Cavs = Lakers
The Cavaliers have morphed into the Los Angeles Lakers.
They have come to rely on LeBron James to score more than 30 points per game much like Kobe Bryant needs to score for the Lakers to win.
They probably will make the playoffs but not go as far as last season.
Why is this?
Bad contracts. The deals for Larry Hughes and Zydrunas Ilgauskas really didn't allow for much movement this offseason. And those deals make any trades tough to pull off.
Who is responsible? One, GM Danny Ferry. Now he can be credited for getting the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals but these deals that he facilitated also probably will cost him his job at some point. I don't think that will happen this season unless the Cavs really get derailed.
I, for one, thought the Z deal was too much at the time and that the Hughes deal was a good one. I have come to think the opposite. The Z deal is more on target for his production and position, and Hughes is out of whack, particularly when you factor in his injury problems.
But that is how the NBA works. Depending on the market, at the time, and your needs, good deals aren't always sitting there for the taking. Neither Z's nor Hughes' deal was out of whack for the market at the time.
To get out of this situation will take some maneuvering. Something that Ferry has not demonstrated, yet, in his career.
November 3rd, 2007 at 4:18 pm
You are correct, Sir!
November 3rd, 2007 at 5:54 pm
But here's my biggest problem with the Z deal: There were no other suitors. So no matter how it's spun, Ferry could have saved about $2.5 - $3 million of cap space a year and told Z's agent to take it or leave it. Not only that, he could have cut the number of years down to four. Or even three. What could Z's agent possibly do to leverage his client in response, threaten to get him a contract to play in Slovenia or Pakistan?
By the way, the domain FireDannyFerry.com is taken.
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Never forget, LeBron backed Ferry into a corner with his open desire (and semi-veiled / implied threats) to have Z resigned…and also to immediately bring in help–in a year in which none was available…leading to the Hughes fiasco.
Fear of upsetting LeBron is what has ultimately handcuffed this organization. Signing all that garbage on the bench. Spending like drunken sailors. LeBron…he just had to "HAVE IT ALL" right now!! Well, buddy, enjoy the team and the results YOU helped to assemble.
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Simon, that's the local straw man sports argument of all local straw man sports arguments. How did LeBron back Ferry into anything? James was contractually chained to Cleveland no matter what Ferry did. Or didn't do. Three more seasons. LeBron couldn't have done a damn thing but rant and rave and rant and rave like Kobe Bryant on angel dust.
Besides, if you believe, as I do, Chicago's reporters instead of the non-stop propaganda and spin from local reporters, the truth is that James actually wanted Eddy Curry, not Z.
"Fear of upsetting LeBron" may indeed be a true statement. But the only thing he had to fear was fear itself. No doubt Roosevelt was thinking of Ferry when he said it.
I wonder how much that FireDannyFerry.com domain would go for on eBay. Seriously.
November 4th, 2007 at 2:05 am
I just finished reading McManamon's Sunday version of Pluto's "Talkin' Cavs." Or maybe Pluto really never left. Honestly, I can't tell the difference between the two. Take the words "faith" and "Jesus" out of a paragraph, and their sentences are exactly the same. It's astonishing.
Either the local print media is timid and scared like an elephant terrified of a mouse, or these guys are simply receiving favors from the Cavaliers on the side. Maybe it's both. There are no other rational explanations.
November 4th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Pat's got a much more impressive word count.
November 4th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Ron, perhaps you should take on the dual role of Beacon Journal sports columnist-deputy sports editor. Sort of like actor-singer, only less Hollywoody.
November 5th, 2007 at 1:04 am
LARRY HUGHES STATS SO FAR THIS YEAR YOU SHOULD PUBLISH THIS
34 minutes/game
27% field goal pct.
7.33 pts/game
3.66 assist/game
3.00 rebounds/game
2.33 turnovers/game
$12,000,084 USD
Larry hughes by far Brian is the biggest bust all
time in Cleveland
cavs history. He is a huge reason why this team
will
always struggle!!
November 5th, 2007 at 6:05 am
Good defense by the Los Angeles Lakers drama boys, if only we could patch up the difference, this will be a Los Angeles good season. They are running, switching in defense, rebounding see those efforts. We don't have yet the Lakers team down.
I which I could see some Lakers games live. I was looking for tickets all the good seats on ticketmaster were taken I had to check broker. And man you don’t want to do that especially for the Los Angeles Lakers. Thanks god there sites like Ticketwood which work as comparators here is the site
Lakers tickets
http://www.ticketwood.com/nba/LosAngeles-Lakers-Tickets/index.php.
I like slam dunks that take me to the hoop my favorite play is the ally-hoop,
I like the pic n roll,i like the given goal its basketball yo, yo lets go!
Go Lakers Go!!!
November 5th, 2007 at 11:48 am
You're right Ron, Danny Ferry has not yet figured out how to successfully deal an overpaid, underachieving, undersized and injury prone shooting guard. I realize that he made his own bed, but to expect him to be able to make a deal like that is asking too much.
Mike James was another underachieving guard who had just signed a 4-year, $25 Million deal with Minnesota, roughly half of Hughes' monster deal. The T'Wolves traded him to Houston before the season for Juwan Howard, who we all know was bought out shortly thereafter. Getting rid of Mike James cost the T'Wolves around $10 Million, and they got nothing in return. Do you think the Cavs could do any better trading Hughes?
And just so we're clear, the "situation" that Danny Ferry has to get out of is winning the Eastern Conference and going to the NBA Finals. Talk about high expectations.
Go Cavs,
Mike C.
November 5th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Please, Mike. With that much cap space (PLUS LeBron James!), the Cavs should be a dynasty. Seriously. The likely fact that they will never go any farther than beating last year's pathetic Eastern Conference while cruising against the easiest seeds in NBA history will always be 100% on Ferry. High expectations? Fans should rightly expect far more than what he delivered.
And come on, you're actually bringing Kevin McHale into this? That's like discussing two turds with your gastroenterologist.
November 5th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
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