The Cleveland Indians continue to do nothing this off-season.  They are also projecting 2010 attendance to be in the 1.3 million range, easily the lowest figure since moving into Progressive Field following the 1993 season. 

 

That figure is causing the Dolan family to be very frugal with their operating budget, which was the reason for trading Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez in the middle of last season, and also the reason GM Mark Shapiro has basically done nothing to improve the club in the off-season.

 

However, it this a self-fulfilling prophecy for the Dolans?

 

If you do nothing in the hot stove circuit, there won’t be any buzz about your franchise, which means nobody is lining up at the ticket windows.  So basically, the ownership is at least partially responsible for the declining number of people who are paying to watch the Cleveland Indians.

 

The ownership will tell you that the depressed economy in the area is at fault too, but it doesn’t seem to deter fans from attending games of the Cavaliers, who reside right next store to where the Tribe plays. 

 

The difference is the Cavs are winners, and their owner is doing everything he can to win a championship. 

 

Yes, there is a salary cap in basketball.  However, the Cavs’ Dan Gilbert understands that if he puts a good product on the floor, people will attend the games.  It doesn’t hurt that he has the best player in the NBA on his team, but he knows a good product will draw fans.

 

The Dolan’s have it backwards.  They want people to show up before they spend money to better the ballclub.  But, if you aren’t doing anything to improve the team, you aren’t really giving the fans any reason to stop at the ticket window. 

 

If the ownership gave even a hint of trying to improve the team, fans would be interested. 

 

Again, no one expects the Tribe to sign John Lackey and Jason Bay as free agents.  They don’t generate that kind of revenue.  Perhaps GM Mark Shapiro is waiting for the price tags on other quality free agents to drop and then he’ll jump into the waters.  However, this waiting doesn’t promote ticket sales.

 

Many people are projecting less than 90 wins will win the Central Division, probably somewhere around 85-88 victories.  That’s not an unattainable figure for the Indians, who weren’t as bad as their 65-97 record says they were based on run differential.

 

However, doing nothing doesn’t help the team, nor does it make anyone excited for the upcoming season.  In fact, it makes most Tribe fans angry that the ownership and management is unwilling to do anything.

 

There has been a lot of baseball news over the past month with the winter meetings happening and the usual trades and free agent signings.  There just hasn’t been any news out of Cleveland. 

 

The front office will get what they deserve at the ticket window, when the same inactivity they have given fans is returned to them at the box office.

 

KM

 

The Cleveland Browns are proving to be the best of all of the NFL’s crummy teams as they defeated another squad on their level, beating the Oakland Raiders 23-9 to raise their record to 4-11.  Somewhere, the Eric Mangini supporters in town are raising a trophy symbolic of the Browns’ superiority against the mediocre teams in pro football.

 

The Browns took advantage of a solid running game and three interceptions by former Cleveland quarterback Charlie Frye to register their third straight win.  Jerome Harrison followed up his 286 yard performance by gaining 148 more in 39 carries, as the Browns went with what had working in their previous wins, a solid rushing attack. 

 

Derek Anderson, much like Brady Quinn, managed the game, didn’t make any mistakes, and basically threw the ball only when it was needed, completing just 8 of 17 throws for 121 yards and a touchdown to Mohammed Massaquoi.  He didn’t make the huge error he has made in the past, so all in all, it was a good job by Anderson. 

 

However, I doubt that Mike Holmgren is making plans to build around him or Quinn next season.

 

The game really went the Browns way early, when Frye’s first pass was picked off by David Bowens, and two plays later, Harrison ran it in from 17 yards to give Cleveland a 7-0 lead.  From then on, the Raiders moved the ball only to make mistakes.  They outgained Cleveland for the game 389 to 282, because, much like last year, the Raiders threw for 301 yards against the Browns’ beleagued secondary.

 

The difference was this week, Rob Ryan’s defense recorded four sacks, one and a half by recent waiver pick up Matt Roth, which stopped the Oakland offense from getting into the end zone. 

 

Really, it was the same Frye we watched with the Browns, throwing the ball recklessly and taking unnecessary sacks.  He put up some big numbers, but couldn’t stay away from big negative plays, which was his history in Cleveland.

 

What this game showed was the discipline Mangini brought to the Browns.  The Raiders were penalized 13 times for 126 yards, the Browns just six times.  It is the one thing you can say the coach accomplished with the ’09 Browns.

