Kevin->Write(thoughts, browser, time)

My more discerning readers may note that although I claimed in my previous post that I would post the Cavs preview "tomorrow", it is unfortunately not tomorrow at this time. It is, in fact, "today", and Kevin->Writes regrets the error.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have already played six games this year, losing their first three and winning their most recent three. On the whole, they look to be improved over last year, due mostly to a full season of Jeff McInnis and the maturation of LBJ. Player by player:

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: Still 7'3" tall, still a solid offensive player both in the post and shooting the midrange jumper. Shaq tossed him around like a rag doll last week; he'll struggle on defense against anyone with a real NBA center; fortunately, this applies to only five or six teams these days. The fact that the Cavs had him to shoot the three pointer to tie the game against Phoenix and send it to overtime tells you all you need to know about this team's perimiter shooting. Still, Z is a borderline Allstar who should be the second or third best center in the Eastern conference.
Drew Gooden: The key to the Cavs season. After Carlos Boozer betrayed his oral committment to resign with the team this summer (a move for which I cannot blame him as the NBA is a business and the Cavs should have gotten it in writing), they picked up Gooden to replace Boozer in the lineup. Gooden at times seems lost on the court and at other times overwhelmed athletically, which is a dangerous combination. Guys like Darius Miles can get away with being head cases because they can jump eleventy feet in the air; if you are limited athletically, you have to pay attention and work hard to be valuable. His jump shot is poor and his defense is average. He's not the kind of guy who is going to be able to go in the post and get a bucket consistently. If he does the dirty work and makes the hustle plays that Boozer gave this team last year, they will win 45 games and take the fourth or fifth seed in the playoffs. Otherwise, they will fail to match last year's win total.
Eric Snow: Ballplayer. Solid ballhandler, excellent defender, not a three point shooter but efficient from midrange. Battle-tested from all those big playoff games as Allen Iverson's sidekick. When he and McInnis play together, it's a problem because neither of them can defend the #2 guard. Not an athlete, and not a guy who can create his own shot. A gamer who exudes confidence.
Jeff McInnis: The key to the Cavs late-season resurgence last year returns to reprise his role running the point. McInnis runs the offense smoothly, defends the position adequately, and has a very pretty running floater that he likes to shoot on the fast break. He is not a shooter, and not an exceptional athlete. He'll do.
Ira Newble: Very ugly but effective midrange jumper. Not a ballhandler or a three point shooter. Newble defends the small forward spot well and will fill the lane on the break. Not a great athlete. Solid backup forward.
Lucious Harris: Refugee from the crumbling Nets franchise. Shooter who hasn't made any shots so far. Not athletic, not much D. Cavs have no one else with a pedegree of making three balls; they need him to get his head out of his ass in a big way.
Robert "Tractor" Traylor: Immensely fat man who is the first big guy off the bench. Tractor brings size and hustle and little else. Not a post scorer. No jump shot. Average defense. If Z gets hurt, this team will lose lots and lots of games.
Anderson Varejo: Tall and skinny Brazilian kid. He plays scared and avoids contact. Haven't seen him shoot much, which probably means he can't. Dumb foul magnet. Not much defense. He's young...if he's going to be a good NBA player, it won't be this year.
Luke Jackson: First round draft pick from Oregon. Lanky white forward with a fro. Good shooter. Has been buried on the bench thus far, which probably means he doesn't have a clue on defense. Simmer; check back in February.
Dejaun Wagner: Disappointment. Too small to play 2 guard, doesn't handle the ball well enough to play point. Streaky shooter. Everyone in the league knows he can't go left. Likely to be buried on the bench.

Lebron James: Pro: The reigning Rookie of the Year, Lebron has shown already in this young season the ability to take over a game and put the team on his back, as he did with his 17 fourth quarter points in the Phoenix game. He is the most gifted and creative passer in the league. His rebounding numbers are up, and his shooting looks much better. His turnovers are down as well. He could well average a triple double this year. Lebron is easily the most interesting and exciting player in basketball right now. Con: Still gets lost on defense, letting people blow past him who have no business doing so. Lebron needs a coach to kick him in the ass and get him to move his feet on defense, but it's possible that he is already such a star that no coach will or can do so. Tends to disappear for whole quarters at a time. That's pretty much it; this guy is excellent.

