Mike Brown: “Something’s gotta change”
Posted April 11th, 2008 by bwindhorst
Bulls 100, Cavs 95
–The Cavs felt the media more than the Bulls felt the Cavs tonight. In the locker after the game two different players got stepped on my media members (none of them me, luckily) including one that caused Daniel Gibson to utter the first curse word I’ve ever heard out of his mouth. That was more pain than they inflicted on the Bulls, who had themselves a dunkfest while the Cavs stood and watched. It got so bad at one point that Dwayne Jones was giving instructions to teammates during a timeout to “Go (blank) those guys up.” Lance Allred heard him but the rest of the Cavs didn’t, just like Mike Brown’s pleas. Maybe Dwayne should’ve gone in there himself.
–This season, 17 percent of Joakim Noah’s baskets have come on layups or dunks. Tonight all four of them came on layups and dunks and he also got to the foul line 13 times. 14 percent of Tyrus Thomas’ baskets come on layups and dunks, tonight four of his nine baskets were on them. The Bulls have scored over 100 points twice in the last six games…guess who they were against?
–Mike Brown was in rare form after the game, here are his quotes. He only took like three questions, he said all he needed to say:
“Something’s gotta change for us to go into the playoffs the right way. Because right we will get our behinds kicked if we are not focused and not trying to play the right way…Our help defense is awful. Right now we are really a passive team, nobody feels us, it evident by the Bulls getting dunk after dunk. After somebody gets a dunk or two, you’d hope the next time somebody comes down the lane he’s not getting a dunk even if I have to give up my body. That did not happen tonight and that is disappointing…LeBron got hot, he had whatever he had in the first quarter, and then everybody stood and watched. We have to get some movement to generate something offensively.”
–This has been the case on several occasions this season, a great offensive spurt by LeBron ended up hurting the Cavs in the long run. Why? Because for whatever reason, the Cavs shut down when LeBron gets hot. In the first quarter, when he went 10-of-10, seven of those baskets were assisted. Which actually meant the Cavs were running plays for him to get hot. He only had one more assisted basket the rest of the game. He was part of the problem, he didn’t get his first assist until there were five minutes left in the game. The Elias Sports Bureau is currently looking up if he set some sort of dribbling record. OK, that’s a joke, but if you watched the game you get my point. The blame is shared, Mike Brown has to get them to run something, the players have to move and LeBron has to play ball. This, however, is a recurring problem because the Cavs don’t have an offensive system that LeBron trusts and often he’ll just stop everything.
–The Cavs can complain about a lot of things going wrong for them this season, but there is no explaining this: They have nine losses against the Nets, Bulls and Bucks.
–I re-state my case for Joe Smith getting more plays called for him, especially in halfcourt sets. He had 20 points tonight on 9-of-16 shooting 53 percent as a Cav.
–Anderson Varejao complained earlier in the season that he doesn’t like being compared to Joakim Noah because people just assume they are alike because of their hair. Well, I know why he wants to avoid it now. Look at these stats in their three meetings with each other, when they both spent a lot of time guarding each other: Varejao 2.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 22 percent shooting (4-of-18); Noah 13.3 points, 12.3 rebounds 46 percent shooting (13-of-28).
–Over the weekend, I will be filling out my ballot for NBA Annual Awards. This season I was given the full range of votes from Coach and Rookie of the Year to the All-NBA Team, Most Improved, Defensive Player of the Year and, of course, Most Valuable Player. As in the past, I will post my full ballot here because I think you shouldn’t be afraid to say who you voted for. For the most part, I have made all the major decisions. But it should still be a good conversation piece come early next week.
Recap:
Pregame
Starting lineups
Cavs: Delonte West, Devin Brown, LeBron James, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Bulls: Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah
Officials
Jim Clark, James Capers, Eli Roe
–It will be interesting to see if the Cavs keep up the momentum from the way they played the other night. As I have written on here many times before, the Bulls are a jump shot team and if you contest the jumpers you will do will.
–Chicago is also a good offensive rebounding team, keeping them off the glass is important. Ben Wallace played very well against them in Cleveland last week, it was one of the reasons the Cavs got such a big lead in that game.
–The Pistons are playing the Wizards at home tonight. While they are resting their players, it will still be a tough game for them. If the Cavs are able to get a win here tonight, and the Bulls haven’t won since they were in Cleveland, then they may be able to virtually lock up the No. 4 seed. Then again, it could easily go the other way.
