Joe Gabriele's Cavs Blog

Blog Has Moved

2008-08-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to let everyone know that my blog has moved to CavFanatic.com and the new address is http://www.cavfanatic.com/joegabriele/blog/.

Thanks!

Vegas Vocation

2008-07-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

No one should read too much into the fact that the Cavaliers Summer League squad took the collar (0-5) last week in Las Vegas. What was most noteworthy about the Wine and Gold’s week in the desert was J.J. Hickson’s extremely impressive performance.

In five contests, the No. 19 overall pick led the team – netting 19.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He shot .534 from the floor (39-for-73) and grabbed more offensive rebounds (20) than defensive (19). The Atlanta native turned the ball over a bit much (18) and shot just 50 percent from the line (19-for-38), but if those are problems, Danny Ferry leaves Sin City as a very happy man.

Of course, it’s only Summer League and the competition gets really fierce in about three months. But if anyone was wondering what the rookie would look like when he hit the hardwood – last week was a pretty encouraging preview.

Hickson is aggressive, has a plethora of post moves and is more than comfortable playing with his back to the basket. He may not be able to contribute right away, but this 19-year-old doesn’t have any shame in his game on the offensive end – something the Cavaliers are seeking considering Anderson Varejao and Ben Wallace’s limitations on that end of the floor.

Hickson’s rookie teammate, Darnell Jackson, turned in a solid showing – averaging 5.8 points and 5.4 boards per contest. Though nowhere near as skilled as Hickson, the former Jayhawk could shape up into a nice “rotational” player for Mike Brown.

In an interview with cavs.com, Jackson said that he plays with a bit of a “mean streak.” And that’s as welcome in the Cavaliers’ frontcourt as Hickson’s offensive presence in the post. It’ll be interesting to see how both fare when Training Camp tips off in October.

Robert Traylor, maybe the best story from Vegas, didn’t set the League on fire in the Cavaliers five games. He was active and apparently was impressive in practice. But he averaged just 5.3 points and 5.0 boards – playing around 17 minutes per outing.

Tractor might still be invited to Training Camp and, even if he isn’t, breathed a little life into an NBA career that was all but extinguished after he left the Cavaliers. Plenty of players have parlayed 10-day contracts into nice runs in the Association. (see: Ehlo, Craig)

Aside from the rookie duo and Traylor, it was Lima, Ohio’s own Clay Tucker who was most impressive. The one-time MVP of the Horizon League and UW-Milwaukee’s all-time leading scorer averaged 15.0 ppg, including a 23-point outing off the bench in Saturday night’s loss to the Hornets.

Lance Allred and Billy Thomas – the Cavaliers two major D-League call-ups from last season, each of whom made Cleveland’s playoff roster – didn’t do much to help their cause last week in Las Vegas. Allred averaged 2.3 ppg; Thomas clocked in at 5.0 ppg – but shot just .267 (4-for-15) from the floor.

Summer League is what it is. Some players will go on to be NBA stars, some will hit the D-League in the hopes of a shot at the Show, and some will prepare their passport for a trip overseas to play ball.

This year’s Cavaliers’ roster likely had a little from each category – and hopefully more of the former than the latter.

The Heat is On

2008-07-14T09:17:00.001-07:00

The NBA’s free agent frenzy began just over two weeks ago and while some big names have come off the board, there are still several intriguing possibilities. Let’s take a quick look at what’s happened so far, and, more importantly, what impact these moves might have on the Cavaliers and the Eastern Conference.

The biggest name to change addresses so far has been Elton Brand, who left Los Angeles just days after the Clippers acquired Baron Davis. The move affected both Conferences, and Brand – whose image was spotless before bolting to the City of Brotherly Love – has been vilified in ClipperLand.

Brand is one of only four active players – along with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O’Neal – to have career averages of 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds. His defection wasn’t exactly “Boozer-esque,” but it’s safe to say that David Falk won’t be getting warm holiday wishes from Mike Dunleavy this December.

Of course, if the Basketball Gods have any sense of irony, there’s a chance the Clippers could land Philly’s restricted free agent, Andre Iguodala, who has met with Dunleavy according to reports in the Philadelphia Daily News. The Clippers are also still in the hunt for Atlanta’s Josh Smith.

If the Sixers are able to retain Iguodala, their moves propel Philly further into the playoff mix heading into 2008-09. Already one of the tougher matchups in the East, Maurice Cheeks club adds the experience and low-post presence they were lacking last year. If they can keep Iguodala, the 76ers will be a shooting guard away from elite status.

Corey Maggette took part in last week’s California Shuffle that saw Baron Davis go from Oakland to L.A., Maggette to Golden State and Brand to Philly. If Iguodala did happen to wind up in L.A., these four moves would have boiled down, in effect, to two really big trades.

The New Jersey Nets continue to completely reshape their roster. The Nets had 10 players on their roster 25-or-younger and needed an increased veteran presence. So last week, Rod Thorn went out and acquired Eduardo Najera, 32, and Jarvis Hayes, 27. They’re not difference-makers, but add a hint of veteran presence to the NBA neophytes in New Jersey.

In the Cavaliers division, teams have transformed through trades instead of free agency. The Bucks have sat tight after acquiring Richard Jefferson on Draft night. The Pacers have completely re-tooled – adding T.J. Ford, Rasho Neterovic and Jarrett Jack – along with draft picks, Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert.

The Pistons have been pretty quiet, but off-season rumors have linked them to big names like Carmelo Anthony and, most recently, Tracy McGrady. Although Joe Dumars did threaten to shake up “the sacred cows” in Motown, a more realistic scenario involves Chauncey Billups in exchange for either Andris Biedrins or Al Harrington – as reported in the Oakland Tribune.

There were a couple of free agent moves in the Sunshine State last week as well. Mickael Pietrus signed with the steadily-improving Orlando Magic and sharp-shooter, James Jones, got a big payday from Pat Riley. The Magic are still looking to parlay Dwight Howard’s presence into upper echelon status in the East. And the Heat – after drafting Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers – are looking to renew their mojo in South Beach.

In terms of the Cavaliers – it’s been all quiet on the Northern Front.

Cleveland is still looking to ink its two point guards – Delonte West and Daniel Gibson. The latter is rumored to be close, but there still hasn’t been any official word. Both parties are obviously looking to avoid any ugly disputes like the ones that adversely affected Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic’s seasons last year.

In terms of pursuing free agents, the Cavaliers are still rumored to be in the hunt for Twinsburg native, James Posey. The Hornets, Celtics, Spurs, Wizards, Pistons – (and just about any other competitor) – are still in the mix, as well. The sticking point appears to be the length of any potential contract. It’s been reported that Posey, 31, is seeking a four-year deal.

Stay tuned. As teams’ younger players show their stuff on the floor in Summer League, their bosses will be in the stands – watching, wheeling and dealing – as the offseason heats up like the summer months themselves.

Free Agent Frenzy Begins

2008-07-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

It might not seem like it, but as we clean up from the 4th of July weekend, the NBA’s offseason is about to heat up like the weather.

The Draft is over, free agency is on, and various summer leagues are about to tip off.

The Cavaliers – and their first round pick, J.J. Hickson – travel once again to Las Vegas, where their summer league runs from July 11th to the 20th. In Orlando, Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley will face off in the exhibition opener, and the team formerly known as the Seattle Sonics will wear generic “NBA-OKC” jerseys when they take on the Pacers on Monday afternoon.

Picking up on the local zeitgeist since June 26, Cavs fans now realize that Hickson at No. 19 was a solid pick by Danny Ferry. And based on the tape we’ve seen of the uber-athletic forward from NC State, those fans will be even happier when they see him in the low post wearing the wine and gold.

Ferry will get a chance to see Hickson and second-rounder, Darnell Jackson, working together for the first time one week from today. In the meantime, like his front office brethren around the league, Ferry will be studying the still-pulsating free agent market to see what pieces he can add to the squad in 2008-09.

Among the four Cavalier free agents, only Devin Brown is unrestricted. Dwayne Jones, Daniel Gibson and Delonte West are all restricted.

Devin Brown’s situation might be the most cloudy, following the perplexing end to a highly productive season. Devin Brown was Coach Mike Brown’s Swiss Army knife all year; his versatility saved the Cavaliers’ bacon during an injury-plagued campaign. But the wily vet wound up in the Coach’s doghouse during the postseason and was limited to six total minutes against Boston.

Of course, Gibson and West will be at the top of the Cavaliers’ priority list.

Gibson’s numbers improved greatly across the board last season. He finished fifth in the league in three-point shooting and was the MVP of the Rookie Challenge. His shoulder injury that sidelined him in the final two games against Boston might have been the difference between the Wine and Gold advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

And let’s not underestimate the fact that LeBron considers Boobie his “younger brother.” James has a trust and friendship with Gibson that cannot be overlooked, especially with pressure mounting as LeBron’s contract enters its final two years.

Delonte West proved to be everything Ferry hoped for when he made the big 11-player trade. He was fearless in the paint, took a lot of ball-handling duties off LeBron’s hands, and proved to be a capable shooter – exhibited by his three-point dagger against the Wizards in Game 4 at Washington.

The one thing Cleveland’s front office wants to avoid more than anything is an ugly contract battle with either player like the ones that sullied last summer’s offseason. There can be no doubt that those imbroglios directly affected Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic’s seasons. Both missed Training Camp and Anderson didn’t join the club until early December. Sasha took a big step backwards after an impressive postseason run in 2006-07.

When the Cavaliers brass does shift their focus outside the city limits, they’ll find a free agent market in flux.

Armed with a mid-level exception, the Cavaliers can consider names like James Posey and Mickael Pietrus. Both would be perfect fits in Mike Brown’s system, and Posey would bring two Rings – along with dogged defense and dead-eye shooting – to his hometown team. (It would be much better watching Posey alongside LeBron instead of guarding him – a job he seems to relish.)

The big name being thrown around recently has been Corey Maggette, and the Cavaliers look to be trying to get into the mix. The former Dukie is on every contenders’ short list – including the Celtics, Spurs, Pistons, Magic and Hornets. The 6-6 swingman is coming off a career year.

Maggette’s Clippers have already made the offseason’s biggest splash, landing Baron Davis hours after the market opened. Golden State is rumored to be in the mix. And Philadelphia, flushed with cash, is also primed to make a push for Brand.

The Sixers, coming off a vastly successful season under Mo Cheeks, seem determined to make a splash. If they fail to get Brand, look for Philly to try and coax J-Smoove or Josh Childress away from Atlanta. A combination of Andre Iguodala and Josh Smith would give the Sixers an explosive young combo heading into the season.

The Eastern Conference, in general, will be getting an overhaul this offseason.

Rumors of the Bucks’ demise were greatly exaggerated as Scott Skiles’ squad acquired Richard Jefferson and No. 8 pick, Joe Alexander, on Draft night. That certainly cools off the Michael Redd rumors as Milwaukee looks to have a “win-now” mentality.

The Nets, who shipped Jefferson, had an excellent Draft. Fretting fans on the “LeBron Watch” will be curious as to what Rod Thorn does with his free agents – Nenad Krstic and Bostjan Nachbar – in the coming days and weeks.

The Bulls extreme makeover is still in its early stages after drafting Derrick Rose with the No. 1 overall pick. With a glut of guards, Chicago will likely ship either Kirk Hinrich or Ben Gordon. Hinrich looked to be the choice, but recent rumors have the Bulls gauging interest on Gordon. Chris Duhon already looks to be headed to the Big Apple.

And finally, there’s the Washington Wizards, who simply re-inked two of their Big Three. Antawn Jamison signed a contract extension to stay in the nation’s capital and Gilbert Arenas left money on the table to remain with the Wiz Kids. These two moves can only mean one thing …

They’ll be traveling to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs in April of 2009.

Draft Duo Make Their Way to Cleveland

2008-06-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Let’s be honest: Does anyone really know what fate awaits ANY of the players chosen in Thursday night’s NBA Draft?

Among the 60 players taken, there will be All-Stars and busts and hidden gems. There may be a Hall of Famer or two in the bunch, and some will never put on an NBA uniform.

O.J. Mayo might turn out to be better than Derrick Rose. Or maybe Russell Westbrook will be better than both. Michael Beasley could average 20 and 10 for the next decade, or he could be a classic underachiever like Derrick Coleman – a player he’s frequently compared to.

So when fans panicked over the Cavaliers’ selection of J.J. Hickson with the 19th pick – and expressed their disappointment in no uncertain terms in response to my Draft blog – I took it with a grain of salt.

Hickson leapfrogged bigger names like Kosta Koufos, Mario Chalmers and Chris Douglas-Roberts to be the second First Round selection in Danny Ferry’s tenure with the ballclub. In just one season at Raleigh, Hickson left an indelible impression in the country’s toughest conference – and obviously on Ferry and the Cavaliers scouting department.

Later Thursday night, the Cavaliers made a couple more moves in the second round – acquiring forward Darnell Jackson and center Sasha Kaun, both members of the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks. Both were four-year players at Lawrence and helped the Jayhawks to four straight Big 12 titles.

Jackson averaged 11.2 points on .626 shooting and a team-high 6.7 rebounds in 40 games. Kaun, 23, averaged 7.1 points on .619 shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

On Friday afternoon, Hickson and Jackson made their first appearance in the flesh at Quicken Loans Arena – introduced to some Cavalier employees and members of the media by the man who drafted them.

“Both of these guys were pretty aware that we were very interested in them,” beamed Ferry. “Both of them came in for two workouts – which is the maximum that we can have them in for – and we spent time talking to both of them and made them feel confident that this is a place that had some strong interest.”

Ferry knows that the local punditry – as well as most fans – were looking for a “name” in Thursday’s Draft. More than anything, fans were upset that Hickson is only 19-years-old, and could be a year or two from being a solid contributor.

But Hickson might be a quicker learner than expected. He went 12-for-12 from the floor in his first-ever game at NC State, and shot .591 from the field – tops in the ACC. He averaged nearly 15 points per contest and was a relentless rebounder for a freshman, snagging 8.5 boards per game.

Most people – including myself – hadn’t seen much of Hickson. But just a few minutes of watching him in action with the Wolfpack shows what his game is all about. He loves to play with his back to the basket. He has excellent footwork and an impressive array of moves around the bucket. His game has been compared to Al Harrington’s and his favorite player is Kevin Garnett.

“I kind of pattern my game after a couple players – there’s not one single player that I focus on,” said Hickson. “It’s something I’ve worked at and something I try to continue getting better at.”

More than anything, it’s apparent that he likes to stick his nose into the action and loves to bang in the post – a welcome trait for the Wine and Gold.

On the other side of the coin, Hickson is listed at 6-9, but after seeing him in person, it’s hard to see him as an inch taller than LeBron James. (Although LBJ’s aura usually gives him a couple extra inches.)

Jackson was one of five Jayhawks drafted on Thursday. He was the 52nd pick of the Draft, selected by Miami before being sent to Cleveland for the lower of the two second round picks Cleveland has in 2009. The rugged forward talked about his Draft night experience.

“My mom told me I was going to Cleveland, and I don’t know what it is about this place but it’s always been in my heart and on my mind,” said Jackson. “Ever since I started playing basketball and LeBron came here I would think: ‘Man, I’d love the chance to run up and down the court with him.’”

During their respective workouts, neither player had the opportunity to meet LeBron James, personally. James has been working out at Cleveland Clinic Courts – (and was actually shooting with Chris Jent late yesterday afternoon before the media started filing in) – and at one point, Jackson did get a look at him.

“When LeBron was stretching, I took a look over at him,” smiled the Oklahoma City native. “It’s not every day that you get to see the King. I thought: ‘Is that really him?’”

Much of the concern fans had over drafting Hickson was his timetable – and specifically how it affects LeBron’s contract. But a source close to the King maintains that what he wants more than anything is a “4” who can catch the ball in the post and finish.

One look at Hickson’s highlight reel shows that he knows exactly what to do with the ball when he receives it down low. The only question now is: when will he be ready to do so.

“I’m just ready to do whatever’s asked of me,” said the Atlanta native. “If they want me to come in and contribute right away, then I’m willing to do that. Whatever coach asks of me, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Cavaliers Grab J.J. Hickson

2008-06-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Well, the Cavaliers confounded everyone – not going for the big names like Kosta Koufus or Chris Douglas-Roberts – but instead opting for NC State freshman, J.J. Hickson.

“J.J. can score on the wing and in the post,” said the Cavaliers GM. “He’s a work in progress. And our job is just to put him in the best position to succeed over the next 12 to 18 months.”

Hickson played big in the country’s toughest conference and is already developed physically – with a strong upper and extremely strong lower body for a 19-year-old. He prefers to play with his back to the basket, but can also knock down the 18-footer. Even for a young guy, he’s a tough matchup because of his combination of strength and quickness and has a nice array of moves under the basket.

“Bringing a young big into our group was important for us,” said Cavaliers GM, Danny Ferry. “(Hickson) was a guy we had ranked highly all year. He’s dedicated to being the best he can be. He’s a quality kid with a great background. And talent.”

Hickson has drawn comparisions to Al Harrington – a player the Cavaliers were reportedly interested in as of late. At 6-9, he’s relatively small for a PF. He doesn’t have great mechanics and questionable hands. Hickson also doesn’t have much of a left-hand at this point – a concern for a player who likes the action close to the basket.

“This was a really challenging decision,” continued Ferry. “We just felt very comfortable with J.J. He has exceptional althleticsm, and strength, plays well with his back the basket. He’ll be a solid rotational player in a position that’s tough to fill.”

He has the potential to be an excellent rebounder, and he’ll be with one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA. Hickson gives the Cavaliers an athletic player at a position where they desperately need it.

Wine and Gold Snag J.J. Hickson

2008-06-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Well, the Cavaliers confounded everyone – not going for the big names like Kosta Koufus or Chris Douglas-Roberts – but instead opting for NC State freshman, J.J. Hickson.

Hickson played big in the country’s toughest conference and is already developed physically – with a strong upper and extremely strong lower body for a 19-year-old. He prefers to play with his back to the basket, but can also knock down the 18-footer. Even for a young guy, he’s a tough matchup because of his combination of strength and quickness and has a nice array of moves under the basket.

Hickson has drawn comparisions to Al Harrington – a player the Cavaliers were reportedly interested in as of late. At 6-9, he’s relatively small for a PF. He doesn’t have great mechanics and questionable hands. Hickson also doesn’t have much of a left-hand at this point – a concern for a player who likes the action close to the basket.

He has the potential to be an excellent rebounder, and he’ll be with one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA. Hickson gives the Cavaliers an athletic player at a position where they desperately need it.

The Countdown Begins ...

2008-06-26T17:54:00.001-07:00

The word on this Draft was that it was deep one, and that’s proven to be true through the first dozen picks. The Nets have to be tickled that Brook Lopez fell to them at No. 10. And the Pacers – in one day – made a major upgrade of their point guard position, snagging Jerryd Bayless at No. 11 just hours after picking up T.J. Ford in the Jermaine O’Neal trade.

Sacramento just surprised everyone by drafting Rider’s Jason Thompson at No. 12.

Brandon Rush, as expected, came off the board to Portland. The Cavaliers were high on him, but as the Draft continues to shake out, some names are beginning to slip closer to No. 19.

Cleveland will be keeping an eye on Philadelphia – another team in need of a big. Again, the decision will be whether the Cavaliers go with a wing player or a big. The Sixers are reportedly high on Kosta Koufus and if he comes off the board, that could change the Wine and Gold’s plans.

The Cavaliers are within minutes of making their choice …

And They're Off ...

2008-06-26T17:09:00.001-07:00

So here we are after the top five picks have come and gone …

The big mystery of the early stage of the Draft was answered when the Heat ended their smokescreen and drafted Michael Beasley with the No. 2 overall pick. Pat Riley had questioned Beasley’s dedication, but when the smoke cleared, the choice was easy. Many people feel that the K-State phenom will be a double-double machine from day one.

For all the bluster about Miami grabbing O.J. Mayo and the Heat waiting to acquire Elton Brand or Carlos Boozer next year, it was Beasley with the pick.

Mayo went to the Timberwolves, who will go with Al Jefferson at the “5” again this upcoming season – unless they make another move between now and Training Camp. (Or the end of the night.)

The Sonics took defensive-minded combo-guard, Russell Westbrook, with the No. 4 overall pick. Most of the punditry here at CCC feels that was a stretch for the Sonics. But the combination of Westbrook and Kevin Durant is still a nice one-two for Seattle.

With the fifth pick, the Grizzlies stuck to the script and went with Kevin Love – the prolific freshman from UCLA. Love has dropped a ton of weight since the NCAA season ended and will fill the frontcourt void left by the departure of Pau Gasol. Memphis has to feel good about this draft.

With Gasol’s younger brother, Marc, agreeing to join the Grizzlies this season, Memphis has to feel like they got two lottery picks out of the night.

The Knicks are on the clock now, and that’s always good for some electricity at MSG …

Let the Games Begin ...

2008-06-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Right now, the talk around Independence is about the same as the buzz around the basketball community – and most of it focuses on the Nets-Bucks trade.

Of course, the name of a player not involved (Michael Redd) is what the media is talking about. Does the deal that sends Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee indicate that Redd is expendable? Or does it portend that Milwaukee is building for this year, and giving Redd a sidekick like R-Jeff is an indication that the Bucks are looking at making a move.

Of course, from the New Jersey side – as it will be from now until 2010 – folks are concerned that the Nets are making salary-cutting moves to make a pitch at LeBron. And it’s not completely crazy to think that way. New Jersey did give up one of the Eastern Conference’s better small forwards for two non-starters. The jury is still out on Yi Jianlian.

I’ve had a couple of readers write in to ask who the Cavaliers would prefer – CDR or Courtney Lee. I think they’re high on both players, but it’ll probably boil down to a simple choice of whether they want a wing player or a big man like Roy Hibbert or Kosta Koufus – if either (or any of the four players) are available.

The Cavaliers do like Courtney Lee and Danny Ferry has said that he likes Douglas-Roberts’ game. Either would certainly solidify the two-guard spot. Both guys are “basketball players” – meaning they’re not shooters or ball-handlers or defenders. They can do it all, and versatility at that position has to be a priority going into 2008-09.

The 2008 tips off in just a few minutes ….

Trade Winds Blowing in the Draft

2008-06-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

5:07 p.m. ET -- I’m here at the Cavaliers state-of-the-art training complex – Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence – where we media members will take in the 2008 NBA Draft. I’m going to be blogging from here as the Wine and Gold work their way towards the No. 19 pick.

This is one of the most wide-open drafts in recent memory. And it’s a deep draft.

As many as six point guards – Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, D.J. Augustin, Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook – could be lottery picks. The entire first round is deep with big men – even in the bottom half and past where the Cavaliers select. Quality wing players like CDR, Bill Walker and Courtney Lee should be, as well.

The story going right now is that the trade winds are beginning to blow. And all the action has been in the East.

