As I expected the Cavaliers are generating mixed feelings among prognosticators and NBA experts out there with respect to how they will do in the coming season. Some believe the addition of Mo Williams won’t make a lick of difference. Others believe otherwise.
Sporting News’ Sean Deveney predicts the Cavaliers for second place finish in the NBA Central. No big surpirse there, but he asks the one question that has to be on the minds and tongues of Cavs fans throughout Northeast Ohio:
Is Maurice Williams the guy LeBron’s been looking for? The plan in Cleveland seems to center on lining up as many perimeter scorers as possible around LeBron James. They’ve got Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and, now, Williams, acquired from Milwaukee as part of a three-team trade this summer. Williams is owed $43 million over the next five years, so acquiring him from the Bucks was a risky move. But the Cavs see Williams as much more than a perimeter scorer. He is not a great playmaker (which caused some tensions with Michael Redd in Milwaukee), but he has the ability to run a fast break, something the Cavaliers have simply not done well at all in recent years. And, unlike the Cavs’ other outside options, he has the ability to create his own shot, which will naturally take pressure off James in halfcourt sets. Williams has been terrific for the Cavs thus far in the preseason.
Is he? Williams is still getting acclimated to the Cavs’ system, but I like what I’ve seen so far. When he drives to the lane, he does so with confidence. He’s quick and smart and the only time I’ve questioned his judgment in the preseason is when he’s pulled up for a jumper instead of waiting on the rest of his teammates. The short answer to that question: Time will tell.
Sports Illustrated is a bit more generous in their praise. The new issue with the NBA previewed arrived in my mailbox during my three-day stint in Columbus. SI expects the Cavaliers to finish first in the Central hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference come playoff time.
With Williams, Cleveland has a chance to unseat the Celtics. His arrival may also make James think twice about leaving town when his contract expires after 2009-10. “The great thing about Mo is that he’s an established player but he’s also 25 years old,” says Ferry. “Hopefully his best years are ahead of him.”
The Cavs will find the Celtics, who are favored to repeat, in their way, but something folks need to consider Ray Allen who has had problems staying healthy in recent seasons. That’s Boston’s big X factor, that and whether James Posey’s exodus will have an impact on the club’s bench.
From Hoopworld, a publication whose writers seem to have an obsessive fixation on LeBron James’ future moves, a prediction that a fifth seed by be in the works for the Cavs. From Brian Fitzsimmons:
The Cavaliers have made the playoffs three straight seasons and have yet to get thwarted in the first round. They’ve also made it to the Finals, but will this be the year they finally get over the hump? … This team relies on James like humans rely on air to breathe. What happens if he were to go down with injury? Well, what would happen if we didn’t have air? … How much will Williams step up as the floor general? Or, a better question – how good will this team be if he can truly serve as Robin to Batman? … Like mentioned before, will LeBron’s off-court life affect the Cavaliers? Are the whispers of sweet nothings by New Jersey Nets part-owner and close buddy Jay-Z loud enough to cause a disturbance in Cleveland?
And now for something compeletely different: What’s the reaction been to Delonte West’s disclosure of suffering from depresssion and a mood disorder? Just as it should have been.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t know why some sportswriters say the Williams contract is “risky.” How so? In terms of total dollars, sure. But average it out over the full term of the contract, really not all that risky. Damon Jones times 2. If James leaves, then Gilbert will simply make sure more guys are on the rookie scale or simply make closer to the league vet’s minimum. So it’s all relative. If James leaves, Williams will probably be the guy highest on the payroll.
That Abbott guy tends to babble and is an average writer, at best. Not a good blogger at all. This post is far superior in regards to West’s issues.
http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/smith/2008/10/19/coming-out-a-hard-thing-to-do/
“This team relies on James like humans rely on air to breathe. What happens if he were to go down with injury? Well, what would happen if we didn’t have air?”
these guys that say things like this act like the cavs are the only team that relies on its superstar. it makes no sense. you can take the best player off any team in the league, and that team is done. are the celtics championship caliber without garnett? spurs without duncan? hornets without chris paul? bulls without michael jordan? lakers without Kobe? no to all the above. now i can accept that a Kobe-less Lakers or Garnett-less Celtics might be better than a Lebron-less Cavs. without kobe or garnett, the lakers/celtics might still be a fringe playoff team while without Lbj, the cavs are clearly lottery bound. but all of those teams rely on their star to be championship caliber. The name of the game is championships and not “fringe playoff caliber.”