 

The three straight wins over so-so opponents is nice, but you can’t overlook the 1-11 start.  Mangini most definitely made some changes going into the San Diego game after a 1-10 start, but why did it take rumors swirling about his job for him to make the moves? 

 

As for the players not quitting on the coach, it’s their job!  They are playing to stay in the NFL.  The coach shouldn’t get any extra credit for that.

 

The decision on Mangini rests with new team president Mike Holmgren.  If Holmgren and whomever he picks as general manager want him to stay, that’s fine.  However, it’s more likely that The Big Show (Holmgren) will want his own man in place, and he should.  He must make sure everyone is on the same page. 

 

Don’t get carried away with the wins, and the Browns could win a fourth straight game against a Jacksonville team that has nothing to play for next week.  It would have been better if the Cleveland Browns showed this kind of life in October instead of December.

 

JD

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers started their four game road trip with a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, who were playing without all star Dirk Nowitzke.  That loss seemed to fire them up for the rest of the sojourn because they followed it up by giving Phoenix their first home loss, beat Sacramento in overtime, and then saved the best for last.

 

They hammered the Los Angeles Lakers 102-87 at the Staples Center before what turned out to be an angry LA crowd and a national television audience.

 

The Cavs were physical from the get go and Shaquille O’Neal showed exactly why GM Danny Ferry acquired him from Phoenix in the off-season, scoring 11 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, and also being a brick wall in front of the basket that not even Kobe Bryant could leap over.

 

By the end of the contest, the Lakers were a thoroughly frustrated team, with Lamar Odom Kardashian getting ejected, and Bryant and Derek Fisher also picking up technical fouls.  The latter two players seemed offended that the Cavs didn’t just allow them to do whatever they pleased offensively. 

 

Bryant scored 35 points, but took 32 shots to do so, and was upset a couple of times when he drove to the hoop only to run into a stationary O’Neal.  When Bryant bounced off, as smaller things do to larger things, he was incredulous when no foul was called. 

 

Defensively, he spent the fourth quarter doing things to James and the other Cleveland players that would have been called fouls had someone done them to Bryant. 

 

Fisher was jacked up because Mo Williams abused him for 28 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, including a barrage in the third quarter when Mo scored the Cavs’ first ten points. 

 

The Lakers weren’t used to the physical play.

 

Last season, the Cavs lost twice to the Lakers because LA’s size inside was a huge factor.  Not yesterday.  Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Odom combined for just 21 points and 17 boards, and O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Anderson Varajao beat them up for 22 points, but 25 rebounds.  The size advantage was nullified.

 

The x-factor was Jamario Moon, who scored 13 points on 6 of 7 shooting, and played solid defense on Bryant, where is length and athleticism challenged Bryant. 

 

Mike Brown used O’Neal and Ilgauskas together at times, but this time it was appropriate because of the height the Lakers can put on the floor.  Brown coached like this was a statement game, and the Cavs, who have seemed to be drifting through the regular season at times, played with playoff intensity. 

 

James said the Cavs used the game as a measuring tool to see where they stood against the defending champs, but make no mistake, they sent a message to Bryant and the Lakers that they can play a physical game now with O’Neal and the other big men. 

 

Keep this in mind when you look at the NBA standings.  Of the so-called elite teams in the league, nobody has played more road games than the Cavs (18).  The Lakers have a better record, but they have played 19 of their 28 games at home.  In the East, all three of the other contenders for the best record in the conference have played equal amounts of games at home and on the road. 

 

This is a big advantage as the season is heading to the halfway point.

 

The wine and gold come home after delivering a great gift to the city on Christmas Day.  That had to put a smile on every basketball fan’s face in this area.

 

JK

 

In the midst of a two game winning streak, which a month ago seemed impossible, Browns’ owner Randy Lerner hired former Packers’ and Seahawks’ Mike Holmgren as team president.  It’s a move that is ten years late, but better late than never for Lerner.

 

The Browns needed a football man to run the entire operation, and Holmgren has been involved in the NFL since 1986.  He has been a coach of three teams that went to the Super Bowl, including one winner, and handled the general manager duties with Seattle for several years. 

 

He has never run the whole show, but he knows what is going on in an NFL front office.