Pending physicals ...

Jermaine O’Neal got shipped to Toronto to shore up their frontline. T.J. Ford got sent to Indy to shore up their backcourt. Each player was on the clock with their former teams, so the fact that both moved is no surprise. And it puts an end to the rumor that O’Neal might wind up in Cleveland.

The second big deal also involves a Central Division and Atlantic Division team with the Bucks sending Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to New Jersey for Richard Jefferson.

Yi moves to the big market, which his people wanted the entire time. And Bobby Simmons ends a snake-bitten stay in Wisconsin. New Jersey has now shipped out two-thirds of their Big Three and continues to get younger.

Boston’s Championship is already having ripple effects across the league, and it’s certain that the complexion of the East is going to be dramatically different between now and October.

And we haven’t even seen the first pick of the Draft yet. Stay tuned …

On the Clock

2008-06-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

Although Thursday night will be the fourth Draft night that Danny Ferry has been a part of as the club’s General Manager, it’s only his second with a first-round choice available. Once again, the stakes are high.

In 2005, Ferry was hired literally hours before the Draft, but still managed to unload Jiri Welsch – dealt after an ignominious 18 games – in exchange for the Bucks’ second-rounder, Martynas Andriuskevicius.

One year later, after selecting Michigan State combo-guard, Shannon Brown in Round One, Cleveland snagged a precocious point guard in the second round named Daniel Gibson. All Gibson did later that year was help send the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history with a playoff run for the ages – culminated by a 19-point fourth quarter in the deciding Game 6 against Detroit.

Without a pick last year, the Wine and Gold had a quiet off-season – the calm before a stormy, stressful, yet successful campaign.

In 2008, the Cavaliers – who came within one quarter of toppling the eventual NBA Champs – are back on the clock, with the No. 19 overall selection. In what’s widely-regarded as a very deep Draft, and with teams actively trying to duplicate Boston’s quick-fix, Ferry will likely have an array of options to weigh and decisions to make.

“I think most knowledgeable fans understand that (Boston’s turnaround) was a really unique situation,” said Ferry, dispelling the speculation of a Celtics-style upheaval.

The Cavaliers don’t have the young pieces to pull off what Danny Ainge did last off-season, nor are they so far from the Title that they’ll have to. But this does promise to be an active off-season in Cleveland – and the ball gets rolling on Thursday night.

Ferry estimated working out about “50 to 60” potential picks in recent weeks, but didn’t tip his hand to any one player.

“We’re not scouting just for the Draft, now,” said Ferry. “We’re scouting for trades two years from now – maybe for a guy who may not be playing a whole lot. I scouted Delonte West in college, and that had a lot of impact on us trading for him now. So you’re always gathering as much information as you can.”

It’s a deep draft for big men and the Cavaliers are certainly in the market. With three of their top four frontline players – Zydrunas Ilgauskas (33), Ben Wallace (34), Joe Smith (33) – in the latter part of their careers, it’s crucial for the Cavaliers to begin rebuilding for the future.

Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert or Rider’s Jason Thompson – who could fall to No. 19 – are more refined; OSU’s Kosta Koufas, Nevada’s JaVale McGee and Texas A&M’s DeAndre Jordan are talented, but untested.

“Every player that we’ll be looking at at No. 19 will have a different story,” explained the Cavs GM. “Some of the guys might be able to make an impact this year; some of them might be 18 months away from having an impact. That’s part of the challenge of making decisions on Draft night.”

The Cavaliers could also be in the market for a “2” who can create and score. At 19, names like Memphis’ Chris Douglas-Roberts, Kansas State’s Bill Walker and Western Kentucky’s Courtney Lee have all surfaced as potential picks.

The players that did work out for Ferry and his staff have to be impressive on and off the hardwood.

“We sit down and talk to all the guys because it really is a great opportunity to really get to know the kid – whether you draft him or not,” said Ferry. “You get to see their personality on the court, but you also get to see what kind of person that they are – (as much as you can take from an interview).”

Of course, these young prospects have to be able to perform, and for the past few weeks, teams like the Cavaliers have been putting them through the paces.

“We like to see them in competition,” explained Ferry. “We put them in 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 and let them compete against each other. You try to balance all their schedules because they have a short window of time to do this. If you think a guy’s not that tough, you put a tough guy against him – just to see.”

The Cavaliers will have to see how the first 18 picks shake out before they know what they’ll do. The trade rumor mill is cooking – especially with teams trying to replicate Boston’s instant success from last year. The Sonics are a franchise in transition -- and have four second-rounders. Larry Brown and Michael Jordan will work together for the first time. College seniors are climbing. And Pat Riley is being suspiciously coy about the No. 2 pick.

Those are just a few of the myriad storylines that could unfold on Thursday night – an evening that promises to be one of the more interesting Draft nights in recent memory. The Cavaliers will be ready.

“I do believe that we’re very well prepared,” concluded Ferry. “Our scouting staff – and Chris Grant, in particular – have really attacked the Draft, so I’m comfortable that we’re going to make a sound decision.”

Hands Down, Man's Down

2008-05-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

His last words at the podium before getting on the bus to Logan Airport last night said it all: “A LeBron James team is never desperate.”

That’s about all James could say after his Cavaliers dropped a difficult 96-89 loss in Boston, and now face elimination on Friday night at The Q. Throughout the postseason, LeBron has said that – as the team’s leader – if he seems rattled, the team will get rattled. If he is poised and confident, the team will be poised and confident.

LeBron’s past numbers indicated that he would have a big Game 5 in Boston – and he did.

In his two previous playoffs appearances, in Game 5s with a series tied 2-2, LeBron has averaged 41.7 points, seven boards and six assists. He didn’t reach those numbers on Wednesday night, but after the way Cleveland has played in Boston, you might have thought 35 would put them over the top.

“As an individual, I don’t care how well I play offensively,” said James. “If you don’t win that’s all that matters to me. I’d rather play bad and shoot bad from the field and turn the ball over a couple a times and get a win. My individual play doesn’t mean anything when you lose.”

Of course, LeBron’s production wasn’t the problem last night. The Celtics got big games from two of their big three, plus a huge lift from Rajon Rondo. From midway through the second quarter, Boston seemed to get every loose ball, every call and every offensive rebound – including the game-clinching board by Ray Allen with the Cavaliers trailing by four – 89-93 – with 19 seconds to play.

The Wine and Gold have no one but themselves to blame. They shot just 63 percent from the stripe in the second half. They had two fewer assists as a team than Rajon Rondo had individually. And Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who dominated Kendrick Perkins through the first two games of the series in Beantown, took only two shots in the second half on Wednesday.

“I just couldn’t get any shots,” said Z following the tough loss. “I’ve got to find my way to somehow get myself more involved. It’s up to me to figure it out somehow.”

The Cavaliers didn’t get a ton from anyone other than Delonte West – who led everyone with 16 points in the second half. West had four steals and four dimes and, maybe most importantly, was aggressive getting to the rim.

“The outside shot wasn’t falling and, when you’re on the road, that’s what you have to do – you try to force the referees to make some calls,” said the Cavaliers starting point man.

The small lineup of West and Daniel Gibson was very effective in the first half, but Boobie was forced from action early in the fourth quarter when he seperated his left shoulder on a collision with P.J. Brown.

The unexpected hero of last year's postseason might be done for this year's. Gibson had an MRI on Thursday morning and is expected to miss one to two weeks.

The Cavaliers were not dour in the locker room following Wednesday night’s loss. It was more an air of determination. Wally Szczerbiak – the only other Cavalier to net double-figures – put it bluntly. “Well our backs are against the wall, we’re desperate,” said Szczerbiak, apparently not getting LeBron’s memo. “So we’ve got to play that way, and we’ve got to figure out a way to get a win at home – like we did in Games 3 and 4 – and take it one step at a time.”

Delonte West boarded the bus out of the arena, saying – in “colorful” language he later excused himself for – that the Cavaliers would see Boston again on Sunday afternoon for Game 7.

“This is one game, and this (series) is like a heavyweight fight,” said West. “You ain’t gonna win every round. The fight’s not over, so we’re gonna regroup, get back to Cleveland, and get ready for Game 6.”

All Tied Up

2008-05-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

… and LeBron James still hasn’t broken out of his shooting funk.

Of course, the Celtics haven’t won a game outside of Suffolk County, either. And LeBron James – despite going 7-for-20 from the floor – made sure of that, throwing down one of those seven field goals with an earth-shattering dunk that punctuated the Wine and Gold’s dramatic 88-77 win.

Now, the Cavaliers and Celtics – a squad that won 21 more games than Cleveland in the regular season – are knotted at two games apiece, with the series shifting back to Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Cavaliers have now beaten Boston eight straight times at The Q and are 8-3 all-time against the Celtics at home. And for all the talk of the Celtics’ vaunted defense, it’s been the Wine and Gold that has tightened their grip – holding Doc Rivers’ club to 38 percent shooting (27-of-70) on Monday night, their lowest field goal percentage of the postseason.

And the wear is slowly beginning to show. In his postgame presser, Doc Rivers bristled when it was suggested that LeBron was “struggling” …

“You think LeBron is struggling?!” asked Rivers, pointedly. “He had 21 points, 13 assists and six rebounds. He probably forced 15 fouls. We don’t look at that as LeBron struggling. You only look at field goal percentage, we don’t. We look at the way he’s playing his total game and he’s making plays. The Gibson threes, those threes don’t happen without LeBron James.”

And while LeBron is slowly coming out of his shooting slump, his “little brother” – Daniel Gibson – may have awakened from the funk that saw him averaging just over three shot attempts per game over the first three games of the series.

Boston had refused to leave Boobie and double-down on LeBron. But on Monday night, the sophomore from Texas found all the right spots, and as always was at the right place at the right time – canning a trey with 2:38 remaining to put the game essentially out of reach.

“I just continued to be patient,” asserted Gibson. “I didn’t let it frustrate me – the fact that I wasn’t getting a lot of looks. I also was a little more aggressive going to the basket on pick-and-roll situations, so I just waited for my open looks. I knew they were going to come; I just had to be patient and tonight, I got a lot more than I’ve been getting.”

Gibson was 5-for-9 from the field for 14 points, easily his best game of the series. Equally as impressive has been his defense against Sam Cassell – who killed the Cavaliers in the first two games of the series.

“Every game you learn something new,” said Gibson, on finding ways to guard the 14-year vet. “In Boston, he got me lifted a little bit and hit some fadeaways. You learn guys’ game when you play a series over time. I learned a little bit about his game and I’m getting better guarding him. But, he’s still a great player.”

But the biggest story of the Cavaliers’ two wins in Cleveland has been the trade deadline’s Four Horsemen – Delonte West, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak and Ben Wallace. They’ve given the Wine and Gold exactly what Danny Ferry expected of them when he made the deal in late February.

Joe Smith, in his first foray into the Second Round, was incredible again on Monday night. Over his last two games, Smith is 11-for-14 from the floor, averaging six boards per contest. Coach Mike Brown had Zydrunas Ilgauskas at the scorer’s table with just under four minutes to play, but the combination of Smith and Anderson Varejao was simply too effective.

“We felt in the two games in Boston, that their bench came with more energy than our bench,” said Smith. “So, we felt when we got here at home that, as a group, were going to either build on what the starters had done or if they start off slow, try to bring the energy that’s necessary to win this game.”

Ben Wallace has been huge defending KG, although he gave way to Anderson Varejao last night. The Wild Thing has continued to get under the Defensive Player of the Year’s skin and he was limited to a quiet 15 points.

“I’m just trying to be physical with him,” said Varejao. “I want to take away his space, make him work to catch the ball. Just be aggressive and make it hard for him."

With Anderson and Ben Wallace making life difficult for Garnett, and LeBron making Pierce work on both ends of the floor, the X-factor – defensively – has been Wally Szczerbiak. The former Miami (OH) star has made Ray Allen – who led the Celtics with 28.1 ppg against the Cavaliers during the regular season – work to get any daylight. And there hasn’t been much.

“(Allen's) a great shooter, a great scorer and you can’t give him an inch,” said Szczerbiak. “But my teammates have helped me out a ton – the big guys are great on this team. If you get beat on the dribble, you’ve got Andy back there, or Z or Ben or Joe – and they make it difficult to get a look at the basket. So I owe a lot to them.”

On Wednesday, Wally and Co. will try to do something that hasn’t been done this postseason: beat the Celtics in Boston. If they do that, they can attempt to do what many thought was unthinkable on Friday night at The Q.

Game On!

2008-05-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

The Cavaliers seemed rested and ready on Sunday evening at Cleveland Clinic Courts, after having dropped the Washington Wizards in D.C. for the third straight season two nights earlier.

On the bus ride from the arena to the airport on Friday night, nearly everyone aboard was checking their BlackBerry to see who would be Cleveland’s Second Round opponent. On Sunday afternoon, it only took the Celtics one half of basketball to provide the answer.

Now, the Cavaliers will face the Celtics in the postseason for the first time since their memorable matchup against Larry Bird’s bunch 16 years ago. The series tips off on Tuesday night (8 p.m.) in Beantown.

Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak are the only two Cavaliers who have been part of Boston’s recent – (and rather ignominious) – era, and were part of the trade that allowed 1/3 of Boston’s Big Three – Ray Allen – to move east. The Celtics then went on to have the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history – improving from 24 wins in 2006-07 to 66 in ’07-08.

Szczerbiak, who struggled on and off during the First Round, was vindicated big time on Friday night, exploding for 26 points on 6-for-13 shooting beyond the arc. Aside from LeBron, Wally will probably get the majority of the fans’ Bronx cheers.

“I had a great time in Boston; it’s a class organization – from Doc Rivers to Danny Ainge, up and down the line,” said Szczerbiak. “They’re great people over there and they brought in some great players and they did some special things this year. And now that we have an opportunity to go at it, I’m a Cleveland Cavalier and I want to win this series more than anything.”

These are obviously not your father’s Celtics – far different than the Bird Era C’s and far, far different than the sorry squad that was re-tooled in the off-season. And as big an addition as Ray Allen has been, the heart and soul of the new-look Celts is obviously this year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Kevin Garnett.

The Cavaliers, however, have one of the deepest and most-skilled frontlines in the East. And they could give the Big Ticket fits on both ends of the court. But, as Cleveland’s bigs know, he’s still one of the toughest players in the league to stop.

“It’s tough with the way he’s been playing all season long,” said Joe Smith, who will certainly get his chance at Garnett. “But at the same time, you have to try to cut his air space out a little bit, don’t let him get comfortable when he gets the ball to face up, don’t let him get comfortable in the post, and try to do whatever you can to contest his shots up top.”

The Celtics could have never envisioned their First Round series going seven games. Throughout the series, Boston demolished Atlanta at home – including Sunday’s 34-point trouncing at the TD Banknorth Garden, but had a difficult time with the high-flying Hawks down in Dixie.

But did the series help to illustrate any chinks in Boston’s armor?

“We’re a different team than Atlanta,” reasoned LeBron. “They have a lot of athletes. We can’t try to approach the game like Atlanta did; we don’t have those types of athletes. We’re going to approach any series like we always do. Defensively, try to get stops and offensively, execute.”

One player that will be a welcome addition to both sides of the ball is Sasha Pavlovic – who recovered from an ankle injury in the final days of the First Round. Pavlovic’s athleticism will be huge in trying to contain Ray Allen on the perimeter. Wally’s coming-out party in Game 6 at Washington all but cemented his spot in the starting lineup, but Pavlovic gives Mike Brown one more bench weapon against a team that has a bunch of them.

This season, the Cavaliers have split four games with Doc Rivers’ club with each team holding serve on their home turf. One of Boston’s wins at the Garden – it should be noted – took place with LeBron James watching from the bench in street clothes. So, while the Celtics might have dominated the rest of the league, they didn’t exactly send shivers up the Cavaliers’ spines.

“It doesn’t mean much,” countered Mike Brown, referring to the Cavaliers’ moderate success against Boston. “I think we went 2-0 vs. San Antonio during the regular season and had beaten them three out of the last four games, and it didn’t mean much in the Finals. I think Washington had our number this year, and it didn’t mean much in the series.”

With all the pieces in place, the Cavaliers look to return to the NBA’s promised land for the second straight season. Their journey this season will be more challenging than last year’s run, but the Wine and Gold feel like they’re playing their best basketball of the season and are up for the challenge.

“(Boston) has been playing great basketball all the way around,” said Daniel Gibson, who was huge in Friday night’s big win over Washington. “We have to be prepared and we have to be locked in, going into a different arena – especially one where a team is playing so well. But, again, it’s just a matter of us understanding what we have to do and just being prepared to take care of business.”

The Day After

2008-04-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

To quote Quentin Tarantino's “Kill Bill”: You didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?

The Washington Wizards turned the tables in a big way on Thursday night at the Verizon Center, and the Cavaliers club that looked like a well-oiled machine on Monday in Cleveland, looked as muddled as a soup sandwich three days later in D.C. The series may still be tilting the Wine and Gold’s way, but the Wizards definitely served notice in Game 3.

Both clubs practiced on Friday at the Wizards’ gym, with a few hugs and handshakes exchanged when they passed in the halls – primarily with Gilbert Arenas. (Arenas’ dad was down there as well, playfully chiding the Cavaliers as they came through.)

That’s about the only smiles we’ll see for the rest of the series. After the Wizards thumped the Cavaliers by 36 on Thursday night, the two clubs – who really don’t like each other to begin with – know that it’ll be a dogfight to get into the Second Round.

Before the Cavaliers rolled in, Arenas said that the Game 3 crowd was the loudest he’s ever heard at the Verizon Center. The District faithful was definitely smelling blood and gave it to LeBron every time he touched the ball. He is definitely Public Enemy No. 1 – and it’s a role that doesn’t phase the Chosen One whatsoever.

“I think all the fans know how I approach the game every night and how I play the game,” deadpanned James. “Any time you get in a hostile environment, you want to perform well and help your team win. But at the same time, you have to maintain focus, and I’ve always been able to do that.

“The fans are the reason why we have big games,” added LeBron. “Without the fans, there is no NBA, no stars, no superstars. So, I respect their fans.”

LeBron was the only bright spot for Cleveland on Thursday, but even he didn’t have his normal game. LeBron finished with 22 points, but didn’t get an assist until midway through the third quarter and only made four trips to the line. He knows that the Cavaliers feed off his energy and knows they’ll have to be the aggressors in Game 4.

“It’s a big game for them, but it’s a big game for us, too,” said James. “Just to see how we react to getting blown out (Thursday) night. They reacted really well to getting blown out, so we have to react with a sense of urgency too.”

The Wizards closed off LeBron’s passing and driving lanes and, without his teammates sinking shots on the backside, put their captain in a precarious spot. Cavaliers who had been successful in the first two games – notably Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas – struggled in Game 3.

According to Ilgauskas, Washington’s team defense “wasn’t much different than what they tried to do the first two games, they were just successful (on Thursday).”

Big Z added: “They still double-teamed LeBron, still tried to take us out of our sets. They were just the aggressors. We turned the ball over, had some lazy passes. And that just created dunks on the other end and it got their crowd going. We know how it feels on the other side because in Game 2, everything went our way.”

The Cavaliers will try to get the Large Lithuanian more early touches on Sunday afternoon. But more than any particular strategy, they know it’s important to come out of the gate with much more intensity before the white-out blankets them the way it did in Game 3.

“At the end of the day, it’s one loss,” said LeBron. “But we know we can’t play that way on the road and try to win a game.”

Home Protection

2008-04-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

It took 23 minutes and 58.7 seconds to define the series as it now stands at 2-0.

That’s when Brendan Haywood committed his first offense against LeBron James. That’s when the Cavaliers – and the Wizards – officially knew that the bad blood wasn’t just talk.

“Trash talking started three years ago, it just didn’t start this series,” quipped the otherwise-likeable Gilbert Arenas after Saturday’s loss. “That’s what players do – you have teams that don’t like each other on the court, but love each other off the court. Damon Jones and I are best friends, but I talked trash to him before we arrived and throughout the game. That’s what basketball is about.”

Haywood – who was a Cavalier for around 20 minutes on Draft night in 2001 – committed his second offense on Monday night when he knocked LeBron out of the air on a put-back attempt in the third. Haywood got hit with a Flagrant-2, but won’t receive a suspension. James’ teammates talked about the physicality of the series and that particular shot on Tuesday at Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“It was hard foul, but in this series, you have to be prepared for anything,” said Daniel Gibson. “It’s really intense and guys are really getting after it, so you just have to be prepared for those kinds of situations when you take the ball to the basket.”

LeBron’s been fouled harder than the shove Haywood gave him, but it was the precarious mid-air position that made it a dangerous play. The Cavaliers went on a 15-6 run after his ejection, putting the game on ice for the night.

“When somebody’s in the air like that – I don’t know if you’re trying to hurt somebody or it’s just a hard foul,” said Zydrunas Ilgauskas. “But the problem is when you’re in the air that high, you land funny and (could) break a hand or do something to your knee.”

“I don’t think anybody’s out to hurt anyone," added Boobie. “But in a series like this, sometimes play gets out of hand. But I don’t think (Haywood) intentionally wanted to hurt him.”

Obscured among the rough play has been the Cavaliers’ excellent play – especially on the defensive end. The Wizards are shooting just under 39 percent in the first two games. Washington’s “Big Three” were a combined 10-for-36 on Monday.

Wally Szczerbiak found his shooting touch in Game 2, and has frustrated Caron Butler defensively in both contests. “Tough Juice” has gone 9-for-23 over the past two, while Szczerbiak was 6-for-9 for 15 points on Monday.

“We’re not going to relax as a team,” said Szczerbiak. “We did a good job of protecting homecourt. We definitely feel good about how we’ve played in the first two games and now we just have to carry it over to Washington.”

Wally has responded well to the starting assignment, and for the first time since the Cavaliers made the 11-player deal on Feb. 22, the chemistry seems to be coming together. Ben Wallace has been tough in the post and showed some early offense on Monday. Delonte West has been strong in the final three weeks of the season, and has carried that into the first two games.

And Joe Smith has been Joe Smith – rock-solid on both ends of the floor, and a nice complement/alternative to Anderson Varejao. Smith is the perfect blend of toughness and technique and has been a strong, veteran presence.

“They made a statement in Game 1, giving LeBron a couple of hard fouls,” said the 12-year veteran. “We obviously don’t want to hurt anybody out there but we don’t want to give up anything easy. We kind of answered back a little bit with a little bit of aggressiveness (Monday).”

Nothing the referees can do will reverse the tone of the series. No player wants to get thrown out, but it’s the Playoffs and there won’t be any more easy dunks. That part of the season ended last Wednesday.

As the old George Karl saying goes, a series doesn’t start until the home team loses a game. The Cavaliers will be looking for the unofficial beginning on Thursday night in D.C.

Let the Games Begin

2008-04-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

“I was built for this.”

