Oh, no!  The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost three games in a row!  Surely, this will ruin their chances in the playoffs because they have lost momentum going into the post-season. 

 

That reaction has been heard throughout Cleveland in the last few days.

 

However, nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, the last three games show how strong this roster is.

 

First, LeBron James, the sport’s best player didn’t play in any of these games, all close losses to the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic.  The fact that the games could have gone either way right down to the end shows how talented the Cavs roster is. 

 

The Bulls were playing for their playoffs lives, yet won because for some reason, Anderson Varajao thought he was a jump shooter at the end of the game.  Oh, and by the way, the wine and gold’s second leading scorer, Antawn Jamison missed most of the fourth quarter with a bruised foot. 

 

Still, Cleveland almost, and you could argue, should have won that game.

 

Against Indiana, Mike Brown decided to sit Jamison and Mo Williams in addition to James, and once again the Cavs were in the game to the end with little used Sebastian Telfair scoring 21 points and looking good doing it.

 

The likely MVP sat out again yesterday against Orlando along with Anthony Parker, and again the game wasn’t decided until the final few minutes.  And Brown decided not to put Mo Williams and Jamison back into the game in the fourth quarter, when they obviously would have provided an impact. 

 

All were close games, even though several key pieces of this team were missing.  And don’t forget Shaquille O’Neal is still out with his thumb injury.

 

Also, the coaching staff learned something in these games, which may be even more important.

 

Mo Williams looked like the player he was in the 2008-09 regular season.  He didn’t settle for jump shots.  He took the ball to the basket, and when he did shoot from outside, his shot look much better than it did following his return from his shoulder injury.

 

Jamario Moon got a chance to play, and showed that he can be a contributor.  And no offense to Jawad Williams, but if Mike Brown thought he was a better player than Moon, he is crazy.

 

Telfair looks like he can be a contributor next season if he is here.  He looks like a player who can handle the ball and get to the basket to create things.  He could take the minutes of Daniel Gibson next season because of his ability to initiate the offense. 

 

Varajao should not be taking anything besides the layups he gets by slipping behind the defense when opponents double and triple team LeBron James.

 

When the playoffs start, Delonte West will become more and more important to this team the deeper it gets in the post-season.  West can create his own shot, can handle the ball, and most of all, he can defend out on the perimeter.

 

Relax, Cavs’ fans!  Just one more regular season game, and the playoffs start this weekend.  Finally!  The quest for a title is at hand.

 

JK

 

 

 

 

The Cleveland Browns are preparing a pretty good smoke screen as to what they are going to do in the NFL Draft, which will occur later this month.  Reports have the team looking at cornerbacks, safeties, quarterbacks, defensive linemen, and offensive linemen. 

 

Since three of these spots are on the defensive side of the ball, it’s safe to say that Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert feel the need to improve on that side of the line of scrimmage. 

 

Last week, they made another move to help out in that area.

 

They traded a 4^th round pick, a 5^th round pick, and backup linebacker Alex Hall to Philadelphia for cornerback Sheldon Brown and LB Chris Gocong.  The initial reaction is trading a couple of mid-round picks and a reserve player for two guys who will likely start for you is always a good thing.

 

The team continues to have five selections in the draft’s first 92 picks.

 

Brown, 31, gives the team an experienced corner to go with Eric Wright.  He started all 16 games for the Eagles, picking off five passes.  He is most definitely an upgrade over Brandon McDonald and Mike Adams, who started last season. 

 

Gocong, who is just 26 years old, has started 35 games for Philadelphia, and can play both the inside and outside linebacking positions.  He is also expected to play special teams for the Browns. 

He was mentioned during Heckert’s introductory press conference as a guy both he and coach Eric Mangini liked coming out of college, but Heckert’s Eagles picked him before Mangini’s Jets could. 

 

Outside of upgrading the quarterback position, there is no question the defense was a huge concern for the new administration, particularly the secondary.  If Eric Berry from Tennessee drops to the seventh spot in the draft, which it appears more likely he will, the Browns will jump to get him.

