Cavs Stand Pat

Although the West – specifically the Pacific NorthWEST – made the biggest splash in Thursday night’s NBA Draft, it was the East that might have gotten the bigger facelift when it was all said and done.

Portland and Seattle fulfilled the NBA’s worst-kept secret by selecting Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, 1-2. But the two rainy-weather clubs didn’t stop there – each making blockbuster trades that will affect both Conferences. Portland sent Zach Randolph to the Knicks and Seattle shipped Ray Allen to Boston.

The Cavaliers, as predicted, didn’t buy or trade their way into the 2007 Draft. Like the Raptors and Nuggets, the Cavaliers didn’t have a pick in either round. Danny Ferry admitted being tempted in the First Round, but after his top 15 players were taken, he decided to stand pat.

“We were prepared to (purchase a pick), and we explored every opportunity that there was,” said Ferry. “We had two opportunities that I thought there was a chance of it happening – one being Phoenix – and one later than that.”

The Cavaliers may be the reigning Eastern Conference Champs, but the competition definitely made gains on Thursday night. The Pistons – who came into the Draft with two first rounders – got good bang for their buck. At No. 15, they got the player they’d been targeting – Rodney Stuckey – and added Arron Affflalo with the 27th selection. Both are typically hard-nosed, physical guards who can score and defend.

Another Division foe – the Milwaukee Bucks – got bigger and better. That’s assuming that their top pick, Yi Jianlian, is willing to sign with them. His representation was adamant that Yi would go to a city with a viable Asian community – something Wisconsin is not exactly known for. Whether he plays at the Bradley Center or is merely trade bait, the Bucks have definitely improved their lot in the East.

The Bulls seemed a shoe-in to select versatile Washington big man, Spencer Hawes. That is until Joakim Noah fell into their laps at No. 9. The high energy seven-footer gives Chicago another energy player in their frontcourt (to go with Tyrus Thomas) and should just add fire to the budding rivalry between the Cavs and Bulls. The two-time NCAA champion also donned a bow-tie – possibly a first at the Draft.

(Editor's note: Since the publication of this blog, I have been corrected by Basketball Operations Coordinator, Matt Yatsko, who reminded me of Karl Malone's famous Draft Night tuxedo -- as the actual first player to don a bowtie on the eventful evening.)

In other Eastern Conference moves, the Charlotte Bobcats selected Brandan Wright, then sent him to Golden State in exchange for veteran swingman, Jason Richardson. The Hawks landed two quality, NBA-ready players in Al Horford and Acie Law IV. And the Heat snagged former Buckeye sharpshooter, Daequan Cook.

The blockbuster trades that might have seen superstars Kevin Garnett or Kobe Bryant change addresses never materialized, with Allen and Randolph being the two biggest names on the move.

The bold moves by Portland and Seattle threaten to shake up the West. The Suns, Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks continue to collect wins and international players, but aren’t getting any younger. Meanwhile, the Blazers – who won 11 more games last year than the year before – got a possible franchise center and landed Channing Frye as well. Oden joins last year’s Rookie of the Year – Brandon Roy – as well as promising forward, LeMarcus Aldridge.

The Sonics got younger with Durant and added Georgetown’s Jeff Green, who could be the perfect sidekick to the former Longhorn.

Dick Vitale insisted all night that the 2007 Draft is even deeper than the 2003 Draft that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. Only time will tell, but if he’s right, Thursday night’s moves could shift the league’s complexion – both East and West – for years to come.

Feeling the Draft

It’s Draft Day 2007 – known to future generations as the Greg Oden-Kevin Durant Draft.

The Cavaliers don’t have a pick in either round. Their first rounder goes to Phoenix via Boston from the ill-fated Jiri Welsch trade two years ago. Welsch played 16 forgettable games, averaging 2.9 points in those contests. This year’s second rounder brought a much more productive yield. Together with Tony Battie, Cleveland acquired Drew Gooden and a young Brazilian unknown named Anderson Varejao.

The Cavaliers would need to buy or trade their way into this year’s Draft, something GM Danny Ferry certainly hasn’t ruled out. Several teams have multiple first rounders – (including Phoenix) – and San Antonio notoriously trades out if nobody grabs their interest.

But do the Cavaliers – who reached the Finals for the first time in franchise history – want to get any younger? Aside from Zydrunas Ilgauskas, their core players are all in their early-20’s.

