Checking in from the road
Posted April 9th, 2006 by Brian Windhorst
Newark — Little observations from the last week of Cavs basketball:
–LeBron James is the best player in the NBA right now and anyone who says different hasn’t been paying attention. I got several e-mails complaining about some of the national media’s recent coverage of the team has focused on LeBron not being a legit candidate. They don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m not sure he’ll win because my fellow voters are stubborn and he hasn’t done it for the whole season. Yet on balance, it is no doubt the greatest individual season in team history.
–Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall have both gotten more consistent and it has really made a difference during this run of good play. Their shooting percentages are up, of course, but Jones is making better contributions from the perimeter and Marshall has been a presence around the hoop every game.
–I’m sure many of you are celebrating as Eric Snow’s role has been reduced with the return of Larry Hughes. But you should never forget that Snow helped hold the team together at midseason when Jones wasn’t playing well, Flip Murray wasn’t here yet and Hughes was out. He was the best and only option at the point. Plus he’s got the most playoff experience on the roster. He’s played every game and done so through injury and adversity. All I get are e-mails complaining about Snow especially when I was writing how important his role is.
–There is only one flight today from the NYC area to Oklahoma City and it is at 3 p.m. That means I will miss the final round of the Masters. I am cranky about it.
–Moments after the game Saturday the players roared with glee when Mike Brown told them he was rewarding them with a fifth night in the New York area on this trip, canceling the plans to go to Oklahoma after the game. I’ve led the charge complaining about how soft Brown has been on his players this season, especially with travel plans by rewarding them with extra days in desirable cities despite bad play. But he’s a player’s coach and his players have been only rising to the occasion for him, so I relent. UPDATE: Brown only allowed the team to stay because of charter jet problems, which were corrected after the game and the team ended up flying to Oklahoma City afterall, which I learned after being told the opposite.
–Winning close road games at Chicago, Toronto and Houston set up how well the Cavs played Saturday in the swamp. With LeBron as the leader, they team has an almost stunning confidence late in games now. Even in New York against that bad team, they were down 19 and rallied like they knew they were going to win. Totally night and day from those games at Detroit, Dallas and Miami earlier when they went into a shell like scared children. Maybe they still couldn’t win those types of games, but with this team all you can do at this point is chart growth and it has been substantial.
–You have to be very careful with free agents like Flip Murray, but it would be hard to believe the Cavs would pass on making him their top priority, even above Drew Gooden. Not only is Anderson Varejao proving he can player starter’s minutes perhaps limiting how far the Cavs are willing to do on Drew, but Murray’s contribution to this streak is second only to LeBron.
–Conversation from pizza shop on Upper East Side on Friday…
Employee #1: It ain’t bad, I didn’t get no Fs or nothing.
Employee #2: Yeah me either, I done told Ms. Simmons if I gotta F I’d have to go to jail and she was like, OK. So she gave me a D.
April 9th, 2006 at 8:33 am
From Windhorst’s Nets/Cavs recap:
“Their maturation simply continues to surge as they conquer challenge after challenge, the latest and perhaps greatest high point coming Saturday. Staring down a fierce opponent riding the longest win streak in the NBA this season, the Cavs delivered yet another command performance.”
Maturity continues to surge? Conquering challenge after challenge? Nuts!
Brian, you need a major reality check. I can’t believe you’re a beat writer. The Cavs got clipped by the Knicks a few days ago. The Knicks! The Knicks are possibly the league’s worst team. Any playoff team that loses to them this late in the season has real issues. The Cavs are going to get creamed in the first round of the playoffs. Count on it. You and Branson Wright are going to have stop your LeBron worship. It’s sickening! Basketball is a team sport and LeBron is but ONE player. God, I miss the old beat writer.
April 9th, 2006 at 9:00 am
Perhaps you haven’t heard, Green, the Cavs have won 10 of their past 11 games and have locked up home court advantage in the first round. Included in those ten games were wins over Dallas, Miami and New Jersey. Yes, they lost to the Knicks, but I think I might just be a little content with their overall play over the past few weeks…
I think some people just like to whine rather than enjoy the best basketball that has been played in Cleveland in a long time…
April 9th, 2006 at 9:03 am
LeBron may be the best player in the NBA, but he is trying to do too much. He won’t get the MVP for the same reason Kobe won’t: he already thinks he is the MVP. Both players have the attitude that they are the only player on their team that matters. Steve Nash on the other hand, will be rewarded for realizing that he cannot do everything and turning his team into an elite level team, rather than focusing on turning himself into an elite level player.