Mike you are so right but the reason why these “reporters” write that crap year after year is simply because people buy it and believe because it’s in a magazine.
There is no team in this era that can withstand losing a superstar and still dream of being anymore than 1st round fodder. Just ask the Wizards and I am sure all of them will agree.
And Alan you are right in that Mo is only going to average a shade under 9 Mil a year… I fail to see the risk in that when owners hand out max contracts to non superstars because they are afraid to see them leave. Once again look at Washington and Agent -1. Everyone knew his knee was messed up bad but why did he come back? So he could say look at me and please give me 50 or 60 Mil for rehabbing the next 3 years. He’ll never be the same player he was 3 years ago not to mention that he’ll be lucky to be a starter by the time he comes back.
Wow I have typed wayyy to much here and need to go back to drinking to get ready for the game tomorrow night. Go Cavs!
I read a report that Eric Snow is going to be doing some work on TV this season. What is his status as far as the Cavs? I know he is out for the year but is he still on the team? Does he still count against the salary cap? Will we be trading him this year?
gregg – from what i understand, snow needs to be on the roster (and physically unable to play because of injury) for something like a quarter of the season. there are a certain number of games that he has to be on the roster. i think at that point, the cavs could have the option to have insurance pick up his contract and he would come off the books. if they do that, it just lowers their cap number so dont think they will pick up another high price guy. however, they could also hold onto his contract and trade it if the right player becomes available. that would enable the cavs to upgrade (possibly PF) and then the team getting snow could get the insurance to pick up his contract, and saving them the money. the cavs would lose out on getting their cap number down by doing that. either way, snow’s playing days are over.
October 4, 2003
PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia 76ers point guard Eric Snow, coming off the best season of his career, signed a multi-year contract extension Friday.
Terms were not disclosed. However, the Philadelphia Daily News reported in Friday’s editions that the extension would be for either three or four years and worth between $18 million and $25 million.
Snow, 30, was in the fifth year of a seven-year, $29 million contract he signed after the 1998-99 season. However, there was an opt-out clause for the 2004-05 season and an option clause for the ensuing campaign, both worth $4.875 million.
“It is time to make this team better and help this team win a championship,” Snow said. “Most likely it is my last contract, so now I can just play basketball.”
“I have always recognized him as being one of the better point guards in the league,” 76ers coach Randy Ayers said.
Last season, Snow played all 82 games and averaged 12.9 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 85.8 percent from the line, all career highs for the eight-year veteran. He also averaged a team-high 6.6 assists.
The 6-3 Snow was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team last season. He was the runner-up for Most Improved Player in 1999 and won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2000.
A 1995 second-round pick of Milwaukee, Snow has averaged 7.8 points, 5.3 assists and 1.35 steals in 497 games with Seattle and Philadelphia. He was acquired by the 76ers during the 1997-98 season and his arrival allowed the club to move superstar Allen Iverson to shooting guard.
“We love playing together and we love playing here,” Snow said. “Now we don’t have to worry about free agency, leaving or anything like that.”
I would be really surprised if the NBA allowed a team to take Snow’s contract off the books *after* trading for him midseason, so he’ll still count against this season’s luxury tax number for whoever might acquire him. If the Cavs keep him, he might come off the Cavs’ salary cap figure the same way that the Blazers are trying to get Darius Miles off their books, which would save the Cavaliers $7.5 Million in luxury tax this season.
Personally, I don’t see Danny Ferry pulling the trigger on $20 Million worth of additional players this season, so I wouldn’t be shocked if the Cavs simply hold onto Snow, save the money, and try to make a move with the expiring contracts they have (Szczerbiak, Varejao).
mike C. – agreed. im just not sure how that works. the cavs might be in an either/or situation with snow’s contract. either they get the insurance claim and he is off the books (he may not be tradeable in that case – i just dont know), OR there is no insurance claim made and the contract is used in a trade.
haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed