This thread has taken a detour but this game should dispell the notion that the Cavs do not have any quality NBA players outside of LeBron and maybe Mo Williams. A team full of role players, shooters, and solid defenders can win a game on any night in this league.
They don't have all that much quality without LeBron, he's just the best player in the league by such a wide margin.
They'd be a bottom lottery team in the east without him, he's that good.
A part of that is roster construction, you build to match talents around LeBron. They just don't have an upper level player other than him. AV is their second best player and he is, as Who said at some point, an elite role player.
I am not trying to take anything away from Lebron. I am just tired of the notion that Cleveland is Lebron and a bunch of scrubs. They have great role players on that team and nearly all of them can defend (except Jamison).
None of them is an all star player any more (maybe Jamison ironically), but they all can play basketball at a high level. What they dont possess is another elite scorer and playmaker. In that regard, you are right LeBron is that good where he can be the only scorer and playmaker on a great team.
However, if you take him away IMO that team could be competitive for a .500 record. They would stil play solid defense, and shoot the ball very well.
It makes me really curious. I want to see a few more games without LeBron (but with jamison).