I miss the days when fans were more excited about LeBron’s passing and team play than his dunks and “I’m going to win this game myself” attitude.
April 9th, 2006 at 9:03 am
The Pistons lost to the Knicks just a couple weeks before the Cavs did. They even lost to Orlando a couple of nights ago. The Spurs lost to Sacramento at home earlier this week and Seattle last week. Games like that happen in the NBA.
The Cavs have won 10 of 11 and LeBron is stepping up his game when it matters most. He is playing better than anyone in the league and he is stepping up his game in the 4th quarter on a regular basis.
I don’t know what games you’re watching Green Roses. The Nets had beaten Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix and Miami during their streak. That win was a huge one for the Cavs. The loss to the Knicks was a bad one but it doesn’t diminish the overall team play over the past few weeks and the season overall. If you’re going to dwell on the one loss in the last 11 games then I feel sorry for you. It’s time for your reality check because writers around the nation are starting to recognize how dominating LeBron has been and how well the Cavs are playing right now.
April 9th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Would the NBA MVP pass up an easy potential game tying shot as LeBron James did against the Knicks? He dished the ball to Flip Murray who promptly missed. I’m familar with the school of thought that says you should go for the win on the road and avoid overtime, but come on, it was the harmless hapless Knicks.
This next statement is going to shock all of the Koolaide drinkers who read this blog: the Cavs should dump LeBron within the next three to four seasons before he turns into the next Shawn Kemp. He’s already got one kid and his mother and pseudo-father keep getting into trouble with the law. Say what you will about Allen Iverson’s mother, at least she was never was charged with molesting police property.
April 9th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Ignore the troll, fellas. Anyone who doesn’t even both with facts (Flip missed the shot?) and comapres LeBron to Shawn Kemp, is just trying to get peoples’ attention. Don’t waste your time giving him any. I’ll take 1000 Alan Tucker entries over one of any of this guy’s.
April 9th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
I don’t know if I’m supposed to be taking that last remark as a big complement or as a giant insult.
But let’s discuss far more important issues. For example, why in the world would anybody in their right mind be frustrated they can’t watch the Masters? Booooooring. Golf is to be played on a course, not watched on TV. I haven’t glimpsed the Masters since they banned Gary McCord for saying the greens were so fast, they must have been “bikini-waxed.”
April 10th, 2006 at 6:17 am
The comment was made tongue-in-cheek. I don’t always agree with what you have to say, however, you pose good arguments, add humor and wit to your writing, and have a unique voice. Hot damn, I sound like Paula Abdul. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take a cold shower now.
And I agree. While golf is fun to play, it is absolutely mind-numbing to watch. Sort of like soccer. Except with golf they’ll show you a camera shot of Phil Mickelson’s gorgeous wife. In soccer all you get is the occasional male streaker with a website URL written on his hiney.
April 10th, 2006 at 6:35 am
Take it from someone who was at the game in NY last week, the Cavs did not turn it on until late in the 3rd. The team, esepcially LBJ, has a very bad habit of playing up to its competition, and needless to say the Knicks rep was just dot the W on the scorecard. While certainly a terrible trait, I am guessing that when the playoffs start (and every game is crucial) the team will be mega-focused and play up to its potential. Specifially, I think LBJ will drive to the hoop almost every time he touches the ball and predict 15-20 foul shots a game for the non-MVP stud.
P.S. I staked out the hot-dog stand for a while hoping to catch Brian and give him this I love Eric Sonw mug that I made, but alas he never showed.
April 10th, 2006 at 6:42 am
The recent play of Varejao and Gooden has me wondering if any team might take Illgauskus’ contract in a trade this summer.
Gooden has long been miscast. To his credit, he has worked to become a defensive player and rebounder but he’s a scorer at heart. He’s got a soft touch and could post numbers similar to Z’s if made a permanent part of the offense.
I’ve also wondered if Gooden’s well-documented mental lapses might decrease if he felt more involved at the offensive end. He’s still young and could evolve into a pretty productive all-around player.
Varejao may not be ready to start, but the Cavs could possibly get another young defensive-minded, athletic big man in return for Z. I’d much rather see an offensively-challenged player at center than, say, point guard, especially if that player could shut down the middle.
