Fear The Sword: FanPosts

Cavaliers Show Up For Final Four Minutes, Down Detroit 113-101

2010-03-17T03:09:49Z

Well, that was a close call. It still counts as a win, though.

The Cleveland Cavaliers struggled through most of the game, but went on a late charge as they wore out Detroit, winning 113-101 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills.

The Pistons, played their most inspired basketball in weeks, led through most of the game, but couldn't contain the Cavs late in the game. Cleveland went on a 22-10 run to end the game, and scored the game's final 9 points.

LeBron James, despite scoring only 7 points through the game's first 33 minutes, finished strong and racked up a triple-double in the process. James finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists as he created yet another nightmare for the citizens of Detroit. Including playoffs, Cleveland has now won 10 straight games against Detroit.

Mo Williams was the other hero for the wine and gold Tuesday night. Mo Gotti found his shot and finished with 20 points and five assists, which included three three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

With less than three minutes left in the third quarter, the Pistons led 71-66 and the Palace crowd was fired up, excited for a big win over their recent nemesis. However, the combination of LeBron and Mo was too much for Detroit.

James scored 7 of the Cavs' final 9 points in the third quarter, cutting the deficit down to 1. Then Mo and LeBron combined to score 26 of the final 30 Cavs points to end the game.

Antawn Jamison looked a little better than he did Sunday, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He shot 50% from the floor, a vast improvement from his first game back from injury.

The only other Cavalier in double-digits was Jawad Williams with 10 points

NOTES

The Cavaliers now are one win away from becoming Central Division Champions for the second straight year. A win tomorrow at home against Indiana will clinch it.

Their magic number to gain the #1 seed in the East is now 9

Their magic number to get home court advantage throughout the playoffs is 11.

LBJ siting; where's Shaq?

2010-03-09T23:02:48Z

So, for all the cra....;p that LBJ gets on here, primarily I should say from non-cavs fans; how bout a big hoorah given he's off for a couple of games; yet there he is courtside! And where's Sahq been? Any reason a starting member of the team isn't courside? Can't say I like his team spirit! And- enough of the cav's hating on here. If you're a lakers fan, a celts fan, a mgc fan; go use your own post!

Cleaveland proves their bench value to the League.

2010-03-09T19:30:47Z

OK, I agree that San Antonio without Parker, for the first time, is not the Spurs of old. In fact I will admit they are the old
Spurs. But this Spurs team is patient and plays defense very well. Beating them without 4 of our top 9 players wasn't easy. When Manu is spotting up they are hard to stop offensively. What we did see last night was a very decent Cavs team that understands the defensive phiolosophy of their coach and an offensive team that can produce points in a myriad of ways.

Mo's drives to the lane opened up the passing lanes for his 8 assists.

Hickson's athletic domination inside was obvious. Had he not made 7 simple errors in the paint his numbers would have been outrageous. His defense was strong against Duncan.

Varejo is just Varejo. No other explanation needed.

Jamison played exactly like everyone expected him to play until his knee got tweaked.

Jawad Williams showed us why he has been getting more minutes than Moon. His defense has improved significantly. Not perfect yet but much better than earlier this year. Did I mention he thinks he is a scorer. Not afraid to shoot or attack the basket he filled the 3 spot for LBJ admirably. I see him getting more minutes guarding some of the larger 2 guards in the league.

Delonte West is a special guard. It was fun watching him and Mo on the court at the same time. We have a fun team when they go small.

With 20 games to go this team should be very proud of what they accomplished last night. A 3 1/2 game lead looks a lot larger than a 2 1/2 game lead for home court advantage.. We know it. The Laker's know it. The whole league knows it. They were all looking and are very surprised. What must they be thinking. LeBron, Shaq, Jamison, and Z were not playing and the Cavs can still beat a very good Western Conference team.

I'm certainly looking forward to the Cavs full team reunion come playoff time. I bet the rest of the league is not.

Cavaliers rally past Pistons to save Snuggie Night

2010-03-06T04:02:45Z

The Cleveland Cavaliers have played from behind and erased double-digit deficits in the past, but never one of this magnitude in Cleveland. On a night that will live in infamy, the Detroit Pistons came into the Q and jumped out to the biggest lead a road team has ever had against the Cavaliers at 21. But the Cavs never gave up, fighting and fighting from downhill to pull off a miraculous 99-92 victory. The game almost ruined a night in which the Quicken Loans Areana audience set a Guiness World Record for the most fleece blankets worn in one color in one room.

The entire stadium was wearing promotional Cavaliers' Snuggies handed out before the game, but the playful environment only seemed to embarrass the Cavs and provide extra fuel for the Pistons, who started the game off shooting a shocking 59% from the field. The Cavs, meanwhile, seemed to have trouble with every pass and every possession would almost end up in a deflection by a Piston. The Cavs were also out-muscled on the boards, unable to get any rebounds, and every rebound for the Pistons ending up in a wide open jump shot. The free throw line also started off terribly, with the Cavs missing their first 5. Detroit led by 9 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was even worse, with the Pistons hitting their first 5 shots and building the lead to 15. Within just 2 minutes, the Pistons already scored 11 points. Keep in mind that the Pistons are one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA. They built a back-breaking 42-22 lead, with the Cavs reverting to the failed strategy of LeBron shooting jump shots with everyone standing around. Speaking of which, the Cavs missed their first 6 three pointers.

Midway through the second quarter, the Cavalier defense began to improve, and only allowed 10 points for the remainder of the quarter. No one was playing well offensively at all, except for LeBron, Antwan, Delonte, and Andy. Delonte and Andy helped keep us in the game and helped bring the Cavaliers back to within 9, putting the Cavs in much better shape than I hoped for.

In the third quarter, things didn't seem to improve as the Pistons were hot and the Cavs were cold to start off and fell behind by 15. But the Cavaliers came back to within 6, prompting a timeout with Varejao going to the line. At that moment, tragedy struck. During the timeout, Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey collapsed, reportedly from a seizure, and had to be carried off the court on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital. Our condolences go to him.

Afterwards, the Cavaliers came to life, cutting the deficit to 2 by the end of the third. In the fourth quarter, Antwan Jamison became a scoring machine, putting up 7 points and leading an 11-2 run that sent the Quicken Loans Arena crowd and the Cavaliers into nirvana. The emotionally deflated Pistons would never get closer than 4 from thereon out.

Detroit, thanks for letting me know our fierce rivalry isn't quite dead yet. I wish we didn't have to play you for the rest of the season.