 

Holmgren is not a glorified public relations man who has no background in personnel like Carmen Policy.  He’s not an assistant coach with some experience as a college head coach like Butch Davis.  He’s not a scout without any management experience like Phil Savage, nor is he a young coach with one playoff appearance like Eric Mangini. 

 

He’s an NFL lifer, one who has been involved with the building of two teams.  He’s worked with some of the best quarterbacks in league history, like Steve Young and Brett Favre.  He has the best pedigree of any of the men Lerner has entrusted his franchise to. 

 

Finally, a bona fide face of the franchise that has had success in the league is working for the Browns.

 

Now, Holmgren has to assemble the rest of the organization.  He needs to hire a general manager, ideally someone he has worked with before, and let that man hire a new coach, or keep Eric Mangini.  Sort of like a real organization works.

 

With 11 picks in next spring’s NFL Draft, Holmgren needs to get a scouting staff in place because this is where the rebuilding of the Cleveland Browns begins.  They simply must find some impact players in the next draft.  With all of the choices they had last year, only first round pick Alex Mack looks like a future Pro Bowler.

 

There is no guarantee that Holmgren will turn things around and make the Browns a perennial playoff team.  In fact, there’s no guarantee that anyone can do it.

 

However, Mike Holmgren has the best pedigree of anyone that Randy Lerner has hired.  He should have recognized this several years ago, but better late than never. 

 

The new president will start putting his people in place soon after the season is over.  The speculation about who will have what job will make talking football fun again in Cleveland.  After this debacle of a season, that’s a welcome thing.

 

On another Browns’ note…With Brady Quinn out for the rest of the season, why not play Brett Ratliff in the last two contests.  There is nothing to be gained by starting Derek Anderson. 

 

Either Anderson will have a spectacular game against the Raiders, which will cause everyone to get excited about his big arm, or he will be awful thus lowering his already plummeting trade value.

 

Why not give Ratliff a shot?  After all, it’s not like a playoff spot is at stake.

 

JD

 

For those Browns’ fans willing to give Eric Mangini an extra year after beating a mediocre Pittsburgh team last Thursday night must be building statues in the coach’s likeness today after the Browns won their second straight game, beating Kansas City, 41-34 at Arrowhead Stadium.

 

It took a pair of record setting performances by Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison to put this one in the win column. 

 

Cribbs ran two kickoffs back for touchdowns in the first half to keep the Browns in the game while the offense sputtered.  The TD’s were the former Kent State quarterbacks seventh and eighth of his career, breaking an NFL career mark of six that Cribbs had tied.  Among those who were tied with Cribbs were Hall of Fame runners Gale Sayers and Ollie Matson. 

 

Harrison broke Jim Brown’s Cleveland record of 237 yards rushing, set in 1961, by running for 286 yards and three touchdowns, including a 28 yard run which put Cleveland ahead to stay.  He also broke a 71-yarder to give the Browns the lead in the third quarter. 

 

Cleveland didn’t play good defense, especially early in the game as the Chiefs second 24 first half points, but enough adjustments were made in the second half, and that, along with KC’s inability to catch the ball, allowed the Browns to win this one. 

 

Really, when you rush for 351 yards as a team, it shouldn’t be much of a game.  However, Kansas City gained 491 yards of total offense compared to the Browns’ 417, because Mangini and Brian Daboll have Brady Quinn simply managing the game and because the defense allowed 323 yards through the air.  Perhaps somebody might tell Cleveland secondary to guard Bedford’s Chris Chambers, who caught 5 balls for 114 yards. 

 

Add secondary help to the list of needs that have to be addressed in the off-season.  If defensive coordinator Rob Ryan can’t get to the quarterback with his variety of blitzes, teams can pass on the Browns all day long.  If not for all the drops, Matt Cassel would have thrown for over 400 yards easily.

 

Now back to Harrison’s performance.  Instead of putting the coach on a pedestal, let’s wonder why Harrison virtually disappeared following his fine game against Cincinnati in week four, when he totaled over 100 yards rushing.  Yes, the running back is not perfect, for example, he has problems in pass protection, but he is a playmaker.  Yesterday’s game showed that he can make big plays when he has the opportunity.  However, he was among the missing for most of this dreadful season.

