Cavs and NBA Discussion - DawgTalkers.net

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I would love to get Cousins.

Don't know that he's available, and if he was, I doubt that we have the ammo to get him.

the only possibility at Cousins was if the new owner of the Kings was worried about his on-court and off-court antics. I was among the ones that wanted us to pursue the possibility.

that time has passed unless Boogie does something stupid again. there's no way the Kings let him go. there are at least 25 teams in the NBA looking for a big man like him.

Has anyone figured out why we drafted a 6' 8" Power Forward?

Did they think he could play the 3?

Or what?

Ugh. I hate undersized PFs on 2k...

Agreed.

And like I said, even if he was available, I don't know what we could put together to get him, unless the Kings really liked Waiters or something. Even then, if I'm the Kings, I don't move him for TT and Waiters. I'd want more. Unprotected picks or something.

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Has anyone figured out why we drafted a 6' 8" Power Forward?

Did they think he could play the 3?

Or what?

Ugh. I hate undersized PFs on 2k...

Are you talking about Bennett? Because he is like 6'5" and change (measured 6'7" in shoes, which are usually good for about 1.5 inches.)

Yes he is listed at 6'8". Listed heights and weights in sports are often just ballpark figures.

I just feel bad for guys like Bennet and Derrick Williams.

You were "tall enough" in college to be a PF technically, but not in the NBA, and you have nowhere near the skill set to be a SF in the NBA, Beasley was like that too..

Those guys can still succeed though with their wingspan.

Mike Brown ball almost cost them tonight. Good to see them pull it out, Zeller was huge, Tyler is so fundamentally sound, if he just had the body to go with it he'd be a beast. We need to upgrade the dellededova/sims fiasco. deli while a good hustle guy and plays ok defense...watching him run the offense or shoot is like torture, theres better in dleague than him. Same with Sims, we are so light in the ass down low. Until we get that addressed better teams will just dominate us inside. Looks like CJ going to be out a spell, that ankle looked really bad. Hopefully waiters comes back friday.

Zeller has improved his body so much from last year though. I almost wonder if he can improve even more this coming off-season.

Last year it was almost painful seeing how scrawny he was. This year he looks like an NBA player. He'll never be Shaq or Dwight Howard, but I think that he can be a plus level backup.

Man, losing both Miles and Waiters really hurts. Hopefully Waiters will be back for Friday's game at Toronto.

6 wins in a row is NICE!

Better get the wins while we can.

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I just feel bad for guys like Bennet and Derrick Williams.

You were "tall enough" in college to be a PF technically, but not in the NBA, and you have nowhere near the skill set to be a SF in the NBA, Beasley was like that too..

I feel bad when GM's draft them ... for the team I root for. I don't understand why you should EVER draft a Tweener player. Regardless of how they did in college, has there been any non-center player that was a "tweener" that turned out to be a really great Pro? About the only time it works is with PF and Center and the guy is freakishly athletic and 7'0 ... aka Garnett and Dwight Howard. Everyone else who can't fit into a position just seems destined for the bench.

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Regardless of how they did in college, has there been any non-center player that was a "tweener" that turned out to be a really great Pro?

Charles Barkley, off the top of my head.

But I agree completely with the premise of your point. If a guy lacks a defined NBA position, he better be such a skilled athlete that there's a really high probability he can go up or down.

If the odds aren't extremely favorable, he's a second rounder.

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Charles Barkley, off the top of my head.

What was his tweener positions though? He played Center in college, but with his size, I think PF was his obvious NBA position. I don't think anyone really had him penciled in as a SF.

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But I agree completely with the premise of your point. If a guy lacks a defined NBA position, he better be such a skilled athlete that there's a really high probability he can go up or down.

If the odds aren't extremely favorable, he's a second rounder.

Yeah, that's really what I'm getting at ... if you can't look at a guy in the draft, and say "Yeah, he's definitely going to be decent at X position", then don't bother. When you look at guys like Bennett and Derrick Williams and say, "Well if we can get him to drop some weight/put on some weight, then maybe ..." That's your first major sign that he's not worth the pick.

But like you said, freakish athletes are kind of exempt from this. People were pondering if Lebron could play anything 1 through 4 ... but with his athleticism, it really more of a question of, "where would he be best at" not "can he do that".

How is a 6'5 guy an obvious NBA 4?

Barkley is the perfect example of a 'tweener' - too small to play the 4 or 5, not skilled/athletic enough to play the 3.

But he was an exception to the rule.

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How is a 6'5 guy an obvious NBA 4?

Barkley is the perfect example of a 'tweener' - too small to play the 4 or 5, not skilled/athletic enough to play the 3.

But he was an exception to the rule.

6'6 "large body" that was a big rebounder and the post game of a Center. While yes, he didn't have the prototypical height of a PF, I think it was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to be a Small Forward or a Center. I think he had a position, it was just more a question of if he could overcome his height difference.

Size-wise, yes you could say he's a tweener ... but you still have to go back 20 years to have a decent example ...

Barkley was incredibly strong, even when appearing to be .... round ........ and out of shape, was explosive, and had a massive wingspan and reach. Despite being only 6'5", I bet that his standing reach was equal to guys 2"- 4" taller. He could be a rock, and immovable when he needed to be, yet was surprisingly lively and explosive. He was massive for his height .... going what .... 250-260#? (or more) Despite that, he still had ups. I think that he was definitely a one of a kind player, who had all of the attributes necessary to overcome a lack of height at PF.

The only "tweeners" I'm okay with are guys that are the 6'6 or 6'7 and play SG / SF. The SG position in the NBA is so weak right now that you can get away with guys like that.

Looking at our schedule and March is going to be insanely brutal. However, April will be the polar opposite. The toughest team will be Atlanta. They play @Orlando, Charlotte, Detroit, Boston, Brooklynn and @Milwaukee. That's it.

we have gained 6.5 games on Atlanta the last 2 weeks.
we are 4.5 games out of the 5seed despite being a .400 team.
gotta love the East.

I think that 41 wins are needed for the 5 seed (19-8 isn't happening)
I think that 39 wins is probably enough for the 6 seed (17-10 is still a huge stretch)

But, I think that 36 wins probably gets us in the playoffs (14-13 --- Yaay East!).

I see one or two games in March where we may be the favorite. Brutal stretch of games.

Woj is reporting Cavs acquired Spencer Hawes for a pair of 2nd-round picks.

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Woj is reporting Cavs acquired Spencer Hawes for a pair of 2nd-round picks.

a legit 7fter with range out to 3pt land? he's not a great player, but he's a very good backup C in the NBA. I'll take it.

so, Jordan Hill or Spencer Hawes? well, Hawes has better height, but Hill is a grittier player. Considering we can use the 3pt shooting though, probably better that we got Hawes (I hate myself a little for saying that though, love Hill).

I like the move. Can never have enough 7 footers, and I don't think this organization needs 2nd round picks at this point. This team is very young as it is.

I know they haven't exactly been playing the murderer's row of the NBA, but it really looks like they have figured out some things.

A 7 footer with range? This might help alleviate some of the spacing issues down low.

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A 7 footer with range? This might help alleviate some of the spacing issues down low.

pair Tyler w/ Bennett & Tristan w/ Hawes.

(and I think we all assume Andy is out for awhile with this trade news)

I'd hope it means we're thinking about dumping Andy. Love the energy he always brought, but he's expensive, injury-prone and old, and has been on the Cavs two seasons too long.

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I'd hope it means we're thinking about dumping Andy. Love the energy he always brought, but he's expensive, injury-prone and old, and has been on the Cavs two seasons too long.

who is going to trade for an injury-prone center who has missed the last several games due to a bad back?

Beats me. That's why I wanted him gone in 2011. But stranger things have happened. Maybe a playoff team who wants an energy guy to give limited bench minutes down the stretch and has the luxury of letting him get healthy, a la Indiana/Bynum.

the issue has been the best time to trade him is the deadline and he has been hurt at the deadline every single year.

we should have traded him back in 2011 when several people wanted to in June/July. I wasn't for it then, but it would have been for the best.

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who is going to trade for an injury-prone center who has missed the last several games due to a bad back?

He is a $9 million expiring contract, so he does have that going for him.

Andy still has a full year left on his deal.

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Andy still has a full year left on his deal.

It's a Team Option.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/cleveland.htm

Hmmm ... looking at a few other places, it doesn't show as a Team Option, so maybe HoopsHype has it wrong.

If that's the case ... we might have an issue if we really want to try to sign Lebron to a max deal this summer.

Interesting…I see that a site I don't generally consult for contract info (HoopsHype) has his last year listed as a team option, but Spotrac, which is my go-to, has it just listed as partially guaranteed.

Realgm had it as PG too. Maybe it's a partial Team Option, where they can drop him after the season, but he's still guaranteed a certain amount.

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Realgm had it as PG too. Maybe it's a partial Team Option, where they can drop him after the season, but he's still guaranteed a certain amount.

I seem to recall reading something along those lines, and that the guarantee was modest.

Aha, here it is .... a $4 million partial guarantee.

Not sure if its been posted but...

Cavs have traded Earl Clark, Henry Sims and 2 2nd round picks for Spencer Hawes.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/104884...eland-cavaliers

Sources: Spencer Hawes to Cavs

Updated: February 20, 2014, 12:06 PM ET

By Brian Windhorst | ESPN.com

Sources: Sixers Send Spencer Hawes To Cavs

Amin Elhassan discusses the Cavaliers' trade for 76ers center Spencer Hawes.
Tags: Spencer Hawes, Spencer Hawes Trade, 76ers Trade, Cavs Trade, NBA Trade, NBA News, Amin Elhassan

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Dion Waiters Dunks On 7'1" Spencer Hawes

In an effort to add depth to their front line as they chase a playoff spot, the Cleveland Cavaliers have traded for Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes, sources told ESPN.com, confirming multiple reports.

[+] EnlargeLakers/76ers

Howard Smith/USA TODAY Sports
Spencer Hawes has averaged 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in 53 starts for Philadelphia this season.

The 76ers have been trading for draft picks and prospects since last summer as part of a long-term rebuilding project, and this deal fits that mold. The Cavs sent the 76ers two second-round draft picks and backup forward Earl Clark, while Cleveland shipped backup center Henry Sims to Philadelphia to complete the deal.

Hawes, who is in the final year of a contract that pays him $6.6 million this season, averaged 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in 53 starts for the 76ers this season. The Cavs, who are three games out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after a six-game win streak, had been in talks to get another center for several days.

Anderson Varejao has been out with a back injury and received a cortisone shot Wednesday to help deal with the issue. Clark, whose $4.25 million contract next season is not guaranteed, averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 45 games and shot 38 percent from the field for the Cleveland, which signed him as a free agent in the offseason.

In January, the Cavs dealt a first-round pick and two second-rounders to acquire forward Luol Deng from the Chicago Bulls. The team is spending many of the extra picks it acquired over the past three years to attempt to upgrade and end a three-year playoff drought.

Sims, whose $915,000 contract for next season is also non-guaranteed, has averaged just 2.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 20 games this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers obtain Spencer Hawes from Philadelphia: NBA Trade Deadline | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/..._special-report

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Spencer Hawes, the Philadelphia 76ers center who has been a thorn in the Cavaliers sides for years, was obtained by the Cavs in a trade on Thursday, according to Yahoo Sports. The Cavs have not yet confirmed the report.

The Plain Dealer has learned that Henry Sims will be sent to the Sixers as part of the trade. Yahoo reported the Cavs will send two 2014 second-round picks to the Sixers and TNT's David Aldridge reported that Earl Clark would be part of the deal.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported the Cavs interest in Hawes earlier Thursday.

Hawes has averaged 13 points and 8.5 rebounds this season.

With the addition of Hawes, trade rumors now have turned toward Cavs second-year center, Tyler Zeller, who has been playing extremely well since moving into the starting lineup when Anderson Varejao went out with a sore back four games ago.

If the Cavs were a good team that needed one extra piece I would love this trade. The Cavs are not a good team.

Clippers are interested in Zeller. I could see us trading for Reggie Bullock. If we do, it's obvious the front office wanted to fix the lack of spacing and shooting.

I certainly don't want to give up Zeller. Reports say that we gave up both Clark and Sims ...... 2 bigs, and giving up Zeller would be giving up 3 bigs for 1. With Andy being questionable, at best, that worries me.

Plus, Zeller has decent range and good mobility. I don't see him as a spacing problem. I would hate to lose him.

If we can get anything decent for Zeller, pull the trigger immediately.

Guy is a stiff and serves little purpose with the addition of Hawes.

I'm glad Griffin listened to me and got rid of clark and sims..lol, but the 2 additional picks for a 1 player that's not even plus level, he's just a guy. I like his size and shooting potential, but you can't send away 2 bigs to get one. We have zero depth there now. I think they'd be dumb to trade zeller unless the piece was a plus level. Zeller is a quality big and still young. He's going to get better and he can shoot. With a team with a legit back to the basket 5 he'd be the perfect 4. I'd trade andy's glass ass before i trade any other bigs at this point. Andy is great when he plays, which the last 4 years is rarely. He's a big fluffy version of boobie.

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He's a big fluffy version of boobie.

I love sports.

Exactly.

If we have indeed added Sims and Clark to the Hawes deal, then that leaves us with Hawes, Varejao, Tristan, Bennett, and Zeller as bigs. Varejao is currently hurt. (and is often hurt) If we trade Zeller, we could find ourselves down to just 3 bigs real easily. I have no idea why we would do that.

Further, I believe that Hawes is signed only through this year. We could wind up with nothing out of this part of the deal, and find ourselves on the search for any kind of bigs next year.

NBA trade deadline updates: Latest news, rumors and speculation | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ss..._special-report

1:20 p.m.: Whew! We've got less than two hours until the deadline and things are getting hectic. The Cavaliers seem to be in the middle of just about everything. USA Today is reporting a proposed deal that would send Cleveland's Jarrett Jack to Sacramento for Jason Thompson is all but dead. CBS Sports is reporting that negotiations on a Tyler Zeller-for-Reggie Bullock trade between the Cavs and the Clippers is "not happening." But TNT's David Aldridge is hearing that Minnesota may now be getting involved in trade dealings for Jack.

David Aldridge ✔ @daldridgetnt
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Hearing that the Timberwolves, falling short on getting Andre Miller, are reaching out to Cavs to try and get Jarrett Jack.
1:01 PM - 20 Feb 2014
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It's always good when you sign a guy to a long-term contract and then immediately try and trade him during that season (I am talking to you Chris Grant and Joe Dumars).

I'll give the Cavs massive credit, they aren't boring.

When was the last time you read anything about the Bucks?

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If the Cavs were a good team that needed one extra piece I would love this trade. The Cavs are not a good team.

What is the alternative? stay in the lottery waiting for the next james or durant to come by? You have to start somewhere. The pacers and bulls were 8th seeds a while back. the cavs need to take that next step to become a winning organization.

One thing about the trade for Hawes is that we should be able to play Andy (if his back is OK) at PF instead of having to play him at Center as much. That could take a load off of his shoulders.

I like what Indy and San Antonio did. I think both of the them should look at Daniel Gibson. However, Evan Turner and Austin Daye will be nice depth additions.

Indiana just keeps getting stronger and stronger. George Hill is really the only weak link. A motivated Andrew Bynum, Evan Turner, and Louis Scola will more than make up for him. Can't wait for ECF. However as I previously mentioned, I hope Indiana signs Daniel Gibson for backup PG.

This is fun...

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Could the Cavaliers lose Kyrie Irving?
Four years after LeBron James fled, Cleveland is at a crossroads with its new star
By Brian Windhorst | ESPN.com

If Kyrie Irving truly wants to be on a different team next season he can probably make it happen.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will offer Irving a maximum contract extension once they're allowed to on July 1, and if he hasn't signed it by October, the team will likely be forced to trade him before the Oct. 31 deadline for third-year players to extend their contracts.

The Cavs aren't without leverage. They can match any deal offered if Irving hits restricted free agency in the summer of 2015, and they control his rights through summer 2016. Waiting out that period would cost Irving millions, not to mention open himself up to losing it all should some unforeseen major injury occur. For these reasons, no player in Irving's position has ever declined to a sign a maximum contract offer.

But the scars of LeBron James' departure four years ago are far from healed, and they're certainly going to affect the way the club and its current star player handle their future together.

After losing James to Miami in 2010, having a franchise player who doesn't commit long term will not be tolerated by the Cavs. Team owner Dan Gilbert already has said as much publicly and the fan base has largely supported him, just as it did upon his release of the now-infamous letter trashing James soon after his decision to leave.

But that letter harmed the franchise in the eyes of many more. If the Cavs do take a hard-line position with Irving, he could wind up using such stains on the team's recent history against them.

Such a negotiating tactic would most certainly come at a cost for Irving -- it probably would badly damage his popularity, costing him endorsement opportunities and beaucoup bucks. And it'd officially end the extended honeymoon he has enjoyed in Cleveland, putting the spotlight directly on the shortcomings in his game that the national exposure helps to cover up.

