Putting your anger in the right place
Posted October 27th, 2007 by Brian Windhorst
I’ve gotten a steady stream of e-mails from fans in various degrees of anger over the last week at the state of the Cavs. It is understandable, especially after they way the team performed in Toronto and in Boston this week. I’ve been around the block quite a few times now as this is my fifth season covering the team. As I wrote in the paper, preseason may not count but it does matter. Right now, the team is playing lousy in every phase. So the 1-6 record might be worth discussing, but the execution and focus level have been extremely lax and there’s no refuting that.
From day one almost a month ago it was clear that the Cavs had lost their swagger because of the Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic holdouts were collectively weighing on the team’s minds. They have been asked about it virtually every day since and right now they are playing like their minds are elsewhere. The players have now accepted that neither will be there on opening night and so far they are not accepting the challenge.
There’s also a lot of venom for Danny Ferry coming to my inbox as well. Fans are upset over the inactivity over the summer, which many seem be believe made the Cavs worse even though I do not agree with that logic. But added to the inability to get the contracts done I can understand why there is a furor.
However, as they build their case to me for their anger, many are mistaken as just how this current roster was put together. So let me go over it for you from the past two regimes with just a tad bit of perspective.
Jim Paxson:
–Drafted LeBron James. He is the only Paxson draft pick left on the roster.
–Signed Ira Newble to a five-year, $15 million contract.
–Traded for Anderson Varejao and signed him to a three-year contract.
–Traded for Drew Gooden.
–Traded for Eric Snow and paid his 15 percent trade kicker as he was at the start of a four-year, $25.6 million extension that he’d signed with the Philadelphia the year before. He certainly knew the contract but did not sign him.
–Traded for Sasha Pavlovic.
–Traded first round pick in 2007 away. The 2005 first round pick was dealt for Wesley Person by Wayne Embry.
(EDIT: This is not a complete list of Jim Paxson’s moves, of course. This is not meant to be a breakdown of the Jim Paxson era. This is simply how the CURRENT roster was put together.)
Danny Ferry:
–Signed Larry Hughes to a five-year, $60 million deal with incentives that could earn him $12 more. He’s hit about $5 million of those so far. The Wizards had offered Hughes six years and $54 million when Ferry made the offer.
–Signed Donyell Marshall to a four-year, $22 million deal. New Jersey and Washington were both offering Marshall three-year contracts.
–Signed Damon Jones for a four-year, $16 million deal. Miami was offering a contract of fewer years.
–Signed Zydrunas Ilgauskas to a five-year, $53 million deal. Was able to get him to take nearly a $6 million pay cut from the season before to help free up salary room. Perhaps in exchange, he went to five years instead of the four the may’ve team wanted at first.
–Drafted Shannon Brown.
–Drafted Daniel Gibson.
–Signed LeBron James to a three-year, $43 million contract.
–Signed Drew Gooden to a three-year, $20 million deal.
–Signed Dwayne Jones.
–Traded for Cedric Simmons
–Signed Devin Brown to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
Now, when you rant you will be better informed. As for the current situation, the Cavs certainly need to do something to help the roster and the morale of the team. Even if it is a minor move, it may help the overall outlook. In my many conversations with Cavs coaches and front office members I am always told reasons why the Cavs don’t want certain players. They put a high value on character. They want players who value defense. They want versatile players that are tall and long, which make them better defenders. All of this makes sense and following a long-term plan is the Spurs, and now the Cavs, way.
However, there are also players who do certain things well and become available from time to time. Maybe not the perfect recipe for what the Cavs want, but that doesn’t mean they can’t help. Any sort of talent injection at this point would be a help. Still most signs are pointing to them sticking to their philosophy and riding out what sure looks like a coming storm.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:55 am
So far it looks like Ferry has made some bad signings, extended a few contracts and drafted Daniel Gibson.
I can’t recall a NBA Finals team having such a poor offseason. Why does Ferry get treated so well in the local press?
October 28th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Brian, nice job on the Paxson resume`. BUT, leaving out the horrendous bungling of the Carlos Boozer situation, would be like a felon leaving out the small matter of his arrest and conviction. You might want to include that somewhere in between the drafting of LeBron and the Varejo/Gooden trade.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:20 am
The Cavs need players for sure - but a real issue is Mike Brown is clueless on the offensive side of the ball.
