But why would Stoudamire play nicely with Shaq in Cleveland when they didn't mesh well in Phoenix? The team has such good chemistry now. Why f*ck it up?

 

I'd rather have the kid from Washington.

First, he might be a "kid" to you KJP ;), but Jamison is 33 yrs. old.  A little long in the tooth to be considered a long-term running mate for LBJ.  For this year, I agree though.  A trade for Jamison would be an easier transition.  If you told me we could get Jamison without giving up Hickson, I would prefer it over any deal for Stoudamire.

 

Second, Shaq and Amare might not have won a championship, but I don't buy into the reports of them not be able to play well together in our system.  Actually, both Stoudamire and Shaq are averaging LESS points this year than they did last year when they played together for a full season.  In Shaq's case, it is quite a bit less.  But points are certainly not the bottom line when conducting any such analysis.  I would also point out that Phx's system is built for ONE big man with four shooters surrounding him.  Our system is built for two big men.

 

Fact is, JJ is doing so well because other teams are using the opposing PF to float between Shaq and Lebron on double teams, leaving JJ wide open to slash through the lane and get a wide open dunk.  Not to piss on JJ's wheaties, but his trade value might never be higher.  Do you think Phx would have even considered a JJ-Amare swap 2 months ago?

^I agree, JJ's stock is pretty high right now and it would be a good time to trade him.  I love the kid and think he's a great player, but he's no Stoudemire or Jamison.  The Cavs are going to make a deal this year... I can feel it. 

I'm sorry, I meant Jamison. I'm confusing my forwards.

 

I agree that Hickson's stock is on the rise and now is a good time to trade him. But he's such a nice, polite kid off the court that I'd hate to see him go. Yet I want a championship now.

I'm sorry, I meant Jamison. I'm confusing my forwards.

 

You mean Troy Murphy from Indy?  Jamison plays for Washington and is 33 yrs. old.  They had another one, Caron Butler, who was younger but he was traded to Dallas over the weekend

^^Cleveland wants a championship now!!  Trade Hickson, and bring back Big Z after 30 days.  Z definitely deserves a win this year, I would say more than any other Cavalier besides LeBron, whose leadership has truly changed this team.

You mean Troy Murphy from Indy? Jamison plays for Washington and is 33 yrs. old. They had another one, Caron Butler, who was younger but he was traded to Dallas over the weekend

 

I don't know what I mean anymore.

To me there are several reasons why this whole Stoudemire deal is a bad idea...

 

1)Our current team has great chemistry and is on 13-game winning streak. Don't try to fix what isn't broken.

 

That's exactly what we said last year.  We had the same record and were riding high all regular season.  In the offseason, our talent gap was evident.  LBJ was the best player in the Orlando series.  The Magic had the next best 4 players in that series (Howard, Turkoglu, Lewis, Petrius).  That was fixed to some degree in the offseason, but I still have my concerns of having another true "go-to" guy in the playoffs.

 

2)Shaq and Stoudemire did not get along well in Phoenix.

 

I don't agree with this.  See my earlier post.  They "got along" just fine.  Phx's system just didn't take advantage of their skill sets and ability to play off each other.  STAT does not shoot 3's, but he has a pretty reliable 15-20 foot jump shot.  The lane that JJ has been slashing through lately will not close up with the addition of STAT either.  He will only exploit it even more.

 

3)Hickson is a young up and coming player with a good head on his shoulders. I'd hate to trade a guy of so much potential for a player you are basically renting for 3 or 4 months.

 

Hickson is on a hot-streak now.  He had one earlier this season and then disappeared for a couple months.  I don't want to risk it in the playoffs with him as our starting 4.  He surely has potential, but so did Stromile Swift.  So does Tyrus Thomas.  Just because a guy can jump, does not mean that he will be a star in this league.  He hasn't proven that he can hit the jumper consistently and his defense and rebounding are lacking.  He also doesn't seem to have good hands (Drew Gooden disease) or the ability to palm a basketball (hence, all the two hand dunks).  His bad hands cause him to fumble a lot of LBJ's would-be assists.  But most importantly, IMO, JJ may be good-natured, but he is dumb as a bag of rocks.  I picked this up during his post-draft interviews, and hoped it was just the jitters.  But his play has not made me change my mind.  He blows a lot of assignments.