–Since going 11-of-17 in Cleveland, Larry Hughes has gone 11-of-30 from the field.
Halftime — Bulls 53, Cavs 47
–LeBron put on quite a show in the first quarter, making 10 straight shots and scoring 24 points. But as we have seen in the past, these scoring binges are not always the best thing for the team. Often it seems to knock them out of rhythm, because the priorities change. In the second quarter the Cavs went 3-of-18 from the floor, primarily because they were forced to play halfcourt offense. Against a shrink the floor defensive team like the Bulls, they will not be successful in the half court very often. Especially when they are limited to jumpers. The Cavs scored just six points in the paint in the second.
–The Bulls are having too much success on the inside for the Cavs to win the game. Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas can’t be able to get to the rim. Playing Devin Brown on Deng is no good in my opinion, because he can just post him up. LeBron has to defend him. If Ben Gordon makes 3-pointers with hands in his face, then you live with those. But the Cavs allowed the Bulls 22 points in the paint in the first half, which is too many if you want to beat them. Considering this team has one win in the last 10 games, and it’s against the Cavs, it was a pretty weak effort. With the Cavs, though, who knows how they will play on defense in the second half.
–If the Cavs are concerned with LeBron’s back, you wouldn’t know it. Mike Brown broke with tradition and let him start the second quarter because he had the hot hand. That is fine, it is the smart move when you have a hot player. But still, it is not what they had been doing.
–Sometimes I think all the attention hecklers have gotten for getting on LeBron encourages them. After LeBron missed a jumper in the second quarter to go 10-of-12 in the game, a guy in the first row got on him about taking a bad shot. LeBron said: “Have you been watching what is going on?”
Postgame
Stars
Tyrus Thomas, 20 points, 14 rebounds
Joakim Noah, 17 points, 11 rebounds
Luol Deng, 21 points
LeBron James, 34 points
Joe Smith, 20 points
Quotes
See above
April 11th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I got Hughes at 3 for 14 tonight. Anybody else want to guess his shooting % for tonight?
April 11th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
24 pts on 10 of 10 from the field in the first quarter????
Are you freakin’ kidding me???????
April 11th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Horrible, lifeless effort by the Cavs’ second five tonight. That first quarter lead evaporated in a matter of minutes after Lebron went to the bench in the second quarter. This has to be so frustrating for Lebron.
Is anyone else getting annoyed with the broadcast team tonight? Hubie Brown, who I normally really enjoy, and his sidekick seem to be going off on these long, silly tangents in the middle of game action that have nothing to do with what’s happening on the court.
I couldn’t think of a more inappropriate time for an analyst to sing a player’s praises then in the second quarter when Hubie Brown began waxing poetic about Andres Nocioni after commiting two personal fouls and a technical within the span of about 30 seconds.
Cavs down by 9 now and looking absolutely dreadful.
This is a strange game.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
This team is terrible. We are done and done in the playoffs.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I just watched three consecutive drives down the middle of the lane for dunks by the Bulls. Cleveland defenders are being “posterized” right and left the by likes of Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas.
Who are those lifeless corpses out their with Lebron tonight?
And why am I wasting my Friday night watching them?
I need to get a life.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
this team is so bad!!! and cleveland is even worse!!!
April 11th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
why is damon jones not being used? and why is daniel gibson so bad? why is wally so bad? why is our offense still terrible? how does ben wallace get paid 15 million for just rebounding and playing defense? How can anyone think this team is going anywhere in the playoffs? WE STINK!!!
April 11th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I think Gibson had too many snack wraps and sweet teas before the game. When he doesn’t have it I think DJ should get a chance. We need somebody to make shots out there.
Also, anyone notice how Zydrunas shoots so poorly from the outside on the road? Lastly, Dracula’s turnaround jumper was horrible– coked-up Herman Munster, indeed.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Damn our team is useless… I seriously have no idea how we could possibly beat Boston in the second round with this kind of focus (and the first round doesn’t seem like a sure victory either).
