West's Value Skyrockets

A little exaggeration is healthy. Skyrockets? No. But goes up like the Cavs win total? Definitely.

Until yesterday, the Cavs had a shaky ball-handler at the point and scoring guards who could barely score for themselves and never involved teammates in the process. Delonte West didn't fit well at the 1, surely not worth starter's money as he needed to be replaced by a "pure point", or at least somebody who could handle a trap.

Now it's all changed. Suddenly Delonte fits in perfectly. If he's not our starter, he's 6th man of the year. Now, the Cavs can spring Lebron like a jack-in-a-Box. He'll leap out with a big smile, scary good, and make you jump even though you know he's coming.

With 2 competent ball handlers in the backcourt, 2 guards who can score or pass, who can run the offense, Lebron can play below the 3 point line. Before, we needed Delonte to be a better point or to be replaced by a better point. Now we just need Delonte to be Delonte - and maybe grow 2 inches. Scoring, ballhandling, energy. He's like our own crazy version of Manu Ginobili. ... And in my mind, Lebron is Tim Duncan. I'm getting carried away.

Knowing that Boobie is locked up for a while making specialist money, able to play some at the 1 or the 2, all you need for a complete backcourt is the big athlete. The scorer who can play the 2 or 3, who won't let the offense stagnate and can defend opposing big guards. Enter Frankenszczerbovic's monster. At some point Wally and/or Pavs will either turn into the big guard we need or, thanks to their expiring contracts, be turned into the big guard we need.

So despite bringing in a replacement, it's more important than ever that the Cavs keep Delonte West in the fold.

Mo
Delonte
Lebron
AfroCorpse
Z

Go Cavs!

Let me repeat: 82 and Mo!

Batman has his next Robin, and his name is Mo Williams. Is this a case of one player single-handedly killing a team to the point that they trade for him? Probably.

After the Larry Hughes debacle, I think we need to pace ourselves before going out and declaring the things yet to come.

...

Have I waited long enough?

...

CHAMPIONSHIP! In the bag. Mo Williams will be perfect on the Cavs. Delonte can be our combo guard. Sasha or (pre-trade) Wally can be our big guard. Boobie can be a specialist. And Lebron James can actually play off the ball against a real defense. Hallelujah for that!

If you've read Tom Ziller's Ballad for a Combo Guard, you already know Mo is as combo as they come, damn near a "perfect balance". With Lebron, the Cavs need a pure point like they need back to back road games. What they need is somebody who is not one dimensional, not a specialist. They needed an athlete, a scorer and a ballhandler, and they got one.

Mo is only 25 and he's improved every year he's been in the league, up to his latest line of 17.2 PPG on 48% from the field, 39% from deep, and 86% from the line, 6.3 assists to 2.8 TOs, 3.5 boards and 1.2 steals.

Honestly, I'm trying to temper my excitement by finding reasons not to like him, and here's what I got:

He's owned the Cavs ... but that doesn't matter anymore!

He doesn't get to the line much, which tells me he likes to settle and could go cold without the touches he's used to. He's more of a pull up-floater than twisting layup kinda guy, though, not a house-built-from-18-footers Larry Hughes type.

His PER against last year was higher than his PER. So he's not the best defender. But who on the Cavs is? Yet they continually turn in solid team D. At least he's quick. With some coaching and some winning, he'll be good enough.

The contract. Mo Money is getting at least $8.5mm for the next 4 years, with his option for a 5th. I've seen some people say that's bad, but those people are idiots. He's 25, he keeps getting better, and we have him locked up for a long, long time. Already people are saying he's definitely taking that option. I'm saying that barring a huge change in salary structure, he'll opt out at 12:01 am and sign a long term worth 8 figures per.

If there is anything I can hold against Mo Championships, it's that he's injury prone. He logged 80 games he's second year in and hasn't hit 70 since. He's small, so he's fragile, I guess. The only way this can go wrong is if Mo doesn't get to play enough, because mo' Mo means mo' wins.

And what did we give up to get him? Only the greatest shooter on the planet to not get minutes and a solid veteran big. We're either signing 47 year old Charles Oakley or thinking JJ Hickson is his 2nd coming, since the rookie is now getting penciled in for 15 per from the start.