Top Three Cavaliers Performances:

LeBron James: 16-27, 3-7 3PM-A, 40 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 42 minutes. Poor LeBron turned his ankle and was limping, but had no choice other than to stay in the game. He got the ball to several teammates inside, and his 3 point shooting was terrible for most of the game, but absolutely brilliant in the fourth quarter.

Anderson Varejao: 8-10, 16 points, 10 rebounds, 39 minutes. Varejao was the only Cavalier besides LeBron worth his salt hustling to loose balls. He didn't let the Pistons push him around in the first half and he got some layups inside when the Cavs' offense was sputtering.

Delonte West: 4-7, 12 points, 7 assists, 29 minutes. Our starting guards were terrible tonight. Mo Williams didn't play any defense and it took him and Anthony forever to get their first shots of the game. We also didn't get anything from our bench outside of Andy and Delonte. Of course, the other guys played a combined 15 minutes, and I guess I can understand why Mike Brown would be uncomfortable giving guys like Jamario and Leon a lot of minutes in a game like this. Really, LeBron, Andy, Delonte, and Antwan carried 98% of the workload between them in this game.

Now it's off to Milwakee, a playoff team. Hurry home Z. We're getting hammered inside without you!

Gibson > Mo Williams?

2010-03-01T17:36:57Z

I thought Danny Gibson played terrific when Mo was out. Now that Mo has back, Gibson has had a string of "DNP coache's decision." I think Gib has earned the minues. He can do everything offensively that Mo can do, but he is a much better defender than Mo. It was pathetic seeing Rondo blow past Mo repeatedly. Gibson is much quicker and will be able to guard quick points like Rondo.

What do you think? Should Gibson start? Should he get at least 20 min a game and cut down on Mo's minutes?

Cavs battle Raptors, injuries, win 3rd straight

2010-02-27T09:40:08Z

Warning: I am literally drunk as I type this. Try not to take too much of what I say seriously.

Oh yeah.

The Cavs were playing a back to back night game, came into Toronto and won against the Raptors in overtime. Not an easy thing to do, and the Cavs haven't always been the best OT team in the world. We led by as many as 12, but didn't play defense for most of the game as the score was 33-30 at the first quarter and 60-60 at the half. It was a tight battle of will all game long, neither team led by more than i think 5, and down the stretch, the Raptors took the lead thanks to freaking Turkey Glue. But LeBron tied the game, Raptors missed the game winner, and the Cavs scrambled to outplay the Raptors in OT.

It was a really scary game right from the start. LeBron was hacked in the first quarter and went down, unable to get up. His knee was hurtin' and bothered him the whole game, but he made up for it with timely drives and drawing fouls. That's why we love him.

Cavs shining tonight:

LeBron James: 10-17, 15-16 FTM-A, 36 points, 9 assists, 44 minutes. He fought through pain, willing himself to the line and putting up one of his best free throw shooting performances in memory.

Antwan Jamison: 8-14, 22 points, 11 rebounds, 46 minutes. By far the best offensive night for him as a Cavalier. His defense was better than usual too. However, his ft shooting left much to be desired.

Anthony Parker: 4-8, 10 points, 2 steals, +15 +/-, 42 minutes. The Associated Parker played one of his finest defensive games that I recall, including a crucial steal down the stretch. He played as well as and as fast as Varejao at some points, getting in people's faces.

Mo Williams: 8-18, 6-11 3PM-A, 22 points, 6 assists, 37 minutes. Oh Mo, whatever are we going to do with you? In OT, you stepped up to hit two straight 3 pointers to help put crucial distance between us and the Cavs. Have you found your shooting stroke at last? Or do you just wait until the final period to turn it up?

Anderson Varejao: 4-5, 11 points, 8 rebounds, 23 points. Poor Vareajao. With no Shaq or Z, a lot of weight was put on his shoulders, but he was able to share with a very diverse bench.

Delonte West: 5-13, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 30 minutes. Far and away our best bench player. His shot was off the mark for most of the game, but considering this game went into OT, we can say he made the shots he needed to.

Who do we play next? New York? I think so. We can win that game. If we can beat this friggin' team, how tough can the Knicks be?

Cavs' Darnell Jackson Dominates; Danny Green's D-League Debut

2010-02-26T07:12:07Z

Erie BayHawks 114, Dakota Wizards 108 (Box Score)

Hey Fear The Sword faithful - my name is Scott, the SBNation D-League blogger over at Ridiculous Upside. I wasn't able to watch last night's game, unfortunately, but came over to spread some D-League propaganda anyway.

Darnell Jackson benefited from some easy buckets and porous interior defense, but it's hard to detract from his 34 point, 12 rebound effort. Either way, I've been told that he's headed back to Cleveland Friday morning due to the injury to Shaquille O'Neal.

Danny Green came off the bench to contribute 15 points and five assists, but he shot just 4-of-13 from the field. Like I said, I didn't watch, but it seems like his makes were mostly consisting of finishing alley-oops.

Another player that might be of interest, and who you most certainly noticed in the highlights, is Erie's point guard - and former Cav - Cedric Jackson. Jackson finished with 19 points, 10 boards and nine assists. He runs the fast break very well.

Anyway, I'm not sure how many of you will be as interested now that Jackson has been recalled, but I'll more than likely have an open thread/live blog for the BayHawks game Friday night since it will include Hasheem Thabeet, who was assigned yesterday and is the highest draft pick ever to play in the D-League. Would be great if you could join me - it starts at 7pm your time and can be watched free online here.

Supporting cast steps up to fill Shaq's void as Cavaliers turn the tables on Celtics

2010-02-26T05:02:52Z

It could not have started off any worse for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It could not have ended any better.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came into Boston, having not won since January 3, 2007, overcame a 13-point deficit, and shut down the Boston Celtics 108-88.

This has to be our best win of the season. More than the win at the LA Lakers. In that game, we dominated almost the entire afternoon. Also more than the win in Miami, because we came back immediately at end of the 2nd quarter and stayed with the Heat all game long.

1st quarter notes: A miserable defensive effort all around. I hardly recognized the Cavs as the Celtics were getting multiple fastbreak opportunities and Rajon Rondo was in the middle of every possession. Players weren't communicating properly and the Celtics were getting shot after shot in the paint simply by passing to either a wide open KG or a wide open Kendrick Perkins. It didn't help that our offense was poor, with the starting lineup giving very little help to LeBron and missing lots of shots. Boston raced out to a 21-12 lead and finished 31-21.