Which is why Irving will probably sign a contract offer from the Cavs in some form and anything else would end up as a negotiating ploy. But by making the franchise sweat it out this summer -- the seeds such a strategy having already been planted -- he may be able to get a more favorable contract than the Cavs would prefer to give.

Irving is among the NBA's most popular players. Those "Uncle Drew" spots that Pepsi created for him made him a YouTube hit. His wizardry with the ball in his hands and all the last-second shots make for quite the attractive in-game package. Irving was even named an All-Star starter this season -- the third player in Cavs history to do so, along with James and Shawn Kemp -- though the field was thinned out by injuries to Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo.

But despite winning MVP honors in New Orleans this year, and the 3-point shootout crown at All-Star Weekend the year before, Irving has struggled to reach the same type of success with the Cavs. In his three seasons, the 21-year-old has spent a total of five days above .500, none of them coming after the second week of the season. That's more a reflection on his team, but it goes to show what Irving, who is currently ranked ninth among point guards in player efficiency rating at 20.04, has overcome to get uncommon national popularity in a small market like Cleveland.

There are those who even wonder whether Irving is truly worth a maximum-level contract, including some within the Cavs organization. His game has regressed a bit this season, particularly from a leadership standpoint, with his clashes with Dion Waiters making headlines, and it has raised a red flag or two in-house.

And while Irving has said all the right things about staying put in public, it's no secret that Irving's camp has been making it known for years now the point guard would like to be elsewhere long term. No matter how much he denies it.

Just how strongly Irving feels about it could rise to the forefront soon. Though the Cavs recently went on a six-game win streak, their schedule the rest of the season is brutal. In March, Cleveland, now 22-35 and five games out of a spot in the postseason, plays the Grizzlies, Spurs, Clippers, Suns, Warriors, Heat, Thunder, Rockets, Raptors and Pacers.

The season may be another lost one for Irving and the Cavs, which means the clock on his impending decision will likely begin sooner than later.

More than likely, Irving will use his tenuous position to work favorable options into a new contract. A big one will be an escalator clause, which would create what is known as a "supermax." Also referred to as the Rose Rule, players who sign max contracts can get a bump of about $3 million per season if they make two All-NBA teams, win the MVP or get voted in to start two All-Star Games by the time the extensions kick in after their fourth season. Rose got it for winning the MVP. Blake Griffin was voted into two All-Star Games and also made two All-NBA teams. Paul George is likely to qualify for it this season, when he gets his second All-NBA team nod.

Irving has never made an All-NBA team, and he's unlikely to do so this season. But his popularity can't be denied, so those All-Star bids could wind up earning him tens of millions.

Despite it all, the Cavs, like most teams, will likely want to lock up Irving for the full five years they are allowed and make him their "designated player." But Irving might be able to leverage a shorter, more player-friendly contract with opt-out clauses.

Just signing him will lead to exhaling in Cleveland, as it did in 2006, when James signed his own extension with the team. That, though, proved to be the beginning of the end of that superstar's tenure with the Cavs, as James passed up a six-year offer for a three-year extension.

If they can't somehow work things out, Irving could find himself somewhere James never did in his seven seasons in Cleveland: the trade market.

Is it weird that I don't REALLY care if Kyrie leaves? Hell I'd sign him for 15 mil just so we could get more out of him in a trade...

The Cavs have suddenly become even harder to root for/follow than the Browns...

That takes skill...

PS: ____ Brian Windhorst.

I wonder if he'll go to Miami.

Gilbert/Grant made the huge mistake of bringing Mike Brown back. Heck this guy has made an all-star in Deng look like total trash, Irving should be better. Doesn't take a genius to figure out Mike Brown isn't an nba coach. maybe once we miss out on the playoffs, Gilbert will have no choice but to fire this goof.

No matter who our players are, Cleveland will always be a tough sell. If Lebron didn't want to stay, who could you convince to long-term?

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Is it weird that I don't REALLY care if Kyrie leaves? Hell I'd sign him for 15 mil just so we could get more out of him in a trade....

No not at all, we're probably all scarred from 'Bron leaving. I am forever, I can no longer allow myself to love a pro athlete or believe him when he tells the media he wants to bring Cleveland a championship. I think they're all FOS from now on, even though some aren't.

I'm scarred for life, I need DR. Phil.

I hate Toronto. I can't wait to see them get swept in the 2nd round. A dirty and garbage team.

Playing hard is not dirty.

The Cavs are not looking so hot now that they are playing some real teams.

They're without 3 key players in Waiters, Varejao, and Miles. But still no excuse being 22-36. Even the Bobcats are around .500, just a horrible year.

MIssing Waiters and Miles means they get almost no bench production. Their injuries couldn't have come at a worse time.

I would argue that they got injured at the exact right time.

I agree with that 100%. They dug themselves too big of a hole. 5 games out, with a murderers row schedule coming. I guess we have the lottery to get ready for.

Mike Brown is an always be the worst coach in the NBA without lebron. How many years has it been, his vaunted defense still can't guard a 3, can't figure out how to defend a pick and roll and still has no clue on spacing..it's a joke. This team will lose another 10-15 in a row. Dan gilbert owes it to his season ticket holders to fire brown the instant that last buzzer sounds.. I'd meet him in the tunnel and say pack it.. You can tell by the body language they just dont buy what browns' selling. I will say i like the pickup of Hawes..Hes alot better fundamentally than any of our bigs. To bad he came here and noone knows an offense set outside of 5th grade ball. I loved watching Kyrie drive to the basket tonight 5 on 1 while his 7 foot center stood there wide open 2 feet from the rim. I think Kyrie is a good player, but without a decent coach i rather him go..he's not helping anything

at least with hawes, you have a pick n pop game, that you didn't have anywhere on the whole roster. It's amazing how bad Deng looks. You know he can't wait til free agency comes. I would be surprised if we won 30 games.think brown would've saved his job, if we got in the playoffs. He's just a lame-duck now.

If Willie Cauley Stein wasn't dumb on P&R defense, I'd love the Cavs to look at him. A under the radar guy is Jusuf Nurkic.

So.. That just happened..

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So.. That just happened..

sure, beat the Thunder at full strength when you're all banged up in OKC. normal, right?

oh, and start the 4th quarter with a decent deficit and have Tyler Zeller and Dellavedova be the guys who get you the lead back before Irving and Jack take us home. Yawn, just par for the course, right?

Weird game. And, I only saw the 4th quarter. Noticed that those 2nd unit guys barely got any run but they sure saved us there near the end.

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So.. That just happened..

lol i was thinking that too, turned it on at 8 minutes left for laughs and found up we were up..i was like

, I REALLY like hawes game...a 7ft guy that can shoot and drive and finish with either hand..plus he's a good passer. Sorry but I think if i pick between glass andy and hawes, no brainer, trade andy and resign hawes. Just can't count on andy any longer. Hawes and zeller together are pretty good. Both can shoot a bit and both finish well around the rim. Is it me or does TT look so slow on defense. Kyrie and jack go well together. I think the starting 5 today was my favorite this season. I'd give this a few games even when waiters, cj and the glass man come back.

Doesn't Andy have a team option for next year, with something like a $4 million buyout.

I do like how Hawes appears to fit this team. I am disappointed how Deng has not fit, but Hawes definitely looks like a real keeper. I actually like the looks of Hawes/Zeller at Center.

Man, who would have thought that this team, missing Andy, Waiters, and Miles, would beat the Thunder, at full strength, in Oklahoma City?

Man, try to figure this team out?

Well .... the last thing I want to see is this team sneak into the playoffs as a final day 8th seed ..... so if they can't get the 5th seed or above, then I hope they don't screw up their shot at giving young Mr. Gilbert another shot at pulling off a miracle.

We shot 95% from the free throw line and kept OKC from getting to the line themselves. Spencer Hawes was a huge problem for OKC too. They can't handle stretch big men because of their big guys.

lol

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Well .... the last thing I want to see is this team sneak into the playoffs as a final day 8th seed .....

I would rather be a final day #8, and get to host a playoff game in Cleveland again...

Than get the 14th pick...

Yeah ...... but I would prefer to either get up to the level of the 5th seed, where we stand a chance of winning a series, than sit at 8 and get destroyed.

I would prefer to either get to 5, or drop into the lottery. Middle ground would probably be the worst.

I like the way Hawes looks with the team so far. He looks like a good fit with Irving, and should fit with Waiters as well. He provides a lot of what I hoped Deng would so far. He is able to hit a jump shot, and clear the middle for our drivers. His game also doesn't trip over Thompson's. The spacing just appears to work better with him in the game.

I also like Zeller in the backup role. His game is developing nicely. I love the fact that we have a pair of true 7 footers we can rotate in and out.

I really don't know what to do with Andy if he returns to health. Maybe split his time between C and PF, and give him 10-15 minutes/night. That might keep him fresh, and limit his injury risk somewhat.

Anyway ...... I just have no idea what to make of this team. They drive me crazy even more than the Browns do, because they have talent ....... and still manage to blow up for no reason.

I don't really care where it is, I just want to make the playoffs. Chances are if you know who doesn't return, than Kyrie is probably gone, and we will sure enough be right back in the high lotto anyway. Let's have some fun.

How much fun would it be to make the 8 seed, and get murdered by either Indiana or Miami?

I understand making the playoffs, and how that would be nice, but I'd also like a chance to maybe win a series ...... or a game anyway. I don't see that as likely in a series against the Pacers or the Heat.

I think that any free agent looking at our team would have to do some projection at this point, even if we make the 8th seed. Hell, Lebron left this team when we were a top seed.

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How much fun would it be to make the 8 seed, and get murdered by either Indiana or Miami?

A hell of a lot more fun than going back to the lottery.

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I think that any free agent looking at our team would have to do some projection at this point, even if we make the 8th seed. Hell, Lebron left this team when we were a top seed.

Yea the reason we were a top seed was because of LeBron. Take him off that team and you saw what they were.

I agree with the others. We need to make the playoffs and we need to contend. We won't beat a top seed, but if we can compete, that will put us in a spot to sign top notch FA's.

LeBron ain't coming back unless we are a playoff team. God I can't believe I just typed that. 3 years ago I wanted the guy lynched. Now I am ready to welcome him back with open arms. Lol

Quote:

I don't really care where it is, I just want to make the playoffs. Chances are if you know who doesn't return, than Kyrie is probably gone, and we will sure enough be right back in the high lotto anyway. Let's have some fun.

I'm not gonna have fun watching Roy Hibbert destroy Hawes and Andy.

Yeah, I would rather either get into a series we stand a chance of competing in, or have a chance at a pick that could change the direction of this franchise.

The notion that plugging some 19-year-old kid into the lineup is going magically reverse the team's fortunes is hilarious. What the Cavs need at this point is to learn and understand that winning comes from playing like a team instead of just five guys who are wearing the same shirt.

Are you going to tell me that Toronto, Chicago and Washington are that much more talented than the Cavs? Those three teams are 9.5, 9 and 7.5 games ahead of the Cavs right now.

I think the odds right now are of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh all clicking on the "opt-in" clause on their contract and playing 1 more year. Makes the most sense for them IMO.

After next year, they can reassess some of these rebuilding situations better that they might be interested in joining (Lakers - 1yr less of Kobe, Chicago - see if Rose is healthy, etc.).

Miami may have been a joke in 2009 (they still won 43 games), but they had one thing going for them: Lebron's best friend.

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The notion that plugging some 19-year-old kid into the lineup is going magically reverse the team's fortunes is hilarious. What the Cavs need at this point is to learn and understand that winning comes from playing like a team instead of just five guys who are wearing the same shirt.

Are you going to tell me that Toronto, Chicago and Washington are that much more talented than the Cavs? Those three teams are 9.5, 9 and 7.5 games ahead of the Cavs right now.

Like I said ..... if it comes to getting blown out as a 7/8 seed, or making the lottery again ..... give me the lottery.

I see no great advantage to getting our butts kicked in a short playoff series.

I do agree with what you say about the players needing to play together, and in fact, I have argued all along that this team is more talented than they have shown, and that some of the parts just don't fit together well.

What really sucks is that Waiters and Irving were finally starting to work together a bit, and then Waiters had to go get hurt. Hopefully they can continue that growth when he comes back.

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Miami may have been a joke in 2009 (they still won 43 games), but they had one thing going for them: Lebron's best friend.

- Lebron's best friend (taking you for your word on this one)
- Pat Riley
- Opportunity to play with 2 players who were and are far and away better than anybody he ever played with in Cleveland
- Beautiful South Beach women
- Decent enough weather
- No state income tax

He's not coming back to Cleveland guys. Neither is any other superstar free agent. Hasn't happened in the 44 year history of the franchise and I'd be shocked if that changed in the forseeable future. Best to just accept that as fans and focus on building through the draft and trades and building around a tight-knit, cohesive core.

Quote:

The notion that plugging some 19-year-old kid into the lineup is going magically reverse the team's fortunes is hilarious. What the Cavs need at this point is to learn and understand that winning comes from playing like a team instead of just five guys who are wearing the same shirt.

Are you going to tell me that Toronto, Chicago and Washington are that much more talented than the Cavs? Those three teams are 9.5, 9 and 7.5 games ahead of the Cavs right now.

Toronto - Don't know
Chicago - No
Washington - Yes

I want to be a playoff team.

I want to have something to root for.

If you're scared of getting swept. Then you don't really belong in sports.

Getting the 14th pick, versus the 15th pick. Hell. Getting a Top 3 pick doesn't mean we win more games.

I just find it crazy that with the choice of barely missing or making. You don't want extra games. That actually mean something.

If the Browns were 7-8, and week 17 meant going to the playoffs to play a team that you know will beat you, are you ganna say no because you want the better draft pick?

Can't compare NFL Playoffs to NBA playoffs. In the NFL you have to get lucky just once.

Are you going to think 5 years from now about the time you got swept in he first round or the time you got a potential game changer?

At some point you have to stop hoping for "potential game changers" (because one comes around maybe every five years or so) and assemble an actual team and win some games.

My point was, if you're going into the playoffs thinking youre ganna get crushed. You probably will..

Atlanta a few years ago went 7 games with Boston. I'm not saying they'reganna upset an Indiana or Miami, and yes a series against a 3 or 4 seed would play about better.

But if you're saying, no playoffs with a low lottery chance, or 8 seed, I take the playoffs everytime regardless of who we play... because you get to play...

I think even an ass-kicking could bode well for this group going into next year. It's just my opinion. I really don't have any proof to back it up, because we've seen playoff teams go flat on their face afterward, but if you ask me, this group needs it. They need to see what it's like...

What if, during a series with Miami, they learn how to keep up? Sure that won't help them right at the moment in that series, but it could pay dividends in the future. Maybe they won't take so many nights off during the year against meh teams...

If we dont make the playoffs, I hope it at least comes down to the last couple games. I miss meaningful cavs games

Wow! Kyrie with his 1st career triple double!

Hawes with 13 points and 16 boards! Man, he is really going to help this team. I don't know if it's too late or not though. Thompson had 18 points and 14 boards, and Zeller had 10 points and 9 boards. Great game for our front court, that's for sure.

I know it was Utah ...... but that's impressive.

NBA Recap - Utah Jazz at Cleveland Cavaliers - Feb 28, 2014 - CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20140228_UTA@CLE

CLEVELAND (AP) Kyrie Irving recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 99-79 win over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

The All-Star Game MVP was two rebounds shy of the mark going into the fourth quarter, but grabbed his ninth rebound early in the period and pulled down his 10th with 4:12 to go.

A young fan wearing a stocking cap raced on the floor and patted Irving on the shoulder midway through the fourth quarter, but was quickly subdued by several policemen and security guards. The fan was wrestled to the floor and led away in handcuffs.

Luol Deng scored 16 points as the Cavaliers placed five players in double figures.

Gordon Hayward scored 18 points for Utah, which began a six-game road trip.

Oh, and I wanted to add ...... for those wanting the playoffs ..... that we are now tied with Detroit in the 9th spot in the East, 3.5 games back of Atlanta for the 8th spot.

The fact that they beat the Utahs of the world is important...

Keep doing that, and occasionally knock off an OKC, and youll be fine...

Now if we could just beat the fricken Raptors

5 games back of the Nets for the 6seed.

the Raptors are pretty much the type of team that gives us fits. they are full of athletic slashers, which compromises Mike Brown's help system (especially since our guys were half-assing it until recently).

tonight was a really good win. things are finally coming together.