I'm a little worried that this means the door for Delonte, but we're keeping him at least another year or getting something back right now in a sign and trade, since we'd be fools to let him walk, even with Mo in the fold. I'd sign up Delonte for 5 mil per right now and slot him in at the 2.

I made it, guys!

Go Cavs!

82-0

The NBA schedule is out. The Cavs have tied for an NBA record 82 games, but then we knew this would be a big year.

All I've heard so far from the people who care about these things is how hard their teams' schedule is. Since people caring about these things is new to me, I'm here to hop on the bandwagon.

Damn the Cavs schedule is tough! We open the season against the defending champions - the hottest team in the league. How are we supposed to contend with a schedule like that?

If Ori plays his cards right, he and I will be headed off to Game 2, the home opener against Charlotte, while the wife takes care of the youngins.

The rest of November seems pretty mundane. Wait, sorry, I'm doing this wrong....

We got screwed! 4 back to backs in the opening month?? 3 on the road? The wheels will come off by December! With 3 of our first 4 on the road at Boston, New Orleans and Dallas, we will be tested early. We should definitely be in double digit wins after a month - I'd guess 11-6.

Tue 28 @ Boston
Thu 30 vs Charlotte
Sat 01 @ New Orleans
Mon 03 @ Dallas
Wed 05 vs Chicago
Fri 07 vs Indiana
Sat 08 @ Chicago
Tue 11 vs Milwaukee
Thu 13 vs Denver
Sat 15 vs Utah
Tue 18 @ New Jersey
Wed 19 @ Detroit
Sat 22 vs Atlanta
Tue 25 @ New York
Wed 26 vs Oklahoma City
Fri 28 vs Golden State
Sat 29 @ Milwaukee

December brings 3 more roadie back ends, so 7 through 2 months. I think last year was 16, and we were middle of the pack. I'm pretty excited for December 21 @Oklahoma City, even if that's just a lousy team in a lousy city. Christmas pits Santa Bron against Deshawn and his Wizard Elves in the last of 5 Christmas day games. Where's a Jewish kid supposed to find time to squeeze in movies and Chinese food?

In all, December should be a cake walk, a good time to get on a roll. Seriously, we could be undefeated. Check this out:
Wed 03 vs New York
Fri 05 vs Indiana
Sat 06 @ Charlotte
Tue 09 vs Toronto
Wed 10 @ Philadelphia
Fri 12 vs Philadelphia
Sat 13 @ Atlanta
Wed 17 @ Minnesota
Fri 19 @ Denver
Sun 21 @ Oklahoma City
Tue 23 vs Houston
Thu 25 vs Washington
Sun 28 vs Miami
Tue 30 @ Miami

Where are we losing? At Denver has to be the toughest game in there. Houston is tough, but that's at home. Philly should be good, so maybe we split that home and home. Miami? I could argue the same thing, but they're a crapshoot. If we lost 4 of these, I'd be disappointed.

January is where it starts to get tough. Sorry.

The misery continues in January! 3 back to backs, though only 1 is a roadie. Of course, that one is Utah, so it's probably a loss. I hate Carlos Boozer. Unlike December, we face a lot of winning teams.

Fri 02 vs Chicago
Sun 04 @ Washington
Wed 07 vs Charlotte
Fri 09 vs Boston
Tue 13 @ Memphis
Thu 15 @ Chicago
Fri 16 vs New Orleans
Mon 19 @ LA Lakers
Wed 21 @ Portland
Fri 23 @ Golden State
Sat 24 @ Utah
Tue 27 vs Sacramento
Thu 29 @ Orlando
Fri 30 vs LA Clippers

I could see us sliding through a .500 month, since Memphis is the only roadie gimme.

February will be another tough month, with a couple tough home games, plus 3 back to backs, including the start of 4 games in 5 nights in Houston and San Antonio.