 

That would replace half of last year’s starting secondary, with Berry replacing the oft-injured Brodney Pool, who was let go prior to the free agency period.

 

If Berry isn’t available, then the Browns can turn to CB/S Earl Thomas or USC S Taylor Mays to help the secondary.

 

There is no way to project who will start at what spot among the linebackers, because of the flexibility the brown and orange have picked up in the off-season.  Newly signed free agent Scott Fujita can also play both spots. 

 

It would also not be a surprise if Holmgren and Heckert went for another linebacker with one of their first five picks in a few weeks. 

 

The point is this.  Just like last season, the Cleveland Browns need an impact player on the defensive side of the ball.  The AFC North has good quarterbacks and intimidating defenses.  Think about Troy Polamalu with the Steelers and Ray Lewis with the Ravens. 

 

The Browns need both of these things.  Holmgren will target the QB in the second or third rounds, but he can use the first round choice to get that defensive player. 

 

Now is the time to make the move.

 

JD

 

We’ve looked at the American League last week, so with the regular season starting up in earnest today, here is what we think the National League will look like in 2010.

 

Atlanta

Philadelphia

New York

Florida

Washington

 

The Braves still have their trademark pitching and the offense will be bolstered with rookie Jason Heyward.  They will break the Phillies stranglehold at the top of the division in Bobby Cox’ last season.  Roy Halladay will have a big year going to the National League, but the back of the Phils’ rotation could be shaky.  The Mets will get better season’s from David Wright and Jose Reyes, but their pitching is problematic.  Florida is still too young, although they have the second best player in the NL in Hanley Ramirez.  The Nationals will be improved, but not enought to escape the basement.

 

St. Louis

Chicago

Cincinnati

Milwaukee

Pittsburgh

Houston

 

The Cardinals are still the class of this division, led by Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday.  The Cubs need a comeback year from Alfonso Soriano in order to have a better offense, and the back end of the bullpen is a question mark. They are good, but St. Louis is better in all aspects of the game.  The Reds are starting to improve, although they need a comeback season from Aaron Harang.  Joey Votto may be the leagues’ most underrated player.  The Brewers can probably out hit anyone, but their pitching is suspect.  The Pirates will escape the cellar and are improving.  The Astros might be the NL’s worst team.

 

Los Angeles

Colorado

Arizona

San Francisco

San Diego

 

Many have forgotten that the Dodgers were the NL’s best team during the regular season, and they are for the most part, still a young team.  The Rockies are the trendy pick to win the pennant, but they will come up short in the pitching department.  Arizona improved their pitching, and will be improved, but not enough to be in contention.  The Giants have enough great starters to be tough if they got to the playoffs, but they don’t have enough hitting or youth in their lineup to get there.  The Padres are rebuilding and will probably trade their best player, Adrian Gonzalez, during the season.

 

WILD CARD:  Colorado

 

KM

 

Every year, Cleveland Sports Perspective tries to give you an idea of how this baseball season will go.  We’ve already told you the Indians will finish in 3^rd place this season.  Here’s our guess on how the rest of the American League will shape up.

 

AL EAST

Boston

New York

Tampa Bay

Toronto

Baltimore

 

This division will be hotly contested with perhaps the three best teams in the AL in this division.  Yes, Tampa Bay is that good.  The edge goes to Boston because eventually, some of the Yankees (Jeter, Posada, Rivera) have to show some age.  The Red Sox have a deep starting staff and a solid bullpen, although their offense will not be as strong.  Toronto and Baltimore are probably pushing for the radical realignment plan to get out of this division.

 

AL CENTRAL

Chicago

Detroit

Cleveland

Minnesota

Kansas City

 

The loss of Joe Nathan and the move out of the Metrodome will hurt the Twins more than people think.  The White Sox have the best starting pitching in the division with the addition of Jake Peavy for a full season.  The Tigers could have a top three in the rotation that rivals Chicago, but the back end of the rotation is iffy.  If Francisco Liriano comes back, the Twins will move up, but the rest of their rotation is a bunch of pitch to contact guys, and those guys don’t fare well every season.  The Royals keep signing guys like Scott Podsednik.

 

AL WEST

Oakland

Los Angeles

Seattle

Texas

 

Seattle is the trendy pick, but after Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, their starters are nothing to write home about.  The A’s are young and improving and they will emerge as the winner in the league’s most balanced division.  Keep an eye on Oakland’s Brett Anderson, who could be the AL’s next great pitcher.  The Rangers starting pitching won’t repeat the very good season they had last season. 

 

WILD CARD:  New York

 

Coming up soon, our fearless National League forecast.

 

MW                        

 

Over this winter, we have been very critical of the Cleveland Indians organization.  This would lead people to believe that we think the upcoming 2010 season is hopeless.  This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  The various publications who are saying the Tribe is one of the worst teams in the major leagues are dead wrong.

 

In fact, we feel the Tribe will finish in third place in AL Central this season, winning about 75-78 games.

 

That’s why it galled us that the front office did virtually nothing this off-season.  They weren’t as far away as they thought they were.

 

The biggest question mark with this ballclub is the pitching, both starting and relief.  There simply isn’t one guy you can hang your hat on as an anchor to this pitching staff.  And the front office didn’t do anything to rectify this during the off-season. 

 

So, when the season opens on Monday, the rotation will consist of Jake Westbrook, who hasn’t started a big league game since 2008; Fausto Carmona, who won 19 games in ’07 but has done little since; Justin Masterson, who has more experience as a relief pitcher; David Huff, who is in his second season; and rookie Mitch Talbot. 

 

Not exactly, the rotation the team had in 2007 is it?

 

In the bullpen, there are some good arms, but they belong to hurlers largely unproven in the majors.  Chris Perez will open the season as the closer replacing the injured Kerry Wood, and he was impressive as a set up man last year, but he has yet to show he can fulfill this role at the big league level.  Rafael Perez has had success, but had a poor 2009, and the rest of the relief corps is unproven.  Aaron Laffey will be the long man out there, and Joe Smith can be effective against right-handed hitters.

 

The pitching woes mask the fact that this team will score runs.  A healthy Grady Sizemore will be the centerpiece of the attack, with Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera forming a very good top of the lineup.  There is also guarded optimism for Travis Hafner, who seems to have put his shoulder woes of the past two seasons behind him. 

 

Matt LaPorta looks like he can provide a solid right-handed power bat at 1B or LF, and Jhonny Peralta will provide his usual numbers at third.  Michael Brantley will open the season on the big league roster, providing the ability to get on base and some speed at the bottom of the order.  It will be interesting to see if the youngster acquired in the C.C. Sabathia trade will be Grady Sizemore to Russell Branyan’s Juan Gonzalez in 2005. 

 

That is to say, if Brantley gets off to a good start, Branyan may be in a reserve role when he comes back.

 

At second base, Luis Valbuena will platoon with someone, probably Anderson Hernandez.  Just 23, we feel Valbuena will be a fine major league player.  Yes, he could improve defensively, but more and more, second base is regarded as an offensive position in today’s game, and Valbuena can be a plus offensive player if he can become more selective at the dish.

 

All in all, this isn’t a great team, but it’s not the worst team in MLB by a longshot.  If the pitching is decent, this club will contend in a division where there is no great teams.  The Twins can hit, but without Joe Nathan, their pitching is questionable.  The White Sox and Tigers can pitch, but their hitting is a little soft.  The Royals are well, the Royals. 

 

At the 76-78 wins we project, the Indians will be within 10 games of first at the end of this campaign.

 

MW

 

 

 

 

 

Over the last month, a lot of things have changed for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but winning has remained constant.  The wine and gold maintain a three game lead for the best overall record in the NBA with just eight games left on the schedule.

