Losses, Yankee hats and cigars, oh my
Posted May 24th, 2006 by Brian Windhorst
Don’t know where to begin, so I’ll riff…
–Cavs lost the series in Game 6, not Game 7. Though what happened in Game 7 ought to be a lesson. Cavs need a new offensive strategy. It’s not that Mike Brown’s system doesn’t work, I mean the Spurs use it. Obviously the Cavs changed what they do after Hughes went down, but the system was not designed with all the Cavs weapons in mind.
–Before you talk about any trades/signings, etc., the first thing the Cavs must decide is how they are going to play offense. They know how they are going to play defense. If they want to join the hip trend of playing fast then they have to go that way. If they have another idea, they’ll do something else. Yes, this directly involves Zydrunas Ilgauskas. I have plenty of information on this but I’m holding off until I get into the paper. Based on what I’m hearing Z will be a topic in the front office.
–Two things discussed widely in the last week re: LeBron’s future. A Detroit columnist refreshed the New Jersey Nets/Jay-Z rumors by saying LeBron’s Nike contract had a clause that would make it "double" if he played in Chicago, NYC or LA. Second, some suggested LeBron was trying to send a message by putting his Yankees cap down on the table during his Game 7 postgame press conference.
I’ve only written this about a dozen times, but here does again: LeBron’s Nike contract does not have location escalator clauses. He signed the deal for the maximum penny the night before the lottery, a lottery the Bulls, Knicks and Clippers were in. That was three years and three days ago and the deal has four more years to run. Some of his other deals do have such clauses, but even if those endorsement deals tripled they would not cover the difference in him signing with the Nets rather than the Cavs. Sure, you can argue that if he did go there he could get new deals. But that isn’t what people are writing. It should be pointed out LeBron hasn’t had a new sponsorship deal in more than two years and the word on the street is that Nike is still a long way for breaking even on his products. Don’t assume anything as far as his pitchman status goes.
Now, the reason LeBron took the hat off is because due to the new NBA dress code he is not allowed to wear a hat during an interview. He wears a Yankees hat all the time and has for years and all his buddies/staff members do as well. If you want to analyze the angle of how the hat was placed and all that junk, feel free.
All I can do is go by what he tells me.
–I will be an in studio guest along with Michael Reghi for several hours today on Kenny Roda’s show on 850 AM starting at 3 p.m. Feel free to call in and ask questions. I will also be on More Sports and Les Levine for an hour tomorrow taking calls on the Cavs.
–After being forced to spend what seemed like weeks in Auburn Hills, I must say the area grew on me. Especially after I found a ritzy and great little burgh called Birmingham. It’s a wealthy area to say the least. Tom Reed loved it, especially after he found this cigar store where he tricked the cashier into selling him $15 cigars for $5 and came back and did it again the next day. But there was some sporting goods store where Reed stopped in to buy a pair of shorts that took the cake.
All they had in this smug area was lacrosse shorts and Tom only found one pair in his size, in dark blue. At the counter, another all too nice cashier asked if he was sure he wanted them because they were Duke Lacrosse shorts. Tom went back and got a smaller size with the Virginia logo. What a wimp.
More to come, I’m sure.
May 24th, 2006 at 9:34 am
Brian I think I’m seeing some real growth here, in regards to your comments about Z. Many of us are pulling for you!
May 24th, 2006 at 11:43 am
Brian,be lucky you were in Auburn Hills,NOT
DETROIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!My mother was a Detroiter,
and when a 2001 TV show dedicated to the Motor
City’s 300 anniversary was aired,she pointed
out to my sister and me,almost in tears,the
sights,mostly either gone or in terminal ru-
ins,she knew as a girl.And about 90% of the
city is a dilapidated disgrace.
May 24th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
Can we cut the crap about James’ Nike contract? Not just you, but every single sportswriter in the country. Except Vecsey. If he says it’s true or it’s false, then I may believe it. His sources are usually gold. But he has never reported on this. Which should tell you something.
Listen, unless you’ve actually seen and read the contract, then you don’t know what’s in there, let alone some Detroit sportswriter. It’s become self-evident that purported sources regarding this subject just plain suck. Walking contradictions. One guy says one thing, one guy says another thing, one guy says another thing. And all assert it’s 100% true. Bull. Either they’re assuming, they’re lying, or they’re just talking out of their respective butt cracks.
So please, stop making definitive statements regarding the contract’s terms and provisions. Obtain an actual copy, read it, then report on it. Then, I will listen, as should everybody else. But as it now stands, James’ Nike contract “reporting” is the sports journalism equivalent of Geraldo.
May 24th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Vecsey’s sources are usually gold?! Fool’s gold, maybe. He is one of the least credible reporters out there, in part because of the pressure from his NYC rag to dig for dirt. He routinely is wrong, only thinly clinging to the explanation that the story was correct when reported, but circumstances changed since then.
