Hey, everyone! It’s A.C., what’s happening?

I thought I’d check in before this weekend’s back-to-back against the Central. The Cavaliers really took care of the Knicks and Nets this week, sweeping both clubs on the season.

It’s really tough to watch what those franchises have dropped to. And still all the talk is about what they’re going to do next year and how it involves LeBron. This whole thing has been orchestrated by New York; it hasn’t been anything that LeBron has said. And my thinking has always been: LeBron doesn’t want to be known as someone who can be bought.

I’m glad we’re done with those teams so we won’t have to hear about it again this year.

For all the great things LeBron does on the court. Look at the difference he’s made, working with J.J. Hickson.

You can see that J.J.’s maturation process has really accelerated. It started this summer when LeBron took him under his wing. Then, even though LeBron helped, he had to learn the ropes himself. So he started to equate what LeBron taught him – on the court behavior – to what he’s doing on the floor now.

Hickson seems comfortable on the floor now.  He doesn’t panic. He reads the play and reacts to it.

In the first part of the season, he was missing all those passes, fumbling the ball out of bounds because he was rushing. Now, he catches and he finishes. He’s a totally different player now.

He’s learned to play physical under the basket – to use the tools that he has. Keep your opponent off your body so you can use your jumping ability. He didn’t do that at first. Now he knows how to make contact but keep himself free and able to react. He’s doing a super job. The game has definitely slowed down for him.

Another thing I’ve liked in these games without the Diesel is how seamlessly Antawn Jamison is fitting in.

It’s a great situation because, by the time the playoffs roll around, he’ll be completely in the flow. Jamison understands the game so well, and he moves without the ball as well as anyone I’ve seen.

When you have passers like LeBron, Delonte, Mo (and even Shaq) and you have a player who moves as well without the ball as Jamison – who knows how to float, how to fade, when to make the diagonal cut – it’s a beautiful thing. That will be HUGE come playoff time. You can’t sit on LeBron, you can’t sit on Shaq or J.J. Not with Jamison floating around.

While Shaq’s nursing his injured thumb, the Cavaliers have turned into a more up-tempo team. That shows you the luxury of having LeBron. You just plug him in at the point forward and you continue to run your offense.

To me, it’s as if we’re catching teams by surprise. They’re used to playing the slow-down Cavs – (and that was dynamic in its own way). It seems like our defense is even faster now. They’re getting back to the way they played last year – they’d dominate the game for five or six minutes and turn a five-point lead into a 20-point lead. They’re starting to look like that again.

People aren’t used to the current Cavs because we’ve been moving at a more deliberate pace without Shaq and Z. They’re just not ready for it.

It’s going to be interesting to see how we handle this Central Division back-to-back this weekend. And next week, the Cavs face off against some better teams. And I hope we continue in the mode where other teams have to adjust to us, rather than us adjusting to them.

As far as tonight’s game at The Q, I know you’re wondering and, yeah, I’m going to wear my Snuggie. I want to be part of the record-breaking performance, so I’ll have ol’ Snuggie on!!

Hey, Cavalier faithful. It’s A.C. – what’s happening?

By now, everyone’s heard the news about Shaq’s right thumb. It definitely changes the course of the remainder of the season, but it’s just something the Cavaliers will have to work through.

At this point, our versatility has been somewhat diminished, so now we have to play with a small team. Our defensive assignments have to be sharp. We can’t leave any open areas to the basket, because we don’t have that big guy in there to block shots anymore. Driving lanes have to close up quickly. We have to very solid on our perimeter defense.

Without Shaq, we won’t be able to make up for mistakes. So we have to limit defensive miscues.

Offensively, we’ll be alright. We’ve got enough guys to beat opponents off the dribble and find their offense. Where Shaq’s absence will hurt is on the defensive end.

Anderson Varejao is going to be huge from this point forward. Andy’s going to have to understand that he’s a starter now, and he won’t be able to take some of the chances that he normally takes. Sometimes, if he gets himself in a compromising position, he’ll have to back off and save those fouls for later.

The problem now is we’re going to have to play a small lineup – and a lot of people – leading up to the playoffs. Coach Brown will have to make a decision: Do we cut down to an eight-man rotation, or keep it at ten? I have a feeling that the small group will play well together. (And they have played well.) Out of the next 22 games, I think if we win 16 of them, we’ll retain our lead in both the East and in the NBA overall.

The Cavs will have to be ready for teams trying to take advantage of us inside. And that’s why Andy needs to stay out of foul trouble. LeBron’s going to have to play some four; Leon Powe’s going to have to play some five. It’s going to be an adjustment, but at the same time, we still have a nice mixture of talent. It’s not like we’re devoid of it.