 

It is doubtful the Lakers will be able to overtake Mike Brown’s crew, especially when you consider that Cleveland has the tiebreaker by sweeping both games against Los Angeles.

 

Since the All-Star break, the Cavs have traded Zydrunas Ilgauskas and got him back, lost Shaquille O’Neal to a thumb injury, had LeBron James miss two games with an ankle injury, had Anderson Varajao miss a game an a half with a hamstring problem, and have a new second leading scorer in veteran Antawn Jamison, picked up in the deal for Ilgauskas. 

 

Yet, they keep on winning and winning.

 

However, there is one more thing that has to change, and it is not getting Shaq back for the playoffs, although that will happen.  This team needs the old Mo Williams back in the lineup, and the sooner, the better.

 

Since the all-star game, and coincidentally since recovering from his shoulder injury, Williams hasn’t been the same player.  His scoring is down from 16.9 PPG before the break to 11.9 PPG since the break.  Some of that drop off can be attributed to the arrival of Jamison, who has replaced Williams as the team’s second option, and the primary scoring threat while James is resting.

 

However, Jamison’s presence shouldn’t affect the guard’s shooting, which has declined since his return.  Mo Gotti shot 44.6% from the field before the all-star game, and is shooting at a 39.5% clip since.  His three-point prowess hasn’t been off as much, dropping to 40% from 42.9% before he went out of the lineup. 

 

In his defense, his assists per night are up slightly (5.3 vs. 5.1), but that figure doesn’t mean he has turned into a point guard like John Stockton.  The Cavaliers still need his shooting ability, especially as the playoffs come around and the interior defense gets better.

 

If you compare this season to last, there is a marked improvement in Williams’ assist total as he is averaging 5.3 in 2010 compared to just 4.1 in the 2008-09 season.  However, he has dropped in points per game (17.8 in ’08-’09 vs. 15.3 this season), and his shooting percentage has dipped to .432 from .467 a year ago. 

 

In watching him shoot the ball since his shoulder problem, it does appear that his shot is flatter than before, that is to say, not as much arc.  This makes for an inconsistent shot.  The coaching staff probably sees this as well, and is working with him on it.

 

The Cavaliers need a threat in the backcourt heading into the playoffs.  Although James and Jamison can make the three, not having a primary ball handler be able to put it in the basket creates problems.  It will allow teams to play off Williams, therefore giving them a double team chance. 

 

Williams has not been taking the ball to the hoop since his injury, which affects his shooting percentage as well.  One, because he’s not getting easier shots, and two, since he is hesitant to drive, defenders can get up on him tighter, therefore not giving him room for his jumper. 

 

That might just be the solution.  If Williams can start attacking the basket and using the “Mo Flow” teardrop shot he used last year, he may be more effective as a shooter. 

 

Either way, the Cavs need the Williams who played in the regular season last year to help them in this season’s playoffs.

 

JK

 

Spring training is nearing an end, and the Cleveland Indians continue to pare down its roster to the Opening Day limit of 25 players.  However, are they making the correct decisions?

 

We have been critical so far of the organizations unwillingness to give its top prospects more of a look in training camp.  Perhaps the team feels pressure to get off to a good start, so they are concentrating on getting veterans ready for the regular season.  But maybe the Tribe keeps getting off to poor starts because they continue to bring the wrong 25 players north.

 

Let’s focus on the bullpen, which has been a large factor in several of the team’s poor Aprils.  Josh Judy was recently sent back to the minors despite allowing just one hit in 5-1/3 innings.  The front office said that Judy had turned some heads in camp but needed more experience. 

 

Perhaps Judy needs experience like Jamey Wright, who has a lifetime ERA of 5.03 in 420 big league games.  Or experience like Saul Rivera, who had a 6.10 ERA in 30 appearances last season.  Or experience like Jensen Lewis, who allowed 13 homers in 62 innings last season. 

 

All three of those guys are likely to be in the bullpen at the start of 2010, while Judy will toil for the Columbus Clippers.  Experience is only a good factor if the experience is a positive one. 