His brilliant new offensive philosophy of driving and kicking to our “shooters” begs the question - What Shooters?
October 28th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Larry, Ferry’s “bad signings” that you mentioned led to being the Eastern Conference Champions. Some that were necessary at the time, do not look good today….but…..they were necessary at the time. (PS: don’t say that LeBron did it all by himself.)
October 28th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Larry, Ferry’s “bad signings” that you mentioned led to being the Eastern Conference Champions. Some that were necessary at the time, do not look good today….but…..they were necessary at the time. (PS: don’t say that LeBron did it all by himself.)
October 28th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Bob, that is not a complete review of the Paxson tenure, it is just how the current roster was put together. That is if you read what Brian wrote.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
So Ro, bad signings were good then, but bad signings are bad now? Why?
In any case, I wouldn’t say Hughes, Damon Jones or Donyell pushed the Cavs to the finals last year, anyway. I could pick three guys from the end of just about any team’s bench and they would have done as much for the Cavs last year, at one-fifth the cost or less.
Gooden and Z weren’t going anywhere because no one was offering them anything. Those situations were more extensions than anything.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Revisionist history. Search engine research from that time shows that according to the Miami papers, Jones had a 1 year option with Miami that he declined for $2.75 million. Far from the description above. The engine search also reveals New York Post and Chicago Tribune reports from that time curiously never reported around here. Besides Cleveland, only the Knicks and the Hawks had cap space. The Hawks went for Joe Johnson. The Knicks went elsewhere. In other words, Ilgauskas had absolutely no choice but to take a pay cut, and if Ferry was smart, uh, I mean “cap flexible,” it would have been a huge cut instead of 5 years of crazy money, because Ilgauskas had nowhere else to turn. So Ferry gave money and cap space away for no logical reason. What also appears to be a lie was local newspaper propaganda that James had demanded Ilguaskas signed. “LeBron James is said to have befriended Eddy Curry and is pushing the Cavaliers to sign him as a free agent instead of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. One of those close to James, a shadowy figure around the NBA these days known as Wes, has grown close to Curry.”
October 28th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Brit, you don’t have the revising or the actual history right. There were about five or six teams with salary cap space and the Knicks sure as hell weren’t one of them. The Bucks and the Sonics had space and signed their own free agents in Ray Allen and Michael Redd but also signed Bobby Simmons off the Clippers and re-signed Dan Gadzurich. So did the Bobcats, although not the full cap, but they signed Gerald Wallace. My gosh, the Knicks haven’t had cap space in decades!!! After Damon declined the option, the Heat offered him a new deal, which he turned down for more money in Cleveland. And James has said many times publicly that he wanted Z back just like he’s said he wants Andy and Sasha back. Dude, go back to Fox news or whatever.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
The bottom line is we cant pay Andy and Sasha what they want, or we’ll be talking about revisionist history again in a couple of years when Lebron’s packing his bags. Ferry’s doing the right thing (finally) and saving his cap space for a major FA. I didnt see any FA’s this summer that were any better than the 3 guys Ferry signed. Orlando WILL regret signing Rashard Lewis to that mammoth deal, and he’s already developing injuries. Wait and see what comes down the pike next year, which is the smart move.
If Andy and Sasha were so valuable, why didnt they get any offers this summer? I realize the Cavs were threatening to match their offers, but if they were really worth 10 million and 6 million a year, respectively, the Cavs wouldnt have matched, obviously. Bottom line is, the Cavs are doing the right thing, and eventually, Andy and Sasha will have to bite the bullet and take their MARKET value. If not, stick to your guns.
October 28th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
[...] wrote an interesting post today on Putting your anger in the right placeHere’s a quick [...]
October 29th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Josh, please. Varejao’s agent doesn’t want $10 million a year. Nobody believes that. I’ll bet not even Brian, a guy who apparently has a marble statue of Ferry in his foyer, believes that. Varejao’s agent wants Nocioni money, and he’s eventually going to get it. Or pretty close to it. And why not? The very second that Ferry secretly flew his B-2 stealth bomber to Brazil, that conclusion was pretty much signed, sealed and delivered.
