Sport-Blog.com

Much has been written and even more has been said about the Cleveland Cavaliers missing the NBA playoffs. Their failure over the second half of the season was well-documented. After a decent start, a mid-season struggle cost head coach Paul Silas his job and the failure of the team to make the playoffs cost General Manager Jim Paxson his job just a day after the end of the season.

But the failure of the Cavaliers is as much about the late season run of the New Jersey Nets as it is about the Cavaliers performance. Finishing the season as one of the NBA's hottest teams, the Nets roared down the stretch to tie the Cavaliers in overall record yet earned the final playoff spot because of their head to head tie breaker.

The Nets were essentially left for dead at mid-season. They started the year without their best player, point guard Jason Kidd. A trade for Vince Carter twenty plus games into the season brought significant talent, but at 15 wins and 26 losses halfway through the season, the playoffs didn't even enter the conversation. Throw in the regular season-ending injury to star forward Richard Jefferson in late December and most Net fans had to believe the notion that 2004-2005 was not to be New Jersey's year.

But the Nets had one of the game's best players, the aforementioned Jason Kidd, a fellow who just happens to also be extremely competitive. Quitting simply isn't in his vocabulary. Under his leadership and that of coach Lawrence Frank, the Nets played like true professionals. Their younger players began to develop while the team continued to work and play hard. Kidd and Carter began to form the dynamic duo that many thought they would become and with that development the wins began to surface as well.

The second half of the season, the Nets won 27 of the 41 games. Had they managed that pace over the entire season, then New jersey would have been battling the Detroit Pistons for the number two slot in the Eastern Conference. 'Vinsanity', as Carter is known, played like the youngster that once had fans salivating every time he touched the ball. In 50 plus games with New Jersey, Carter would average 27.5 points per game, a number that raised his season average to 24.5 when his time with the Raptors was included. Carter also averaged nearly 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game while shooting a solid 46 percent form the floor.

Kidd did his usual thing, racking up triple-doubles while providing veteran leadership for his team. By seasons end, Kidd was averaging nearly 7.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. His solid play allowed rookie center Nenad Krstic time to develop and the youngster chipped in 10 points and 5 rebounds per game.

Off the bench come veterans Travis Best and Ron Mercer. These two guards can shoot it and though Kidd plays significant minutes, these two vets contributed a combined 15 points per game off the bench. The combination of the young talent developing, the solid veteran play off the bench, and the performances of two NBA superstars helped New Jersey to finish the season with 15 wins in their final 19 games.

So the Cavaliers failure is as much a product of the success of New Jersey as it was of Cleveland's mediocre play. Now, as the playoffs arrive, one of the NBA's hottest teams is also due to see the return of their other top forward, Richard Jefferson, whose regular season injury is now healed. Jefferson was averaging 22 points a game when he went down with his wrist injury. If he is able to shake off the rustiness of 4 months without playing, he will just add greater firepower to the already potent lineup.

In fact, one has to wonder what the Miami Heat are now thinking. The recognized top team in the East finds its playoff road starts with the Nets - it is a road that many teams would prefer to avoid as the NBA enters its second season.