Spencer Hawes

Lual Dang

By my math that's 4 second round draft picks. Assuming we resign Hawes, considering our current instability, I'll take it. I think Hawes and Zeller could really push eachother.

well another game lost by mike browns coaching brilliance..again no adjustments at half, come out and get drilled in the 3rd, for 9 minutes during that time he had the worst players on the team out there all at once....Jarret jack is the worst PG i've ever seen, well dellededova is worse, you can't tell me there's not a d-league PG better than this dude...but whatever jarrett scores, he gives up twice as much to the guy he "defends" and when he has the ball on "offense" he's a black hole and a horrible distributer...waiters and miles can't come back fast enough. I really like hawes, i hope we resign him and cut andy....use that money and find an enforcer down low because butterhands thompson and zeller are too weak inside. They are hustle guys and they have decent offensive games. But they get abused inside. Kyrie is really starting to grow into the PG role, he's becoming a really effective distributer and the pick and pop game with hawes is a pretty nice sight. Hawes reminds me alot of what Z was supposed to be before all the ankle/foot issues. But mike brown and his ability to make adjustments to his "offense" is what's really holding this team back, and the continous inability to show his team how to defend the 3 or the pick and roll.

Not sure how to get a D-League player but there is PG Pierre Jackson putting up 29.1 points per game right now. I would start him over Jack right now.
http://stats.nbadleague.com/playerProfile.html?PlayerID=203510

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Not sure how to get a D-League player but there is PG Pierre Jackson putting up 29.1 points per game right now. I would start him over Jack right now.
http://stats.nbadleague.com/playerProfile.html?PlayerID=203510

Pierre Jackson, , , NBA - CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/players/playerpage/2067675/pierre-jackson

February 20, 2014 4:18 pm
Pierre Jackson heading overseas after quiet deadline
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
Despite lighting up the D-League all season long, rookie guard Pierre Jackson has been unable to find a place in the NBA. With the Pelicans owning his draft rights and failing to trade him by Thursday's deadline, Jackson has decided to head overseas to play in Turkey, according to Yahoo.com.

Jackson, the 42nd pick in this year's draft, averaged 29.1 points, 6.2 assists per game in 31 games for the Idaho Stampede in the D-League.

February 15, 2014 6:35 pm
Nuggets, Cavaliers showing some interest in Pierre Jackson
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com
The Nuggets and Cavaliers have inquired about trading for Idaho Stampede point guard Pierre Jackson, a league source told Comcast SportsNet Northwest on Saturday. The Pelicans currently own his rights, but have not been approached with a trade offer "to their liking."

Jackson was drafted by Philadelphia in the second round of this year's draft and was shipped to New Orleans in the Jrue Holiday-Nerlens Noel draft-day deal. He's the second-highest scorer in the D-League with 29.1 points, 6.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds through 31 games with the Stampede.

That would have been alot better option than jack and /della...both of them suck...

Well ... you can't make a team trade you a player. They wound up holding on to his rights, so no one was able to pry him away.

I do have to say that I am amazed with how well Hawes has played so far. Man, he looks like a perfect fit for this team, and I hope that we are able to re-sign him. As disappointed as I have been with Deng so far, I have been impressed with Hawes so far.

Looks like we get waiters back tonight..even if he's only 25%, that's better than 100% of the monster that is jack and della..less minutes for them is def. a good thing. Plus kyrie won't be run ragged having to play with the twos becuase our second team PG's are black holes

The cavs are getting taught a lesson on how to play some championship basketball. Great ball movement, at least 3-4 passes before a shot goes up, while we are playing hero ball with Kyrie, and Dion. Even though those 2 guys have great stats, that's not the way to beat the spurs. Mike Brown is a complete fool. If they want to keep Dion, and Kyrie, they need to get a credible coach. Just sick of these guys playing 1-5, jacking up shot after shot with no ball movement. Bynum, might be an idiot himself, but he is correct when talking about playing along Irving, and Dion. They will never attract any free agents, with their mentality. No wonder Deng can't wait to get out of town.

Yeah, we are so bad on offense and even mike browns defense is a joke...still can't defend the 3 or the pick and roll...ssdy. Deng is a big problem here...he's fit in like larry hughes...hawes on the other hand is great offensively, but we don't have enforcer down low. I really wish we would have move TT, I just don't like his game. Jack/Della should just go. Mike browns rotations are idiotic...we need to find a legit 2 so waiters and irving aren't on the floor together.. let waiters be the 1 coming off the bench. They both need the ball too much. Its just the coaching staff can't get anything out of these guys...even when we get a lead in the first half, i know without a doubt the other team will make adjustments and Brown won't and then we will lose. It's the story of his career, he just don't have lebron to will this team to win, kyrie will never be that guy. So you need to be like Spurs and play fundamental basketball, something i don't think Brown can do. I can't count how many times the ball would get double teamed or doubled in the corner and end up with a turnover...you learn that first thing in basketball. Move the ball, side to side, move without the ball, set screens...we do none of it. It's why Pops is so good, he gets the most of of his teams.

I thought maybe Brown needed another year to grow with these young players, but I just don't see it. He just doesn't have control over Kyrie and Dion. Pop would never put up with the lack of ball movement of them 2. I agree about TT. Signing Hawes is a must, but he is soft on defense, so you need an enforcer like you said, and TT isn't that type of player. Against good big men, he gets over-matched at times.

I have no idea what Deng's problem is. I think the lack of ball movement is hurting him. He is strictly a mid range shooter, but he seems to be forcing the issue to the basket. Chicago is another great system team, he must feel like a fish out of water playing in this structure. The way our schedule is, we should have a good chance to land someone like Wiggins, or Parker. I expect us to finish with a bottom 5 record. We're 10th right now.

yeah Deng tonight look horrid, driving right into double teams and getting the ball stripped..he just looks like he just got off the plane from Sudan and they showed him a basketball.

Spurs are just a damn machine.

They have so many veterans that it helps them continue without a bump.

Tim Duncan could plays with his eyes closed and still be outstanding. Same thing with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, who have been around forever. They are like coaches on the court, and strictly enforce the coach's schemes.

j/c...

Yahoo had a pretty rough article earlier bashing Cavs, Gilbert, the fans and a potshot at Quicken Loans regarding LeBron and Zs jersey retirement. I wanted to post earlier. It mysteriously disappeared. But in sad reminder...if its on the web and you take it down.....its still on the web at least for awhile.

Google Cached Article

As a player, Zydrunas Ilgauskas eased his 7-3 frame into influencing several different iterations of Cleveland Cavalier squads. As a knockout rookie in 1997-98, he was able to claim that he played alongside Shawn Kemp in Kemp’s final year as an in-shape professional. Big Z was mostly around, when his feet let him, for the frustrating rebuilding seasons that eventually led to the Cavaliers earning the top pick in the 2003 NBA draft, and the selection of LeBron James. Zydrunas was around for James’ first two seasons of growing pains, his ascent and the team’s status as potential Eastern giant-killers, and the franchise’s run as championship contenders from 2007 through 2010.

That run ended in the summer of 2010, when James left for Miami – in a move that was both ceremonious and unceremonious, depending on your level of tact. Ilgauskas, somewhat heartbreakingly, left for Miami that same summer, retiring following the 2010-11 term. On Saturday, the Cavaliers will honor Ilgauskas by retiring his No. 11, and it’s reported that LeBron James – as big an active heel as there is and will ever be in Cleveland – wants to attend the game to support his teammate of eight seasons.

From Tom Haberstroh at ESPN:

"I want to be there, but we'll see. I'm not sure just yet," James said. "I think it's going to be a great day for my friend, a dear friend of mine. I'm excited for him."

When asked if his appearance may take away from Ilgauskas’ moment, James seemed self-aware:

"I hope it doesn't, if I'm able to make it," James said. "It's not my day, it's not about me. It's about Z. But it wouldn't matter to me. Obviously I'm there for a dear friend, to be able to support him, if I'm able to make it, and that's the main thing."

LeBron’s Heat are working through heady times with nary a reflex, as the team has won eight straight and is coming off of James’ ridiculous 61-point performance from Monday night. They’ll take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, easily the West’s hottest team, before visiting the San Antonio on Thursday for a Finals rematch. The team won’t play again until Sunday at Chicago, in a nationally televised game that could serve as a coronation of sorts – the Heat will be taking on a Derrick Rose-less Bulls squad, working with what could be a 10-game winning streak that could include huge wins over the Rockets and Spurs alongside that 61-point game from LeBron.

That’s a busy, if fruitful, potential week. You’ll notice that James’ schedule is technically open on Friday and Saturday night, though. And even in the midst of a busy week like this one, we wouldn’t bemoan a millionaire for taking private accommodations to go see a WWE or MMA event, or for flying to a college football game on a Saturday night. So why get on LeBron for going to see a Cleveland Cavaliers/New York Knicks game on a free Saturday? A contest featuring two teams that could have just one more combined wins (45) as the Heat could potentially have (44) entering Saturday night?

Well, there could be the part where the Cavaliers fans boo LeBron right out of Predatory Loans Arena The Q.

LeBron wouldn’t even have to be introduced by the public address nor even recognized by Big Z in his halftime speech, and his presence could still take away from the feel-good vibe surrounding the retirement ceremony. Cleveland Cavalier fans have done some stupid, stupid stuff over the last couple of years, and with the possibility of James returning to Cleveland as a free agent this summer at absolute nil, the time would appear right for thousands of knuckleheads to be taking out four years’ worth of frustration out on Big Z’s famous guest.

Even if they should be booing Dan Gilbert, the man who presided over several botched rebuilding attempts, along with the botched mishandling (Mike Brown! Ben Wallace! Shaq!) of LeBron’s best years in Cleveland.

Which is a shame. Because Ilgauskas’ story is unique and one of the more special careers we’ve seen in this league over the last 25 years.

Originally pitched as a fluid, all-around center in the mold of his hero Arvydas Sabonis, Ilgauskas had to completely re-work his game due to a series of foot ailments – the same fractures that ended the career of Yao Ming some years later. Signed to a massive contract extension after just one full year of play because of injury and rookie scale complications, Zydrunas only managed 29 NBA games between the spring of 1998 and fall of 2002 following his rookie year, suffering setback after setback as onlookers wondered if his fragile bones could support his 7-3 frame.

Ilgauskas roared back, however, making two All-Star teams and playing fantastic ball for Cavalier teams that ranged from god-awful to middling to “hey, we made the Finals!” By the time he retired in 2011, Ilgauskas had played another combined 812 combined regular and postseason games, working with a series of revolving coaches and teammates, acting as the most respected voice in the locker room throughout his run.

This is why James, who asked Big Z to come to Miami for one more chance at a ring (after the Cavaliers dangled Ilgauskas at the 2010 trade deadline) when he joined the Heat, wants to be a part of his special night. He explained his current relationship with Ilgauskas to Cliff Pinckard at the Cleveland Plain-Dealer:

"I talk to Z very often, probably once or twice a month,'' James told The Plain Dealer. "He meant everything to me. When you come in as a rookie you try to find a leader, that veteran, that guy who's been around to learn the ropes from. He taught me how to be a professional on and off the floor. That's something you cannot ever take for granted. He was everything to me. From Day One, I knew he was going to be a guy I would always be with.''

Will he get to be with him on Saturday night, as Ilagauskas’ number rises to the (unsecured, apparently) rafters?

LeBron may ultimately choose to bow out, with the next day’s matinee game in another time zone as a reasonable excuse for passing on the Saturday night ceremony. He shouldn’t have to, of course, but this is the sort of thing that happens when two sides badly botch a breakup. And holy lord, did LeBron and those Cavaliers really screw this up.

Which is a shame. Because Zydrunas Ilgauskas deserves to have all eyes on him, come Saturday. Congratulations, Big Z.

- - - - - - -

Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops

Not a big fan of Kelly Dwyer... Got into it with him a few times on emails... Some of the crap he spewed to me was pretty hilarious... (he was so deadset on Lebron going to NY that he once told me that info about him not going to NY was "planted")

For one, I think if Z wants Lebron there on Saturday, that everybody should shut up about it. If you as a fan have a problem with that, don't go.

Cleveland is in a no-win situation. If Lebron shows up and we cheer, we're desperate fans who are clinging to him being our only hope of returning to relevance...

Boo him and we're terrible fans... Because when big cities boo players, it's because they're a "tough town".. When we do it, we're classless fans.

I think this is a good chance to close the book on this whole thing. If Lebron shows up, give him a decent nice ovation. Not over the top. Just a simple few claps, and move on.

I'm really happy for Z, I think he deserves this... Having your number retired isn't just about what you meant to the league, or your stats or if you're a hall of famer. It's about you and your relationship to the team...

Personally I think it will be hilarious if Lebron doesn't attend the ceremony on Saturday, considering that the entire retirement of Z's jersey is an attempt to lure Lebron back to Cleveland this offseason.

Dwyer shouldn't be allowed to write about Gilbert anymore. He has some issue with Gilbert's politics and obviously with some of how the LeBron saga went down (it started before it though). It bleeds out anytime he writes about the team (i.e. predatory loans arena, etc.).

Ah well.

There are a lot of bloggers/writers out there that take issue with Gilbert. They didn't have any idea that billionaires make money through various ways, and GASP, some of them are shady! Who knew!?

There is no way I would boo anyone at someone's retirement ceremony.

No way.

That is disrespectful to the person being honored, and incredibly tacky. If you don't want to go out of respect for Z, then, like you, I say stay home.

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Dwyer shouldn't be allowed to write about Gilbert anymore. He has some issue with Gilbert's politics and obviously with some of how the LeBron saga went down (it started before it though). It bleeds out anytime he writes about the team (i.e. predatory loans arena, etc.).

Ah well.

Honestly I think Dwyer got his hands slapped and they pulled it. Bad business.

Yahoo & Quicken Partner

DETROIT, March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Detroit-based Quicken Loans, the nation's third largest mortgage lender, today announced it has teamed with Yahoo Sports as the technology provider for the now named 'Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge with Yahoo Sports' contest. Yahoo Sports designed the online bracket experience and will host the exclusive destination (www.quickenloansbracket.com) for the challenge as college basketball fans take their shot at becoming America's next billionaire.

"Millions of people are getting ready to enter the 'Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket' challenge," said Dan Gilbert, Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans. "When you are putting on a nationwide contest of this size, it's important to work with the best partners to ensure its success. Yahoo Sports and their bracket technology is second to none. We are confident they will deliver a billion dollar-like experience."

"We are excited to team up with Quicken Loans and Warren Buffett to give fans the chance to win a billion dollars using all of the information, tools and services available from Yahoo Sports," said Ken Fuchs, VP and head of Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance and Product Partnerships. "There is even more at stake this year, and Yahoo Sports is the perfect place to get expert advice and data to help sports fans pick the perfect bracket."

Quicken Loans has also increased the maximum number of contest entries to 15 million and will now allow one entry per person, instead of limiting the entries to one entry per household as was initially announced. The contest also now permits U.S. residents age 18 years and older to participate (expanded from the previously announced 21 years old and up).

Through the Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge with Yahoo Sports, all qualified entrants who accurately predict the winners of all 63 games in the college men's basketball tournament will share a $1 billion prize paid in 40 annual installments of $25 million. Alternatively, the winner(s) may elect to receive their share of an immediate $500 million lump sum payment.

In addition to the potential billion dollar grand prize, Quicken Loans will award $100,000 to each of the contest's 20 most accurate 'imperfect' brackets to use toward buying, refinancing or remodeling a home.

The company has committed $1 million to charities in the Detroit and Cleveland markets to aid in urban youth education initiatives as part of the roll-out of the Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge with Yahoo Sports.

"I have been astonished by the response to Quicken Loans' challenge, and the millions of people who have shown an interest in participating," Buffett said. "While I wouldn't be thrilled to hand over a billion dollars, I think it will definitely add even more excitement to the college basketball tournament this year."

The first 15 million qualified entrants to complete the registration process at www.quickenloansbracket.com will be eligible to win the potential grand prize of $1 billion. The window to enter the 'Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge with Yahoo Sports' will end at 1:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at which time all eligible registrants must have submitted their completed brackets and any other required information.

It's worth a shot. What else do the cavs have to lose? We've been an embarrassment of an organization for the past 4 years, this is our only hope to get back to our glory years. I will see Lebron the 18th when the heat come to town. I will be rooting for the cavs to win, but you could bet your bottom dollar, I will be cheering for Lebron like crazy.

I can tell you one thing, I'll be watching on Saturday, haha.

If he shows up and this thing goes well, the LBJ back to CLE rumors will crank back up....

I'm not saying he's coming back, I'm just saying those rumors will be at an all time high.

It's gonna be tough taking the Rockets out. Harden and Parsons can be stopped, but it's asking a lot to guard Dwight Howard 4-7 games in a series.

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It's gonna be tough taking the Rockets out. Harden and Parsons can be stopped, but it's asking a lot to guard Dwight Howard 4-7 games in a series.

I'm genuinely excited for the west playoffs.

As it stood right now Houston would play Golden State in the first round. I'd watch that. Clippers/Portland? All over that one too..

Aside from the Cavs getting in, the only playoff series I'm excited for is the Indy/Miami rematch, and that wouldn't be until the ECF again...

