CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Beard has barely brushed against his new home, and its people have already fallen for him. About 40 minutes before new Cavs guard James Harden played his first home game at Rocket Arena,

On paper, it sounds overwhelming offensively. But Lou Williams recently threw some cold water on the hype, suggesting it might mirror the 2003-04 Lakers experiment that didn't end in a title. Back then, Los Angeles added Gary Payton and Karl Malone to an already loaded core featuring Kobe and Shaq. Such a lineup also looked unstoppable on paper.