The Cavs win the lottery, sort of
Posted May 23rd, 2007 by bwindhorst
This is a day late, my focus being on the conference finals and all, but it’s still worth pointing out. The Cavs made out pretty fairly after the draft lottery last night in Jersey. First off, the Bulls (via the Knicks) did not move up. Had they landed Kevin Durant or Greg Oden, obviously, they very well may have become huge championship threats next season. At No. 9, they are probably outside the zone where they can land an immediate impact player. That was probably the facet of the lottery the Cavs organization was keeping the closest eye on.
In addition, both Oden and Durant will be heading West. Not that either will make their teams instant contenders, but both are franchise players. It does not shift the balance of power in the NBA, however.
There will be much conversation about this in the coming weeks, but my initial thought is you take the big man No. 1. Count the number of great centers in the NBA right now and then count the number of great wing players. Durant may be special, but Oden is special and rare.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Oden has to be the pick. The guy can be First Team All-NBA on defense next year, and will only improve facing Duncan, Garnett, etc on a nightly basis…
You so right about the Bulls not getting lucky…That could have put the Cavs in a hole for a very long time….
FTS
http://www.fearthesword.com
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Oden is going to DOMINATE. This guy will be a combination of Shaq’s power and Hakeem’s finesse. He will be the 2nd best Defensive center in the NBA his rookie year (behind Duncan) and will probably shoot 60% from the field. Durant can be something special, and his ceiling may be higher, but until he learns to play good Defense, he can only do so much for his team.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:36 pm
I think Oden will end up being more along the lines of a superior Alonzo Mourning with a smidge of O’Neal mixed in, but without the retarded egomaniacal bicep flex thing that Mourning used to be so fond of doing. That irked me even more than Dikembe Mutombo’s egomaniacal finger wag.
No way Oden’s a teenager. No way. I say he’s 55 with a surgically attached teenager’s body. His face and skull look like Emanuel Steward’s head was squeezed in a vice.
May 24th, 2007 at 3:49 am
Mr. Alan, that was funny. I just stopped by to say that the cavs will win tonight. not i hope, or i think, or i want them to. but the fact is the cavs will win the basketball game to night, they will score 100 pts in the victory. you could bet your bottom dollar on this. and I am not stupid for posting this.
May 24th, 2007 at 6:13 am
The Cavs do have a good chance to win tonight.
On one of the first plays in game one, Rasheed Wallace made a nice little dipsy do move and banked in a short shot. Z was close but avoided the foul.
Big Z should have hammered Wallace to set a tone: the refs would have called the game tighter, Wallace would have been agitated and out of control, and the Pistons would have known they were in for a rough one. They don’t want a rough one these days. Hopefully tonight.
Oden’s a no-brainer and it’s silly that it’s been made a debate. He reminds me of Olajuwon more than anyone, with his quickness. Of course he doesn’t have Olajuwon’s shot and footwork yet. The Trail Blazers are going to be loaded in a year or two. And with Durant, the Sonics will be in the playoffs right away.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:59 am
Does it surprise anyone that the 4 remaining teams are all defensively sound? Durant on the Sonics looks like another warriors teams to me.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:05 am
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/24/lebron-james-darfur/
May 24th, 2007 at 11:10 am
BW, any chance the Cavs trade into the first round. How else will we ever get a decent PG? I like Boobie’s future but he’s no PG. Ditto for Larry.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
“Boobie’s” probable future is a nomad bouncing around the league. (Who other than local sportswriters use the word “Boobie?” How ’bout “Pecs” Ilgauskas?) With 15-man rosters, Gibson will probably still be somewhere. But he’s not a point guard, and he’s too short to be a shooting guard. If Gibson is still with the team after his present contract expires, I will swim naked with BW in the shallow end of the Cuyahoga River without a life raft.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Well Tucker we all know that Sasha’s brother was lovingly referred to as “Scrotum” Pavlovic during his playing days. also, doug, here’s another article for you about newble, james, and darfur:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/aditi_kinkhabwala/05/17/newble.darfar/index.html
May 24th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
How many other names does Alan Tucker post under? My guess is that the “other” people replying to him in the same vaguely affected style, with the same silly jokes, are also Alan Tucker.
