The baseball exhibition season is about a week and a half old, and already there are some good things that have occurred, and some disappointing things.  Here is a list of what gets classified as what after the first eight games down in Arizona.

 

 

Grady Sizemore’s slight groin injury normally wouldn’t be a good thing, but it does keep him in the Tribe camp, not with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.  Sizemore will be back in the lineup on Sunday as the DH, so it obviously isn’t a serious injury.  As an aside, many players dropped out of the WBC with a few days to go before the event started.  Teams do not want their players away from their trainers and support staff.  It could spell the end for the classic after just two competitions. 

 

Fausto Carmona.  Carmona came to camp a little overweight, but after a couple of two inning stints, he hasn’t shown any of the control problems he had last season.  He has thrown strikes, and is getting both the ground balls and the strikeouts that were a trademark of his 2007 campaign.  He intimated that he was trying to be too fine last season, and has gone back to throwing toward the middle of the dish, and letting his natural movement take over.  Carmona is the key to the ’09 season.  If he returns to something close to his ’07 form, the Tribe starting rotation gets a huge boost.

 

Victor Martinez.  The veteran backstop hit two home runs in the second exhibition game, showing power we did not see all last season.  Martinez’ elbow and leg problems obviously sapped him of his pop, and if he can get back to the 20 HR guy he has been in the past, it will be a great boost to the Tribe attack.

 

Young Hitters.   I realize most pitchers hasn’t started to mix in breaking pitches yet, but the performances of guys like Matt La Porta, Wes Hodges, Brad Mills, and Chris Gimenez bodes well if injuries occur during the regular season.  Columbus (AAA) should have a strong lineup with guys like La Porta, Hodges, Gimenez, Trevor Crowe, and Michael Brantley playing every day.

 

 

Who’s pitched their way out of Dodge?  Start with Edward Mujica, who has been lit up like the strip in Las Vegas in his three outings, and follow that up with veteran Tomo Ohka, who has thrown batting practice in his outings.  They will likely be among the first cuts in Goodyear, with Mujica likely being designated for assignment.

 

Adam Miller.  The hard throwing right hander just can’t stay healthy.  More finger woes are the problem this time, and the injury will probably cost him a spot on the final roster.  Miller has outstanding stuff, and a move to the bullpen was designed to keep him healthy.  His problems could open the door for a guy like Matt Herges, or maybe a Zach Jackson, if he doesn’t win a job in the starting rotation.

 

MW

 

The Cavaliers have guaranteed themselves of a split on this brutal road trip by beating the Atlanta Hawks, 88-87 last night.  Mike Brown took a huge risk by leaving LeBron James in for the entire second half with another tough game against Miami tonight, but it paid off.  Had the wine and gold lost in Atlanta, they would have faced the prospect of taking on Dwayne Wade and the Heat with a non-rested LeBron.

 

The best thing about the end of last night’s game was The King didn’t settle for a jump shot to win the game, he went to the basket and drew the foul.  When the Cavs went into the 1-4 set after getting the ball, I thought #23 would try to settle the game on a jumper, but he didn’t, he was aggressive and it paid off.

 

It also appears that help is on the way to replace the injured Ben Wallace.  Joe Smith and Drew Gooden both had their contracts bought out by the Thunder and Kings, respectively, and it appears GM Danny Ferry will choose Smith, and may have him in uniform Wednesday night against Milwaukee.

 

Smith is the choice because he can be trusted more on the defensive end by Brown.  Remember that Gooden rarely played in fourth quarters in his stint with the Cavs because of his problems with the defensive rotations.  That, plus the fact that Gooden is wildly inconsistent, makes Smith the better pick up.

 

Losing Wallace is a big blow, particularly on the defensive end, but it is not as critical of a loss as the injuries to Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Delonte West.  Anderson Varajao plays hard on the defensive end, and is a better offensive player.  Getting Smith cuts the time of rookie J.J. Hickson, but when you are driving for a title, you have to go with the experience that Smith gives you.