Sun 01 @ Detroit
Tue 03 vs Toronto
Wed 04 @ New York
Sun 08 vs LA Lakers
Tue 10 @ Indiana
Wed 11 vs Phoenix
Wed 18 @ Toronto
Fri 20 @ Milwaukee
Sun 22 vs Detroit
Tue 24 vs Memphis
Thu 26 @ Houston
Fri 27 @ San Antonio

No games between 2/11 and 2/18? Do they play an exhibition game in there or something? Home for Memphis is another gimme, but we could ostensibly lose every other game. If I had to predict, I'd put us at 7-5 for the month.

March will be a boring month barring a race for playoff positioning, but it'll be a busy one. 17 games in 31 days, but only 3 back to backs, starting with the easy half of that 4 in 5 nights. We end the month with 8 of 9 at home, against mostly lousy teams, so if we do need to move up in the standings, there is our chance.

Sun 01 @ Atlanta
Mon 02 @ Miami
Wed 04 vs Milwaukee
Fri 06 @ Boston
Sat 07 vs Miami
Tue 10 @ LA Clippers
Thu 12 @ Phoenix
Fri 13 @ Sacramento
Sun 15 vs New York
Tue 17 vs Orlando
Thu 19 vs Portland
Sat 21 vs Atlanta
Sun 22 @ New Jersey
Wed 25 vs New Jersey
Fri 27 vs Minnesota
Sun 29 vs Dallas
Tue 31 vs Detroit

That first home game against Milwaukee after being on the road for 4 in 5 is a total trap game. I'll say 10-7, just so I can add them all up at the end.

April brings a lot of attention with 5 of 8 games on national TV. I wouldn't be surprised if 7 of the 8 games are against playoff bound teams, but at that point, it might just mean resting stars. If we are jockeying for position, I'll feel pretty good finishing the schedule with 4 of 6 at home, traveling only to Philly and Indy.

Thu 02 @ Washington
Fri 03 @ Orlando
Sun 05 vs San Antonio
Wed 08 vs Washington
Fri 10 @ Philadelphia
Sun 12 vs Boston
Mon 13 @ Indiana
Wed 15 vs Philadelphia

Knowing the Cavs, throw a couple of these away and end up at 5-3 or so.

Completely unscientifically, that's 51 wins, the best of the Lebron/Mike Brown era. Really, who knows how it'll play out. Can't wait for camp to start and Kunta Delonte to be there.

Go Cavs!

Cavs Sign Liam Neeson's Son

Shablam!

And like that, the off-season has begun. Wall Street Danny, as I like to call him, has set off a domino effect that will reverberate through the alleys of Cleveland for months to come.

With this signing, the Cavs have signaled one of two things. One the one hand, Tarence Kinsey might just be here to replace Devin Brown on the cheap. On the other hand, Mike Brown seems like the kinda guy who would really like a guy like Devin Brown. This signing could be the first in a series.

They say the Cavs are looking J.R. Smith square in the eye while offering GM Mark Warkentien a hand job in a sign and trade. Or maybe that sign and trade - or another deal - involve some of the Cavs shorter-than-Lebron type players. Could be Sasha Pavlovic, who never found a groove after holding out then getting injured last season. Could be Damon Jones, who really should've defected to play for Team China next week. Could be that despite all indications of a slave well kept, the Cavs think they are losing Delonte West.

Since Danny Ferry doesn't know the language of the media, we won't know until it happens. What we do know is that Tarence Kinsey is a Cav. Talk about tremendous upside, the kid is only 24 and he's already 6'6" and a staggering 189 pounds! Nobody expects the world from him, but there is definitely room to grow. He's young enough not to peak for another 4 or 5 years, and check out what he's done in the past.

In case you missed it, go back and scroll on down to the end of the year. Fresh off turning 23, Kinsey started pouring it in. I realize the final game of the season between Memphis and Minnesota 2 years ago was basically a D+ League game, but 22, 9 and 7 on 69% shooting against people who are being paid to be there translates to any league. The kid can play, at least a little bit.

I know some of you were hoping for Baron Davis or Ron Artest, but Tarence Kinsey y'all! Get excited!

Go Cavs!

A Few Quickies

Some Quick notes on the Cavs:

My Boobie's Back...
And you're gonna be in trouble!