This offseason will be especially important for the Cavs. Last year, Ferry undoubtedly felt pressure due to last spring’s rocky ownership transition and thus signed players on almost a fill-in-the-dots basis. This summer will show more clearly if he can build a real contender.
April 10th, 2006 at 9:27 am
A few comments:
- The Cavs are playing very unique version of good basketball. While it’s true that they are not playing well-organized, efficient basketball, they are stepping it up in the 4th Quarter and playing at a very high level down the stretch. They have been able to overcome huge 4th Quarter deficits in recent weeks, with the defense clamping down and LeBron James carrying the team on his back offensively. While it would be better if they didn’t find themselves down in the 4th in the first place, their ability to rise in the clutch has been impressive. And it has made the games ridiculously exciting.
- It is fair to say that the plan of turning it on in the 4th Quarter will not be as successful during the playoffs, where the Cavs will need to play at a high level throughout the game. But lets stop the talk of them losing the first round. They will have to play either Washington on Milwaukee, and neither of those teams have the personnel to match up with the Cavs in a seven game series. By saying that the Cavs can’t win the first round, you’re saying that the Wizards CAN. If you’ve watched either team play in the last month, you know how ridiculous that statement is, and it will be even more evident after the Cavs beat the Wizards next Sunday.
- The Cavs need Z to be a legitimate championship contender in the coming years. He gives them an weapon that most teams don’t have, and the Cavs should use that to their advantage more often. He is a solid outside scorer with some great footwork on inside moves, and when they are feeding him the ball he has been nearly unstoppable at times (see the first half of the last two Heat games). He is a solid shot blocker, and keeps the guards that blow by the Cavs defenders from getting easy layups. He is a great offensive rebounder. He works hard and plays hurt, and has somehow gotten better over the last three years, regardless of what his numbers look like. And he’s a post player that you can give the ball to in the later part of the game, because you know he can hit the free throws. Now someone please explain to me how none of those things are important, and how they can be easily replaced by another player. Z matches up with any center the Cavs might run into in the playoffs. He is not the weak link, he’s an advantage that should be used to exploit the weakness at the center position of other teams.
- Finally, I know it’s been a long time coming, but this team is going to win 50 games this year, despite the fact that Larry Hughes was out for 3 months, and Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall went cold for about the same amount of time. They’re winning despite the fact that they have a rookie coach and a roster that had a lot of changes in the off-season. It takes a while for the pieces to fall into place. And now that the team is finally coming together, I think we should get on board, enjoy the ride, and cheer for the best, rather than reflecting on some of the failings earlier in the season.
The Cavs are playing winning basketball right now, and I couldn’t be happier. Go Cavs.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Please. Overall, Ilgauskas and his contract are liabilities. The guy averages what, about 16 points and 7 1/2 rebounds a game. Whoopie. Aside from his Damon Jones poodle-like defense, his white marshmallow-soft offense and his giant sloth-like movement, he is a non-existent distributor of the ball. A complete black hole. For a guy who’s an offensive center, throughout his entire career, his assists totals have always been…well, let’s just say it: OFFENSIVE. Simply terrible. Which pretty much makes James and his special skills irrelevant, doesn’t it?
By the way, how many times do people need to be reminded that Ilgauskas is so good, that he led a team to a 17-65 record? Look, he’s a nice player, but he’s just another player. Any decent center can play the role of center on this team. If that center can run, rebound and play defense, then it’s a definite upgrade. Particularly run.
Larry is absolutely right. And I’m not just saying that because my late father was named Larry. Nor because Larry was my favorite Stooge. Problem is, both Ferry and Gilbert have a history of crumbling apart like a cookie when there is media criticism or things are otherwise unpopular. Given that the franchise’s value is not tied to team performance, but rather is entirely tied to James, there is little incentive to move Ilgauskas. The spin about creating a winner is total lip service. Window dressing. Until James re-ups, it’s all about selling the sizzle, not the steak.
In other words, Ilgauskas is probably going to be in Cleveland for the length of his contract. It was silly when this blog host asserted Ilgauskas took a pay cut to stay with the Cavs. A pay cut? Not only is the contract heavily backloaded, but did he receive another offer? Uhh…no. So how did he take a “pay cut?” He and his agent accepted the only big-money offer out there. Because even Isiah Thomas, nor any other GM in the league, was screwballish enough to pay a crazy cap-crushing premium for the right to be bound to a vertical turtle until the age of 35. By the time 2010 rolls around, I’ll be absolutely shocked if Barbara Walters can’t beat Z in a mad dash down the court.