 

To me, if the deal is essentially JJ for STAT, I don't see how you CAN'T do it.  That comes with the caveat that Z will be waived and re-signed in 30 days.  STAT would not be my "ideal" fit, but you can't do much better than a 27 yr old all-star starting big man who has been named to the All-NBA first team previously in exchange for someone who "could" turn into a solid starter... maybe a borderline all-star.

^wholeheartedly agree. This is a no brainer if phx will take it.

Some "insiders" are saying that we will not wait around on Phx's answer and will move on to Washington in a deal that would net us Jamison and/or Mike Miller and Mike James.  Probably would take JJ, Z and a sign and trade of Wally.  Also a report that Amare has made it known that he does not want to play in Cleveland and he prefers Miami where his off season home is.  IIRC, STAT is from Orlando.

Windhorst said the report stat doesn't want to play in Cleveland isn't true.

^ Windy tweeted this.  That is confirmed...the deal is still on the table.  As far as Shaq and Amare not getting along as a poster said above...Amare tweeted that everyone needs to stop saying that because he plays just fine with shaq and averaged more points and played better defense last year.  That arguement alone shows that he has interest in coming here.

^^I suspect Finnan might have tried to take an educated guess there.  Windhorst is really beating all the other beat reporters to the punch now with Cleveland.com and his twitter account.  I don't blame the guy for taking a swing.

 

Multiple sources are now saying that Finnan's report about Amare not wanting to play in Cleveland is BS.  In fact, now there is speculation that he really wants this to happen.

 

We will hopefully know prior to Phx's game tomorrow in Memphis.

 

Look for the trade to be Z, Hickson and Danny Green for Amare, with Z heading back this way in about a month.

 

Ferry will seal up exec of the year and I think we can anticipate big things in the playoffs when all the kinks are worked out.  It certainly can't hurt to add a guy who just a few years back averaged 38 ppg in a playoff series against Tim Duncan and the world champion SA Spurs.

 

BTW, Amare is averaging 27 ppg and 11.6 rpg over the last 5 :) 

 

OK, I'm sold. I now have amore for Amare.

I'm warming up to the idea as well but if  we get him it better not be a rent-a-player type of situation.

 

That makes me nervous as well. If he opts out at the end of the year that does us nothing in terms of keeping LeBron, plus no more Hickson who I think will improve.

 

Does anyone else think it's odd that the Suns have only given the Heat permission to talk to A.S's agent.

 

"Of the two teams vying for Stoudemire, only the Heat have actually received permission from the Suns to speak to Stoudemire's agent. The Cavs, as of Wednesday afternoon, have yet to call." from  http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=TradeTalkRoundup-2010

the cavs could always use amare in a sign and trade at the end of the season if he really didn't want to be here.  but i think him not wanting to be here would be incredibly unlikely after playing with lebron.

^^Don't believe what you read/hear on ESPN.  Stein, Bucher, Ford and the rest of their so-called "insiders" are collectively melting down over this proposed trade.  They're just a bunch of Knicks' fans mascarading as NBA reporters. 

^^Don't believe what you read/hear on ESPN. Stein, Bucher, Ford and the rest of their so-called "insiders" are collectively melting down over this proposed trade. They're just a bunch of Knicks' fans mascarading as NBA reporters.  

 

OK I'll take your word on it. So in your opinion does this trade happen?

It's looking more and more likely.  Windhorst just tweeted that the talks have reached a climax.  Meaning, the Cavs are saying take it or leave it.  STAT has spread the word that tonight will be his last in a Suns jersey.

 

The Suns were probably hoping to hold out for the deadline on Thursday to see if a better deal came along.  The general scuttlebutt was that Miami is desperately trying to find a 3rd team that will take Jermaine O'Neal and his $23 mill expiring contract and send the Suns some young talent that Miami just doesn't have to offer.  Reportedly the Suns don't want anything to do with Beasley because of his psychological issues and past drug history.  They don't want JO because the size of his contract (even pro-rated) would not take them out of the luxury tax the way that Z's contract does.  Miami just can't seem to pull it off though.  Potential deals with the Bobcats and Knicks did not pan out.  I also think the Heat want to work out a deal with STAT's agent prior to making the deal.  If I had to guess, Pat Riley is probably low-balling the offer thinking that Amar'e will take a hometown discount.

