By RICK NOLAND

Assistant Sports Editor 

A year ago, LeBron James got the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals with Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes — and Donyell Marshall, Ira Newble and Shannon Brown, if you want to get technical — as teammates.

In 2008, the Cavaliers came within a whisker of reaching the Eastern Conference finals with Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Ben Wallace and Joe Smith in tow.

But whether the Cavaliers were getting swept by San Antonio in ’07 or losing a heartbreaker to Boston in Game 7 on Sunday, one glaring fact remains: James needs more help.

That Cleveland reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history a year ago and almost eliminated the Celtics, who won a league-best 66 games in the regular season, is a testament to James’ greatness.

After five years in the league, however, the 23-year-old still doesn’t have a sidekick, a partner in crime. Forget a Robin to James’ Batman. Right now, the 6-foot-8, 250-pounder would settle for a teammate he can count on every night.

That James hasn’t publicly screamed “Get me some better players!” is irrefutable proof of just how good a teammate he is. That he added “so be it” when discussing the possibility of offseason changes in personnel, however, is equally irrefutable proof that he knows the Cavaliers can’t win a title as presently constituted.

Look around the league. Or don’t. It might be too depressing right now.

In Los Angeles, Lakers star and league MVP Kobe Bryant has Paul Gasol and Lamar Odom.

In Boston, there’s Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce (we’re not including the suddenly washed-up Ray Allen anymore).

In Detroit, there’s Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace.

In New Orleans, there’s Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic and David West.

In Cleveland, there’s who? Zydrunas Ilgauskas?

The 7-3 center is unquestionably the team’s second-best player. This is not a good thing, people. It’s not a good thing when your second-best player is scoreless in the first half of Game 7. It’s not a good thing when he goes 2-of-8 from the field in the biggest game of the season.

Now, if you want to get really depressed, try to identify Cleveland’s third-best player.

In the playoffs, the nod would probably go to West, who was widely regarded as the fourth-best player in the deal at the time general manager Danny Ferry swung that alleged Feb. 21 blockbuster that had everyone going gaga. West has some positives, but is he really the point guard the Cavaliers have been looking for, seemingly, forever?

Szczerbiak? He was misused by coach Mike Brown from the time he was acquired, then got a starting spot in the playoffs almost by default. Szczerbiak then disappeared in Game 7, going 0-of-3 in 15 minutes. His coach got so tired of looking at him, Szczerbiak was removed from the game with 10:46 to go in the third period and never played again.

Ben Wallace? Puh-lease! Never has so much been made about a player who does so little. We tried to tell you that at the time the deal was made, but very few people wanted to listen.

Daniel “Boobie” Gibson? He gets the vote here as Cleveland’s third-best player, but it’s largely by default. The kid is going to be good, but he can’t guard a fence post right now and is a turnover waiting to happen in big games on the road.

Sasha Pavlovic? He played 36 mostly invisible minutes in Game 7, and only Mike Brown knows why. Pavlovic looked like he was scared to death to shoot, at one pivotal point passing up an open 3-pointer from the corner to pass to — gasp! — Wallace.

Devin Brown? We don’t know why he was moved into the starting lineup when Szczerbiak was acquired, but we also don’t know why he slid all the way to the end of the bench — right next to Dwayne Jones — in the Celtics series.

Anderson Varejao? If he cut off the wild hair and stopped flopping all over the court, would anyone even notice he was playing?

Depressed enough yet? There’s more.

James had 45 points in Game 7, including 23 in the first half. The rest of the team had 17 at intermission. Three starters — Ilgauskas, Szczerbiak and Wallace — had not scored at all.

Still, the Cavaliers nearly overcame a 13-point deficit. For that, they can thank James, James and James.

Had Cleveland somehow advanced, it would be getting ready to play the Pistons tonight. We all know the Cavaliers eliminated Detroit to reach the NBA Finals a year ago, and there’s a chance it might have happened again this year.

If they’re serious about winning an NBA title, however, the Cavaliers have to get James some help. He’s the best player on the planet, but the kid can’t do it by himself. He can come close, as he proved last year and again on Sunday, but close isn’t good enough anymore.

Imagine James with a Gasol, a Stojakovic, a Garnett.

Or don’t. It might be too depressing right now.

Noland may be reached at rickn@ohio.net or 330-721-4061.