 

When the Indians lose some games early in the season because of bullpen struggles, keep an eye on who is having problems.  That’s not to say that these three guys haven’t had success at the big league level, but when you see a guy getting people out in exhibition games, why not give him a shot to make the ballclub. 

 

The new organizational catch phrase is "finishing guys off" at the minor league level.  That’s why all of these high level prospects are being sent back to AAA.  However, how do they explain Carlos Carrasco, who pitched all of 2009 at the AAA level.

 

Carrasco has been impressive in his last two outings, throwing nine scoreless frames, and overall this spring has pitched 12 innings, allowing just three runs with three walks and eight strikeouts.  Yet, apparently he has been eliminated from the race for the starting rotation.  You have to wonder at what point will the young right-hander will be ready for the majors.  One would think the brass would want to give him the benefit of the doubt since he came over in the Cliff Lee trade.

 

Granted, fitting him in would be a challenge because all three of the candidates for the 4th and 5th starter spots (Aaron Laffey, David Huff, and Mitch Talbot) have done well, but wouldn’t you think Carrasco would still at least be in the mix? 

 

Instead of making some changes, the Indians seem content to put the same people out there who "contributed" to a 65-97 record last season, and the second worst ERA in the AL at 5.06.  Obviously, there’s nothing broken, so why fix it?

 

Perhaps some of these decisions are made with an eye on keeping service time to a minimum, thus pushing eligibility for arbitration until after the player’s third season.  If that is the case, it’s just one more black mark against the Dolan ownership.  The object of the front office and manager should be to win games, not save the owner’s cash. 

 

If players are ready for the major leagues, they should be in the big leagues.  Otherwise, they are being wasted.  Just think, if the Tigers’ Rick Porcello were in the Tribe organization, he would be preparing for life in Akron right about now.

 

KM

 

 

 

Ever since Shaquille O’Neal went down with his thumb injury, the Cleveland Cavaliers have basically been playing without a center.  They’ve been starting J.J. Hickson at the position, although Anderson Varajao has been getting the bulk of the minutes there.

 

How has the team responded?  Well, they’ve won nine of their last ten games, and continue to have the best record in the league at 56-15.  They lead the Lakers by three games for home court advantage throughout the playoffs, and have a 6-1/2 game bulge over Orlando for best record in the Eastern Conference.

 

They’ve responded very well, thank you.

 

When the team takes the court tonight for Game 72 against New Orleans, they will have a legitimate NBA center on the roster.  Yes, Zydrunas Ilgauskas is back with the Cavaliers, thus completing the Antawn Jamison transaction.

 

In essence, GM Danny Ferry picked up Jamison for nothing, and added injured point guard Sebastian Telfair in the transaction as well.  Thank owner Dan Gilbert’s deep pockets for this one.

 

Mike Brown did a great job of changing on the fly, going from a team with perhaps the ultimate low post presence in O’Neal to a team who ran a little more and spread the floor in the absence of a dependable scorer inside. 

 

Still, defensively, the wine and gold missed the size and length of Shaq and Ilgauskas, as teams frequently attacked the basket with more vigor than they would had the two seven footers been there. 

 

Although Ilgauskas doesn’t move very well laterally, he still changes shots inside because he’s so tall.  That’s been missing from the Cavs defense.

 

The big man’s return just adds to the depth that exists on the Cavaliers’ roster.  They released Darnell Jackson to make room for Ilgauskas, and even he has shown he can contribute if need be.  Now that Leon Powe is getting some minutes, Brown could play any of the 12 guys dressed on a given night, and not have to be nervous.

 

That’s very rare in the NBA these days.

 

We’ve said this before, but a lineup of Delonte West and Daniel Gibson at guard, Varajao at center, and Jamario Moon and Powe at forwards may not be a playoff team, but they wouldn’t be the New Jersey Nets either.  It’s a very respectable lineup, and none of those guys start for the 2009-10 Cavaliers.

