The trainer's table giveth; the trainer's table taketh away.

On Friday night, the Cavaliers will once again be without the services of starting center, Zydrunas Ilgauskas - shelved for the second time this season with a sprained left ankle that he suffered contesting a Donyell Marshall three-point attempt on December 12.

Ilgauskas hasn't quite been himself since returning to the lineup. He came back with a bang - going off for 23 points in a December 19 win in Denver. But since then, his highest scoring output has been 11 points and he hasn't grabbed double-digit boards. The Large Lithuanian was being evaluated at the Clinic after Friday morning's shootaround. He is listed as day-to-day.

Ilgauskas' production has diminished recently, but it's not all the big man's doing. The Cavaliers have attempted 27 three-pointers per contest over the last three. Two of those games were wins, but all three were a struggle, and all against teams weaker than Cleveland in the post.

Anderson Varejao will get the start in place of Ilgauskas. The Wild Thing's been great this season, but he doesn't give the Cavaliers what Z does - especially in floor-spacing. Andy's jumper has improved, but he's not the perimeter threat that his favorite teammate is. And Varejao in the starting lineup obviously weakens Cleveland's bench.

On the positive side of the injury update, Wally Szczerbiak returns to the lineup after missing the home-and-home series with Miami. Szczerbiak had been suffering from knee contusions and needed a couple games off. His return doesn't cause a seismic shift in the rotation, but Coach Mike Brown is glad to get him back.

"When (Wally)'s playing, we have a nice little rhythm with our rotation," said Brown. "He's a guy that allows us to go small and still have a physical presence. Wally's a guy that plays very physical on both ends of the floor and it doesn't matter who he's guarding, he's going to stick his nose in and try to ruffle some feathers."

Mike Brown will have to adjust his rotation once again on Friday night and possibly on Sunday afternoon in the nation's capital. Of course, that shouldn't be a big problem for the reigning Eastern Conference Coach of the Month.

On Friday, for just the second time in his career - (how is that possible?) - Brown was named the East's top coach. In December, Brown led the Cavaliers to an NBA-best 12-2 (.857) record. The Cavaliers are off to their best start in franchise history and remain the only undefeated team at home this season.

During the month, Cleveland led the NBA in point differential (13.0) and held their opponents to an NBA-low 85.9 points per game while ranking second in opponent field goal percentage (42.6) and third in opponent rebounding (37.9).

Of course, Brown handled the award with his usual modesty and selflessness.

"(Awards) are nice to have, but I'm just fortunate to be with a terrific bunch of guys - a great coaching staff and a great team. So, although it may have my name on it - it's a team thing for me."

There's really no secret to the Cavaliers' winning formula. They're off to one of their best starts in team history at 10-3, a place they haven't been since the opening of the 1988-89 season - a year they went on to win 57 games. Cleveland is one of three undefeated teams at home and has won nine of their last ten, overall.

On the surface, it's easiest to point to LeBron James - the two-time reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week. The young King leads the league in scoring at an even 30.0 points per game. He had what some would consider an "off-game" in Saturday night's win over Atlanta and still finished with 24 points, eight dimes, seven boards and a pair of steals. He was a perfect 7-of-7 from the stripe.

But anyone who's paid any attention to the Wine and Gold knows that it's more than James (who's also logging a career-low in minutes). The Cavaliers formula for success has been their frequency and consistency at the line, their ability to protect the basketball and, of course, their commitment to defense.

All or most of this can be credited to the Cavaliers' guards, who have been as good as advertised. Mo Williams has averaged 21.6 ppg over his last five outings, simultaneously running the team to perfection. In those games, he's averaged less than two turnovers per contest and didn't record a single miscue in 37 minutes of action on Saturday.

Delonte West has been just as strong at the two-guard spot. Over his last five games, West is shooting an even 50 percent from beyond the arc and an eye-opening .529 from the floor overall. (Pretty amazing considering Zydrunas Ilgauskas - who's having a nice season shooting the ball himself - is at .507.) In that five-game span, West is averaging 35 minutes per game and averaging 1.6 turnovers per contest in that time.

