Cleveland Sports Forum

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison broke the little finger on his left hand in the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jamison is out for 5-7 weeks.

Cavs bigs now have to rank near the bottom of the NBA.

JJ is going to find the paint much thicker.

The improved play of late was a lttile worrisome if we're looking for the maximum number of ping pong balls. This should help. The two young men from the Celtics should get plenty of time on the court.

That Cavs starting lineup last night , if kept, assures Cleveland the most ping pong balls.

Spurs announcers were dumbfounded that ' guys you never heard of' were making a game of it last night.

It is very satisfying to see the Heat in trouble. I like the fact that real basketball fans (unlike me) are all laughing at the folly of a team put together by players.

I am just happy to see the traitor lose. Never thought lb was that much of a prima dona.. guess I was blinded.

Terry Pluto on the Cavs


1. In the early draft boards -- before the season began -- many teams had Harrison Barnes (North Carolina) and Perry Jones (Baylor) as the top two picks. That was based on their performance in summer AAU tournaments, before their first college game. Some even had Barnes as a preseason All-American -- which seemed quite reasonable after his 40-point effort carried the Tar Heels into the ACC final on Saturday. The Cavs and others drafting are now trying to figure out if these guys are worth the hype.

2. Jones is 6-11 and 220 pounds. The game comes very easy for him, and he tends to float -- averaging 13.9 points and 7.2 rebounds. He was declared ineligible for taking some cash payments. He will be in the draft, but seems a very risky pick in the top five. I'd rather work with a developing J.J. Hickson as a young big man.

3. Barnes was averaging 14.1 points prior to Saturday, shooting only 41 percent. He is a 6-8 athletic wing player, something the Cavs really need. Barnes started very slow this season, but he's peaking at exactly the right time and was named the ACC Rookie of the Year. He is intriguing, and has shown that he can hit game-winning jumpers.

4. I still wouldn't be shocked if the Cavs take Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, who played only eight college games before being injured. The top of the draft is often like this. There are guys who play little in college and are still teenagers as scouts try to figure out how they will react to being paid millions and fitting into the man's world of the NBA.

5. An intriguing player -- especially in the second round -- is Kenneth Faried at Morehead State. Some scouts rate him as an undersized power forward because he's only 6-8, but he's averaging 14.5 rebounds, after grabbing 13.0 the previous two years. When a guy leads the NCAA in rebounding, it catches my attention. No. 2 is Maryland's Jordan Williams at 11.6 rebounds, so no one is close to Faried when it comes to pure rebounding stats.

6. My favorite player is Brandon Knight, the Kentucky point guard who is being projected in the middle of the first round. He's in my Top 10 and I'd love to see him end up with the Cavs, perhaps with their second lottery pick. The 6-3 freshman is averaging 17.7 points, 4.0 assists and shooting 45 percent (41 percent on 3-pointers). Knight was an outstanding high school student and at Kentucky they rave about his character and work ethic.

By BOB FINNAN
rfinnan@MorningJournal.com



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With four draft picks and a $14.5 million traded player exception at their disposal, the Cavaliers have an opportunity to revamp their roster.

After their disastrous 2010-11 season, much turnover is needed.

One would assume the first three selections in the June 23 NBA draft will make the team. They might take a flyer on an international player with their second second-round pick and allow him to mature in Barcelona, Spain, or some other far away land.

Of the 15 players on the current roster, it’s possible that half of them could be gone by next year.

The trade exception expires on July 9. At that point, the Cavs could have salary-cap space.

Here’s a look at what might happen to the current Cavs in the offseason:

Baron Davis, PG, 6-3, 215, 11th year: He has two years remaining on his contract. He’s made a big impact on the team since he was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 24. Davis has become a mentor to many of the young players. He seems to like that role. He’ll likely be kept unless a fantastic trade drops in the Cavs’ laps.

Returning in 2011-12? — Yes.

Semih Erden, C, 7-0, 240, R: He hasn’t been able to stay healthy since he came to the team. The Cavs are intrigued by his talent and size. He has another year on his contract at the league minimum. This team needs size, so he’ll likely hang around.

Returning in 2011-12? — Probably

Christian Eyenga, F, 6-5, 210, R: He’s the most athletic player on the team, but he wears on some of the coaches at times. He seems aloof to what’s going on around him and at the opportunity he’s receiving. He’s made some strides, but still has a long way to go. He should be a “2,” but can’t handle the ball well enough. He just needs to continue to play in a team setting and improve his team defense and long-range shooting.

Returning in 2011-12? — Yes.

