LeBron James suffered a left index finger sprain with 4:41 left in the second quarter Wednesday here at the Palace. He drove down the lane and Nazr Mohammed slapped at the ball and got LeBron’s hand.
He grimaced, made both free throws and finished the half was was in discomfort much of the time and was holding it as he went to the locker room.
The team took X-rays that were negative, in other words they showed no fracture. Team officials just told me that at this point they think it is minor and that it is a day-to-day thing. He might miss some time. LeBron returned to the floor with the finger taped in a suit not looking like he was in a great deal of discomfort. But he was icing his hand, too, which led me to believe there may be more hurting than his finger. The Cavs officially are being very vague about the injury, which is standard.
LeBron went with the team to Toronto. They are off tomorrow but he will likely have another X-ray and an MRI, which will show if there is any tissue damage. LeBron briefed his teammates and the mood in the locker room after the game was cautiously optimistic. Guess everyone will know more tomorrow.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
maybe this will motivate ferry to get off of his arse and do SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope he’s not badly hurt. He probably could have used the rest anyway though, any chance it was more of a ploy to get him out of the game since it was clear they were going to lose anyway? Not sure if teams do that, and we’ll never actually know because that would be a terrible PR move.
@Eddie
Ferry can do nothing right now. Who can he trade? All the folks who are healthy WE NEED…so we can’t trade them. The in season sign and trade with AV….would be unprecedented.
What is interesting to me…is that some teams after the Finals The Lakers (Shaq’s foot), The Spurs (Duncan’s back), The Heat (Wade and Shaq) go through these wild bouts of injuries the season after they make the finals.
It looks like…..it’s the Cavs’ turn to join that list. Dam shame too.
How was it clear they were going to lose anyhow? They were only down by 5. Lebron feasts in the second half. No, it is a legit injury.
I hope to god this is not an injury similar to Larry Hughes or Donyell Marshall. That would suck if Lebron was out most of the year. I would think it would be tough to play with some farked up fingers and my guess is the Cavs will not rush him back for fear of making the injury worse. Could be a long year without #23!!
The Cavaliers are “shorthanded” only if James is out. Definitely a valid injury excuse, and the only valid injury excuse. Otherwise, I am sick and tired of reading about the Cavs being “shorthanded.” No, they’re not.
Loved the latest outrageous Ferry nonsense spun by the local publicists, that he guaranteed Varejao $52 million for six years. Gee, what a coincidence, immediately after Varejao’s agent arranges a national interview instead of giving the exclusive to a local sportswriter, suddenly a purported past very generous offer is leaked and spread amongst us that grossly exceeded Milicic and Nocioni money in both terms of dollars and years. Suddenly, out of the clear blue, we now learn that Ferry didn’t spend his summer seeking “flexibility,” but instead was riding on a reindeer being a benevolent bald Santa Claus. Whatta guy.
You know Alan, I usually really enjoy your comments, b/c you’re funny and a welcome antidote to the usual slavish devotion to the local sports teams. But this obsessive need of yours to blame Ferry for absolutely everything, regardless of the situation or his options, is growing tiresome.
Really, what would you have him do now with the Varejao situation? Cave and give AV the ridiculous, team-killing contract he’s asking for? Sure, we all blame Ferry for Hughes’s contract. It’s a complete albatross, easily among the 3 or 4 worst contracts in the league. So… do you want him to compound that problem by giving Varejao a contract that’s almost as bad? I think Ferry’s learned from that mistake and he knows VAREJAO is making this a bad situation by holding out for a contract he doesn’t deserve, so he’s not budging, and if that means playing the whole season without him, so be it.
But no, all you want to do is complain. If Varejao holds out, it’s Ferry’s fault. If Ferry gives Varejao the contract he’s asking for, that’s Ferry’s fault. If Varejao eventually gives in and signs a reasonable deal, somehow we all know you’ll try to turn that into a colossal disaster for Ferry too. Your schtick is getting old.
How about 10 assists, 3 shots for Boobie, no defense, the mismatches Tayshaun Prince got because Dwayne Jones didn’t come into the game til later and Sasha shooting 60 percent but being benched? The guys on the floor needed to play, Coach Brown needed to make adjustments more timely.
No no Matthew. Alan doesn’t want Varejao on the team….He wants Scott Pollard on the team. He loves Scott Pollard for some crazy reason.
Alan also wanted a washed-up Juwan Howard on the Cavs, thought the Cavs would lose to the Pistons last year, and thinks Rajon Rondo is the second coming of Isiah Thomas.
Yo hablo? DerEEK Ahndersoon eez playing for mucho less dinero than udders on heez team who preform mucho less good. Juss like meee. Oui even have de same same! Eye tink hee should hold out and not playo nexx year, so dat Dannie Ferrie…err, Philly Savaged will be forced to geev DerEEK the very beeeg payola. Es a greeeat idea, don’t you tink? It worka so well for meeee.
I thoughgt they spoke portugese in Brazil…
He sounds like Mario. “Itsa meee!!”
Hahahaha. Don’t forget that Alan also crucified the team for getting rid of the mighty Luke Jackson. (Alan, didn’t you say he’d be averaging double digit points this season for Toronto?)
Hey, maybe if Lebron’s out for 10 days, the Cavs will re-sign Jackson. After all, he was waived by the Raptors last month.
Haha, so lets see….Here are your 2007-08 Alan Fighting Tuckers:
Rajon Rando
Starbury
Ricky Davis
Luke Jackson
Juwan Howard
Scott Pollard
Man, it really is a shame Alan’s not a GM. This team is freakin’ sweet!!