Chicago v. Brooklyn would be a fascinating series if they managed to matchup. Neither is a title contender, but I'd definitely watch it.

Dont be surprised to see toronto give miami or indy a tough series. Really like that team.

Quote:

Dont be surprised to see toronto give miami or indy a tough series. Really like that team.

I like Toronto until they let Lowry get away (looks likely this summer). anyway, Indiana and Miami are just brutal matchups for them. They will likely limit the Raptors athleticism and that makes Toronto really stagnant.

Toronto might give one of those teams fits for a game or two but they're too young and inexperienced to be a really credible threat.

Watching the Spurs and Heat. The Cavs are not in the same universe as these teams. Not in talent or in cohesiveness.

The spurs big 3 has been together 11 years. That is unheard of in professional sports. You just don't see that anymore. It's easy to be Greg Popovich when you have a veteran group that has been together so long, and understand team principles. that's the only way a small market team could actually win championships in the nba. You need a group that is committed to not only the team, but staying long term in the city they play in. I just highly doubt, Irving, and Waiters are those guys.

I think Irving and Waiters would be better if they had a true low post presence at center. We won't get him, but Joel Embiid would have been the last piece. If Noah Vonleh were 2 inches taller I'd be very intrigued by him as the answer. I'm a little worried putting him at center.

The crazy thing is we were so close to getting Anthony Davis. Think if we lost one more game that year, we would've switched spots with New Orleans, and got the winning combination that won the lottery.

Quote:

The crazy thing is we were so close to getting Anthony Davis. Think if we lost one more game that year, we would've switched spots with New Orleans, and got the winning combination that won the lottery.

No guarantees that Grant takes him, Davis was the trendy pick and he likes to think outside the box. But he did get Kyrie right, so there was a slim chance.

Quote:

The spurs big 3 has been together 11 years. That is unheard of in professional sports. You just don't see that anymore. It's easy to be Greg Popovich when you have a veteran group that has been together so long, and understand team principles. that's the only way a small market team could actually win championships in the nba. You need a group that is committed to not only the team, but staying long term in the city they play in. I just highly doubt, Irving, and Waiters are those guys.

Something that further supports what you believe is something Pops said recently:

Quote:

"Sometimes in timeouts I'll say, 'I've got nothing for you. What do you want me to do? We just turned it over six times. Everybody's holding the ball. What else do you want me to do here? Figure it out,' " Popovich said, according to the San Antonio Express-News, not long before the Spurs used 14 3-pointers and a season-high 39 assists to dispatch the Cavs. "And I'll get up and walk away. Because it's true. There's nothing else I can do for them. I can give them some bulls---, and act like I'm a coach or something, but it's on them."

Tim Duncan is a rare type of player. Not just in terms of ability and talent, but his willingness to listen and buy into a system. Popovich chews the Big 3's butts out. It causes everyone to follow the Big 3 and listen to Pops. Guys like Lebron could NEVER play for Popovich. That's not saying Lebron doesn't want to win, but a guy with Popovichs personality would not mesh together with Lebron. Phil Jackson is on the opposite end in terms of personality. However him and Popovich both let players figure stuff out.

A little off topic in terms of NBA, but that's what Thad Matta tries to do. I think he's closer to Phil Jackson in personality, but values defense over offense. It irritates me when ESPN makes Matta look like he's uptight as hell. They repeatedly showed the Evan Ravenal clip and it pissed me off. Matta RARELY gets in players faces or upset with them during a game. He lets kids get away with a lot. Don't believe me? Watch Amir Williams this year

Who cares about the Spurs?

The only reason they beat Miami is because LeBron can't shoot in the sleeved jerseys...

Duh..

We really need a center. Haven't had a great true center since Z retired.

Need a coach too. Well coached teams win close games by execution of their scheme, bad coached teams rely on hero ball to win games...we try to win with hero ball but we don't have one. We need superman but instead we end up with clark kent

This team is the very definition of "win some, lose some". We win a few, lose a few, win a couple, and lose a few more.

It just amazes me in how much trust Popp has with Manu/TP/Duncan. There's even stories of him letting those guys coach the team in the final minutes. Honest to God, I view him as the greatest basketball coach of all time.

He has the right players to let them take control, and ownership. Duncan will go down as one of the greatest, manu, and tony are borderline hall of famers themselves. What he is doing wouldn't work with the roster the cavs have. But I have no doubt Pop could make it work here in Cleveland. He would know how to adapt to different players, unlike so many other coaches, who do things the same no matter what the situation is.

If our guys were fully healthy, Popovich would make us a better version of the Bulls and easily a 3 seed.

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This team is the very definition of "win some, lose some". We win a few, lose a few, win a couple, and lose a few more.

Last night really hurt, that was one we had to have.

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We really need a center. Haven't had a great true center since Z retired.

If only a true center was available in the draft when the Cavs took Tristan Thompson. . .

Gilbert's son should be in charge of the next draft.

Well .... starting off something like 1-9 ....wait, now maybe 2-10 or so.

Spencer Hawes with all the Cavs points.

There's a solution: Draft Sean Kilpatrick, not that I'm bias or anything

I really like him. His game is similar to another bearcat in Lance Stephenson.

Yeah Stephenson was impressive his freshman year, I was wrong when I said he left too soon. He's developed just fine.

Kilpatrick does have that advantage though, he's much more seasoned and is a fifth year senior.

EDIT - And only one other guy scored over 2,000 points at Cincinnati and he was the Big O. Can't argue with that company.

It says something about our big guys when Amares corpse can bully them. This isn't STAT from Phoenix.

Yeah our problem is we have a roster full of PF and no true center..hell even our PF aren't true PF...thompson is a waste, I just hate his game. I can't see how mike brown can keep his job. No one could look at this team and say..oh this team has no talent, no coach can work with it..I look at this team with several pieces and with an AVERAGE NBA coach could tweak the rotations and actually implement a system and it wouldn't look so bad...this is just bad basketball..Playoffs are officially off the table and in the east and with the whole win now mentality/promise, and the moves that were made...I don't know how gilbert can face the fans with brown another year. To be honest, I'm starting to think Gilbert might be the problem.

Dan Gilbert IS the problem. He isn't patient because he knows attendance is going down. He had a grace period, but that's over. He BADLY made a monumental error hiring Chris Grant. Dude was a joke among the NBA. GMs actually stopped talking to him because of his trade ideas.

Yea Gilbert has made himself look like an idiot too many times opening his mouth. Did he really think the number 1 pick in one of the weakest drafts in recent memory was going to make the cavs a playoff team? Then he goes out and hires Mike Brown without interviewing anyone else if I remember correctly. I know it was grant's idea, but gilbert could've said no.

I would be all for giving coach another year, but the team hasn't improved. No consistency at all, guys just look bad. Deng looks like Alonzo Gee out there. If he keeps brown, you could be sure irving will demand a trade. what would be the point of staying?

I like Tristan, but I wonder if he is a fit on this team.This team needs to be about spacing on offense, and he is not a spacing type player.

Our defense would be a whole lot better if the Guards would stop letting people blow right by them.

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Yea Gilbert has made himself look like an idiot too many times opening his mouth. Did he really think the number 1 pick in one of the weakest drafts in recent memory was going to make the cavs a playoff team? Then he goes out and hires Mike Brown without interviewing anyone else if I remember correctly. I know it was grant's idea, but gilbert could've said no.

I would be all for giving coach another year, but the team hasn't improved. No consistency at all, guys just look bad. Deng looks like Alonzo Gee out there. If he keeps brown, you could be sure irving will demand a trade. what would be the point of staying?

Like we said about Pat Shurmur, and probably for Chud.. Fire them immediately if you think next year will be another evaluation year...

My advice would be to keep this Griffin guy around... Sounds like he has a lot of respect around the league, and I would not be surprised to see him chased by a few teams if the Cavs cut him loose...

Then let him make a decision on the coach. Let him hand pick a guy.

Also, really nice ceremony for Z last night. I know Windy made it seem like they were only doing this to woo Lebron back, but there was a genuinely good vibe last night... A lot of key Cavs people showed up for that... The guy's parents flew out from Lithuania. I'm not saying they didn't see this as an opportunity to send out an olive branch to LBJ, but to say it was only for that reason is incorrect.

The display on the court last night by the Cavs was awful though. The last two nights are the end if you ask me. It would take a miracle now.

I agree, its over. Just hope they lose most of them to increase their odds to get in the top 3. its good to see the front office and james have let the hard feelings go. i wish sone of the fans would do the same. no point in holding grudges. Time to let it go.

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I agree, its over. Just hope they lose most of them to increase their odds to get in the top 3. its good to see the front office and james have let the hard feelings go. i wish sone of the fans would do the same. no point in holding grudges. Time to let it go.

Yup, there is nothing wrong with letting i go.

I've been over it a long time. I have nothing against the guy, and still enjoy watching him play.

I have to be honest though. I am still against him getting his number retired or any kind of stuff like that. Despite the fact that we are all leaving the decision and everything in the past, I still think those actions should keep him out of that honor.

Yes, he's obviously the greatest to ever put on a Cavs jersey, and he has numerous team records, he was on the only team to make the finals, etc... but a retired number should be reserved for people who mean a lot to the organization. There aren't rules for having your number up there. It's entirely up to the team, and if you ask me, it just doesn't seem right. Forgive, but not forget.

If he came back and made things right, i would have no problem retiring his number. Those were some of the best times to be a cavs fan. Beats the hell out of what were watching now. And for that i am grateful.

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If he came back and made things right, i would have no problem retiring his number. Those were some of the best times to be a cavs fan. Beats the hell out of what were watching now. And for that i am grateful.

That would change a lot. I just wonder if that ceremony really did anything for him. Sure he could have one in Miami someday, but I don't think the reception would be anything like the one he would have had in Cleveland...

I thought both sides handled it well yesterday.

But man it's really disappointing that this team is pretty much finished. Watching them try to play defense is cringeworthy. They constantly need help from teammates and that leaves shooters all over the place open. I really think if Dion could turn himself into a better than average defender, he'd be a really really good player that people would feel better about with that draft pick...

I don't want him back. He quit on us once, he will do it again.

He played like a bum in one game. His last game here he had a triple double with almost 20 rebounds. Just didn't have enough talent to get by boston. I've watched this bunch give no effort in losing to the lakers without nash, kobe or gasol at home. I've seen enough losing in the past 4 years, that I would take him back no question.

So, you're saying we can't beat a crappy Lakers team...

And LeBron quit before because we weren't good enough..

So...

I think it's time to kiss the playoffs goodbye. The month of March is gonna nuke that. We're already on a 4 game losing streak.

2-5

They'll beat the Knicks and someone else coming off a game the previous night.

Even then, the 8th seed gets much further away. Oh well.

Well at least we passed on Noel to draft a guy who would help us win this year

, signed a few overrated stiffs in free agency to keep the young guys on the bench and keep them from developing, and shipped off 5 picks in the middle of the year for a couple half year rentals so we could make a push to 30 wins and make guys like Embiid, Wiggins, and Parker a pipe dream.

The fact that it was so predictable makes it all the more infuriating

This team was never anywhere close to being ready to contend; the young core was simply too young and is severely overrated among Cleveland fans to begin with. I'm going to borrow a couple words to describe the whole mess-- panicked disaster.

speaking of Bennett, what happened to his green light? since the beginning of February, Mike Brown had told him to take any open shot that was there for him. as a result, he was averaging alot of attempts even when he didn't get alot of minutes. and, he seemed to be much more relaxed and putting up numbers across the board with the freedom.

the past 2 games, he has only taken 1 shot in each. not big minutes, but that hasn't mattered lately. possibly just a blip, but wanted to make note before it becomes a defined pattern.

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Well at least we passed on Noel to draft a guy who would help us win this year , signed a few overrated stiffs in free agency to keep the young guys on the bench and keep them from developing, and shipped off 5 picks in the middle of the year for a couple half year rentals so we could make a push to 30 wins and make guys like Embiid, Wiggins, and Parker a pipe dream.

The fact that it was so predictable makes it all the more infuriating

This team was never anywhere close to being ready to contend; the young core was simply too young and is severely overrated among Cleveland fans to begin with. I'm going to borrow a couple words to describe the whole mess-- panicked disaster.

But.... But...

WHAT ABOUT A WINNING CULTURE?!?

This team obviously isn't trying to tank. You don't make the moves we made if you want to tank. This team just sucks. They don't have enough talent and they don't have guys that fit. People were just upset because of the last few seasons so they wanted to make the playoffs this year. I don't have to encourage tanking because the team is doing enough losing on their own.

Ready to contend for a title? No way. Ready to contend for a playoff spot though…different story altogether. The talent is there to be a bottom-half playoff team, especially this season. Problem is that talent, albeit a very important part of the equation, is just that: a part. Experience is another key part, and so is basic teamwork.

It's a shame that these kids can't put their massive (and, quite frankly, completely unearned) egos aside long enough to achieve some modicum of sustained success. I'd hoped that trading for Deng would've instilled some professionalism but it seems to have done just the opposite. Deng looks like the end of the season absolutely cannot get here fast enough for him. I like Hawes' game but he has absolutely no incentive to stick around this sinking ship.

As for trading away some second round picks, I don't really care. It's time to stop worrying about the next green kid they can try to plug in and start worrying about getting the best out of what they do have.

Anybody watch the Heat-Bulls game yesterday? That's how a team plays basketball. That team was supposed to pack it in after losing their star player for the year and trading away a key vet and team leader.

Noel is severely undersized, and can't even play yet. Hell, he may never play. He is going to have to add weight/strength just to withstand the banging down low in the NBA. How that weight he will have to add will affect his knees remains to be seen. We aren't talking 10# here ....... he is almost certainly going to have to add 40-50#. Remember, he weighed in at 206 prior to the draft. Kyrie almost weights that much. Noel really had no offensive game, and is a player who really needs to be built from the ground up.

I don't see how he helps this team, other than he is tall.

As far as bad free agent decisions, the Cavaliers signed Earl Clark and Jarrett Jack, so that would be about it fpr potential bad decisions. I actually liked the signing of Jack, as he was a superb backup prior to this year. This year might be his worst year, from a production standpoint. As far as Clark, along with a couple of 2nd round picks, and a 1st rounder we are unlikely to ever see, he was turned into Deng. Even though that hasn't worked out, I would still do that trade about 99 times out of 100. We plugged a solid, productive veteran into our position of biggest weakness. Unfortunately it didn;t work, but it was a great move at the time.

I do think that Deng will be gone next year, but I think that we'll manage to hang on to Hawes, and I like what he brings to the team. He has not looked like a spectacular defender so far, but a huge part of that is defensive breakdowns on the edge, where he has to try to cover the guy driving uncontested, and his own guy. Our Guards are awful defenders. We really need them to get with the program. As far as Bennett, I can see why they drafted him. This team needs bigs who can play in space, as opposed to right under the basket, jamming up the lanes. I like Tristan, and on a differently constructed team, he would be a very, very good player. However, on this team his strengths don't mesh with Irving and Waiters.

I do agree with you that we really did get ahead of ourselves as far as how far along this team was. We have had a total of 3 drafts since James left, and the team was torn down to the frame. We added Irving and Tristan one year, Waiters and a very decent backup in Zeller the next, and basically Bennett this year. (so far) With us drafting 5 players, that means that we had to be absolutely right on all of them in order for this thing to work ..... and there are problems. I think that all of the guys I mentioned are talented ...... but they don't all mesh well. I hope that Bennett will be better next year, with a year under his belt.

You are definitely right in that many of us, myself included, overestimated the step forward this team would make this year.

Part of the Bulls success is that they're used to Rose being gone. Meaning, they are used to playing without him. And the East is so bad, a team like the Bulls can be the 3 or 4 seed with such a crappy roster.

Thibs is a good coach and they know how to play defense. But they'll get eaten alive in the 2nd round of the playoffs this year.

Rumor has Melo joining Chicago next year. If I were Melo, I'd want to go to Chicago before staying in NY. Forget about the extra guaranteed $30m he'd be passing up, as long as you stay relatively healthy, he'll make most of that back regardless of where he goes. And come on, the Knicks are a bigger disaster than the Cavs. They won't be able to improve their team until 2015.

This is a little bit old (2 years) but the idea remains the same. Bulls defense vs. Cavs defense. Bulls had Tom Thibodeau as coach at the time of making this (as they do now), Cavs were Byron Scott at the time I believe. I'm not sure to what degree Brown runs a sophisticated defense or if that is just hype.

It kept popping up in my head when the Spurs were being discussed, it is what I also like about the bulls. Having a solid defensive PF/C like Duncan / Noah is a good thing. The Cavs are just a really confusing roster right now in that respect.

That's my point. The Bulls and their mediocre roster are 7 games over .500. The Cavs are 16 games under. I don't buy for a second that the Cavs roster is so bad that it's 11.5 games worse than that Bulls team. Effort and heart is the difference.

That the Bulls won't get past the semis isn't a knock on them. Unless somebody shocks the world, they'll be matched against the Heat or the Pacers.