That was LeBron James’ response when asked, after Saturday’s riveting Game 1, if he was tired of getting banged around. From the opening tip, that was obviously Washington’s plan – and it probably will be for the remainder of what promises to be a bare-knuckled Round One matchup.

“I’m not built 6-9, 260 to shoot jumpers all night,” James continued. “I go to the hole and I create contact. And don’t ever think that I’m the only one feeling that contact.”

After weeks of fighting the series in the press, the time for talk was over, and the two clubs had to fight it out between the lines. And as the Cavaliers had done six times before, they handed the Wizards another playoff loss. Cleveland held the Wizards to one bucket – a meaningless layup by Caron Butler at the buzzer – in the final 4:38, taking home the 93-86 win that was much closer than the final score would indicate.

One thing was affirmed on Saturday, however: On the court, these are two teams that definitely do not like each other.

It took less than one half of basketball for that to materialize, as tempers boiled over late in the first half, when Brendan Haywood – after fouling LeBron at center court – stood above him “in a very disrespectful manner.” Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace were the first into the fray before officials broke it up.

It won’t be the last time these two teams tangle.

Aside from James’ heroic 32-point effort, it was Ilgauskas who found seams in the Wizards’ defense – canning open jumpers and doing the dirty work in the post. Big Z finished with 22 points and 11 boards, going 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

“Every game we play against these guys, it’s a tough, emotional game,” said the Large Lithuanian. “We expect this to be a tough series, and it will be.”

Ilgauskas was one of three Cavaliers to make eight or more trips to the line. And the Cavaliers made 20 more trips to the stripe than Washington (37-17) – something Coach Brown had underscored to his team coming into the series.

“One thing we stressed is that during the year, we shot a lot of threes against this team and we didn’t shoot enough free throws,” said Brown. “We shot, maybe around 24 threes per game on average, and about 17,18 free throws. And we stressed to our guys that we have to attack. And our guys did a nice job attacking the rim.”

That philosophy led to Cleveland being very aggressive around the rim. And when the Cavaliers – namely LeBron and Z – are going to the hole, they’re awfully difficult to defend. Of course, it’s going to get pretty rough around the hole now that the Second Season has begun.

“It’s the playoffs, so a lot of calls go unnoticed,” said Ilgauskas. “They let you push more, which is good – that’s the way it should be. They let the players decide the game. Both teams have a lot of big guys, so there’s a lot of screens being set and a lot of elbows flying around.

“That’s playoff basketball.”

DeShawn Stevenson – for all his bluster – had yet another terrible game for the Wizards. On Saturday, the man who called LeBron James “overrated” came up 1-for-9 from the floor. Over the past two years, Washington’s thickly-bearded guard has gone 10-for-55 (18 percent) from the field.

Gilbert Arenas was the other Wizard who added some vitriol to the series with his advanced trash talk. But unlike Stevenson, everyone knows Agent Zero can back it up on the hardwood. Arenas canned his first four three-pointers – and fans were having flashbacks to the 2006 Playoffs where he averaged 36 ppg in six contests against Cleveland.

But Delonte West did an excellent job against Arenas in the second half, holding the sharp-shooting star to 2-for-6 from the field in the fourth quarter.

“Delonte’s a fighter,” praised Mike Brown. “He’s not going to back down from anybody. He’s longer than what you think, he’s quicker than what you think and he’s definitely more athletic than what you think. When you take all those things and combine them with toughness, you have a chance to have a pretty good defender.

“Delonte’s not going to stop Gilbert – nobody’s going to stop Gilbert Arenas. But the one thing you just hope is that he make Gilbert work for his shots.”

Delonte didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but he did can four straight free throws in the final 15 seconds – finishing with 16 points, five boards, five dimes, two steals and a pair of blocked shots.

When all the smoke clears, when all the talk has been talked and the pushing and shoving are done, the series will eventually boil down to which team can clamp down on the other, defensively. Yesterday, the Cavaliers’ D down the stretch was better than the Wizards’. And they came away with the win.

Now they need to carry that over into Monday’s Game 2.

“We were the best team in the playoffs last year, defensively,” said LeBron, following Saturday’s win. “We started off on the right foot this year, giving up only 40 percent shooting on the night, and 25 percent from the three-point line – something they’re very good at. We know when we go out there and lock down defensively, we can be very good.”

Rounding Third, Headed Home

2008-04-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

If the Cavaliers are to rediscover the late-season magic that propelled them headlong into last year’s playoff run, they need to get busy – the clock is ticking.

Last year, they started the month of April at 2-3 before rattling off their final four to earn the three-seed in the Eastern Conference tournament. Cleveland rode that momentum all the way to San Antonio.

This year, they have just about zero momentum heading into their final five games. A couple of wins early last week – against Philly and Charlotte – seemed like they would turn things around. But two tough, uninspired home losses have the Cavaliers wondering where this road will lead them, and where will it end?

The haters have been lined up all season, ready to label last year’s run a “fluke.” And after two anemic nationally-televised collapses, they’re eagerly anticipating validation. The Wine and Gold lost a 17-point lead to the Bulls on Thursday night and blew an eight-point advantage on Saturday.

On Thursday, Larry Hughes was the most intense player on the floor. On Saturday, the only field goal Dwight Howard had was the opening dunk of the game and Cleveland lost by 15. Combined, the Cavaliers were 10-of-46 from the field in the fourth quarter. These are not good things.

LeBron James has been “Mr. Fourth Quarter” all year long, but back spasms have hampered him in the past two games as well. LeBron has gone 1-for-9 in the fourth quarter over his last two outings and was 2-for-13 in the second half on Saturday.

“I definitely haven't had the lift that I've had in the past with my back tightening up,” said James. “But I don't use that as an excuse. I've just not been able to come through for my team in the fourth quarter the last two games.”

But the fact is that one game, one quarter, one play could turn it all around.

The Cavaliers have refused to use their injuries as an excuse and still feel like there’s plenty of time to turn it around. Delonte West – who’s played very well lately – insists the team isn’t concerned.

“Not at all,” said West. “We’re a no-excuse team. Last two games, we lost – teams beat us. We’re a real good team, but sometimes we get up on teams and go through the motions and allow people to get back in the game. We just have to get that killer instinct where we don’t want to win a game by four – we want to blow teams out.”

Coach Mike Brown has shortened his rotation – so much so that Sasha Pavlovic and Damon Jones, integral parts of the process just two weeks ago, got DNP-CDs over the last two games.

Asked if he will re-visit his new rotation after Saturday’s loss, Brown was particularly terse: “No.”

Aside from his much-publicized missed dunks, Ben Wallace seems to be rounding back into form, and his work on Dwight Howard – (along with Anderson, Joe Smith and Z’s) – is one of the reasons he was brought to Cleveland.

“We just have to go out there and play basketball and everything will take care of itself,” said Wallace after Saturday’s loss. “We’re just turning the ball over too much.”

Big Ben is a man of few words, but he hits the right chord with them. The Cavaliers turned the ball over 16 times on Saturday, leading to 25 Magic points. These are not playoff numbers and will add up to a postseason loss every time.

“I don’t know if we’re looking forward to the playoffs or what it is, but we’re letting some close games get away,” said Devin Brown, who had another strong outing on Saturday. “But we’ll work on it in practice, fix a couple more things and get ready to go again.”

There is still time to get the kinks worked out. It’s ugly now, but everything can turn around as quickly as Wednesday night against the Nets. The Cavaliers ended the season with four straight wins one year ago – and that was all the juice they needed for their run. Five straight sounds just as good.

April Showers

2008-04-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

Nothing has come easy for the Cavaliers this season. From a rough road schedule to start out the season to the nagging injuries that are making the final weeks a struggle, it has been a complete departure from last year’s relatively smooth sailing.

After Saturday night’s debacle in Detroit, Coach Mike Brown knew that he had to make a change and by tip-off 20 hours later, Sasha Pavlovic went from starting two-guard to a DNP-CD. He had ice on his foot throughout the second half, but Brown asserted in postgame that Pavlovic could have played.

Brown knows that time is growing short for the Cavaliers, who have seen their lock on the fourth spot become more tenuous in recent weeks – due in large part to the surging Sixers and the Wine and Gold’s woes on the road. The Cavaliers have won just one road game since making the 11-player trade back in late February – and it took LeBron James scoring 50 points to get that one.

Of course, it’s not too late to finish strong and go into the postseason on a roll. Over the past two seasons, the Cavaliers have gone 14-6 in the month of April, including 8-3 in 2005-06 and 6-3 last season. The 14-6 record is the third-best April record in the NBA during that time behind only the Bulls and Magic.

Cleveland bounced back from an anemic first half against Philly to win it down the stretch. Delonte West had easily his best game as a Cavalier, draining a pair of huge three-pointers in the final two-and-a-half minutes and becoming the first player since Eric Snow – and, obviously, LeBron – to have 11 or more assists in a game for the Wine and Gold.

Talking about his two big bombs, West quipped: “It’s funny because it goes to show how mental this game actually is. I remember sitting on the bench right before we came out from a timeout and thinking, ‘I’m getting ready to hit it; I’m going to sting them.’ Sure enough, the ball came right to me and I let it fly.”

The only other Cavalier to have two good games this weekend was Joe Smith. The rock-solid reserve forward went 9-for-12 from the field, averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 boards in 23.5 minutes per contest. He was 4-of-4 from the floor in Saturday’s embarrassing loss to the Pistons.

He and Ben Wallace were both perfect from the field on Saturday. Big Ben was in the midst of having one of his better games with Cleveland before re-aggravating his back.

The affable Smith probably used the most appropriate term to describe the season: “It is very frustrating and we understand that injuries are a part of the game, but at the same time when you are trying to get healthy bodies back on the floor to get a rhythm it is frustrating.”

Wallace might have been able to go as early as Sunday, but the Cavaliers are going to play it very safe with him and any other essential pieces to this year’s postseason run. Daniel Gibson made his return on Saturday – in limited minutes – but had to leave with soreness in his ankle on Sunday.

The Cavaliers got the win and kept the Sixers at bay. And they were still able to give players like Wallace and Gibson a little extra time to get as close to 100 percent as possible. Gibson, especially, is a critical piece to the puzzle if the Cavaliers are looking to make another big run.

“I know it’s a struggle for him mentally because he’s never been injured in his career,” said LeBron James, in reference to the player he considers a younger brother. “Hopefully he can just get his ankle back right and not think about it much. Hopefully he can just continue to get healthy. We’re going to need him.”

It’s likely that Devin Brown will get another start on Wednesday night when the Cavaliers travel to Charlotte. Cleveland has won 11 of 14 all-time against Charlotte, but it doesn’t feel like it. The Bobcats always seem to give the Wine and Gold a hard time.

It could be a crazy eight games in April, as the Cavaliers look to solidify themselves before making another run at the Eastern Conference Crown. To get there, they won’t be facing an undermanned Wizards squad in the First Round or an underachieving Nets squad in Round 2.

So now it’s time to get healthy and get focused on going into the playoffs on a roll.

First-Round Futurama

2008-03-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

Last year, at this time, the Cavaliers were eyeing up the three-seed in the Eastern Conference’s version of Bracketology. Getting in touch with the third spot in the East this year – trailing the Magic by 5.5 games with 11 to play – would require a creative imagination.

This year, the Cavaliers have been locked into the fourth-seed pretty much all season. Boston got off to a great start and stayed strong, Detroit has been their steady selves and Orlando, unlike last year, kept their foot on the gas all season.

The Cavaliers have battled through one obstacle after another this season and now find themselves in the position of checking the rear-view mirror for their first round future. Some players and coaches might tell you that they’re taking it one game at a time and not looking back at the standings. Then there’s LeBron James …

“You have no choice but to follow it,” said LeBron. “You have the standings in our locker room, you watch SportsCenter and they show the standings.”

Of course, there’s nothing the Cavaliers can do about it, but watch. “It’s going to go back and forth over the next 12 games, so we’re just going to hold down the fort and see what happens,” added James.

For most of the second half of the season, it looked like the Wine and Gold would be heading north of the border of the first round. The Raptors have been close enough to the Cavaliers to keep an eye on, but never got close enough to threaten homecourt in late April.

The Cavaliers dropped the Raptors on Friday night to take the season series over Toronto, 3-1. And just recently, the streaking Wizards club recently overtook the Raptors for the fifth-seed.

The Wizards are an entirely different animal as far as the Cavaliers first-round opponent. They’ve been Cleveland’s first-round foes for the past two seasons. In 2005-06, the two clubs faced off in a bare-knuckled battle, with LeBron James and Gilbert Arenas staging an epic duel, and Damon Jones finishing off Washington with a series-ending 17-footer in Game 6.

Last year, the Wizards were depleted with late-season injuries and the Wine and Gold rolled them in four straight.

This season, the two clubs have split four games. Each team has won a nail-biter and each has blown the other out at home. And of course, there’s the DeShawn Stevenson quote – that LeBron is “overrated” – simmering beneath the surface. If James gets another crack at Stevenson, you can believe that LeBron will be a man on a mission.

The good news for the red-hot Wizards is that Gilbert Arenas is scheduled to return before the postseason. The bad news is that although they’ve won six of seven – including a convincing win over Detroit on Sunday – they still have to make their West Coast junket where they’ll face the Blazers, Lakers and Jazz.

The team that’s confounded everyone is the scorching Sixers, who are just 1.5 games behind the Wizards. Philly has lost just two games in the month of March and are 18-7 since the start of February. The Cavaliers will get an up-close-and-personal look at Maurice Cheeks scrappy squad on Sunday night at The Q and once more before the regular season ends.

While the Cavaliers will have one eye fixed on their first round opponent, they still have to right their own ship. They’ve won nine straight at The Q, but have dropped five consecutive on the road. Most likely, they will only have homecourt in the first round. After that, they’ll have to win on the road to advance.

“I’m worried because if we expect to be a very good playoff team we have to know how to win on the road,” said a concerned Mike Brown following Saturday’s loss in Milwaukee. “For some reason – and it doesn’t matter who we are playing – we think we can just show up and turn it on at the end of the game instead of coming out and playing the right way.”

The Cavaliers should be getting Boobie Gibson back within a week and Ben Wallace will probably get plenty of time to rest his bad back before the NBA’s second season tips off. When it does, Mike Brown hopes to have his club firing on all cylinders – at home and on the road.

A Good Problem

2008-03-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Maybe when the smoke clears and we look back on this season, we’ll look at in stages.

One of the biggest trades in franchise history is less than three weeks old, and the Cavaliers still have (at least) one more phase to go through before the regular season ends. That stage will begin when the troika of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic make their eventual return to the lineup.

Coach Mike Brown may have some ‘splaining to do as he tries to dole out minutes, but that’s what they call “a good problem” – like the Browns (finally) have at the quarterback position.

All three are integral to the Cavaliers’ return to the top of the Eastern Conference heap – each contributed to last year’s run. Ilgauskas and Gibson were having excellent seasons. Boobie was coming off a fantastic All-Star Weekend and Ilgauskas was having one of his best seasons in an-already exceptional nine-year career.

Sasha’s season has been uneven. After a contract holdout, he didn’t recapture last year’s aggressiveness until, ironically, the final two games before he got hurt. But with the trade of Larry Hughes to Chicago, Pavlovic’s perimeter defense will be needed now more than ever.

Mike Brown has made every indication that Sasha will be in the starting lineup when he returns. Obviously, Big Z will. Daniel Gibson will get his usual minutes, bringing fireworks off the bench. So, crunch the numbers …

Within days, your starting lineup will most likely be LeBron James, Ilgauskas, Pavlovic, Delonte West and Ben Wallace – provided his back spasms aren’t a lingering problem.

Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith and Gibson are all the immediate first options off the bench. Devin Brown is too versatile and has been simply too good this season to cut his minutes. Damon Jones is having easily his best season as a Cavalier and Wally Szczerbiak is the guy Cleveland brought in for shooting off the bench.

Dwayne Jones and Eric Snow haven’t gotten a ton of regular season minutes, but with defense at a premium in the postseason, Coach Brown will probably find a place for each somewhere in the rotation.

That’s a lot of Cavaliers to stuff into 48 minutes of basketball. And speaking of basketball, there’s only one of those allowed on the floor at a time.

That’s also a lot of options if you’re Mike Brown. And a lot of people to prepare for if you’re an opponent.

Ilgauskas’ presence will do wonders for the entire frontcourt, specifically Wallace. And Z’s return will also move Anderson – who’s had two excellent games as a starter against Indy and Portland – back to his normal position. Joe Smith has been rock solid and it’s starting to look like he’ll have a good night, every night.

The backcourt is where it’s going to be touch-and-go for the Wine and Gold. Everyone is playing well enough to warrant big minutes, and it would be a crime to cut floor time for, say, Damon Jones or Szczerbiak or Devin Brown.

But the Cavaliers are going to have to make it work. Depth is never a bad thing. But lack of chemistry and cohesion can be.

Danny Ferry has given his long-time friend and confidant the pieces that can hopefully take the Cavaliers to the next level. (There’s only one level left.) Now, Mike Brown can prove all his doubters wrong, make this work, and make another run at the Ring.

Fitting all the pieces of this puzzle together is going to be a problem. But it’s a good one to have heading into the final stage of the regular season.

Class Reunion

2008-03-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knew Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes roots for them to succeed in Chicago and beyond. Media-wise, they were genuine, forthcoming guys – back-to-back winners of Cleveland writers’ prestigious “Austin Carr Award.” Drew Gooden has been here since LeBron’s second season and Larry, through the two postseason years of LBJ’s career.

But certain situations and certain individuals just don’t mesh. If they did, we’d all be married to our first girlfriend.

Hughes and Gooden made their first return since the Feb. 27 blockbuster deal that sent them – along with Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons, who both got DNP-CDs yesterday – to Chicago in exchange for Ben Wallace and Joe Smith. After just over a week, and based on Sunday’s ballgame, it seems like each team is satisfied. Same for the individuals, although Drew seemed a little homesick.

Gooden was constantly in the center of trade rumors, although he was completely content in Cleveland after a nomadic start to his career. Hughes – not so much.

And Larry made no bones that he was glad for the change of scenery.

“I’m happy now,” said the laid-back Hughes, who led Chicago with 23 points on 40 percent shooting. “I’m able to just be me. It’s a fresh place, and it’s a style of play that fits me better. I’m happy. I’m cool with everything.”

Drew had a pretty Drew-like performance, doubling up with 11 and 10. He admitted almost going to the wrong locker room. He got his first start with the Bulls and got a warm reception when he was introduced. “It shows that the fans recognize what I’ve put in here. I might have left, but the banner in the rafters ain’t going nowhere – and I was a part of it.”

Larry didn’t get mauled at The Q like Carlos Boozer does – rightfully so. But Hughes, because of his salary and expectations when he arrived, was booed while he was with the Wine and Gold. He was prepared for the catcalls either way, joking that “if they’re booing now, I’m doing something good.”

Larry was never happy with his role as point guard in Cleveland and he’ll be off the ball for the Bulls. Drew needed to be needed. He’ll get that in Chicago, too.

The always-pragmatic LeBron James put it succinctly before Sunday afternoon’s tip-off. “I had mixed feelings (about the trade), because the guys that I lost, I grew a good bond with those guys,” said James. “But as professionals you have to move on, and we did. And we’re very excited about the guys we have here now.”

Those “guys” had a solid game in the clutch 95-86 win, especially Joe Smith. After going scoreless in the first three quarters, Smith drilled three straight short jumpers as the Cavaliers erased an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Another new guy – Wally Szczerbiak – also had eight points in the fourth. Wally, who became a father for the third time one day earlier, had his best game as a Cavalier, joining LeBron in double-figures with 17 points. For the first time since he arrived from Seattle, Szczerbiak looked like he was having fun.

“I’ve been so amped up and excited for these games that maybe (the birth of his son, Maximus Jack) just slowed me down a little bit,” said the former Miami (OH) star. “There was just so much else going on that I didn’t really press a little too much in the game.”

One major trait that the new infusion of players all share – that perhaps the outgoing players did not share – is “urgency.” The Cavaliers acquired veterans who really want the ring. Ben Wallace has tasted the ultimate success, the other three players have been chasing it, whether it’s been four years (Delonte West), eight years (Szczerbiak) or twelve (Smith).

The Cavaliers are 3-2 since the trade, but they’ve been battling the injury bug that struck once again on Sunday. Already without the services of Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic – both critical to any sort of playoff run – the Cavaliers got news that Zydrunas Ilguaskas will be out at least a week with a strained back.

The Cavaliers play the second of three straight mid-week back-to-backs on the road when they travel to New York to face the Knicks on Wednesday. Cleveland had one of their worst losses of the season at Madison Square Garden back in December.

As for Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes, hopefully the fans didn’t get too sentimental about their return. The Cavaliers will see the Bulls three more times in the next 37 days. And in two of those tilts, Hughes and Gooden will have the sold-out crowd on their side.

Early Returns

2008-02-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

Over this past weekend, there was a tangible energy at The Q and around the city for the Cavaliers that hasn’t been there since the Finals last June. Cleveland was quietly putting together another great season – trade or no trade. But, after Thursday’s blockbuster, it sure feels like there’s renewed juice for the Wine and Gold heading into the homestretch.

Friday’s crowd was off the chain as the Cavaliers turned in one of the more valiant performances of the season. It was an affirmation of their resiliency – knocking off their back-to-back playoff nemeses with eight bodies. After the 90-89 thriller, Coach Mike Brown stated it plainly …

“I’ve said this a million times but LeBron James is the MVP,” said Brown. “I don’t have a strong enough voice, I guess. He was spectacular. He was phenomenal in every category from the offensive end to the defensive end of the floor.”

Kobe Bryant is having another accomplished season and Chris Paul might be having a better one. But nobody has done more heavy lifting than LeBron this year. Night after night, he puts the team on his back and does so selflessly, brilliantly. Even his statistics – which are prolific – don’t tell the full story of why the young King is the league’s best and most valuable player.

Before Thursday’s trade, the Cavaliers had 11 players having missed a combined 120 games this season due to injury. Last week, Daniel Gibson went down for 4-6 weeks and Anderson Varejao hasn’t played since January 27.

But on Sunday, the injury story thankfully went to the back burner. In what would have been a relatively meaningless matchup with Memphis, the new-look Cavaliers breathed new life into their season and the city.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was on hand to witness the fruits of his and the Cavaliers front office’s deadline deal.

“We’re building this into the franchise that people in Cleveland want and deserve,” said Gilbert. “You put in $375 million for a franchise and break even for a couple years, you can’t start getting cheap now. It’s like pounding the rock 99 times and walking away.”

The new Cavaliers were obviously moved by the Wine and Gold welcome. Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West come from a cellar-dweller to a team that is suddenly being mentioned in the same breath as the Celtics and Pistons. (West was shocked at the group of reporters gathered around his locker postgame yesterday. “It’s been like four months since anybody wanted to talk to me,” he joked.)