With all that being said, I really want to know what Brian’s fascination is with watching golf on TV. Speaking of Z, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
April 10th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
Thanks for checking in Alan.
If you readers don’t want to read his novel-length post, assume it will be bashing Ferry or Z. That never gets old for AT.
April 10th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Wow, what a cerebral post that adds so much to the Windhorst blog.
April 10th, 2006 at 7:54 pm
M - V - P! M - V - P! M - V - P!
Go Cavs! 11-1 in last 12 games. Going into the playoffs on a ROLL, baby!
Will Alan be actually attending any playoff games, or will he just be posting here instead?
April 10th, 2006 at 8:17 pm
Gotta love the rants.
First off, Z did take a pay cut, because he was making over $15 Million last year, and this year he’s making no more than $12 Million (5 years, $60 Million). Any way you look at it, he’s making less money this year than last, and that’s a pay cut. You can make a case that he didn’t take “less money” to stay with the Cavs, but you can’t argue with the fact that he took a pay cut.
And I find it funny that everyone says “Any decent center can play the role of center on this team. If that center can run, rebound and play defense, then it’s a definite upgrade. Particularly run.” It’s funny because no one ever floats out a name to fill that description. Do you want Nazr Mohammed, he of the career 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds a game? Jamaal Magloire, at 9.5 and 7.8?
Bear with me, because I’m making a point. Let’s look at the teams with a viable chance of winning the championship this year, and their centers. That would be:
EAST
Detroit: Ben Wallace
Miami: Shaquille O’Neal
New Jersey: Nenad Krstic
Cleveland: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
WEST
San Antonio: Nazr Mohammed
Phoenix: Tim Thomas
Dallas: Eric Dampier
Denver: Marcus Camby
Look at that list. On it is one Hall-of-Famer (O’Neal), one good “run, rebound and play defense” guy (Wallace), three really mediocre “run, rebound and play defense” guys in Thomas, Dampier, and Mohammed, a guy that is slower and softer than Z in Krstic, and a guy too small to play center in Camby (who is constantly hurt and weights 20 pounds less than LeBron James). The point is, there are not a lot of quality big men in the league, and the Cavs have one of the better ones.
Someone might be wonder, however, how teams with these inferior centers are still able to be legitimate championship contenders. The answer is simple: they play with superior power forwards, guys that are big enough to post up and be effective on the offensive end, and are still able to provide good help defense. Mohammed has Tim Duncan, Dampier has Dirk Nowitzki, and Thomas had (for 2 games) Amare Stoudemire, and still has 6-10 Shawn Marion picking up his slack. Even Ben Wallace has Rasheed Wallace to cover up for his offensive ineptitude. These great power forwards cover up the fact that the centers aren’t very good.
And if the Cavs had a great power forward, maybe I would think of moving Z. But they don’t. They have some really average power forwards. What happens when one of these “run, rebound and play defense” centers is on a team without a good inside presence? Look no further than the Milwaukee Bucks, with the aforementioned Jamaal Magloire. He is having a good year, averaging 9.4 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. His numbers are actually better than guys like Mohammed and Thomas. So, if that kind of center is all you need, the Bucks should be a pretty good team right? They’re not. While they may end up the as 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, they are currently 37-40, and need to win the rest of their games to finish above .500.
And it’s not just the Bucks. The Lakers have “run, rebound and play defense” guys in Chris Mihm and Brian Grant. The NO/OK Hornets have one in P.J. Brown. The Wizards have Brendan Haywood. These guys are not carrying their teams to the next level, and they wouldn’t be helping Cleveland win any championships, unless they’re bringing Dwight Howard with them.