April 11th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Joe tate said the cavs lack heart and guts.with the exception of lb i have to agree.never in any sport have i seen a team not protect their star player like these wussies.that alone is reason enough for lebron to leave.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
The Cavs are a self proclaimed “defensive” team that doesn’t play defense very well. They don’t want to run and gun, but they can’t really execute in the half court either. Joe Smith, a player who has been in the league 10+ years and been on 6+ teams, has described the naming convention of the Cavs’ plays as some of the most complicated he has ever encountered. Yet the only play that really seems to work is to give the ball to LeBron and get out of the way. The Cavs struggle to score points in stretches, yet their second best 3 point shooter is buried on the bench. For a number of different reasons, the Cavs haven’t really had a set rotation all year. Now they are going to force feed a rotation down everyone throats come Hell, high water, or the 4th seed.
It would be naïve to put all the blame on the coach. However can you look at some of the points above and not start to question what is going on here?
April 11th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
What a glutton for punsihment watching the Cavs and Indians both get their butts kicked in the same night. I know there are a lot of Sasha haters, but Devin is no better. He does a few things well, but turns the ball over too much and gets torched on defense. Mike Brown how about giving Damon some minutes he has earned them this year, the most consistent 3 point shooter the Cavs have, and he gathers splinters on the bench.
Why no hard fouls when you are getting dunked on all night?
April 11th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
i hope all those people who were saying “wait until boobie returns” realize he is a one dimensional player who is not an nba starter . all he does is run to the wing , and when his shot is not fallen , he gives you nothing else . now not to knock boobie , his game can also be a result of coaching . he may be under a coach who has not instilled the confidence in him to do other things besides spotting up and jacking away . as i recall in the clinching game against detroit last season , he was taking it to the rack . some how his game seemed to regress(wasan’t he working on an in the lane floater early in the season ?) , all he does is spot up . the other night was a big surprise to see him penetrate and dish which help lead a rally past a horrible nets team . the cavs defense is not the same as last year , so with them not being a good defensive team , brown’s short comings are so much more obvious ,he completely looks out coached by every opposing coach . and how many times was andy v dunked on tonight ? now that he does not get those bs flop calls anymore , you can see his defense was totally overrated and he’s almost worthless for the amount of minutes he plays . greatest thing ferry has ever done since his time in cleveland was not opening the vault for andy v( but he turns around and extend brown) .
April 11th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
The heckler that Lebron was responding to was actually Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears. Hester was wearing a red hat sitting near halfcourt (right next to the ESPN crew).
April 11th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Ferry doesn’t “open the vault” for Varejao, but then he opens three vaults for Wallace? Sorry, I don’t get it.
In restrospect, I still think this remains the most astute analysis of that Ferry fiasco. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=bucher_ric&page=varejaobucher-071205
April 11th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
alan T., varejao has been mediocre this season and was downright awful tonight. its a good thing that ferry didn’t “open the vault” for him (or sasha, for that matter).
And, ferry didn’t open 3 vaults for wallace, he HAD to take him in exchange for the malcontent larry hughes.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Wow. This team’s yo-yo personality was in full effect tonight, with LeBron flashing “game 5″-like game one minute, the Cavs channeling that garbage Knicks game the next. Hondo17 says it might be naive to blame it all on the coach, but even Hubie Brown–perhaps the nicest guy there is in the booth–made THREE seperate comments about the Cavs’ coaches’ responsibilty to get LeBron the ball and get players in position to win. Where’s Sasha? The guy’s gotta feel like last year’s playoffs were ten years ago. And we’re seeing what the Bulls already knew: Ben Wallace really brings little to the table if you’re seeking offensive balance. With him, Brown and West out there, this team is doing doughnuts setting screens for 1.5 players (LeBron and Z’s 17-footer)… I was optimistic before about the trade, but I see LeBron, Z, eight guys who don’t know where to stand or run, and Damon Jones wondering what he did. If this team makes a playoff run, i’m accusing them of laziness and carelessness for the past month and a half…
If they are bounced early, well, no surprise now. Think the Heat game Sunday’s winnable?
April 11th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Sorry, I misspoke … one of those three vaults had a Post-It with the name “Wally” on it.
By the way, somebody is in denial here, and I’m not sure who it is. Brown says the team stood still while James was burning the house down in the first quarter. But James, when asked, says it was all in the flow of the plays and all in the flow of the game and nobody was standing still.
It’s fairly obvious that James does not respect Brown’s authority, and much like Burger King, he’s going to do it his way.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Ben Wallets is a travesty. He belongs in an Ancient Greece exhibit with all the other busts. If he’s lucky somebody won’t pull an Alcibiades on him…
April 11th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Did I write restrospect? What the hell is restrospect? I meant retrospect.
