Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Luck of the Draw
By John Chandler
Sometimes, it's the move you don't make that pays the biggest dividend.
The Cavs sure hope so.
After the dust settled on trade rumors (Luke Jackson to Portland for Juan Dixon; Drew Gooden and Eric Snow to just about every team in the Lottery) the Cavs stood their ground. Tonight, they're standing strong.
The top two players on general manager Danny Ferry's board were there when the Cavs jumped on the clock at the 25th pick. Shannon Brown was at the top of Cleveland's board. He's an explosive shooting guard from Michigan State, who can attack the basket or assault it from three. And Danny thought he'd never be around.
He was. Sitting at his home, in Maywood, Illinois, Brown had an idea that Cleveland would call his number.
"A week ago, LeBron told me good luck, and he hoped I'd be a Cav," said Brown, who has kept LeBron James' number in his cell phone since the two played in the McDonald's All Star game in 2003.
"We've got a good relationship, and we've kept in touch all these years. Man, we're buddies."
Asked if his "buddy" might have phoned in support for picking him in the first round, Shannon gave his best read-between-the-lines answer: "I'm sure he had some involvement."
You think?
But after picking Brown, the Cavs still had two more picks (#42 and #55 overall) to work with. Daniel Gibson was the second player on their board. Surely, the Texas point guard would not be around with their next pick. The Cavs wanted Gibson. But enough to trade up and grab him?
Not necessary. With point guard falling faster than snow in Chardon, Ferry and company stood their ground. And watched Gibson slide their way. The ESPN pundits gushed. Something tells me LeBron James couldn't help but do the same.
Without selling off parts like Drew Gooden, the Cavs were abled to land not one, but two players they had earmarked under the "Best Case Scenario" file.
Danny Ferry talked about how lucky they got.
Hey, sometimes it's better to be lucky than try too hard to be good.
Sometimes, it's the move you don't make that pays the biggest dividend.
The Cavs sure hope so.
After the dust settled on trade rumors (Luke Jackson to Portland for Juan Dixon; Drew Gooden and Eric Snow to just about every team in the Lottery) the Cavs stood their ground. Tonight, they're standing strong.
The top two players on general manager Danny Ferry's board were there when the Cavs jumped on the clock at the 25th pick. Shannon Brown was at the top of Cleveland's board. He's an explosive shooting guard from Michigan State, who can attack the basket or assault it from three. And Danny thought he'd never be around.He was. Sitting at his home, in Maywood, Illinois, Brown had an idea that Cleveland would call his number.
"A week ago, LeBron told me good luck, and he hoped I'd be a Cav," said Brown, who has kept LeBron James' number in his cell phone since the two played in the McDonald's All Star game in 2003.
"We've got a good relationship, and we've kept in touch all these years. Man, we're buddies."
Asked if his "buddy" might have phoned in support for picking him in the first round, Shannon gave his best read-between-the-lines answer: "I'm sure he had some involvement."
You think?
But after picking Brown, the Cavs still had two more picks (#42 and #55 overall) to work with. Daniel Gibson was the second player on their board. Surely, the Texas point guard would not be around with their next pick. The Cavs wanted Gibson. But enough to trade up and grab him?
Not necessary. With point guard falling faster than snow in Chardon, Ferry and company stood their ground. And watched Gibson slide their way. The ESPN pundits gushed. Something tells me LeBron James couldn't help but do the same.
Without selling off parts like Drew Gooden, the Cavs were abled to land not one, but two players they had earmarked under the "Best Case Scenario" file.
Danny Ferry talked about how lucky they got.
Hey, sometimes it's better to be lucky than try too hard to be good.
Posted at 8:36 PM
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