Thursday, July 28, 2005
Cavs Ca$shing In
LeBron James is not leaving Cleveland. Yet.
In April, the Cavs were a mess. Their playoff push felt more like a drag. And don't think new owner Daniel Gilbert watched it with a blind eye. The man took a beating--maybe worse than his team did, at times, on the court. Yes, perhaps he involved himself a little too much with x's and o's. But don't be so quick to write him off.
Gilbert takes risks. He flirted with big-ticket coaches, in Larry Brown and Phil Jackson. Was there harm in inquiring? Instead, he opted for first-timers in GM Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown. Give them a chance. Somebody did, way back when, for Brown and Jackson.
I understand Larry Hughes is not Michael Redd. But he might be better suited for this team, since playing defense--even occasionally--happens to be a part of the game. Hughes plays it better than most.
Point guard remains an issue, though I'm skeptical at over-paying a Marko Jaric to play 50 games a season. Thanks to injuries, he has not topped 68 in 3 years with the Clippers. Can you say red flag (er...Red Cross?). I'll take my chances with Eric Snow, and let LeBron run the show in crunch time.
My true concern with the offseason rests in the post. Will Zydrunas Ilgauskas become a liability in the back end of a five year deal? He could. But for now, he's more of an offensive presence in the middle than the assortment of journeymen alternatives.
Besides, this franchise can't worry much about 5 years down the line. They need to win now.
Or LeBron won't be around to help.
What do you think? I want to hear from the fans. E-mail me at chandler@wews.com and we'll talk about it.
In April, the Cavs were a mess. Their playoff push felt more like a drag. And don't think new owner Daniel Gilbert watched it with a blind eye. The man took a beating--maybe worse than his team did, at times, on the court. Yes, perhaps he involved himself a little too much with x's and o's. But don't be so quick to write him off.
Gilbert takes risks. He flirted with big-ticket coaches, in Larry Brown and Phil Jackson. Was there harm in inquiring? Instead, he opted for first-timers in GM Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown. Give them a chance. Somebody did, way back when, for Brown and Jackson.
I understand Larry Hughes is not Michael Redd. But he might be better suited for this team, since playing defense--even occasionally--happens to be a part of the game. Hughes plays it better than most.
Point guard remains an issue, though I'm skeptical at over-paying a Marko Jaric to play 50 games a season. Thanks to injuries, he has not topped 68 in 3 years with the Clippers. Can you say red flag (er...Red Cross?). I'll take my chances with Eric Snow, and let LeBron run the show in crunch time.
My true concern with the offseason rests in the post. Will Zydrunas Ilgauskas become a liability in the back end of a five year deal? He could. But for now, he's more of an offensive presence in the middle than the assortment of journeymen alternatives.
Besides, this franchise can't worry much about 5 years down the line. They need to win now.
Or LeBron won't be around to help.
What do you think? I want to hear from the fans. E-mail me at chandler@wews.com and we'll talk about it.
Posted at 6:22 PM
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