the season before LeBron got there… There’s no pattern of improved stats with LeBron. Delonte West put up similar numbers with a mediocre Boston team his first couple years in the league.

I am not saying that LeBron doesn’t make the game easier offensively for his teammates, I am just saying that I don’t think their production is impacted as much as you’re letting on. I am also not commenting on his overall impact on the team (as in, if they lose him without bringing in another All-NBA player they are going to be a lot worse), but his impact on his teammates’ production.

Beasley is not very impressive. By the way, weren’t stats guys all over him before the draft? Clearly his attitude is playing a role, as well as his maybe being misused.

I looked it up and Gallo’s PER for this season is actually slightly better than Beasley’s.

The comments on the Beasley/Gallo question aren’t great. For example, I would put the odds of Beasley winning an MVP right around the odds of me winning one. Abbott’s been hitting the eggnog a little too hard. .512 TS%, 12.9 reb-rate… Beasley is like a glorified Wilson Chandler.

This is why there’s no reason to listen to the so-called “experts.” The most valid points they make are that Gallo’s back is a big risk and that Beasley has more “upside” (which he doesn’t look like he’ll come close to fulfilling).

Interesting preview of the Knicks-Heat Christmas day game. A little disappointed with the answers to the Beasley or Gallo question. Not that they all picked Beasley but you can tell by some of the comments that most of the analysts have never seen Gallo play, calling him just a one-trick pony (his 3-pt shooting) and saying every night the other teams attack him on defense as if they are lighting him up and the Knicks need to hide him on defense when in fact its becoming the opposite all of a sudden.

Here is Wayne Winston talking Knicks, apparently Jeffries has been unreal and Lee and Duhon have turned it around in a big way. (Thanks for that Wayne)

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/11746/jared-jeffries-difference-maker

“Winston notes that when the Knicks field a lineup of Chris Duhon, Larry Hughes, Danilo Gallinari, David Lee and Jeffries, they’re “an amazing 51 points better than average per 48 minutes.”