Interesting read in S.I.

 

Amar'e? Jamison? If they're bait for LeBron, Cavs should avoid both

 

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/frank_hughes/02/17/cavaliers.trades/index.html?eref=sihp#ixzz0fq956xvT

 

"There is only one reason for Ferry to procure Stoudemire: that James promised Ferry he would subsequently re-sign with the Cavs this summer if the trade were made. And perhaps the same would apply to a possible acquisition of Washington's Antawn Jamison: James has to commit to the Cavaliers if they are going to commit to him."

 

"If Ferry executes a major trade before the deadline, I'd like to see an accompanying slip of paper from James promising his enduring commitment to Cleveland. Otherwise it's a mistake"

 

20 hours till deadline....tick tock..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

windhurst just reported on cleve.bomb that we have agreed to term with the wizards in a 3 team deal...Looks like were getting Jamison

It always happens like this.  Out of the blue, Cavs appear to have pulled off a three team trade with Washington and the LA Clippers.

 

Cle gets: Jamison and Sebstian Telfair

Wash gets: Z, Brian Skinner, Al Thorton and Cleveland's 1st rounder

Clips get: Gooden

 

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/02/report_cavaliers_in_3-way_trad.html

 

I assume the inclusion of Skinner is a good sign that Washington will buy out Z.  If that happens, we just traded the 30th pick in the 1st round for a PF who can shoot 3's and is averaging 20 pts and nearly 9 rebounds per game.  We get to keep Hickson and Jamison is signed for the next two years, albeit at big $.  But that second year will make is contract attractive as trade bait like Z's was this year.

 

One question:  When is Ferry going to get indicted for one of these trades?

The Washington Post

By Dan Steinberg   

February 17, 2010; 7:45 PM ET

 

Nothing makes you appreciate TV news cameras more than scenes like this, the cameras and print folks following the departed star to his car, the star remaining mute in front of their shouted questions, and then an uncomfortable spell of silence....

 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/02/jamison_leaves_the_building.html

Well, I am excited to see how this plays out.  The Cleveland Browns fan in me was skeptical that the Cavs would actually work out a deal with someone.  Being only a casual NBA fan I don't have much of an opinion on the actual quality of the trade itself.

Great trade, let's hope that Z's agent can reach terms of a buyout with the Wizard's and is back here by the 4th week of March.

 

 

This trade actually was the better of the two possible deals.  We get to keep JJ Hickson, who has shown promise and growth on the team. 

 

Z will be back as a Cavalier by the end of March.  I hate to see him go, but he'll be back before we know it.  This team can go all the way this year!!  We have much more depth than the team which made it to the finals and was swept by the Spurs.

The Wizards are definitely going to buy out Z.  They are so close the luxury cap threshhold, that shaving his salary to get below that level will save them millions upon millions.  It's a strange process and would take me a few paragraphs to explain, but just trust me that keeping Z at his full salary is an expense a rebuilding team with plenty of height already does not want incur.

 

However, while we have to wait 30 days, other teams can start bidding for Z's services when he is waived.  Reportedly, the Nuggets and Dallas have expressed some interest.  But, as his agent said, Z's heart is in Cleveland.  And don't forget that him and his wife adopted two non-english speaking young boys from Lithuania this summer.  He has been the translator, although I am sure their English is improving, and he supposedly spends every second of free time with the boys.  My guess is that he shows up in Washington for his physical and then hops right back on a plane to Cleveland and enjoys a 30 day vaca.

This deal almost seems to be a bit of a gift to Z.

 

*He gets a 30 day break. He will be back just in time to get ready for the playoffs.

*The wizards will probably buy out his contract.

*He will get additional money to re-sign with the Cavs.

 

So he gets a vacation and more money... Sounds pretty good!

^He also had a trade kicker clause in his contract that nets him an extra $600,000 I believe.

I'm very happy the way this trade went. While I would prefer a younger forward than Jamison (ie: Murphy or Stoudamire), it's clear those trades weren't going to happen. I think Jamison will do just fine and fill his role well here. He's got the stats you'd want out of a star forward and he can also tutor Hickson.