By the way, who was Alcibiades? Never heard of the guy, and I’ve never been to Ancient Greece. Was that Kareem before he changed his name?
April 12th, 2008 at 12:18 am
As bad as ben wallace is, its not like Larry Hughes is much better. Those two guys have the worst contracts in the NBA, so you pretty much can only trade one for the other. There’s no point in complaining about Wallace b/c the alternative is to complain about Hughes.
BTW, has Wally been taking shooting lessons from Ira Newble? WTF?
April 12th, 2008 at 2:22 am
On paper is shows that the team is “better” after the trade, but they sure aren’t playing like it. I have to wonder, is it the players or is it the coach?
This game wasn’t completely out of reach. Put DJ in there and he knocks down a couple 3’s and gets the offense going and who knows, maybe they win it. DJ has earned minutes this year. What did he do to Mike Brown that was so bad that Mike Brown would prefer to lose the game rather than let DJ play.
Maybe Mike Brown should have also been part of that big trade!
April 12th, 2008 at 6:01 am
I’m usually more of a “glass half full” kind of guy, but it’s hard to see this team doing much in the postseason. Frankly, a first round defeat wouldn’t surprise me at all. I’d hoped by now that this team would be gelling, but instead they appear to be coming unglued. I hope I’m wrong, of course.
April 12th, 2008 at 6:46 am
See what all of you morons have done! The Alan Tuckers of the world (along with the media) demanded that a trade be made, otherwise you said Ferry wasn’t doing his job. Now Ferry has made a trade and look what a mess we have.
We would have been MUCH better off sticking with our old team who were atleast playoff tested. This “new” team sux.
I resign from my position as president of the Alan Tucker fanclub.
April 12th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Arguably the worst display of basketball by a Cav team in five years. Was that Darius Miles jacking wild turnaround jumpers from the wing? Across the board atrociousness. The offense has the spark and creativity of a clan of Neanderthals playing with a coconut. But we knew that already. The play where “Andy” Varejao had the ball isolation at the elbow and just stood there, eyeballing his defender for a solid eight count, then took a couple dribbles, then the shot clock went off, was so so classic. Lebron dribbling away. Poor Joe Smith being expected to carry the load….
But what happened to the D? There was a play in the second half where Tyrus Thomas drove the lane, stumbled, almost fell, but still beat his man to the hole and dunked on a back-leaning Varejao who had lazily sashayed over for a half hearted attempt to draw a charge. These guys are a bunch of wusses. Put Varejao in a pair of skates and a sexy one piece with perhaps Bolero blaring from the overhead speakers, and you might have Brazil’s first men’s figure skating champion in 2010.
Does anyone really like this team right now? Other than Lebron? I mean every single player on the roster. Do we still want to hang Z’s jersey from the rafters? How exciting is it to have to root for guys like Devin Brown and Ben Wallace? It’s just a disastrous situation. The trade was done in desparation (it’s absurd to think we’d be any better off with Ira Newble and Hughes and Gooden) to possibly salvage the year. It hasn’t worked but who is really surprised? Exchanging one form of garbage for another doesn’t really solve any problems. If a random dog craps in your yard and instead of cleaning it up, you replace it with Moose feces, you haven’t really made things easier for your kids who are trying to set up the slip and slide in the grass. It’s sad. And no flexibility next year. And Donnie Walsh making it unequivocably clear that his goal is to clear cap space for 2010….
April 12th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Thank you for resigning your position, because I certainly wasn’t demanding that a trade be made, and certainly not this trade. Anyway, it all seemed like a moot point after what Ferry did in the summer of 2005.
With that being said, that Bibby and Scola trade that fell through, and our esteemed blog host steadfastly refuses to say why even though he says he heard some “wild stories,” looks better everyday. If they had Scola, then they could have held on to Varejao as a trade asset and told his agent he can rot in the meantime. And if they had Bibby, then people wouldn’t have to run for the hills after looking at Delonte West’s mug, a face which belongs on-stage at one of Alice Cooper’s old concerts.
Of all the crazy rumors put out there by the media, the one trade that might have actually somewhat helped, and apparently could have been accomplished, wasn’t. I’d like Windy to print those “wild stories.”
April 12th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Ferry wasn’t doing his job. If he had been doing his job, he wouldn’t have had to turn over most of the roster a month before the playoffs started.