Last year’s second rounder, Daniel Gibson, exceeded all expectations. Their first round choice, Shannon Brown, got lost in a numbers game and battled nagging injuries throughout the season. Still, he showed glimpses of brilliance that will get him into the lineup more extensively in the upcoming season. Management might simply consider Brown this year’s Draft pick and sit back fielding phone calls on Thursday.

Despite their amazing run, the Cavaliers are still missing some pieces that can solidify their standing. They’d love to get their hands on a pure point guard or some muscle in the middle. Rumors are swirling around Charlotte’s No. 22, but on an already young team, it’s hard to imagine that Cleveland would prefer to add those pieces through the Draft.

Other teams in the East will get stronger through this year’s Draft. The club that worries me is Milwaukee, which has the sixth overall pick. The Bucks were a promising team last year, but a spate of injuries knocked them out of the Playoff picture and into the Lottery. Whoever they grab at six – (anyone from Joakim Noah to Corey Brewer to Jeff Green) – will join a club that will return a healthy Andrew Bogut, Bobby Simmons, Charlie Villanueva and Michael Redd.

The Sixers are another team to watch on Thursday night. They have three first round picks and a high pick (No. 38) in the second round. They could easily package some of these picks and move up. They will be fielding calls all night – (and might even get a couple from the 216 area code). Or they can stand pat and reap the returns from the Allen Iverson trade, selecting a foreign player or two and let them develop overseas for a while.

Aside from the Bucks, teams within the Division will be busy on Thursday. The Pistons have the No. 15 selection and are said to be sold on Eastern Washington guard, Rodney Stuckey. The Bulls will be picking at No. 9 and it appears they’re high on Washington big man, Spencer Hawes. They desperately need more offense in the post and Hawes would give them just that. The skilled seven-footer actually played some guard before reaching his current height.

It should be an interesting evening either way for the Wine and Gold. Whether acting as spectators or getting into the mix somewhere late in the first round – (or early in the second) – all eyes will be on the Board when David Stern makes his first trip to the podium at 7:30 p.m.

Cornered Cavaliers

They say that the NBA Playoffs can expose a team for what they really are. The Bulls made the Heat look old in the First Round and the Cavaliers made the Pistons look that way in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Cavaliers are a young team. And on Tuesday night in Game 3, the Spurs made them look that way.

Just over a week-and-a-half after the euphoric win over Detroit to capture the Eastern Conference title, the Wine and Gold’s season is in danger of extinction. The Spurs calmly weathered the Cavaliers’ storm, turned an eight-point deficit into a two-point lead in the three minutes before the half, and got clutch stops down the stretch.

LeBron James missed bunnies he hadn’t all year and Daniel Gibson came down to Earth. On the other hand, Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had big games for the first time in the Finals. Basically, the Cavaliers have gotten some really good performances, just never at the same time.

The Spurs gave Cleveland more than a few chances to beat them in the closing minutes of Tuesday night’s heartbreaker. But the Cavaliers wilted under the pressure. Their backs were against the wall heading into Game 3. They’re behind the wall heading into Game 4. No NBA team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a Playoff series. The most recent time the phenomenon occurred was when the Boston Red Sox came back to beat the Yankees for the American League Pennant.

Neither team looked great, but the Spurs simply shot better from long-distance and made the clutch plays when they had to. Once again, they forced the Cavaliers to be a perimeter team.

“We kept saying, ‘Drive the ball, drive the ball, drive the ball, drive the ball,’ and our guys felt like they were open,” said Coach Mike Brown. “I don't ever want to tell a guy not to shoot if he feels like he's open because that's putting restrictions on guys that they shouldn't have. We just have to be disciplined enough to continue to drive, continue to see if we can get to the free throw line. It's as simple as that."

The Spurs were 10-for-19 from three-point range; the Cavaliers were 3-for-19, with LeBron and Daniel Gibson combining to go 0-for-10.

Thursday night’s Game 4 now literally becomes do-or-die for the Cavaliers. The dream season can come to an abrupt end or the Wine and Gold can live to fight another day. You could see the seriousness in the players’ eyes following Tuesday’s tough loss. The Spurs are an NBA dynasty, but on Thursday they’ll have to deal with a cornered group of Cavaliers.