May 24th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
I think you’re very wrong about Vecsey. Regardless, my point had nothing to do with him.
May 24th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Brian,
With Z signing a large deal last year and some saying he lost a 1/2 step, how hard will it be to move Z?
I think the Cavs hands are tied and I would be very impressed if Ferry can move Z (and his new house on the lake) and attain value in return. Any cap relief from Z’s contract couldn’t come until the following years coreect?
I also assume that they would need a “big” in return or they would be rolling with AV, D Marsh and Marty and a 5 mill mid level big….if they let DG walk.
Isn’t Larry getting sick of J O’Neal?
May 24th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Alan…You have to kidding about PV.
May 24th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
I have absolutely no idea what or who PV is.
May 24th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z! Please trade Z!
May 25th, 2006 at 3:03 am
I completely and utterly agree for the love of God! Please trade Z, keep Gooden, leave flip and let’s spend the MLE to a proven, young PG and explore how we can bring in Radmanovic
May 25th, 2006 at 10:01 am
I’m wondering how many head coaching jobs are going to open up this off season? I ask because, if the Cavs are serious about bringing in someone to spruce up the offense, what about Rick Adelman?
In Sacramento, Adelman developed one of the best and most exciting offenses in recent memory and he’s worked with both Arvidas Sabonis and Vlade Divac, two guys Illgauskus seems to model his game after.
Sabonis was a key contributor in Portland when Adelman was there, even though Sabonis’ injuries made him slow as molasses and he couldn’t always play many minutes. And Divac continued to be an important member of the Kings even as he slowed considerably with age.
I realize that both those guys were better passers than Z, who makes a great looking pass once a month but often settles for a crazy looking scoop or hook. Adelman’s teams have also had better shooters than the Cavs.
But I have some doubts as to whether Illgauskus can be traded and Adelman could help find the best way to use Z’s talents and avoid his limitations. Maybe Adelman would agree to work as a consultant until a head coaching job opens up.
May 25th, 2006 at 10:56 am
You pointed out the major difference - - Sabonis and Divac were terrific passers. The offense could run through them, and it often did. No amount of coaching can ever make Ilgauskas a great passer, let alone a consistently decent passer. He is what he is.
It’s dreaming that Ilgauskas will be traded this summer. Exactly a 0% chance. Pleasant dream, though.
May 25th, 2006 at 11:09 am
“Sure, you can argue that if he did go there he could get new deals. But that isn’t what people are writing.”
Brian–That is what I’m writing! Since you linked to TrueHoop above as the source of the “Yankee hat” rumors, let me make clear that my view is that any financial incentive for LeBron James to go to Brooklyn would absolutely come from new deals. In this post and the comments we talk more about it:
http://www.truehoop.com/cleveland-cavaliers-12457-this-is-why-dan-gilbert-works-so-hard.html#discussion
May 25th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Oh, Henry! Stop making perfect sense.
May 25th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
The Nets are nowhere near ready to move to Brooklyn yet. They still have to build that development/arena. It’s going to take at least five years to get that thing up. Plus they are having a lot of opposition from the locals. I think it’ll happen, but it’s not going to be quick.
I think LeBron is going sign on to Cleveland for the immediate future, but he’ll move somewhere else eventually. That’s just my hunch. Sign the contract and get that big money — just in case you get hurt before you can negotiate again — and try to make a go of it here. I doubt LeBron will retire in Cleveland though. That’s just my gut feeling.
May 25th, 2006 at 4:41 pm
OH! About that yankees cap…I’m not going to get all DaVinci Code on it. I think it’s a fashion thing. The black Yankees cap is sort of an essential item for people who like to dress in the “rap style.”
Check out this: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/amatas/resource/yankees.htm
May 25th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
Or the Yankee cap could simply be because he is a Yankee fan. Our very own blog host had a story last year about LBJ and Brendan Malone talking Yankees since each were fans of the team. I’m still trying to understand exactly why this is a story…
May 27th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
Ahh, I think you may be wrong there. Why would LeBron WANT to leave? He’s near home, he’s got all the stroke on who’s there(remember Silas?)It’s just a matter on getting a few more good players in there, and moving some players to a town where they’ll fit in better. You guys got Hughes, and you know that if he’s healthy, he’ll deliver. You know that DJ will perform if he gets floor time. Don’t let him fool you, he’s nowhere near the end of his career. After him and LeBron mesh some more over the summer, I bet ya it’ll be different. What would’ve really helped you guys out was if Michael Redd would’ve came to Cleveland. Hell, ya never know, if Miami don’t win the championship Walker and Payton may be lookin’ for somewhere to go. That’s not meant as an insult, but think about it: LeBron, DJ, Hughes, Walker, Payton…..get another good Center in there, and you guys will be steamrollin’ next season.