 

Also, Cribbs has shown that he deserves a new contract.  He should go to the Pro Bowl as the return man.  No questions asked.  He and Joe Thomas are the best players on this football team.  It was nice to see offensive coordinator Brian Daboll let him throw the ball yesterday.  There really wasn’t a big need for the wildcat formation yesterday because of Harrison’s success, but Daboll showed it occasionally to keep the KC defense off balance.

 

Brady Quinn didn’t have a big passing day, and threw two interceptions, but he managed the game well, and made some big plays with his legs.  He’s not putting up great numbers, but he is moving the ball better than Derek Anderson.  It was an event when the Browns got a first down the past few games Anderson was playing.

 

With the Raiders coming in next week, the Browns have a chance to win three straight.  However, even if they do, remember they are beating other horrible teams, which is nothing to get excited about.

 

JD

 

 

 

 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are going through a period where they aren’t playing very well.  They are sloppy on offense and seem bored and listless on defense until the fourth quarter when the game is on the line.  They certainly don’t seem like the same regular season team that played last season.

 

Yet, they are 19-7 and on a four game winning streak. 

 

That speaks to the talent on the team, and their ability to make plays when it counts.  It also speaks to the fact they have the best player on the planet in LeBron James, who takes over games and prevents defeats.

 

Perhaps this is again another way in which this organization mimics the San Antonio Spurs, who have won four championships since the arrival of Tim Duncan in 1998-99. 

 

The most games San Antonio has won in the regular season is 63, which occurred in 2005-06, a season in which they lost in the Western Conference finals.  In the seasons where they won a championship, the most games they won was 60 in 2002-03. 

 

Coach Gregg Popovich uses the early regular season to develop players and establish rotations.  He is confident in his team’s ability to win on the road, even in the playoffs.  So, he doesn’t put the pedal to the metal early in the season, he takes care of the health of his players, particularly the ones who have some age on them.

 

Granted, the Cavaliers do not have the comfort or experience of having won a title, but it’s hard to believe the wine and gold are playing their best ball right now.

 

The lack of defensive intensity is startling because it is what Mike Brown hangs his hat on.  His Cavaliers are a defensive minded squad because it is a constant.  It should show up every night.

 

Lately though, it hasn’t.  Mediocre teams like the Nets and 76ers are getting too many good looks against the wine and gold.  That is, usually, until the fourth quarter when the Cavs see they are in a game and clamp down and play the solid defense they have been known for.

 

Mo Williams seems to have taken a step back defensively, and obviously the team misses Delonte West’s ability on the defensive end.  Jamario Moon usually does a good job on that end of the floor, but Brown seems reluctant to give him more minutes. 

 

Whatever the solution, Brown has to shore up the perimeter defense.

 

Offensively, it seems like the team misses former assistant coach John Kuester, now the headman with the Pistons.  There are many times that the offense bogs back down into having LeBron dribbling on the perimeter, with everyone else on the team standing still and watching. 

 

By the way, it’s not a very effective attack.

 

When the Cavs move the ball around, it is a thing of beauty watching the defense scramble to find the open man.  And the interior passing is beautiful with J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varajao getting lay up and dunks off of penetration.

 

When James starts pounding the ball on top, the coaching staff has to try something different.  The offense becomes stagnant and the opponents have an easier time defending.

 

The Cavs have a tough road trip coming up and need to start playing better basketball.  They responded to the challenge once before winning against Orlando and Miami last month. 

 

However, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the wine and gold took a page out of the Spurs’ book and played their best in April, May, and June. 

 

JK 

 

When the Cleveland Indians decided to trade Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez at last season’s trading deadline, GM Mark Shapiro said the ballclub could have kept both players, but he wouldn’t have been able to add any pieces to the 2010 Tribe.

 

The underlying message was that moving both all-stars would enable Shapiro to make some moves during the off-season. 

 

Well, how’s that working out now?

 

Last week, the annual winter meetings took place, and trades were made and free agents were being courted, but the Indians did nothing except draft RHP Hector Ambriz in the Rule 5 draft, and lost southpaw Chuck Lofgren to Milwaukee in the same manner. 

 

So, keeping score, the Indians now no longer have Lee and Martinez, and they haven’t done anything as of yet to strengthen the 2010 Tribe. 

 

Have the fans been hoodwinked again?

