One More Spell To Cast

Before I get into my comments on Game 5 between the Cavs and Wizards:

1. In the Wizards' darkest hour, it was Butler who opened the Matrix (I just have to use a Transformers: the Movie reference).
2. Don't mistake toughness for thuggery, Cleveland fans.
3. Coach Mike Brown on why the Cavs lost: "We put the ball in the best player's hands and we told him to go make the play, like he has for us many times before. That's up to the referees to make the call. We're a no-excuse team." I'm sorry, but those last two sentences contradict each other. If you're a no-excuse team, then why put the lost on the refs making (or not making) the call?
4. Butler on Lebron James, trash-talking, and his team: ""Don't judge this team from comments. LeBron made a statement: 'These guys are talkers.' But unless you hear something from the captains, which would be myself and Antawn, don't label that as the team. I'm the voice of this team and Antawn is the spiritual and emotional leader, so unless you hear it from one of us, keep it moving."

The way I've always seen the Big Three was this:

1. Arenas is the best offensive player and clutch player.
2. Butler is the best overall (offense and defense combined) player.
3. Jamison is the head, heart and soul.

Butler's comments pretty much confirmed my belief. And as Wise, Wilbon and others have hinted, because Arenas has been here longer and has been clutch more often on the team Butler (and to an extent, Jamison) has deferred to him. But what I saw last night was hopefully a transition of epic proportions: Butler becoming "the Man" on the Washington Wizards.

No one on the Cavs can adequately guard him; if Cleveland tries to put James on Butler for too long James (1) will rack up fouls and (2) not have the energy to finish games since he's pretty much been coasting on D during this series (a few emphatic blocks does not a defender make). Butler is probably the only Wizard that James may be worried about.

When I saw that the Cavs were suddenly focusing their defense on Butler, I thought if he and Jamison can get hot during the same game, we can win this series. Unfortunately, Jamison had an off-night, but the guy rarely has back-to-back rough performances. If both these guys are hitting their shots, what the hell is Cleveland going to do?

I don't know the answer to that question, and I'm pretty sure Mike Brown doesn't want to have to try and answer it either. But I do know one thing: once the team decides to officially rally around Butler, and Butler decides to take a firm grip and make the Wizards his team, the Cavs are in for a whole mess of trouble.

For one night though, it was nice to see a world where that happens. Hopefully, it's a promise of more to come.