By Greg Anthony
ESPN Insider


How can the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, teams with almost identical records, be heading in such dramatically opposite directions?

The Cavaliers, after three very impressive wins over San Antonio, New York, and New Orleans, are doing it in a variety of ways. They have depth, size and the ability to score inside and out. While there was, and still is, talk of trading Zydrunas Ilgauskas, his improved play is one of the main reasons this team is on an upswing.


Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Center
Cleveland Cavaliers
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2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
56 14.5 8.2 1.4 .477 .709

When you can consistently score in the paint, it takes a great deal of pressure off your perimeter game by giving your role players rhythm shots and driving angles on the perimeter. A productive big man puts teams on the defensive. They either have to double team him or be in a constant state of help. Either way it creates opportunities, and the Cavaliers have been effective of late in converting.

Cleveland's depth is really paying big dividends, as well. Carlos Boozer is developing into an All-Star caliber power forward who teams now have to find a way to stop. Jeff McInnis is providing solid play at the point, and other guys continue to step up when given a chance. The most recent example is Jason Kapono, who contributed 19 big points off the bench in Monday's thrilling comeback against the Hornets.

Not only have the Cavaliers won three in a row, but look at the quality of their opponents during this stretch. This team is gaining confidence every time it takes the floor, and each player seems to have an understanding of what his individual role is and what it takes to win consistently in this league.

The scary thing is these guys will only get better with more experience, and yet I still see them making the playoffs this season. That would be quite an accomplishment for a team that, at the start of the season, looked like it would be fighting for the top pick in the draft again.

Not coincidentally, Cleveland's rise -- and Boston's fall -- started shortly after the December trade that sent guard Ricky Davis to the Celtics. Cleveland was only 6-18 at that point, and Boston was 12-13. Since the trade, the Cavaliers have gone 17-16, while the Celtics have won only 11 times in 32 games.


Paul Pierce
Shooting Guard
Boston Celtics
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2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
58 23.0 6.5 5.1 .401 .839
Which is why the outlook is not quite as rosy in Boston, where the frustration is starting to set in. Paul Pierce is publicly complaining about the state of the team's roster and the fact that this is a team not unlike the Orlando Magic -- a team with some talent but no direction nor confidence. And Pierce knows that once you get on a losing bandwagon it's hard to get off.

The Celtics have a lot of issues. Losing Raef LaFrentz for the season was a huge setback, as was the Vin Baker debacle. But the plan is to rebuild through the draft, and Boston has three picks in the first round this June. The problem is that while there is some young talent in the draft, there don't appear to be any impact players, which could lead to a long and frustrating rebuilding process.

I'm sure Danny Ainge has a method to his madness. I'm just not sure if the Boston fans have the patience to sit by while it develops. This team is probably three years away from contending again. Do you think Paul Pierce wants to be a part of that type of transition?

There is some hope that a favorable ruling in the Vin Baker case could give them a chance to participate in the free-agent market this July. Plus they will have the mid-level exception to use, and perhaps some of their young players can start to show some consistency over the season's final months. But the hardest thing to do in sports is win, and guys that they are counting on -- Chris Mihm, Davis, Jiri Welsch and Marcus Banks -- have not had that experience yet. Getting it can be very difficult.

Is it possible for the lowly Magic to actually catch the C's in number of wins? Most people never saw the Magic's demise coming. Remember, Orlando almost knocked the Pistons out of the playoffs last year, and it appeared entering this season that their roster had improved. But you lose a few games, your confidence starts to erode, and suddenly you look up and find you have the worst record in the league.

This stretch will test the Celtics' toughness and character. Remember, they are going through this without a coach who can offer stability, so things could get far worse before they get better. I'm not saying rebuilding is wrong in Boston, but it sure can be painful. And it sometimes takes a lot longer than expected.