“I was in the playoffs my first five years in the league, and I wanted to get back there,” beamed Szczerbiak when he arrived on Friday night. “So just by a few minutes at the Trade Deadline, I have the opportunity to get back. And I’m so grateful for it. It’s a blessing and I’m looking forward to working hard and taking advantage of it.”

The Seattle duo didn’t fare as well as their counterparts from Chicago, but still had some nice moments. West was 2-for-12 from the floor but still managed six dimes, including a sweet alley-oop to LeBron. Wally was 2-for-4 from beyond the arc, netting 10 points off the bench.

The Chicago side of the blockbuster deal was as advertised or better. Ben Wallace and Joe Smith were a combined 11-for-14 from the floor. Wallace scored a season-high 12 points – most on uncontested dunks – and doubled-up with 10 boards. Big Ben has a new lease on life without having to play straight center.

“In Chicago, I was locked at the ‘5’ all the time, not having the opportunity to get out on the floor and disrupt the offense,” said Wallace. “I think that’s one of my strengths. Now I’m going to have that opportunity.”

For all the dunks and rebounds Wallace netted on Sunday, a five-second backcourt call might have gotten him more amped than anything else.

Joe Smith was all smiles from the minute he emerged from the locker room and his Cleveland reception – (and in-game production) – kept that grin on the 12-year veteran’s face all night.

“Man I had a lot of fun,” said Smith. “I always try to play with a smile on my face but tonight I couldn’t help but to laugh a few times. I had a lot of fun out there on the floor and playing with guys like LeBron makes the game so much easier, it makes the game fun.”

Of course, it won’t always be this smooth for the new-look Cavaliers. A lot of teams have found their chemistry against the 14-42 Grizzlies. Against the 42-12 Boston Celtics – who the Wine and Gold face on Wednesday – not so much.

The Cavaliers will face the Celtics just once more. But they’ll see Detroit three more times this season, and Chicago, four more.

All three opponents should provide some major fireworks – especially the battles with the Bulls.

On Sunday night, Larry Hughes and a headband-less Drew Gooden made their debuts for Chicago. Hughes was 6-for-11 for 13 points; Gooden 4-for-11 for 12 points and eight boards. Both players came off the bench.

Compared to the quotes from the new Cavaliers and their teammates, Chicago’s Ben Gordon had this to say about his five-point performance in the Bull’s 13-point loss to Houston, the league’s hottest team.

"We've got new guys in and there wasn't much chemistry," said Gordon. "It was difficult and a tough night for me to get my rhythm."

Something tells me Gordon will find that rhythm when he and his new teammates square off against the Wine and Gold. The first meeting with the Bulls is an afternoon affair on March 2 at The Q. The two clash four days later in the Windy City.

The Cavaliers have two big Eastern Conference road games and a matchup with Minnesota on Friday in Cleveland to worry about before squaring off against their old friends. And despite Sunday’s blowout over Memphis, there are plenty of kinks to work out. Of course, having LeBron smoothes out some rough edges.

Before yesterday’s ballgame, one reporter (began to) ask LeBron: “If this deal doesn’t work out …” but that’s as far as the question got before being stopped cold by James.

“It’s going to work,” he asserted. (And the man is nothing, if not assertive.)

The second game in the new era of Cavaliers basketball tips off on Tuesday. Stay tuned – this season is just getting good.

New Faces, Changing Places

2008-02-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

Friday night’s matchup against the Wizards will definitely be a surreal experience. After shipping out six players in Thursday’s mammoth trade, the Cavaliers will have the league-minimum eight players dressed, including a pair of NBDL call-ups: Kaniel Dickens – a “stretch four” – and shooting guard, Billy Thomas.

The newest Cavaliers – Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Delonte West – might be in uniform as early as Sunday night’s game against Memphis. The quartet, as well as all the players Cleveland traded on Thursday, will have to pass their physicals before they can suit up.

The city is still abuzz over Danny Ferry’s bold move. And even some of the remaining Cavaliers were taken aback by the deadline deal.

“Me and my sons were watching it – and they kind of get excited about hearing names – going and coming,” said Eric Snow, who will get the starting nod at point on Friday. “It was fun to see that with them. But also, this is an exciting time of the year. You’ve got a team that’s trying to win the Championship, and we’re trying to put the pieces together that’s going to help us accomplish that goal.

“You have to support it and embrace it and get ready for the stretch run.”

For all the money and glory, the trade deadline can be tough on players. They still have to uproot their families – sometimes in the middle of the school year at a moment’s notice. And for players like Donyell Marshall and Ira Newble, they go from a club that was contending for an NBA title to a team that’s in a self-induced implosion and aiming towards the lottery.

“I was sad to see those guys go because we had some good times, some good teams and they were good guys,” said Zydrunas Ilgauskas. “But also, we added some good players and now it’s just a question of how we’re going to mesh together and play as a unit.”

The Cavaliers are getting solid, playoff-tested veterans – which will help greatly with their assimilation. Delonte West will probably have the longest adjustment period, simply because of his age and the position he plays. And Mike Brown has already intimated that Snow and LeBron James will be handling “assistant coaching” duties on the fly. But overall, getting the new Cavaliers up to speed doesn’t seem like a huge concern.

“We’re getting veteran guys, here,” added Ilgauskas. “We’re not trying to send a man to the moon – it’s not NASA. At the end of the day, it’s still pick-and-roll, rebounding, defending. Obviously they have to learn the plays and that could take a little bit, but we all run similar plays and everyone here knows where the ball goes in the fourth quarter.”

In the meantime, it’s going to be a skeleton crew for the Wine and Gold. Billy Thomas, who played a little with the Wizards and averaged 15.7 ppg with the Colorado 14ers in the D-League, will get his shot playing next to LeBron – and he hopes to make the most out of the audition.

“Having only eight healthy bodies for tonight, the coaches made a point to me not to do much thinking, just go out and play basketball the way I was blessed to play,” said Thomas. “And that’s the way I’m going to approach it.”

The new Cavaliers will be on the North Coast soon enough and will probably get in a practice on Saturday before seeing action on the floor of The Q. Anderson Varejao – depending on how he feels during that practice – may join his new mates on Sunday night.

“I talked to ‘Debo’ – that’s my nickname (for Wallace) they called him ‘The Body’ in Detroit – last night and told him we were going to be shorthanded tonight,” quipped an obviously excited Coach Brown. “And he said, ‘I know, Coach. I tried to come out and get my physical today, but they wouldn’t let me.’ But, I know as soon as (the new guys) are ready, they’ll be in uniform.”

Musings from the Mid-Season Classic

2008-02-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

The mid-season classic has come and gone and the Wine and Gold will be getting it back together on Tuesday night. Here’s just a few random notes from All-Star Weekend and Sunday’s All-Star Game …

Even in his absence, Shaquille O’Neal is larger than life. Of all the superstars that took part in the weekend – including major heavyweights like LeBron, Kobe and Allen Iverson – the Big Aristotle was conspicuous by his absence. A hip injury that sidelined him for a good part of the first half eventually derailed his record-tying 14-year run.

“We miss him a lot,” said James. “This is my fifth year as part of All-Star Weekend and his comedy and his pizzazz and everything he brings to All-Star Weekend is being missed. We wish he was here, even if he wasn’t part of the game, just to keep us laughing and level-headed.”

But the newly-self-dubbed “Big Cactus” won’t be out of the spotlight for long. On Wednesday night, probably the most eagerly-anticipated game of the NBA season tips-off in Phoenix as the Diesel plays his first game as a Sun against Kobe and the Lakers.

Almost as strange as Shaq’s absence was the lack of anything Nike down in New Orleans. Unlike adidas signage, which towered along buildings throughout the city, the ubiquitous swoosh was nowhere to be seen over All-Star Weekend. Instead of spending money on advertising, Nike chose to put that money in Katrina rebuilding efforts.

This is how nicknames are made. “Thunder” and “Man-Child” were never really fitting for Orlando’s superstar, Dwight Howard. After his high-flying dunk on Saturday night, the fourth-year forward from Georgia will be forever linked to “Superman.”

(Personally, I still think Gerald Green’s dunks were more impressive. Prop-wise, the “cupcake dunk” was spectacular. And the shoeless throw-down was as impressive if not more. “I don’t think people realize how hard of a dunk that was,” said Kevin Garnett. “He didn’t just go up and dunk the ball barefooted. He went up and threw it between his legs and dunked. Half of the league can’t dunk between their legs, let alone do it in socks.”)

But Gerald Green is Gerald Green – toiling on one of the league’s bottom-feeders – and Howard is one of the faces of the NBA. His development as not just a player, but as an NBA celebrity, was tangible this weekend in Atlanta. Until recently, Howard was one of the more obscure stars in the league. But he’s obviously growing into his superstardom.

LeBron James is the league’s rock star. No player elicits the crowd reaction like the Cavaliers’ young King. It’s always interesting to see which non-local player gets the biggest ovation when they’re introduced; and on Sunday night, it was LeBron. Close behind was the polarizing Kobe Bryant, who got a huge ovation and also a fairly sizeable smattering of boos. Bryant – who came into the game with an injured pinky – played just 2:52 seconds.

With 10:14 remaining in the fourth quarter, the referees actually called a player (Carlos Boozer) for traveling. And yes, that is noteworthy in an All-Star Game.

As much as this might cheese off Cavalier fans reading – it’s obvious after seeing the pair over the course of the weekend that Jason Kidd and LeBron James have a natural chemistry both and off the court.

Charles Barkley didn’t create headlines this year for racing referee, Dick Bavetta, but he did create headlines when he announced that he’s going to run for the Governor or Alabama in 2014 and that Conservatives are “fake Christians.”

As you might expect from a an All-Star Game in New Orleans, Sunday’s game had some of the best musical acts and performances of any contest in recent memory. The National Anthem, performed by Branford Marsalis, Stephanie Jordan and Jonathan Dubose might have been the best since Marvin Gaye’s in 1983.

The Rebirth Brass Band – whose performance I accidentally caught while stumbling around the French Quarter on Friday night – blew it up for player introductions. Harry Connick’s halftime number was outstanding, as was Dr. John’s version of “What a Wonderful World” on Saturday night.

Dwyane Wade – one of the league’s premier talents – has really fallen off the radar in terms of the league’s zeitgeist. Wade was once on LeBron’s level, popularity-wise. But being on the NBA’s worst club at 9-41, and without the benefit of Shaquille O’Neal to ease double-teams, it could be a while before Wade’s star returns to its former flash.

“He’s seen the highest level of success and the lowest point, being the worst team in the league,” said close friend, LeBron James. “They’re just going to have to rebuild for next season. It’s tough – as a friend – watching him go out there and give it is all every night and have them still come up short.”

On Sunday, the league celebrated the 57th anniversary of the mid-season classic. The date – (February 17) – also marks the 45th birthday of arguably the greatest basketball player in the game’s history, Michael Jordan.

Every Cavalier fan knows that LeBron chose No. 23 because of Jordan, but not everyone knows why Jordan originally chose that number. His favorite number had always been No. 45 – which he wore for 22 games in 1995. In high school, Michael couldn’t wear it because it was his brother, Larry’s. So he took half of that number (22 ½) and rounded up to No. 23.

When the smoke clears and everyone returns from the All-Star break, the Cavaliers – who began the month of February 4-3 after going 11-3 in January – play three games in four nights. They start the second half a full ten games behind the Pistons, who ran off 10 straight wins before the break.

The Cavaliers welcome the Houston Rockets to The Q on their first night back. Cleveland dropped a 92-77 decision to Yao Ming and Co. less than two weeks ago, but that was without the power forward combo of Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao. Gooden will be back in action on Tuesday. The Wild Thing might be, too.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night

2008-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

Boobie’s incredible run almost continued to roll on All-Star Saturday night, but he was going up against a force of nature in the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout.

Daniel Gibson – the MVP of the Rookie Challenge on Friday night – took reigning champion, Jason Kapono, to the limit. But the Cavaliers’ sanguine sophomore fell in the final round by a final score of 25-17. Gibson scored 17 points in each round, finished strong in each round and consistently canned the money ball.

But Kapono – the man selected by Cleveland in the second round of the “LeBron James Draft” of 2004 – set a record with his 25-point performance and defended his title from one year ago.

“I don’t know where I’m going to put it,” said the laid back former Bruin. “I’m thinking the bathroom or something. Maybe every time I take a shower or I go in and brush my teeth, I’ll start my day out staring at this beautiful trophy right here.”

All-Star Weekend is much about the fashion, fun and pageantry as it is the actual game. Of course, the nattily-dressed LeBron James is always a trendsetter in this area. He crushed it again on All-Star Saturday night – sitting courtside, rocking an open-collared shirt and a three-quarter length trench coat.

One of the more surreal experiences of the weekend was media dining in the Superdome.

Because of the influx of media from all over the world, New Orleans Arena used an area where the field would be in the Superdome – which is right across the street – for the media mess hall. It’s strange, not just because you’re eating this tiny meal in the midst of the cavernous, empty 70,000-seat stadium, but also because of the memories of what the Superdome was like after Katrina – and all the history and heartbreak related to it.

Some of the celebrities on-hand for All-Star Saturday night were Chris Tucker, Alyssa Milano, Terrell Owens, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and of course, Harry Connick, Jr.

Not to be outdone in the wardrobe department, Damon Jones was sporting a wine velvet sport coat and matching striped tie, and sat directly across from LeBron, flanked by – among others – Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Bosh, and the Junkyard Dog, Jerome Williams.

The Sprite Slam Dunk contest had its moments. The problem with the competition is sometimes the best dunks are done in the earlier rounds. Orlando’s Dwight Howard won the competition – mostly due to his “Superman” dunk in which he donned a cape and literally threw the ball down through the hoop.

Gerald Green finished second, but had maybe the best dunk of the night, when he put a lit cupcake on the rim and blew it out after doing a between-the-legs dunk. Green finished with an anti-climatic dunk in his socks and Howard took home the trophy.

Man vs. Media

2008-02-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

Usually, the mid-season classic’s media availability doesn’t end with LeBron James scraping paint off windows. But based on the first official afternoon of All-Star Weekend, the New Orleans experience could be a little out of the ordinary.

As he has for the last four years, the starting small forward for the Eastern Conference’s All-Star squad took questions from media – local, regional, international – handling the rapid-fire questions with the same deft touch that he handles foes in the fourth quarter. (Even the crazy Canadian reporter, who annually grills each of the All-Stars with an absurd line of questioning. This year, he asked LeBron if “he was (his) high school’s prom king” and if he “could be LeBron’s friend.” LeBron politely answered, “No.”)

Of course, King James was barraged with questions about the Jason Kidd trade and trades in general. And each time he fended the questioner off.

When asked if he was getting frustrated, LeBron responded: “At times it can be frustrating. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that I have teammates around me that are going to play hard for me every night – and I’m going to do the same for them.

“You see the big-name players move around and you wish you could grab a Pau Gasol or a Jason Kidd or a Shaquille O’Neal – of course. But at the same time, that’s not going to take away the fact that I love my teammates and I’m going to play hard every night that I go out there.”

About the only series of questions that got the former St. Vincent-St. Mary’s star’s Irish up was when he was asked more than once about whether or not the Cavaliers can beat the Celtics.

“They gotta beat us! Why does everyone say we have to beat the Celtics? We’re the Eastern Conference Champions. At one point, we’re going to get a little respect. I’m sick of hearing about everybody else. We hold the title right now. We hold the title in the Eastern Conference and San Antonio holds the title for the league.

“’We’re not that good’ – that’s what everybody says. We ‘didn’t beat Detroit – Detroit beat themselves.’ That’s all we were hearing. ‘Washington was without their key guys,’ ‘New Jersey didn’t play up to their capabilities.’ Enough Cavaliers talk, now. I’m only talking about All-Star Weekend – now you guys got me upset.

After his media session, LeBron got on a bus headed for the Holy Cross neighborhood where he and some NBA heavyweights – including Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Bosh – pitched in with a hands-on effort to improve the devastated neighborhood.

As far as LeBron’s sparring session with the media, here are some of the other highlights …

On the vetoed trade with Jason Kidd and where that leaves him for All-Star Weekend: “I told him (Kidd) he should spend 30 minutes in Western Conference meetings and 30 minutes in Eastern Conference meetings. He’s with us now, but after halftime he might go play for the West.”

On Daniel Gibson’s succecss: “He’s a second round draft pick. You’d never imagine a second-rounder would be in the position Daniel’s in – going to the Finals in his rookie year and now being part of All-Star Weekend in his second. I’ve tried to be a mentor to him and he’s listened. Now he’s in a position where he can succeed.

On giving Gibson shooting pointers for the three-point contest: “He’s giving me pointers! He shoots the ball better than I do.”

On Nike spending potential advertising money into the community instead of on billboards: “We know that All-Star Weekend the NBA is sponsored by adidas and they’re going to feature their guys – Dwight and KG and Tim Duncan. The Nike swoosh speaks for itself; we don’t need big billboards around the city of New Orleans. We did our thing by giving money back to the community.”

On how much he respect he has for soldiers in Iraq: “Everybody focuses on the game of basketball so much and someone asked me who are the bigger heroes – us as NBA players or the soldiers in Iraq, and I said the soldiers in Iraq. What they do for our country is unbelievable. They allow us to be here for All-Star Weekend, because they protect us on a daily basis. They get up at 5 o’clock in the morning and protect everyone that’s here – you guys in the media, us players and our families.”

On the Phoenix Suns playing an outdoor preseason game and whether he’d like to be part of it: “That would be extremely fun. Try something different – have a preseason game outside. That would be fun. My whole life I played basketball outside and it was always fun. It doesn’t’ get any better than that. You’re not closed in – you feel free. I know that game’s not being played in Cleveland.”

On seeing Dwayne Wade and his Heat struggling: “It’s very tough. Because I know what a competitor he is. I know he plays through injuries a lot more than other players in this league. He’s seen the highest level of success and the lowest point, being the worst team in the league. They’re just going to have to rebuild for next season. It’s tough – as a friend – watching him go out there and give it is all every night and have them still come up short.”

On Boobie borrowing LeBron’s stylist for All-Star Weekend: “He can’t afford my stylist. But he will! If he keeps listening to me, in a year or two he’ll be able to afford my stylist.”

On what’s in the creative pipeline for Nike and the future of The LeBrons: “What we did with Nike, we wanted to get back to the basketball side of things. That’s where I came up with my commercial where I’m in slow motion. Getting back to more basketball and get kids focused on the game. The LeBron’s aren’t dead; they just took a vacation.”

…and finally, from our favorite reporter from North of the Border …

Can you help me become popular: No.

Barrelling Towards the Break

2008-02-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

It was late Friday afternoon before the Cavaliers rolled back into town and several of them, including LeBron James and Daniel Gibson, said that Saturday’s game felt like another road game. They looked like it in the first half. And, the way they’ve been playing on the road, it looked like it in the second half.

The Cavaliers are now 14-4 since Christmas Day and are still the hottest club in the league. In that stretch, they’ve beaten the Mavericks, Spurs, Lakers and Blazers in their gyms. They’ve gone 7-1 at home, including Saturday night’s two-touchdown win over the shorthanded Clippers.

Cleveland’s frontline was dominant, led by LeBron James – who turns in so many spectacular performances that a 28-point, 11-rebound, seven-assist effort seems pretty normal. Since his mortal performance in the season opener against Dallas, LeBron has been the league’s best player and his prolific performance in Portland solidified his status as the front-runner for MVP. (Holding Kobe to 1-for-7 in the fourth quarter one game earlier set him up for the top spot.)

In Sunday’s thriller in Los Angeles, LeBron passed Mark Price and moved into third place on the all-time franchise scoring list and against Portland, he passed John Bagley and is now second all-time in assists.

LeBron has been dominant in the fourth quarter on both sides of the ball, clamping down on the opposition’s best player while carrying the scoring load.

“That was one of my goals coming into the year,” said James following Saturday’s win. “I wanted to become a better defensive player. That’s where it starts in the game and closes games in the fourth quarter.”

The Conference’s Player of the Month leads the league in fourth quarter scoring and in 13 games in January, averaged 32.8 points, 9.2 boards and 6.4 assists per contest.

(Just as an aside: Remember when the knock on LeBron was that he couldn’t hit the clutch shot?)

The trio of LeBron, Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been the Cavaliers’ strong suit all season. They’ve got 52 double-doubles between them – Z leading the way with 21. (Drew, 16; LeBron, 15). On Saturday night, they accounted for 64 of the Wine and Gold’s 98 points and 36 of their 50 rebounds.

With Sasha Pavlovic on the shelf, Larry Hughes has stepped up his game, averaging 17.4 ppg – on 41 percent shooting – over the last five games.

The bench has been strong, despite losing Anderson Varejao until some time after the All-Star break. Daniel Gibson is averaging 11.8 ppg, is fourth in the league from beyond the arc and should be a lock for the Three-Point ShootOut. The sophomore from Texas with a million-dollar smile has the perfect demeanor for the contest. He’s canned three or more three-pointers in 19 games this season.

“All (Gibson) needs is a fraction of a second to get that shot off and no matter where he is, it’s good,” praised Coach Mike Brown, before adding,”Mr. Stern and Mr. Jackson, if you guys are watching, I don’t know if you’ve made your selection yet, but he’s a very good three-point shooter and would really make that contest interesting.”

Damon Jones has provided leadership and scoring punch, Devin Brown has been the squad’s Swiss army knife and the rugged Dwayne Jones has been Dwayne Jones – not exactly the charge-taking type in Anderson’s absence.

All these accomplishments will be put to the test before the Cavaliers reach the All-Star break.

The league’s top team rolls into The Q on Tuesday night, as the Big Three come to Cleveland. The Cavaliers handed the Celtics their second loss of the season in an overtime thriller on November 27. Boston got their revenge, holding a LeBron-less Cavalier club to 70 points on December 2 in Beantown.

It doesn’t get much easier from there until the break, either. This week they visit the Western Conference for the final time when they face Yao Ming and the Rockets in H-town. The next night, Cleveland travels to Atlanta, where they’ve already dropped the second-half of a back-to-back. They’ve got a Denver team that LeBron is 2-7 career against, the Magic in Orlando and the Spurs at The Q in the final game before the mid-season classic.

So basically, it ain’t going to be easy. But that’s nothing new for these Cardiac Cavaliers. The season gets more interesting with every turn, and there are plenty of turns left before the break rolls around in less than two weeks.

Don't Call It a Comeback

2008-01-22T00:52:00.000-08:00

Don’t look now, but the Cavaliers – who took their share of lumps on the court and in the press throughout December – are now the hottest team in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland’s run began on Christmas Day against Miami and continued on the Heat’s home floor on Monday night. The Cavaliers have now won three straight road games, four straight overall, and ten of their last twelve. The Cavaliers have beaten struggling teams like the Sonics and Kings at The Q and heavyweights like the Mavericks and Spurs in their own gyms in Texas.