I expect to see the Cavs win 44 games this season and lose 40, which should be good for the fourth seed in the Eastern playoffs behind the Pacers, Pistons, and Heat. They will ride Lebron, Z, and a supporting cast of overwhelming averageness to beat the teams they should beat and lose to the truly good teams. Lebron will make a case for himself this year as one of the (small number) best players in the league. I am sad that I will only get to see a few games a month.

Firstly, I'd like to say that in one sentence I said that I didn't think Bush was dumb and in the next sentence I called him stupid -- which sounds, you know...stupid. I'd like to retract the second statement; I do not believe that Bush is dumb or stupid, and "plain old whitebread Texas arrogance" can and should stand on its own as a descriptor for the damage that he will continue to do.

Second: In his four years in the White House, George Bush did not veto one single piece of legislation. How can this be? EVERY SINGLE PIECE of legislation that passed his desk was perfect?

Third: I'd also like to add that one upside to four years of Bush is that the way is now clear for Hillary Clinton in 2008. It's time for a woman in the White House, and she has some chance of being electable. Plus she deserves some good karma for putting up with Bill for all these years.

Fourth: Nine states made it constitutionally illegal for gay people to get married, successfully defending those fifty percent of marriages that last till blissfull death from the onslaught of the "homosexual agenda." I will now light myself on fire, and the curling flames will deliver me to a less unhappy endless void.

Tomorrow: Cavs preview! Jesus says that if you're not excited for it, you must be gay and consequently incapable of lasting love. At least in Ohio.

As I write this, ABC has projected that Bush has won Florida, making it overwhelmingly likely that John Kerry has lost the 2004 presidential election. I simply cannot understand how this can be so, and I am filled with a sadness that I can't really describe. Bush's record is nothing short of awful. In the time before 9/11, he accomplished little save the No Child Left Behind act, which is ill-concieved and underfunded. He campaigns as though 9/11 was a victory for him, but I fail to understand how allowing the worst terrorist attack in the history of our country through the direct failure of our intelligence community is a point in his favor. He gets credit for his leadership in the time after that tragedy, and maybe he should, but the country was reeling and he had bipartisan support to do pretty much whatever he wanted to do, and anyone would and could have rallied the country to invade Afghanistan. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, its connection with the Taliban is fuzzy at absolute best, there are no weapons of mass destruction, and every day another few soldiers die, with no end in sight. We can argue about whether Iraq is a total disaster or somewhat of a disaster, but regardless it is not a feather in Bush's cap. Meanwhile, Bin Laden remains at large, the borders remain insecure, and the Department of Homeland Security adds a layer of ineffective and underfunded bureaucracy to the national security mix. The economy is in tatters. There is not a whiff of campaign finance reform or meaningful social security reform. Millions of Americans lost their health insurance in the last four years, and because he is in the pocket of the pharmaceutical companies, Bush proposes health savings accounts to fix this, which cannot possibly pay for the most expensive sorts of care for those who cannot afford it, which is the whole idea of insurance. Bush lies to the public likes Clinton did; the difference is that he lies about the issues, while Clinton lied about his personal life.

There are only three reasons why a person might vote for Bush: she is voting with her pocketbook, she is voting on morals or values, or she is an unthinking voter who is incapable of interpreting or unwilling to interpret Bush's poor policy decisions. There are not enough people with big enough pocketbooks for this segment of Bush voters to be significant. Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, I believe that there are not very many truly stupid or uncaring people in this country, but in a way I hope that I'm wrong. You see, that leaves a scary Bush majority of morals people, because they vote to fight a battle that can't be won, and I'm not talking about Iraq. Things that will continue to go on in this country whether or not they are legal include abortions, homosexual relationships, and drug use. They vote for Bush to fight these battles, which he will inevitably lose, (and frankly not try too hard at, because I don't believe that the man is dumb) and meanwhile he will fuck us over on the actual political issues in the name of big business, the rich, and plain old whitebread arrogant Texas stupidity.

But there are so many of these people, and it makes me so sad. I don't know what to do now. Barring a John Kerry miracle, I fear for the next four years.