Alonzo Gee, F, 6-6, 220, 1st year: Talk about major strides. When he was first moved into the starting lineup in place of Eyenga, some thought he was the worst starting player in the NBA. He’s worked hard on his perimeter shooting and 3-point shot. He gets to the basket at ease. He’s probably worth another look.

Returning in 2011-12? — Probably.

Daniel Gibson, G, 6-2, 200, 4th year: He’s had a pretty good year playing defense and shooting the ball. He remains one of the best shooters on the team. He remains a favorite of Coach Byron Scott. He has some value around the league. Keep your eye on trade rumors.

Returning in 2011-12? — Maybe.

Joey Graham, F, 6-7, 230, 5th year: It’s been a season to forget for him. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy. When he gets a chance to play, he plays himself out of the role. It’s time to move on. The Cavs hold a team option on his contract for next year, which they probably won’t pick up.

Returning in 2011-12? — No.

Luke Harangody, F, 6-7, 251, R: The jury is still out on him. He’s undersized around the post. He doesn’t seem to shoot it well enough to be a “stretch 4,” but that’s been his role. He’s also under contract for the minimum for next year.

Returning in 2011-12? — Probably not.

Manny Harris, G, 6-5, 185, R: He’s had an up-and-down season. He shows some promise at times and then disappears. He’s back in the rotation today, but that could change tomorrow. He doesn’t handle the ball as well as he should. He has good speed and quickness, which helps on the defensive end.

Returning in 2011-12? — Maybe not.

J.J. Hickson, F, 6-9, 242, 3rd year: He appears to be a keeper. He’s been one of the most productive power forwards in the league in the second half of the season. The mental lapses are becoming few and far between as the season wore on.

Returning in 2011-12? — Yes.

Ryan Hollins, C, 7-0, 240, 4th year: He holds a player option on his contract for next year, which he’ll likely pick up. He’s so up and down as a player. He just doesn’t rebound with any consistency for being the tallest player on the team. He can dunk. He might be included in a deal.

Returning in 2011-12? — Probably not.

Antawn Jamison, F, 6-9, 235, 12th year: He’ll have an expiring contract next year, which will be coveted around the trade deadline. His scoring has been missed this year. It’s difficult to play both Jamison and Hickson, unless the latter is moved to center. There’s probably a very good chance he’ll be traded next season.

Returning in 2011-12? — Yes.

Anthony Parker, G/F, 6-6 210, 7th year: He’ll soon be 36 years old. He’s an unrestricted free agent. There’s talk of re-signing him, but it doesn’t add up. He’s had a nice run with the Cavs. He’s a great guy to have in the locker room. It’s time to move on.

Returning in 2011-12? — No. Continued...


Samardo Samuels, F/C, 6-9, 260, R: His work ethic has grown on everyone. He works so hard off and on the court. He’s a bit undersized and is not overly skilled. The Cavs love his motor. He attacks the basket with a vengeance.

Returning in 2011-12? — Yes.

Ramon Sessions, PG, 6-3, 185, 3rd year: He’s had probably his best season in the NBA. He’s best suited when everyone gets out of the way and he can attack the rim. He hasn’t grasped team basketball just yet. He definitely has talent, however. If the Cavs are lucky enough to draft Duke’s Kyrie Irving, Sessions could be traded.

Returning in 2011-12? — Maybe not.

Anderson Varejao, F/C, 6-11, 260, 6th year: He’s the team’s best defensive big man. He was missed when he tore the ligament in his foot. He’s also a strong rebounder. If he had stayed healthy, the Cavs might have traded him this year. There was a lot of buzz about him in the NBA.

Ok, here is how I would create Cavs excitement and building a team that may stay together because they came in together. It assume we get lucky and the Clippers lands in the top 3, with the Cavs #4 (I am assuming either the Wolves or Cavs will get top 3 thus allowing the Cavs to get the 4th pick at the worst).

I would trade JJ Hickson and Sessions for the top three pick we didn't get
I would trade Varejao any other player needed (Boobie) and part of the TE if necessary for the other top 3 pick.

With the top 4 picks I go Irving, Williams, Barnes and Kanter. We still would have Baron and Jamieson.

Our youth makes us likely to lose the first year, so we get another great pick next year. If we can salvage the TE then I give Pistons 3M plus take Rip since I think Pistons will be bottom 4 next year.

Alternatively, if we could land in the top 3, especially if we get #1, then we could still trade for the top 3 spots by possibly using the #8-11 pick instead of a player.

Now I know this sounds like a Plain Dealer scenario but wondering if this is realistic in any way.