Gibson is a very good long range shooter. If we developed him into a younger, quicker, more athletic Damon Jones there should be a roster spot for him. As Monday showed, We badly need a truly reliable spot-up shooter, who is dependable from 3 when wide open. I’m not sure the organization ahs the imagination to do this, though. Look at how we blew it with Jason Kapono.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
On second thought Mr. Alan, isn’t Emanuel Steward the boxing trainer. Don’t you mean Emanuel Lewis, from webster, he is the short kid with the fat head. In time Gibson can become a pt guard, all it takes is a change in mentality, he already has handles(he can dribble the ball)I like him as the pt guard, next year. Tonight is the night, “lets get ready to rumble.” I have been a piston fan all my life being from Detriot and all, but my Piston teams were led by “Zeke”, dumars, vinny, bill, now those are the real bad boys, these guys i just cannot get into. althought I was happy for them when they won the finals, a couple of years ago. We did not blow it with Kapono, he was shitty when we had him so he had to go, he did not show any potential, you know ie. luke jackson, any way
Go Cavs.
May 24th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
I have no idea what Gibson could be because all I’ve seen the Cavs ask him to do is stand around the three point line. He looks like he can handle the ball and drive. Maybe next year they’ll give him a real tryout.
May 24th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Holy moly, Damon Jones! LeBron is feelin’ it … I love it.
May 24th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Who wants to place bets on how many points the Cavs score in the 3rd quarter? I HOPE TO FREAKING GOD THEY DON’T BLOW THIS LEAD WITH ONE OF THEIR WONDERFUL 10 PT THIRD QUARTERS!!!
May 24th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Take it from a Pistons fan; the Cavs are vastly improved over last season. This is incredibly similar to the 2004 ECF, with the Cavs playing the role of the Pistons, and the Pistons playing the role of the Pacers.
May 24th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
OK, here’s how we roll…
If the Cavs score MORE than 20 points in the 3rd quarter, ALAN TUCKER is never to post here again.
If the Cavs score LESS than 20 points in the 3rd quarter, I will never post here again.
All in favor?
May 24th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
THIS IS FOCKING LAUGHABLE. HOW CAN THE CAVS BLOW THIS LEAD. ITS SO GODAM PREDICTABLE WITH THIS TEAM. IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE OFF TO ANOTHER MISERABLE 3RD QUARTER WHERE THEY LET THE OPPOSING TEAM BACK IN THE GAME. I JUST DON’T GET WHY THIS HAPPENS?!??!?!?!??!
May 24th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Not looking good JoeHoops…
May 24th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Man - talk about physical defense. We blow on Chauncey, he falls, whistle blows. But when James or Varajeo are going to the hoop hands are swiping everywhere - refs swallows his whistle….someone needs to hit a 3 or something.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
I should have said 10 POINTS instead of 20.
This team sucks. I can’t believe what I’m watching. They can’t even score 10 points when they come out of the half with a 12 point lead? I’d rather watch the WNBA or Arena Football than this crap. Dan Gilbert should sell this team.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
What is the NBA record for fewest points in a quarter? The Cavs have 4 right now with 2:40 remaining. Will they get to 6? 8?
Jesus H Christ.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO A 13 PT QUARTER. WAY TO GO CAVS!
GOOD NIGHT EVERYBODY. I’M GONNA MISS YA. SEE YA ALAN. YOU LUCKED OUT THIS TIME. GOOD THING FOR YOU THE CAVS SUCK.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Well - I knew Detroit was going to make a run - they did. Now - Cleveland has to outplay them for a quarter. We’ll see how they do. And how did LeBron get this “jordan rules” comparison?? LeBron doesn’t get a call unless someone smacks him in the face - and even then it’s a toss up.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Joehoops would you CALM THE HELL DOWN! The sign of a good team is one that takes their licks - and keeps on playing. The Cavs got their asses kicked in the 3rd quarter. Now we’ll see if they can step up. Give the Detroit Defense credit.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
There’s just one word for this game, and its c-h-o-k-e
May 24th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
…God, please allow us to win this game. I know you’re not a Cleveland Sports fan, but I can’t see how you are a Detroit fan…it’s not like we’re playing the Vatican.
May 24th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
And the chokefest continues!!