Okay, last part, let’s look at the teams that have won the NBA championships for the last decade, and the post presence on that team. We have:
2005: San Antonio - Tim Duncan
2004: Detroit - Ben and Rasheed Wallace
2003: San Antonio - Duncan and David Robinson
2002: LA Lakers - Shaquille O’Neal
2001: LA Lakers - O’Neal
2000: LA Lakers - O’Neal
1999: San Antonio - Duncan and Robinson
1998: Chicago - Dennis Rodman
1997: Chicago - Rodman
1996: Chicago - Rodman
Lets see here. Five of the last ten Champions were teams that had one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in the post (Robinson and O’Neal). Three of them had the best rebounder of the modern era (Rodman), not mention the greatest player in the history of the game in Michael Jordan, and another top 50 player in Scottie Pippen. And the other two still had the Wallaces and Duncan. Sounds like a trend to me. And while I like Drew Gooden, he doesn’t exactly fit this mold. Maybe Z doesn’t either, but the implication that the Cavs will be successful with a Drew Gooden-level player as their primary post option doesn’t hold water. You need to have an exceptional post presence to win the NBA Championship. In re-signing Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavs did the best they could to keep that All-Star caliber post player.
So there it is. You need a very good post presence to win an NBA Championship. You probably need a great one. Maybe Z is good enough, maybe he’s not. But for the last time, anyone who suggests that the Cavs would be a better team with a “run, rebound and defend” center, without also upgrading the power forward position to an All-Star caliber player, is speaking from ignorance.
Z is the best post player that the Cavs could get. Great post players just don’t change teams. I think he’s a very good, hardworking player, and I love cheering for him. I just hope, like all of us, that he’s good enough to help LeBron James finally bring that championship to Cleveland. Because a better one is not likely to be coming around any time soon.
April 11th, 2006 at 4:07 am
I like pulling for Illgauskus too and it would be a great story to see him win a championship after all the injuries he has fought through.
Having a presence in the post is crucial in the playoffs, as you note. When defenses tighten up, nothing opens up the floor more than a guy who can draw double teams near the rim then pass to a cutter or three point shooter. The Rockets built a two time championship club with that as pretty much their only play.
But that’s where the important differences come in between Illgauskus and the championship players you list. While Shaq and Duncan are very good at finding an open man when the defense collapses on them, Illgauskus is not, as Alan points out quite often. Z is more likely to toss up a crazy looking hook or scoop shot.
It’s true that good post players are hard to come by and Gooden wouldn’t draw the attention or pass out of double teams like Shaq, Duncan or Olajuwon. LeBron, however, would be exceptional in that role.
I can’t help but point out that you’re also playing a little fast and loose with some of your player characterizations. For example, I wouldn’t call guys like Chris Mihm and Brendan Haywood “run, rebound and defense” types, Dirk Nowitzki a great post player, Ben Wallace “not very good” or Shawn Marion 6′10″.
April 11th, 2006 at 5:32 am
Silly semantics with that pay thing. The nonsensical implication of those “took a pay cut” articles was that Ilgauskas was making a personal sacrifice to re-up with Cleveland, as if devotion and loyalty outweighed a bigger contract he could have gotten elsewhere. Not quite.
And again, Larry is right. Ilgauskas’ offensive game operates in a vacuum. It’s why his stats remain the same no matter if it’s on a 17-game winner, or it’s on a 48-game winner. He operates alone. He is not a player that makes the other individuals on the team better. Defenses collapse on Ilgauskas, and if he doesn’t force a shot, he’ll get a turnover. Thus, in a playoff series, where teams can recognize and focus upon this fatal weakness time and time again, there is no way for Brown to adjust. The only viable option is to not pass to him, or, in the alternative, to simply sit him. But the playoffs are the entire reason for playing the regular season, isn’t it?
April 11th, 2006 at 6:57 am
A quick response.
- I was mistaken on Marion’s height. I thought he was bigger. I also called Brian Cook Brian Grant. Definitely a slip up.
- I called Ben Wallace a good player. I didn’t spend too much time on him because I was grouping him with Shaq there, an elite center on an elite team. I brought up Rasheed Wallace just to show how a very good power forward can even cover up some weaknesses in a very good center’s game, not to group Ben Wallace with Nazr Mohammed.
- The problem is, Ben Wallace is not leaving Detroit. He fired his agent, because he didn’t want to pay a guy 4 percent to work out his contract when he already knew where he was going to be playing. Even if the Cavs had money to burn, Wallace isn’t leaving Detroit.
- Just like Shaq isn’t leaving Miami. Just like Duncan isn’t leaving San Antonio, Brand isn’t leaving the Clippers, Gasol isn’t leaving Memphis, and Howard isn’t leaving Orlando.
- Jermaine O’Neal and Kevin Garnett may be available, but I don’t think the Cavs have the package to bring them here.
- That’s two more comments, with not a single player suggested to fill Z’s role on the team. This mythical available player that can come in and fit perfectly with this team doesn’t exist. And that was always my point.