Boston got off the big start but dropped three of four last week and the cooling Pistons seem to be the only club that can’t figure out the Bulls, dropping their third game to Chicago this season on Saturday night. Detroit lost a heart-breaker to Orlando on Monday night and their once seemingly-insurmountable Central Division lead over the Cavaliers is now six games.

The obvious reason for the Cavaliers’ resurgence has been their attention to the defensive end of the floor – and, of course, LeBron James’ total brilliance – but another huge reason has been the play of their bench. And more specifically, the presence of Anderson Varejao, whose return has breathed life into a second unit that’s been every bit as effective as Cleveland’s starters.

Over his last 13 games, the Wild Thing is averaging 9.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in just over 30 minutes per contest. He was huge in last week’s win in San Antonio, netting his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 boards. But Anderson’s game can really never be defined by sheer numbers. His frenetic style and relentless hustle infused a much-needed lift to a listless team in mid-December.

But it’s been more than just Varejao. Daniel Gibson continues to impress and has put any thought of a sophomore slump to rest with his consistently strong play. Among all second-year players, his scoring increase from 4.6 ppg to 12.4 ppg (7.8) puts him fourth in the league. He still ranks third in the NBA from beyond the arc, and it would be a crime if he was not invited to participate in the three-point shootout over All-Star Weekend in New Orleans.

Devin Brown has proven to be a huge pickup by Danny Ferry, who tabbed the tough-as-nails veteran on the weekend before Training Camp opened. Brown’s versatility gives Coach Mike Brown several options off the bench. He handles the ball and runs the floor like a guard but can get down and dirty defending either forward position. Whether Coach Brown wants to go with a big lineup or a small one, Devin can find a way to get on the floor.

But maybe the most pleasant surprise from the bench comes in the person of Damon Jones, who looked left for dead when he wound up in the doghouse after a Christmas Day flare-up near the end of a Cavaliers’ win over the Heat. He hadn’t played in a game since December 19 when he got the call against Toronto on January 6, and he hasn’t looked back. Including Monday night’s victory over the Heat, Jones is 13-for-21 from the floor – including 8-for-12 from three-point range over his last five.

With starters Sasha Pavlovic and Larry Hughes struggling to find their shooting consistency, the bench has been the key element to the Cavaliers’ success. Donyell Marshall is just about ready to return to the active roster, but the Wine and Gold are taking their time bringing him back. After all, why mess with success?

The Cavaliers won’t have the luxury of resting on their recent good fortunes any time soon, however. The Wizards – every bit as hot as Cleveland – come to town on Wednesday and the high-octane Suns roll in for a Friday night affair. After that, it’s back on the road for three more on the West Coast, including a marquee matchup on Sunday afternoon against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in Tinseltown.

Waiting is the Hardest Part

2007-12-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

The bad news is that the Cavaliers have dropped five straight – their longest skein in almost two years. The good news is that help is on the way.

After a brutal first month of the season, Cleveland gets a nice little break here at the beginning of December. (They need it.) Between today and next Thursday, they play a total of two games – and could have two or three of their key players back in uniform when they return to The Q on Tuesday night.

Coach Brown has said – since last Friday – that if these were playoff games, LeBron James would be in uniform. But the organization also knows that this team is built for the bigger picture and, rather than risk a nagging injury that could return, it’s best for the Cavaliers to take their lumps now and have a healthy James later.

LeBron’s absence is as much a testament that he’s the league’s Most Valuable Player as his presence. And it’s not all about wins and losses or LeBron’s personal numbers, either. The reason James is so incredibly valuable – as it always has been – is what he does for his teammates.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas – just to cite one example – looked rejuvenated to start the year, hitting the 18-footer off the pick-and-pop with LeBron. Over the last five contests, however, he’s averaging just eight shots a game.

What’s been most frustrating to Mike Brown through LeBron’s injury is that in the past, when James went down, the team would dig for something extra. They were 9-3 without him before this year, and looked to have a chip on their shoulder without LeBron. This year, it’s been just the opposite.

Brown was wearing that frustration on Tuesday night.

“Obviously if LeBron plays, we’re a lot better team – he does a lot for us,” said Brown. “I know for a fact that we’ve won ballgames without LeBron. Do I want to be without LeBron for a long time let alone one game? No sir. But LeBron is human; he’s got to rest, and if he’s out, we’ve got to at least fight. Against Boston I thought we fought. Against Toronto we didn’t defend. Against Detroit I thought everybody came out in the second half and tried to do it on their own. Tonight we flat out gave in.”

The Cavaliers showed more fight against Washington, but it took them falling into a 28-point hole to do so.

That fight that Mike Brown was talking about will return when Anderson Varejao gets back to form. An unfortunate effect of his contract holdout was that people focused solely on Andy’s numbers. But his contribution can’t always be measured by points or rebounds. His contributions are intangible: energy, heart, hustle, extra possessions, frustrating the opponent. These contributions sound trivial – until you’re not getting them.

Losing streak aside, there have been positives from the last few games. Shannon Brown has looked really good, averaging 16.5 ppg over the last two contests. I realize the word “showcase” has been used to describe his last two starts. That’s a front office issue, but it sure would be tough to lose a player with such unlimited athletic potential. The mental mistakes will fade with experience.

Ira Newble has done yeoman’s work on both ends of the floor and Dwayne Jones, whose minutes will diminish with Anderson’s arrival, has shown that he’s a legitimate NBA big man. He’s got limitations – especially on offense – but provided some toughness to a team in desperate need of it.

Larry Hughes has struggled to stay healthy since his arrival in Cleveland, but when he’s got his game working, is a valuable piece of the puzzle. He worked out on Tuesday morning and could practice when the Cavaliers take the floor at CCC on Friday.

“It’s frustrating, but I’m trying not to get down,” said Hughes after Tuesday’s shoot around. “I always have to look at things positively, knowing that I’m doing everything I can do to get my body ready to work on my basketball skills. But (injuries) happen – I don’t know why and I don’t really want to ask why – but I just have to keep pushing through it.”

The Cavaliers are close to getting their regular unit back together. They’re a team built for spring basketball, not December. Hopefully, Danny Ferry and Mike Brown are building for, what Austin Carr calls, “the crescendo.” In the meantime, the Wine and Gold have a get-well game to prepare for against a team with a longer losing streak than them.

Wine and Gold, Under the Weather

2007-11-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

The Cavaliers got a rude awakening in their first game back from their longest road trip of the season on Wednesday night. The Magic hung 117 points on the Wine and Gold, and LeBron’s second triple-double of the season was, once again, obscured by a heartbreaking loss.

LeBron put up numbers on Wednesday – as he did last week in Utah – that have stood for 40 years and were last accomplished by players named Baylor and Chamberlain. And people can say what they want about the foul that wasn’t called on the last play, but the Cavaliers had their chances to win it before that jump ball.

“I never get into referee battles,” said a subdued James following the OT loss. “I think we had opportunities to win the ballgame and they made more plays than us. It is as simple as that. I’ve always been a no excuse guy and I voice my opinion throughout the course of the game, but after the game I don’t need to go after them.”

Right now, the Cavaliers are a beat up team. Fans can say what they want about chartered flights and luxury hotels, but the travel numbers add up no matter how you slice it. In the past month, the Cavaliers have traveled 23,500 miles, taken 13 flights, played 12 games in 11 cities, and stayed in 10 hotels while visiting four different time zones.

They’ve been without Eric Snow all season and Donyell Marshall for most of it. LeBron, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and and Damon Jones were all nicked-up on Wednesday. Larry Hughes will miss at least a month. Sasha Pavlovic’s NBA body-clock is still in preseason and Anderson Varejao is still M.I.A.

The result is a 4-5 record.

The Cavaliers have been kept afloat by their starting frontline. Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are the only pair of teammates in the league each averaging a double-double. Gooden’s averaging 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest and Z is going at a clip of 15.9 and 12.1. And LeBron has been off the charts all year and would easily be the early favorite for MVP if not for Kevin Garnett’s performance paired with Boston’s record.

The backcourt, on the other hand, has been erratic, at best. Between injuries and an ejection, Hughes simply has not found his rhythm, shooting 29 percent from the floor and averaging 6.8 ppg – over eight points below his career average. Pavlovic is right at his career average of 5.8 ppg, but he’s shooting 28 percent from the floor and has broken double-figures once – a 17-point effort in Utah, with all 17 coming in the first half.

Mike Brown’s defensive mettle has been tested lately, too. The Cavaliers gave up 122 points in Denver and 117 more to the Magic. For their troubles, they get a matchup with the league’s highest scoring team (Utah – 109.6 ppg) on Friday night.

Let’s see what LeBron can pull out of his hat when C-Booz and Co. roll into The Q. The two squads passed like ships in the night at the Cleveland Clinic Courts on Thursday afternoon, but it’ll be up-close-and-personal when the popcorn starts popping on Friday.

Pick Up the Pieces

2007-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

The ink was flying around Independence on Thursday in what’s already been a pretty dramatic fall in Cavaliers’ camp. Sasha Pavlovic ended his hold-out, signing a multi-year deal to remain with the team that he’s started 56 games since coming over from Utah before the 2004-05 season.

The Wine and Gold also extended a player from the 2006 Draft – but not their pick – when they exercised the third-year contract option on forward Cedric Simmons. Cleveland did not make the same deal with guard Shannon Brown, who the Cavaliers chose with the 25th overall pick two summers ago, declining his third-year option.

Brown – who’s averaged 3.0 ppg in 24 contests in Cleveland – will be become unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

“We really like Shannon,” said GM Danny Ferry following Cavs practice on Thursday. “At this point, we haven’t used him a whole lot. This is the right decision for now and something we can re-address at the end of the year.”

Ferry has been put in some tough contract issues this off-season. “None of these decisions are simple,” he added. “And this is definitely one of these.”

When asked about Shannon’s contract issues, LeBron James said, “I don’t want to get involved in that (stuff). I just went through that with Andy and Sasha. When I become a GM later in life, then I can answer all those questions. But now I’m good.”

Pavlovic’s signing comes just in time for a team that is in desperate need of a spark – not to mention some firepower off the bench. He may or may not be in uniform when the Cavaliers welcome the Knicks to town on Friday in the final home game before hitting the West Coast for six games in eight nights. In fact, Ferry saw him as “Doubtful” – with a twist.

“I would list him as ‘Doubtful’ – not due to injury. Due to immigration.”

Sasha is not above the international red tape that’s required, even to play professional basketball in this country. Pavlovic had to go to Toronto on Friday after Buffalo on Thursday. It’s all “planes, trains and automobiles” and “VISA stuff” before Sasha can suit up with the Cavaliers.

He’ll be a big lift for a team that needs it. The Cavaliers were 20-8 in games he started late last season. he averaged 12.7 points and three boards per game in that stretch and netted double figures in eight of the Cavs’ 20 Playoff games. His defense in the postseason was markedly improved.

Unfortunately, the other half of the holdout imbroglio is still on hold.

“On the Varejao issue, nothing has changed,” said Ferry. “He’s a guy we respect and like and would like to have back with our team. We’ve made – I think – fair proposals, several times. And we have to make decisions not just for the short term, but for the long term of this franchise. And that’s the process we’re going with in this situation with Anderson.”

Now that at least one of the contract situations is settled, the Cavaliers can continue to work through their on-court problems. They know that Friday night’s game against a new-and-improved New York team is critical. And LeBron knows that he can’t have a scoreless first half like he did on Wednesday if the Cavaliers are going to have a chance to get into the win column.

“I’m going to definitely put a little more emphasis on offensive end tomorrow,” LeBron asserted. “Try to get it going for us, early. And see how my teammates react.”

Stay tuned …

Putting Preseason in the Past

2007-10-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

“The season starts next Wednesday, so we need to either get it together or keep getting blown out some more,” said LeBron James after Friday night’s thumping in Boston. “That’s as simple as it is, either get it together or get blown out.”

The Chosen One is very good at many things. Sugar-coating the truth is not one of them.

The Cavaliers dropped their final exhibition game on Friday – once again in ignominious fashion – and their leader is rightfully concerned. The Wine and Gold went 2-6 in last year’s preseason, but they had all their pieces parts and didn’t have the pressure of being Eastern Conference Champs.

Only a pair of Dwayne Jones free throws have kept the Cavaliers from going winless in October. And Cleveland has lost its last two games – including Thursday’s drubbing in Toronto – by a combined 58 points. On Friday night, in what should have been a pretty convincing tune-up, Mike Brown’s club was out-hustled and out-muscled – giving up 62 points in the paint and allowing the new-look C’s to shoot 60 percent from the floor. They had ten turnovers in a single quarter and made Big Baby Davis look like Big Bill Russell.

Cleveland finished the preseason as the lowest-scoring club in the league, averaging a paltry 83.6 points per contest. The Cavaliers were also the only club to finish the exhibition schedule with a shooting percentage under 40 percent – (.394).

Is all this reason to panic? Of course not. As noted, the Cavaliers didn’t light the world on fire last October. Atlanta finished 7-1 and it’s doubtful that they’ll win at an .875 clip this year; Miami was 0-7.

But the Cavaliers struggles can’t be easily dismissed either. Their second unit has been listless and point guards have devoured Cleveland in the paint. They ranked near the bottom of the league in turnovers, three-point shooting and assists. Dwayne Jones – who played in four games and was inactive for 73 – has been their most effective big off the bench.

“I think we are still a good team, its just about finding our niche, finding our stride,” said Larry Hughes. “And hopefully we can get that done sooner than later. We are still focused on being a good team.”

It doesn’t get much easier for the Wine and Gold. In fact, it gets much more difficult in the coming days and weeks. After facing off against the heavyweight Mavericks in Wednesday’s home opener, they welcome in the Knicks – who always play the Cavaliers tough, with or without Zach Randolph. After that, it’s six out West, including games against the Suns, Jazz and Nuggets.

Neither side has budged in the contract imbroglios of Anderson Varejao or Sasha Pavlovic, and Devin Brown and Cedric Simmons haven’t exactly made fans forget about either one, either. Teams are making their final cuts, and someone could shake loose that could help. Juwan Howard recently accepted a buyout from the Timberwolves and Cleveland is on his short list of destinations. Local product, Earl Boykins, remains unsigned.

In the meantime, Mike Brown needs to fix the problems he’s having with the men he’s got in his locker room. Boston killed the Cavaliers in the paint and Toronto did them in from long range. His offense isn’t scoring and his second unit – save Damon Jones – has shown little signs of life.

It’s not all bad. LeBron James and Larry Hughes look like they’ve improved their jumpers from last season. Daniel Gibson continues to grow and Shannon Brown – despite a spate of preseason turnovers – looks ready to contribute.

But the Cavaliers need to get the entire team on the same page come Wednesday night. It would have taken a big effort to beat the Mavericks with the squad at full-strength; without them, it might take something superhuman.

Luckily, superhuman effort is one of those previously mentioned things that LeBron James is very good at.

The Cavaliers released two over the weekend: guard Hassan Adams and forward Darius Rice. Adams – a former second-rounder with New Jersey – had flashes but couldn’t crack the guard rotation behind Devin Brown and Shannon Brown. Rice – who was impressive with Wine and Gold in Summer League – got off to a slow start and never quite caught up.

Missing Persons

2007-10-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

After eight days on the open road, the Cavaliers returned to Cleveland Clinic Courts on Monday morning for a short practice, if for no other reason than to get back into some sort of a routine before their final two exhibition games – a back-to-back against Toronto and Boston to wrap up the preseason.

Not all the players were overjoyed with a return to the practice court after the extended Asian sojourn. Back in the days of John Lucas or even Paul Silas, guys could catch more of a break. Sometimes, practice would get cancelled or cut short if someone could make a half-court shot. Mike Brown doesn’t swing that way.

There was definitely a tangible relief to get back to the business of basketball. The players’ body-clocks still aren’t totally synchronized – everyone (except Drew Gooden) mentioned that they’re sleep patterns were off and several players, including Shannon Brown and Donyell Marshall, have talked about losing weight.

But with the season opener just over one week away, the Eastern Conference Champs are still lacking an identity. And most of that can be attributed to the state of flux caused by the extended holdouts of Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic.

Sasha’s absence has been mitigated by the play of Shannon Brown, who looks more comfortable with each passing preseason game. He’s averaging 12 ppg despite shooting just 37 percent from the floor. Brown’s jumper looks better and his athleticism is unquestionable. Plus he’s given a desperately needed spark to the second unit.

But he’s still not earned the complete trust of his head coach. “He’s got to take better care of the basketball,” said Mike Brown. “Right now he’s got 18 turnovers and four assists and I think our next turnover guy has a total of twelve, so as a young guy he’s made some progress, but he’s got to do a better job of not making mistakes out there that hurt the team possession-wise.”

The Cavaliers collectively didn’t look great in the two losses to Orlando in the Far East, but Brown has, at least for now, all-but usurped Pavlovic’s role.

Devin Brown has been solid but far from spectacular. (Not that “spectacular” is Devin’s forte.) Damon Jones got the spot start in Shanghai and looked decent, dishing out six dimes in limited action. Hassan Adams has had his moments.

Mike Brown said it best after Saturday afternoon’s game in Shanghai. “There are minutes available (in the backcourt). But right now, nobody has stepped up and taken them.”

The frontcourt is a little more complicated. Cedric Simmons has been battling an ankle injury and, if healthy, will hopefully make a statement later this week in Toronto and Boston. The absence of Simmons has given time to Dwayne Jones, who has been impressive as a banger. If Jones had a better set of hands, he could truly set himself apart. He’s been tough on the boards and challenging shots. He’s easily been Cleveland’s best big off the bench.

With just over a week until the regular season tips off, the Cavaliers are still a work in progress – not exactly the place they want to be while trying to defend a Conference championship.

“We have to go to war with who we have right now,” said Drew Gooden. “That’s the business side of things, more than having to go out and compete and play basketball. Once that’s resolved, whether they’re with us or without us, we have to work with what we got and have the mindset that they’re not going to come back, because we don’t know if they are.”

The always-pragmatic LeBron James knows that it will be an uphill battle without his two young running mates, but they still have that battle either way when Dallas rolls into town next Wednesday.

“We’re not as good as we are if we don’t have those guys; that’s simple – we all know that,” said James. “There’s no reason to sit here and say we’re a better team without them. They’re a big part of our team, but by the same time we have to continue to get better if they’re not here.”

Far East, Far Out

2007-10-17T03:48:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Shanghai, everyone. We’re just about ready to head to the Arena for the first of two matchups with the Orlando Magic. The Portman Ritz-Carlton is buzzing as both teams, their huge traveling groups, and the international media prepares for the start of China Games 2007.

I still haven’t mustered the culinary courage to eat the squid-on-a-stick that I wrote about on Monday. Call me a coward.

We’ll be leaving Shanghai for Macao right after Wednesday night’s game, so I wanted to check in with four final observations from the Paris of the East. And I’ll check back from Macao in a couple days.

There isn’t anything that can happen on Wednesday night at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena that could match the pure joy that three Cavaliers – Donyell Marshall, Devin Brown and Cedric Simmons – gave to scores of small children on Tuesday afternoon at the Lu Bing Hua Migrant School in Shanghai. Click here for the photos

Lining the corridors of the school’s entrance, a handful of pre-schoolers greeted us with glowing smiles and a word they might have just learned earlier that day – (Hello!) It was enough to melt the hearts of hardest ballers – their tiny voices ringing the school’s halls, belying the poverty that surrounded them. The adorable four- and five-year olds repeated their new word over and over, happily flashing the peace sign to their enormous guests.

Soon after the Cavaliers arrived, NBA Commissioner David Stern rolled in, and the ceremony to christen the opening of a brand new library, technology center and adidas basketball court commenced. Commissioner Stern, Donyell and representatives from adidas and Lenovo computers spoke after a pair of performances by some of the children. Also on hand were NBA legends George Gervin and Chocolate Thunder himself, Daryl Dawkins.

These were the children of migrant workers, some of whom watched the event from the factory next door.

After the ceremony, Donyell, Devin and Cedric played some ball with the kids. Devin and the Ice Man read to some of the pre-schoolers, and the eager tikes parroted Gervin’s reading flawlessly. (He’d turn the page and say “Very good!” They replied “Very good!” It was priceless.)

It was truly a heart-warming event, pulled off to perfection – as always – with the assistance of Cavs Community Relations Director, Colleen Garrity.

Let’s be honest: the big draw here at China Games 2007 is LeBron James, who – based on observations in the first part of the week – has demi-god status here in Shanghai. He is the NBA’s rock star.

From the 100-ft. tall billboards to his new Nike commercial which plays on 36” video screens throughout the city to his jam-packed Nike event on Monday night, it’s apparent that he is the top hoopster in the world. (Or at least the Far East.) When the Chinese media is allowed into practice, they descend on James, six or seven deep. Naturally, LeBron fields their questions with patience and aplomb.

But the one thing that’s catching the most attention from his American observers here in Shanghai is that he goes everywhere donning a Cleveland Indians cap. Without dredging up CapGate, I can’t help but get a warm and fuzzy feeling every time I see LBJ sporting Chief Wahoo.

Speaking of the Tribe, all of us have been watching the Indians-Red Sox games here in Shanghai. The games have come on at 7 or 8 a.m. in the morning – (we’re 12 hours ahead of Cleveland) – and some of the fellow travelers have had impromptu watch parties in their rooms.

I had to miss Game 3 in order to attend Cavaliers practice, but was kept abreast of events thanks to an e-mail play-by-play from Cavaliers Graphics Director, Mark “It’s Tribe Time Now” Podolak – watching back in Cleveland.

The games are broadcast on ESPN International, which is pretty wild in itself. Soccer is definitely the big programming and the big news this morning was soccer hooliganism in Russia. The second biggest soccer story was a South African player who challenged a cheetah to a foot-race. (The cheetah won, and for his efforts, was promptly shot with a tranquilizer gun.)

I mentioned some of the street oddities in Monday’s blog, but I think it bears elaboration.

If there are traffic rules, I have not figured them out. It is absolute insanity. Buses pull U-turns in rush hour, bicycles dart in and out of traffic. There is no regard for the double-yellow or speed-bumps. And the other night – hand to God – I saw four people on a single moped.

I have yet to get into a taxi cab with a driver that has good vision. Because we don’t speak the language, you simply present a business card – picked up at the consierge’s desk – of the place you want to go. Without fail, the cabbie squints at the card, puts on a pair of busted-up eyeglasses, and squints and the card again. Then he takes off the glasses and proceeds to drive like a maniac to said destination.

We were warned before the trip that it is not uncommon for the Chinese to spit on the sidewalk. “Not uncommon” – as it turns out – means “very common” because both men and women have no shame in their game when it comes to busting a loogie at any time.

Shockingly, this is not the most disgusting thing that we’ve witnessed. On several occasions, we’ve seen grown men urinating in public. (On the way back from Lu Bing Hua, Cedric Simmons sheepishly pointed at a man whizzing off a bridge into a river.) Frequently, you’ll see a parent have their small child drop trough and do their business on the corner of a building. Some of these shorties even have little “pajamas” with a slit down the backside for easy access. Classic!