I don't remember anybody tanking for the chance to draft Paul George or Roy Hibbert, either…

One thing Chicago has going for it is a veteran roster.

They may not make the Finals, but a veteran roster in the East is probably enough to make the playoffs.

They have 11 year veteran Boozer. (4th season in Chicago)

They have a veteran Mike Dunleavy.

Taj Gibson is in his 5th season in Chicago.

Hinrich is a 10 year pro.

Noah has been in Chicago for 7 years.

Their roster is an average of 3 years/player older than ours. Even a modestly talented roster with great experience can grab a playoff spot in a down year like this year. Isn't that always the debate we have ....... should a team hold on to the last vestiges of its past and try to make the playoffs, or tear it down to start over and build a team that can contend for several years to come? They stayed largely together, and as a result, still know what it takes to win, even if they can't put it all together perfectly every night.

Some of these guys may be slipping, but they know how to play the game, and many know how to play together. That is what we are missing. I really almost forgot that Irving had only been here 2 years prior to this season, and that he is one of the longest tenured players on the team.

Man, his 3rd year with the team, and who had been here longer? Gee? Andy? That's about it. Who else has been here longer than Irving?

The team has changed coaches already from Irving's rookie year. This is a very young team, lacking experience, and with mismatched parts in some spots. Our veteran leadership is guys like Jack, who has struggled, Andy, who is hurt more than he plays lately, and Gee, who has been relegated to the bench. Deng was supposed to provide that veteran lift ..... but didn't.

This team really needs a starter who is also a strong leader. The kind of guy who will pull players together for an extra 2 hours in the gym, so they can get better, and better together. That's what this team is lacking. I hate to even cite him as an example, because I don't think that he's coming back, but James would fill that role perfectly. However, I am sure that there are other guys who could also fill that type of role. They just have to be willing to be a leader, instead of a follower.

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This is a little bit old (2 years) but the idea remains the same. Bulls defense vs. Cavs defense. Bulls had Tom Thibodeau as coach at the time of making this (as they do now), Cavs were Byron Scott at the time I believe. I'm not sure to what degree Brown runs a sophisticated defense or if that is just hype.

It kept popping up in my head when the Spurs were being discussed, it is what I also like about the bulls. Having a solid defensive PF/C like Duncan / Noah is a good thing. The Cavs are just a really confusing roster right now in that respect.

Mike Browns defense is purely hype. It isn't any better now than it was before. We can't defend the 3, we allow consistent dribble penetration, and we can't defend a pick and roll. True that defense is 85% want to, but that's on the coach to instill that..Mike hasn't done it. Usually you can mask bad defense for the most part in the regular season with a high scoring offense, then it gets exposed in the post-season. Well we don't even have that.

We have improved from dead last, or damn close, in defense last year, to the middle of the pack this year.

However, when your guards can't guard anyone cutting to the basket, then it blows up your entire defense.

I know that the team had won a lot of regular season games in the past when the best player of our generation was in the early-prime part of his career. He covered up a lot of incomptence in ownership, the front office, and coaching. Who was the best player he ever played with in Cleveland? Oh and Gilbert hired Mike Brown......... wait for it......... twice.

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Who was the best player he ever played with in Cleveland?

Please enlighten me on what moves Ferry & Co could have done to land another All Star...

Did they wiff on some pics? Yeah... But once your winning 60 games a year hitting on the 30th player in the draft is just dumb luck..

So yeah, what detailed, laid out plans, did we not go through to bring specific talent here?

I do find it funny that Bulls fans are puffing their chests out about a win in the regular season... My how far Bulls fans have come...

The national media loves them, it was a lovefest on twitter last night. Pretty hilarious for a team that will get swiped in 5 games by either Miami or Indy in the playoffs.....

Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, etc... Those guys NEVER show up in the playoffs but somehow always get love. I don't get it. Is it because the jersey says Chicago?

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We have improved from dead last, or damn close, in defense last year, to the middle of the pack this year.

However, when your guards can't guard anyone cutting to the basket, then it blows up your entire defense.

I think that has less to do with mike brown and the fact that we have played some really really bad teams. Add in a healthy andy and Deng who is a plus level defender for the most part which they didn't have last year. I'm not even close to giving mike brown any credit for the "defense" this year.. everything else reeks and that's on mike brown. But I doubt we will ever know for sure becuase if Gilbert sticks with Brown, I can see all the decent players on this team going elsewhere. I'll admit i expected atleast playoffs this year just from the simple fact that we had another year with the young guys together and a pathetic east.

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Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, etc... Those guys NEVER show up in the playoffs but somehow always get love. I don't get it. Is it because the jersey says Chicago?

What is not to get? The Bulls play harder than anyone and with more passion. Noah is a mad man right now. As is Taj Gibson.

Last year Noah was a beast in the playoffs while injured. Especially on defense. Boozer I agree with, but this year he is almost a non-factor anyway.

Yeah.. How dare we draft a Naismith College Player of The Year finalist that averaged 21-7-4 his senior year..

I'd say DG should have bought the team 2 years earlier so that maybe they could have gotten Jim Paxson out of there, but we don't really know if Danny Ferry would have done better. His entire tenure was nothing but late picks. Although he did pick Danny Green who has turned himself into a really good player.

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If you don't sign Larry Hughes, then you are either not spending money or bringing in a guy like Bobby Simmons who also would have done nothing. I don't know why people continue to think that Ray Allen or Michael Redd were going to take a 20m paycut to come to Cleveland.

I've always kind of wanted to write an App that was called something like "2005 Cavs GM" ... you'd get the cap space and options that Ferry did, and it's your chance to "bring Lebron" talent. Of course, if you don't make Lebron happy enough with your moves, you'd get a "Lebron has entered Free Agency/Game-Over" screen.

Don't sign Larry Hughes and opt to hold onto your cap-space for another year? "Lebron sees no commitment to winning and has left for Free Agency!"

Don't want to give Z a huge extension for another few years? "Lebron feels organization has betrayed a beloved teammate and has opted for Free Agency!"

Don't make a last-ditch trade for a broken-down Shaq? "Cavs get past Boston but destroyed once again by Dwight Howard. Lebron leaves for Free Agency!"

It's like playing Flappy Bird!

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I'd say DG should have bought the team 2 years earlier so that maybe they could have gotten Jim Paxson out of there, but we don't really know if Danny Ferry would have done better. His entire tenure was nothing but late picks. Although he did pick Danny Green who has turned himself into a really good player.

Considering how he did with his late picks, I thought he was a decent drafter. Possibly he takes someone other than Luke Jackson. He also definitively doesn't make that Jeri Welsh trade!

He might not also botch the Boozer contract too

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speaking of Bennett, what happened to his green light? since the beginning of February, Mike Brown had told him to take any open shot that was there for him. as a result, he was averaging alot of attempts even when he didn't get alot of minutes. and, he seemed to be much more relaxed and putting up numbers across the board with the freedom.

the past 2 games, he has only taken 1 shot in each. not big minutes, but that hasn't mattered lately. possibly just a blip, but wanted to make note before it becomes a defined pattern.

or he's been playing with a sprained knee and will now be out 3 weeks. ugh.

https://twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ/status/443078765338308608

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The national media loves them, it was a lovefest on twitter last night. Pretty hilarious for a team that will get swiped in 5 games by either Miami or Indy in the playoffs.....

The only teams in the East that won't get blown out by Miami and Indy are Indy and Miami.

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The things like signing Larry Hughes things just look terrible in hindsight, but pays no attention to what was going on at the time the deal was signed. At the time, Lebron was one year away from signing an extension or bailing to free agency. The Cavs were sitting on a ton of cap space and the prevailing opinion was that the Cavs needed to spend it, otherwise Lebron would see no commitment to winning, and leave for Free Agency. Unfortunately, it was a weak free agent class. The two best choices (Ray Allen, Michael Redd) opted to resign with their current teams, which meant the Cavs had to overpay Hughes to ensure that they would get SOMEONE that was considered a top free agent. They also picked up Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones, which were the two best three point shooters available.

It's also really easy to forget that Larry Hughes was coming off 19- and 22-point seasons in Washington, and had a horrible string of bad luck here…broken finger, 20-yo brother died of heart failure during the playoffs, torn plantar fascia in the ECF.

Agreed ... even signing Michael Redd might of been disastrous in hindsight, as he started going through all of his injuries right after he re-signed that contract. The only Free Agent that turned out to be worth his money that year, was Ray Allen, and I think he re-signed before free agency even opened.

jc

Flip it around... what has the Cavs actually done right? What have been the brilliant moves that they have made? I'd prefer to talk about the last few years but go back 10+ if you want to. Let's make this easy on me and omit no-brainer #1 overall picks.

What great moves have the Cavs made? Ferry, Grant, Gilbert, Griffin, whoever... they have failed.

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jc

Flip it around... what has the Cavs actually done right? What have been the brilliant moves that they have made? I'd prefer to talk about the last few years but go back 10+ if you want to. Let's make this easy on me and omit no-brainer #1 overall picks.

What great moves have the Cavs made? Ferry, Grant, Gilbert, Griffin, whoever... they have failed.

Not many. More recently hurts than the LBJ era only because we had so many high picks...

I really think for the most part Danny Ferry was handcuffed during that era. I really don't know what he could have done different. When we look back at the Chris Grant era, it's going to be really sad.

I think more than anything I'm disappointed with the re-hiring of Mike Brown. It reminds me a little bit of the Shurmur hire because it seems like in either case the organization did their homework. Say what you want about Jimmy and Mike Pettine, but at least they tried. This wasn't some buddy hire, they went out and did a pretty full search.

Mike Brown smells of a buddy hire.

They are doing the same thing with Kyrie Irving. While his supporting cast right now is bad, they are making it out to be like he's without blame, when he is just as much at fault as a lot of these guys. His defense is horrible, he turns the ball over a lot, and his body language at times says he wishes he were elsewhere.

Sorry that we didn't have huge amounts of cap space and a bunch of trade pieces to find two other HOFers...

OKC did it right.. When they got Durant, they got rid of EVERYONE and SUCKED for 2-3 more years, and also happened to luck out with a late 20s pick...

We won 35 games out first year, and no less than 40 after that... In weak drafts. And weak FAs..

I don't really know what you wanted them to do... And I don't think you do either...

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Sorry that we didn't have huge amounts of cap space and a bunch of trade pieces to find two other HOFers...

OKC did it right.. When they got Durant, they got rid of EVERYONE and SUCKED for 2-3 more years, and also happened to luck out with a late 20s pick...

We won 35 games out first year, and no less than 40 after that... In weak drafts. And weak FAs..

I don't really know what you wanted them to do... And I don't think you do either...

Well I wish I would have never mentioned the past era. I know the Cavs weren't in the best of positions with limited picks, not drafting early, and no superstar free agent wanting to come to Cleveland. I still think they did a lousy job with what they had, but whatever. I'm more disappointed in recent events. The Cavs shortchanged the rebuild and my opinion is that it had more to do with business than basketball decisions. It is what it is.

Someone else is going to mention OKC is a different context... that they became who they are because 'they learned how to win'. I say they turned the corner because they drafted 3 guys in the top 4 who are all better than our best player, and Durant is miles better. Most of the best teams in the NBA are such because they are carried by a an elite player or two who were drafted in the early lottery. Indiana might be an exception but I don't even want to hear about that as a team building concept until they actually beat Miami in the postseason.

Are you saying the OKC guys are better than Kyrie.. Or LeBron?

Because Kyrie yes of course..

But while Durant may be able to score at will, he's still not BETTER than LeBron, and Westbrick and Hardly aren't even close...

OKC is the team that they are solely because of Durant. And I still don't think that he'll win a ring there barring a talent acquisition.

I think they win it all if they face Indiana in the Finals. Miami isn't a good matchup for him.

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Are you saying the OKC guys are better than Kyrie.. Or LeBron?

Because Kyrie yes of course..

But while Durant may be able to score at will, he's still not BETTER than LeBron, and Westbrick and Hardly aren't even close...

I was talking about Kyrie. You're not going to be able to build a championship team with him as your best player, not even close. That's the main reason why this push to make the playoffs has been so frustrating-- I thought the team's ceiling was mediocrity treadmill and even that seems to be optimistic at this point.

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OKC is the team that they are solely because of Durant. And I still don't think that he'll win a ring there barring a talent acquisition.

Not really gonna disagree with that.... so how do we get our Durant? The best chance for the Cavs in the forseeable future is probably in the top 3 of the 2014 draft... JMO of course.

Easy...you don't worry about it. You stop focusing on tanking to get the next college kid who can fill up stat sheets, because the college game and the pro game are so different that they might as well not be called the same sport, and you find guys who are talented but who also work hard and are willing to be led.

You should never go into the season that you should tank. Best case scenario, you get a 25% chance of winning the lottery. so right off the bat the deck is stacked against you. then if you win you have to hope there is a once in a decade type of player. We've won 2 damn lotteries in 4 years, that should tell you something how incredibly hard it is to have the stars allign to get your superstar player.

I hope they lose every single game going forward. the season is wasted, and I have no problem tanking right now. But I think they made the right move going after deng and hawes. THere was still plenty of games left to turn the season around, and there is talent here to win. Vegas had our over under at 41, the same as the wizards, and nets if I'm not mistaken. Mike Brown, youth, and not having enough shooting is killing this team.

The Thunder drafted durant, westbrook, and harden in a 3 year span. Not too many teams have that kind of luck and draft expertise to make it happen. More teams have flopped than hit that kind of jackpot.

alot of teams decided to tank this year because they thought there could be 3-5 elite talents coming out. now, guessing which ones are the correct choices from the top10 picks will be the key. but, tanking to get one is not saying you have to get the #1 overall pick.

the OKC model is great if you can hit that many picks in a row, but the more likely route is the Chicago or Indiana method of having high picks for years and years and finally gaining some traction when that talent starts to gel together.

I agree with the top 3, especially this year. But most years you have to get in the top 1-2, if you want a Duncan, Durant, Lebron, even Anthony Davis. If somehow they could end up with the 4th or 5th worst record, they would have a 30-35% of cracking the top 3. They are only 2 game ahead of the 4th worst team right now.

most years I agree you need top 1 or at least top 3. i'm not so sure this year.

Embiid - thought for sure he'd go #1 overall, but the back issues with a center will give a bunch of teams pause.

Wiggins - Pierce-type talent. Easily could be best player in this draft.

Parker - unless, of course, Jabari is the best talent. He fills up the stat sheet much better than Wiggins and plays better defense, but isn't quite the scorer (though it's not like he cannot score).

Randle - remember him? Kentucky has struggled but this guy still has a ton of talent. another guy with so much potential.

Vonleh - another big forward with a ton of talent. potential for point-forward type player as he can dribble and pass too. and, he's a workaholic type by all accounts.

Smart - outside of the moment where he lost his mind (and he'll be docked for it), he's still the most complete PG coming out and can fill up the stat sheet really well.

There's 6 guys. I honestly don't know who will end up being the best out of them as they all have really high potential here. After them, there's another tier of really good players but not at their overall level, but, who knows, maybe McDermott becomes a dominant scorer in the NBA or Exum is the next Penny Hardaway or maybe that guy ends up being Kyle Anderson.

it's a good and deep draft. gonna be fun projecting some of these kids.

Disagree about Parker being a better defender. Did you get Parker and Wiggins mixed up?

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Disagree about Parker being a better defender. Did you get Parker and Wiggins mixed up?

Wiggins has the athletic tools to be a better defender. But, he loafs so much on defense that it irritates me. He's always trying to play off his man and tip passes rather than guard his guy. I may be projecting those feelings too much though as I've seen more Kansas games than Duke ones this year.

Sooooo....lose at the Bobcats, lose at home to the Knicks and then beat the Suns on the road? Sure, makes sense.

I guess the Warriors and Clippers better look out.

That's why I think the problem with the Cavs is largely mental.

considering that Bledsoe basically was giving that game away last night as he tried to "prove" that he was healthy and back, I'm not sure we can read too much into it.

I saw he returned and that probably helped a lot because he was trying to do too much.

I didn't watch the game, I only saw the ticker updates throughout the night. It looked like the Cavs dominated in the first half and then kept them away the rest of the night (which is unlike this team).

I barely pay attention to the Cavs now, I'll check a boxscore here and there. I'll see a game where they lose by 10 and notice Deng scored 6 points on 3-14 shooting (replace his name with Waiters, Irving, Thompson or Hawes on other nights). I'll think he was the reason they lost. Ya know, "if he played his normal game, it should have been a lot closer".

Since Lebron left I've spent so much more time following the NHL. I'm not bitter at him, the Cavs or the league. I just enjoy the NHL more. I'll still throw on a Thunder/Rockets game or even a Heat/Bulls game when there's nothing else on. And when the playoffs come around, I'll be watching a lot.