Light It Up

For the first time ever, the eyes of the basketball world are all on Cleveland. I’m publishing this blog at 5 p.m. ET and there’s a noticeable buzz on the streets outside The Q. It’s 75 degrees with no humidity and there isn’t a cloud in the sky.

From a personal standpoint, this is a day I’ve waited for my entire life. From nights listening the Miracle of Richfield in my room as a kid to Sunday’s Game 2 smackdown in San Antonio, I’ve been with the Wine and Gold. Before I worked for the Cavaliers, I was in the building the night Cleveland won the LeBron lottery in Secaucus. I was in Madison Square Garden a few weeks later when the Cavaliers made it official.

On that night in the World’s Most Famous Arena, LeBron strode to the podium – resplendent in white like the hero of a previously tragic tale – and promised to light Cleveland up like Vegas. Less than four years later, the young King has delivered, lifting the franchise to heights previously unimagined.

“It's definitely going to be a great experience I think for all Cleveland fans, for Northeast Ohio, for the whole state of Ohio,” said James of Tuesday’s historic game. “It's going to be something that hasn't been experienced in a long, long time for our city, for our fans. It's going to be electrifying. If you're not there, I expect you to try to get there.”

Now that the James Gang has arrived to the Championship round, can they close the deal?

The Larry O’Brien Trophy is in the building, but if the Cavaliers hope to get their hands on it, they’ll have to do so back in San Antonio. Like the Pistons series, the Cavaliers come home in an 0-2 hole. Unlike the Pistons series, they were never really in either loss to the Spurs.

If there’s a bright spot from both games at the AT&T Center, it’s that the Cavaliers combined to outscore the Spurs, 57-35, in the fourth quarter of both ballgames.

LeBron was solid in Game 2 and Daniel Gibson hasn’t cooled down since his emergence against Detroit. The Texas rookie has averaged 18.8 ppg over his last five contests – shooting 59 percent from the floor, 55 percent (11-for-20) from beyond the arc and 91 percent (31-of-34) from the stripe.

Gibson has led a productive Cavaliers bench, which had 31 points in Game 1 and 35 in Game 2.

The Cavaliers might have said they were ready for the Finals, but based on their shell-shocked performance in the first three quarters of each game, they weren’t. Now, they’ve gotten a taste of the intensity. And on Tuesday night, they’ll have 20,562 fans to give them the lift they’ve needed out of the gate. In the 2007 postseason, the Cavaliers are 7-1 at The Q.

Home crowd support, however, won’t keep Tony Parker out of the lane. The lightning-quick Parker is already a mismatch for the bigger Larry Hughes, but it’s even more of a Spurs advantage considering Hughes’ left foot.

Mike Brown was reticent to make a move in the starting lineup in February, and if Hughes is cleared by the doctors to start – and feels that he can – he will.

Of course, whichever guard is playing Parker the toughest – Hughes, Gibson or Snow – will stay in the lineup. The French point guard has been Cleveland’s Achilles’ heel and until the Cavaliers solve that problem, it’ll be more of the same in Games 3 and 4.

The city of Cleveland has waited a long time – 37 years – for this night. From a franchise that played its first five games on the road because of the Ice Capades to the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers franchise has come full-circle. But just getting here isn’t enough. Now, it’s time to see if King James and Co. can close the deal.

Let's Do It Again

It’s not like they haven’t been here before. In fact, they were JUST here.

The Cavaliers are still suffering from a Piston hangover, and they’re picking a terrible team to do it against. The Spurs are known for exploiting an opponent’s weakness and they’re doing a great job of cutting the Cavaliers up right now. It would almost be fun to watch if it wasn’t Cleveland on the other end of the knife.

But the Cavaliers have been here before. And the Finals have, too.

Last year, the Mavericks thumped the Heat twice in Dallas and led by 13 with six minutes to go in Miami. That’s when Dwyane Wade took over and didn’t stop until the Larry O’Brien wound up on South Beach.

But Cleveland will have to get more production from more people. Larry Hughes has to come up bigger on both ends as does Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The perplexing thing about both players’ performances is that they both usually match up well with the Spurs.

Tony Parker has scorched Cleveland in two straight games. Eric Snow and LeBron James looked better guarding him than Hughes and Daniel Gibson, but nobody’s consistently stopped the French point guard. Duncan has been murder from 15-feet, in.

But aside from individual matchups, the Spurs have been the team to play with more aggressiveness and a greater sense of urgency. For as much as Mike Brown preached attacking Tim Duncan’s chest, the Cavaliers continued to settle for jumpers even with Duncan picking up his third personal midway through the third quarter.