We just have to hope that when the Big Fella comes back that he’ll be ready to roll. Stay on that treadmill and that bike. Keep his cardio going and hopefully be ready when it’s time to start back up.

I don’t expect a second “adjustment period” like they went through earlier this season. The team’s already played with him, so they know how to do it. And I don’t think being away for a couple months will change the way they do things. And in the playoffs, it’s a different game. The fast break just isn’t going to be there much.

I’m not overly concerned. I think they understand what they need to do to win with the little guys and it was great to see Mo come back.

Mo on the right track really helps. He was beginning to sag a little bit emotionally. You could see the slump was bothering him and that’s normal. It would bother anyone who’s a competitor. So it’s good to see him and you could see the team really felt good about Mo getting back to himself.

The key is that some of our big guys are going to have play big for the remainder of the regular season. That includes Darnell Jackson.

They should still be able to play well and I think they will. I think a good record in March would be 10-5 or 11-4. If we do that this month, we’ll be safe. 

Hey, Cavalier fans and CavFanatics! It’s A.C. – what’s happening?

I know some fans are concerned because of the three-game slide. I wouldn’t be too concerned, because it’s the same scenario as the beginning of the season.

You have rotations you’re trying to work out. Personnel issues – who fits better with this guy and that guy. But we have to do it on the fly, just like at the beginning of the season. And the team looks similar as it did then, when we made the changes. So I expect the team to come around.

You could see them getting it together in the second half, when the defense picked up. Over the three-game skid, that’s where they’ve had their problems. I don’t care what you say: when the defense is bad, we’re just not the same team.

To be honest, our defense was getting sloppy towards the end of the winning streak.

Most of the problem has been the individual defense. The rotations are basically the same, but individually they’re breaking down big time. And for some reason, on the pick-and-roll, they’re not making the right decisions. Two guys will go to one guy and leave the backside wide-open.

They’re just not in sync because they have different guys in the rotation. Guys aren’t familiar with each other and one new guy can throw the system off. It’s going to take a while to adjust, but the defense has to improve. There’s no way you can survive and be successful with that kind of defense.

You can’t win like that, and it’s not our identity. We’re a much more lethal team when we’re defending and running the break. We’re trying to run off made baskets and off of control rebounds. That’s not how we control the game. We control the game when the defense allows us to run.

With the addition of Jamison and Leon Powe set to return this week, the rotation will become even more crowded with new faces. Of course, it’s a good problem to have. (I personally think we might have to go nine-deep in the Playoffs and believe in your system. I just think that we have that much talent on the team.)

I know they’re expecting Leon Powe back. I’m anxious to see how his mobility is. Any time you have that kind of injury, I want to see what type of mobility he has and what type of lift he has. If he has those back, now Mike Brown has more talent to deal with. And if Powe’s anywhere close to where he used to be, it’s going to be interesting. Our front line will be very, very dangerous.

But working these guys in is a tricky thing. Coming off a 13-game win streak, it’s hard to make changes. And in the Cavaliers’ case, it all happened at once.

Everyone got used to the way Boobie and LeBron ran the team. With Boobie and LeBron’s cadence – the team fell into that quickly. Then all of a sudden, you have Mo and Delonte coming back. And they have a different cadence, they run the team differently. They set up from different places. Then you bring in a new player and you lose an old player that everybody loves and respects. So there’s an emotional element that they have to deal with.

It’s the same for the players. You saw how uncomfortable Antawn Jamison was on Friday night. I’ve had games like that.

With him, it’s more familiarity. He’s getting some of the same shots he got with the Wizards, but maybe a foot or two where he normally gets them or from a different angle because of the way the play was run. But they were basically his shots. And you saw what he was like in the second half against Orlando – basically unstoppable.

And to me, that’s how it’s going to be from now on – mixing Jamison in with LeBron and Shaq. It’s going to be awesome!

So many things all happened at once. It was a perfect storm. It was like a boxer – BANG! – you get hit and dizzied and it takes you a minute to get your head clear. And that’s where the Cavs are at right now.

The transition might take a week or so.

Again, the best sorting out period is done on the floor during the game. You can do all you want in practice, but it has to work on the floor. So I’m expecting something different, obviously, with Jamison in the starting lineup.

But you also expect J.J. to be seasoned and ready to play when the time comes. Don’t lose focus because you’re not starting anymore. J.J.’s finally starting to hit that jumper. And you don’t want him to take a step backwards right now. He has to keep that focus. And if he wants to be part of the playoff rotation, he’ll have to continue to produce.