2nd quarter notes: Things didn't improve much in this quarter. The Celtics handed the ball to Nate Robinson, Rasheed Wallace, or Ray Allen, and no Cavalier could get to them in time to stop them from scoring 3 pointers at will. Boston was shooting 73% and 100% from beyond 3 point range while the Cavs were stuck in the 40s. They stretched the lead to 12 and Cleveland called a timeout. Our only scoring options were Shaq or Varejao, who by themselves kept Cleveland in the game. Although we cut the lead to 7, Shaq was hit in the thumb and had to sit out the rest of the game. Cleveland was on the verge of getting blown out of the building. My only thought in the second quarter was, "Get it to 9. Get it to 9." And they did, with LeBron finally connecting from 3 point range to cut the deficit to 8 at halftime. There was still hope.

3rd quarter notes: I'll admit it, we had some help. The Celtics cooled off and started missing shots they would have made in the first half. But our defense improved significantly, as we started filling the paint with more bodies, grabbing more rebounds, and making things harder for the Celtics. With the Boston lead at 7, Antwan Jamison, who had been a train wreck for most of the night, hit 3 straight shots, catching the Celtics completely off guard and helping to fuel a Cavs run that brought us back all the way to within 1. Heading into the 4th quarter, an unfamiliar feeling came over the Celtics: we had the momentum approaching the homestretch, not them.

4th quarter notes: There's no sugarcoating it: Cleveland exploded and Boston fled in terror. Playing suffocating defense, we forced steals and bad shots, making the Celtics miss 6 of their first 7 shots. They would finish with a meager 14 fourth quarter points. And the Cavs? You want offense? First, the Cavs took the lead for the first time since leading 6-4 and stretched it to a 6-point margin without LeBron, thanks to some timely shots by JJ Hickson and Delonte West. During that stretch, Mo Williams made a shot. He had been struggling all night long, but that 20-point jumper finally awoke him from a deep slump he'd been playing through since he came back from injury. Second, when LeBron checked back in, the Cavs decided to try and help Mo regain his confidence, so they gave the ball to him and let him shoot. And Mo hit three straight 3-pointers to push the lead to 10. Timeout Boston By this point, there weren't many Celtic fans in attendance with any air left in them, and the Garden crowd grew smaller and smaller throughout the 4th quarter. Likewise, the Celtics shrunk to shells of their first half selves, missing every basket and getting outraced to every loose ball. But Cleveland was riding a magic carpet of emotion and never let up, stretching the lead to 20 and going out with a bang.

Am I missing anything?

Oh yeah: To anyone who wants to make the excuse for Boston that they played without Paul Pierce, I don't want to hear about it. We played with no centers for almost 3/4s of the game. You can't win this argument.

I'll just wrap it up with the usual stats:

LeBron James: 11-23, 3-6 3PM-A, 11-15 FTM-A, 36 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists. LeBron was sensational tonight. He would not let anyone contain him, willing himself to the line and the basket. He refused to settle for quick 3s, which is a welcome sight to all Cavs fans. No matter how poor the Cavs offense looked, LeBron never stopped chugging along.

Anderson Varejao: 6-7, 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 36 minutes. It is my opinion that without Varejao, we would not have won that game. His scoring and movement was the one bright spot in what was otherwise a gloomy second quarter and his presence on the boards was so good, he looked like the 2004 version of Ben Wallace.

JJ Hickson: 4-6, 8 points, 4 rebounds, +27 in 23 minutes. In case anyone was wondering, that's why I'm so peeved that Hickson may be getting robbed of his normal minutes in the rotation. He's a dominant forward with amazing amounts of energy and can provide great sparks. This was one of his better road games, too.

Cavs Offseason Scenario

2010-02-26T00:51:35Z

John Hollinger was recently talking hoops and he mentioned that the New Orleans Hornets are facing a salary cap armageddon next year:

Rod (Chicago)
New Orleans has $75+ million in salaries for next year. Unless someone takes Stojakovic or Posey with David West for a draft pick and players on rookie contracts, they're in a deep hole. Do they trade Chris Paul? Paul, Okafor, and Posey to OKC for Green, Westbrook, Krstic, and Collison gets them cap relief and two nice pieces. OKC is a veteran big man away from winning multiple titles.
John Hollinger (12:10 PM)
New Orleans is indeed in a salary pickle and I was a little surprised they weren't more aggressive in addressing it at the trade deadline -- by trading Mo Pete and a future first, for example. It seems like they're hoping Peja will show up on opening day with a rack of guns in the locker room so they can take the Arenas route and get his contract off the cap; in fact they may be discussing how to frame him for this as we speak. More realistically, they're probably hoping they can move Okafor or West at some point in the next year to get them out of it; dealing CP is a disaster scenario. Second-best option: Trade Collison but make whomever gets him take on Posey and Peterson.

I think if there was a trade that would make LeBron want to stay in cleveland it would be the aquisition of CP3, given the close friendship between him and LeBron.
The hornets might not want to keep paying Paul's $13 million a year contract if they think his knee is a risk, especially since they have Collison and Thornton waiting in the wings.
If I were the cav's braintrust I would definitely have deals that involved mo williams for CP3 in the back of my mind.
What do you guys think?

Has anyone thought of this line up?

2010-02-23T11:52:12Z

pg - Mo Williams

sg - Lebron James

sf - Antwan Jamison

pf - JJ Hickson

c - Shaquille Oneal

Just wondering because that is a pretty frightening (to the rest of the NBA) line up that could prove to be very rewarding.

second unit

pg - Delonte West/ Sebastian Telfair

sg - Anthony Parker/ Boobie Gibson

sf - Jamario Moon/ Jawad Williams

pf - Anderson Verajao/ Leon Powe

c - Zydrunas Igauskas

not sure who the Cavs are guna waive, Green or Jackson once Z gets back.

Carter Proves Half-Man, Fourth Amazing as Magic Knock Off Cavs

2010-02-22T03:08:30Z

Not a Cavs fan, just a Bleacher Report writer looking for some extra exposure.

Over the course of his career, Vince Carter has made a habit out of coasting through big games, wilting down the stretch, and playing like a milquetoast wimp.

Nothing has changed this season, where Carter’s frequent disappearing acts have put a damper on the Orlando Magic’s hope for a fairy tale ending.

Carter’s timidity was on full bore as he drifted through a listless 1-5, three point performance over the first 42 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He refused to attack the rim, was absent on many help assignments, and mustered no competitive fire whatsoever.

It appeared as if the Magic would lose their third straight game to the Cavs this year, and would look less and less like viable contenders to Cleveland’s potential Eastern Conference stranglehold.

Then, out of absolutely nowhere, Mount Carter erupted and willed the Magic to victory.

