Cavs Clinch the Central (Big Surprise)

The last couple of weeks for the Cavs have been a bit boring, despite the clinching of the Central division title. One thing that did work out really well for the Cavs has been the rest for Lebron James. They only had 2 games in 9 days so Lebron had another little all star break to rest his tweaked ankle.

They went 1-1 in the games, losing to a hot Milwaukee Bucks team, big ups to Brandon Jennings. That one loss could make a difference in the race for home court with the Lakers, but it was worth it to rest Lebron for 9 days. They still have a 3 1/2 game lead on the Lakers for the best record in the league and home court advantage throughout the Playoffs.

The rest was really about being healthy for the Playoffs and I think he is definitely healthy now. Lebron has looked really strong in the 4 games since his return. He carved up the 76ers with 10 assists on only 1 turnover even though his shot had a little rust (3-10 on 3 pointers, 6-12 at the line). He played really well down the stretch against Boston, scoring 30 points. Then he had a triple double against Detroit and a near triple double against the Pacers the following night. I think its fair to say he's running away with the MVP despite missing those two games.

Really, Gil? (UPDATE)

For those who haven't heard, Gilbert Arenas is under investigation by federal authorities for having guns in his locker, which he claims to have brought to the arena to keep away from his children. Apparently he set the unloaded guns next to Javaris Crittenton's locker as a joke (which is actually believable considering it's Gilbert Arenas) after Crittenton had said he would shoot Arenas' oft-injured knee following a gambling dispute. The whole thing sounds like a joke that was taken way too far. From what I've read, it seems that Crittenton may have actually been upset over the money Arenas supposedly owed him. Arenas claims the two are still friends, though.

Arenas has taken the whole thing as a joke, and judging by this photo from last night's game against the 76ers in Philadelphia, he's still not taking it very seriously. Arenas claims that he was asked to do this pre-game dance, and that it was a play off of a touchdown celebration from "Any Given Sunday." I have a feeling things are going to get a lot less funny for Gil real soon.

Despite the ongoing distraction for the Wizards, Arenas scored 19 points and dished a season high 14 assists to rally from an 18 point deficit. Guard Nick Young scored 21 points to help fuel the comeback. Legal troubles notwithstanding, the 76ers are at an even lower low than the Wizards after this loss. And to think, I predicted these two teams would make the playoffs. At least I had them as the 7th and 8th seeds.

UPDATE: It has been reported that Gilbert Arenas has been suspended indefinitely by NBA Commissioner David Stern. Although Stern originally planned to wait out the federal investigation before assessing his punishment for Arenas, Gilbert's "ongoing conduct has led [Stern] to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game." For more on this, check out J.E. Skeets' post on Ball Don't Lie. On the very same blog, NBA sportswriter/blogger Kelly Dwyer has written an interesting post criticizing Gilbert's behavior throughout this whole mess.

Can't spell Philadelphia without A.I.

In an unlikely reunion, Allen Iverson has officially signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. After playing for the Sixers for 10 years, his tenure ended in 2006 with him feuding with former head coach Maurice Cheeks and refusing to play the fourth quarter of his final game against the Bulls. And now, he's back after a brief "retirement" following a three game stint with the Memphis Grizzlies.

With guard Lou Williams out with a broken jaw and rookie Jrue Holiday the only other capable point guard, Iverson has been guaranteed a starting spot. Apparently, when coach Eddie Jordan told Iverson he would like for him to start, Iverson was "like a kid on Christmas." I'm sure if he had been told he wasn't starting he would have acted like a kid on X-Mas who didn't get a PSP, or whatever it is the kids want these days.

So, is this really a basketball move or a business move? Team president Ed Stefanski insists that it's not simply to improve Philly's poor tickets sales this season, but I think it's pretty obvious that it is a move to get the city excited for the team again. The Sixers have lost seven straight games and look to be on their way to a loss to 'Stache's OKC Thunder as I write this. Apparently it has the city buzzing, as people have been calling into radio stations to talk about the signing. Whatever the motivation is for this move, I can't say I blame the Sixers for giving it a try. It's not a huge risk financially, and I'm guessing that the transition will be easy for Iverson due to the nostalgia. And let's face it, the Sixers aren't contending for shit this year, so they might as well have done it in hopes of getting a return from ticket and jersey sales. And if it actually does help the team, great.

The last remaining question is whether Iverson's isolation style of play will fit in with coach Eddie Jordan's Princeton offense, which puts an emphasis on ball movement. The Sixers' marquee player Andre Iguodala has even brought up this very issue when questioned about Iverson prior to the signing. Will Eddie Jordan move forward with his offense or try to adapt to Iverson's style? Despite his reputation to dominate the ball, Iverson does have a career average of 6.2 assists per game, so maybe he can find a way to fit in. But you also have to take into account that he has averaged 41.4 minutes per game over his career, which inflates his stats. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I just hope that this can lead to Iverson ending his career on a respectable note, because it has definitely been rough for him since arriving in Detroit, even if it is largely his own stubbornness that got him there.