Hey, Cleveland! We just rolled in from the West Coast and it's good to be back. What's happening? 

The Cavaliers have to feel good about themselves after the way they closed out the four-game trip. Especially the way it started out.

I really thought that the Laker situation caught us by surprise, because I don't think we realized they were that big, because we didn't play against Bynum last season. And it's obvious Gasol has been getting in the weight room. They really attacked us differently than other teams have. They went at us with their bigs right away. Kobe even backed off to establish that. And we got into a scramble mode.

You could tell that the Cavs did not like being treated that way, because the next game in Portland, they were not going to have any of it. Ben, LeBron, Wally, Anderson - they behaved like someone had ticked them off. The Lakers challenged their manhood and they were not going to take it again on this trip. It was good to see them bounce back from a loss like that against another good team. They are actually, mentally in playoff form already.

The fact that the Cavaliers haven't lost two straight tells me where their mental focus is. They don't like to lose. And that's a good sign, and it's a tribute to Coach Brown's coaching style - because they don't get too down after a loss or too high after a win.

When you have two-fifths of your starting unit out, you can't win with just one or two guys. It has to be a total team effort. Just look at what Ben has done, what Anderson has done without the big man in the middle. Look at what Mo has done, what Sasha has done with Delonte out. Look at Tarence Kinsey coming in and giving us quality minutes. J.J. is stepping up his game. Wally has been tremendous - guarding guys six, seven inches taller than him.

It's just a great effort, seeing everyone contribute. And that all helps the camaraderie of the team, and everyone now feels that they have a piece of it. You come forth with a much stronger resolve to win, because everybody takes ownership.

I have a term that I got from Mark "Cobra" Cashman - our equipment manager - he says the Cavaliers are "battle tested" by having Delonte and Z out. That term is perfect. Because now, the Cavaliers are able to play two or three different ways against any team and any set of personnel. It just shows how deep they are.

Big Z's been out a while, but we mustn't forget how the flow will open up when he returns. That changes everything. Right now, they've learned to play in a congested area. Whatever kind of defense you play against them, they have confidence that they can beat you. When Z comes back, when Delonte comes back - you'll see how difficult it'll be to beat this team in a seven-game series.

Mo Williams showed me so much on this road trip. It's easy to get up at home, with the crowd behind you. When you're on the road and all you have are your teammates, that's where you separate the men from the boys. In the second half against the Warriors and the Jazz, he was awesome. The second half is money time - that's when it's time to win the game. And I would say he is an All-Star.

The Cavaliers are now able to win a game without LeBron having the ball in his hands the entire time. They've been doing that all year. When they went through their early season run, they proved they could do that. You're talking about the best basketball player in the world.

He's taking a little bit more of punishment now that we're somewhat depleted. But when you take the ball out of his hands and you get other guys involved - it frees him up. LeBron's not only the best player in the world with the ball, he's the best without the ball.

Now, teams can't play 1-on-5 with him. Now, he's able to run through the offense and, by the time he receives the ball, there's only one guy to beat. And there's not one guy on the planet who can stop him by himself.

The Cavs are now 8-2 against the West on the road. What that tells you is that they don't lose any focus away from home. They stay focused even in adverse situations. And that's something that all Championship teams have - they can win anywhere.

We still have some tough road games ahead of us - San Antonio, Houston - but the key is to play a good game. If you play a good, competitive game and get beat, that's life in professional basketball. As long as you put forth a good effort and do things the right way, you have to feel good about yourself. And so far, this team has had only one stinker and that was the Washington Wizards game.

The bigs had to step up on this trip because the rotation was different. What a lot of people don't understand is that when you're playing 10-15 minutes a game and that increases to 20-25 minutes a game, that puts a lot of pressure on your consistency level. Now, you're playing minutes that are vital to the win or loss. If a player can succeed with a heavier workload, that just builds your confidence.

But the Cavs can't live off one successful trip. They have a big week ahead of them - most notably against the Magic. It's a huge game because Orlando has stepped to the forefront of the Eastern Conference - they're rolling with the big boys now. The players and coaches will tell you that it's just another game, but you can bet that it'll have an extra edge to it.

We had a tough situation in L.A. on the road, now we just have to see if we can turn that around when we travel to Orlando.