After a 1-2 high screen with Jameer Nelson, Delonte West picked Carter up on a switch. Carter promptly backed him down and earned a foul, making two free throws.
Another 1-2 screen and switch allowed Carter to spin to the baseline and drive to the basket where he emphatically delivered a powerful dunk which roused his competitive juices.
Another Carter post up on Anthony Parker led to a difficult fade away jumper which VC swished.
The same 1-2 screen gave Carter a lane to the basket where he finished with strength and self-control over Antawn Jamison who moved over looking to take a charge.
After Shaq switched onto Carter after an elbow screen, he knew Dwight Howard was guarded by smaller defenders, took his time for Howard to open up, and threw an accurate lob which resulted in a catch, foul, and one free throw made.
A drive and kick out to the corner led to Rashard Lewis’ game-clinching three.

The criticism with Carter isn’t that he can’t do what he did against the Cavs, but that he doesn’t do that enough. Instead of using his wondrous talents to dominate in the paint, Carter often drifts through games, is scared to finish at the rim, and is far-too-often often a non-factor for somebody with his prodigious talents.

While his help defense is still horrendous, when Carter attacks on offense the way he did in the fourth quarter, he allows the Magic to compete with and beat any team in basketball.

The emphasis for Orlando is for Carter to continue to play with the same kind of fire he displayed against the Cavs. Unfortunately for Magic fans, often times, those rare glimpses of greatness Carter delivers disappear as quickly as they come.

Carter wasn’t Orlando’s only hero. Here are the other reasons why Cleveland won:

Why Orlando Won

Jameer Nelson proved how clutch he is by making huge shot after huge shot—three jumpers in the final six minutes, including two threes.
Rashard Lewis is another member of Orlando’s clutch corps, and his three with 20 seconds to go was the nail in Cleveland’s coffin.
Dwight Howard struggled in his post defense on Shaquille O’Neal, but his help defense was extraordinary—four blocks, and countless more altered. Most impressive was Howard’s rotations on LeBron James. Whereas LeBron is used to running through brick walls (and obliterating smaller defenders), he bounced straight off Howard’s steel frame and found himself begging for calls on drives to the rim.
Deterred because of Howard, only three of LeBron’s shot attempts came inside the paint in the second half. LeBron frequently overhandled (as did many of his teammates) and forced jumpers despite misfiring on nine of his 12 shots from outside the paint.
Aside from his solid help defense, and stellar board work—16 rebounds—Howard displayed an assortment of post moves. He decimated Anderson Varejao on left hooks from the right box, and on the left box showed a nice shimmy into a right-hook, several quick face-and-go’s driving left, a 12-foot made jumper, to go with his power moves near the rim. For the game he finished with 7-15 FG, 8-13 FT, 22 points, two assists, and zero turnovers.
Also, James’ six assists are neutralized by his five turnovers.
It should be noted that many of Cleveland’s early attempts to double team Howard were weak and ineffective, with Jamison as the main culprit.
Mickael Pietrus came to play, with a buzzer-beating putback to end the third quarter, and a pair of threes among his 5-6 shooting, 13-point performance.
Cleveland couldn’t buy a basket from downtown—3-16 3FG—despite many open looks.
Cleveland’s guards simply didn’t show up. Mo Williams shot 1-9, and Delonte West shot 2-9.
Mo Williams was as awful on defense as he was on offense. His worst transgression? Going under a Jameer Nelson screen, affording Nelson one of his endgame triples.
Cleveland had trouble spacing the floor for their post players. With Shaq in the post, and J.J. Hickson on the floor, Orlando would drop Rashard Lewis into the passing lane to effectively double team Shaq before he caught the ball. Hickson was left wide open, but missed the resulting jump shot. The same tactic was employed with Varejao on the floor, but Varejao only went 1-2 on wide open 20-footers.
After a flurry of points from Jamison when posting Lewis, Orlando fronted Jamison. Because Shaq or Varejao aren’t floor spacers, Orlando dropped Dwight Howard behind Jamison to discourage the Cavs from feeding him the ball.
Orlando proved that sometimes when you score is more important than how much you score.

Why Cleveland Almost Won

Orlando’s transition defense was atrocious. Orlando’s guards were too scared to get in front of LeBron James and stop him from going coast to coast for several full court layups.
Jameer Nelson frequently made bad decisions with the ball. Forcing entry passes into wedged teammates, forcing shots, not taking driving lanes to the basket, and losing his handle several times for unforced turnovers. Combined with Jason Williams, who also lost his handle for an unforced turnover, seven of Orlando’s 13 turnovers came from their primary ball handlers and decision makers.
Rashard Lewis—5-12 FG, 2-6 3FG, 3-4 FT, 15 PTS—disappeared for long stretches and is only sometimes involved in the offense. As a result, he forced several threes feeling that it was his time to shoot.
Antawn Jamison destroyed Lewis in the post, and made four straight baskets to start the third quarter. Jamison also made a three on a screen/fade, and showed a level of versatility that will be tough to contend with as the Cavs move forward.
A botched call on a block/charge gave Jamison his fifth foul early in the fourth, forcing him to an extended stay on the bench.
Aside from Dwight Howard, the Magic were soft in every facet.
Cleveland outrebounded the Magic 43-34.

Should Vince Carter’s fourth quarter be the norm and not the exception, Orlando has the interior defense, the firepower, and the moxie to win the season’s final game. Unfortunately, since Carter only offers brief teases of his talents, it’ll be a lot to ask of the rest of the Magic to come out of the East.

Meanwhile, Cleveland took a trip back to last year’s Conference Finals, where LeBron’s failed jumpers, Mo Williams’ dismal play, and Cleveland’s inability to contest Orlando’s late-game threes doomed them. If the pattern repeats itself in the postseason, not even Antawn Jamison will be able to save the Cavs.

Cavs have the best record in the NBA but are they the best team ?

2010-02-22T02:54:56Z

The cavs just came off what seemed liked a 6 month homestand and furthermore when you look back at the schedule,it always seems like when they play one of the better teams, that particular team was coming in to Cleveland playing the second of back to back games. For example prior to today, both times Cleveland played Orlando, Orlando was playing the second of back to back games and 4 games in 5 nights and back to back games and 3 games in 4 nights the other time while the cavs were rested on both occasions.

When the cavs played one of the elite teams this year that were not playing back to back games they have lost a lot of those games, Orlando today, Denver the other day, and Dallas earlier this year.

Did the NBA do everyting possible this year to make sure the Cavs and the Lakers were going to have the best records in the NBA and perhaps an easier path to the finals ?

Is the Cavs record a product of a really weak eastern conferance to go along with friendly schedule making or are they really the best team ?

Sure people will point out that the Cavs have a winning record against the western conferance but what if for example Denver, LA, or Dallas played in the east and played the cavs schedule and the cavs played in the west playing one of their schedules ? Would Denver, LA, Dallas have a similar record to what the cavs record is now ? Would the cavs record be just as good if they were playing more games against the west day in and day out versus constantly playing against sub .500 eastern teams ?