Its odd, watching the NBA now feels like how I used to watch the NHL 15+ years ago. I didn't have a team, barely followed during the regular season and then became a huge fan during the playoffs. It's a complete flip of the two sports.

I still watch the Cavs when I can, but I struggle with the *cough* borrowed streams...

I really miss the Lebron days when half of our games were on ESPN or TNT, or ABC... It was must see TV. I don't think there's anything quite like the NBA when you're at the top, ok maybe the Browns...

This is the worst part of the NHL season... I think this teams are dying to get the playoff run started... Especially after a shortened year last season.

The NBA seems to enjoy their regular season a little more. I think TNT does an amazing job with Thursday basketball games, outside of putting the Knicks on too much... I love the double-headers.

No but they had good ball movement, and deng hit some open shots. Basketball is an easy game for the most part. they have been wildly inconsistent playing the right way.

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jc

Flip it around... what has the Cavs actually done right? What have been the brilliant moves that they have made? I'd prefer to talk about the last few years but go back 10+ if you want to. Let's make this easy on me and omit no-brainer #1 overall picks.

What great moves have the Cavs made? Ferry, Grant, Gilbert, Griffin, whoever... they have failed.

They got and kept Lebron in town for 7 years ... which is no small feat, considering ESPN had him jumping out of town the first chance he had.

As I've explained numerous times, Ferry had his hands completely tied. I've never claimed "he made great moves" and I've always said he "never had the possibility of making a great move". Every time I've posed the question to somebody who claims he failed and should of made better moves ... nobody can come up with ANY obvious answer of a great move he COULD have made that wouldn't result in: A) Lebron leaving in free agency or B) Ferry getting busted for Performance Enhancing Crystal Balls. The only thing that remotely comes close to a decent scenario was the "trade-the-farm-for-Amare" trade with the Suns that didn't pan out because PHOENIX pulled out of the deal. Even that suggestion doesn't really work, because for one, the Suns nixed the deal anyway, and two ... considering how well Amare has done in New York, there's still no guarantee a gutted Cavs team with Lebron and Amare wins the finals and Lebron doesn't bolt for free agency anyway.

Paxson and Grant on the other hand, completely screwed the pooch. Other than absolutely fleecing the Clippers in that Mo Williams trade, and making a couple of other decent trades ... Grant cluster-fudged most of his draft picks by relying way too much on saber-metrics. At least in his case you can make the argument that he SHOULD have drafted Drummond over Waiters or basically anybody over Bennett. You can't really say that about Ferry, because he never had the draft picks to draft an impactful player ... and most of that is because of Paxson's mismanagement.

I'd add in Ferry should have traded for Shaq the year they lost to the Magic in the ECFs. It was on the table, it almost happened and I can't remember who said no.

With a one year younger Shaq there to battle Dwight, maybe the Cavs don't flame out. And you could imagine how fun it would have been to see Shaq and Kobe in the Finals against each other.

Oh well.

the one miss isn't completely fair to Ferry, but it was what we needed. that miss was Ray Allen. no, he wasn't coming here for that much less money, but, as we found out, players can force their way out of their current team if they so desire.

Ferry would have needed to get LeBron to help convince Ray to go that route and pull what Riley pulled on him a few years later. It wouldn't have been easy, but I think that we weren't underhanded enough in that process.

give us a somewhat prime Ray Allen with LeBron causing havoc and Z grabbing rebounds and we could have plastered together virtually anything else into a championship team. also, such a deal would have likely helped recruit more players. waterfall effect.

and again, it was not likely to happen and would have been extremely hard, but other teams have pulled off similar gets and that is why we paid Ferry so much $$$.

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Ferry would have needed to get LeBron to help convince Ray to go that route and pull what Riley pulled on him a few years later. It wouldn't have been easy, but I think that we weren't underhanded enough in that process.

Except that would be collusion, and pretty illegal by league rules. I don't think Riley had anything to do with the move to get Lebron and Bosh into Miami, other than to clear the cap space needed to make the move. I think Bosh/Wade/Lebron had all sort of colluded to join forces that off-season, but that was really just on them not Riley. It was just as much a possibility to team up in Cleveland ... it just came down to living on Lake Erie versus living on South Beach.

At any rate, I think you over-rate Lebron's willingness to help the team at the time. If you remember, the Cavs had asked Lebron to meet up with Michael Redd at the airport when he came in for his free agent visit. Instead, Lebron was a no-show and it left a sour taste in Redd's mouth. The team pulled out all the stops to wine and dine him, but ultimately Redd decided to take more money with his original team as he didn't feel like Lebron really wanted him there.

Anyways, if the only answer is "Ferry should have broken more league rules to get someone in here" ... then he did pretty well with what he had.

except that it was explicitly reported that Riley in fact DID break league rules and colluded with those guys. it could very well be that it didn't matter though, I agree and already stated it was a bit unfair.

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I'd add in Ferry should have traded for Shaq the year they lost to the Magic in the ECFs. It was on the table, it almost happened and I can't remember who said no.

With a one year younger Shaq there to battle Dwight, maybe the Cavs don't flame out. And you could imagine how fun it would have been to see Shaq and Kobe in the Finals against each other.

Oh well.

Steve Kerr killed that trade as GM of the Suns. Less than a week later, Amare injured his eye and Kerr basically admitted that he regretted not making the deal.

link

Kerr ended up making that exact deal that following summer which brought Shaq to Cleveland.

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I'd add in Ferry should have traded for Shaq the year they lost to the Magic in the ECFs. It was on the table, it almost happened and I can't remember who said no.

With a one year younger Shaq there to battle Dwight, maybe the Cavs don't flame out. And you could imagine how fun it would have been to see Shaq and Kobe in the Finals against each other.

Oh well.

Steve Kerr killed that trade as GM of the Suns. Less than a week later, Amare injured his eye and Kerr basically admitted that he regretted not making the deal.

link

Kerr ended up making that exact deal that following summer which brought Shaq to Cleveland.

That's right. Thanks for the research. Another woulda, coulda, shoulda in Cleveland sports history.

If you ask me, had we gotten Amare, I still think we don't win anything, and Lebron still bolts. Just my guess.

I wasn't not worried about him leaving, I just wanted to win one ring before he left.

I think the Shaq trade would have done the trick considering how we lost to Dwight Howard and the Magic and then Bynum being in the Finals that year.

As for Amare, I never really liked him all that much. He seemed like a product of Steve Nash more than him being a star. And sure enough, like someone mentioned above, once Amare went to NY his game imploded (and his body).

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except that it was explicitly reported that Riley in fact DID break league rules and colluded with those guys. it could very well be that it didn't matter though, I agree and already stated it was a bit unfair.

Where was that reported as fact? I mean sure, it's been speculated about, but if facts came out that Riley did actually collude to get those guys in ... wouldn't he be fined up the wazoo?? I mean, this is the same league that fined Steve Kerr 10K for joking that he'd have Lebron on is team if he was willing to take the league minimum.

By Windhorst in the days after the Decision.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/07/inside_the_decision_miamis_cou.html

Getting all three together was really only possible in Miami, and Wade pushed the topic. Despite being discouraged by Commissioner David Stern and perhaps breaking tampering rules again, Wade flew with Bosh to Akron to meet at James' house in the last week of June. Still under contract with the Heat, Wade got the other two to the brink of a deal to join up.

from that same link was the actual part I was referring to:

Riley really put the plan into action last November. During a Cavs visit to Miami, Riley arranged a get together with Michael Jordan and James. Jordan, who was in town to do some Nike work with Wade, at the time did not own a majority of the Bobcats.

During the meeting, Riley talked to James about how more modern players should pay homage to Jordan. Riley always had led this effort, retiring Jordan's No. 23 in the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena even though Jordan never played in Miami.

The Cavs knew about it, and while it seemed like it could be classic tampering, they decided not to make an issue of it -- mostly because the meeting technically wasn't about free agency.

the Cavs were informed (not by Riley - that was in a different article), but it's still their own fault for not making a big deal out of this.

I think you're making ferry out to be better than he was. he wasn't horrible while he was here, but he wasn't anything good either. Even though he never picked in the top 10, he had mutilple chances to get good players. in 06, he could've had Rondo if he wanted him. He went 21st, ferry ended up taking Shannon Brown at 25. I'm sure it wouldn't have took much to trade up a few spots. Then in 09 he takes Christian Eyenga. what the hell was that pick about? Taj Gibson was picked a few spots earlier. Did I expect Ferry to hit home runs with every pick? Of Course not, but in 4 years the guy failed to hit on one pick that might have helped us get over the hump. No way Boston beats us those 2 series without Rondo. Danny Ainge was able to get the job done. Same for the Lakers when they acquired Gasol. Just amazing he could never produce a better supporting cast than he did.

Here are ferry's draft picks
06 Shannon Brown, Daniel Gibson, Ejike Ugboaja
07 None
08 JJ Hickson
09 Eyenga, Danny Green

It's really easy to say we could of had guys like Al Jefferson, Rondo, Taj Gibosn... All good players...

But they weren't who they are now coming out of college... If Rondo was so great he wouldn't of went in the 20s. He just happened to develop into a good PG. But even in his first few years playing with 3 HOFers, he was still looked at as a project...

There's plenty to dislike about Ferry's tenure as GM, but failing to trade up for guys in the 20s and 30s who eventually developed into decent players is not one of them.

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I think you're making ferry out to be better than he was. he wasn't horrible while he was here, but he wasn't anything good either.

And like I've said repeatedly ... I've never claimed he was all that "good", he just never had the chance to be, even if he wanted to.

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Even though he never picked in the top 10, he had mutilple chances to get good players. in 06, he could've had Rondo if he wanted him. He went 21st, ferry ended up taking Shannon Brown at 25. I'm sure it wouldn't have took much to trade up a few spots.

You really want to play the should-of-drafted-this-diamond-in-the-rough game?? Yes, I remember all the people clamoring about how we should be trading up to take Rondo, because he amazingly fell so far in the draft, and Ferry stupidly stood pat at 25 ... oh wait, nobody was saying that. Actually, people were pretty happy with the Shannon Brown pick, because he had actually fallen pretty far in the draft. Later that draft, he took Daniel Gibson who was a big part of why we made it to the NBA finals the next year.

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Then in 09 he takes Christian Eyenga. what the hell was that pick about?

Cap room ... due to guaranteed contracts, it actually makes a lot of sense for teams to draft an international project-player in the late first round, and let him mature in Europe for a few years, while he doesn't count against your cap. It's also a much safer gamble than paying a college-project first round guaranteed money to take up a roster spot, and hope he pans out.

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Taj Gibson was picked a few spots earlier. Did I expect Ferry to hit home runs with every pick? Of Course not, but in 4 years the guy failed to hit on one pick that might have helped us get over the hump.

Not only are you expecting him to hit home-runs on his draft picks that weren't obvious home runs a the time ... you're also expecting him to have the foresight to TRADE-UP to a spot just before these guys got drafted, and draft them. What kind of crystal ball do you expect your GM to have?

If you put up Ferry's draft record against guys that drafted in around the same spots ... he did pretty well. Most the guys he got contributed and weren't complete busts. Actually, if you want nail Ferry to the wall for something, it would be for not trading these guys when their values was the highest. Of course, people might have flipped if he traded Boobie Gibson the summer after he lit it up in the playoffs, or traded Hickson when he was starting to show major promise.

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No way Boston beats us those 2 series without Rondo. Danny Ainge was able to get the job done. Same for the Lakers when they acquired Gasol. Just amazing he could never produce a better supporting cast than he did.

No way Boston or LA even sniffs the playoffs without two extremely questionable, pennies on the dollar trades that let them team up superstars. For Boston, former Celtic Kevin McHale trades his superstar for a pile of spare-parts that still included Al Jefferson (probably better than any trading chip we could offer in a deal). In LA's case, Jerry West steps aside as GM in Memphis and heads back to LA, and within a year, the guy he handed the reigns to "donates" Gasol to him in a trade.

In both cases though, the Celtics and Lakers had trade pieces that were still worth more than anything the Cavs could of offered up. And that's always been my case. Ferry was hand-tied form the beginning. He had no trade assets, and no real draft picks. The only thing he did get was a bit of cap room, a terrible free agent class, and a directive to immediately sign whoever he could to keep Lebron in town.

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There's plenty to dislike about Ferry's tenure as GM, but failing to trade up for guys in the 20s and 30s who eventually developed into decent players is not one of them.

That's pretty much how I feel. As it was stated before, Ferry had to spend that initial money when they had FA cap space.

If you want to knock him for maybe not playing the trade market better, I can buy that. Maybe there was a deal similar to the Rockets getting Harden that was out there where he just needed to push a little bit... I don't knock him for not getting Amare.

I think people need to come around on the fact that LBJ was probably gone regardless. Ferry was handcuffed. That's not to say he is a good or bad GM, just that he was limited in what good/bad moves he could make. It's like playing a game of checkers when you only have a few pieces left, and only so many options, and most of them bad...

I really wish the NBA could be run like the NFL where the sum of the parts is greater than the individual piece, but it's just never going to be that way.

The only way this team is really going to get back to being a power is through the draft, and that doesn't necessarily mean tanking for #1. It means making better decisions than we have the last few yeas with the commodities we had... I think once you get to the level that other mid-markets like Indy and OKC are at, then you can maybe flirt with the idea of throwing money at an all star, and even then, coastal cities are just going to have the leg up.. It sucks but it's the way goes.

Sorry to bring up hockey but based on this system, the NHL has a far better chance to succeed in Cleveland. The NHL is built more like the NFL where you don't need superstars to be good.

If you want to seperate a championship team from a 3rd or 4th place team than yes, you have to look at it, as to why we failed to win one. When free agents were limited to larry hugues and a bunch of castoffs, ferry needed to hit in the draft. Ainge did with rondo, as did the spurs with manu, and tony. I know its nitpicking, but its reality.

I'm not arguing that Ferry's draft record wasn't poor. But to fault him for not trading up to draft players who, many seasons later, are not much more than decent role players is asinine.

Nice win for the Cavaliers tonight. Hawes with another double double.

Klay Thompson was out for the Warriors, which helped the Cavaliers, but they won pretty much going away from the 3rd quarter on. It didn't look like that would be the case early on. The Warriors led 32-19 at the end of the 1st quarter. The Cavaliers really put the clamps on defensively after that though, and allowed only 62 points combined in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters combined.

I hope that we can keep Andy in this role of about 20 minutes/night, bringing maximum energy when he is in the game.

Anyway, nice win tonight.

A Sunday win at the Clippers gives us a west coast sweep

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A Sunday win at the Clippers gives us a west coast sweep

Kinda scary.

It's too bad that this team is still so erratic, because when they are on, they really can play with almost any team. They are certainly capable of upsetting almost any team. However, they are also capable of losing to the worst of teams, or the worst of teams missing most of their players. (like when they lost to the Lakers earlier this year)

Yeah, we really are a Jekyll and Hyde team, aren't we?

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Yeah, we really are a Jekyll and Hyde team, aren't we?

Old Dr Jekyll is a symbol of stability compared to the Cavs.

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Hawes with another double double.

Seems to me, Hawes is becoming our best player.

We gotta re-sign this guy!

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Hawes with another double double.

Seems to me, Hawes is becoming our best player.

We gotta re-sign this guy!

He has said that he wants to come back, so hopefully we don't screw that up between now and the end of the season.

Hawes is a glue guy...just does the little things...Kinda like Varejao...two of em together? That's great. Its made life MUCH easier on Kyrie.

It's hilarious watching Miami versus Houston's bigs. Bosh is completly outmatched unless he's reaching.

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Hawes is a glue guy...just does the little things...Kinda like Varejao...two of em together? That's great. Its made life MUCH easier on Kyrie.

problem is they are both so soft or they make silly fouls because they can't handle most bigs. I will say Hawes is slowly becoming my fav player..he's very smart, usually makes the right play/pass and a 7' that can stroke the 3 and take it to the hole...thats rare..its awkward when you see him and then you watch TT and his ugly duckling moves to get stuffed by the rim on a 3 on 1 break and you just scream at the tv because a guy at that position shouldn't be that bad around the rim. I think if we had hawes at beginning of season, TT shoudl have been in Dleague to continue refining his offensive game.. there will be none of that under Mike Brown. Watching this team on offense is so horrible. Its really stunted everyone. If they keep him next year I hope they bring in someone like Kuester to run the Offense again.

ok, so Kyrie hurt his biceps and the Cavs might just sit him the year to tank, I mean to be cautious.

4 games up from having top4 odds in the lottery.

Ha...

I tell ya what. A scorer like Parker, Wiggins, Warren would REALLY elevate the team.

or if Embiid's back isn't a long-term concern, having a real center would do wonders for both sides of the court.

CBS.Sportsline.com Link
By Royce Young | NBA writer
March 17, 2014 8:36 am CT

Sounds about right for the Cavs.

Kyrie Irving injured his left bicep in a loss on Sunday to the Clippers, and may have his season ended because of it, reports the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Irving is set to have an MRI today to confirm the injury and figure out a timetable.