It’s starting to look like a disastrous season. Are there any Colangelos left to hire?
April 12th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Wow. What a disgrace. Boobie and Wally are completely worthless. Z picked a bad time to have an outrageously shytty game. James has got to be thinking about life after Cleveland. Brian, to try and place any of the blame on James in this game is ridiculous. You go out of your way to “try” and look objective. First quarter, the Bulls single James and are absolutely torched. So, they double and triple team him forcing him to give the ball up to his worthless teammates and what do they do? Absolutely nothing. No team gets more wide open shots than these losers. And they still shoot a low FG%. Usually Z is better, but man was he bad, too. No, Brian, this team around him can’t shoot and this coach has no idea how to implement an offense. James has every right in the world to be pi$$ed about his plight right now.
April 12th, 2008 at 9:00 am
I predict we will go out in the first round to Washington. That team always plays us tough, and with our gang of misfits and the way they are playing, we will go down in 5 games. Lebron is hurting, and the rest of the team just are not gelling as hoped. We should have never made the trade and we’d probably be playing MUCH better. Larry Hughes is probably laffing his azz off at what is happening.
Atleast we have to Indians and CC to look forward to. Errr, wait, oh yea, they suk too. Go CC with your 11 ERA!!!
April 12th, 2008 at 9:17 am
doc, what are you talking about with “no flexibility”? the cavs have some nice expiring contracts next year. they have the ablility to make a few more big moves before lebron is up for a new deal.
April 12th, 2008 at 10:32 am
My Starting AND Finishing Line-up:
LBJ, Z, DJ, Joe Smith, West.
Gibson and AV are shadows of themselves. High ankle sprains are serious injuries and clearly Max Benton is ill-equipped to deal with them. It’s disheartening to watch Dirk dominate the Jazz and Suns 10 days after going down in a heap, but Boobie can’t hit a wide open jumper after 2 FULL MONTHS of recovery. That’s a lack of personal pride.
Secondly, I’ve played against plenty of guys who dominated me in terms of skill, size and athleticism. That said, after I got dunked on just ONCE, I was going to get ejected for brutality before it would happen again… Those Five consecutive dunks in the 3rd epitomize the lack of heart and the me first attitude on this team. Hell, if Allred and DJ2 are so fired up, let them take out a little aggression.
And Last- Props to Joe Smith for abusing both Thomas and Noah in the 4th. Amazing what pride, positioning and effort will do when you’re matched up against two guys who gamble for the big block or dunk on every possession.
April 12th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Brian, who’s your MVP vote? When will you address this?
April 12th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
CAVS SUCK, just give it up, lebron is the only person that can do anything on the team, if he was samrt he would demand to be traded and save his career.
April 12th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
“Something’s gotta change” - hopefully it’s the head coach.
April 12th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Cavs what’s going on ever since the trade you’ve been doing a poor job defending and shooting the ball it seems like the trade made ya’ll worse. you all are just standing around watching Lebron play ,but I know the trade was a good thing for the cavs. All I am saying is play like defending confrence champions and Wally stop hesitating to shot the ball your a great shooter believe it and Delonte your the point gaurd you suppose to set up the plays not just rely on Lebron, Damon just wait patiently and your time will come to play just trust mike and keep being positive, Daniel I know you just came back from a injury but we need you to stroke back (loved you in commercial), Mike Brown just be patient and trust God will make a way. Cavs I believe in you, you just have’t to believe in you like everybody else do. Trust me.
April 12th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
The Cavs actually have MORE expiring deals and potential cap space in the next year or two than they did before, therefore Ferry has the flexibility to completely overhaul the roster when Ben, Wally, DJ, and co’s contracts are up. If this roster doesnt come together in the postseason or early next year, look for more major changes.
I’m at the point now where I’m ready to admit it… this just does not look like our year. All the injuries and the messed up roster are just too much to overcome.
Apparently Larry Brown is offering to coach at a discount price, he want back in the NBA so bad…
Grampa Alan, for a guy who says “who the hell cares about grammar”, you sure do correct yourself an awful lot. Maybe because you dont want to look like a horse’s behind in front of all these posters? No one wants to be the illiterate guy, although at times Windy doesnt seem to care. That’s basically what it comes down to, pops.