Should be an interesting rest of the season and playoffs this year.

Why doesn't Mike Brown see that Anthony Parker makes our team worse!?!?!?!

2010-02-21T23:26:07Z

Dear Cavs fans,

Initially, I didn't want to become an Internet hater who vomits selfish views and opinions on a blog/page website in a cowardice manner. In the concern, that the Internet is full of people with their own hidden agendas and bias viewpoints. What distinguishes myself with the rest of the haters is that I acknowledge that fact that I am an Anthony Parker hater!! Not because of personal reasons but because I have loved the Cavaliers my entire life and as a team, we have one of the best chances to win the title other then any other team in the league. Not too many teams can defeat us, however we very much can defeat ourselves. Why does Mike Brown and the coaching staff continue to start and showcase a sub-level player?! I am amazed how many minutes he plays over other suitable players who are able to play defense and knock down big shots. Did everyone forget that “Boobie” Gibson has and can knock down the three pointer (48.2 % Best in the League) and Delonte West plays excellent playoff worthy defense?

I am a followers of the rule “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”!! I do not like to dwell on the past but last season we won 66 games with the defensive minded starting line up of:.

1.Mo Williams

2.Delonte West

3. Lebron james

4. Anderson Varejao

5. Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Anthony Parker is in “NO WAY OR MANNER A GOOD FIT” for our beloved Cleveland Cavaliers. I’m I the only one who see’s that he is a whining, heartless, defensive liability!! Anthony parker brings absolutely NOTHING to the table. Why doesn’t Mike Brown and the coaching staff see this?!?!

Anthony parkers shooting average (7.3 ppg) is the second worse on our team among top ten players yet he continues to play major minutes in the heat of battle. Along with extremely poor decision making, missed catches, poor shooting percentage (field goals 43.7 %) timed wasted crying to the referees. Wouldn’t it make since to sit Anthony Parker and place Antawn Jamison in place to feel comfortable in the system and not have a defensive liability on the court? It makes since to me that the starting lineup and majority or minutes should be:

1. Mo Williams

2. Lebron james

3. Antawn Jamison

4. Anderson Varejao

5. Shaguille O’Neal

We treat Boobie and D.West like they are bums while giving Anthony Parker major minutes while the role should be reversed. Why isn’t any one else talking about this, this will help the team tremendously? Give me your views and opinions, tell me what you think?

Newsflash: The Cavs aren't what they used to be

2010-02-21T21:21:15Z

As much as I don't want to admit it, it's becoming glaringly obvious: The All-Star Break was exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers did NOT need. The Celtics needed it, as they've won 3 straight games after falling to the 4th seed. But not us. The spirit and momentum of our 13-game win streak was erased, and we experienced an intense shake-up in our lineup with a huge trade. We lost a historic cornerstone of our franchise and took on an veteran being paid a LOT of money. Now, we are staring at our first 3-game losing streak, and plenty of questions about our team as they head home to play the Hornets. More than ever, we need a win.

The only thing positive that we can take from this game is that we got a great game from Antwan Jamison in the second half. Unfortunately, he was already battling foul trouble by then. The same goes for Shaquille O'Neal. Speaking of which, that's one real problem we've been having since the break: teams have taken almost every Cavalier out of the game. Other than LeBron, Shaq, and Antwan, no other Cavalier was in double figures. That could be a real problem. Against a team like Orlando, LeBron's teammates need to play excellent, because the Magic have a lot of go-to guys that seem to score whenever they feel like it. A game like this shows how important home court advantage is, because unlike the game in Cleveland, it was the Cavs that wilted down the stretch, allowing a 9-0 run at one point. Even more embarrassing was Vince Carter catching fire and making huge shots in the fourth.

LeBron James: 12-25, 1-6 3PM-A, 33 points, 5 turnovers, -9 +/-. This is the third game in a row that his 3-point shooting has completely vanished, and it's the third game in which he starts shooting bad, quick 3s in the fourth quarter. He was reduced to a spectator in the last 12 minutes, scoring just 3 points. That isn't supposed to happen. Something is wrong with LeBron.

Mo Williams: 1-9, 0-4 3PM-A, 4 points, -7 +/-, 33 minutes. I also don't think Mo Williams has fully recovered yet. It hasn't been 6 weeks since he was injured, after all. He shouldn't have played so many minutes, especially with Daniel Gibson on the roster, who saw only 13 minutes, took 1 shot, and still finished +5.

Anthony Parker: 1-4, 5 PFs, 26 minutes, -1 +/-. The only shots Parker took were 3 pointers. He finished with more fouls than points. Even worse was that several of his fouls weren't aggressive enough, so they ended up as and-1s.

Who you got?

2010-02-21T21:05:47Z

I saw this post on mavsmoneyball and I am going around sbnation to see who sbnation thinks is better.

http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2010/2/20/1319763/who-you-got

"We have all heard this question before LeBron or Kobe. Obviously both are great and I think the general public is split on who is better, similar to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. But we are not the general public, since we know more about the NBA. I want to see which side the hard core fans are on. Which hall of fame player do you want on your team, King James or The Black Mamba?"

Cast your vote.

My experience at the Rose Garden, part 1

2010-02-21T10:19:28Z

It was a cold, sunny morning in January. My mother and I left our house as early as we could, ready to make a 2 hour road trip to the city of Portland. Our driver was a lifelong friend who was currently living in the city, and who had been kind enough to buy our tickets well in advance. We were coming to watch a Blazers game...against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

We arrived around noon, giving us plenty of time to have lunch and explore the town. The downtown area had a distinct charm to it. The shopping centers were modest, the parks looked friendly, and the neighborhoods looked hospitable. It made a lot of sense why my friend wanted to live here.

About two hours before tipoff, we walked to a train that would take us all the way to the Rose Quarter. Upon entering one of the cars and sitting down, I already found myself surrounded by three Blazers fans, sweatshirts, foam fingers, hats and everything. I was not wearing a Cavs jersey...only a hat with the Cavs logo gleaming on it. Both my mom and my friend were a little worried about my hat, thinking we were going to be subjected to massive heckling, but I was not worried. One of the Blazers fans took one look at me, smiled, and said,

"Nobody's perfect."

I was certainly not going to take this jab lying down, so I smiled and said, "Cavs all the way, baby. That's where it's at."

This elicited groans and guffaws from several other passengers. My friend said, "Yes, he lives on the West Coast, but he's a Cavs fan. I don't know how it happened either. I live in Portland."