 

As we saw when Smith was here last season, he is a dependable big man who can make the 10-15 foot jumper on a consistent basis.  Shortly after the deal that brought Smith here at the deadline, we wrote that Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak were the big names in the trade, but Delonte West and Smith were the best players acquired.  He is just a solid contributor, and he will definitely help the Cavs.

 

As an added bonus, he should have some life in his legs because he hasn’t been playing recently.  His fresh legs will be a help to the wine and gold. 

 

After a tough start to the trip in Houston, the Cavaliers did what they had to do.  They beat a depleted San Antonio squad, and knocked off the Hawks to insure the split they needed.  They were also patient in passing on a big guy who didn’t fit in in Mikki Moore, and should get the guy they really wanted in Joe Smith.  All in all, it was a pretty successful trip no matter what happens tonight in Miami. 

 

JK

 

First, let me say that I like Kellen Winslow and his toughness.  He might have been a high maintenance player, but he usually was thinking of the team with his comments after games.  He didn’t complain that the quarterbacks were not getting him the ball, just that he should have been on the field.  And by most accounts, he went through a great deal of pain to get himself on the field each week. 

 

Of course, critics will say had he not gotten in that motorcycle accident following his rookie year, he wouldn’t have had to go through the pain.  To me, the shame of the accident was that the last time Browns’ fans got to see the real Winslow was Miami’s loss in the national championship game to Ohio State.  He was a beast in that game.

 

Still, the Browns made the correct move in moving the tight end to Tampa Bay for a couple of draft picks yesterday.  It has been reported Cleveland will get a 2nd round pick this year and a 5th rounder in 2010.  With the physical problems mounting for KII, GM George Kokinis probably maxed Winslow’s trade value with the deal.  And it is no secret the brown and orange need as many draft picks as they can get their hands on.

 

Winslow was not a good fit with the new regime.  Kokinis and Eric Mangini was restyling the Browns into a defensive team, that offensively will rely on the ground game.  Since Winslow is not a particularly good blocker, he doesn’t fit in with that style of offense.  That’s not to say he won’t be a good fit with a team that runs a west coast style offense, but that is not what the Browns are going to employ this season.

 

There will be more moves to follow, and probably will be made to garner more draft choices.  Some have speculated that this deal means Derek Anderson is the frontrunner at QB, but I don’t think it means that at all.  I don’t think the Browns will enter training camp with both Brady Quinn and Anderson on the roster, and that means Anderson will likely be dealt for more picks, perhaps a low first round pick or another second round choice. 

 

Mangini and Kokinis want to use these picks to build the defense, which needs a big infusion of talent.  They obviously feel the tight end spot is in good hands with veteran Steve Heiden and 2nd year man Martin Rucker, and that made Winslow expendable.  Moving Anderson and picking up a solid veteran signal caller to back up and mentor Quinn would also be taking advantage of a strength.  That’s good management, dealing from a position of strength to shore up weaknesses.

 

The move itself was surprising because there was no inkling the team was looking to move the former All Pro TE, but with the cloak of secrecy the Brown operate under, it’s not a shock there were no rumors.  This is a 4-12 football team, nobody on the roster should be looking in the mirror thinking they are irreplaceable.

 

MW

 

They say there are two sides to every story.  Yesterday, Browns’ NT Shaun Rogers announced that he would prefer the team not pick up his roster bonus, and instead release him as the NFL free agency season approaches.  Rogers said he is not happy that new coach Eric Mangini did not acknowledge him in the two times they were in the same room.  He is also upset that the Browns want to add a weight clause. It’s kind of odd timing, don’t you think.

 

Sure, Mangini should have talked to Rogers, who was the Browns’ best defensive player in the 2008 season, and made the Pro Bowl.  It’s the right thing to do.  The same way former GM Phil Savage should have contacted Kellen Winslow when he was in the hospital with a staph infection.  It’s common courtesy, especially when you consider Rogers is one of the Browns’ best players.