Hahahaha. Don’t forget that Alan crucified Ferry when the Cavs released future HOFer Luke Jackson. (Alan, didn’t you predict Jackson would be averaging double digits for the Raptors this year?)
Hey, if Lebron’s going to be out for 10 days, maybe Ferry can get on Tucker’s good side and re-sign Jackson. After all, Toronto thought so much of his talent that they waived him last month.
Does anybody besides me have any thoughts on the actual topic?
This blog will operate much better if we just all realize and accept the fact that Alan T is a big dummy. Now, I have my free chalupa ticket and I’ve got to get to Taco Bell for dinner. Peace out ya’all.
OK – Let’s wait and see what happens with LeBron’s finger. No question if it is hurt badly then the Cavs are in trouble. We can plan without Hughes. In fact I think we play better without him in the lineup.
I think Ferry is playing it just right with Andy. How much money does this guy think he is worth.
The worst nightmare is a significant injury to Lebron. But, with the MRI negative, he should be able to bounce back from this. Also I believe it is his non-shooting hand which is fortunate. It sure is nice to have Larry Hughes to step up and take on the load…wait…that’s right…Larry is hurt again.
Sorry ’bout the double post. Ohio.com took half an hour to update.
Matthew-
Boatshoe Ferry’s job isn’t to show how strong and tough he is by standing firm and not giving in to Dan Fegan. His job is to put the best possible team on the court. When it became obvious that these holdouts (especially AV’s) were going to drag on interminably, Boatshoes went into paralysis mode. He did nothing. And doing nothing only increased Fegan’s miniscule leverage. There was no contingency plan other than bring in some stiff from New Orleans who may or may not have already been hurt. It’s just ridiculous and frustrating. LeBron is posting 31-8-8 every night and the Cavs are a middle of the pack team. Someone has to be held accountable.
I get your point doc, and I agree, but 4th place in the East isn’t exactly middle of the pack….which says more about LeBron than anything else, but still. You made a good point, no need for sensationalism.
recknut, again, I know you’re the champion of taking things out of context, but most those guys you mentioned would indeed have been a cheap hole in the dam. Which was the entire point of what I actually said.
And when did I say that I really, really wanted Marbury or Davis, albeit each would be better than anything the Cavs now have at either point or shooting guard? And I’d take Rando over anybody pretending to be a Cavs point guard any day of the week.
Luke Jackson, hell, even he could play a role on the Cavs. Betcha he’d get more playing time than Shannon Brown.
Matthew R., actually, my last comment was a shot at the lapdog local press and their loyalty to Ferry, it wasn’t a shot at Ferry, per se. Throwing around preposterous offers that never existed, a nonexistent offer that if true, would have expressly contradicted the “flexibility” claim. That’s why that phony offer that never happened is so laughable. Coincidentally, this Cavs “offer” was printed by the Plain Dealer after all local writers were spurned for the Varejao interview. It made Ferry look good, it made Varejao and his agent look like an ass.
Let’s get real, the actual reason that Varejao isn’t signed is because of the luxury tax. Which also directly contradicts what was written here at the beginning of the summer. I quote: “Dan Gilbert has cleared Danny Ferry to go into the luxury tax. By the way, this is no small feat. Just ask some other GMs.” Basically, Windy’s source lied to him. Just as he continues to lie to him. Just as this same source continues to lie to the Plain Dealer’s guys. Gee, I wonder who this lying source could be?
Varejao is worth roughly what Milicic and Nocioni got. That’s what this past summer’s free agent market determined. Period. And that’s what eventually somebody is going to pay him, whether it’s Cleveland or somebody else.
And come on, how will this one single contract tie up ANYTHING? It’s total baloney. What, $7 million a year or so is going to tie up stuff? It’s the past contracts that are the cap problem, it’s not Varejao’s future contract that will create a cap problem. Those other contracts will be coming off the books. It’s just smoke and mirrors to obfuscate that they don’t want to pay the luxury tax and that the online mortgage business just ain’t what it used to be.
Ooops. Let me rephrase that. A cheap hole in the damn…I meant a cheap plug in the hole of the damn. Or at least chewing gum stuck in the hole.
Hey, Tucker you are so devoted to your indefensible rheortic that you consistently make yourself look stupid. The Cavs ARE paying the luxury tax. Sasha’s contract put them $3 million into it. So stop saying they aren’t and lying about supposed lies.
It’s hopeless, Tucker. Ferry has gotten to them all!
Ahleen Tukker…will ewe beee mai gnu ageent? Ewe r such the smart prrrson. Eye am shure togeder weee can get de beeeg payola from de eeeevil Dannie Ferrie. Eye am such the gooood flopper weeeth mai wild hair. De fanz, dey loooove me. Eeeven dey wear de floppy wigs to looook stoopid. But dey cannot flop like meee! Eye am de best on de teeem, but am paid meeeelions and meeelions less dan de stinky-poo Lerry Whose. Dis guy is reeeely baaad. Help me, Ahleen Tukker! Ewe r de voice of reeeson. (P.S. It is hot in Breeezil)
Frank, seriously, pal, it ain’t even worth arguing with you … Never mind that $7 million non pro-rata if a full season of Varejao over the salary cap would be costing Gilbert $14 million just this season alone, but they’re now so gung-ho on trying to save all the money they possibly can, that they didn’t even want to risk exercising Shannon Brown’s puny option. larry is absolutely right, we’re trying to talk sense to Stepford Wives. I think it’s going to take Ilgauskas having a combination heart attack, asthma attack and stroke before folks finally begin to snap out of their spells. Ferry and his black magic voodoo power of suggestion have gotten to you all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5XkqGVHtO8&feature=related