Cavs fans, we’re in the early stages of what should be a lengthy playoff run, so it probably isn’t good form to speculate on the future of one LeBron James.

That’s not what I’m going to do. No plea for him to stay and no chest-thumping proclamation that the Chosen One will definitely remain in Northeast Ohio.

But you better believe I’m going to admonish, mock and ridicule those from other locations who have no problems publicly pining for and daydreaming about the day when James comes to their town.

However, New York, whose Knicks have sold their fanbase on a losing culture solely to clear cap space for a mere chance at signing LeBron, has become far too easy a target. Same goes for their soon-to-be neighbors, the New Jersey Nets, who boast some young talent and the MVP’s friend, Jay-Z, to compliment a horrendous 12-70 campaign this season.

Instead, I need to look no further than the Cavs current opponent, the Chicago Bulls. Not because their center Joakim Noah dissed the hometown, but because a major Chicago publication recently issued this love letter of an attempt to acquire the King’s services, as the Bulls also have some cap space to play with this summer. Is an eight seed so bad that Chicagoans need to focus this much on the future?

I’m sure Noah, Derrick Rose and the guys love all this gushing over their playoff nemesis, too.

Pitching the James Hotel to LeBron? Playing up the Michael Jordan statue or the chance to reside near President Barack Obama’s neighborhood? Using MacArthurs fried freakin’ chicken to entice him?? This is pure comedy.

Now, I’m sure people in the ‘Go are saying the same thing about the billboards around these parts or even our own, “Don’t Let LeBron Leave” campaign. Fair enough, but a lot of that is rooted in the hometown angle and the fact that he currently plays here.

We all know James is eating this attention up, and who knows, maybe he will follow in MJ’s steps and don the red and black. If he doesn’t? This will simply be remembered as one of several silly attempts at luring the face of the NBA out of C-town.

-- Brandon C. Baker

Photo: Maribeth Joeright

Last week’s games kept us on the edge or our seats and drowsy each morning after.

If we didn’t know this season was a special one, we found out during that West Coast trip, chock full of games the Cleveland Cavaliers surely would’ve blown last year. They’re 53-13, and surprisingly starting to look back at the Boston Celtics. But now is certainly not the time to get comfortable.

Sure they swept the triumvirate of the L.A. Clippers, Phoenix and Sacramento, but they did so with habits that won’t get the job done this week. The Cavs are prepping themselves for a DEEP (and hopefully “In Da Q”) playoff run, and their upcoming opponents give them a great opportunity to see what they’re working with.

Orlando visits tomorrow, with dominant big man Dwight Howard and a stable of three-point shooters in tow. The Magic’s much-improved point guard Jameer Nelson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury earlier this year, but the team has replaced him with Rafer Alston, a competent point who can make shots and lead a team. The Cavs need to bring their primetime defense to this matchup of beasts in the East.

Sure that sounds like an obvious statement for this game, and really any other. But it needs mentioning, since the Cavs played nothing that resembled D, interior or perimeter, during their Westside swing. They turned it on late in two of the three games, and really relied on monster performances by LeBron James and Mo Williams to outscore the opposition.

The Portland Trailblazers, who come to town on Thursday, won’t stand for that simply because they’re a much more balanced team than the those three Western Conference counterparts or the New York Knicks, who the Cavaliers edged last night. On Saturday, Cleveland takes on the Atlanta Hawks, the fourth-place team that is more than capable of winning a big one (see the Cavs’ loss to them in December for evidence).

All of this is concerning since Cleveland hasn’t fared well against top-tier teams for most of this season. However, in the REAL ‘Season of Dreams,’ Cleveland seems to get “it.” You could see it on James’ face after each win last week — he wasn’t satisfied with a W. Instead he wanted to figure out how to stop smallish guards from waltzing in the lane. He also wanted rookies like Sacramento’s Jason Thompson to stop getting easy slams.

Cleveland should be alright. Just think, at this time last year the team was adjusting to a new roster and attempting to put it all together for the stretch run. This time, the guys know each other and work well with one another, and that will only help in the coming months.

This week will be fun, for sure. We’ll all ‘witness it,’ and without having to stay up until 1 a.m., too.

-- Brandon C. Baker
Photo: The Associated Press