Well, that’s it for today, Cleveland. I hope I haven’t spoiled your breakfast. We’re rolling up to the Arena as I write. Hopefully everyone is able to check out Fred McLeod’s call of the game on WTAM this morning. He’s subbing for the injured Joe Tait – who missed the trip to China with a foot injury.

I’ll check back in from Macao in just a bit. Hopefully after a Cavaliers win. In the meantime … GO TRIBE!!!

Shanghai Surprise

2007-10-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

As many of you read in Fred McLeod’s blog yesterday – (This morning? Tonight? I’m a little screwed up.) – we landed in Shanghai on Sunday morning at around 6:30 a.m. It was an 18-hour flight – with a re-fueling stop in Anchorage – that left everyone in our traveling party a little wiped out.

After breakfast, we were given the lowdown on the area surrounding the hotel and nearly everyone went to their rooms to crash. (Although the NBA folks warned everyone not to fall asleep until 10 p.m. so as not to mess up our body clock for the remainder of the trip.) In Shanghai, we’re 12 hours ahead of Cleveland, so whenever you’re reading this, it’s a half-a-day ahead here in China.

One thing that helped everyone stay awake was the Indians-Red Sox game, which was just getting under way. We were able to get the game in our rooms via ESPN International. (God bless the Worldwide Leader in Sports!) Watching the Tribe top Boston in that epic 13-6, 11-inning victory with the bustling streets of Shanghai below was something I’m sure none of us will ever forget.

The Cavaliers were pretty much given the day off after playing three games in four nights before the prolonged intercontinental plane ride. A few players shot around in the afternoon between 3-5 p.m., but for the most part, Sunday was a day to rest and recuperate from the flight. The first official practice is on Monday morning at 10 a.m.

Some of the guys went out shopping and were amused by the knock-offs and their prices. Donyell Marshall was laughing about buying an “MP4” – (huh?) – for approximately $25, American.

Shanghai is difficult to describe. It is definitely old world China meets new world China. On Sunday, we traveled to “Old Shanghai” – which was quite an experience.

There’s construction everywhere – from high-rises to road work. There is construction on just about every block, with kids playing among the rubble. Small streets have scaffolding built with bamboo.

The streets are a chaotic cacophony of cars, cabs, mopeds, bicycles and pedestrians with eyes in the back of their heads. It is completely frenetic, with no real semblance of traffic laws – at least none that we could figure out. The only rule seems to be every man (or vehicle) for themselves. Somehow it seems to work.

Throughout downtown there are alleyways packed with vendors selling everything from tiny Chairman Mao alarm clocks to squid on a stick. On one corner, live prawns are being shoveled into a plastic bag; on another old women are shucking oysters on the sidewalk. If you’re not Anthony Bourdain or you don’t have a cast iron stomach, you might want to skip this part of the city. Near the hotel, there’s a Papa John’s pizza for wusses like me.

If you make eye contact with most vendors, they will engage you and begin the haggling process before you know what hit you. Occasionally, they’ll follow you and continue the process as you’re walking away. You’re repeatedly approached by hustlers with laminated photo catalogues of knock-off watches and Gucci bags at almost every stop. And they do not take “no” for an answer.

One thing that was prevalent in Old Shanghai – (but actually we’ve seen in all parts of Shanghai) – that there is laundry hanging EVERYWHERE. Pants, pajamas, t-shirts, baby clothes, rugs. Clothes are hanging out of nearly every apartment in every high-rise and on lines in the street. The Maytag Repairman would have a coronary.

That about does it for our first day and my visit to “Old Shanghai.” Tomorrow, we resume the business of basketball here in the Paris of the East. And I’m sure I’ll have more photos and updates, forthwith.

Enjoy your washers and dryers back in the States and please have a ham and cheese sandwich for me. I’ll be back tomorrow.

In the meantime … GO TRIBE!

Rough Start

2007-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Let’s get it out of the way right now. Tuesday night’s exhibition opener was ugly. As far as exhibitions go, the 81-62 loss wasn’t much of one.

Good thing the Cavs play two more this week and the Tribe is hot.

Daniel Gibson was the only player in double-figures with 13 points and the Cavaliers allowed 29 points in the second quarter. Aside from Boobie, the rest of the Cavaliers starting five shot a combined 6-for-27. Cleveland had 26 turnovers.

“We’re still learning some new things,” said LeBron James, who went 1-for-5 in just 15 minutes. “We know each other, but we’re still learning some new things and we want to play better, of course. We just don’t want to play as bad as we did, especially in the first and second quarter.”

Yes, it was rough, but it was only one game – and the first preseason game, at that. And the Cavaliers are still missing some key components from last year’s run and learning the new offense.

“I expect our offense to struggle like our defense did the first couple of months in my first season here,” said Mike Brown. “Hopefully, over time of being on the practice floor and being on the game floor and watching tape, we’ll be on the right way.”

I’m pretty sure that that’s something Cavalier fans don’t want to hear right now. But for many of those same fans – who were calling for Brown to bring in an “offensive coordinator” to jumpstart the Wine and Gold’s attack – it’s the reality. Brown’s defensive tutelage took the Cavs from one of the worst defensive clubs in the league to one of the best in two years.

Brown has always preached defense, and specifically, his three defensive staples: 1. Contest all shots, 2. Shrink the floor, and 3. Give up the middle on close outs.

But this year – with the Cavaliers comfortable with Brown’s defense – he intends to focus on installing the bulk of his new offense.

“For the first time since I’ve been here, we’ve given the guys three offensive staples, and these are things we’re going to harp on, harp on, harp on,” Brown explained at an impromptu film session with a couple local media members on Monday. (You might have read about it in Fred McLeod’s blog on cavs.com.)

In a Cliff’s Notes version, the three tenets of Brown’s new offense are: 1. Throw ahead/ball reversal – pushing the ball quickly from the backcourt to the frontcourt and moving the ball from one side of the floor. 2. The “hockey assist” – the first penetration moves the defense, the second penetration kills the defense. 3. Floor spacing – cutting and screening ‘with a purpose’ to open the middle for the bigs to attack.

A checklist indicates that the Cavaliers did almost none of these on Tuesday night, but it’s (very) early and – with LeBron James at the helm – one might expect the offense to begin warming up incrementally as October 31 approaches.

The Cavaliers open at home for the third straight season, matching up with the Mavericks on Halloween.

That’s as easy – logistics-wise, not opponent-wise – as the Cavaliers’ schedule is for from this point until midway through November. The Wine and Gold go back-to-back starting Thursday night against Detroit, get directly on a plane after the Seattle game on Friday for a 15-hour plane ride to China – (with a re-fueling stop in Alaska).

The Cavaliers will be in Asia for a week to participate in the NBA China Games 2007, where they’ll take on the Orlando Magic for two exhibition games – the first in Shanghai on Oct. 17, the second in Macao on Oct. 20.

Cleveland plays another road back-to-back later that week against Toronto and Boston before getting ready for the home opener.

“I think that six games is enough,” quipped Drew Gooden, looking ahead at the Cavs’ challenging preseason. “Sometimes it’s just too long and there is a high risk of injuries.”

After the Wine and Gold take on Dirk and the Mavs, it’s the Knicks at The Q on Friday, Nov. 2, followed by a six-game West Coast trip starting with Suns on Sunday.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown …

Second-year guard, Daniel Gibson, was easily the best player on the floor for Cleveland on Tuesday night – notching a game-high 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting. He was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, grabbed four boards and had an assist and a blocked shot.

Barring some kind of move, it’s hard to imagine Gibson relinquishing his starting role between now and the start of the season.

He’s not the pure point guard that some would like, but neither was Chauncey Billups when he was Gibson’s age. Boobie looked great in the Wine and Gold Scrimmage and, frankly, has been the Cavs’ second-best player since mid-way through the Eastern Conference Finals.

Gone Camping

2007-10-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

The Cavaliers first day back to school – marred by an injury and a pair of contract disputes – wasn’t exactly the start they had hoped for. But as Training Camp tips off on Monday night, the squad is still rested, ready and carrying a big chip on their collective shoulders from last June.

LeBron came to camp fresh off his solid gold performance on the season premier of “Saturday Night Live” and he expected much ribbing by his teammates – although not for his dancing. (“None of those guys can dance!” he shrugged.)

Monday marked the annual feeding frenzy known as Media Day – a chance for local scribes and talking heads to run the squad through the wringer. Naturally, the dominant topic wasn’t on the players that were there, but more on who wasn’t: Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic.

Technically, neither player is “holding out” in the traditional, Brady Quinn sense. But that’s only because neither is under contract and their one-year qualifying offers expired at midnight.

“They’re two terrific young men and terrific players, but we have guys right here in Camp today that I know, as a coach, I have to focus on and start getting better with,” said Mike Brown. “That’s going to work out however it may, but right now I’m just happy and looking forward to working with the guys I have here in Camp.”

Anderson is the Cavaliers’ energy player off the bench, is equally effective at two front court positions and has been a crowd favorite since his arrival. Pavlovic finished last season as the squad’s starting two-guard, with the Cavaliers going 21-8 with him in the starting lineup. Both players have threatened to play overseas.

“We respect Danny. And we respect Sasha and Andy,” quipped Donyell Marshall. “But we’re here to play basketball. That’s part of the business and we know that. Is it a difficult time? Yeah. Because we’re starting the season without two of our main players – but that’s the way the business goes.”

“For me, as a leader, I hope something can get done,” added LeBron. “I don’t know Sasha’s or Anderson’s side. I don’t know Danny’s side. But I need my soldiers here to play. I hope something can get worked out because – no matter how you look at it – those two guys are a big part of our team.”

To Danny Ferry’s credit, he didn’t sit still while waiting on his two young international players – swinging a pair of productive deals over the weekend. Devin Brown is a versatile guard who can play three positions and Cedric Simmons is a 21-year-old athletic, shot-blocking forward.

“This is part of the business side of sports,” said Ferry. “It happens in baseball; it happens in football. This is part of it. And this is something that professional players, coaches and front office people – you can’t allow it to distract you. You go out, have a great Camp, and try to get those issues resolved – one way or the other – through the process.”

Eric Snow will be sidelined at least four weeks after he undergoes arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn left meniscus that he suffered last Tuesday after a workout.

“I knew right away it was something – I felt it pop. I didn’t think it was (hurt) to the extent that it was. But I knew it was something.”

Snow’s injury makes the weekend signing of Devin Brown even more prescient. Brown – along with Boobie Gibson, Shannon Brown and Damon Jones – will pick up the slack for the Canton Bulldog, who hurt his knee right after a standard workout.

“I’ve never had any trouble with my knee,” said Snow. “That night, I worked out, felt a little pop and finished working out. I stretched, iced and finished the rest of my physical. I got on a plane, went back to Atlanta and it just kept getting worse – swelling up, swelling up. Went in to get treatment, checked out in Atlanta and found out it was a torn meniscus.

“Initially, once the swelling went down I thought it would be OK. It was something I’ve never experienced, but it could have been a lot worse.”

Damon Jones wasn’t in his usual ebullient mood on Monday morning – and LeBron might have been the host of a comedy show – but the DJ can still rattle off the one-liners with the best of them.

When asked about what was new in the off-season, Jones said: “I had a great summer. I tested positive … for being handsome.”

Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his newly shaved and streamlined head isn’t the only player who comes to Training Camp with a new look. Drew Gooden might have lost the duck tail, but he did acquire some new ink.

Gooden’s left bicep is freshly adorned with a colorful wrap-around tattoo that’s truly too complex to describe – even Drew couldn’t put it into exact words. The good news is that it looks really cool. The bad news is that it’s a 20-hour project to complete the tattoo and Gooden still has 10 hours left before it’s finished.

Larry Hughes worked on his jumper this summer, and who better to coach him than legendary Cavalier sharpshooter, Mark Price.

“We worked on a little balance,” said Hughes. “Just minor things really. He said I had good form and good technique and there were just some minor things that he had to tweak. I had developed some bad habits, but playing so much and so many games, it’s hard to correct those things while the season’s going.”

LeBron James has taken his share of heat for admitting that he’ll root for the Yankees when the Tribe takes them on when the ALDS begins this Tuesday. But he was quick to qualify his comments.

“I didn’t just pick the Yankees, I’ve been a Yankee all my life,” James smiled. “If the Indians are playing anyone besides the Yankees, I want the Indians to win. It’s just like with the Browns. If the Browns play anyone else besides the Cowboys I want the Browns to win. It’s as simple as that.”

Ribbon Cutting, Chrome Domes and Merry Pranksters

2007-09-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday afternoon, the Cavaliers officially unveiled their breathtaking state-of-the-art practice facility – the Cleveland Clinic Courts. It was the first time that the local media got a look at the complex and it’s fair to say that they left mightily impressed.

It’s hard not be impressed by the hoops utopia located just north of Rockside Road in Independence. From the spacious weight room to the cavernous courts, the new complex should ensure the Cavaliers’ continued ascent among the NBA elite. Quite simply, the Courts will provide players the opportunity to work longer and work smarter. They’ll be able recover more quickly from injuries and even stave off a few from the grind of an 82-game campaign.

And while The Q is still one of the premiere arenas in the league, the Cleveland Clinic Courts are all about the business of basketball.

The impressive attributes of the CCC are almost too numerous to mention and it’s a toss-up between Strength and Conditioning Coach Stan Kellers and Head Trainer Max Benton as to who got the cooler toys.

Stan’s stash ranges from high-tech (Kaiser machines, which use air-pressure training instead of weights) to low-tech (kettle bells, which have been around, literally, for centuries).

Max has a pair of high-tech gadgets that sets the Cleveland Clinic Courts apart. One is the HyrdroWorks underwater treadmill – something only a handful of teams have throughout the league. Basically, the hydrotherapy area allows players to work out their aches and pains using water’s therapeutic elements. The other is the Primus computer rehabilitation system – used by just one other NBA team as well as the U.S. Olympic Committee. Among other things, the Primus system allows the training staff to test players’ range of movement and strength before and after an injury.

Despite tight security, somehow some merry pranksters made their way into the Cleveland Clinic Courts just before the Grand Opening. Their first bit of chicanery was to paint infamous Duke alum, Danny Ferry’s office North Carolina blue. As if the color wasn’t enough, Tarheel decals festooned his walls and windows.

Mike Brown got off relatively easy. His office got the Haden Fry treatment – it was painted pink.

The Cavaliers GM vowed: 1. revenge against the culprit, and 2. to get “that mess” off his wall, in no particular order.

The start of Training Camp is somewhat akin to the first day of school. It’s always interesting to come back from an off-season away to see who has changed their look over the summer.

Several Cavaliers have been working out at the Cleveland Clinic Courts in the past couple weeks and a few were on hand for Wednesday’s opening ceremonies and/or working out in the gym.

Three quick observations …

1. Daniel Gibson has a little more hair. 2. Zydrunas Ilgauskas has a little less. OK, maybe he has a lot less. Big Z busted it down, shaving his head down to stubble. Mixed with a nice tan, Ilgauskas looks pretty good – much younger. He said he buzzed it off around two days after the Cavs were knocked out of the Finals. 3. For all the talk of LeBron James gaining weight over the summer – (the rumor had him at 260) – the only places it looks like he’s gained anything are in his guns and his shoulders.

It’s known that muscle weighs more than fat, so if LBJ is tipping it at 260, the Eastern Conference can drop the allusion that it’s 10 pounds that will slow the young King down.

Questions, Questions

2007-09-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Why hasn’t Danny Ferry made a move and when will he?
The Cavaliers have never had a summer as quiet as this past off-season’s, but then again they’ve never reached the pinnacle of success that they did this past June. Still, while the East champs sat tight, other foes in the Conference took that opportunity to reload. Boston re-tooled their entire team, Chicago had a productive Draft, and Detroit re-signed Chauncey Billups while getting younger and more athletic.

The Cavaliers – without a Draft pick or the salary cap space to go after a big fish – were content to stick with last year’s developing combination of young guns and savvy vets. Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson looked good in Summer League and Cleveland might have found a Training Camp keeper in Darius Rice.

Other than that, the ink hasn’t exactly been flowing on the corner of Huron and Ontario. Even free agents Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao are without contracts with Training Camp less than three weeks away. The four-corners approach to Pavlovic and Varejao – both integral parts of the Wine and Gold’s young nucleus – works well for the Cavaliers’ bottom line, but it remains to see how happy the duo will be when they get into Camp.

A mid-summer deal that might have landed Sacramento’s Mike Bibby fell through, but Ferry continues to look for ways to make the Cavaliers better. But he won’t make a deal just to make one and the last thing Ferry wants to do is retard the growth of Gibson – (and to some extent Shannon Brown) – by unnecessarily clogging the backcourt.

If a move is going to be made, the brass will wait until the right offer is on the table; one that won’t cripple them cap-wise or ruin the chemistry of a team that reached the Finals slightly ahead of schedule. So to narrow it down, Ferry could make a move any time between when you read this blog and February 22, 2008.

What will Cavaliers’ backcourt look like?
After 139 consecutive starts, Eric Snow was moved to a reserve role – with Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic taking over alongside Larry Hughes. The Cavaliers found immediate success with Hughes at the point, running off eight straight at the beginning of March.

The combination of Hughes and Pavlovic propelled the Cavaliers into the postseason feeling good. With Hughes orchestrating the action, the league’s longest lineup was free to run off rebounds and blocked shots. In regular season games that Hughes had five or more assists, the Cavaliers were 21-3. Combined with the athletic Pavlovic, Cleveland seemed to find the perfect combo. The Wine and Gold were 20-8 in games Sasha started – 10-3 when he netted 15 points or more.

But Hughes and Pavlovic both found the sledding much tougher in the postseason. Hughes battled an ankle injury heading into the Finals and Pavlovic showed both the flashes of greatness that got him in the starting lineup and the mental lapses that kept him out of it. Emerging amidst all of this was Daniel Gibson, who seemed to get better as the Playoffs continued along, including his 31-point outburst against Detroit that put the Cavaliers in the Finals for the first time.

The Cavaliers would still love to land a “true” point guard if he was a major upgrade, but – (see Question 1, above) – won’t clog up the backcourt or take minutes away from Gibson for just anyone. Boobie showed glimpses of stardom last June and will be looked to for more of the same heading into 2007-08.

Shannon Brown, chosen 19 players ahead of Gibson, will also look to make him impact felt after last year’s underwhelming rookie season. And Eric Snow is as solid a backup point as you’ll find in the league. Anyone who can’t see Snow’s value now that the Cavaliers are contenders either didn’t watch the Detroit series or doesn’t know anything about basketball other than the ball’s round.

Will LeBron’s off-season experiences (FIBA and otherwise) have an effect on his game this year?
It’s hard to say with a straight face that LeBron James can still get better, but he showed exactly how dominating he can be when he’s playing off the ball or with his back to the basket. LeBron had his way in the FIBA Americas Championship this past August, shooting an astonishing 76 percent from the field(!)

LeBron established himself as the ultimate team player – deferring to Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony – but also grabbing the reigns when necessary. He netted 31 points in the title game against Argentina and, for the first time in years, Team USA looked like the dominant Dream Teamers from yesteryear.

On the negative side, if anything, James experience with Team USA might have spoiled him. He has a nice talent pool around him in Cleveland, but it’s tough to work out all summer with Jason Kidd and not get used the sweet dimes he put on James during the tournament.

This was also supposed to be a semi-restful summer for the young King. But unlike the rest of the Cavaliers, James had a very busy off-season. Aside from winning the gold medal at the FIBAs in Vegas, LBJ hosted the ESPY Awards, got Lasik eye surgery and will host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” in less than two weeks. Oh, and speaking of no rest, he also became a father for the second time on the final night of the Finals.

How will the Cavaliers respond to playing with a bull’s-eye on their backs?
The words “Cleveland” and “champion” don’t always go together smoothly, but for the first time in franchise history, the Cavaliers will carry that title when they travel throughout the league. The Wine and Gold have always been a marked team, simply because of LeBron James. But now, teams will be bringing their A-game every night as the Eastern Conference Champs roll through the schedule.

And while this ups the ante on a nightly basis, it might be just the thing the Cavaliers needed. According to Austin Carr, Cleveland dropped about 14 or 15 games to lesser opponents that they easily could have won. But this wasn’t a new problem; the Cavaliers have had a penchant for playing down to the competition. If that lesser competition turns it up a notch, so will Cleveland. You always fight harder when someone’s trying to take something from you.

The Cavs whirlwind tour begins on opening night, when they take on the heavyweight Mavericks. (This, after a preseason that sends them to China for eight days.) Mike Brown’s men take the show on the road early this year – making a six-game West Coast swing – after just two contests at The Q.

Usually, it’s the Pistons that had the opportunity to get their prolonged Western Conference swing out of the way early – before those teams had completely settled or the Pistons/Cavs became road-weary heading into/out of the All-Star break. This year, the Cavaliers get that chance. It’s just one of the spoils of winning the East.

So where do the Cavaliers go from here?

Young Americans

2007-08-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

Cavaliers Coach Mike Brown isn’t in Las Vegas for the FIBA Americas Championship, which ended pool play on Sunday night. But the defensive guru is probably enjoying what he’s seen through four games.

Team USA has done what it was expected to do – steamroll over their international competition. With America’s 113-76 drubbing of Brazil on Sunday night in Sin City, the U.S. is now beating their opponents by an average of 48.4 points per game. This trend is more like the Dream Team’s dominance – (they won by an average of 43.8 ppg in the nine-game Olympic tournament in 1992) – than Team USA’s recent disappointments on the international stage.

It might seem like the U.S. is just running past teams; scoring 115 points a game through their first four. But what’s triggering that run-and-stun offense is their defensive intensity – they haven’t let a team breathe.

On Sunday night, Team USA faced a Brazilian team that was supposed to offer them at least a challenge. Despite the absence of Anderson Varejao – who has yet to ink a deal this summer – Brazil does sport two NBA players, including the 2006-07 Sixth Man Award winner, Leandro Barbosa, as well as Denver’s Nene. Tiago Splitter – who was the best player on the floor for Brazil on Sunday – will be a San Antonio Spur when they’re ready for him. (How does R.C. Buford always manage to get these guys?!)

Defensively, Coach K’s group of young Americans completely locked down on Brazil – aside from a brief lapse or two by the U.S.’s best player, Carmelo Anthony – holding the tournament’s leading scorer (Barbosa) to a scant four points. Kobe Bryant dominated his Western Conference adversary on both ends of the floor.

Kobe’s first foray into international play has been a huge boon for Team USA. Some wondered whether Kobe could sacrifice his individual excellence for the team concept. He’s done that and more. And Bryant brings one thing to the U.S. team that they’ve lacked in their lackluster performances in Greece and last summer in Japan – his cold-blooded killer attitude. Any man who scores 82 points in a game doesn’t believe in a “mercy rule.”

