Commentary

Can Cavs cope without Shaq?

PER Diem: March 1, 2010

Updated: March 1, 2010, 3:47 PM ET
By John Hollinger | ESPN.com

Looking for a game-changer for the playoffs? Well, we're past the deadline for trades, so those are out, and we're past the point when a team can make a wholesale identity shift. But there's still one big destiny-shifter left on the table: injuries.

We saw a doozy Thursday night, when Boston's Glen Davis chopped down on Shaquille O'Neal's hand hard enough to tear ligaments in Shaq's thumb; amazingly, no foul was called on the play. O'Neal will need surgery and miss six to eight weeks, effectively ending his regular season and suddenly leaving the Cavs scrambling for frontcourt help.

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