The Cavaliers are just 26-41, but still have slim hope for the postseason at 4.5 games back of the Hawks. But if Irving were indeed done, any chance of that happening are sunk with him.

Irving left Sunday's game in the first quarter after bumping into Blake Griffin.

The Cavs point guard has gained a bit of a reputation for being injury prone, though this season he's only missed three games because of a left knee contusion, but played through a broken nose.

Irving, 21, is averaging 21.5 points and 6.3 assists this season.

It would have been nice to see them fight for the 8 seed a while longer (and maybe get it). Oh well.

He's made of glass.

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He's made of glass.

and magically this glass appears the last month of the season when we need to lose games.

I am not normally a big conspiracy theorist, but Kyrie himself has intimated it in the past (that the staff holds out players for any minor ailment down the stretch of a losing season).

It wasn't the end of the season when he missed his entire freshman year at Duke, or when he broke his wrist slapping a gym wall over the summer.

I don't always use purple font

My mistake. There are a lot of people who believe that they're faking injuries, but I'm not one of those people.

no worries, I can see how you read it w/o the sarcasm I intended.

So without Kyrie...

We lose a close game to the Heat(w/o Wade), which needed LeBron to go off for 40...

I'm not saying anything, I'm just saying...

And Dion went for a double double.(17 points, 11 assists, and 4 rebounds) Andy also went for a double double, and Hawes came within a rebound of a double double of his own.

They should consider trading one of them. Dion did play well, but he isn't the playmaker of Kyrie. I think he had 6 turnovers, and missed a few shots at the rim. I would only trade Kyrie if we were able to get someone like Kevin Love. Not sure what Dion would bring back in a trade, but this team has too many holes to be having 2 guys with very similar games.

Who could have predicted Waiters chucking nineteen shots with Irving out?

Oh. Everyone. Got it.

you have to remember Deng didn't play either. That's around 40pts not in the lineup. Really didn't have a problem with Dion taking 19 shots. Just prefer he make a few more.

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Who could have predicted Waiters chucking nineteen shots with Irving out?

Oh. Everyone. Got it.

True. It's hard for anyone to chuck 19 shots when Kyrie's healthy, except for Kyrie. When the cat is away, the mice will play.

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Who could have predicted Waiters chucking nineteen shots with Irving out?

Oh. Everyone. Got it.

True. It's hard for anyone to chuck 19 shots when Kyrie's healthy, except for Kyrie. When the cat is away, the mice will play.

Yeah, but who had 11 assists in the pool for Dion? Anyone?

Yeah I didn't see why Deng didn't play and i'm suprised miles didn't play more..miles could have got some of those points missing from kyrie/deng being out. I have no idea how dellavedova is still in the nba...i get he's a hustle guy, but theres a dleague full of them, and they can actually play. This dude is frustrating to watch. That was a very winnable game...i mean if they didn't have lebron..they'd be a lottery team..simple as that...and thats with bosh/allen and maybe even dwade in the 12 games a year he plays. I think what ever team lebron picks in his prime are a championship caliber team. I think he knows that and he knows the heat aren't really the best option moving forward, he can go to a team with more and younger pieces and I think be more successful. The sun has set on the Heat. I don't think they get out of the east this year.

Adam Silver: Ads on jerseys 'inevitable'
By Royce Young | NBA writer
March 20, 2014 8:00 am CT

The NBA had a plan to put advertising on jerseys in the past few seasons. But it fell through.

Still, it's coming. And maybe soon.

"I think it's inevitable," commissioner Adam Silver said at a recent conference, via AdAge.com.

"It just creates that much more of an opportunity for our marketing partners to get that much closer to our fans and to our players. It gives us an opportunity just to have deeper integration when it comes to those forms of sponsorship," Silver said. "Increasingly as we see Champion's League and English Premier League televised in the US, I think it's going to become more acceptable and more commonplace for our fans as well."

As for timeframe, Silver was asked if the change could come within the next five years to which he initially said "definitely," but then hedged by saying "most likely."

Two years ago, an estimate said advertising on jerseys could bring in an additional $100 million in league revenue.

A pretty obvious working theory is the addition of more and more sleeved jerseys is due to the plan to implement adversiting on those sleeves.

But money to be made, you can be sure that the NBA will be repping Coca-Cola or Verizon or whoever next to Lakers, Bulls or Heat. It's just a matter of time.

Ads on soccer jerseys are acceptable because there aren't commerical breaks throughout the game. It's a tradeoff. But if the NBA wants to go both, commericals AND ads on the jerseys, that's going to get tough on the eyes and my patience.

I've already gone on record that watching a NFL or NBA game is an increasingly difficult task. The lengthy commercial breaks and the constant "that layup/TD was sponsored by <insert product name here>" are just too much. I feel like 50% of the game is just ads.

Sperg and I have talked about it a lot. Watching an EPL game feels "different". Yes soccer is a little slower but you're not breaking away from the action, ever. It's like how the Masters sometimes runs without commercials, it's freaking great. The NBA better be careful, a lot less people will want to wear a jersey with a Coke logo on it and I'm sure some will just start turning the channel too.

American sports fans and media alike are obsessed with scoring. They treat high scoring football games as instant classics and hardly give notice to a 14-10 win. I'm sure fantasy football sports has a lot to do with it.

Soccer is so far on the other end that I think it draws American fans away, other than your true soccer fans and hipster-sports types (90% of MLS fans).

I think the surplus of commercial breaks make the NFL worse. You can tell college football uses less commercial time, and the game flows so much better.

Although I was at the Big Ten Championship, and it felt a lot more like an NFL game. Probably because it was a "playoff" game on national TV, in front of pretty much every single college football fan in the world, but there were just so many tv timeouts that I thought the flow of the game was ruined (the game was still really good, one of the better events I've attended)

I have complained before, but the Touchdown-commercial-kickoff-commercial sequence is the absolute worst. That needs to stop.

I also am buying less into the "our guys/defense were just tired" theory/excuse for when your team loses, because even if they are being dominated in TOP, they are still sitting and standing around a TON.

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Adam Silver: Ads on jerseys 'inevitable'
By Royce Young | NBA writer
March 20, 2014 8:00 am CT

The NBA had a plan to put advertising on jerseys in the past few seasons. But it fell through.

Still, it's coming. And maybe soon.

"I think it's inevitable," commissioner Adam Silver said at a recent conference, via AdAge.com.

"It just creates that much more of an opportunity for our marketing partners to get that much closer to our fans and to our players. It gives us an opportunity just to have deeper integration when it comes to those forms of sponsorship," Silver said. "Increasingly as we see Champion's League and English Premier League televised in the US, I think it's going to become more acceptable and more commonplace for our fans as well."

As for timeframe, Silver was asked if the change could come within the next five years to which he initially said "definitely," but then hedged by saying "most likely."

Two years ago, an estimate said advertising on jerseys could bring in an additional $100 million in league revenue.

A pretty obvious working theory is the addition of more and more sleeved jerseys is due to the plan to implement adversiting on those sleeves.

But money to be made, you can be sure that the NBA will be repping Coca-Cola or Verizon or whoever next to Lakers, Bulls or Heat. It's just a matter of time.

Ads on soccer jerseys are acceptable because there aren't commerical breaks throughout the game. It's a tradeoff. But if the NBA wants to go both, commericals AND ads on the jerseys, that's going to get tough on the eyes and my patience.

I've already gone on record that watching a NFL or NBA game is an increasingly difficult task. The lengthy commercial breaks and the constant "that layup/TD was sponsored by <insert product name here>" are just too much. I feel like 50% of the game is just ads.

Sperg and I have talked about it a lot. Watching an EPL game feels "different". Yes soccer is a little slower but you're not breaking away from the action, ever. It's like how the Masters sometimes runs without commercials, it's freaking great. The NBA better be careful, a lot less people will want to wear a jersey with a Coke logo on it and I'm sure some will just start turning the channel too.

Having sponsors on the jerseys doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't affect the play on the court in any way. I wouldn't not watch a game solely because there is a Coke logo on the jerseys.

I agree completely about the commercial breaks.

I disagree completely about the ads on the uniforms. I think it would be a huge talking point for the first couple of years and it would then be accepted and everyone would move on.

Having a Quicken Loans logo on the Cavs jersey isn't going to make me tune in or out, it isn't going to change my decision on buying a jersey and I think that most people would feel the same way.

Jersey ads are subliminal and therefore waaaaaaaaaay less annoying than commercials.

It wouldn't matter to me but I hardly watch the NBA as it is. I wouldn't mind it one bit on a Browns jersey either. I have no idea how the NBA survives relative to the NFL, 80+ games? Who actually attends those things? The only NBA games I've ever been to were Pacers games (generally against Jordan) and a Cavs scrimmage at UD (dayton) back when they had Kemp.

The NFL really stands out to me as the one league where every game matters. It seems to be the major difference between it and MLB, NHL, and NBA. All of which I don't care about until the playoffs when the games actually matter. (MLB and NHL only until the finals every 5 years or so will I notice

)

If the other leagues need to slap some stickers on to compete...who cares. I don't even notice them whenever I see soccer uniforms. They just turn into colors very quickly.

I wouldn't turn the channel for ads on jerseys...but I'd feel like the NBA is double dipping. The model has been lots of commercials OR ads on the jerseys with no/limited commercials). If the NBA is going with both, that just feels "wrong".

As a fan of soccer and the owner of a few jerseys, I do stay away from the ones with ads on them. I'd buy an international or team practice jersey before sporting one with a gigantic ad.

Cleveland, at 28-44, is only 3 1/2 games out of the playoffs.

Dallas, at 42-29, are 9th in the West, they would be 3rd if they were in the East.

Philly, having now lost 25 straight games, still doesn't have the worst record in the league.

Wow...

Philly will get to 26 for sure. Detroit will screw it up right after.

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Philly, having now lost 25 straight games, still doesn't have the worst record in the league.

Wow...

Come on guys! If you have to lose 2 ..... 3 games a night ..... just do whatever it takes! You just aren't trying hard enough!

Wow, 25 losses in a row. Crazy.

Phil Jackson has been hired as the President of the Knicks.

Thoughts?

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Phil Jackson has been hired as the President of the Knicks.

Thoughts?

What a shock. Man, that's a huge surprise. Who saw that coming?

I hope that he becomes their Holmgren.

Really though, why do people assume this is a great move?

Jackson is a good coach, that doesn't automatically mean he can run an entire basketball franchise...

People might be upset that I refer to him as a "good" coach, but I tend to knock him down a bit when he won his titles with 3 of the Top 10 players of all time...

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Phil Jackson has been hired as the President of the Knicks.

Thoughts?

What a shock. Man, that's a huge surprise. Who saw that coming?

I hope that he becomes their Holmgren.

I really think that you may not be that far off.

I have no idea about how his team building skills are, but that organization needs to be changed from top to bottom.

I actually hope we stick with this Griffin fellow for the future, unless they have some far fetched plan to reel Coach K in here to be some kind of team prez.

Also, it's games like last night that make you absolutely crazy if you're a Cavs fan.

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he won his titles with 3 of the Top 10 players of all time

that is generally how you win titles in the NBA. his value was in getting the whiny Pippen to accept his role as 2nd fiddle long enough to win 6 titles, getting Shaq&Kobe to co-exist, getting all of those role players to accept their roles on the team (many of them taking less of a role to do it), keeping Rodman in check, et cetera.

Couldn't you flip that around and say that he was a part of those guys becoming some of the best of all time?

How many wildly talented players do we see this league chew up and spit out?

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Couldn't you flip that around and say that he was a part of those guys becoming some of the best of all time?

How many wildly talented players do we see this league chew up and spit out?

I agree ... If Jackson doesn't get those guys to co-exist, or help get Jordan over the hump, who's to say Phil wouldn't be known as another Mike Brown? or Jordan another Allen Iverson?

To that point, I think that's what makes him a great pro coach, versus someone like Coach K and Izzo, who make great college coaches. A great pro-coach knows how to manage egos more than anything else, and Phil was one of the best at that.

Even if he and MJ won just 2 titles, which is still impressive, we don't look at them the way we do now, and I don't think Jordan is the ridiculous brand he is now, and talks of him as the GOAT are minimal at best...

I think the fact that he was able to pull it off in 2 different cities is amazing.

Nonetheless I think none of that matters when you are up in the front office and not courtside directing traffic... I don't think he holds an advantage like he did coaching. He's on the same level as everyone else. I think that's why some may think he won't be great.

I'm just waiting for the moment where things don't work out and he has the NY and national media bashing the crap out of him, something he never had to go through as a coach... He's always had a ridiculous amount of respect (and deserved) as a coach.

New York is always more fun when the Knicks are winning, and I've never had anything against Jackson outside of wanting to see him take on a real project, which he just has.

I hope he does well there. He's basically chasing Pat Riley for legacy.

I'd still bet Carmelo is gone after this season.

Phil won't be able to reshape this roster until after next year.

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How many wildly talented players do we see this league chew up and spit out?

Exactly the reason I hate the idea of tanking for the lottery. Talent is a necessity but still will only take you so far.

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How many wildly talented players do we see this league chew up and spit out?

Exactly the reason I hate the idea of tanking for the lottery. Talent is a necessity but still will only take you so far.

I don't know the answer to this, but I'd be curious to find out --

How many teams in the past, say 20 years, have won a title without a top 10 draft pick playing a significant role for them?

I'd bet it's very few.

2013 - LeBron, Wade, Bosh
2012 - LeBron, Wade, Bosh
2011 - Dirk
2010 - Kobe (13th overall), Pau Gasol
2009 - Kobe, Pau
2008 - Allen, KG, Pierce
2007 - Duncan
2006 - Wade, Shaq
2005 - Duncan
2004 - Billups, Hamilton
2003 - Duncan
2002 - Shaq
2001 - Shaq
2000 - Shaq
1999 - Duncan, Robinson
1998 - Jordan
1997 - Jordan
1996 - Jordan
1995 - Olajuwan
1994 - Olajuwan
1993 - Jordan
1992 - Jordan
1991 - Jordan
1990 - Thomas
1989 - Thomas

There's 25 years, and 0 champions without a top 5 pick playing a significant role.

If you think you can lure someone via Free Agency to Cleveland, Ohio. Then there's no reason to tank. Other than that, tank and get the talent.

Equally interesting would be the number of top-10 picks, or top-5 even, who have never played in a Finals game in that same span.

It's a bit of a flawed argument anyway, because it's been the same top picks winning each year. Going back to '93, you're looking at titles being won by teams led by Jordan, Olajuwon, Robinson, Duncan, Shaq, Wade, Dirk and Lebron, as far as top-10 picks go. Boston and Detroit were group efforts, and Gasol certainly was not the leader of those Lakers teams.

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Equally interesting would be the number of top-10 picks, or top-5 even, who have never played in a Finals game in that same span.

It's a bit of a flawed argument anyway, because it's been the same top picks winning each year. Going back to '93, you're looking at titles being won by teams led by Jordan, Olajuwon, Robinson, Duncan, Shaq, Wade, Dirk and Lebron, as far as top-10 picks go. Boston and Detroit were group efforts, and Gasol certainly was not the leader of those Lakers teams.

I think history shows that once or twice a decade a player really special comes along that is an obvious #1 consensus pick. Otherwise it's really up to your people to determine who's a great player. For every Lebron or Duncan who were obvious #1's there are many more guys like Dirk, Paul George, etc...

The nba is probably the hardest league for a small market to win a title. A handful of guys run the league, with only a few teams that realistically could win it. The Kings have been tanking for the past decade. The clippers it seemed, tanked for 2 decades. It's incredibly hard to find a superstar, and I've always felt, that once you start to tank, you could be pretty bad for a long time. I would much follow the Grizzlies model, where they found good pieces through trades, and added a few through the draft. They might not win a title, but they have been good for a while, and that is better than losing 50+, hoping to land the next Jordan.

Dion Waiters has been lights out since he's been in the starting lineup. Unreal him and Kyrie, can't start together.

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Dion Waiters has been lights out since he's been in the starting lineup. Unreal him and Kyrie, can't start together.

That's because Grant was a strictly saber-metrics guy. If a guy's numbers projected to be good, he'd draft him. It didn't matter if he fit a position, or a role, or could blend well with the pieces that were already in place.

Miami instigates a lot of crap and guys fall for it everytime. Teams that keep their cool give them the most problems.

I could agree with that. At least he wasn't a total train-wreck, and drafted guys that couldn't play. Even Bennett was showing signs, before he got injured. Worst case scenario, is we have to trade Waiters, or Irving. I would still give them them, and coach Brown another year. I've been on coach more than anyone, but the team hasn't quit on him through all the adversity.

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The clippers it seemed, tanked for 2 decades.

The small market [of Los Angeles] Clippers.

I love Deng's reaction to Waiters' game winner. Halfway there he's already celebrating.