Summer to bring Cleveland Cavaliers' next shuffle: Analysis

Published: Thursday, April 14, 2011, 11:33 PM Updated: Friday, April 15, 2011, 7:34 AM

By Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Where do the Cavaliers go from here?
The easy answer is up, right? It's the only way they can go after a 19-63 season that included an NBA-record 26-game losing streak.
But how to get there, now that's the question.
The Cavs have 13 players under contract for next season -- everybody who finished the season with the team, except Anthony Parker and Alonzo Gee. They have four draft choices -- two firsts and two seconds -- plus a $14.5 million trade exception, so there will be changes.
General Manager Chris Grant is scheduled to talk to the media on Monday, and coach Byron Scott was still basking in the glow of victory after Wednesday's season finale when he met with reporters Thursday.
"I haven't really thought about that," Scott said when asked if he had a list of players he wanted back. "I'm just trying to relax a little bit now. CG and I will talk. Obviously, we're going to sit down and start talking about the future of this basketball team from a player standpoint. But we haven't talked as of yet. We'll probably start talking some time early next week."
With his team finishing the season with two straight wins and four victories in the last six, Scott clearly would answer that question differently than he would have during the depths of despair in January.
"Today I'm in a real feel-good place," Scott said. "No. 1, because of the way we ended the season. No. 2, because of the way that locker room was and the way those players held it together. That made me very proud of them."
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Indeed, for all of their struggles, the Cavs never turned on each other. In large part, that's a credit to Scott and his coaches, who were determined to make things better. The players took their cue from that, as well as from veterans Parker, Antawn Jamison and Baron Davis, who arrived via trade on Feb. 24.
But everyone from owner Dan Gilbert to Grant and Scott has promised vast improvement next season, and that's going to involve a revamped roster. Whether it's a tweak or an overhaul remains to be seen, but here's a preliminary look at what might unfold.

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Let's just assume right now that the Cavs add only the four draft choices. Combined with the 13 players currently under contract, that would give them 17 players, so at least two would have to go.
It would seem that those would come from a group of five, including youngsters Gee, Luke Harangody, Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels as well as veteran Joey Graham, who was out of Scott's rotation for most of the season.
Semih Erden and Christian Eyenga likely are safe because of their huge upside. Samuels, who came on strong at the end of the season, might be in that category as well. Ryan Hollins also looked to be a goner for much of the year before showing some spunk down the stretch as the result of some prodding from long-time friend Davis. With the highly anticipated return of Anderson Varejao, Erden and Hollins would give the Cavs three viable options at center and allow J.J. Hickson and Samuels to stay at power forward.
Although all of the five players except Gee are under contract for next season, most of the money is not guaranteed. Furthermore, Gilbert always has been willing to spend whatever it costs to improve his team, and that's not about to stop now. Buying out a few contracts would be well worth the investment, should it come to that.
There has been a lot of chatter about the veterans Davis, Jamison and Parker, but Davis and Jamison clearly figure into the team's plans for next season. The Cavs have even hinted that Parker could return because of his steadying presence in the locker room. Jamison's expiring contract could make him a more attractive commodity next season than it did last season, but he was a trouper throughout the struggles of this season -- not to mention the team's leading scorer -- which makes him valuable to the Cavs as well.
The other group that will get a long look is point guards Davis, Ramon Sessions and Daniel Gibson. If the Cavs take a point guard in the first round, as is expected, it would seem they might have to decide between Sessions and Gibson because there wouldn't seem to be enough minutes for four.
But Sessions played well in place of the injured Mo Williams most of the year, and Gibson was Scott's favorite coming out of training camp, as well as one of the team's most popular players despite all his injuries. Perhaps the answer is to play Gibson solely at shooting guard, but the team needs to upgrade its production there.
All of the above will be open for discussion as the Cavs move onward and -- fans can only hope -- upward.
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Not really Cavs stuff, but the NBA playoffs has me more interested than I have been in years.

Although the first round has some snoozers, I still think there's lot of potential for upsets before it is all over.

And are the Chicago Bulls favorites?

Either Miami or Chicago comes out of the East. I think that's the matchup for the ECF. The question will be whether or not the young Bulls can win in South Beach because I expect the Heat to win one in Chicago. Rose is a very fun player to watch .

I miss not having the Cavs part of the playoff mix. I like that buzz when your team is in it.

May 17 will hopefully be very good for the franchise.

Incredible comeback by Bulls today, Rose is amazing.

Just wondering if today's report that NBA negotiations may be improving will lead to a change in heart by Barnes or others.