 

To be fair, the Indians do not open up training camp for two months, and the season doesn’t begin for another six weeks after that.  So, there still is time to make some moves to bolster the roster.

 

And with the non-tendering of Anthony Reyes, Jose Veras, and Adam Miller (both Reyes and Miller have been re-signed to minor league contracts), the 40 man roster now stands at 37, meaning there is room to sign a free agent or two.

 

There have been rumors about interest in Marcus Thames, a right-handed power-hitting outfielder who played for the Tigers last season.  Thames will be 33 next season, doesn’t show a great platoon differential, and is not a great defender.  He might help in a limited role since the Tribe needs some pop from the right side, but he wouldn’t be considered a major upgrade.

 

One of the teams who finished behind the Indians last season, the Tigers, have apparently decided that next season is a rebuilding year after dealing CF Curtis Granderson and starter Edwin Jackson for prospects.  That means the Twins and White Sox would likely be the competition for a playoff spot in the AL Central.

 

You have to remember that the bar is set pretty low in this division.  The Twins won with 86 wins, plus the extra playoff victory.  It’s not like the Indians have to get to 95 wins to advance to the playoffs.  Sure, they only won 65, but they were seven games below what their record should have been based on run differential.  Generally, teams like that have a good bounce back the following year.

 

The offense is probably good enough to win with a healthy Grady Sizemore, but the starting pitching needs an upgrade.  No one can possibly think success is around the corner with a rotation of Jake Westbrook (coming off injury), Justin Masterson, David Huff, Aaron Laffey, and Fausto Carmona.  Wouldn’t a Cliff Lee look great at the front of that rotation?

 

Again, there is time to do something.  Standing pat with this team in this division is a slap in the face to the ballplayers and the fans. 

 

Unless we all misunderstood what the GM was saying after trading two of their best players.

 

MW

 

Many people are speculating that Eric Mangini may have saved his job with last Thursday night’s 13-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Let’s not forget that the defending Super Bowl champs had lost four straight going into the game. 

 

The Browns didn’t do anything that at least two other mediocre teams have done this season in beating Pittsburgh.  No one is confusing the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs with the NFL elite teams, yet both of those squads knocked off the Steelers. 

 

It’s nothing to get that excited about.

 

This is where Randy Lerner needs to keep listening to guys like Bernie Kosar, and not get all hyped up about this win.  He needs to stick to the plan he supposedly put in place after the debacles against Chicago and Green Bay.

 

The owner needs to do what he should have done after letting Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel go last season. 

He needs to hire a head of football operations, let that person hire a general manager, and together they should hire the coach.  That’s the way to put together an organization.  Not hire the first person you are impressed with.

 

Lerner also cannot hire someone as his football czar who will accept Mangini as the coach.  He must find the best man for the job, and let him take care of all of the football business.  If that means Mangini needs to be replaced, then so be it.

 

Mangini seems unwilling or unable to deal with talented players.  He also bases his roster decisions too much on the ability to play special teams, rather than making a difference on every down.  His handling of the quarterback situation was an out and out disaster, and his offensive game plan has been horrific from week to week.  

 

After thinking that last season’s 4-12 record was rock bottom, the new coach came in and gutted the roster, which was needed because of the losing that had occurred.  However, for the most part, they were not replaced with an upgrade in ability. 

 

Last year’s draft was a failure, save the first round pick in Alex Mack, who looks like he will be a solid player and wide receiver Mohammad Massaquoi, who starts.  His other two second round picks can’t get on the field. 

 

The new football executive has to be allowed to make the decisions, all of the decisions.  Beating Pittsburgh is nice, but other bad teams did that too.  Let’s not get carried away. 

 

If the Browns lose to KC this Sunday, the people thinking Mangini is the right guy for the job will be singing a different tune come a week from today.

 

JD

 

 

Put the Ndamukong Suh talk on hold.  The Cleveland Browns won a football game.

 

In fact, they dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers on the line of scrimmage and came away with a very unexpected 13-6 victory, ending the 12 game losing streak against the team from the Steel City. 

 

We talk all the time about the importance of running the ball and stopping the run, and for one night, at least, the Browns accomplished both in the same contest.  They ran for 171, paced by Josh Cribbs, who gained 87 yards in eight carries out of the wildcat formation.