 

The way most football coaches operate is absurd.  Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick started this technique of handling players with rudeness, and since they won, other coaches copy the style.  However, Tony Dungy is a nice man and he won a Super Bowl.  I understand that players should be pleasing the coach, but being uncivilized is not acceptable behavior, even for a football coach.

 

However, Rogers is blowing this way out of proportion.  Does the coach need to cajole his players on a weekly basis?  Or is Rogers using his Pro Bowl season to his advantage and angling for a new contract?  What he weighs should be a concern to his employer.

 

Rogers needs to realize he was not the best defensive player on a playoff team; the Browns went 4-12 last season.  There are no sacred cows on this team, nor should there be.  Granted, at times, Rogers was an unstoppable force on the defensive line, and he played a huge role in one of the team’s four wins, the one at Jacksonville.  Still, he was the best player on a defense that gave up gobs and gobs of yardage.

 

It seems to me that Rogers needs to impress his coach, not the other way around.  Mangini might have been aloof with the nose tackle, but he is trying to change the culture of this football team.  He has one job right now, to evaluate the talent that played for the 4-12 Browns, and figure out how to improve this squad so that type of season never happens again.

 

As far as the weight clause goes, since the team is paying him a pretty good amount of money, they are simply protecting their investment.  Rogers said his weight wasn’t an issue last season, and he had an excellent year.  If he ballooned up to 400 pounds (50 over the teams’ requested limit), perhaps he wouldn’t be as effective.  The Browns certainly have the right to request that players be in shape. 

 

Rogers isn’t going anywhere.  Releasing him would be a huge hit on the salary cap, and the Browns aren’t going to get fair value in a trade.  This seems to me to be a salary ploy by the big man and his agent.  He’s trying to cash in on a big year, and is using the I’m disrespected card as his bait.  Both parties need to sit down and straighten this out. 

 

As is usual with the Cleveland Browns, a molehill has grown into a mountain.  More great leadership from the Randy Lerner regime.

 

JD 

 

With the Central Division title just about wrapped up after Sunday night’s destruction of last year’s division champs, the Pistons, the Cleveland Cavaliers know they will be one of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference.  Now, the wine and gold are playing for positioning, trying to get the top spot in the conference, and thus home court advantage until the NBA finals. 

 

What should we be watching for in these last 27 games?  Here are some questions the Cavs need to answer…

 

·          Is Delonte West the answer to the team’s defensive struggles?  I say yes.  Having a guard who cannot control penetration breaks down your entire defense.  West keeps his man in front of him; something Daniel Gibson has not been able to do.   If the big men don’t have to leave their men to pick up guards, the interior defense will be better as well.  West adds a lot with his offense, but his defense makes the Cavs an elite defensive squad.

 

·          Will GM Danny Ferry add another big man?  I think Ferry will take the same tact he used at the trading deadline.  That is to say, if the right fit is there, the Cavs will sign him.  The Cavaliers could use another banger inside, particularly defensively.  Joe Smith would be a good fit with his solid defense and intermediate jump shot.  A guy like Mikki Moore, who likes to hang around the perimeter, would not.

 

·          Will Daniel Gibson return to form?  Last night’s game notwithstanding, Gibson has been bothered by a toe injury and his shot is not the same as in his first two years.  Right now, Gibson looks like someone who will not be able to help this team in the playoffs.  Since West is back in the lineup, maybe it would be best for Gibson to sit out some games to get his foot healthy.  His shot making is the key to getting playing time.  His defense and ball handling are not good enough at this juncture. 

 

·          Will J.J. Hickson be a contributor?  It depends on whether or not Danny Ferry adds another big man.  If he doesn’t, Mike Brown should start giving the rookie some consistent minutes to get him ready for the post-season.  I don’t see Hickson getting 10-12 minutes per game in the playoffs, but he could be an energy guy if he continues to improve.

