SBN’s sports history blog, InHistoric, makes an interesting point about the Cavs’ disappointing start, and reiterates the problems with point guard:

It’s hard to tell what’s the bigger surprise — the fact that the Cavs won 66 games last year, or the fact that they’ve started the season 0-2. Although the Celtics and Raptors were two competitive opponents to start the season against, this certainly isn’t the start people were expecting. In fact the Cavaliers, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, are the first team in NBA history to lose the first two games of the year after winning 65 in the previous season. […]

...there’s still a ton of time left to see if this roster will work out. One thing is clear, however — this team has to stop being the LeBron James Show if they’re ever going to get anywhere. Mo Williams and Shaquille O’Neal have not played great in their first two games, and if someone else can’t take up the scoring load once in awhile, then this team will have the same problem they had last year. Williams has been particular atrocious; the 7-22 shooting is bad enough, but to produce only five assists in two full basketball games is downright pathetic for a point guard. He can’t just be a jump-shooter; he actually has to create some of the offense and do a little passing, otherwise Shaq is never going to be utilized properly.

Brian Windhorst, the excellent Cavaliers beat writer for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, checks in with a column today wondering about the significance of Delonte West’s absence:

The loss of West seems to be taking a toll on the Cavs that is greater than if he was sidelined with a sprained ankle. He’s practicing with them, he’s traveling with them, he’s warming up with them. Then he disappears into the locker room and the Cavs struggle on the floor in areas where he could certainly help.

It isn’t something the team is used to and it isn’t something they seem to be dealing with easily based on their play thus far. “It definitely hurts us,” Mo Williams said. “Look at what happened with (Kevin Garnett) with Boston last year, it doesn’t matter the stature of the player, it is losing a valuable player. It’s evident we miss him.”

The absence, according to Windhorst, has myriad implications for the Cavs, all of which stretch an already thin roster a little thinner. Maybe too much so, as perimeter defense is one example he offers:

Perimeter defense.

West is the Cavs’ best guard defender and often will guard the top scoring wing players or the quick point guards to give Williams a rest or even when Williams is in the game. With his good strength and good lateral speed, West can often keep in front of guards attempting to drive, or at least re-route them off the play.

In the first two games quick guards Rajon Rondo of the Celtics and Jose Calderon of the Raptors have repeatedly broken down the Cavs defense off the dribble and caused them to collapse and give up easy shots. Rondo had 10 assists in the first game and Calderon had 11 assists Wednesday.

Beyond that, Delonte West’s absence means the other guards on Cleveland’s roster are forced into roles that don’t exactly suit them. As Windhorst outlines, Anthony Parker was brought in as a free agent to provide 25-30 minutes of energy and scoring. Instead, he’s being counted on as a starter to play upwards of 40 minutes a game—and well, he’s not that good.

Throw in the added reliance on Daniel Gibson to play significant minutes at point guard, where Delonte had been a key backup, and you can see where losing a key rotation guy like West ends up watering down the rest of your roster. Gibson, for example, no longer has the opportunity to do what he does well—score—because he’s too busy being a mediocre point guard for 20 minutes-a-game. Everybody loses.

I alluded to this issue in my NBA preview, too, saying:

Cleveland has point guard issues—it’s through no fault of their management that Delonte West has had difficulties with bi-polar disorder, but it is the management’s fault that there isn’t another competent guard besides West and Mo Williams. Literally, the only other guards on the roster are Daniel Gibson and Anthony Parker, and while both can play spot duty at point guard, neither can be expected to do so for any extended period of time. That’s an issue.

And it’s an issue that, frankly, Cleveland should have foreseen. I mean, Delonte West struggled last year with personal issues, not to mention injuries. Did they really think they’d be successful going into this year with such a vulnerable linchpin at one of the most critical positions on the floor? West’s myriad issues are something that no team could have prepared for, but the lack of a contingency plan from the Cavs is inexcusable. Instead, they’ve got 400 pound Shaq and glacial Zydrunas Ilgauskas sharing time in the fourth quarter, Mo Williams trying to play 40 minutes of point guard and defend at the same time, and Lebron toiling away, one triple double at a time, for a team with some glaring holes. Not fun, and with Lebron headed for free agency, pretty damn ominous.

Would you stay if you were him?

Last year was a dream season in Cleveland, but until Delonte’s demons are exercised or the Cavs add another competent guard, this year's shaping up to be something of a nightmare.

LeBron James, in case you were wondering, had 51 points, 20 assists, and 15 rebounds in the first two games. ESPN's Ric Bucher checks in this afternoon with this ominous conclusion from an NBA GM:

From Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer comes this account of the postgame scene in Cleveland last night:

The mood within the locker room following the loss was mostly stunned silence. They know they are not very good right now and that is something they understand, but the amount of work they’re going to have to do to get where they need to be is sinking in. Mo Williams said it was like being on an 18-hour drive and being in the seventh or eighth hour, knowing how much more is ahead. I like the analogy but disagree with the timing, I’m not sure the Cavs have hit the first rest stop yet. They have, however, hit the first speed bumps.

Oof. Sounds… Awkward.

It’s odd to think that any team might read so much into a mere two games—the Cavaliers started 1-2 last year, you know—but by the same token, we’re talking about a group that endured a pretty emphatic loss at the hands of the Orlando Magic, a team they were heavy favorites to beat. The Magic, in those 6 games, exposed some flaws in Cleveland that had previously gone overlooked (coaching, size, general lack of talent), which sent things into a bit of a tailspin.