 

The coaching staff once again faces the challenge of fitting another body into the rotation.  The good news is Brown should only have to do this one more time this season, and that will occur during the playoffs when O’Neal returns to the lineup.  Hopefully, there won’t be too much of an adjustment or slippage in play.

 

The best thing about the depth on this roster is that it allows them to play different styles and still win consistently.  You want to play an up and down game?  The Cavs can do it and win.  You want to pound the ball into the post?  The Cavs have the bodies to defend this.  You have a lot of size?  So do the Cavs. 

 

This team has enough quality role players, guys like Moon, Gibson, Powe, Jawad Williams, etc. that they can play effectively against any style. 

 

Tonight, the Cavaliers take the court and have their veteran big man back and in uniform.  The depth just keeps getting deeper.  With eleven games remaining in the schedule, there is just one piece still missing for this team to make a run at a title. 

 

JK

 

The Minnesota Twins did it.  They kept their franchise player, Joe Mauer in a Twins’ uniform by inking him to an eight-year contract extension worth $184 million dollars. 

 

In the past few years, the Twins have now kept a pair of MVP’s in Mauer and Justin Morneau. 

 

Meanwhile, the Indians have had to trade Cy Young Award winners C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee because they wouldn’t (note the word wouldn’t not couldn’t) make a legitimate contract offer. 

 

Both teams operate in small to middle markets, yet the Twins found a way to keep their star players, while the Indians haven’t been able to do so. 

 

Yes, the Twins are moving into a new ballpark and are flush with revenue as a result.  And there is no question that Mauer did take a hometown discount because he was worth more than the $23 million per year deal on the open market. 

 

Still, the Twins ownership understands the impact of star players, and also the importance of not letting other teams, namely the Yankees and Red Sox, set the market on their players. 

 

Understand that the Indians tried to keep their free agents prior to the 2007 season by inking Jake Westbrook and Travis Hafner to long-term deals.  It does appear, though, that the offered deals to the guys they thought they could sign rather than going after the big fish in Sabathia. 

 

Westbrook is a 3^rd starter on a good team, and Hafner is a DH, meaning the number of teams interested in his services would be cut in half.  The point is the Indians continue to let true star players go when it is time for free agency, and that hasn’t changed in the past 15 years. 

 

Here’s a list of names:  Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Bartolo Colon, and the aforementioned Sabathia and Lee.

 

In the Tribe’s defense, signing everyday players is a less risky process than giving a pitcher a multi-year deal.  Heck, Minnesota faced the same situation with Johan Santana, and they decided to deal the Cy Young Award winner rather than get tied up in a four or five year deal.

 

The reason this hits home, besides the market size and the fact that the Twins happen to reside in the same division as Cleveland, is the impending free agent status of Grady Sizemore. 

 

Sizemore is a legitimate star player, although, he was injured last season, so most fans have apparently forgotten how good he is.  He will be 28 years old this season, meaning he will be 30 when his contract with the Tribe ends in 2012. 

 

He’s never been a league MVP like Mauer and Morneau, but that’s more a factor of the Indians’ record.  Sizemore’s 2006 and 2008 seasons would have merited MVP votes had the Tribe been in contention. 

 

Will the Indians think about trying to ink Sizemore and keep him in Cleveland long term? 

 

Critics will contend that Sizemore is currently playing a prime defensive position (CF), and he likely will have to move to LF as he gets older.  The rebuttal would be that Sizemore’s bat would play in a corner outfield spot.  He can be a guy who hits 30 HR’s per year for a while.

If Sizemore returns to be the player he was when healthy in 2010, he will no doubt be looking at a mega-dollar contract when his free agent year hits.  Based on the past, that means the Indians will not be players in those sweepstakes.  However, they should be. 

 

This is another situation where you can have the centerpiece of your franchise, a likely future hall of famer, in place for a long time.  If the Minnesota Twins can do it, why can’t the Cleveland Indians?  That’s a question president in waiting Mark Shapiro should be asking, especially since his father negotiated the Mauer deal with the Twins.

 

KM