Over their last six games, the Cavaliers are turning the ball over less than 12 times per contest and have given it away in single figures twice during that stretch. They only had three at the half in Detroit, before unraveling and finishing with 14.

"(Limiting turnovers) the key to success," said West following Saturday's win. "In this league, you can't turn the ball over. Guys are too talented and quick - it's like a wide receiver getting two steps on you. Once you turn the ball over, you put your defense in a bind and it leads to easy buckets and momentum swinging in the opposite direction."

"That's our goal: to keep our turnovers down and to get a quality shot on every possession."

For as good as West has been on the offensive end, he's been just as solid defensively - especially against bigger guards. On Tuesday, he held Vince Carter to 3-for-12 shooting. On Saturday, Joe Johnson was a first-quarter layup from taking the collar - finishing 1-for-8 for four points in 32 minutes.

As far as the Cavaliers killing it from the line, on Saturday night they shot .913 (21-23) from the stripe - the best mark since going .917 (22-24) three years ago in a loss to Minnesota. They've shot 80 percent or better on free throws in seven of their 13 contests - all victories. As a team they're shooting .786 from the stripe. Last season they shot .717.

Mo Williams has missed just a single free throw all season (and it cost fans their Chalupa, aggravating them and LeBron James) and even Big Ben Wallace is at .556 - almost .140 better than his career average.

Speaking of LeBron getting aggravated, the Cavaliers travel to the New York this week, where the Chosen One will undoubtedly be barraged by questions about his free agent year of 2010. It's unclear how many different ways pundits can ask the same question and still receive the same answer, but we'll find out tomorrow night at the Garden.

Luckily for LeBron, some of the New York media will actually be focused on the new-look Knicks, who are purging their roster rapidly and will have Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas making their Big Apple debut on Tuesday.

The Wine and Gold's matchup with the high-octane Knicks tips off a brutal Thanksgiving week that will see them play four games in five days. Following their trip to New York, the Cavaliers welcome OK City to The Q on Wednesday. On Friday, Golden State rolls into Cleveland and Mike Brown's men travel to Milwaukee for a rematch with the Bucks on Saturday night.

Mike Brown's philosophy is, and has always been, "one day, one game at a time." During the course of a grueling 82-game schedule, it's a tenet that truly comes in handy. It keeps the Cavaliers from getting too high after a win and too low after a loss.

That's why we shouldn't read too much into Wednesday night's loss in Detroit. It was only their second loss in the month of November and a game in which the Cavaliers led by 13 points in the second half. But it also raises a couple of question marks about how legitimate the Cavaliers are as contenders in the East. They've beaten the Nets and the Bulls and the Bobcats. But they've fallen back into old habits against teams like the Celtics and the Pistons.

But it's also important to remember that, for as good as they looked during their recent eight-game run, they're still a work in progress. Mike Brown still hasn't solidified his rotation, there still might be moves to be made, Boobie will snap out of his slump and J.J. Hickson will learn to go straight up with the ball after grabbing a rebound.

Mike Brown was visibly bothered by the loss. He was as upset after Wednesday's defeat as he's been all season. And it actually had little to do with the fact that it snapped a win streak.

"(Detroit) turned it up with their pressure and we didn't respond at all," lamented Brown. "We didn't respond well at all in the second half to their aggressive play and that was disappointing tonight."

More than anything, the Cavaliers need to win in Detroit (and Boston) to get over the mental aspect of playing at The Palace. They've lost four straight there, and LeBron's 48-point performance in the Eastern Conference Finals there seems like it was a long time ago.

Mo Williams almost single-handedly kept the Cavaliers in the ballgame, netting 13 points in the final period. Williams has been red-hot over the past week, averaging over 21 points per contest.

"Down the stretch they made plays," said Williams. "It's two good teams and it comes down to who makes plays down the stretch. It was 11 at the half but that's nothing against good teams. If it had been the other way around, we would have made a run. After 'Sheed hit those buckets, they went up eight and we started to press - trying to make something happen."