April 12th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
At some point LeBron and Cavs management will have to realize that Mike Brown is the problem with this team. His emphazies on DEFENSE is hurting the development of the OFFENSIVE game. It takes twice as much energy to play defense as it does offense and it appears that this team is burned out with the constant focus of DEFENSE. Mike Brown continues to critize his team for a lack of a defensive effort every time we lose, I have yet to see him ever take the BLAME for a loss, because of a lack of his coaching strategy. For the Cavs to WIN an NBA CHAMPIONSHIP we will need a coach who is flexible and understands the complete game both OFFENSIVE and DEFENSIVE strategy.
April 12th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Josh, the difference is I correct myself, I don’t correct somebody else. I’m not like you, literally calling the assistant editor of the Beacon Journal a moron and a douchebag, or whatever the hell you called him, all because he doesn’t treat his own blog like it’s the sacred Pope’s hat.
And what are you talking about, doc is right. First, they DON’T have more expiring deals than before Ferry ruined the team and the team’s future in 2005. Pal, they have to find somebody who’s going to take them first. They expire AFTER next season. Far more importantly, before Ferry botched everything back in 2005, they were way under the salary cap. Now, they’re up to their armpits in Steinbrenner territory, only Steinbrenner had players that could actually play and entertain and had trade value.
I’ll bet Ilgauskas’ name has NEVER come up in trade discussions, and will never come up in trade discussions, and he’s now what, the Cavs’ second-best player? Absolutely ridiculous. Nobody on the team has trade value.
Hell, they need a freakin team of Nazi salary cap scientists just to figure out where to start. It’s not as simple as it was in 2005, just go out and write a blank check for a dude, any dude.
The only thing that’s been accomplished is they’re going to jack up ticket prices. I predict the increases for next season will be amongst the highest in the NBA. People around Cleveland are always lemmings and suckers for hope and spin, so they’ll still be dumb enough to buy them. Which is a shame, since the accountability begins and ends with Gilbert, and he’ll be able to recoup everything. He’s the guy that hired Ferry, and mark my words, he’s the slimy scoundrel who is eventually going to sell the franchise to a group in Seattle.
And who, may I ask, is going to trade for expiring contracts, other than teams that want to get rid of their own long-term bad contracts? Does anybody honestly believe that James is going to tolerate yet the third rebuilding effort in less than four years under Ferry’s watch?
Seriously, Josh, get a job with the Cavs PR department. You’d be perfect. Spin, spin, spin, spin, spin.
Fill out an application to be an intern, or something. I’m being very serious about this.
The funny thing is, unless James goes down in a heap, he can still win a series or two or three by himself. And Ferry will proudly accept the credit showered upon him by Pluto, et al.
April 12th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
this blogger’s sentiment has summed it up best :
April 12th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
alan, we just witnessed expiring contracts treated like the holy grail this past deadline and you are saying that there are going to be no takers? ridiculous!
wally, snow and damon and even delonte west all come of the books after next year. who knows who might be available? maybe michael redd will finally get tired of losing in mill-e-wa-kay? 20 million in expiring contracts is pretty good trade bait.
the celtics were able to pull off a great team with no rebuilding involved. get the right players around lebron and the cavs will be in the same situation.
my problem with the team is the head coach. ferry hasn’t been perfect but he has made attempts to improve the team but his head coach hasn’t improved the offense at all and the defense is getting worse. unless ferry makes a coaching change they can both go back to san antonio and ride pop’s coattails some more.
April 12th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
this blogger made somewhat of a good point . i agree with the signing of the over price vets part , but the cavs did not have any good young talent to develop :
the Cavs blew it from Day One of the LeBron era. the kid was only 18 and while a special talent, everyone coddled him “oh my, LeBron wants a championship or he will leave town” and so instead of devising a plan to develop GOOD young talent to mature along with him and grow as a team, management has continually put their money into mediocre vets to try to win now so Bronnieboy doesn’t walk. This team is the proof of that statement
April 12th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
This team been sucking since the trade. What happen! Our team needs somebody to help LeBron. Ben Gordan of the bulls would be somebody good to help Lebron. What happen to Daniel Gibson. He sucks since he came back from the injury. Damon Jones needs to play some. In the offseason the Cavs need to make a trade or do something.
April 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Oh, and this response is for larry, Jerry had one son, three daughters. So the answer to your question is no, all of the Colangelos are already taken. But this guy is still very much available, and apparently from what it says, he will personally give prostate screenings to all of his free agents. That’s something that Ferry doesn’t have the balls to do. So to speak.