With respect to Pavlovic, who knows. Devin Brown is the substitute mercury-filled Lake Erie polluted carp, but it’s not like Pavlovic is the European Jo Jo White. Except to Brian, I suppose, as Brian gave the guy the sole media vote for NBA’s Most Improved Player. Pavlovic will eventually be moved, so who cares. Maybe to some team that always seems to have guys perpetually being swabbed with alcohol and and being prepped for their latest surgery. Every season it seems that Charlotte has at least 156 guys on the disabled list, this season is no different, maybe Pavlovic will end up someplace like that. Or maybe to someplace like Minnesota. which is in intentional tank mode.
October 29th, 2007 at 4:49 am
Brian, nice work. Although I will say that Dwayne Jones was not signed, he was acquired in exchange for Luke Jackson in a deal with Boston. I think somewhere on there it is worth nothing that Cleveland could have had Caron Butler and Dejuan Wagner in exchange for Andre Miller just before they used Miller to acquire Darius Miles. (LAC had two firsts and would have taken those players, however, Pax waited too long and Elgin Baylor pulled the plug). Also, the trade of Haywood for Doleac wasa disaster and Jeff Trepagnier stunk. I think that what people do lose site of though, is the deal for Ricky Davis (a steal) and the unloading of Shawn Kemp and his contract and detrimental doughnut habit.
October 29th, 2007 at 7:25 am
would really hope that the Cavs must be the most active among ballclubs in the waiver wires. If Boykins is not an option because of his size, I would love to see the Cavs take a serious look on Darius Washington (assuming the Spurs drop him) and take in Howard. This team is clearly lacking the talent and the only way to set a positive tone is for Ferry to surround Lebron talent good enough to compete in the reloaded East. The team’s down as Lebron is down (who everybody is looking up to for leadership) as he knows that we would take a mountain to bring his team over this year practically without any change in roster other than much hyped “chemistry/experience “. You could look as far as Miami if you know what I mean.
Discussing today what have occurred and how it all panned today is of no consequence. Give us Brian the scoop on what the Cavs is doing to make its roster more talented with the barest minimum and very little time that they have to make it at least up to playoffs (coz the other teams are very different now compared to the rosters the Cavs competed before).
October 29th, 2007 at 7:28 am
would really hope that the Cavs must be the most active among ballclubs in the waiver wires. If Boykins is not an option because of his size, I would love to see the Cavs take a serious look on Darius Washington (assuming the Spurs drop him) and take in Howard. This team is clearly lacking the talent and the only way to set a positive tone is for Ferry to surround Lebron talent good enough to compete in the reloaded East. The team’s down as Lebron is down (who everybody is looking up to for leadership) as he knows that we would take a mountain to bring his team over this year practically without any change in roster other than much hyped “chemistry/experience “. You could look as far as Miami if you know what I mean.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:01 am
I hope LeBron starts throwing his weight around and gets Ferry fired. Unfortunately, LeBron is not just the most talented member of the franchise, he’s probably the smartest.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Perhaps you mental midgets, evidently including Mr. Windhorst, need to be reminded that this “terrible team” went 2-6 in the PRE-SEASON last year. Oh, and before Alan. T. and the person who claims to be Larry D. ( who has gone from quite a sober, reasonable commenter to a typical fantasy-based Ferry-hater ) and the rest of you self-loathing “fans” pipe up about how much “better” the East is this year, just save it. If you cannot look objectively at things like the Bulls improved themselves not at all, the Pistons are a year older and slower and the Wizards, whom EVERYONE ON THE PLANET seems to forget the Cavs beat when they were at full-strength in LBJ’s FIRST playoff series! WHY is God’s name would you think that they would be a threat to the Cavs NOW?
Oh, did i forget the perennial All-Star Kristic is coming back from N.J.? Oh, the terror he inspires! How can we possibly beat the Nets when their best player is 40 years old and their second best player is a playoff choke artist extraordinaire??
So, then we come to the Celtics, who, gosh, don’t have a point guard, have a FAR worse bench than the Cavs and only have one ball? Oh and all three “superstars” are old and never were even able to take their respective teams to a Finals when they were in their prime?
Yes, you doomsayers are sooooo right. The Cavs have no chance!
The Genius has…spoken!