It's still too early to tell, but the preseason outlook that it could be a three-team race in the East looks to be shaping up just like that. Detroit looked great on Wednesday, but got crushed on Thursday night in Beantown. The Cavaliers haven't topped either team this season and probably won't get the respect they deserve until they do. (Unfortunately they don't get another shot at Boston until January 3 at The Q or Detroit until February 1 back in Motown.)

In the meantime, the Wine and Gold have another winning streak to try to assemble, beginning with Saturday's showdown with the Hawks, who have come back down to earth after running off six straight to start the season.

That game tips off a tough run for the Cavaliers. They'll get Sunday and Monday off, but next week, the Thanksgiving holiday is sandwiched by four games in five nights: a back-to-back with New York and Oklahoma City before Turkey Day and a back-to-back with Golden State and Milwaukee afterwards.

But before they worry about next week's tetrad, they have to focus on Atlanta. Every eight-game win streak starts with one game, one day at a time. 

The words - "on paper" - are always cautionary, a good way to temper expectations.

"On paper" this is the best Cavaliers team the organization has fielded since LeBron arrived in 2003. And I don't think anyone doubts that the paper version of this club will soon be up and running at full capacity. But through three games, with a marquee matchup with the Mavs on Monday, the Wine and Gold have struggled to find their identity.

LeBron James, as always, has played fantastic floor games through the first three games - he's flirted with a triple-double every night out and he leads the team with 9.3 assists. But his scoring average is double-figures below what it was last year.

The knock on LBJ - and I use the word loosely - has always been that he's too unselfish. He's been getting his teammates involved in a major way; doling out 13 dimes on Saturday night alone. But he hasn't found his own offensive rhythm and the Cavaliers, as a whole, have put together solid stretches on the road, but not quite a 48-minute run.

"We have a lot of new sets and having a new point guard learning the whole offense - we're still a work in progress," said James,  "We're going to have some turnovers; we just need to cut down on the unforced turnovers.

"We're still learning on the fly."

Cleveland turned the ball over 22 times in Boston and 18 more on Saturday night. LeBron had five of the 18 with Mo Williams committing four. Williams has been hard on himself over his slow start, but he's actually had a pretty solid troika of games - averaging 13.3 points and 4.3 assists heading into Dallas.

"Everything is a process, as far as team-wise," said Williams. "It's new scenery, a new team, new teammates, new system. Once I get to the point where I'm comfortable and I know my spots and the plays that get guys where they want to be, I think it'll be a whole lot better."

As Austin Carr said in his blog, however, the Cavaliers have to learn on the fly while simultaneously getting some victories. That's a tall order considering Cleveland's first three road opponents won 173 combined games last year. It's been baptism by fire.

After Monday's meeting in Texas, where the Cavaliers won last year for the first time since LeBron was in high school, the Wine and Gold play five of the next six at home, including four against Division rivals. Carlos Boozer and Carmelo Anthony come to town in the other two. 

It's just a matter of time before the Cavaliers start to gel for four quarters. When they do, the eagerly-anticipated team "on paper" should start translating it to the hardwood. 

This past Sunday, the Redeem Team completed its mission in the Far East - taking home the Gold after running the table at the 2008 Olympics. LeBron James emerged as the Redeem Team's leader and, along with Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, returned the Men's Team to its former top status on the podium.

The free agent market has been sorted through and some big trades have been made. For the rest of (what's left of) the summer, players will rest themselves up for the seven-month, 82-game journey into the unknown.

With the offseason's dog days upon us - and Training Camp slowly approaching - I thought this would be a perfect time to break out the crystal ball. And, as we did following my last blog, I'd like to see your preseason picks as well.

I've broken my picks down into six awards. I'm looking at some of the awards through Wine and Gold glasses, so please forgive my hometown bias. (You can go ahead and call me a ‘Cavaliers shill'. I've been called worse.)