April 11th, 2006 at 9:09 am
I really can’t believe there are LeBron haters out there, Mr. Green Roses. Are you one of those guys who used to dog Jordan as being a selfish scorer who didn’t make players around him better when the Bulls were losing to the Pistons all those years? Are you one of those guys who during 1992 had the audacity to say that Clyde Drexler was as good as Jordan and then watched MJ piss all over The Glide in the finals? Are you one of the guys who used to argue that Ron Harper was just as good as MJ during their first couple of years in the league?
I bet you are.
You are just plain foolish if you can’t see how good LeBron is and what he does for the team. So he threw a pass to an open man for the game winner and the open man missed the shot. What’s he supposed to do, force a shot at MSG where even Alan Tucker knows Bron won’t get a call (not in the final seconds of a one possession game)?
Do you think Dwayne Wade is better? Did you check out the epic contest a few Saturday’s ago? See whose team won? LeBron deserves the MVP. Not giving it to him would be a joke. Just like giving Jamal Crawford the Eastern Conference Player of the week this week over James was. As for Iveson’s mama, she might not have had a run-in with the cops, but she has spent up all of her baby’s money. At one point her spending sprees were costing Iverson 250 grr a month before Iverson’s agent at the time, David Faulk, stepped in to stop the madness Why else to you think the Iverson is hosting lame parties for Budweiser in every city he goes?
April 11th, 2006 at 3:06 pm
Mike, just about anybody decent can fill Ilgauskas’ shoes and platform soles. That includes luring Bill Wennington and Luc Longley out of retirement. Why do people insist upon a specific name? The center position means little to nothing on the Cavaliers. It’s James and everybody else. Jeez, if a guy with a Sideshow Bob hairdo can fill the same role as Ilgauskas, and do it in a way which far more complements James’ skills, then why not? And may I add, for a helluva lot less. In a competitive sport with a finite salary cap upon the roster, that is by far the most important point.
April 11th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
Tucker, AV can’t fill Z’s shoes because he hasn’t developed yet. Maybe in 2-3 years he will be a full-fledged C/PF, but until then, Z is the best option.
About the only similarities between AV and Z are that they both accumulate fouls quicker than the Knicks accumulate losses.
In almost every way, Z is better than AV. And there is no one available to replace Z’s offensive production. Go back and look at the list Mike typed out. There are no slouches at the 4/5 spot. AV, at least right now, is a slouch. Z, at the worst, is less of a slouch than AV.
I have always been frustrated watching Z, because he’ll bring a great game for 3-4 games, and then go AWOL for 3-4 after that, and he fouls too much, and he plays small instead of big, etc. But he’s still a top-5 center.
Don’t you understand this?
April 11th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
First, I don’t agree he’s a “top-5 center.”
Second, much like the 17-65 team, this team doesn’t require a “top-5 center.” No, what it requires is a point guard and some bench players that can actually play. I don’t see how the four years and $50 million remaining on Ilgauskas’ contract, or whatever it is, lend much assistance in that regard.
April 12th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
I don’t want to overwhelm the board with stats, but it’s interesting what some unbiased statistical sources would say about Ilgauskas.
Espn’s John Hollinger tracks his own stats, and his efficiency rating lists Ilgauskas as the fifth best center in the NBA (after Ming, Bosh, Gasol, and Duncan). Zig plays easily the fewest miutes per game of any of them.
ESPN.com has its own rating system, and it rates Ilgauskas as the 53rd best player (not center) in the NBA, and the best who averages fewer than 30 minutes a game.
82games.com’s Roland Ratings has Ilgauskas as the 26th best NBA player (not center) with a +7.2 rating (through 3/27). His PER difference would rank him the 24th best NBA player this season (again, through March 27th).
Simply using the core stats, ESPN.com rates Ilgauskas as the NBA’s 5th best center by points per game, the tenth best center in the NBA by field goal percentage, the second best by free throw percentage, the 12th best rebounder, the fifth best offensive rebounder, the 13th best passer, the 14th WORST at turnovers, the 12th best shot blocker, the sixth WORST at fouls, and the 20th best at steals per game.
He is a two-time All Star (most recently last year).
May 19th, 2006 at 12:22 pm
even if the cavs beat the Pistons which would be a shock they will get destroyed by the heat. It wont even be funny shaq will walk all over them