October 29th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Jared:
Several interesting points (and nice work, Brian) I’d like to clarify. a) On the Clipper deal, Paxson didn’t wait to long. Cavs had to wait to see who Denver was going to take ahead of LA (they took Tskitishvili) If they had taken Butler, there would have been no offer. b) Elgin Baylor didn’t kill the deal. Donald Sterling did. c) Trading the pick (Haywood) for Doleac was simply a contract play. Haywood would have been guaranteed two years and the Cavs would have had two rookie 5s — Diop and Haywood. A veteran role player on a one-year contract helped the team’s flexibility. d) Jeff Trepagnier? Are you serious? He was a second-round flyer pick…taken only because they had a pick. Nobody expected anything from him ever…no matter what John Lucas said.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Who cares about the other teams, Genius. Do you think Ferry’s done a bang-up job this summer?
The roster has gotten worse, as far as I can see. I’m sure Hughes’ improved jumper and Shannon Brown’s pending breakout offer a lot of hope for you, but I’m disappointed. It seems like the players are too.
October 29th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
The evaluation of the roster cannot be done until there is a resolution in the Varejao/Pavlovic situation. I’m not sure when that is going to happen (and Brian doesn’t seem very optimistic).
*IF* Varejao and Pavlovic get back in the fold (at a reasonable price), then the Cavaliers roster should be at least as good as the 06-07 Finals team, and would likely be better. The reason that Ferry has been willing to go through this dance with Andy and Sasha is because they are both still very young players. Andy turned 25 in September, and Sasha will turn 24 in the middle of November. Both of them should just be entering their prime, and they have the benefit of multiple seasons of experience on a playoff team. Re-signing them was the biggest priority of the offseason for this very reason.
*IF* for some impossibly stupid reason Sasha and Andy decide not to sign, thereby wasting a year in their primes while not making any money or improving their contract position, then yes, the Cavs will not be as good. But I don’t blame Ferry for that. If players (and agents) choose to be completely irrational, the GM can only make the best of a bad situation. Ferry did that, adding Sasha-lite in Devin Brown, and Andy-lite in Dwayne Jones. He didn’t overreact by overpaying for Mike Bibby, or by giving away Andy or Sasha for pennies on the dollar.
For all the complaining, there hasn’t been one single viable suggestion put forth by Ferry’s critics. Suggesting that he should have done *something* is worthless. When you make a move just to make a move, it’s usually the wrong one.
And finally, complaining about signings in years past is a waste of time. If the Cavs didn’t have Larry Hughes or Z, they’d have other, less-talented players in their place, with contracts that would be just as offensive, if not as large.
Go Cavs.
Mike
October 29th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
What about the Jiri Welsch trade?
October 29th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
With 500 NBA players on 30-some teams plus another few hundred players over in Europe, there are literally millions of alternative scenarios that could be dreamed up for Ferry to have pulled off this past summer. Of course, every one of them has at least one reason why it shouldn’t be done, too, so what’s the point.
That viable alternative b.s. is a pretty silly argument for the Ferry apologists.
October 29th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Larry D. impostor,
“Who cares about the other teams,” you say? Well, the last time I watched an NBA game, the Cavs played OTHER TEAMS. Has there been some sort of rule change I’ve been made unaware of that dictates the Cavs are to play nothing but inter-squad games this “season?”
I think Ferry has done exactly what was necessary at this juncture in the franchise’s quest to retain LBJ *and* to contend perennially for a title. Do you critics seriously advise that Ferry give into the demands of the agents of Sasha and Andy? I mean, really? What do you think he should do there? ALL the cards are in his favor and there is no other team bidding for their services YET people like you would have Ferry bid against himself to placate the whining fans if the Cavs get off to slow start? Do you know nothing of modern NBA basketball, sir?
The FACT is that LBJ has taken the Cavs deeper in the playoffs and/or improved the Cavs EVERY year since arriving, yet EVERY off-season pundits and nominal “fans” act like each time it was a fluke! Guess what, fools, when something keeps on happening, that means it is statistically VERY LIKELY it will CONTINUE. NO ONE yet has presented any real evidence why the Cavs will somehow fall into the middle-of-the-pack of the Eastern Conference. NO ONE.
Ferry is playing the smart hand now, as all these expiring contracts and hold-out players all become massive trade-bait around the all-star break for teams looking to rebuild. And considering that this team under Brown and with LBJ has ALWAYS been a second-half team, wake me when it’s January, hmm? The rest of you can line up to jump off the roof of The “Q” in November if you like. That just means more seats for us smart fans come June…
The Genius has…spoken!