 

·          Are the Injuries Over?  Let’s hope so.  None of the NBA’s elite teams (Lakers, Celtics, Magic, and Cavs) have had the injury problems Cleveland has suffered.  Yes, Andrew Bynum is out for LA, Kevin Garnett is out for Boston, and Jameer Nelson will miss the rest of the season for Orlando.  However, no team was missing two starters for a good chunk of the season.  The Cavs are now 25-4 with both Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West in the lineup.  Giving rest to the older players down the stretch may help stave off any nagging injuries.

 

Starting tomorrow, the Cavs have a brutal road trip facing four playoff teams in Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, and Miami.  It would be ludicrous to expect four victories.  A 2-2 record would be great.  After this stretch and a road game in Boston next week, the schedule lightens up a bit.  The only road games of consequence for the rest of March are games at Phoenix and Orlando.

 

On the other hand, maybe a 3-1 trip would gain the wine and gold some respect nationally.

 

JK

 

The Cleveland Indians did the right thing last week by designating 3B Andy Marte for assignment after they acquired another relief pitcher.  They traded a minor league infielder to Tampa Bay for right-hander Juan Salas, who was in the minors most of last year, but spent a considerable amount of time in the majors in 2007 with the Rays. 

 

The Tribe seems to be stockpiling relievers.  Besides the guys who seem to have the roster made (Kerry Wood, Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez, Jensen Lewis, Masa Kobayashi, and Joe Smith), GM Mark Shapiro has assembled a cadre of veteran arms to compete with rookie fireballer Adam Miller for the last spot in the bullpen.  At the very least, Columbus will have a heck of a good relief staff.

 

Salas joins rookies Jon Meloan and Tony Sipp, and vets Matt Herges, Greg Aquino, Jack Cassel, and Vinnie Chulk as other bullpen options, while Tomo Ohka and Kirk Saarloos are competing for starting spots with Aaron Laffey, David Huff, Jeremy Sowers, Zach Jackson, and Scott Lewis.  There are a lot of arms in camp, and I don’t think it all has to do with the World Baseball Classic.

 

The bullpen is the most volatile part of a pitching staff, so it’s certainly not a bad idea to have several back up options in case of an injury or ineffectiveness.  The Indians are taking this plan to another level.  They have almost an entire back up bullpen made up of guys who have been effective at the major league level. 

 

However, the depth also gives you an opportunity to make a trade from a position of strength.  Especially when you have a weakness in your starting rotation.  Would dealing a Betancourt with a position player bring the team the starting pitcher they need?  Having a Miller, Salas, or a Herges in reverse certainly makes working that deal a little less painful.

 

Any deal of this type could also involve the overload at 1B/LF.  The Tribe has several options at these spots behind the incumbents, Ryan Garko and Ben Francisco.  Victor Martinez can play first, opening up the catching spot for Kelly Shoppach, and the team also has Carlos Santana in the wings.  Santana will likely start at Class AA Akron this spring.

 

Cleveland also has Matt LaPorta, the centerpiece of the C.C. Sabathia trade, who can play first and leftfield, as well as Michael Brantley, who also came over in the Sabathia deal, who can play LF.  And don’t forget about former first round draft pick Trevor Crowe, who Eric Wedge said is the closest of this trio to make the big club. 

 

Couple these options with David Dellucci, giving Garko and Josh Barfield some time in the outfield, and the fact that Mark DeRosa can also play left, and you have the ingredients to a possible trade.  If the starting rotation doesn’t show well in Arizona, and Shapiro thinks he has to make a move, look for a trade involving these positions.

 

The 2009 Cleveland Indians will be able to score runs, they will only go as far as there starting pitching will take them.  Shapiro may be searching for ways to do that when the regular season is dawning.  He’s given himself some players that may not make the team, but could make someone else’s club.