I'm hearing that the Cleveland Cavliers have re-signed Daniel "Boobie" Gibson. Not only that, but I am hearing that we signed him to a 5 year deal! I haven't heard any information about $$$. For those of you who know me, this makes me quite happy in the pantiloons, I am a huge Boobie fan, and do not share Matt's belief that all he can do is shoot. I think he's actually a pretty good defender for his size, a smart player with the ball, and can take the ball to the hoop and finish when he needs to. I think he still has some growing to do as a player, but he's young and already has terrific fundamentals. This is an A+ move in my opinion for the Cavs, and as long as he stays healthy, we can even work on turning him into more of a PG. Also, Lebron loves him so that helps.

Summer League:
I've only seen one game (we've only played one as of my writing this), but JJ Hickson is a beast. We have nobody like him on the team. He takes good shots, has some really nice moves, and looks to attack every time he gets the ball on the post. In the Knicks game, it did not matter who was guarding him, he was looking to post them up. He ended up with 26 pts and 9 rebs in probably about 25 minutes of playing time. I'm liking this draft pick more and more, and if we can develop him and he adds even more muscle, I think that he can turn into even more that a "Jason Maxiell type player". He actually has a similar game to Boozer, in terms of going after the ball and attacking the basket.

-The Tractor may earn a spot on this team. He's still really big, but after watching everybody bounce off of him, and him make a few nifty passes, I think he can provide us with more than a Dwayne Jones or Lance Allred.

-Darnell Jackson looks alright, he probably makes the team on hustle and size alone. Although by my count, we have alot of big guys and not many little's which may mean a trade is on the way.

-Dru Joyce and Romeo Travis are just on the team to appease Lebron. Neither one of them belongs in the NBA, and they didn't exactly tear up the German league last year (not even that good of a league in Europe).

-Brian Windhorst (the best and most reliable source for Cavs info) is apparently very sick and almost died a few weeks ago. Best wishes go out to him.

Fixin' Up Dem Cavs

Bottom Line: We have to win now.

I've never been the "Lebron James is leaving" chicken little type, but from everything I've seen and read, he probably is gonna go. And then again he might not. But here is what I do know for sure. We have the best player in the NBA on our team for two more seasons. He needs a bit of help to get over the hump he needs some guys who can make plays and make baskets.

It's obvious we aren't going to make a major splash in free agency with our trade exemption, so we are going to have to get Lebron help via the trade.

Here's the sad part though, we don't even really have many trade-able assets. We have a few expiring contracts, Sasha Pavlovic, AV and that's pretty much it. So I don't expect us to pull off any Kevin Garnett like trade miracles, we'll have to be creative and get good undervalued players.

So without any further ado, if I'm the GM of the Cleveland Cavaliers, here is what I do:

First trade:
Cleveland Trades: Anderson Varejao and Eric Snow (or Damon Jones)
Chicago Trades: Kirk Hinrich and Jameson Curry

Cleveland does it because they get a quality PG whose value is down after having a rough year, Hinrich though, actually works better in Cleveland's offensive sets of self-creating, clock wasting ands Lebron finding than he does in Chicago's everybody can score offense. Chicago does it, because they just drafted their PG of the future, they need a hustle C-PF, and Eric Snow gives them cap space next year or even this year if he does indeed retire.

Second Trade:
Cleveland Trades: Wally Sczerbiak
New York Trades: Zach Randolph and 2010 1st round draft pick

I know this isn't going to be popular but why not? First of all, many of you are probably thinking to yourselves, why the hell would the Knicks do this? The latest rumor I've been hearing is that the Knicks have entertained the thought of trading Z-Bo for a second round draft pick. Just to get rid of him and his hefty salary (14.4 million a year like Big Ben).

First of all, the case for Randolph- He's a legit PF who averages 20 and 10 for the past 4 seasons. He's a good rebounder and a solid inside presence and nobody questions his on court attitude or ability. Everybody's problem with him is that he is nuts when he is off the court. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'll take my chances. We also get a 2010 first round pick which along with our own first round pick could turn into some pretty solid players and a fresh start if Lebron does in fact leave Cleveland.