Another Blazers fan said, "You better watch it, or you're in for a rough night." That also got everyone laughing. The first Blazers fan said, "Naw man, it's all good. You're cool to come here tonight. But I just gotta warn you, you're alone." Then she grinned.

I responded, "I know I'm in Portland, but, you know...it's bad business. Do you really think you guys can make a deep playoff run? I mean, you've lost Greg Oden again. Anyone think he's a bust?"

The second Blazers fan said, "Why of course! It's because he came from friggin' Ohio State! That's why he's so washed up!"

That got me peeved. I wanted to respond with, "Ohio State? You mean the team that just beat Oregon in the Rose Bowl?" But I didn't. I just eased back, picturing the prospect of enjoying the game, watching the Cavs win, and seeing all these fans leave the Garden. I licked my chops just thinking about it. When you're rooting for the road team, it's the most satisfying part of being a road fan: witnessing the home crowd shuffle out silence after listening to them roaring and cheering their team on. I was sure I would get the last laugh, I just had to wait.

As we got closer to the Rose Quarter, more passengers filled up the train. I saw one man get on board with his son, who looked like he was 10 years old. He happened to be wearing a Cavaliers sweatshirt. I delighted in this, but Blazers fans laughed, saying, "What happened to this kid? Where did our village go wrong?"

Once we arrived, I saw huge crowds of people and lines backed up way outside the entrance. In the distance was a gigantic circular complex with the words ROSE GARDEN on it. I began to get nervous with anticipation; I could hardly contain my excitement. As we made our way towards the entrance, I saw one guy wearing a throwback yellow LeBron jersey. As we looked through the lines of people, I began to see more people wearing LeBron jerseys scattered among the masses. This got me pumped with pride. I was not alone at all.

At the entrance, we passed through a metal detector, and I set foot for the very first time inside an NBA sports complex. The place was buzzing with activity. The concession stands were hard at work, people were waiting to get to the elevators, and the TV monitors showed the final minutes of the Cardinals-Packers playoff game. Other TV screens were showing the Blazers and Cavs logos next to each other. It felt so surreal. Here I was, in Portland, just a few hours from home, and tonight, this one special night during the whole year, my team, the Cavaliers, were coming all the way from Cleveland to play an NBA game in this very building! And I was going to see it all!

To be continued...

Why Danny Ferry is the League's Best GM

2010-02-19T18:14:52Z

First of all. I just have to say how much the jamison trade was just brilliant. we gave up almost nothing for him. we did give up Z but there is still a decent shot Z signs back with us.

I have decided to go over the trades over the last couple years and seriously look at how this team has changed. First though we have to look at the roster that made it to the finals. This roster had such names as Damon Jones, Scott Pollard, Donyell Marshall, Ira Newble, and Larry Hughes. Many of these guys were guys Ferry got but did not work out. We got to the Finals but got destroyed. I think that loss in a way was key. It seemed to have changed Ferry. He took a much more active role in forming the team. Instead of just going after a few free agents, he tried to get players that fit Mike Browns system and would complement Lebron. He learned from his mistakes like Donyell and Hughes and tried to truly build a championship team.

Lets Zoom to late February 2008. The team is struggling and many guys Ferry had acquired in Free agency such as Damon Jones (but I still love to call him Amon Ones) and Donyell Marshall, were struggling. Ferry felt like he needed to do something, so he pulled off a trade. This is what he traded:

-We give up Donyell, Ira Newble, Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons, and in return we get Wally Z, Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Joe Smith, and a 2009 Draft pick which we used on Danny Green.

This trade is just ridiculous looking back. Donyell at the time was averaging less than 4 points and 3 rebounds. Larry Hughes was a big problem and Gooden just wasn't doing it anymore. Gooden would look like a superstar one game and then a scrub the next, you just never knew what you would get. Larry Hughes was way too passive as a player and refused to drive, but was really the only player out of the first batch of free agents that really bought into the defensive. What we got in this trade was great. We got a defensive presense in the post in Ben Wallace which we needed, we got a lights out 3 point shooter in Wally (when he got acclimated) and we got Delonte who has been a great addition and was always underrated his whole career. Delonte can pass it, is very active on defense, and can shoot the 3; basically he is a perfect fit for the Mike Brown system and a great complement to lebron. We also got the draft pick that got Danny Green who has been a pleasant surprise. Joe Smith was a very nice addition as a veteran. Smith was a solid defender, and was a great veteran presence.

Not Satisfied, Danny ferry looked to a trade again. He was disappointed in the close losses during the Boston Series that went 7 games. there is a glaring hole on this team: 3 point shooting and a good scorer in the backcourt. Daniel Gibson and Delonte West were nice players, but the Cavs did not have that dominant scorer in the backcourt that could take pressure off of LeBron and maybe turn the tide in that series. In come the Milwaukee Bucks and Mo Williams. Williams was an emerging star at the point guard position. At the time he was 25 and was improving every season. Again Ferry pulls off a miraculous deal. He pulls of a 3 team deal for the 2nd time that year (and both involved the Sonics/Thunder organization) and gets the point guard he wants. Again the Cavaliers and Ferry committed highway robbery

-We got Mo Williams and all we had to give up was Damon Jones and Joe Smith. Even at the time, this just looks like a steal. A 25 year old on the brink for just a couple somewhat washed out veterans. Damon Jones was a headcase who only wanted to boost his own stats. Smith, even with his age, was a significant loss, but his loss was much less than the gain of Mo WIlliams. Mo could pass, he could drive, and he could shoot from anywhere on the court. the only criticism was if he would buy in defensively which he did. Smith was not as big of a loss as we thought at the time, because the Thunder bought out his contract and we got him for about 1/3 of the season.

Again, the Cavs lost in the conference finals. Ferry again goes out and wants to change the team. In the series against Orlando, we got dominated in the paint. Dwight howard just destroyed us, especially in the clinching game, game 6. We needed a low post threat not only on defense, but on offense too. In steps in Steve Kerr offering up Shaq. All he is asking for is Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, and a 2nd round pick. Pavlovic has never been good, and although Wallace was good for a while, he was definitely slowing down. Wallace was also a complete nonfactor on offense and that let Orlando double team Lebron and Mo more.

Shaq is not the player he once was but is still a solid offensive player and a good defender in the post. He has historically given Dwight Howard trouble when defending him. Shaq still has the strength to dominate at times in the post. This trade again was a steal because both were either waived or agreed to buyouts and neither one is on Phoenix. It was a salary dump from Phoenix and we benefitted.