 

KM 

 

The NBA trading deadline came and went without the Cavaliers making a move.  GM Danny Ferry tried as rumors had a number of players heading to Cleveland, including such notables as Shaquille O’Neal, Richard Jefferson, Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and Marcus Camby.  However, in the end, Ferry decided to stand pat with a team that has a 41-11 record.

 

I think that was the right move.

 

Although fans have pressed the panic button because the wine and gold lost twice to the Lakers, and overall have gone 1-4 against the other teams in the big four of this NBA season (Lakers, Celtics, and Magic).  What I keep coming back to is only one of those games were played with the Cavs having their entire roster, and that was the opening night loss at Boston.

 

Remember, this team has basically played the last six weeks of this season without one or two starters, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West.  They are 24-4 with both Z and West in the lineup.  Getting these two players back healthy and in the lineup are far more important than anyone Ferry could have received in a deal.

 

Some of the players mentioned didn’t make sense.  I keep reading that the Cavs were interested in Vince Carter, but I find that very difficult to believe.  Carter is not a good defender, isn’t the toughest guy on the planet, and has a contract the runs past 2010, which Danny Ferry is not interested in.

 

Still, you have to be intrigued with some of the names involved, particularly one of the greatest big men to ever play the game in O’Neal.  Shaq would have given Mike Brown the ultimate low post weapon, and he would have been highly motivated to win a fifth ring for his enormous hand. 

 

The perfect fit for the Cavs would have been a guy who is a defensive player with some offensive skills, yet didn’t need the ball to score.  Among big men, Camby would have been the perfect fit, while Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace would have been a nice addition at a big guard/small forward spot.

 

This isn’t the same situation as last season where the Cavs weren’t playing great, and they needed to change things up.  This year’s edition of the wine and gold is humming along like a well oiled machine, so getting a player who would have forced a change in the offensive or defensive philosophy would have caused an unnecessary upheaval.

 

Since Ferry couldn’t get anyone who is a perfect fit, he stood pat.  That’s the correct thing to do.

 

Of course, there are still rumors that Joe Smith will ask for a buyout from Oklahoma City, which will put him on the open market.  He would be a good fit as another reverse big man, one with a nice touch from outside.  Rumors have him going to Boston to reunite with former Minnesota teammate Kevin Garnett, but The Plain Dealer’s Brian Windhorst reports the Cavs are very much in the mix.

 

Getting Smith would give Mike Brown a reliable alternative to rookie J.J. Hickson in the playoffs.  Hickson will be a good player, but he’s not ready to be a contributor in the playoffs.  Also, getting Smith means that Boston doesn’t get him.

 

As Charles Barkley once said, “if it’s not broke, don’t break it”.  That’s the advice Danny Ferry used yesterday.  The Cleveland Cavaliers are in quite good shape for the stretch drive.

 

JK

 

Recently, the new out of the Cleveland Browns’ offices in Berea have been about change.  A couple of scouts have been let go.  There was the big hubbub about the mural showing the franchise’s greats in the lobby being removed.  However, outside of the mural, which coach Eric Mangini explained is being relocated, what’s the problem?  This franchise should get a major facelift.

 

It seemed when the two scouts were let go; there was an underlying feeling that it wasn’t fair to the pair.  I got that same sense when former Phil Savage assistant T. J. McCreight was also fired.  My thought was that this sort of thing happens all the time in sports.  And when you have made the playoffs just once in ten years, changes need to be made.

 

Why should there be all kinds of loyalty to people who have produced a 24-40 record over the last four seasons?  The first step Mangini and new GM George Kokinis should take is to clean house.  The culture of losing needs to be changed. 

 

One of the criticisms several people have had regarding the Browns is they do tend to live in the past.  Owner Randy Lerner prefaces virtually every press release announcing the hiring of a new employee, as the new person understands the rich tradition of the Cleveland Browns.  That “tradition” ended in the early 1970’s.  Since that time, more often than not, the Browns are on the outside looking in at the playoffs.