The Cavaliers have their backs against the wall one more time. The difference is that the Cavaliers played Detroit more than a dozen times in a year-and-a-half and see the Spurs twice a year – and not since January. Back then, Sasha wasn’t a starter and Daniel Gibson was still worried about picking up Krispy Kremes.

Cleveland should be encouraged by their fourth-quarter performances in both games, but they’ll have to figure out the first three. And they’ll have to figure it out fast.

Split Seekers

I’m here at the AT&T Center – (still trying to get used to saying that) – and waiting for tip-off in Game 2.

The Cavaliers were loose and limber on Saturday before practice and after checking out the locker room, seem pretty confident for the second of two in Texas. San Antonio might be the eighth-largest city in the States, but it’s hard to go anywhere without bumping into one of the Cavaliers family every time I leave the hotel – whether it’s Anderson eating dinner or Boobie shopping at Dillard’s.

I think the squad feels like San Antonio did what it was supposed to do in Game 1 – (big games from Duncan and Parker; solid contribution off the bench for Ginobili) – and the Cavaliers actually had a chance to win it in the final minutes despite playing a pretty poor overall game. Cleveland’s goal was to keep the Spurs within striking distance, though, and an 18-point fourth quarter lead doesn’t qualify.

Larry Hughes – who besides LeBron – had the two best games against the Spurs during the regular season, is suddenly a marked man by the media because of a nondescript performance in Game 1. Of course, with the pundits collapsing on a single series, Hughes has been put on the defensive – especially with Daniel Gibson’s meteoric rise.

“Well, if we win, I don't think (the criticism) would be said,” asserted Hughes. “It doesn't affect me either way. I understand the situation. If it's better for us to have somebody else in the lineup that guarantees us a win, then I'm all for it. But if not, then I definitely want to get my shot and help the team the best way I can.”

It’s impossible to ignore Gibson’s emergence, but Coach Brown is smart enough to know how to make subtle changes without rocking the entire boat.

“Daniel especially is in a nice rhythm coming off the bench, so we don't want to try to mess with that right now,” said Brown. “But I understand Larry's injury, so does he, and it's something that we'll just continue to monitor.”

You won’t see a lineup change, but it’s a safe bet that you’ll see a different mindset from the existing lineup. Look for LeBron and his mates to try to attack the Spurs interior more in Game 2. Tim Duncan had five swats in Game 1 and the Cavaliers were kicking themselves for not attacking his body more.

“Well, you definitely look at it and see how you can attack it a little bit better,” said James. “I've definitely faced double‑teams and triple‑teams throughout this postseason, so I have to do a better job of trying to attack the double‑team early and see if I can swing it to the other side to a teammate that can make a play.

“We got into too many late shot clocks in Game 1, which is not good for us,” LeBron continued. “We don't work well when we get into the shot clock down to three and two on the clock, and it makes us make bad plays. We just have to do a better job of trying to attack the double‑team and being a little bit more aggressive getting to the lane.”

LeBron was frustrated by Detroit in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, but he managed to figure them out – at times, with a vengeance – in the second half of the series.

So, looking forward to Game 2 – and you can see how this works out after Sunday night’s matchup is said and done – here are three concerns for the Cavaliers.

Will they be able to slow down Parker?

Hughes’ injury isn’t the only reason Tony Parker had a field day against the Cavaliers in Game 1. But he was a little too quick for Hughes and a little too crafty for Gibson. Look for the Cavaliers to make him work harder on the defensive end and maybe even mix in a little Eric Snow to work on him physically.

Snow can’t match Parker’s speed, but he’ll make him feel every minute the Canton Bulldog is on the floor.

Can LeBron figure out the Spurs’ defense the way he figured out the Pistons?

LeBron talked a lot during the Detroit series about attacking early and not allowing the D to set up. With San Antonio blitzing him with a big off the pick and roll, James has to do exactly that. When he waits for the Spurs to set up, they get him – to use a football analogy – moving east and west and not north and south.

He’ll need to change his mindset and find a way to get to the bucket in Game 2.

If LeBron is able to drive and kick, which player – besides Gibson – is going to step up and make some shots?

Boobie was 7-for-9 in limited minutes in Game 1. Everyone waiting for the rookie to come back down to earth is going to have to keep waiting.