“When you see Kobe Bryant diving for loose balls," said USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, "and you see LeBron and Carmelo giving it the kind of work that they're putting into this, that commitment and passion, that's a message."

Granted, the competition hasn’t been exactly top notch in Vegas. Brazil was without Varejao, Canada without Nash, and Argentina without Manu Ginobili. But that hasn’t diminished how impressive the U.S. has been. And having a solid, experienced point guard in Jason Kidd has made all the difference.

As far as LeBron James’ performance in the FIBA tournament – his style is suited to any form of hoops as long as the ball is round. LeBron has been massive in the paint, on the perimeter and – based on Sunday night’s halftime buzzer-beater – from half-court. He’s been menacing on defense and unstoppable offensively.

The second round begins on Monday night when Team USA takes on the Mexican squad, coached by former Arkansas’ top man, Nolan Richardson.

If the past two international tournaments have taught us anything, it’s to not be overconfident that America will prevail. But if the current tourney has taught us something this summer, it’s that this is a very different U.S. team.

Big Ticket Item

2007-07-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

Normally, we’re not in the business of talking about other team’s trades on this site, but the Kevin Garnett-to-Boston deal is one that will have a profound effect on the Eastern Conference and, of course, the reigning Champions of said Conference.

Six weeks ago, the Celtics were a talented young team whose GM and Head Coach were hanging tenuously to their jobs as the once-proud franchise was teetering on the verge of irrelevance. They were one of the weaker teams in a weaker conference.

Everyone knew that Kevin Garnett was going to play the 2007-08 season in a uniform other than Minnesota’s.

Phoenix emerged early, but it was unlikely that Kevin McHale would send his superstar somewhere where he could return to thump the Wolves four times per year. Chicago was a team with enough parts to get the deal done, but the Bulls reportedly were hesitant to add Luol Deng to the mix.

So the Celtics – another team loaded with young talent – stepped up to the plate, and a slightly nepotistic deal was struck between former C’s, McHale and Danny Ainge, to bring Garnett over to the Eastern Conference. The Big Ticket will join recently-acquired Ray Allen and the incumbent Paul Pierce to form one of the most deadly trios in the NBA. On paper, anyway.

Celtic fans were crestfallen after losing the Greg Oden-Kevin Durant Lottery, but they’ve got a lot to smile about now after landing the 10-time All-Star who averaged 20.5 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 38.3 minutes per game in 12 seasons for the Wolves. Garnett – drafted fifth overall by Minnesota in 1995 – was the league’s MVP in 2003-04.

The Timberwolves have to be pretty happy, themselves. Despite what ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons feels, there are some talented young pieces moving West in the trade. Al Jefferson is a stud-in-waiting and the inconsistent Gerald Green has a high ceiling. Sebastian Telfair and Ryan Gomes are nice pieces and Theo Ratliffe is cap relief. Two first-rounders are … well … two first rounders. Randy Foye had a solid rookie season and Corey Brewer is a versatile player who excels on both ends of the court.

In other words, both teams should go home happy when the smoke settles on the deal.

So how does this affect the Cavaliers?

First and most obviously, it shakes up the power of the entire Conference. Before the deal, you could argue that every single team that reached the postseason last year would do so again and no team was poised to move into the Elite Eight.

But Boston – (and again, on paper) – has to be considered among the top four in the East at this point. They have three of the league’s top 17 scorers and its rebounding leader. They're strong on the perimeter and in the paint. Now they just need to find some bodies to fill out the roster.

It’s not a stretch to say that Cavaliers personnel and fans were just a little relieved that Garnett went to the Titanic Division rather than the Central. The Celitcs immediately move past each team in their division. His addition would have had the same effect on, say, the Bulls.

The Cavaliers have stood pat all summer and still have to ink their two young guns – Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic – before moving forward. Danny Ferry has exercised patience; not making a move just to make one.

But the deal that brings the Big Ticket to Beantown is a reminder that the Eastern Conference won’t remain weak forever. Even if the Celtics currently have a problem filling out a roster, they’re just one more team that is in it to win it – and have their eyes fixed squarely on what the Wine and Gold won just two months ago.

Who's the Man?

2007-07-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

The NBA off-season – especially for the Cavaliers – has reached its true dog days. With the Anderson Varejao-Sasha Pavlovic situations still in relative limbo, there isn’t the usual amount of Cavs chatter and debate going on.

But two discussions – both surrounding LeBron James – have emerged around our Cavaliers offices and we’ve been wondering how to settle the issues. Then I remembered that I have a blog on cavs.com.

On the first one, I’m simply going to offer my opinion. On the second, I’m going to ask for yours.

By all accounts, LeBron did a fantastic job in his first hosting job at the ESPY Awards. For the most part, he looked cool and comfortable and his “My Prerogative” number was outstanding.

But one bit has received some bad pub, including a semi-scathing piece in Wednesday’s Plain Dealer by columnist Bill Livingston.

This, of course, was LeBron’s “dunking baby” bit in which he faked slamming his newborn son, Bryce Maximus, and made a quip about Angelina Jolie adopting it. Some viewers – like Livvy – were incensed. Others wrote it off as just another failed joke. The debate continued in Thursday’s PD.

I personally feel that it wasn’t a great choice by LeBron, but it was more a case of bad humor than bad taste. It was a poorly written, poorly conceived sketch. But that’s why ESPN is known for sports and not comedy. The ESPY’s have always been hit-or-miss.

Jimmy Kimmel in the showers – for example – with Danica Patrick and a racehorse: not funny. Jimmy Kimmel in the showers trying to wipe off Mike Tyson’s facial tattoo with soap: funny. LeBron dunking an infant: not funny. LeBron in Hammer pants: funny.

It’s not that the young King doesn’t know from comedy. Each of the commercials with Kimmel and his writing staff were great. His “LeBrons” Nike ads are priceless. His SportsCenter commercials are stellar – most notably when Scott Van Pelt steals his throne. He’s as deft in each comedic role as he is in his dramatic role on the court for the Cavaliers. LeBron is genuinely, naturally funny.

In September, LeBron will host the season premiere of Saturday Night Live – something reserved for only sports’ heaviest hitters like Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky and, yes, O.J. Simpson. If his sketches are well-written and well-conceived, LeBron’s appearance will be a hit. If they’re not, it won’t.

So his ESPY dunk was an airball. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to bring the funny in the future. I have complete faith that he’ll do so with honors.

Now, it’s time for a little audience participation …

With soccer icon David Beckham about to make his Stateside debut for the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday night, Cavaliers Public Relations’ managers a/k/a “The Defiant Ones” – Garin Narain and John Manuszak – have had an on-going argument about which athlete is bigger worldwide: Beckham or LeBron James.

(I won’t say which one feels which way.)

Soccer is obviously the biggest sport in the world, but basketball has caught fire around the globe and the 2008 Olympics – along with David Stern’s determination – should assure its exponential growth in China.

Other athletes – like Derek Jeter or Tiger Woods or Payton Manning – are huge in their respective sports and are known almost worldwide. But James and Beckham have similar appeal, plus rock star status. Each wear No. 23 in honor of the original king of sport: Michael Jordan.

In the first two days of sales, the Galaxy sold 250,000 Beckham jerseys at $80 apiece. And Beckham, of course, enhances his rock star status with a Spice Girl spouse.

But James recently hosted the ESPYs, will play with Team USA in August and helm SNL in September. He’ll return to China with the Cavaliers in October and watch the Eastern Conference Championship banner raised at The Q in November. He is 22 years old and by every account one of the top 5 players in his sport. Beckham is 30 years old and probably no longer in the top 15 in his.

You’ve heard the argument. Try to remove your subjectivity as a Cavaliers fan and tell me: who is the top athlete in the world – LeBron or Beckham? Maybe it’s someone else. Here’s your chance to weigh in.

Just CLICK HERE and tell me who and why. I’ll print the best responses on Monday.

Free Agent Frenzy Begins

2007-07-02T14:05:00.001-07:00

Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry hasn’t had much of an off-season. The Cavaliers were eliminated from the Finals on June 14 and exactly two weeks later, Ferry was dealing with a Draft, despite the fact that Cleveland didn’t have a selection in either round.

The Wine and Gold stood pat on Draft Night, but over the weekend the 2007 free agent frenzy began – with Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao whetting teams’ appetite, and the Cavaliers’ backs against the cap.

LeBron James decided to play for Team USA and the 2007 Vegas Summer League tips off in under a week.

Suffice to say: When Ferry finally finds time for some fun and sun this summer, the man will have earned it.

It’s already been an interesting off-season, and we’re not even three weeks in. The coming two weeks of the free agent frenzy promise to make things even more compelling.

Who would have thought that the first free agent to reportedly agree to jump ship would be former Cavalier, Jason Kapono?

According to ESPN.com, the league’s three-point shooting leader tipped off the annual moratorium period by agreeing to a reported 4-year $24 million deal with the Toronto Raptors after the best season of his career last year in South Beach.

Kapono – one of the league’s coolest characters and the man Cleveland drafted in the second round of the “LeBron James Draft” – shot 51 percent from beyond the arc in 2006-07, netting a career-best 10.9 ppg. He won the FootLocker Three-Point Shoot-Out at All-Star Weekend in Vegas to cement his status as the league’s best bomber.

By itself, the Kapono signing isn’t huge news. But taken in the context of how it will affect other free agent’s price tags – see: Sasha Pavlovic – the signing could be big when the smoke clears and the ink flows on July 11. If a relatively one-dimensional player like Kapono is perceived as a six million dollar man, what kind of money will be required to retain a skilled 23-year-old swingman with a high-ceiling?

Pavlovic averaged just over nine points per contest in the regular season and Playoffs, but it might have been his postseason defense that opened numerous teams’ eyes enough that they’ll open their pocketbooks.

Anderson Varejao will draw as much (or more) interest than Pavlovic, and the rumors are already flying. The Cavaliers are back in a luxury tax corner and the Wild Thing is a lucrative target for quite a few teams. Anderson might never average 20 ppg, but he’s a young, marketable, high-energy big man who’s about to get a very large raise. The only question now is which team is going to give it to him.

The Cavaliers have the mid-level exception (approximately $5.5 million) to offer, so they’ll be playing their cards a little more close to the vest than some of this summer’s free-wheeling clubs like Memphis, Atlanta or Orlando.

With this in mind – please, please, please don’t write in to suggest that the Cavaliers should go after Chauncey Billups.

If I need a new car, I’m not going to shop for a Mercedes. Do I want a Mercedes? Yes. But in my current financial state, I am unable to afford one. Do the Cavaliers want Chauncey Billups? Yes. But in their current state, they are unable to afford him. Let’s not get into the absurdities of a sign-and-trade.

Either way, the complexion of the league – and possibly the Cavaliers – will be completely different two weeks from today. Last year, Ben Wallace got the big bread from Chicago. Whether it’s Rashard Lewis or Billups or Kobe or KG, this promises to be a very interesting off-season.

LeBron James shocked some people when he said he would fulfill his commitment to Team USA this summer as they attempt to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

James welcomed Bryce Maximus to the family before the final game of the Finals and it seemed like he would forgo this year’s 10-team tournament that begins on August 22. But last week, James ended the speculation, saying, “It was a long and tough year. But for me, if I make a commitment, I want to keep it. I'm a loyal guy. I committed to three years and I'm going to hold up my end of the bargain.''

The Cavaliers backed their young superstar. “We certainly support LeBron's decision and respect his desire to uphold his commitment to Team USA,” said Ferry. "As he said he knows his body and feels he will have time to rest and recuperate from the season. We will always take into consideration where he is going into our season next year with extra rest if necessary."

Team USA hasn’t lived up to its expectations in the two tournaments since LeBron has joined the team and perhaps the continuity of players showing up from year-to-year will make a difference. Of course, the addition of Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd can’t hurt.

[Editor’s note, Part II]: Last week, I wrote – (then retracted) – that Bulls first round pick, Joakim Noah, might have been the first player ever to wear a bowtie to an NBA Draft, but was quickly corrected by Basketball Operations Coordinator, Matt Yatsko – who said that Karl Malone was the first to rock the bowtie.

I should have known better than to take a Steelers fan at his word.

Thankfully, a diligent reader wrote in to correct that it was NOT the Mailman, but Hakeem Olajuwon who donned the Draft Night tuxedo. Yatsko backtracked, saying Chuck Person was the one who wore the really bad tuxedo. He was correct, but by then the damage was done.

On behalf of myself, Matt Yatsko and the entire Cavaliers organization, I would like to apologize for this egregious oversight.)

Cavs Stand Pat

2007-06-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-13T01:29:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-12T14:01:00.001-07:00

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

2007-06-11T02:13:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

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.

No Excuses

2007-05-25T01:51:00.000-07:00

Monday night’s loss to the Pistons kind of hurt. Thursday’s loss really hurt.

Whether it was the 12-point halftime lead, Rasheed Wallace hitting the game-winner or the non-call on LeBron’s last-second drive. It was a tough take.

The Cavaliers dropped the first two games of their Second Round series against Detroit last year, getting thumped through the first six quarters. Cleveland came back and won the next three meetings, including a thriller back in the Motor City. But that was as good as it would get, with the Wine and Gold dropping a Game 6 heartbreaker at The Q and Game 7 at the Palace.

This year, the Cavaliers could just as easily be up 2-0 instead of the inverse. They’re not.

As much as LeBron James and Mike Brown must have wanted to cut loose during their post-game pressers, they wisely took the high road.

“We're a no‑excuse team, you know, and we can't look at the last play as why we lost,” said a somber, understated James. “We've just got to get better. But I do feel there was some contact.”

“The officials get paid a lot of money, and that's their job,” dead-panned an equally sullen Mike Brown. “If they don't see anything, they don't see anything. We're a no‑excuse team. We've got to get ready for Game 3.”

LeBron James can be a victim of his own talent. He fights through so much contact so often that referees don’t call fouls because they don’t always affect him. Rip Hamilton fouled LeBron on that last play; the only question is whether it was bad enough to get called to decide a Conference Finals game.

“It was an isolation play, which is exactly what LeBron wanted,” said Larry Hughes. “He was aggressive going to the basket and we thought that he got hit a couple of times, but we were able to get the rebound and get another shot off.”

The final score and tough ending weren’t the only similarities to Monday’s game. In both, the Pistons blew past a lethargic Cavaliers’ club after intermission. It was a 17-6 run on Monday and 15-4 run on Thursday – with the Wine and Gold blowing a six- and twelve-point lead, respectively.

Cleveland will practice for two days and try to figure out that problem. And, despite being down 0-2, the Cavaliers have to feel pretty good about themselves heading home. Detroit hasn’t dominated – far from it. And despite what they say publicly about not playing well, they have to know it’s going to be hard-scrabble stuff for the rest of the series.

“We know we can compete with this team,” said Drew Gooden. “But then again, it’s a tough break type of game. Knowing that we have two home games, we'll see what happens.”

Gooden will have to turn up his game for the series to head back to Detroit. Actually, the Cavaliers simply need more than LeBron and one other starter to heat up. Anderson Varejao and Boobie Gibson are getting in the swing of things and the home court should give the road-weary Cavs a lift.

They’ll need it, heading into the weekend with their backs against the wall.

Finals First Blood

2007-05-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

LeBron James thinks of himself as a football player, so here’s a football analogy for what the Pistons did to LeBron the basketball player on Monday night: They made him go East and West instead of North and South.

James patrolled sideline to sideline, looking for that small crease to get up-field. It never materialized.

Of course, nobody’s blaming James for last night’s heart-wrenching 79-76 loss. There’s no blame to be had. The Cavaliers merely got (slightly) out-slugged by an experienced Pistons team on their home floor. But if the Cavaliers expect to compete in the Eastern Conference Finals in Games 2-7, they will have to figure out a way to get LeBron untracked. And, more importantly, get him going North and South and to the free throw line.

“They played great,” said James, when asked about the Pistons’ D. “I mean, their defensive mindset is very good. But for me, I just take what's there. You know, if you get a good look at it, you go for it. If not, you kick it to a teammate. Simple as that.”

Coach Mike Brown was in a less-giving mood. “I've got to go back and watch the tape, but I don't know how LeBron plays 45 minutes and doesn't get a free throw attempt,” said Brown. “I thought he went to the hole a couple of times. Obviously with the zero free throw attempts, he must need to go harder. So that's something that we can work on.”

One thing that Mike Brown and the Cavaliers definitely need to examine moving forward in the series is the disturbing trend of getting jumped on as they come out of the locker room in the third quarter. Detroit went on a 17-6 run coming out of halftime and the Cavaliers were forced to scrap back to make things competitive.

“It's just something that we've got to work on and get better at,” said James. “At times we look to take too many jump shots to start the third quarter instead of attacking.”

Despite having a Playoff-low in points, LeBron did manage to finish one assist shy of a triple-double. That one assist could have been the game-winning three-pointer had Donyell Marshall – who drained six of them against the Nets to get the Cavaliers into the East Finals – sunk his attempt from the right corner.

“I was telling Eric (Snow) that probably felt better than any that I hit in New Jersey,” quipped Marshall. ”But that’s the way the game goes. Sometimes you’re going to miss those. My teammates believe in me. They came to me, and I’m going to get more opportunities and continue to try to knock them down.”

One Cavalier who knocked down seemingly everything he put up was Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Big Z was 9-for-17 from the floor for 22 points (and a team-high 13 boards) and hit one big shot after another down the stretch. He was a non-factor in the Cavaliers’ Second Round series with the Pistons one year ago, but could factor huge in this year’s rumble. The last thing Chris Webber wants to do is run out at Ilgauskas 17 times per night.

“They paid so much attention to LeBron that I was able to pick and pop and find the open spot on the floor and knock them down,” said Big Z. “We’re going to have to make some adjustments because we need to get him some easier looks. I’m sure that they’re going to make adjustments, so we’re just going to take it one game at a time.”

Z’s young contemporary in the post – Anderson Varejao – had another solid Playoff game against Detroit, which doesn’t seem to know what to do with the Wild Thing in the postseason. The high pick-and-roll play with LeBron in which Anderson rolls straight to the basket worked in the seven-game Semis last year and it worked again last night. Strangely, every other team seems to have figured that one out.

The Wild Thing finished 6-of-9 from the field for 13 points and grabbed eight boards – five offensive. “I think that the more you play, the more things that you can show, so coach put me in the game the first quarter and kept me in the game almost the whole second quarter,” said Varejao. “When you play a lot you have more chances and it gives you more confidence and more focus, which is important for me.”

The Cavaliers will make their adjustments at practice on Wednesday at The Q and will head back to the Motor City to do it again in Game 2 on Thursday night. Did the Cavaliers give one away or are they close to figuring out their Central Division rivals? Has Detroit figured out how to handle LeBron or will he bounce back? Neither team played their best game on Monday, so on Thursday night – as they say on TNT – let the truth be told.

Back to New Jersey

2007-05-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

There’s no putting lipstick on this pig … the Cavaliers stunk it up in Game 5 on Wednesday in Cleveland.

Fortunately, the NBA Playoffs are not single-elimination, so hopefully everyone – most notably the ridiculously impetuous boo-birds at The Q – can calm down as the Wine and Gold attempt to close it out on Friday night in Jersey.

No team – even in a Championship run – makes it through the postseason without a clunker or two. The Pistons laid a serious egg one night earlier against the Bulls in a close-out game, and they’re still the odds-on favorite to represent the East. The Cavaliers have lost two games among their last 13 and still lead their Second Round series, 3-2.

On Wednesday night, the Nets shot 1-for-15 in the fourth quarter and still won by 11. The Cavaliers couldn’t hit a shot, couldn’t spring LeBron James and didn’t get squat off their bench. They turned the ball over 18 times and had three more assists as a team than Vince Carter – not exactly known for his generosity – had as an individual.

Yeah, it was ugly.

“We’re human, just like everybody else,” said Coach Brown following the loss. “They came in, they did it. We just didn’t do it. It’s as simple as that. There’s no excuse I can throw at you. They just played better than us tonight and they deserved to win.”

The Playoffs are all about which teams adjust from one game to the next and the Cavaliers have to hit the drawing board to find a way to figure out the Nets. Give Lawrence Frank and his staff credit: they came in with a good game plan on Wednesday. They killed Cleveland with the high pick-and-roll and packed the middle to take the ball out of LeBron James’ hands. They forced Mike Brown to play Zydrunas Ilgauskas sparingly and made the Cavaliers beat them by shooting jumpers.

“I thought our guys did a very, very good job of protecting our paint,” said Coach Frank. “When you do that, obviously you have to live with some jumpers from the perimeter. But our guys were very in-tune. We were very fortunate (Cleveland) missed some shots that, by in large, they can make.”

More than anything, the Cavaliers need to make the Nets pay for double- and triple-teaming LeBron. He would never publicly call his teammates out, but James said as much after Wednesday’s loss.

“They definitely did a good job of defending me,” said James. “Our guys have to make them pay for that. We had a lot of open shots. I created a lot of open shots and we just have to knock them down – myself included. We all have to step up and knock down shots. That would help take away some of the double teams, especially when I’m in the middle of the floor or in the post.”

The best player on the floor for Cleveland for much of the night was Eric Snow, who kept the Cavaliers in the game for most of the second half – getting under Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson’s skin every time they touched the ball (and even when they didn’t.) Snow is easily the Cavaliers’ best on-the-ball defender and he validated his value on Wednesday as he has throughout the postseason.

Wednesday’s loss was not that different from the one in Game 3 – with New Jersey’s Big Three doing most of the damage and LeBron unable to get into the paint or find a shooter to bail him out when he did. The Nets were the more physical, more aggressive team. The Cavaliers adjusted after that 11-point defeat and, hopefully, they’ll put the puzzle together for Game 6 on Friday night.

“It’s one game,” said Larry Hughes, who struggled mightily from the floor on Wednesday night. “We have to go to their place and give a better effort. We understand we can win in their building; we just have to do a better job for 48 minutes. When we step out on the court, we have to understand that this could be the last game instead of looking past and looking forward.”

Let's Get Physical

2007-05-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

They say a playoff series doesn’t start until the home team loses a game. Of course, the home team’s starting center planting the opponent’s two-guard with a mid-air shot to the chest tends to kick a playoff series into high gear as well.

Like the Suns-Spurs battle out West, the Cavaliers and Nets series is beginning to get a little hairy, punctuated by Mikki Moore’s flagrant foul on Sasha Pavlovic on Monday night. Aside from the bruise on Pavlovic’s backside, the foul worked wonders for the Wine and Gold.

Before that play with 8:48 left in the third quarter, the Cavaliers were trailing by five. Two-and-a-half minutes later, they were up by seven.

“That foul that (Moore) had on me changed the game and made us play together and stick together and play more physical,” said the soft-spoken Serbian. “And that’s why we won the game.”