The problems with these deals:
Both Z-Bo and Hinrich are locked up for a good sum of money for a long time (4 more seasons for Hinrich and 3 more for Randolph) along with Big Ben for 2 more seasons, we have alot of money invested and not much flexibility in the future.


The goodsies with these deals:
We now have an NBA team that can beat anybody. With a starting lineup of:
PG- Hinrich (14 PPG, 8 assists)
SG- Pavlovic (10 ppg, Good D)
SF- Lebron (27 ppg, 8, 8)
PF- Randolph (20 ppg, 11 rebounds)
C- Ilgauskas (15 ppg, 9 rebs)
6th man- Boobie
Bench- Delonte, JJ Hickson, Ben Wallace, Curry, Damon Jones, Joe Smith, Darnell Jackson, etc.

We don't give up alot of talent (not like we had much to give anyway) and we have a good young core signed long term.

Who wants a ring? Part 2

Does free agency always start with this much of a bang?

First, the opt out period was exciting - Arenas, Brand, Davis - even when nothing happened - Artest.

Then the coffers opened and it seems like everybody is on the move. Baron Davis is headed to LA, but he might just be swapping places with Brand. Arenas is getting a boatload of cash to stay. And some big name restricteds, namely Monta Ellis and Josh Smith might be the next to move.

All the while, as always, Danny Ferry and the Cavs are staying mum. The only rumors I've seen published by anybody with some access and accountability have had Posey, Mickael Pietrus, and now lately, Monta Ellis coming to the north shore.

Our infatuation with James Posey has existed since before he headed to South Beach to win his first ring. Now with the second in his jewelry box, he's sure to get a bigger contract than a 31 year old 3 who just shoots 3s and defends should get. Is he really a lock down defender? No, he's good, he tries hard, and that's most of the battle, but he's not Ron Artest or Bruce Bowen here. His sweet spots from the field are around the top of the key towards the wings, so he doesn't overlap with Boobie in that respect, but position-wise he is completely blocked by Lebron. I guess he could play some 4 against smaller teams or guard bigger 2s to protect Lebron, but it seems tough to justify a full mid-level contract for a guy who you can't easily slot in for 25 minutes. Besides, is his $6mm/year better than Ira Newble? I doubt it. Nonetheless, the Cavs will make a run and might get it done.

If we can't bring him home, we look to the restrict list.

Mickael Pietrus fits next to Lebron a bit better, but he lacks any of the pedigree Posey would bring to the team. If Dan Gilbert wants Ferry to make a splash, Pietrus isn't the guy he'll need to get the fans excited. At the same time, Pietrus can probably be had for less than the mid-level, meaning the Cavs would have more room to operate.

Monta Ellis has obvious appeal to a number of teams. His frame matches Boobie's, definitely tall enough for a PG, but rail thin. However, unlike Boobie, Ellis has explosive quickness. Also unlike Boobie - thanks to that quicknees - Ellis scores by getting to the hoop, rather than counting on his poor outside shot. The two together would give us an inside-outside NFL style backfield, with Lebron at QB overlooking the defense, since neither of those guys are liable to chalk up 5 assists/game, even playing 40 minutes. Offensively, that scheme definitely works. Ellis is the sort of ball-handler we need to take the pressure off Lebron, but we know Lebron is able to dominate the ball and run the offense when he has weapons keeping the defense honest. Throw in Delonte, the hybrid between Boobie and Ellis, and you have a complete background, all 6'4" and under.

If the Cavs go crazy and bring in Vince Carter or even just decide to trust Sasha Pavlovic, it could work if Mike Brown figures out a scheme to protect them from some stronger guards. I'd love to see what Coach Mike could come up with when Baron Davis posts up Monta Ellis in a grudge match. Could we count on Lebron putting lots of souvenirs in the stands or do we have another shotblocker hidden on the roster? Could we count on smothering a posting guard with a bigger double? I'd love to see somebody like Lebron (or Posey) move for that double, but I'd be scared to use a big to help on a ballhandler with good vision.

