Mike Brown tweaked his starting lineup on Christmas Day, opening up the game with a backcourt of Larry Hughes and Sasha Pavlovic, thus putting Daniel Gibson off the bench. I agree, as written in this blog, that the wine and gold needed to get back to its defensive roots. and that combination does give Brown a better defensive team at the beginning of games. However, one game doesn’t mean the team has turned around, it will be interesting to see how the team performs tomorrow night in Dallas and then in New Orleans. I can still remember how terrible they looked Sunday against Golden State.
LeBron James was irritated after that contest, so he joined the other 20,000 who paid to be there in digust after that performance. After that game, rumors surfaced about Hughes being mentionned in trade talks. Quite frankly, GM Danny Ferry has to do something to shake up this team. I’m normally not one to push the panic button, but the Cavaliers are stuck in a malaise they haven’t been able to shake. The Cavs need consistency around LeBron, and that has been lacking since his return from injury. Yesterday, Drew Gooden decided to play, getting 18 points and 9 boards, but that has not been the norm as of late. Since Anderson Varajao has rejoined the team, Gooden has virtually disappered.
Hughes could have been put back in the starting lineup as a showcase move, since he hasn’t done anything to merit the move after his 36 point outburst against Indiana a few weeks back. The free agent disappointment is averaging less than 10 points per game and is shooting less than 33% from the floor this season. He does play defense, but you have to be able to put the ball in the hoop, or you force your teammates to play four on five. It would be stunning if Ferry can make a trade in which he gets a useful player in return for Hughes, because of his huge contract and diminished play.
Besides Hughes, it’s also time Ferry makes a move with his frontcourt. Gooden’s up and down play is maddening to me, so I can assume it has to drive his coach nuts. There is no question this team plays better when Varajao is in the game, so if you can trade the former Jayhawk, whose contract is not untradable, and get another Varajao type player (read: defender and rebounder) in return, it would definitely help the wine and gold. Gooden is a good offensive player at times, but he is prone to turnovers, mostly because he tries to do too much with his passes, and he doesn’t show up on a night to night basis.
Gibson didn’t do anything to be demoted. He played well yesterday, scoring 14 points off the bench. Boobie isn’t a good defense player, and takes ill-advised shots at times, but he is just a second year pro. He has improved greatly since a year ago, and he has a good work ethic, so it is probable he will learn from his mistakes and will continue to get better. If he can get better handling the ball, and can get the Cavs into their offense, he will be a starter at the NBA level for a very long time.
The next three or four weeks are a key for the Cavaliers. They will determine whether or not this team will be a team that is lucky to make the playoffs, or one that will make another run at the Eastern Conference title. The biggest factor in determining this is whether or not Danny Ferry can improve his roster. Based on how the team has performed over the past two weeks, a 7th or 8th seed looms in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ future.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 