But LeBron will need someone else to hit a shot. Zydrunas Ilgauskas was 1-for-8 and will need to turn it around. Donyell Marshall can stretch the defense if he gets it going. And of course, Anderson Varejao is one of LeBron’s favorites coming off the pick-and-roll.

If James can find his rhythm and get his teammates involved, the Cavaliers have a chance of stealing one in San Antonio. If he can’t, the Wine and Gold could come home in a hole.

New Sheriff in Town

The celebration was everything I thought it would be. Maybe it was too much. But, hey, fans can build up a lot of steam in 37 years.

The corner of Huron and 9th was as insane as you can imagine. Hugs, high-fives, horns blowing, tears and dancing in the streets – literally. Donyell Marshall said he’d worry about the Spurs in the morning. That seemed to be the prevailing attitude amid the chaos of downtown Cleveland.

The Cavaliers began to realize that they were the better team after Game 2 in Detroit. And they went on to prove it over the next four – completing the coup de grace by blowing out the suddenly old-looking Pistons 98-82 on Saturday night at The Q. The Wine and Gold became the first team since the 1993 Bulls to recover from an 0-2 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals. They also had a No. 23 who was good at basketball.

Emotions were running high inside the locker room and out. An exhausted LeBron James had tears in his eyes when he spoke about Zydrunas Ilgauskas – who persevered through one surgery and lost season after another to sit atop the East.

“I ran to Z because when I was first drafted, Z was the first guy I saw,” said James. “Z has been through a lot, been through losing seasons, year after year after year, and I promised him when I got drafted I was going to try to change it.”

James’ man-sized hug with the Large Lithuanian following Saturday’s win was a moment for the ages – symbolic of Cleveland’s rise from one of the league’s most downtrodden franchises to the pinnacle of success.

LeBron attempted only two shots in the entire first half on Saturday, but there’s always a method to his madness. One game after one of the greatest Playoff performances in NBA history – an epic 48-point double-overtime magnum opus at the Palace – James was content to let his teammates do the heavy lifting.

After the game, he wouldn’t allow champagne to be popped in the locker room. As a native northeastern Ohioan, LeBron knows exactly how big Saturday’s win was. He also knows they need four more to complete the project.

Daniel Gibson flashed the million-dollar-smile that seems to leave his face only when he’s dissecting Detroit’s defense or merely shooting over the top of it. Gibson was easily Cleveland’s second-best player throughout the series. The Pistons were determined not to let LeBron beat them on Saturday and the young King, always a gracious host, accommodated them by allowing his young protégé from Texas to do it.

Gibson was 5-for-5 from three-point range and 12-of-15 from the stripe – each clutch shot and made free throw another dagger in Detroit’s fading Finals hopes.

“I was excited, feeling good, and happy for my team,” beamed Gibson. “I was happy that we had put ourselves in the situation to win the game because that was our main focus, just getting out there and giving it everything we got, and bringing home a victory."

The young gun seemed to get exponentially better with each passing round of the postseason.

He’ll have to continue that growth-on-the-fly because in four days – after six games apiece against Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups – Gibson will face the Spurs’ Tony Parker.

The Spurs came out of a bizarre Western Conference postseason that was knocked out of whack when Golden State upset Dallas and continued to spiral strangely after that. Robert Horry’s biggest shot in this postseason was the hip-check on Steve Nash that dashed the Suns’ run.

The Cavaliers match up better with the Spurs than they would have Phoenix or Dallas. Mike Brown knows the Spurs’ system and is 3-1 against them since taking over the helm in Cleveland. In the second game of this season, the Cavaliers went into San Antonio and beat the Spurs for the first time in their arena since 1988.

The Wine and Gold could have folded after a pair of draining games in Detroit, but Mike Brown turned this club into a tough-minded no-excuses team. The Cavaliers simply sucked it up and went about their business – running the Pistons in four straight games. A perfect example of what Brown has brought – statistically speaking – can be seen in the Cavaliers road record in the Playoffs since his arrival.

With Brown, they’re 8-7 on the road in the postseason. Before he arrived, the Cavaliers as a franchise were 7-31.

The Pistons lost their cool and the Cavaliers kept theirs. And for the first time in the 37-year franchise of the organization that began with 15 straight losses, you can add “Eastern Conference Champions” to their resume.

Now comes the hard part.