Never has a Joe Smith been more welcome. The news that the Oklahoma Thunder had bought out the contract of Joe Smith and that he's almost certainly headed to Cleveland to finish the season playing for the Cavs is most welcome. Smith is the final big man the Cavs have needed since the season started. Ben Wallace's broken leg only drove up the urgency barometer.
We shall not make Smith into the second coming of Elgin Baylor or Kevin McHale or even Jim Chones. But Smith is a good role player who can provide the Cavs 20-to-24 quality minutes, and he knows the team's offense and defense already, having played in Cleveland last season. His transition should be seamless.
Seamless.
Yes, that's the word.
Seamless.
As in … without seam.
Smith is the kind of guy coaches love. He hustles, plays smart, makes the 15-foot jumper, plays defense and contributes the best he can. He won't have it every night, but he's dependable enough to have it more often than not.
Last August, Mike Brown told me how excited he was to acquire Mo Williams, but added how much he hated to lose Joe Smith. He was speaking about a part-time role player compared to a starting point guard, but it was clear he really hated to see Smith go.
"Maybe you can get him back somehow," I said, one of those moments of reportorial brilliance the profession is known for.
Brown rolled his eyes as if to say, "Boy would I love to see that happen."
Here's how much respect Smith earned last season: He was on the court at the end of Game 7 in Boston, with Wallace.
It now appears that Smith could join the Cavs this week, perhaps by Wednesday but surely in time for Friday's game in Boston. When it does happen — and things have to be signed and all that — the Cavs will be a better team.
About time
It's high time one of these buyout breaks went the Cavs way. Earlier this season, the Cavs tried to add Antonio McDyess after he was bought out by Denver after being traded there from Detroit. McDyess, though, was loyal to Detroit and returned to the Pistons. Great, I thought, they run across the only loyal guy in pro sports.
Hickson played well …
It will be interesting to see how Brown divides up minutes with his big guys, aka "bigs." If Wallace comes back in time for the playoffs, the Cavs will have five — Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, Smith, Wallace and J.J. Hickson. Being a rookie, Hickson probably figures to lose time — except that he played pretty well in wins over San Antonio and Atlanta. Better than I expected, in fact. The concern is that come playoff time Hickson's defensive issues probably would be exposed. Hickson, though, shows every sign of developing into a nice frontcourt player.
I would be remiss if I did not say how well Varejao has played this season. A year ago, I thought he was a lost cause because he seemed so affected by his contract situation and his holdout and his injuries. But Brown stuck by him, and the team's coach worked with him and Varejao has had an outstanding season. Yes, I can hear the cynics screaming in the background that it's his contract year (he can opt out of the final year of the three-year deal), but the way he's played he certainly seems to have earned another deal from the Cavs.
Last Cavs thought …
If the Cavs earn the one seed and Atlanta earns the fourth, it sure seems like those two teams would be headed to one heck of an entertaining Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series. That game the Cavs won Sunday night was as entertaining as they get.
On the situation in Rutgers …
A friend referred me to Phil Mushnick's column in the New York Post on Sunday. In it, he talks about the Athletic Director's job at Rutgers that went to Tom Pernetti. Akron AD Mack Rhoades was a finalist. If Rhoades reads what Mushnick has to say, he might be happy he didn't get the job. It makes working for the state university of New Jersey like an offshoot of The Sopranos. Among Mushnikck's comments: "It often seems as if the only thing that distinguishes big-time college sports from New Jersey politics and big-time organized crime is that the politicians and mobsters don't wear Nike lapel pins."
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE BROWNS???????????
IF IT "AIN'T' FOOTBALL WHO CARES………..
Regardin Rhoades and Rutgers…he should have talked to Gary Waters before even thinking about interviewing at Rutgers… Rhoades is way better off without that job.
yeah, if it "ain't" losing who cares!
i'd much rather hear about the second worst franchise in professional football.
The Browns? Does Cleveland still have an NFL team? I thought that the league was scrapping them and the Lions for spare parts.