P.S. - I’m still waiting for the reason why six pre-season losses this year is somehow much more indicative of a forthcoming poor season that LAST YEAR’S six losses in the pre-season were. Anyone? Bueller?
October 29th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Shorter Larry D. impostor: “Details? We don’t need no stinking details!”
Really! That is the most preposterous response ever! You are asked to provide viable alternatives to the moves Ferry made and you say “there are 500 playersin the NBA, etc. He coulda done SOMETHING!”
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Larry D. impostor, you have made the Genuis’ day. Bravo!
The Genius is…dying of laughter!
October 29th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Okay, perhaps I should have clarified. Which moves could Ferry have made that would make the Cavaliers a *better* team this year. That has to be a pretty short list, given that the only Eastern Conference team that is markedly different this year is the Boston Celtics. But please, don’t strain yourself.
Pick a team, any team, and I can point out a personnel move that has not turned out well. But last time I checked, the Cavaliers were the best team in the East last year, and Danny Ferry was the GM at the time. At least wait until things go south before you start complaining. Otherwise you’ll look like a fool (and have to disappear) when the Cavs are in the Finals in ‘08.
Mike C.
PS: Like a lot of people, I liked the Jiri Welsch trade at the time. Like a lot of people, I dislike it in retrospect. It happens.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Being a GM is not that different from being a professional gambler. Sometimes you have the cards, sometimes you don’t. What has the potential to be a good hand does not always turn out that way. Here, Ferry is doing the right thing by standing pat (although I hope he looks at the waiver wire after six). Neither Sasha nor Andy will get the money they are seeking and it would be a big mistake to pay it. Memphis screwed up the negotiations with Andy when they floated numbers that were above market because they had the cap space and had to please Gasol. Andy’s agent is blaiming the Cavs public comittment “to match any offer” as the reason Andy did not sign with Memphis. I am not sure this is true (Darko did not sign for the numbers Andy is looking for). In any case, it doesn’t matter. Andy needs to come to grips with reality. Players who have a limited offensive skill set are not commanding 7-10 million in this market. I have no idea what Sasha is thinking. Perhaps he should watch his performance in last year’s finals and re-evaluate his position. The Cavs have $25-20 million in expiring contracts after this year which will make them a very attractive trading partner for top talent. We may not be as good this year, but the smart play is to wait it out and play your hand next year.
October 29th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
The Cavs didn’t look that great the last time I saw them play, but I guess those finals games don’t really matter either. They were humiliated, and isn’t the idea to improve in the offseason no matter what anyway?
But I’m sure LeBron doesn’t mind wasting a year or two for longterm development, and taking the brunt of all the criticism that comes with that. It’s only eight months or so of headlines, radio shows, ESPN hosts and blogs asking, “What’s wrong with LeBron?”
Why is everyone so convinced this team will be able to sign the bevy of great free agents on the horizon next year? Ferry had 30 million a couple summers ago and came away with Marshall, Damon Jones and Larry Hughes. The next crop is going to get the same max contract offers from the current teams that Michael Redd got. A lacksadaisical season, glum atmosphere, poor morale, etc., etc., isn’t going to be drawing them in.
Here’s one move that would have the Cavs in a better position today than they are: resign Pollard. It’s gotten that bad with the big man rotation.
Here’s another: send Illguaskus, Marshall, Jones and Hughes to Miami for Dwayne Wade. Those great Ferry moves got the Cavs to the promised land and they’d do the same for Riley, I’m sure.
October 29th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Linking Boatshoes’ performance as a GM to the Cavs’ appearance in the Finals is like saying the GWBush Presidency has been rational and effective because the sun has continued to rise every morning. Look at that list. The only decent move he made was drafting Gibson and second round picks are basically a crapshoot anyway. He gets hired to run a team that already had LeBron James playing in a lousy conference That’s like being born into the English monarchy. It’s like playing spin the bottle and getting to make out with the hot chick while your buddy has to spend 5 minutes in the closet with the chubby girl. It’s like buying google stock in 1999. Ferry is freaking Nick Papagiorgio from Vegas Vacation. Lebron has made his resume.
And genius: I think it’s time you returned your father’s thesaurus to the den. Your awkward use of “big words” is mind numbingly annoying. Don’t you have math homework to finish? Acting like a tool, affecting a fey, slightly effeminate tone, and using cheesy sign off names is not a recipe for getting dates. Leave Larry D alone or I’ll have to put your mother over my knee.