Lebron, who’d previously been scene smiling and crafting funny pregame routines with his teammates, was suddenly scowling and storming off the court. And the Cavs were left dazed and confused, one year closer to Lebron’s possible departure, having failed in spectacular fashion just when everyone finally had them pegged for success. That type of thing takes a toll on a team’s psychology. And even though touting their demise would be premature, it’s not that much of a stretch to suggest that the mood of this team has changed for the worse.

It’s happened before in the NBA; the year after the Mavericks collapsed as a number 1 seed and fell to the 8th seeded Golden State Warriors in the playoffs, the wheels came off for them, and the team—from Dirk, to Jason Terry, to Coach Avery Johnson—was never the same. And that’s where we could see Cleveland headed. The Cavs are already playing with all sorts of unspoken tension—their franchise superstar is basically holding them hostage, after all. Throw in the pressure of expectations and the mounting skepticism that started with last year’s playoffs, and there’s a lot for Cleveland’s players and fans to be stressed about.

You know what they need to diffuse the situation... They need Stephen Jackson.

SBN’s Cavaliers blog, Fear the Sword, has some thoughts in light of last night’s loss:

The Cavaliers are going to win a lot of games this season. It might not be 66(remember they started 1-2 last season) but there will be plenty to cheer. In the mean time, as this Cavaliers crew figures out how to play with each other, there are going to be some growing pains. Tonight was one of those.

Looking tired at times, disinterested at others, the Cavaliers dropped to 0-2, losing to the Raptors in Toronto’s opener 101-91. For the Cavs the issues through the first two games are too numerous to talk about, but I’ll try.

Defensively the Cavaliers are really struggling. They are getting burned on pick and rolls and allowing way too many easy baskets. I mean, seriously, Andrea Bargnani scores 28 points? In all, the Raptor front-court outscored the Cavs ‘bigs’ 49-14.

Let’s face it, its tough to put yourself in an 18-point hole at halftime and expect to win. Still, the Cavaliers had tied the game, late in the 3rd, and was in position to get a win. I don’t want to hear about new players – Toronto has 9 new players on it’s roster and threw over 100 on the board against the Cavs. It goes deeper than that.

Perhaps it was the flu-bug that went through the team during Training Camp, maybe the injuries to Mo, and others. Of course, the uncertainty surrounding Delonte can’t be helping.

Whatever the case, the Cavaliers will get it figured out. They have to….Right?

We’re not in “Time to Panic!”-mode just yet in Cleveland, but given the history out there, as well as the ultimate referendum on their city’s self-worth looming when Lebron hits free agency this summer, let’s just say the Cavs fans have good reason to be a touch sensitive. And if Cleveland doesn’t get it together soon, heads will likely roll—Mike Brown Mike Brown Mike Brown—in short order.

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Andrea Bargnani scored a game-high 28 points and Chris Bosh contributed 21 points and 16 rebounds, as the Toronto Raptors began their season with a 101-91 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Hedo Turkoglu, brought in during the offseason, notched 12 points and seven rebounds in his debut with the Raptors, who stumbled to a 33-49 record last year and a fourth-place finish in the Atlantic Division.

Marco Belinelli came off the bench and scored 10 for Toronto, helping snap a five-game losing streak to the defending Central Division champs.

LeBron James notched his 25th career triple-double with 23 points, 12 assists and 11 boards for Cleveland, which also dropped a 95-89 decision to the Celtics in its season-opener on Tuesday. The Cavs did not drop back-to-back games last season until February.

Mo Williams ended with 16 points, and Shaquille O'Neal recorded 12 points and seven boards for the Cavs, who shot 34.9 percent from the floor.

"[Defense is] what we've been working on in training camp and that's what we've been talking about all the time," Bosh said. "Being at home, the crowd was an unbelievable factor...This is just one game. We have a lot of basketball to play."

A small lineup sparked the Cavs after a lifeless first half. Williams capped a 13-2 spurt with a three-pointer and a running layup, the latter coming with just under five minutes left to cut Cleveland's deficit to 67-62.

The visitors pulled even several minutes later, but Toronto scored the final five of the frame with Turkoglu's layup making it 78-71.

The hosts fed off the Air Canada Centre crowd in the fourth. Bargnani hit an early three and Bosh's layup made it 87-74 with under nine minutes remaining.

The margin stayed in double digits until James hit a free throw and one from behind the arc to get within 96-90 with 1:37 to play.

Jarrett Jack hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line for Toronto, and James missed a big three and the Cavs couldn't pull off the comeback.

Bargnani scored 13 of his 21 first-half points in the opening stanza to pace Toronto to a 27-22 lead after 12 minutes.

The Raptors embarked on a 16-2 run late in the second to further their lead. James hit a free throw and a layup in the final minute of the half, but the Cavs were still staring at a 57-39 deficit at the break.

"That's the second game in a row we've been outshot in the second quarter. We have to do a better job offensively," Cavs head coach Mike Brown said. "Defensively we have to be better. There has to be a better effort."

Rookie DeMar DeRozan scored eight points for the Raptors, who hit 45.3 percent from the floor...Anthony Parker and Daniel Gibson each scored 12 points for the Cavs...Cleveland next plays at Minnesota on Friday, the same day the Raptors travel to Memphis to battle the Grizzlies.

-- Recap via The Sports Network