Off the bench or otherwise, if you don’t produce, you don’t play.

We’ll see the progress continue on Tuesday night against New Orleans. It’s definitely going to be a good test. They just beat Houston and that’s a quality ball club. They don’t have Chris Paul, but Collison’s playing well, just coming off a triple-double. So it’ll be a battle. You’ll have Jamison against West; LeBron and Stojakovic. It’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds.

You’re going to need good, solid defense to win this one. You’re not going to outscore them.  

And, naturally, the Boston game on Thursday is huge, for no other reason than we haven’t beaten them yet. So, for psychological reasons and for positioning in the playoffs, we need to even the score as soon as possible. We have to play them twice more anyway. We don’t want to be down, 0-2.

The next Boston game is at home and we want to make sure we have the upper hand when we go back at the end of the year.

But, even with only 25 games remaining, we have a lonnnnng way to go before we get to that point. 

Hey, Cavalier fans and CavFanatics! It’s A.C. here – what’s happening?

It’s a big one for the Cavs and Magic tonight. You can feel it in the air around The Q. A win for the Cavaliers would continue to boost their confidence. And it helps them understand what they have to do to win. It gives them the “yellow brick road” – the blueprint – on how to beat the Magic.

I feel the key to the game tonight is the two starting centers. Last time, Dwight Howard got into early foul trouble. And I think whichever center gets in early foul trouble will have the biggest effect on the game.

Howard has played against Shaq before – in Miami and Phoenix. But there’s a big difference with him on the Cavs. We have a better defensive scheme and, in my opinion, a better offensive scheme. Even though Steve Nash is an offensive dynamo, Cleveland has a more balanced attack.

Howard’s not going to get as much defensive help as he did last year. We didn’t have the same dynamic last year as we do this year.

This game is a perfect example of the “Shaq Effect.” I’ve written this before, but there are a lot of similarities to what Shaq brings to these Cavs and what Nate Thurmond brought to the Miracle team.

Shaq’s given the team more confidence in the paint and around the basket. We’ve became much more physical around the basket, and you see it from everyone – not just the bigs. It adds more to Andy’s game because he has that physical presence there. It’s helped everybody.

And now, Shaq is starting to show signs of ramping his game up. The big fella sort of eased his way into the season.

It’s also similar to when Kareem went to the Lakers and Magic Johnson kind of rejuvenated him. That’s the way that LeBron has rejuvenated Shaq. Granted, Shaq made the All-Star team with Phoenix, but it wasn’t the same. Shaq’s used to being at the top. He’s used to being the man and being at the top of the league. And now he’s back there – with the best record in the league. You can see that he cherishes that.

In terms of Shaq vs. Howard, Dwight knows he’s got to be at the top of his game to beat Shaq.

You can’t just “horse” Shaq. He’s not going to move. So he makes Dwight be more finesse. Howard can’t be as physical around the basket like he can with weaker guys. He has to try more jump hooks and shots that he doesn’t usually attempt. Shaq takes Howard out of his comfort zone and, in that respect, he does affect him mentally.

The Cavaliers are a different team than Orlando beat in the East Finals last Spring. Their team is obviously much different, too.

Vince Carter gives them a different identity. Vince is a one-on-one player and he takes the ball out of Howard’s hands more frequently. Hedo Turkoglu was a more balanced player and he got the ball in Howard’s hands a lot more. Vince does his thing. Vince looks to be Vince.

He’s an incredible player – like we saw the other night against New Orleans. So the key is to keep him relatively under control. You don’t want him going off and feeling good.

Tonight, I’m looking for both teams to come out ready. They both know the Break is here, and they want to go out on a good note.

Every team wants to go the Break on a strong note. You know you’re not going to play for another week or so. So you go out and let it all hang out. And both teams are searching to see where they are right now. You want to know what you need after the Break. And what you need to work on.

There are only 28 games left when we get back, so everybody’s getting geared up for the “second season.”

It’s going to be a physical game on Thursday. I don’t expect a lot of fast breaks, unless one team starts turning the ball over. The first half should be a slugfest and if that continues in the second half, it should come down to the last two or three possessions.

Both teams want it badly, and they know what it means. A win gives Cleveland the 2-0 edge with another matchup in Orlando one week after the All-Star Game. A win tonight sends them a message for that game: When we come knocking, you better be ready.

Hey, Cavalier fans! It’s Mr. Cavalier, A.C.  What’s happening?