October 29th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
THREE POINTS:
1) Don’t Blame Brown for Offensive Woes. Blame Ferry.
My issue is not with the money spent on players that have underperformed, but rather the strategy that the front office is trying to execute. It appears that the team wants to focus on defense first, rebounding second, and offense third. I have no problem with that. Brown has done an excellent job of getting players to D-up and rebound on both ends. It can be argued that Brown’s offensive strategy leaves much to be desired (which it does). However, what kind of strategy is to be employed with a roster that has no legitimate starting point guard and minimal outside shooting?
Ferry assembled a roster that was supposed to have a post presence (Ilgauskas), slashing wings (bron and LH), and outside guns to make the defense pay for collapsing and double-teaming (Marshall and Jones). Ilgauskas has been adequate on the offensive end, but far from impressive. Bron has been excellent, but we’ve seen little to nothing from Hughes (it should be noted the guy has had a variety of injuries and family hardships since signing here). Marshall and Jones have been poor … at best.
Hughes excels in an open-court game, like GS and WASH have. Ilgauskas needs to be in a slow down game to take advantage of his height and lack of speed. Marshall and Jones need to be playing 10 minutes a night, as both are defensive liabilities. (I’ll avoid getting into Eric Snow, as he also should play no more than 5 minutes a night).
The point I’m trying to make is that no matter what strategy Brown employs, he doesn’t have the pieces necessary to execute a consistently effective offense.
2) Ferry Is Right By Sitting Tight in Free Agency.
Ferry appears to have learned from his mistakes the first time around in free agency. Overspending on players just because the public or players want you to is a recipe for disaster. Z, Hughes, Marshall, and DJones are all overpaid. Ferry felt the pressure to get to the playoffs and prove to LeBron the Cavs were serious about winning … so he overpaid to get players he thought would help. He was wrong, and has learned to be more fiscally responsible.
Varejao is a great energy guy, and the Cavs obviously miss him. However, he’s not worth $11M, $9M, or likely even $7M. He’s not a starting power forward in this league. While Cedric Simmons, Dwayne Jones, and even Juwan Howard (should they sign him) will not equal Varejao’s effect on the Cavs, overpaying for his services is not a wise long-term decision.
Pavlovic is a different story. 6′7″ wingmen who have adequate offensive and defensive skills are a dime a dozen in the nba. He should be happy to get $3M. I actually think Devin Brown is a much better fit for this team, especially b/c he can play some point. Plus he costs significantly less.
The point here is that in order to be a lot better next year, and beyond, the Cavs are smart to take a cautious approach right now.
3) LeBron Needs to Stop Talking About How Much The Cavs Need Andy and Sasha.
LeBron is doing nothing but hurting the Cavs by letting his feelings be known. He’s improving the leverage of Andy and Sasha with every comment about how the Cavs need them. It’s funny that he makes these comments, then criticizes management for doing nothing to improve the team in free agency. Signing Andy and Sasha to overpriced deals would continue the pattern of overpaying for marginal players, and prevent the Cavs from going after players next year that can significantly improve the Cavs’ title chances.
Simply put, LeBron should worry about basketball and let the management run the show.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:15 am
I just noticed that my suggestion is probably going to come true. Good to know Ferry reads this blog when he’s not reading Archie Comics. Howard was just bought out by Minnesota. So dollars to donuts he’s on the Cavs within the week. Which, in turn, will bring Varejao’s agent back to the bargaining table. Which, in turn, may lead to a domino effect whereby Gooden is dealt so Ferry can save face when he’s forced to give Nocioni money to Varejao.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:34 am
Hey, Beno is now a free agent, too! Christmas has arrived early in the Ferry household! “Beno to LeBron” just flows off the tongue, doesn’t it? No wonder Tait doesn’t want to retire.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:11 am
By the way, Bob C., about that Boozer thing you mentioned above … Yes, Paxson and Gund botched it in a ridiculous way, but let me ask you a question: If Paxson and Gund hadn’t tried to lowball Boozer by allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent under the assumption of signing him for below market value, would Boozer have re-upped with Cleveland the following season when he would have been unrestricted anyway? Given the fact the dude lives in Los Angeles and Miami during the offseason, and given the fact that his wife also wears the pants in the family, who are we kidding other than ourselves? There’s a greater chance that in 2010, LeBron will sign with the Oklahoma City Sonics. Or Cowboy Hats. Or whatever they’ll be calling themselves.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:26 am
Check that, I misstated my words … Boozer was still restricted when he signed with Utah, and Cleveland still could have matched Utah’s offer. But my point is if they hadn’t allowed him to become a free agent when they didn’t have to, it was unlikely they would have gotten more than one additional season out of Boozer, anyway. So as figuratively and literally blind as Paxson and Gund were, it really didn’t matter much in the long run, did it? It’s the same reason I yuck it up everytime somebody with a straight face says the Cavs have a snowball’s chance to sign Gilbert Arenas.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:38 am
All I can say is that it’d be a huge mistake to overpay for either Varejao or Pavlovic. There’s no way to build for the future when you’ve blown your options on two guys who are role players at best. There are times to overpay for talent, but overpaying for role players doesn’t get the job done.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:30 am
What about Ferry trading for Flip Murray?