May 24th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Thank you NBA referees - in 32 seconds you managed to swallow your whistle twice - sending 3 million people into tears.
May 24th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Hope Dan Gilbert finaly comes to his senses and does the ff:
(1) Package Hughes and Gooden for Rashard Lewis
(2) Make Anderson your core PW
(3) Fire M Brown; bring in Lebron’s HS coach
May 24th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
So we lost and I have a few thoughts in my head…
-that may have been a foul on Lebron, there was definate contact, but no matter what Hughes has to make that shot
-Hughes needs to get his head out of his arse, he lapsed a few times turning the ball over and missed a wide open 7 footer to win the game…every 3rd play he’s on and keeps his feet moving, but then he slows down and it’s not good..
-Lebron will get all the crap for missing the shot, but look at the last 2 games, the last shots by Marshall and Hughes 7 footer(both wide open I might add), they both missed, it’s very smybolic of the fact that Lebron just does not have the support he needs to get this team to a NBA championship and Detroit has a great D
-I knew we were going to lose when we went into the half up by like 10 and then within minutes during the 3rd quarter we were tied…They went from playing fast paced exciting bball in the 2nd quarter, to looking somewhat like Fratello style ball in the 3rd quarter..
-I hope going back to the Q brings us 2 wins
May 24th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Hughes is not the answer, Sasha needs to play some D and shut his mouth, and I wonder if Z can be any slower, he has got to be the slowest player in the league
May 24th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Uh…mq, I post under only one simple name, unless you count me, myself and I. I don’t, but hey, maybe you do.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
I keep waiting for Hughes not to suck, but it looks like it’s not going to happen. But “if all roads lead to 40,” isn’t he due for like a monstrous streak of consistently making it? Hopefully Roker brown will get him out of the starting lineup for the rest of this series.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
JoeHoops, I don’t expect you to disappear for more than an evening, if that. You already lied the last time you avowed to never to post again, so really, why bother with your dramatics? The Broadway show closed after one evening, and the investors are pissed.
Perhaps if your play was more like “The Vagina Monologues,” “Poetry of the Penis” or “Urinetown,” all of which succeeded on Broadway, then you’d have a remote shot to one day succeed. But until then, you’re simply a bad actor without a good script.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Tomorrows headline: “CAVS OUTCOACHED AND LOSE ANOTHER ONE!” This is a game of momemtum and look at the 3rd quarter - and the players who were in. Where was Anderson V? What happened to the passing? Where was the aggression? What was this coach thinking? There are two parts in coaching, especially in the play-offs: (1) the pre-game planning and (2) the game execution and being able to adjust. This takes not only talent, but experience. Brown is a good man and may be a good coach in a few years; but I doubt (but I hope not)that he can coach this team to the finals, much less the championship.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
JoeHoops, since you’re a betting man, what do you want to bet that all the media will talk about, and all that everyone hears until Sunday, is how LeBron missed the last shot? Even though there were still over 7 seconds left when Hughes had a wide-open jumper within 10 feet, I’m willing to bet that’s going to be neglected and completely minimized.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
When can we finally see Lebron dominate? BW, has he tanked and is regressing? If he will not show up in this series, I’m calling it finally quits as a Cavs fan and move on to root for Durant.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Dominate? People are still waiting for The Global Icon to act like he actually lives on the globe. That guy is a great athlete, but he clearly gives a shit about nobody but himself. God bless Nike, God bless the NBA. That annual bike ride thing he does now appears to far be more self-serving than anything else. Ira Newble may indeed be a world-class stiff, but at least he recognizes there’s an actual world out there.
I don’t know why it pisses me off so much, but it does.
May 25th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
I thought I’d pass this along in case anyone is uncertain. Turns out the series isn’t over. http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/17280171.htm
May 25th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Mike, if there’s anything that Terry’s most recent columns have taught me, it’s this: “Relish the series.” I am far too concerned with relishing to concern myself if it’s over. No matter what anybody says, relish is good. I dare you to tell me a cookout isn’t better with good relish.
June 2nd, 2007 at 9:13 pm
CAVS WIN!!! CAAAVSSS WIIINNNNN!!!! WE WIIIN!!! FUCK ALL YOU DOUBTERS!!!