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/campy_clinic_health_fair_070411.html
April 12th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Hmmm… LeBron is definitely not getting the MVP award. For a minute or two during that spectacular first quarter, I started to believe that LeBron would drop something crazy on the Bulls (like 60+) and take the MVP race by storm. Now his prospects have only sunk further…
For those Cavs fans who hate the trade, I feel your pain, but Gooden, Larry, and Ira would not be doing much better. Of those 3, Ira was the most consistent and perhaps the most valuable from night to night (when he was in the rotation), and that’s saying something. Now we’re stuck with a semi-competent combo guard (again), a shooter in a horrible slump, an old, overpaid geezer *ahem* veteran, and a decent power forward. The trade will pan out, if not this year then next year. Ben Wallace will not be making any sudden turnarounds, but I believe that Wally will return to form and West will steadily improve his growing game. Smith will be reliable, and we might be able to make a good run next year (I think we have a snowball’s chance in hell this year).
In the long term, I’m fairly sure that LeBron will not be going anywhere. He has no real incentive to leave a place where is he worshiped as a living god and treated like absolute royalty. In fact, I would bet that D-wade will be leaving for New York in 2010 (I think that’s when he can enter free agency). For all you gamblers out there, who would you bet on going to New York in 2010, Wade or LeBron? The smart money would be on Wade, in my opinion, because he has an awful supporting cast and bleak future in Miami.
April 12th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
terje, you make it sound like the Cavaliers are the sole franchise in the NBA that has some contracts with one season remaining on them after this season.
I don’t get your reference to calling them the holy grail of this trade deadline season. Nobody, other than the Lakers, truly profited from a talent differential standpoint.
Who in their right mind is going to gamble, roll dice, and hope that somebody decent is available in February of 2009, let alone hope that there is a good player out there with an agent who wants to deal with Ferry. Will that imaginary good player really be a significant upgrade over Szczerbiak and Varejao? Seriously. Betting on receiving major talent in exchange for expiring contracts at a deadline is a fool’s game.
Absolutely nobody, other than owners with franchises intentionally devaluing themselves and screwing their season-ticket holders in a royal way, will take expiring contracts in exchange for something of legitimate talent value. Seattle and Memphis and Minnesota already have shaved their rosters to the bone like this gal, and there’s really nothing left to pluck.
http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20011773,00.html
April 12th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Mike Brown: “Something’s gotta change”
Don’t hold your breath Mike, it will! Incoming? ‘another Brown’.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
How about Brian getting beat by Branson on the MVP story… Perhaps Brian didn’t want to face the facts that his boy (who he said at one point this year “There’s no way the MVP can go to anyone else but LeBron”).
Brian, your blog is turning out to be pretty lame. The blog used to be a place where you could find some pretty insider content, now your material resembles the musings of a pedestrian wannabe message board poster.
Embarrassing.
April 13th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I repeat: the Cavs have NO financial flexibility next year. The salary cap was about 56million this year and the Cavs payroll runs 81mill. Next year, essentially the entire cast of characters returns, bloated contracts and all, including 34 mill combined on Snow, Wallace, and Sczerbiak. Joe Smith and Devin Brown are the only significant contracts that come off the books when we get knocked out in 5 by the Celtics. And you’d like to bring back Joe Smith as your midlevel exception. So the same team basically returns as is. The trade did nothing as far as financial freedom goes. The absurd contracts merely have different names on them. And if your great hope is that Boatshoes will work wonders with some mega-deal next February (expiring contracts!) then I feel sorry for you.
April 13th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Who browses People magazine online? Seriously??
Comadude, you really need to get out more, stop the insane web surfing and the mindless urge to post hatred on every website out there. Get out more for yourself and for the benefit of others.
Wow, just wow.
April 13th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I occasionally browse People magazine online, Rageaholic Dick. (If Richard Nixon could be Tricky Dicky, then so can Rick). Especially when I’m looking for a very entertaining photo to attach to my post. Get with the times, man, it’s an online world. But I am delighted I was able to “wow” you. Evidently, you are easily wowed.
April 13th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Had we not made the trade, Larry would be coming off the books after next season, and that’s about it. Ben Wallace makes just as much as Larry by himself. Wally makes another 9 or so million. Damon makes 6-7 million. All expiring in ‘09. Yeah, much easier to spout off an opinion as fact and remain an Anti-Cavaliers naysayer, rather than look at the positive (a revamped roster + 3 draft picks this spring + expiring deals on the horizon + no more Larry Hughes). Go ahead and live in your simple world of conspiracy theories and demonizing of front office executives. Much easier to fabricate your reality than live in it, I suppose.
