It's not too often that folks get into a verbal tiff when everyone is right and their points of view understandable.
But this is what happened with the Cavs this week.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas was angry he did not play against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday to set the alltime Cavs record for game played. LeBron James said he understood Z's anger and he supported him. Mike Brown said he understood the points of view but he was trying to win a game.
All are right.
For Z to want the team record for games played is commendable and understandable, especially given what he went through and goes through to play. His many foot injuries and surgeries were demanding, and Iglauskas goes through the most elaborate icing routine prior to and after games imaginable.
He had family and friends at the game Saturday, and he was disappointed he didn't play. Why wouldn't he be? This has not been an easy year for Z. He's had to come off the bench thanks to the acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal, and at times he hasn't looked real comfortable doing it. When Shaq was hurt, Z started and the Cavs won five-of-six. Then he got a DNP-CD against Dallas. What veteran wouldn't be angry?
If it's true he asked not to play the second half because he was upset he didn't play the first, well that's probably not the best way to handle it. But it's not the end of the world either.
For James to stand up for his teammate, a guy he's been with from the first day he joined the league, is more than understandable. James is the most loyal guy you can think of. He stands by his friends. So he backed Z. Understandable, and commendable.
Brown didn't play Ilgauskas. Could he have? Sure. Absolutely. But I'm reminded of NFL receivers who keep a receiving streak alive with a one-yard catch. Is that really necessary? Would it mean that much to Z to break the record by starting the game and playing three minutes? The object of each and every game is to win, and Brown did what he thought was best in winning. It hurt Ilgauskas, but it led to a nice victory.
It's against every fiber in Brown's character to not play Z out of foolishness or spite. He was tying to win the game.
It's also to Brown's credit that he said he had no problem with Z or James commenting on the issue. That shows a coach confident in what he does and one willing to allow his players to express themselves.
Every single point of view here is understandable.
Z will break the record, no doubt in Wednesday's game against Phoenix.
It might not mean as much to him that night as it might have meant Saturday, but when he retires and looks back the record will not be diminished at all.
James did one for team unity, and spoke out as the team leader and team captain, which is his role.
And Brown won a game against Dallas and allowed his team to be itself.
I somehow think this issue will go away quickly.
Because in a very real sense, everyone was right — or at least justified — in what they did and said.
why would the phoenix game be a better option than dallas? if anything, there's an even stronger argument to sit z in this game.
as crappy as z is at this stage in his career it doesn't make mike brown any less of a buffoon. the dude's first dnp is the night he invites his crew to watch him break a fairly significant cavaliers record???? pretty f'n shoddy coach.
Pat, that was about as balanced an opinion as I have read on this subject. Very nice.
I think it was a little shortsighted on Coach Brown's part. Was getting Z in the game for a few minutes in the first half really going to be that big of a deal? Anything before the last two minutes of an NBA game rarely matter anyway. LeBron intimated that Z getting the record was more important than a win this early in the season. Nothing good can come from embarrassing Z in front of family and friends.
All that said, I'm glad he didn't play because I will be there on Wednesday when he breaks the record.
"James did one for team unity, and spoke out as the team leader and team captain, which is his role."
You're wrong here, Pat. The only thing that separates LeBron James' most recent unacceptable antics and Jamal Lewis' most recent unacceptable antics is the present level of talent. Just like Lewis, what James did was totally unprofessional. There's no gray area here. You keep it in-house behind closed doors.
But instead of taking it to the person they purportedly had the problem with, they both laundered the dirty laundry out in public. Yet for some reason, in Northeast Ohio media circles, James and Lewis are considered to be consummate professionals. Why? One guy is coddled by everybody, and the other guy the local media just likes it when that "professional" just happened to bash a guy they can't stand.
what would have been the point of lebron speaking to potato privately? z's big night was just the pretense for lebron but it wasn't the message he was delivering.
the message was:
"coach brown sucks. you keep this guy around there is no chance i'm staying."
I know what his real underlying message was, terje. I just wish somebody would finally call James out for his decoder ring transcripts instead of pampering the guy's butt with enough corn starch to drown every baby born in Parma since 1962.
call james out? but there are books to sell about "the king"!
Clearly, Mike Brown missed the boat here. An enormous franchise milestone, with family and friends in attendance….and he disses the one guy who's been thru multi surgeries just to be able to stand up? Even as young as LeBron is, he exercised more common sense than the coach in pointing out this gross oversight. Brown seems to live in a bubble of his own thoughts, stubbornly refusing to do the "right thing," whether it be shifting matchups in a key playoff series vs. Orlando, or paying tribute to his all-star center.
There's just "something" missing in Mike Brown's reasoning, and it's quite troubling, to say the least.
His all-star center, Marc? That's like calling Jamal Lewis an "All-Pro running back." If you put all of Ilgauskas' career of really good games together in a row, it wouldn't even equal one full NBA season. Coming back from those multiple surgeries landed the guy Danny Ferry's insane gift of the decade, so Ilgauskas has nothing to complain about.
It's silly that we're applauding longevity with the same franchise. So what? I mean, just look at why he he's breaking that other guy's record. Because somebody gifted that other guy with a different insane gift, and because that other guy refused a buyout five years into that insane gift.
And James is "young?" Don't make like he doesn't know any better. He's 25, less a few weeks.