Also, During the Offseason, Ferry went out and got some very nice free agents. We were manhandled by the bigger, more athletic guards against Orlando like Turkoglu and Petrius. To counter this, Ferry got Jamario Moon Anthony parker, who is a big guard, who can play D. Jamario Moon is very long and athletic and defends well, and Parker has good size for a guard, passes well, has a great 3 point shot, and is an active defender. We also got an injured Leon Powe who has not yet produced much to the team but is an active big man on the defensive end and has great strength.

The Cavs were having a spectacular season but Ferry wasn't done. At the trading Deadline of 2010, he pulled another fast one on everyone. The whole world seemed to think that he truly wanted Amare and was going to get him. Instead he picked up Antawan Jamison who is a star in his own right. With Jamison, we get a guy who can score a variety of ways. He can shoot the 3, the midrange shot, drive to the weak side, and post up. He is also a hard worker on defense and is a very solid rebounder. He is a veteran presence and although he is a scorer, he is pretty unselfish and a good team player, and give a lot of energy and works hard. Although he is 33, he has been very consistent over the last several years. Many (including me) believe that Ferry was never seriously after Amare. Ferry really wanted jamison but wanted to put pressure on Wizards to get the deal He wanted. So for Jamison, we gave up Z (who I do miss), the rights to a player in the European leagues, and our first round pick in 2010, which will be very low in the first round.

Only 2 players remain from when Ferry took over the team in 2005 and only 3 remain from the 2007 finals team were on the team. These 3 players are Lebron, Boobie, and Andy. in 3 seasons, Danny Ferry has completely rebuilt the team without having a down (or "rebuilding") season. This is a miraculous feat in of itself, but also consider that this team not only has some very great young pieces, but is so much more talented. Look back on that team...I can't believe we even made it that far. If you consider we basically traded that roster (Gooden, Donyell, Damon Jones, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown, Ira Newble, Sasha, and a couple future picks) for what we have now (Mo Williams, Delonte, Shaq, Jamison, and Danny Green) it is amazing. I cannot think of any person who would not do that in a heartbeat.

Obviously everyone knows about the trade prowess of Danny ferry but one overlooked area is drafting. Granted, Danny Ferry did not always have a ton of good picks to work with.

-His first year, we had the 25th pick, his second season drafting, we did once have the 24th pick in the draft, but we had traded it to Boston in the infamous trade for the infamous Jiri Welsch.

-We did also have the 22nd pick in the draft which Ferry did trade for Sasha Pavlovic. The guy taken, Jared Dudley, has not been spectacular, but he is definitely better than Sasha. This is the only trade screwup I could find in the history of Danny Ferry (and the difference between Sasha and Jared Dudley or WIlson Chandler isn't something to fuss over at all).

-The highest Ferry ever picked was 19 when he took JJ.

Analyzing the drafts:

2006
-This was his first year drafting (he was hired the day before the '05 draft, and we didn't have any picks in that draft) and he did well. In the first round we took Shannon Brown. While Brown never worked out for the Cavs, he has found a niche with the Lakers in their system. Considering the options at the time, it still was a good Pick.

-We also had the 55th pick in this draft. With this pick we took a European League Nigerian named Ejike Ugboaja. He still hasn't played in the NBA but no one drafted after him has made any sort of impact either.

-The star of this draft though was our 42nd pick where we took Boobie Gibson. This was not originally our pick though. We originally got it from Philadelphia and all we had to give them was Lee Nailon so really, nothing. This trade was a steal because Boobie has turned into a good player. Only a couple of guys drafted after him have been even halfway decent so far in their NBA career

2007
-No Picks because of Jiri Welsh. Thank you Jim Paxon in all of your Brilliance. We also traded a first rounder from this draft for Sasha Pavlovic .

2008
-This was the beacon year for Ferry as drafting. He had the highest pick he had ever had with the 19th overall pick. When you look at Hickson, this was a great pickup. Here are some of the career PERs for guys drafted in the picks after Hickson (although PER isn't everything it shows production and contributions made)

----12.5, 12.6, 13, 11.8, 11.4...Hickson's career PER is 13.6 The only guy who has a higher PER in either season than Hickson is having this year is Ryan Anderson who has a PER slightly higher than Hickson's is now. Hickson coming out was probably one of the most raw players out of the PERs I mentioned (Courtney Cee, Ryan Anderson, Kosta Koufos, CDR, and Super Mario). Looking back it is always easy to judge things like this and it is still early, but looking back, Ferry looks brilliant here. Hickson has been the most productive player we could have drafted, AND he probably has one of the highest ceilings. Love Hickson or hate him, it is hard to criticize the move drafting him.

-This draft wasn't all about Hickson. With the 52nd pick we took Darnell Jackson. While he has not contributed much, there really isn't a player drafted that low that has made more of an impact in the NBA. He is a solid defender in the post and is strong. Then, with the 56th pick we took Sasha Kaun. Kaun is still playing over in russia but he is a 7 footer and a nice player. both of these guys we bought the rights to, for cash considerations (basically chump change). Both are smart players and Kaun has a fairly high ceiling.

2009
-With our first rounder, which was the last pick in the first round, we took Christian Eyenga. He is a 6'6 G/F who is still extremely raw. He is not a polished shooter yet, but is active on defense and is great driving to the basket and slashing. his athletic skills are great and his is big and fairly strong, but he is still extremely raw and we probably won't see him for another year or 2 (he is only 20 anyways). It is too early to judge at all if he will be good but he showed flashes of greatness in the summer league this year.

-With the 46th pick, we picked up Danny Green. It is definitely too early to tell on him but for where we drafted him, he is a very nice player. A second rounder giving really any contribution his rookie year is rare and Green has been pretty reliable.

-We also got Emir Preldžič who we traded the rights of for Jamison. This I honestly don't care about because the guy is 22 and he looks like he is still a couple years away from even being ready for the NBA.

OVERALL:

I want to give grades for ferry for My opinions of the Jobs he has done in certain areas including Drafting, Trading, and Free Agent Signing.

In 2005, he came in and the team was just in ruins really. Hearing some of the names (like Luke Jackson, Welsch, Diop, Dajuan Wagner, McInnis, Luscious Harris) truly makes me depressed thinking about it. Ownership got rid of Paul Silas and Jim Paxon who had decimated the team and only made 2 good moves; trading away Tony Battie and 2 second rounders for Andy and Gooden, and picking Lebron (though the latter was a no brainer decision). Ferry came in and installed a new coach in Mike Brown and tried to build the franchise up to a championship team.

