It's pretty difficult to imagine the Cavs playing a lot better than they did against Detroit Sunday night. They pretty demolished a team that is supposed to be a rival. The impression was pretty clear that these are two teams heading in the opposite direction.
All the trade talk at the deadline keeps taking me back to LeBron James right before the All Star Break. Asked what his team needed to do after the break, he said simply: Get healthy. That was in stark contrast to the end of last season, when he said the Cavs needed to get better and if it meant personnel changes then "so be it."
James clearly believes in this team, and it's not just his words that shot it. It's his play. He seems to be having a blast each and every night. GM Danny Ferry said nothing was ever close when it came to a move, but it sure seemed like he checked into a lot. Which is what should be done.
Many times the trade that doesn't happen turns into the best thing. The Cavs seem pretty committed to showing that will be true with their team the rest of this season.
Which takes me back to the teams' media day prior to the start of training camp. I asked Z if the Cavs had a legitimate shot at a title. His answer: "Who's better than us?" They've played that way all season.
Other Cavs stuff …
Magic Johnson and LeBron James talked briefly in this interview here . It's not hte most entertaining or insightful or in-depth four minutes in TV history, but then again what is? Magic says that he thinks the only person other than Oscar Robertson who could average a triple-double for a season would be James. "LeBron," Magic says, "I've never seen anyone like you." The only thing missing was literal gushing from the ears. … ESPN's Brent Barry thinks Kevin Garnett's injury is pretty huge for the Cavs. That's as big a limb as I get on sometimes. … Imagine being Joe Smith. You're not the greatest player in the league, but you're a nice player and if or when you are bought out in Oklahoma City (always a good idea) you will be the subject of a bidding duel between two of the best teams in the league. It's not bad to be Joe Smith.
On a separate topic …
I appreciate Peter King writing this in his Monday Morning Quarterback, but more people should catch on to it. The way NFL teams (the Browns) spend money (the Browns) would make the government pause (umm … the Browns), yet they lay off folks (the Browns) who keep the team going (yes. the Browns). Shameful (you guessed). Here's King's take: "I think I know these two things don't go hand-in-hand, but the Carolina Panthers just laid off 20 employees. Let's say in salary and benefits, that's an annual savings of $1 million, or $50,000 per employee. You're telling me in a week you commit $60 million to Jordan Gross for six years, and $16.5 million for one year to Julius Peppers, that you've got to whack 20 employees? I don't like this one bit, and the Panthers are not the only team to do this, obviously. The NFL is a profitable venture, and in times of economic stress, teams need to show loyalty to the people who've worked hard for them — people not at the top of the salary food chain."
iv been reading peter king's mmqb and tmqb articles for a long time now, and i think they are the best nfl pieces around, as i think peter king is one of the best journalist (if not the best) covering the league.
andy@ksu,
I, too, read King's columns, but only for the entertainment value, and the fact that he is a good wordsmith. As for his football/league knowledge, whatever he states in his column, take the exact opposite. That guy, for all of his braggadocio about who he calls and talks to, is the least insightful football writer in the business.
i agree drew that he lacks insight, as far as the x's and o's go. but between his columns and his involvement with inside the nfl (unfortunately gone now) and football night in america i really enjoy his work. for x's and o's i like cris collinsworth.
good point
i never thought i'd ever see a browns fan say "i like cris collinsworth".
im too young to have seen him as a bengal.
it's not so much his playing days. it's his early days as a commentator. collinsworth and bob trumpy constantly bashed the browns. it was brutal to hear ex-bengal a-holes running their mouths on t.v.
In-between his many years of retirement spent mangling the English language, Magic apparently has been overcome by the spirit of Ahmad Rashad. And that's not a good thing. I was literally on the edge of my seat waiting for him to get out the kneepads. Perhaps he did, but they edited it out. Thankfully, ESPN is not Cinemax.
There is no way Joe Smith goes anywhere but Boston. Smith was very recently packaged and sent away by Ferry like some aging sardine in a can. Smith knows it's a business, and business is business, but I can't imagine he was all too thrilled about it. The guy is going to Boston, if he goes anywhere. But not that it will matter, I think Boston will miss James Posey, and Smith can't replace that.
I wish the local sportswriters would stop exaggerating about purported Cavaliers health problems. *Of course* any team is better when it's healthy. I haven't spent the time, but I'm guessing that in terms of games missed by injury, Cleveland has been one of the more healthy teams in the league. Besides, unless James or Williams eats peanut butter salmonella crackers right before the playoffs, it doesn't matter. This roster is just interchangeable pieces.
This is the exact type of team that Ferry could have and should have assembled years ago. But it sure as hell would have been a security blanket if Gilbert didn't order Ferry to prevent luxury tax next season and keep him from acquiring O'Neal, Camby or Chandler. As dominating as they now appear to be against the .500 teams, if they lose a playoff series, the low-post and paint will be the underlying reason.
You get the sense guys like Bynum and Garnett may have to stay hurt so Gilbert's mortgage business, or what's left of it, doesn't come back to haunt. Perhaps Dwight Howard will head into the playoffs with one of Pronk's mysterious injuries, and then Tim Duncan's Merlin the Magician chest tattoo will accidentally stuff a rabbit up Duncan's rear-end.
And please, Peter King is connected and knows what he is talking about. A damn good writer and damn good sources. Never mind his weekly printed stuff, have you read any of his books? Excellent. The only problem I have with King being on TV is his Bride of Frankenstein hairdo. What's that all about?
mikki moore is signing with the celtics. so joe is going to have to go elsewhere if he even leaves at all. maybe space cadet gooden is the guy the cavs are waiting on.