That was a great game. The trajectory on that shot was perfect and I was celebrating halfway there as well (yeah I've been a proponent of...ermm... tanking, but on a game winning shot instincts take over.)

I haven't followed the NBA much the last few weeks but noticed San Antonio has won 15 in a row for 55-16, 3 games up for best record in the NBA. That is stunning. You don't even have to watch the games to know that Pops is doing an amazing job over there.

It's the Spurs, they don't shock anybody when they win. Popovich might be the greatest coach of all time. The only team I'm worried about them not doing well against is OKC. Durant and Westbrook cause problems for them. I think the Spurs would beat Indiana or Miami. Marco Bellinelli has been an A+ signing for that system. Just like Boris Diaw last year. Patty Mills growth has helped as well.

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It's the Spurs, they don't shock anybody when they win. Popovich might be the greatest coach of all time.

I think it's pretty amazing that they are doing this after making that run last year and getting so close, within a Ray Allen 3-ball of a championship. To come back and have the year they are having is really impressive, even for the Spurs.

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Philly will get to 26 for sure. Detroit will screw it up right after.

Toldja the Pistons would ruin this.

Count me as one who loves what Philly is doing. Yeah it's making a bit of a mockery of the league, and would suck if you are a fan who is desperate to make the playoffs to get swept in the first round. But a core of MCW, Noel, and a couple early 2014 lottery picks is something you can build around and some years down the road could potentially be something special. Note the word 'potentially.'

Still, it's a lot better than toiling about in mediocrity.

Cavaliers lead the Pacers by 17 with 1 minute left in the 3rd.

Man, they are running and gunning like crazy.

Man, huge win for the Cavaliers! They owned the Pacers late. They truly dominated them. That was one of the more impressive games I have seen them play this year, and might just be the most impressive Cavaliers game this year, and it was impressive on both sides of the ball. They were physical, and didn't back down at all when the Pacers tried to intimidate them. They didn't worry when the Pacers tried to make a run. They played confidently, and calmly put them away.

Can anyone figure this team out??

We'll probably lose our game with Orlando by 20 now.

They probably need to win out, or win 6 of 7 to get in. They have a good chance of getting in. The schedule really is soft the rest of the way.

we have 7 games left and atlanta has 10, so we pretty much need to just win out to have a shot imo. as we are still 2.5 back. Side note, I really hope this is Andy's last year as a cav....dude is about the most unreliable player ever..gets hurt throwing a pass...and not even a good one. Either he just has an easily breakable body, or he isn't putting in the time in the weight room. But i think you move him if you can and just keep hawes.

OK, so who knows anything about this guy?

Cleveland Cavaliers sign former Tennessee guard Scotty Hopson | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/..._special-report

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the Cavaliers continue their surge toward the playoffs, the team has signed former Tennessee guard Scotty Hopson to a two-year contract, acting general manager David Griffin announced Monday.

The deal is believed to be worth close to $2.8 million, including a pro-rated part of the new room exception for this season for teams under the salary cap -- about $1.3 million. The second year of about $1.5 million is not guaranteed. The structure of the contract allows the Cavs a great deal of flexibility this summer as far as free agents or trades are concerned, since Anderson Varejao's $9.8 million contract for next season is only partially guaranteed and Alonzo Gee's $3.2 million contract is not guaranteed.

Hopson, who has been on the team's radar for some time, has been playing in Turkey, where he averaged 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 21.6 minutes in 12 Turkish Basketball League games for Anadoulu Efes. He also played in 11 Euroleague games for Anadolu Efes, averaging 15.5 points on 68 percent shooting overall (50 of 73) and 48 percent shooting from 3-point range (15 of 31). His shooting could prove valuable as swingman C.J. Miles continues to recover from a badly sprained left ankle.

The 6-7, 204-pound Hopson played in three 2013 NBA Summer League games for the Miami Heat and averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 22.0 minutes per game, including 22 points, two assists and three steals in 26 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets on July 8.

Hopson, who went undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft after averaging 12.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 103 career games at Tennessee, spent the 2011-12 season with Kolossos Rodou of the Greek League and the 2012-13 season with Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli League.

Highly touted kid out of high school.

Never quite lived up to the hype at Tennessee.

He was a decent player, but he was the #5 recruit in the country according to Rivals.

Averaged 12.7 per game during his 3 years at UT.

The talent is there, but he's timid.

Don't expect him to actually contribute.

Well, Kyrie's back ...... and Andy's out, again.

Kyrie Irving in, Anderson Varejao out for Cleveland Cavaliers | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2014/03/kyrie_irving_in_anderson_varej.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving is in, Anderson Varejao is out for the Cavaliers.

Irving, who has missed eight games with a strained left biceps, has been cleared to resume full-contact practice on Tuesday, although his status for Wednesday's game at Orlando has not been determined, according to the Cavaliers.

Varejao, who left Sunday's 90-76 victory over Indiana in the second quarter, has been diagnosed with a right AC joint sprain and is out for the game at Orlando. His status will be updated as appropriate, the team said.

Irving suffered his injury in a game against the Clippers in Los Angeles on March 16 when he took a swipe at a ball being held by Blake Griffin. Until that point, he had missed just three games this season with a left knee contusion. He played through a broken nose suffered when he was elbowed by the Timberwolves' Corey Brewer at Minnesota on Nov. 13, wearing a mask to protect the injury.

Thanks to a rigorous off-season conditioning program, he was able to stay healthy most of this season until his run-in with Griffin. Last year, he missed 11 games with a fractured left index finger, three with a hyperextended right knee and a total of nine after suffering a sprained left AC joint. He played through a broken bone in his jaw that was protected by a mask. Before last season, he broke his hand when he slapped a padded wall in frustration during a summer-league practice.

His rookie season, he missed 13 games with a concussion and a shoulder injury. His one season at Duke was limited to 11 games because of a toe injury.

Varejao also has a long list of injuries that cut short his last three seasons. He missed the last 56 games of last season after a quad injury and then a blood clot. A fractured right wrist limited him to 25 games in 2011-12 and a right ankle/foot injury ended his 2010-11 season at 31 games.

Before Sunday, Varejao had missed three games this season with a left knee contusion and hyperextension and 12 with a sore back.

Andy isn't even made of glass this point.

9 million dollar piece of glass..i'd just do about anything to get something for him at this point...he's about worthless.I rather have hawes and someone else than hawes and andy for 11 games a year

I've come to like Hawes. Probably love the trade even more considering we gave up nothing for him, haha.

Hawes is easily the most well rounded center we've ever had..he can pass, shoot and take people off the dribble, and has the best 3pt range of any center in the nba. at 7' that's rare..I wish he was a little better on D, but he's scrappy and isn't afraid to get his hand in there or take a charge. He atleast tries, as opposed to most players we've seen.

I think the best part is that he's a legit 5, that brings something to the table. For years, we've just plugged in power forwards at the center spot, and just sort of hoped they did the job.

What got into the Cavs tonight, 70 points at halftime?

Cavs winning, Hawks losing.. Not a bad day.

Season will be on the line friday. IF they beat Atlanta, they will have a great shot to get in. We have the easiest schedule out of the 3 teams.

The best part is they are playing this well WITH Kyrie...

I honestly expected them to go back to sucking when he came back..

I don't see it. The Hawks have to go something like 2-8 and they have the tiebreak over the Cavs.

Extremely efficient stats by our starters.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400489989

I don't care about Deng, but I want Hawes back.

Did you see our last 6 games.? 2 road games are atlanta, and the bucks, and the 4 home games are very winnable. If we win out, or even go 36-46, there is a good chance we get in. I think we need to win out. Don't own any tiebreakers.

There are other teams that are playing as well. Of the three teams the Cavs, obviously, have the worst chance.

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Extremely efficient stats by our starters.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400489989

I don't care about Deng, but I want Hawes back.

Exactly..Hawes needs to be part of the long term core. He's only 25, so he's going to get better, and he does everything pretty well. He's by all accounts a great teammate, and he's already showed ownership in this team by sticking up for his guys. He's making 4million this year, while andy is making 9million, enough said. I trade andy for anything at this point if it means keeping hawes. I agree about deng, he can leave and i don't think we will miss him at all. He's proven he is indeed a system player and quite streaky. I will say dellevedova and mike brown have started to wear me down. The team seems to be listening to mike now, and I've always like MB as a person, he's a standup guy, but thought as a coach he left alot to be desired, but lately I'm seeing growth there, with his rotations and offensive sets. Alot of moving parts and he seems to be putting them in the right places right now. and dellevedova is tenacious, he may make some bonehead plays, but you can't discount his effort on defense and he's been hitting the 3 consistently now..He's been a big part of the streak we are on. Playoffs or not, I think they have built something that will carry into next year. Which is why they need to keep Hawes

Paying Hawes too much is the type of thing that can kill a team. If Hawes is willing to take a reasonable deal you re-sign him. If not you bid him adieu.

you double his salary and you're still less than Andy, I'll take that deal..he's worth that. Andy isn't worth near that for as little as he plays. Thats why i said, you move andy if you need to, If it comes down to andy vs hawes, as much as i like young andy, the andy of the last 4 years is a liability. You take Hawes who still has 10 years to play possibly. Decent centers in FA are hard to get. And since you already have him, don't give him a reason to look. You talk about the contract/cap etc...cavs have made alot worse deals than that over the years. I think hawes could be had in the 7-9mil/yr range and I would think he'd be worth that.

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Paying Hawes too much is the type of thing that can kill a team.

And letting him walk is what exactly?

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Paying Hawes too much is the type of thing that can kill a team.

And letting him walk is what exactly?

yeah thats my thinking, he fills a huge hole, letting him walk just creates another one..we don't have a legit 5 on the roster. Esp. with his skill set

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Paying Hawes too much is the type of thing that can kill a team.

And letting him walk is what exactly?

Better than overpaying him. If you want to have a good team Hawes will be the third or fourth best player on the team. You can't overpay those guys. Someone will give Hawes $9 million plus. That is too much for someone who doesn't play defense.

We only have 32 mil in the books for next year... I think giving Hawes 7-9 mil a year won't kill us...

You're certainly not going to get his production out of the draft, and especially not going to get a FA of his value here...

Philly gave us a gift. I'm not ready to let someone else have it.

The real question is. Are we ready to pay Kyrie 16+ mil a year in a couple seasons...

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If you want to have a good team Hawes will be the third or fourth best player on the team

disagree. he was the 3rd or 4th best player on Philly. he has to be in the 6th to 8th best player role on a good team.

I do agree that we cannot overpay him. If someone wants to pay huge $$$ for a limited player, then we have to be smart enough to let him go (and hopefully do a sign-n-trade to get more assets).

I think you're grossly underrating Hawes as a player. He's quick on his feet for a guy his size and can drive as well as shoot. He's also a vocal leader, stands up for guys who've been his teammates for about a month like he's been there for years, has excellent court vision and awareness, and is a skilled and willing passer. He's not the type of guy who's going to take you to the top (and let's face it...very few guys are) but he's the type of player that will help put you over the top down the stretch.

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I think you're grossly underrating Hawes as a player. He's quick on his feet for a guy his size and can drive as well as shoot. He's also a vocal leader, stands up for guys who've been his teammates for about a month like he's been there for years, has excellent court vision and awareness, and is a skilled and willing passer. He's not the type of guy who's going to take you to the top (and let's face it...very few guys are) but he's the type of player that will help put you over the top down the stretch.

With the way the good teams are assembled now, he can definitely be a starter on a contending team. You obviously don't want your entire offense funneled through him, but with the way he can shoot, I think he has a place on this team.

I would have no problem paying him whatever we've been paying Andy.

It's really nice to see this team playing better. I think it started with Waiters elevating his game. He's been more efficient, and it seems like he wanted more of the workload when Irving went down.

I've wondered with the rest about those two playing together (Irving + Waiters) but I fear that even if they get it going, that we will get pushed around too much in a playoff series by a team with bigger, more physical guards. I think you can only run and gun so much in a playoff series before the other team adjusts... Unless you are Golden State v Dallas a few years ago... Golden State got out of there before Dallas could figure it out, lol.

Seems like the beat reporters for the Cavs all think something pretty big may happen right around draft time. They have been leaving little tidbits about the Cavs maybe being in play for a really good player.

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Seems like the beat reporters for the Cavs all think something pretty big may happen right around draft time. They have been leaving little tidbits about the Cavs maybe being in play for a really good player.

Don't get the beat reports out here. What's in play? Draft-type trade or a potential free-agent signing?

As for Hawes, I'd be fine with 7-9 mil a year like another person said. He's definitely worth that much.

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Seems like the beat reporters for the Cavs all think something pretty big may happen right around draft time. They have been leaving little tidbits about the Cavs maybe being in play for a really good player.

Don't get the beat reports out here. What's in play? Draft-type trade or a potential free-agent signing?

As for Hawes, I'd be fine with 7-9 mil a year like another person said. He's definitely worth that much.

They haven't dropped any names or anything. Maybe it's just a hunch, but I've seen it from a few different reporters. I think even Windy may have mentioned it too.

The hopson signing is a non guaranteed like bynum. I think gee is partially guaranteed. Andy us coming off the books also. Plus they have draft picks and young guys like bennett and tristian. Tbats a great combianation to get a max player.

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The hopson signing is a non guaranteed like bynum. I think gee is partially guaranteed. Andy us coming off the books also. Plus they have draft picks and young guys like bennett and tristian. Tbats a great combianation to get a max player.

I think I heard Windy mention that the Hopson signing was 100% towards gearing themselves toward trading for a max guy, and maybe putting yourself back into play for Lebron (I know.)

Have to applaud them for trying, as well as spending extra money. I read that Hopson will make a boatload for the rest of this year because of the structure of the deal. More per game than Lebron.

I'm excited for Friday, we haven't had a "big" Cavs game in a while. I know this 8th spot run in the East is pathetic when you look at it from the outside, but it's fun to see them competing again.

I think that Gee is completely non guaranteed next year. Andy is partially guaranteed. ($4 million IIRC)

I got stuck playing with the trade machine for about half an hour...

Most of them involved trading Kyrie...

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I think I heard Windy mention that the Hopson signing was 100% towards gearing themselves toward trading for a max guy, and maybe putting yourself back into play for Lebron (I know.)

Yeah, I just read that article ... I guess the Cavs still hadn't used one of their cap exceptions, so they picked up Hopson for 7 games. Because it becomes an expiring contract, it's something they can use as trade-bait around draft time.

While I don't think they have the cap-room anymore for a max signing, they do have enough in expiring contracts to fit a max contract into some sort of sign-and-trade deal. That would put someone like "you-know-who" back in the picture, as a team would much rather sign-and-trade a guy, than completely lose a guy to free agency. That's what happened when we lost Lebron to Miami. He said he wanted to go to Miami, so rather than get nothing for him ... we agreed to sign-and-trade him to give him the max contract he wanted, yet get some draft pick compensation back from Miami.

Do we still get one of their future picks?

Because if LeBron leaves, I think Bosh leaves... And I doubt Wade stays by himself...

That could play out nicely...

Quote:

Do we still get one of their future picks?

Because if LeBron leaves, I think Bosh leaves... And I doubt Wade stays by himself...

That could play out nicely...

How awesome would that be if that whole thing ended abruptly we are just sitting there with a golden ticket, ahha.

This is from RealGM ... we'd have to hope they stink all the way through 2017:

2015 first round draft pick from Miami
Miami's 1st round pick to Cleveland protected for selections 1-10 in 2015 or 1-10 in 2016 or unprotected in 2017 [Cleveland-Miami, 7/9/2010]

I'll glady except an 11...

A guy in the draft that could replace Deng is Aaron Gordon from Arizona. My problem with "tweeners" is on defense. You can mask flaws on offense by drawing up plays. He physically can play SF and can defend all 5 positions. Until his offense grows he'll be like MKG.

He's extremely long and athletic, and more importantly smart on the defensive end, there's really no reason to think he'll struggle as a defender any more than you'd worry about any other prospect. In fact, I'd argue he's one of the best defenders out of the lottery prospects. His offense on the other hand is a different story, as he's pretty raw all around. Lacks a reliable jumper, horrendous FT shooter, doesn't have great touch around the rim, no back to basket game, really just doesn't have a strong skill on offense as a majority of his points this season came off lobs. However, he has great athleticism and has shown to be an intelligent player, thus there's a lot of room for his offensive game to grow.

Not attack Gordon specifically...

But I'm really tired of these college tweener PFs that aren't big enough to play PF in the NBA, but not athletic enough to play SF either...

Guys like Derrick Williams just have no role in the league... It's sad really..

I agree with you. It's going to be a growing trend because kids are not developing properly.

I assume, if it continues to trend, eventually the league would evolve into more of a small ball type thing... And then when an actual 6'10 guy comes around you'd think he was 7'2...

Part of the reason I think they should abolish the one-and-done rule and make them choose either entering the draft straight from high school or playing three years of college ball.