The most difficult category to predict is probably Coach of the Year - mostly because we don't yet know what type of adversity or circumstances he'll have to work through to win the award.

With that in mind, here goes. Please feel free to respond below with your picks ...

1. MVP - LeBron James, Cavaliers - It seems as if the Chosen One has been in the MVP argument every year since he arrived from SVSM, but this could be the year that LeBron cements his status as the world's best baller. This year, No. 23 won his first scoring title and grabbed the Gold in Beijing. He only has two major accomplishments remaining - being named Most Valuable Player and winning the NBA Championship. If he gets the former, there's a good chance that the Wine and Gold are on their way towards the latter. LeBron has improved exponentially every year and the team is improving around him. This is the year that he wins the MVP award. Honorable mention: Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Baron Davis

2. Defensive Player of the Year - Ron Artest, Rockets - After a year-and-a-half toiling in relative obscurity in Sacramento, the former St. John's star returns to relevance with the Rockets. With the presence of Yao Ming, Shane Battier and bruiser, Chuck Hayes, surrounding him, Artest won't need to be dominant defensively. But if he's motivated, jives with the coach and his team is winning - it would be tough to bet against him. Honorable Mention: Kevin Garnett, Marcus Camby, Josh Smith, Shane Battier, LeBron James, Bruce Bowen, Tayshaun Prince

3. Most Improved - Sasha Pavlovic, Cavaliers - Maybe this is a hopeful pick, but Sasha - just 11 months older than LeBron James - should be about ready to break out. After showing his stuff on both ends of the floor down the stretch and in the playoffs back in 2006-07, Sasha took a step backwards last season - thanks, in part, to missing Camp with a contract holdout. Cavaliers fans and coaches have seen glimpses of greatness with the former first-rounder, now they'd just like to see some consistency. (And for Sasha to finish at the rim!)  Honorable Mention: Yi Jianlian, Nick Young, Jose Calderon, Daniel Gibson, Chris Duhon, Paul Milsap, Marcus Williams, Matt Barnes

4. Sixth Man -  David Lee, Knicks - As much as I'd like to stay on the Wine and Gold track and give this to Daniel Gibson, and as tough as it is to pick against last year's winner, Manu Ginobili, I thought I'd go out on a limb and dub the Knicks' David Lee for the top Sixth Man this season. Already a high-energy player, he'll get even more juice running in Mike D'Antoni's new system in New York. The former Gator has always given the Cavaliers problems. Now in his fourth season, Lee shows that he's not just a hustle guy and wins the award for top reserve. Honorable Mention: Manu Ginobili, Daniel Gibson, Kyle Korver, Linas Kleiza, Rony Turiaf, Jordan Farmar, Shane Battier, Eddie House

5. Rookie of the Year - Greg Oden, Blazers - Although the Draft class of 2008 could be a good one, I have to go with the gem of '07 - Portland's Greg Oden. The former OSU stud missed all of what would have been his rookie season while recovering from microfracture surgery, but has been working out in Portland to stellar reviews. It also doesn't hurt that he'll have a solid team around him - including a pair strong point guards and a rising star in Brandon Roy. If Oden performs like he has been predicted to, the Blazers could be the surprise team of the league. Honorable Mention: Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, J.J. Hickson, Eric Gordon, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love

6. Coach of the Year - Scott Skiles, Bucks - Cavaliers coach Mike Brown is, and always will be, in a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't position. If he wins, critics say it's because of LeBron James. If he loses, critics ask how can you lose with a guy like LeBron James? As the Rodney Dangerfield of head coaches, I can't see Coach Brown winning the award - whether he deserves it or not. With that in mind, I'll stay in the Central and give the nod to new Bucks coach, Scott Skiles. His act seemed to wear thin in Chicago, but if he can bring any semblance of defense to the previously-defenseless Bucks (and of course gets them into the playoffs) Skiles could be tabbed top coach. Honorable Mention: Mike D'Antoni, Mike Brown, Sam Mitchell, Gregg Popovich, Stan Van Gundy, Michael Curry, Mike Dunleavy