October 30th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Brian,
Enjoy your writing and info the majority of the time. However, as pointed out here, you left off too many major things on Paxon’s resume (ie..Welsh, Wagner, Diop,Miller and Boozer). Plus, Ferry acquiring Flip Murray and then allowing him to walk were big. Many in NBA also say, Ferry competed against himself in the signing of Z.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:24 am
- Let’s just say that the Cavs manage to get Howard and/or Beno Udrih. Isn’t that an indication that Ferry might have a better understanding of the market than he’s been given credit for here? Why is it Ferry’s incompetence when things go bad, but his good fortune when things could go well?
- And I say that not knowing if the calls for Howard and Udrih are legitimate or sarcastic. I’ve seen people in these comments call for the Cavs to get everyone from Chris Wilcox to Earl Boykins, and I *know* some of those had to be sarcastic.
- Can there be any doubt that the agents of Varejao and Pavlovic are working together?
- To Menace: Watching Devin Brown this pre-season should have done nothing but reinforce how good Pavlovic really is. Brown shot just 8-41 in the preseason, played pathetic defense (in the games I saw), and like Shannon Brown was generally unimpressive when going up against guys who will be packing groceries this week. Pavlovic may be inconsistent, but he really is a cut above the average bench wing player. And his defense took a huge step forward last year, giving the Cavaliers another very good perimeter defender. The Cavs might be able to replace Pavlovic’s offense, but neither Brown has shown the dedication to defense that the Cavs will need. So I disagree that Pavlovic can be easily replaced.
- If anything, it’s easier to replace Anderson Varejao. While Varejao is an excellent rebounder, and does a good job of cutting off the lane when an opposing guard gets penetration, his offensive deficiencies decrease his value. Its relatively easy to find a power forward who rebounds; heck, Clarence Weatherspoon managed to pull it off, and he was only 6′6”. I still want Andy on the team, and I think he’ll get better each year, but I would argue that he is easier to replace.
- The Cavs don’t have a snowball’s chance of signing Arenas. Especially after he is traded to LA for Kobe. But how is that a criticism of Ferry? It’s hard to get millionaires to come live in Cleveland for 9 months, no matter how much you pay them. It’s harder to be a GM in a Midwestern, tax-heavy city than it is in a sunny, no-income tax city like Miami or Dallas. Also, NBA players are sometimes stupid. Kevin Garnett was hesitant to go to Boston, despite the fact that he was stuck in a losing situation in Minnesota. Shawn Marion wants out of Phoenix. And some day, LeBron is going to take less money to go to New York. And yet the GM of a Finals team in *Cleveland* doesn’t get any benefit of the doubt? Sportswriters gripe about being in Cleveland for 3 days during the playoffs.
- Cavs win tomorrow, 96-90.
Mike C.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:51 am
That was a great summary of the roster. Clearly, Danny Ferry has buyer’s remorse from two offseasons ago. The contracts of Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are overpriced compared to their production and talent (some more than others). When you parlay this with last offseason where he offered a reasonable contract for Drew Gooden, you can see how Danny Ferry is thinking. 1) Be patient and let the lousy free agent market set a value for a player, 2) Threaten to match any offer for a restricted free agent, and 3) “Leak” to the media proposed contract offers from the player’s agent which are always on the very high side (making the player look too greedy to fans). I heard an interview on ESPN’s Chad Ford podcast with Pavlovic’s agent, Marc Cornstein, who claims the media reports have exaggerated the contract offer he’s proposed to Ferry. That’s why I don’t exactly trust Varejao’s proposed offer of $9 million+ per year that’s been leaked to the media.