It’s been a relatively clean series for an Eastern Conference battle, but seeing the same team every other night can certainly breed some bad blood. And the Cavaliers – who can clinch a spot in the East Finals with a win on Wednesday – have frustrated New Jersey’s superstars on a pretty regular basis.

“You see the team over and over and over again; they know what we’re doing, we know what they’re doing,” quipped Coach Mike Brown. “So you’re not going to trick one another too many times. You get sick of seeing the same jerseys night in and night out. It’s like Training Camp – after a while, you’re ready to go against somebody else.”

The Cavaliers will go against the winner of the Bulls-Pistons series if they can get past Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Co. Of course, New Jersey will really pull out all the stops on Wednesday night as they’re in a win-or-go-home situation. In other words, Wednesday’s game could be even more physical.

“We have respect for them and they have respect for our team, but more than anything I think it’s just frustration,” said Zydrunas Ilgauskas. “But you have to be smart because one stupid move or one swing could change the series and just like that you can be going home. So you have to protect yourself and your team, but you also have to be smart.”

The Suns – and to a lesser extent, Spurs – know what Z’s talking about. Following Robert Horry’s hip-check of Steve Nash in the closing seconds of their Game 4, Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire left the bench and were given the mandatory one-game league suspension. Horry got two games, but is obviously less vital to his team than the Suns’ duo.

What was most impressive following Mikki Moore’s physical play on Pavlovic – besides the 13-2 run that swung Monday’s game – was how quickly LeBron James stepped in to defend his teammate. After the Pistons’ Rasheed Wallace bloodied Z with no retribution last year, the Cavaliers were once again labeled “soft” by local and national media.

LeBron was determined not to let one of his teammates be intimidated this year.

“I guess (the Nets’) intent was to go at Sasha in a harmful manner in Game 3 and I didn’t notice it until I watched film the next day,” said James. “And I think they tried to do the same thing in Game 4 and it really ticked me off that they would do that to Sasha and try to hurt him. Me, as a leader, I had to stick up for my teammate. I didn’t like it at all.”

The Cavaliers are one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 15 years. They’ll expect a physical and aggressive Nets team on Wednesday. Cleveland will respond, in-kind. But it’s a safe bet that they won’t let New Jersey – and Mikki Moore – distract them from the bigger picture.

“They probably think I’m good for our team and they’re trying to mess with me,” said Pavlovic. “But Monday’s game is over and I’m just thinking about (Wednesday) and trying to get to the (Eastern Conference) Finals.”

No Respect

2007-05-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

Cleveland – and its teams and athletes – is used to getting disrespected. It’s part of our charm.

But that all seemed to change when the Wine and Gold won the NBA Draft Lottery in 2003 and a kid from Akron named LeBron James came to town. The young King represented Northeast Ohio like no other athlete in the city’s history. He was a superstar before he ever stepped on an NBA floor. And it seemed like the days of disrespect were over.

Apparently, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

On Thursday, the league announced its All-NBA Teams and after cracking the First Team in 2005-06, James found himself on the Second Team in 2006-07. The First Team not only didn’t include James, but didn’t feature a single player from the Eastern Conference.

Obviously, there’s no shame in being named Second Team, but most people – including myself – feel that he was slighted. Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are inarguable. Amare Stoudemire is there as the figurative center. Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki are superstars, but they didn’t do the things that LeBron does.

Duncan is surrounded by great, complimentary players and Dirk has limitations, as Golden State proved not long ago.

“The guys that are there – they’re all terrific players – and with LeBron being our guy, I’m a little biased, too,” said Head Coach Mike Brown. “But I don’t understand some things. I mean the guy goes 26, 6 and 6 – (only one other guy has ever done that for three years in a row) – and we won 50 games. I guess I just don’t understand.”

“For us, he’s our MVP and that’s all that matters,” said center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. “As far as I’m concerned, watching him play for the last four years, there’s not a lot of guys better than him, period.

“There’s nobody I’d rather have than him. I’m sure it doesn’t matter to LeBron. He wants to win.”

LeBron didn’t have the season statistically that he had in 2005-06. And it also became vogue for national pundits to pile on him for not coming out of the gate as strongly as he did last year. The main complaint among critics was that he was spreading himself too thin – citing the FIBA World Championships and his numerous endorsements.

But James still averaged 27.3 points, 6.7 boards and 6.0 assists per game in 78 starts. The only other player in history to average those numbers for three straight seasons is Oscar Robertson. He was the East’s leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game in Vegas and responded by scoring 28 points.

LeBron went on a monster tear after the All-Star Game and was second to only Kobe Bryant in scoring during the stretch run, averaging 29.2 ppg through the final 27 games. And most importantly, he was the undeniable impetus behind the Cavaliers’ second straight 50-win season.

“Aside from the fact that he’s one of the top overall talents in the NBA, we’ve also won 50 games,” added Larry Hughes. “(Finishing Second Team) is definitely a knock on us and it’s a knock on him because he’s done everything that’s asked of him – especially for our team – to help us be one of the best teams in the league. And I definitely think he should have been rewarded.”

In essence, LeBron is a victim of his own greatness. He is, and will be measured against himself because, frankly, there’s nobody in today’s game quite like him.

Of course, in true LeBron fashion, he downplayed an individual achievement.

“It doesn’t matter to me at all,” said a stone-faced James. “I’m just happy I’m part of the elite group. It doesn’t matter if I’m First Team or Second Team or anything like that. I just have to continue to play well for my teammates and continue to get better.”

But perhaps a better barometer of how he truly feels will be seen on Saturday afternoon and beyond. He won’t show his frustrations to the media, but he might take them out on the Nets.

And if he does intend to use it as motivation, he won’t admit as much.

“We’ve got enough motivation,” said James. “We want to win a Championship.”

But perhaps it was Hughes who succinctly summed up the First Team snub best.

“He knows and we know; the league knows,” said Hughes. “It’s not hard to figure out.”

The Waiting Game

2007-05-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Cavaliers – fresh off the first sweep in franchise history – are now stuck in a holding pattern.

The Bulls and Pistons will get busy on Saturday and San Antonio and Phoenix will begin on Sunday. Three series are left to be decided – Nets-Raptors, Rockets-Jazz and Warriors-Mavericks. The Nets can wrap it up at home on Friday, Utah will attempt to stave off elimination at home and Don Nelson’s “midgets” have a chance to shock the world tonight in Oakland.

The Cavaliers are watching all three series with varying degrees of interest. At this point in the season, rest is good. But how much is too much?

“I think it can go overboard as far as coming back in and being game-ready,” said Larry Hughes following Wednesday’s workout. “We’ll do everything we can to prepare ourselves and to make sure that our scouting reports and our bodies are where they need to be. But there’s nothing like playing in games.

“So I think at this point of the year, two, three, four days are OK. But if you get longer than four days, it gets kind of tough.”

LeBron James openly admitted pulling for Toronto on Friday to get the extra days’ rest. Should the Raptors hold off the veteran Nets in East Rutherford – forcing a Game 7 on Sunday afternoon in Toronto – the Wine and Gold won’t suit up until Tuesday night.

James – between last year’s Playoffs, the FIBA Championships in China and this year’s All-Star Game – doesn’t usually get a week off.

“It’s not like the National Championship Game – where you get 50 days rest,” said LeBron, making his usual reference to football.

He also doesn’t seem to be a believer in the fact that players can get soft with too much rest. “If you’re not in shape by now, there’s a problem,” quipped the young King.

The Cavaliers can speak from experience on what it’s like to come off an emotionally-draining series into a hostile environment against a well-rested club. In last year’s postseason, Cleveland won their First Round series against the Wizards on Friday night in overtime and faced the Pistons at the Palace early on Sunday afternoon.

Detroit crushed the Cavaliers – 113-86 – before Mike Brown’s men had a chance to catch their breath.

So, if they had their druthers, players will always prefer a few days between games.

“Sometimes if it’s too long you can get stagnant,” said Zydrunas Ilgauskas. “You work hard during practice, but it’s not the same as the game – intensity-wise. So you don’t want to sit too long. But by the same token you want a few days to get your legs back.”

Asked if going longer than a week off is getting dangerous, Z laughed: “I don’t know; I’ve never been in this situation before. Usually it’s the other way around.”

So for the time being, LeBron and Co. will play the waiting game.

“(We’ll) just relax, stay home, watch games,” said James. “You walk your dog, wash your car. I just have fun with my son and … do nothing.”

Before the season began, the Eastern Conference’s Central Division was thought to be the toughest in the Eastern Conference, if not the entire NBA. The Pacers underachieved and off-court problems forced a mid-season trade that didn’t work out in their favor. The Bucks were simply decimated by injuries.

But as far as the teams that did make the Playoffs, it’s hard to argue that they’re not the tops in the East – especially if you’re from the Southeast Division.

Injuries, youth, and age aside, it’s hard to argue with the results. The Central swept the Southeast in 12 games this postseason and made it look easy. Chicago wiped out the Champs, Detroit exposed Orlando’s inexperience and the Cavaliers took care of business against a short-handed Wizards team.

Like most of the NBA, Cavaliers’ players addressed the report done by a professor and grad student at Cornell University, published in the New York Times, that essentially stated that white referees call a disproportionate number of fouls on black players than white.

Larry Hughes: “That’s a tough study to do. I really don’t think it’s relevant as far as our game. We have the same discussions we have with white refs as we do with black refs. It’s no different. I definitely wouldn’t say that a white ref has it out for the black guys in the league. That’s just not possible in our game. Just the work that everybody does in the league; there’s no way that we can even justify saying something like that.”

Zyrdrunas Ilgauskas: “I’m a bad example, man. I’m the all-time leader in fouls here, so I get called by everybody. I don’t think there’s much to it, to be honest.”

And finally …

LeBron James: “It’s stupid.”

How Sweep It Is!

2007-05-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Last year, LeBron James carried the load for the Cavaliers in the postseason. He averaged almost 36 points per contest in the six-game First Round series against Washington – including a 45-point outburst in a critical Game 5 at The Q.

In the following round, the Pistons knew that if they could stop James, they could stop the Cavaliers.

But with Monday night’s 97-90 win – and the efficient four-game sweep of the short-handed Wizards – the Wine and Gold served notice: to beat the James Gang this year, teams will have to deal with half-James and half-Gang.

In 13 postseason games in 2006, James averaged 30.8 ppg. The next-highest scorers were Larry Hughes at 11.1 and Zydrunas Ilgauskas at 10.4. Through the first four games this year, James averaged 27.8 ppg with Z and Larry Hughes right behind at 19 ppg each.

This is the way James prefers it.

“We can’t win if Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Larry Hughes don’t play well – it’s as simple as that. I need them every game to be a factor,” said James.

“I always want my teammates to shine. I don’t like having it by myself. Any time my teammates do well, I am more happy for them than they are for themselves.”

In Monday’s win, Ilgauskas and Hughes scored 10 points apiece in the fourth quarter – hitting one big shot after another. That duo also pushed the Cavaliers over the top in Game 1, with Hughes leading Cleveland with 27 points and Z’s seven straight fourth quarter points being the difference. In Game 2, it was the Drew Gooden Show and in Game 3, LeBron fed a wide-open Sasha Pavlovic – who struggled all game but stroked the game-deciding three with 25 seconds to go.

“(James) opens up a lot for me,” said Hughes, flashing his trademark lazy smile. “If everybody watches him play and can see what he can do with the basketball, then no one will leave him open. It allows me to get a comfort – shoot a couple 10-footers in rhythm and within the offense.”

Hughes was big from the floor, but just as big from the stripe. He hit 25 of the 26 free throws he attempted and the Cavaliers as a team were clutch from the line – hitting on .826 of their shots.

The First Round sweep – the first ever in franchise history – had to be especially pleasing for Ilgauskas, who went through a rough Playoff run in 2006 and was devastated by a family tragedy earlier this year.

“It’s obviously nice to help the team the way I have this series, and hopefully I can continue doing that,” said the Large Lithuanian. “I know it’s going to get tougher; the teams are going to get tougher, but I’m glad we performed well.”

Barely a media session goes by without LeBron James telling reporters that he’s “a football player.” It’s the one topic that James is always ready and willing to talk about, whether recorders are rolling or not.

So on Saturday afternoon, with James preparing for his pre-game meeting with the media and the NFL Draft playing on the locker room TV, James was especially animated. His team – at least for now – is the Dallas Cowboys and postponed the punditry while Dallas prepared to make their first round pick – No. 22.

Of course, they traded that pick to the Browns and LeBron joined the writers – and a couple Cavaliers – in amazement around the TV. On Monday night, after the dust settled, the former gridiron standout weighed in …

“I think (the Browns) got some good draft picks,” LeBron dead-panned. “They must have known something to be able to get Brady Quinn in a trade with the Cowboys. It’s a good pick for them and I know Browns fans are excited and I’m looking forward to see what they’re going to do.”

He then added: “Hopefully, the Cowboys won’t put the Browns on their schedule. I wouldn’t know who to root for.”

Before Monday’s game, NBA Commissioner David Stern – making his whirlwind tour of the Playoffs – spoke with the D.C. media on the state of the league, the NBDL, the Sonics’ possible move and, of course, overseas marketing opportunities.

“LeBron James (and team) are going to Shanghai and Makow, China – together with Dwight Howard (and team) as a couple of the rising stars in the NBA,” said Stern, referring to next season’s exhibition game.

“We have 300 million people in the U.S.; Chinas has 300 million basketball players,” quipped the Commish. “It’s an extraordinary marketing opportunity and the opportunity to take the Cavs there is very exciting for us.”

Many of the Wizards had a feeling that Monday’s game would be their last of the season. And one knew it would be his last as a Wizard.

On Monday morning, after both teams completed shoot-around, Gilbert Arenas saw the Cavaliers heading towards the bus and took a moment to break chops with some of the guys – notably Damon Jones. “Are you going to play in the last game tonight?” Arenas joked. The DJ, never at a loss for words, shot back, “I’m going to play as many minutes as you, (expletive deleted)!”

Arenas will be back to torment the Cavaliers on the court next season. One player that will not be alongside him when it happens is Wizards center, Brendan Haywood.

The former Tar Heel got in Eddie Jordan’s doghouse in early April – emerging for a few productive minutes in Game 2 last week – and got right back in towards the end of the series. On Monday night, Jordan played every player who suited up – except Haywood.

Haywood – who was a Cavalier on Draft night for about 20 minutes before being traded for Michael Doleac – began walking off the court before the final buzzer, left the Verizon Center before any player and his name plate was already missing by the time reporters got into the locker room to ask him about it.

Rain-Maker

2007-04-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

LeBron James’ jaw-dropping blocked shot of Darius Songaila late in the third quarter of Wednesday’s win over the Wizards is one huge reason why he is one of the game’s greatest players.

Songaila had nothing but hardwood and a hoop in front of him, but James – bum ankle and all – came roaring into the picture, pinning Songaila’s shot to snuff a Washington run.

(To check out the block, click HERE.)

“I didn’t know whether I was going to be able to catch Songaila, but I heard Drew from behind me yelling, ‘Go get it! Go get it!’” quipped James. “And I was able to chase him down and got the blocked shot. I jumped off my left ankle and that was the one I turned, and I got some explosiveness off it and it felt pretty good.”

Another, less tangible reason that LeBron is one of the games’ greats is his ultimate team leadership. James fired a laser to Drew Gooden under the basket midway through the second quarter. Gooden hesitated, pump-faked and was eventually fouled by Songaila, but drew the visible ire of LeBron – who had words for Drew heading to the bench on the ensuing timeout.

“I was able to make the defense rotate and I hit Drew and he didn’t go strong like I know he can,” said James. “So I kind've got on him. He knows I’m trying to make him better and I want him to be aggressive. And after that we went to him and he did what I asked him to do and he carried us through the second quarter when we were down.”

Following James’ inspirational speech, Gooden was simply unstoppable – scoring the Cavaliers’ last 11 points of the quarter and 15 overall in the period.

Drew finished with 24 points and 14 boards, exactly one year to the day that he killed Washington in Game 2 of last season’s Round 1. On April 25 in the last two seasons combined against the Wizards, Gooden has gone 21-for-25 from the floor for 48 points to go with 30 rebounds.

At one point during his barrage, Gooden made a strange hand motion in front of his face that he explained after the game. “That’s called ‘making it rain,’” smiled Drew. “I told my teammates that I can only do that when I hit four in a row. I don’t know if anyone’s seen me do that before, but four in a row is making it rain.”

The Cavaliers got big production from their entire front line on Wednesday. James, Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas combined for 67 points, 31 boards and five blocked shots.

Larry Hughes had another strong outing and looks as good as he has all season – maybe as a Cavalier. Hughes was an efficient 5-of-11 from the floor for 19 points to go with eight boards and five dimes. (Regular readers know that five assists is the magic number, with the Cavaliers now weighing in at 36-7 when Hughes has five or more assists.)

But maybe Hughes’ biggest contribution to Wednesday’s win was the six straight free throws that he canned to ice the win that was a little too close for comfort.

"It's definitely good to be up 2-0, but we didn't finish the way we needed to finish,” said Hughes. “This is a learning process for us. We definitely got the win but I think we made it harder than what it needs to be."

The Cavaliers now head to the nation’s capital to try to wrap up the Wizards and not have to come home for a Game 5.

“We can’t get overconfident,” said LeBron. “It’s a long season; it’s a long playoff series and we’re up 2-0. We just have to continue to get better and go into Washington on Saturday and try to get another one.”

Fans may not remember that Wizards coach Eddie Jordan was once a Cavaliers’ second-round draft pick back in 1977 out of Rutgers. He only played 22 games for the Wine and Gold, averaging 2.3 ppg.

Before Wednesday’s game, he was asked if he remembers anything about being in Cleveland back in the day.

"Do you really want me to tell you about the ‘70s?” joked Jordan. “This is what I remember: I remember growing up my two idols were Austin Carr and Walt Frazier. And here I am – a rookie – in the same locker as both of them. Austin came up in D.C., where I’m from, and Clyde was a great with the Knicks while I was at Rutgers, and there I was, playing with them!”
Brendan Haywood emerged from Eddie Jordan’s doghouse to have a solid game on Wednesday night. After getting just five minutes on Sunday afternoon, Haywood – who sparred with Jordan late in the season – came off the bench to go 5-for-6 from the floor for 13 points and four boards.
LeBron James – along with Damon Jones, Shaquille O’Neal, Lisa Leslie and other sports stars appeared on Fox’ “Idol Gives Back,” a two-night “American Idol” fundraiser benefiting poverty-relief programs in the U.S. and Africa. The D.J. showed off his pipes singing a modified version of Don’t You Wish Your (Boyfriend) Was Hot Like Me.

LeBron “performed” the Bee Gee’s Staying Alive and, in his own words, was “absolutely terrible – but for a good cause.” It’s definitely for a good cause. Whether it was terrible or not, you can click HERE to watch it and play Simon Cowell for yourself.
It was reported last week on ESPN.com that Larry Hughes’ alma mater, the University of St. Louis, might be trying to woo former Marquette and Utah coach, Rick Majerus, out of retirement. If they can’t land Majerus, they’re going to go after another big name like Fran Fraschilla.

The Billikens are building a new $80.5 million on-campus arena, which would make the Atlantic 10 job much more attractive to candidates like Majerus or Fraschilla.

While Hughes was impressed with the big name candidates, the eight-year veteran chuckled about the new arena. “Man, they tried luring me to St. Louis with the promise of that arena.”

Game Won

2007-04-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

Anyone who thinks the Cavaliers can mail it in against Washington only needs to look at Game 1 of the Dallas-Golden State series. On Sunday night, both the Warriors and Denver Nuggets notched big road upsets over their Round 1 opponents. Neither team should win the series – and definitely not the West – but it does show the fragility of a seven-game series. It’s down to three home games apiece for each team.

Based on Sunday’s results, though, the Wine and Gold don’t look like they intend to take their foot off the pedal.

Maybe having to stomp the last four opponents gave the Cavaliers a taste for blood they didn’t have heading into the last week of the season. They had dropped recent games to Boston, Charlotte and New York but that was not about to happen when they needed the last four wins to wrap up the No. 2 seed. And it wasn’t going to happen on Sunday.

“Whoever wins four games, moves on,” said the pragmatic LeBron James. “That’s how we should feel. We got one game out of the way and we need three more. We just have to continue to get better, learn from the mistakes we made tonight and get ready for Wednesday.”

Cleveland jumped on Washington early and the injury-depleted Wizards led only once – at 2-0. They got within a bucket several times during the afternoon, but you never got the feeling that they were going to get over the hump.

“I’m not saying we’re going to blow them out of the series – we know each other very well – but I think we need to come out with more focus and get on them a little earlier,” said Donyell Marshall. “With that said, they played well. It’s going to be a tough series. They’re not just going to come in and lay down because they’re without their two guys. They’re going to come out and play hard.”

The biggest scare the Cavs got on Sunday didn’t come from the Wizards, but instead from LeBron when he rolled his left ankle on Etan Thomas in the second quarter. James writhed in pain before bouncing up. He returned and shot his free throws, but you could see him favoring it later.

“It’s definitely going to hurt tomorrow,” said James. “But this isn’t the first time I’ve twisted my ankle landing on someone’s foot, so I know I’m going to go to sleep tonight and tomorrow it’s going to hurt, but the good thing is we don’t play until Wednesday so I’ll get some rest.

“It’s the first game of the Playoffs, we’ve got to set the tone and if I was able to limp on it, I was going to be in there.”

LeBron had a triple-double in his first-ever Playoff game last spring against Washington and barely missed one on Sunday with 23 points, nine boards and seven dimes. James had two steals and committed just a single turnover. LeBron took umbrage with a reporter during the postgame presser who insinuated that he had a “sub-par” opening game.

The Wizards will definitely go back to the drawing board for Game 2.

“It’s kind of different, when you’re winning, to make adjustments,” said Drew Gooden, who tied a team record with an 11-for-12 performance in Game 2 of last year’s series. “You want to stick with your bread-and-butter. But I think when you lose a game, you have to make adjustments. So we’ll see what happens.”

Larry Hughes didn’t hit the magic number (five or more assists), but a team-high 27 points is a magic enough number for the Wine and Gold. Hughes was 9-for-17 from the floor and perfect in eight tries from the line.

His three-pointer at the first-half buzzer might have been the play of the game. With a resilient Wizards club clawing back to within four points approaching intermission, Hughes splashed home the three-pointer at the buzzer that got the Cavaliers back into the driver’s seat and the sold-out crowd back into the game.

“(The shot) was big,” said the typically understated Hughes. “We were struggling through the first half. I was a little hesitant, little tentative on both ends of the court so to get one going in to push the lead to seven, I think, was good.”

The Cavaliers will practice on Monday and get ready for Game 2 on Wednesday night. LeBron will get an extra day’s rest on the ankle and Mike Brown will have an extra day to figure out Antawn Jamison – Washington’s most viable threat.

A healthy Washington team took Game 2 after dropping the opener at The Q last year. Let’s see how the wounded Wizards do this season.