 

But I've heard some critiques of Jamison -- that he relinquished leadership status on the Wizards to Arenas and Butler. The critics suggested that might put him at risk of succumbing to "James Spectatoritis" that seems to plague Cavs players when they take plays off to watch what James might do. I've also heard conflicting stories that Jamison is good/not good at defending the three. Which is it? Obviously this is a concern considering what Orlando did to us in the conference finals.

 

And I assume Hickson will go to the bench? If so, I think that will only strengthen the bench. At worst it could compensate for the loss of Big Z. But I'd feel much more comfortable having both Hickson and Z coming off the bench together in the playoffs.

Actually, if I was Mike Brown, I would keep JJ in the starting lineup.  He seems to do best in that role as it keeps him focused on the game.  Take a look at his stats and for most of his big games he did most of his damage in the first qtr.  He's a good punch in the mouth to the other team right out of the gate.

 

I would bring Jamison off the bench.  He was 6th man of the year when he played for Dallas so we already know he can thrive in that role.  And he would probably finish most games.

 

He is a system player.  His specialty is not as much creating his own shot as it is playing in the flow of an offense.  He rarely holds on to the ball.  I think that type of player works best with Lebron.

 

He is not a great defensive player, but he does give effort on that side of the court (which was the knock on Stoudemire).  However, once again, he should do well in our "help defense" system.  He will not have to defend 1-on-1 as much as he did with Washington.  Our defense is built so that intelligent players thrive and Jamison is a "heady" player, so I expect him to hold his own.  If a PF is really giving it to him, we would just insert AV.

 

If/when we get Z back, it will be interesting to see how the rotation plays out.  Remember that we signed Leon Powe, a PF, in the offseason and he is nearly ready to return from injury.  With him and Jamison added to the mix, we have Shaq, Z, AV, JJ, Jamison and Powe for basically 4 spots in the rotation.  Not that depth is a problem, but rotations usually shrink in the playoffs and many teams only use 3 big men.  At least we don't have to worry about our bigs getting into foul trouble and not having anyone on the bench to step in.

I would bring Jamison off the bench. He was 6th man of the year when he played for Dallas so we already know he can thrive in that role. And he would probably finish most games.

 

That sounds like Mike Brown's plan, too

Vent/on: Bye-bye 13-game winning streak.... Brown better get these guys back into practice to work on their free throws before they hit the court in Charlotte. Shooting 23-40 (57.5%) from the line lost this game for them. Denver shot 80 percent from the line. The damn throws are free. Don't them for granted.

 

:Vent/off

 

There, now I feel much better.

One of those poor mop boys is goiing to get fired for Lebron's slip at the end of the game.

If the Cavs put themselves in a situation where they have to make a last-second shot to win/tie a game, then firing the mop boy won't make any difference.

 

Bad free throw shooting was only a part... How many times did the Nuggets shred our normally good defense down the stretch? Cavs couldn't generate their quick offense after defensive stops since they couldn't make stops. And no rest before they play Charlotte, who they've had trouble with. Time to focus.

I'll never for the life of me understand how professional basketball players can be making only slightly better than 50% from the line.  It really should be pretty damned close to 100%- night in, night out.

Missed FT and lots of missed baskets right at the rim.  The FT's are unacceptable, although I take solace in knowing the Cavs basically played a bad game and still only lost on a last second shot in OT.  LeBron and Shaq missed maybe 5 quality shots from inside 3 feet in the 1Q...they looked rusty, and maybe somewhat unfocused after a week layoff.

 

Curious to see how they look against Charlotte tonight - a team who they are 1-2 against this year.  I'm hoping for "we're pissed, and we're taking it out on you".

Didn't the Cavs sign an athletic forward to address a weakness?  Did he play last night?

 

Had the Cavs not signed Jamison, they probably get knocked out again by Orlando, because they still didn't have a dependable athletic big man.  Hickson may be the answer in a couple of years, but he's not the answer now.  JJ is suspect on D, doesn't box out consistently for rebounds, and doesn't have a reliable 12-16 foot jumper.  Jamison has all of those things NOW, while JJ may have them on a consistent basis in 2-3 years.

 

The Cavs may lose 2 out of their next 5, struggling for a while like they did to start the season, while they work Jamison into the mix, along with Powe, and getting Mo back in sync with everyone.