 

Cribbs was the star of the game, setting up Cleveland’s first field goal with a 55-yard punt return to the Pittsburgh 8.  He also caught one pass, and was his usual factor defensively on special teams as well.

 

Pittsburgh could never get their running attack going, either, as they were held to just 75 yards on the ground.  It was telling early in the game that coach Mike Tomlin had little confidence in the running game when the Steelers tried to throw on 3^rd and 1 on their first series, and Ben Roethlisberger was sacked.

 

The co-star of the game was the much-maligned Browns’ secondary whose coverage of the Steeler receivers was responsible for many of the eight sacks provided by the defense.  Perhaps the footing on the turf slowed down the receivers enough that the Cleveland defensive backs were able to stay with the likes of Santonio Holmes and the injured Hines Ward. 

 

Early in the game, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan dialed up a variety of blitzes to keep Roethlisberger off balance and it paid off with five first half sacks.  The defense was particularly effective on third down, forcing eight punts by Pittsburgh, which means eight return opportunities for Cribbs.

 

Heck, even Hank Poteat managed to get a sack yesterday. 

 

Brady Quinn’s number were pedestrian, hitting 6 of 19 passes for 90 yards with no interceptions, but he managed the game and seems to handle the no huddle offense very well.  And it was good to see him going up and down the bench at the end of the game congratulating his teammates on a job well done.

 

But, it was really great to see how offensive coordinator Brian Daboll used Cribbs in the wildcat so effectively.  The games where Cribbs carries one or two times is a waste.  This guy is a weapon, not as a wide receiver, where he was tried early in the year, but in this formation.  Cribbs is averaging over six yards per pop, and should be getting six to ten carries per game.

 

By the way, the front office needs to take care of Cribbs in the off-season, because he is a difference maker and the team’s best player.

 

To damper some of the excitement, the Steelers aren’t a good football team right now, having lost five in a row.  These are not the Super Bowl winners of a year ago.  However, when you haven’t beaten a team in six years, you’ll take it.  It doesn’t mean the team has turned a corner, it just means you can beat a struggling football team.

 

Being 2-11 is not good.  However, being 2-11 and not seeing Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward smiling throughout the game makes you feel good through the weekend.  It’s about time.

 

JD

 

A few weeks ago, we were a little concerned about the Cleveland Cavaliers.  While there are still some things to worry about, the recent play of the team has eased them.  The Cavs have won four out of five, seven of ten, and since a 0-2 start, they have emerged victorious in 15 of their last 19 contests.

 

LeBron James is shooting less, passing more, and is a more efficient player offensively, if you can believe that.  He is shooting over 50% from the floor for the first time in his career, and he is averaging one more assist per game than his previous career best. 

 

This makes sense because he won’t turn 25 years of age until the end of this month. 

 

However, even with the success of the team and its superstar, there still are improvements to be made, and the key is the continued good performance of guard Delonte West.

 

The wine and gold are winning games, but when West is playing well, there are times when the Cavs look unbeatable.  Take Sunday’s game in Milwaukee, for example.  West came off the bench and scored 14 points in a row during a stretch in the 2^nd quarter.  His play was a key to a 29-0 run that basically put the game away before halftime.

 

West isn’t an all-star player, but he does everything well.  He can handle the ball, play solid defense; shoots well from the perimeter, and is even a good post up player.  We all knew how important he was to the team last season, but his absences this year re-emphasizes these points. 

 

Other guys have emerged this season because of West’s problems, and that will help the team in the long run because it improves the depth.

 

Daniel Gibson still isn’t the most reliable ball handler, and Mike Brown hasn’t asked him to do much of that since the beginning of the season.  However, Gibson is playing very well.  His shot has been very effective, and he has started to show the ability to take the ball to the basket and score, which will help him create room for his jumper. 

 

He looks like the Gibson who starred in the playoffs during his rookie season, helping the wine and gold get to the Finals.

 

The other player who has stepped up was Jamario Moon, who is a similar player to West, minus the ball handling skills.  Moon is a good defender, can make shots, and his athleticism is off the charts. 

 

These two guys allow Mike Brown to go ten deep, which he might think is a bad thing, but it is really a plus.  The Miracle of Richfield team had similar depth (and an aging veteran pivot man, too) and it will help in the playoffs because the normal wear and tear of an NBA season will be lessened.

 

JK