Alan, are you really that stupid? Do you really think Dan Gilbert is that stupid? What planet do you live on? Your stories are more entertaining than Windy’s trade rumors. Keep it coming, buddy. I’m extremely entertained. And by the way, you still havent given me any answers to what you would have done differently than Danny Ferry thus far. Put your GM hat on and try to “wow” me. I dare you.
This team is a veteran coach and a couple more pieces from the Beast of the East. That’s the advantage to having LeBron James. And we do have him, for 3 more years and probably longer. I know that grinds at many of you who are rooting for a Brooklyn coup and the demise of the Cavs as a franchise. Not gonna happen, no matter how many Jay-Z chest bumps are involved.
As far as Wade to NY, I could easily see it happening. THAT is a poorly run franchise. Wade has a reason to leave, they missed the playoffs. The Cavs will never miss the playoffs as long as #23 is wearing their jersey. As bad as this season has been, imagine being a Miami fan. In a bad season, LeBron still manages to carry the Cavs to the 4 seed. That’s the best player in the NBA.
April 13th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Here’s the numbers… http://hoopshype.com/salaries/cleveland.htm.
Wally is due $13 million next year. Eric Snow 7.4 million buckaroos. And they dont have Lebron for three more years. The 2010-11 season is an option year. He can look elsewhere. The Cavs are already committed to $75 million for next season. That’s already luxury tax territory. So maybe they bring Joe Smith back at the mid level exception. Either way, you’re putting a lot of faith that Boatshoes will be able to revamp the roster for the 2009-10 season when all these awful contracts expire…..
April 13th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Uhh … Josh. I’m not saying that Gilbert is going to sell the franchise to a Seattle group tomorrow. Last I heard, today there is still a team in Seattle, and today LeBron is still in Cleveland. In my own Miss Cleo way, I predict 2015. I don’t think the NBA has any intention to expand, as it’s already spread too thin. So it’s going to be an existing franchise. If it’s not going to be Memphis, it’s going to be Cleveland. As least that’s what my crystal ball says, for what it’s worth. I bought it in the Cavs gift shop, so it’s probably not worth all that much.
And seriously, kiddo, move to the Cleveland area and fill out an application to be an intern in the Cavs PR department. Really, I’m dead serious here. The best kind of salesmen are the ones that honestly believe in what they’re selling, and you genuinely seem to buy into your own baloney.
April 13th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Actually, the only BS on this site seems to be your “crystal ball” predictions. Seriously, Danny Ferry Sr… what would you have done differently? Let me guess, trade the three guys we signed in ‘05 (Larry, Donyell and DJ) for Kobe Bryant? Perhaps for Tim Duncan instead. Your Prozac must really be potent…
If you’re still around in 2015, you’ll be eating those words, which will be no different from every other day. Keep posting your useless crap, it’s amusing.
And doc, thanks for the numbers, but I have a question. Why dont you think the Cavs can pull off what Boston, LA, or any other team did at the deadline with those expiring deals? Boston traded Al Jefferson and a truckload of garbage to Minnesota for Garnett. Are you like Alan, with psychic powers and have the ability to see that by 2010 there will be no major veterans looking for a change of scenery? If so, that’s pretty impressive.
Again, not to sound like a broken record, but constantly ripping a team at every turn is the easy way out. Pretty cowardly really, but not nearly as cowardly as disappearing for 2 months after being proven wrong and made to look like an ass on all counts by last year’s Cavs. Not naming any names here…
April 13th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I wish the Cavs had Al Jefferson and a boatload of garbage to trade.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Face it cavs fans, the Cavaliers will never be worth anything. The Lebron experiment was fumbled and doomed from the day he was drafted. The last five years of his career have been wasted in Cleveland. He still can’t shoot, has no post game and doesn’t play defense If Lebron has any sense, which I doubt, he will demand a trade this summer.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Anybody who talks about Boobie apparently hasn’t seen his stats. Devin has earned a starting nod but wally is not getting it done bring Sasha off the bench. We are missing a toughness in the paint. Dwayne Jones is always the first off the bench to congratulate his teammates. He’s got 6 fouls Mike Brown!