 

If anything, last night was proof that the Cavs needed to make a move to bring in a "stretch 4" or athletic PF, whatever you want to call it..  Jamison is much more valuable against a team like Denver or Orlando (or Atlanta) than Z is/was.  Don't forget that the Cavs lost to the Nuggets earlier in the year with Z in the lineup, and Denver didn't have Carmelo!

 

A championship is still not a slam dunk, but the Cavs are in much better shape with Jamison than they are with Z, and who knows, maybe we end up with both in a month anyway..

mike brown is not a rotation coach, why does he he think that Jawad Williams is more valuable than Jamorio Moon.  Its quite frustrating when the coach doesnt not make the appropriate adjustments...

Article on Z flying out to Washington:

 

Zydrunas Ilgauskas off to join Washington Wizards, unsure about return to Cleveland Cavaliers

 

By Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer

February 19, 2010, 11:04AM

 

It has been a tough three days for Ilgauskas. After a long practice on Wednesday, he spent two hours with some teammates at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital visiting terminally ill children. As soon as he stepped outside, he got the call from Cavs general manager Danny Ferry telling him he'd been traded after 14 years with the Cavs, who made the 7-foot-3 center from Lithuania their first-round pick in the 1996 draft, No. 20 overall.

 

"It was emotional,'' Ilgauskas said of the call with Ferry, a friend and former teammate whose voice quivered when he told reporters about the phone call during a press conference on Thursday.

 

Though it has been widely rumored that Washington will release Ilgauskas, who would be able to sign back with the Cavs in 30 days, nothing has been discussed to this point.

 

"Right now I'm a Wizard,'' he said. "I think eventually they'll let me go, but that's just my guess. They haven't told me anything yet. First I've got to go to Washington, and hopefully after a couple of days they'll let me go home.''

 

MORE AT http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/02/zydrunas_ilgauskas_off_to_join.html

^ You will see a lot of posturing by Z's agent over the next week or so to guarantee that the Cavs cough up their full bi-annual exception for Z (I think it is close to 2 mill).  But that is all it will be, just posturing.  Other teams will come calling, but he will eventually tell them that he is only interested in re-joining the Cavs just like McDyess told us last year before re-signing with the Pistons (he was part of the Allen Iverson deal and was released by Denver upon arrival).

Hey, we've started a new streak!  :x

The Curse of Z has begun.

 

 

I think it's a little early to be discussing curses. Get back to me after a decade or two.

I think it's a little early to be discussing curses. Get back to me after a decade or two.

 

Shhh!

Go Buckeyes! Go Tribe!  :-P

They are just fulfilling the Forbes prophecy.  It has been written!

Cleveland - Snuggie Capital of the World!

On Friday, March 5, 2010, the Cleveland Cavaliers and KeyBank are asking fans attending the Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons game to get to their seats early to help break the Guinness World Record for the "largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets." Fans attending the game should be in their seats before the 7:00 p.m. tip off at The Q to be a part of this history-making event.

 

An anticipated sellout crowd of 20,562 fans will receive a complimentary limited edition Cleveland Cavaliers SnuggieTM blanket courtesy of KeyBank that will be conveniently draped over every seat in the arena. Fans will be asked to wear their SnuggieTM blanket for the first five minutes of the game. In attendance will be Guinness World Records® Adjudicator Danny Girton who will then officially certify the new record. Once the record is achieved, every fan will receive a commemorative magnet certificate that will acknowledge they are a Guinness World Record holder.

 

http://www.fearthesword.com/2010/2/23/1323335/cleveland-snuggie-capital-of-the

Oh yuck... do we really want Cleveland to be synonymous with Snuggies?  I don't see what is so great about them anyway, they are just backwards robes.  At least with a robe you can tie it shut in the front... and you don't get the hillbilly stigma.

 

That game tonight was a little too close for comfort.  That is one streak Cleveland will be happy to kiss goodbye.

 

Switching thoughts, my wife got the NBA box that taco bell has been pushing lately.  The box features pictures of some of the leagues star players... not one of them from Cleveland.  I was pretty shocked that James wasn't among them... until I remembered a certain Cleveland hating former player does the commercials.

Does it matter that Lebron has a endorsement from McDonald's? I was just wondering if that endorsement would stop him from promoting another fast food place.