The toughest part about bringing in Ellis is in, well, bringing in Ellis. He's restricted, and Golden State, after losing Boom Dizzle, will match just about anything. Teams are usually willing to work out sign and trades rather than just holding players hostage (Andy), but since Golden State would be so barren after losing both lead guards, I doubt Chris Mullin would give up Ellis without getting something worthwhile in a sign and trade. We've heard before that they're interested in Varejao. We've also heard that Andy will reject any deal (as he can until 12/6) where he wouldn't get feature minutes. Of course, in Golden State he'd be bumping up against Al Harrington at the 4 and Andris Biedrins at the 5, but he could definitely fill 35 minutes backing up both the 4 and 5 - and there are always talk that Harrington is on the move. If Danny Ferry can work it out, I'd love to see it, but without many assets to send back to Golden State, it won't be easy.

There are plenty of other interesting restricted free agents, including the 2 currently in the Cavs control - Daniel Gibson and Delonte West. Short of bringing in Ellis or making a trade for somebody like Kirk Heinrich, the two are sure to come back. Despite our undying love resulting from their clutch playoff performances, neither have stock too high around the league. Plus, the likelihood that we'll match any reasonable offer scares off other suitors.

Other big name restricted free agents include:
Andre Iguodala
Josh Smith
These two have their fortunes intertwined, as the 76ers are hot for Smith like I'm hot for Ori's mom. The Hawks talk about matching any offer for Smith and Josh Childress, but if the 6ers can pry him away, it makes it more likely that Iguodala could sneak loose. He'd make a high energy running mate for Lebron, but I'm not sure his skills are broad enough to warrant the price tag.

Emeka Okafor
He's young, big athletic. He'd fit next to JJ Hickson in 4 years. But he'll also be expensive. He's the defensive minded sort of player we'd like, but isn't that just a nice way of saying he doesn't have much of a post game? He seems capable offensively, though, which just adds a weapon for Lebron to look to when the defense looks to suffocate him. Knowing what he turned down last year, I'm not sure we could afford him, but maybe he just wanted to hit free agency to move to a winner. I'm all for moving Andy for a guard and throwing our money at Okafor.

Luol Deng
Ben Gordon
Can you believe these idiots turned down those huge contracts? The Bulls would be smart to sign and trade Gordon for whatever they could get. Deng would be smart to take a qualifying offer and try to earn his payday next summer. With Derrick Rose coming in, the ball movement and looks should open up his game and put his stock back where it was last summer. I hate Ben Gordon.

Andris Biedrins
Is it possible that Andy's minutes in Golden State will come from a swap straight up for Biedrins? Or will Biedrins just follow Andy's lead of playing out his contract, spotlighting his offensive game to win that big contract?

Josh Childress
Remember back when he was coming out? It's a sad reminder of just how bad a pick Luke Jackson was, but man were Ori and I in love with this guy. For the first few years, he, too, seemed like a bust, but now I'd love to have an athletic glue guy hiding in Lebron's shadow. Like Posey and Pietrus, Childress could fill the space wherever Lebron wasn't. Unlike Posey and Pietrus, Childress is probably stuck in Atlanta, as I'm sure they will live up to their promise to match when all we can offer is the mid-level exception.

Nenad Krstic
Nenad is totally flying under the radar. He's been freaking good when healthy, but I guess that's a big qualifier after playing only 71 games... in 2 years. Still, if the right people believe he's healthy, he could be a steal, able to back up the 5 if Varejao goes and fitting next to Hickson once the current crop of bigs crumble entirely.

Ronny Turiaf
No way he's leaving the Lakers. Not after he helped Kobe jump that car. He's the hype guy. He's Kobe's Bundini Brown.

Louis Williams
Lou is young and unproven, which will drive his price tag low enough that the Sixers would be idiots not to match. Still, if the Cavs make a big run at Ellis and can't get it done, I'd love Williams as a consolation prize.

Then there are some more restricted free agents. Bigs like Craig Smith, Carl Landry, Ryan Gomes and David Harrison. Wings like Carlos Delfino, Kelenna Azubuike, and Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic. I'm sure Danny Ferry will be burning up the phone lines looking for value. Okay, I'm not sure, in fact, I doubt that, but I do really hope. If the Cavs bring in some former Pacer or Spur like Harrison to fill the roster, I'll start to get a little worried. But until then, Go Cavs!