Drafting: Ferry never had anything miraculous to work with. He never had a lottery pick and only once had a pick inside the top 20. With that pick, at 19, he truly picked the best player available. Not only has Hickson produced on the court, but he still has tremendous upside. All of his first rounders have been good players and have produced well considering where they were drafted. Although Shannon Brown never worked out here, it was still a solid draft pick. He definitely had some misses in the second round, but the 2nd round of the NBA draft (and even sometimes the end of the first) is just a complete crapshoot. quite a few players we drafted in the 50s and you are lucky if those players ever see the court. Sadly none of those draft picks ever did, but we had 3 very solid picks in the 2nd that have worked out well and were good grabs. in 2006, we grabbed Boobie Gibson who has played very well. In '08 we got Darnell Jackson and this past year we got Danny Green. both are on the team still, which, even with players drafted where they were (the 40s overall), is still somewhat of an accomplishment... Overall Grade A- (only a minus b/c Shannon Brown never worked out here, and he traded away the 22nd overall pick one year for Sasha).
Signing Free Agents: For Ferry, this was probably his worst category. He definitely had his ups and downs but he figured it out in the end. In 2005, he wanted to truly form the team after getting rid of a lot of not so great players. He brought in Damon Jones, Larry Hughes, and Donyell Marshall. The theory with these guys is that Jones was a shooter who could Knock down 3s, Donyell was an Inside-Outside guy who could rebound, score, and shoot, plus get some blocks, and Hughes could drive to the hoop and was a Decent passer. Hughes however was extremely injury prone and after one injury, he went from a guy who loved to drive to the hoop to a guy who was scared of it; he seemed to be off mentally after the injury. Damon Jones never bought into the Defensive system. He just wanted to put up big numbers and shoot 3s all day. Donyell was getting older and he could get blocks on a bad defense, but did not buy into well the team defense idea of Mike Brown. This group of Free agents were a bust.

Along the way though, Ferry got better and learned from his mistakes. He did not ever sign a huge group of free agents like that again, but found nice players every year; guys like Devin Brown, Terance Kinsey, Lorenzeen Wright, Jawad Williams, Joe Smith (after we traded him and he got bought out), Anthony Parker, and Jamario Moon. The best out of the bunch turned out to be maybe the guys we got this year (Williams, Parker, and Moon). They have all been solid contributors and I have liked how Parker has played and been lights out from 3 point land as a starter. Also, I give Ferry credit for resigning Delonte and Andy because it wasn't a guarantee that those guys would come back (Delonte almost went to europe). Overall Grade B. While Ferry failed at the beginning, he found many nice pieces along the way and when he had to, resigned pieces and didn't let them leave.
Trades: Now this category I have gone over the most in here. Some of the trades pulled off were pretty amazing. He really didn't start the trading until we lost in the Finals and he realized the guys in place weren't working. He traded mostly just pieces that didn't fit (Damon Jones, Larry Hughes, Donyell, Shannon Brown, Gooden, Cedri Simmons, Joe Smith who we would later resign, Z who still might come back, and Sasha). He also pulled off minor deals that are not talked about as much. He traded Lee Nailon for the pick that got us Boobie (Boobie for Nailon...not bad). His first year he traded Mike Wilks (who has played only 76 NBA games since in 3.5 years) for Flip Murray and for all the pain he caused us at times, it was a brilliant move. He also acquired two 2nd round picks in the last 2 years who he used on Darnell Jackson and Danny Green. The one move I still just don't like is trading the 22nd overall pick for Sasha Pavlovic. Granted, it was a high pick and no one taken around there was anything that special, but I still don't like the deal. Overall though, some of the trades he pulled off looking back are unbelievable. he got rid of so many bad contracts and picked up Delonte, Mo, Jamison, and Shaq.

-Quick fun fact i just looked up. in the season where we lost to the Celtics in the playoffs, the team was 20th in offensive rating. the next year, with Delonte and Mo the whole year and both acclimated to the system, that number shoots up to 4th. We jumped more than HALF the league.

Overall Grade: A++. Not everyone is perfect and he did screw up by trading for Sasha, but covered it up by using Sasha to get Shaq.

Overall Grade on his body of Work: A. While it was rocky at the beginning, Ferry has now established himself as an elite GM in the league and is turning the Cavs into an NBA flagship franchise.

Poll

What grade would you give Danny Ferry? (say why in the comments)

A+

79 votes

A

117 votes

B+/A-

33 votes

B

17 votes

B- Or Lower

36 votes

282 votes | Poll has closed

If it becomes an option do we sign McGrady?

2010-02-18T15:32:33Z

If T-Mac stays with the Kings and ends up with a buyout, he hopes to join a playoff contender. A source close to him says he would like to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers.

While there’s no evidence the Lakers have interest, Cavs GM Danny Ferry had done a little research on T-Mac during his exile from the Rockets. Still, the Cavaliers traded for Antawn Jamison on Wednesday and it’s extremely unclear whether they would want to risk disrupting their chemistry to bring on another former All-Star – one who has spent the season recovering from microfracture knee surgery.

Wojnarowski mentioned this quiet detail.

Apparently if he gets bought out we could sign him for the rest of the season. The way i see it is it's a low risk gamble. We get him for the minimum and see where he's at. If it works out he becomes a productive SG for us and makes us better. If it doesn't work out it's no big loss, we got him cheaply and we can just as easily bench him for the rest of the season. It's not a trade so we don't lose anything.

What do you guys think?

Poll

If available, do we try and sign Tracy McGrady?

Yes, it's a low risk move and it could prove to be a steal.

39 votes

No, the risk to team chemistry isn't worth it.

34 votes

73 votes | Poll has closed

Cavs have traded for Jamison (WaPo)

2010-02-17T23:41:18Z

Washington Post says the Cavs have traded for Antawn Jamison in 3 team deal that involves sending Drew Gooden to a Western Conference team.

UPDATE: Rumor is now that it is Big Z and a first rounder for Jamison.

Without involving JJ, this is a good deal for the Cavs. They get their stretch 4, a good defender and someone that will allow them to keep most of their depth.

I like this deal alot.

A link: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35447900/ns/sports-player_news/

The Jamison deal makes sense...

2010-02-17T03:33:12Z

If we deal with Washington we get:

Starters

Mo Williams

Anthony Parker

Lebron James

Antwawn Jamison

Shaquille O’neal

Reserves

J.J. Hickson

Back-Up

Mike James

Leon Powe

Daniel Green

Darnell Jackson

Cedric Jackson

And did I mention that we get to keep J.J. With this deal we gain what was much needed, a scoring four. The same type of scoring caliber of that of Amare plus a player who is willing to blend into a system. J.J. can now come off the bench which beefs up our bench. What more can you ask for. Make the deal!

Poll

What would be best for the Cavs to do come Thursday?

Trade for Amare anyway....

27 votes

Make the deal for Antwan....

97 votes

Keep rolling with the team we got....

13 votes

137 votes | Poll has closed