Dream Team Fantasy.

So now it has been done, the decision was made, and now let the speculation begin. Cleveland just had their hearts tugged at and then ripped out. Rightfully so the entire state of Ohio is now in ruins– their home grown hero has abandoned ship without bringing a title to a city that hasn’t had a championship since 1964. It doesn’t seem real anymore, either. Could any one really see LeBron in another team jersey? If the money and situation was right, I guess we can now. LeBron will be a Miami Heat, joining friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Call them the favorite, call them the best, call them a dynasty, but you can’t just think title..not yet.

As a Boston fan, I could see how this would work. The Miami Heat is pulling a page right from the 07 Celtics when they were able to add Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen along side friend Paul Pierce. The Celtics then signed a bunch of low salary role players and somehow ended up winning a title. Sure, Miami could do that,but I’m unsure until I see the whole roster. I mean those three super stars with Micheal Beasley, Mario Chalmers, and the rookies the Heat signed, does that sound like a championship team? Right now my money is that the Bulls will win the Eastern Conference with Boozer, Rose, Noah, and Deng. But we can worry about that later.

It seems odd to see other teams using the same strategy that the Boston Celtics did.  Before 07 superstars usually stayed put and hoped for a team to be built around them. Look at Micheal Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. Yet when superstars like Kareem was traded people were going as crazy as we were for LeBron. This sort of thing doesn’t happen as much but now it seems that general managers are playing NBA Live from EA and trying to make the most outrageous rosters.

With this the power of the Eastern Conference has moved. Not only in the fact that the Heat are a front running team to win it all but just in the power of Conferences. It used to be in the last fifteen years that the Western Conference had the more dominant  teams. I can remember when teams with losing records in the East were trying to make it as a sixth seed in the playoffs. The power has shifted; the Eastern Teams might be better and as a fan of the Eastern Conference it adds more parity and the anticipation of more exciting playoff series. I’m loving how the next season is looking.  Powerful teams are now forming and it has to be exciting.

So Cleveland, how does it feel? You have witnessed something truly awful. I can feel your pain being in Boston and having sports team show nothing but futility. Before the 2000′s our last championship was in 1986 with the Celtics. Yes, my area has been blessed recently with luck, such as discovering Tom Brady and the miraculous comeback of the ’04 RedSox, but if there is one thing I’ve learned is that there are cycles. You will get your championship sooner or later, you just need to keep your faith. And I’m sure as the streets are filled with woes, people burning jerseys, and even the possibility of riots, there is one thing to look at. At least your not the New Jersey Nets.

CJ-M