But the wildcard has and will always be Lebron James. Does he enjoy Ferry’s hardball tactics? I’m sure he understands the business side a little with the salary cap and luxury tax concerns, but his first priority will be basketball and winning games. If Lebron finds out Ferry and the two players are only $500k-$1 million apart in annual salary, how do you think he’ll feel about management stringing this situation along?
October 30th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Mike C., the calls for Howard are legit. He’s all that’s remaining out there. On the other hand, the calls for The Bean couldn’t be more sarcastic if you dressed up Ferry in a Sinatra wig for Halloween. So expect Ferry to be haggling with Udrih’s agent within the next five minutes.
And Mike, your last paragraph is correct. Which is precisely why a guy who knows what he is doing trades well and drafts well, because the really good free agents ain’t ever comin’. Accordingly, what Ferry did with Paxson’s gift ranks right up there with New Coke, Geraldo opening Al Capone’s vault, and forcing O.J. to try on the glove.
Oh, the Cavs will make the playoffs. Assuming LeBron doesn’t tear his ACL or rip an Achilles tendon, it will be impossible not to make the playoffs. But what is and what could have been will always be strictly on Ferry…20 years from now, people will still be talking about Ferry like people used to talk about the Rocky Colavito trade.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
One thing is for sure: The holdouts AV and Sasha put their personal gain ahead of the team and clearly show that they are more interested in seeing to their own well-being than to the success of the team. With their demands they make it perfectly clear that playing on a team contending for the championship is less important. They should take an example from Tim Duncan. He takes less money so that the team can improve and continue their perennial run for the NBA title. (See http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AiAZChilwB6kYytXOBxcSOe8vLYF?slug=jy-tim102907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
We can only hope that LeBron and the remaining members of the team take a good look at what they have and see that it is worthy of preservation and, ahead of personal gain, the teams success will be more imprtant to their overall careers.
At Mike C: I personally think that Sasha is easier replaced than AV although I can see the logic in your argument. But consider that DJones and Booby both have a fair chance at filling Sasha’s shoes in terms of offense at least and defense is learned by almost all players - there are few naturals. So, why would they not improve with coach Brown’s tutelage?
October 30th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Fred makes very good points.
But if Ferry can sign Howard that would be a feather in his cap. Combined with some prayed-for improvement from Gibson, the Cavs will have treaded water this offseason.
It’s a big if: Howard might opt to go experience the excitement that’s happening in Boston or the building momentum in Chicago. Detroit could probably use him too. He’d also be a good backup for Duncan or Stoudamire. The Lakers are looking for help …
I could have sworn I read on these pages earlier this year that the team is very willing to pay the luxury tax and the mortgage industry fiasco has no bearing on the roster. What happened?
October 30th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Fred S. - why should you or any of us trust Marc Cornerstein more than Ferry? He is in the same business and the agents are using the media just the same way as GMs do.
I think LeBron is much smarter in the business and basketball sense - he knows that the team needs a PG more than anything else and I think he will take a sub par season if there is a concept for a trade or an off season signing next year. He will built his legacy and neither Sasha nor AV are the cornerstones in that team. I just hope that he can find what he needs to succeed in Cleveland and not somewhere else. But we will have to wait for this for at least another year.
October 30th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Brian,
I was checking the contract status’ of the roster today at RealGM and it really looks like the Cavaliers are setting themselves up for some great flexibility in the next two years. can you break that down for us? We keep hearing about roster flexibility, but I haven’t seen info that I’m talking about. Your breakdown of the roster was great.
Also, the Spurs, who the Cavaliers clearing are trying to mimick have not been big players in free agency through the years, have they?
Thanks Brian, keep up the great work.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
larry, in answer to your last paragraph, it was a typo.
November 12th, 2007 at 4:20 am
[...] Chase.Hamil wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI’ve gotten a steady stream of e-mails from fans in various degrees of anger over the last week at the state of the Cavs. It is understandable, especially after they way the team performed in Toronto and in Boston this week. … [...]
February 6th, 2008 at 12:38 am
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