The homestand continues on and what the Cavaliers have done – running off eight straight wins without their top two guards – has been amazing. That speaks to the depth of the team.

The fact that we can keep moving forward without too much of a problem means that the team was built to withstand anything – injuries, different styles of play. This team is built to win. And if we stay healthy – if our big people stay healthy – then I think we’ll be alright. We’ve already proven that we can get by for a while without our guards. (I’m not sure about how we’d handle our big people missing time.)

It’s almost as if the Cavaliers made the adjustment on the fly – moving Boobie into the lineup and LeBron into the backcourt for stretches. And Boobie has played well.

One thing Boobie does a good job of is that you don’t get a lot of dribble penetration off of him. He’s a tough little guy. He doesn’t let you beat him off the pick-and-rolls easily. That’s helped quite a bit because it keeps the pressure off your big people and keeps them out of foul trouble.

Right now, LeBron is playing more of the 1, anyway. Boobie starts the offense, but once we’re into it, LeBron becomes the 1 and Boobie becomes the 2 – with Gibson spotting up for the jump shot. That’s another move that was made on the fly.

But no matter who’s in the lineup, the Cavaliers hang their hat on defense. And having Jamario back is huge. He can defend three or four positions, he can run the floor, he’s full of energy, he shoots the ball well. It’s just a huge upgrade to have him back and healthy.

We’ve made all those adjustments to the backcourt with Mo and Delonte injured. But maybe the biggest thing in this recent run has been that Shaq is starting to pick it up – big time.

I’ve been out of the game for so long that I’ve forgotten, as a veteran, what it takes to work your way into the season. At first, I didn’t understand. But now, watching Shaq, I remember exactly what it was like, because I did that towards the end of my career. You just learn how to ease your way into the season. And because you’ve eased your way in, you can keep your legs longer.

A perfect example came in the Indiana game. In the first half, Shaq blocked a shot in front of the Pacers bench – and it was a “quick block” not a “muscle block.” It was the kind of block I haven’t seen him make this year. Mike Dunleavy had beaten his man and drove to the basket and Shaq cleaned it right off. At first, I thought it was J.J.

Shaq’s bringing it on little by little. He’s starting to get more lift off his shot. He’s using the square more when he gets in traffic. His free throws look different – Coach Egan has him working on his form. (He’s even got the “gooseneck” going now!) So, it’s just good to see the Big Fella coming.

If you don’t double-team the Diesel, you’re going to be in trouble – because now you have to pick your poison. And you can see that LeBron is starting to know how it works with Shaq, and how he takes the pressure off the rest of the guys. Because when Shaq gets the ball down low, the opponent is aware of what’s getting ready to happen. You can slip through the back door, you can cut down the lane, you can diagonal cut up the lane. There’s a lot of options with a big man who can pass the ball like Shaq.

Shaq’s added another huge dimension to our team. But defensively is where the biggest change has come. There aren’t those open driving lanes any more. They close quickly. And if players don’t get through those lanes quickly, you will have the Big Fella waiting on you. As an opposing guard: you don’t want that.

The Diesel’s been to 15 All-Star Games, but only one Cavalier will be making the trip to Dallas this year. And I think that puts a chip on the Cavs’ shoulder. It’s a smack in the face.

Even the coaches didn’t pick one of our guys, and for us to be where we are – with the best record in the NBA – and have but one All-Star (and the Celtics with three and Atlanta with two), it just doesn’t make sense. To me: if we don’t have two All-Stars, then we have five All-Stars.

For the fans to think it’s just a LeBron James team, that’s one thing. But the coaches see us every day. That’s an insult.

And I hope the team takes it that way. I would love to win a Championship with one All-Star. Then you really can say we have five All-Stars.

But before then, we have this homestand to get through. It’s nice to be home. The team has a chance to get their legs back – regroup, be around family a little bit, focus on ending the first half on a positive note.

Tuesday night will be tough; Memphis is playing well. And it’s going to be Zach Randolph against J.J Hickson. That’s their strong suit and J.J.’s going to need to grow up in a hurry.

And the rest of the games – I expect us to either win out heading to the Break, or have no more than one loss. If we get by tonight, I don’t see us struggling until Orlando. And I don’t see Orlando beating us. And The biggest difference there is how we’ve changed.

The Magic still play the same style. But we are different now. Shaq can deal with Dwight Howard, like he did last time. And then you have the other guys – you play them one-on-one and see what they have, instead of letting them shoot three-pointers while we’re doubling-down on Howard.

Let’s see how they play regular basketball without that three-point shot. That’s what I’m looking forward to – when the time comes.