 

What needs to be done now is building a solid football organization, something that will be the hallmark of all Browns teams.  I think both men understand a winning football team starts with defense, and that’s where Mangini and Kokinis will start the process.  Mangini is a former defensive coordinator, that’s his field of expertise.  He should start on that side of the ball.

 

Despite the struggles scoring touchdowns of any kind at the end of the season, there is also probably more of a foundation on offense anyway.  There is a quarterback in place in Brady Quinn (I feel Derek Anderson will be traded before the draft).  They have a Pro Bowl left tackle in Joe Thomas, and a better than average left guard in Eric Steinbach.  They have a former Pro Bowl wide receiver with all kinds of talent in Braylon Edwards, and a great pass catching tight end in Kellen Winslow. 

 

Sure, there are some parts missing, but compared to the defense, there is talent there.

 

The only impact players on defense are NT Shaun Rogers and ILB D’Quell Jackson.  The cornerbacks may be good someday, but both Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald are very raw.  So this year’s draft is likely to be defense, defense, and more defense, with a running back sprinkled in. 

 

Kokinis should fire his biggest free agent bullet at cornerback, and I would go full speed ahead for the Raiders’ Nnamdi Asomugha if he were not franchised by Oakland.  If he were, then I would try to get Dunta Robinson from the Texans.  Getting one of these guys would allow either Wright or McDonald to be the nickel back. 

 

The linebacking corps can be upgraded in the draft by getting either Rey Maualuga from USC or Aaron Curry from Wake Forest.  The team needs at least two new starters at linebacker, so drafting one and signing a lower ranked free agent would upgrade that spot. 

 

Then, I would go for a running back with a second round pick.  They should be able to get another second rounder for Anderson if they decide to trade him.  They could look for another linebacker or a safety with that choice.

 

The Cleveland Browns need change.  What they have been doing for the last ten years hasn’t been working.  If Mangini and Kokinis want to go with new toilet paper in Berea, then I’m all for that as well.

 

JD

 

One of the best scenes in a sports movie is Kevin Costner’s rant in “Bull Durham” talking about what he believes in.  Watching the NBA All-Star weekend got me thinking that I could go on a similar rant, particularly on the NBA, but also some other stuff as well. 

 

I believe:

 

·          That if NBA Commissioner David Stern thinks Joey Crawford’s foul call against LeBron James last week was a good call, then he doesn’t know anything about basketball.  The call against the Pacers’ Danny Granger wasn’t a good one either, but Crawford’s whistle was terrible and it makes Stern look foolish to say it was a legitimate call.

 

·          NBA Slam Dunk Contest should be abolished.  It was clearly set up to have Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard in the final twosome.  I don’t say stuff like this often, but when I was younger, I could have done Robinson’s dunk off of teammate Wilson Chandler’s back.  And if I could do it, how good could it have been?

 

·          That TNT needs Charles Barkley back.  Am I the only one who was getting annoyed with Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller telling us how great they were?  At least, Miller was a legitimate all-star player.  Smith’s career scoring average is less than 13 points per night (12.8), and while it is true he played on the Rockets’ two championship teams, he was not a star on those teams. 

 

·          The Cavs will ruin ESPN’s hopes for another Celtics-Lakers championship series by defeating Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.  Cleveland is improved from last year’s team and the Celts will start getting some nagging injuries to their older “Big Three”.

 

·          That WKNR’s move to put Michael Reghi on the afternoon drive shift is a big winner.  Reghi’s insights, particularly on the NBA, are right on the mark, and he is more analytical than the people he replaced in that time slot.  Those others thought more like fans.

 

·          If the Browns use the fifth pick in the upcoming NFL draft on an offensive player, I will scream at the top of my lungs.  I think GM George Kokinis and Coach Eric Mangini realize you can’t be a consistent winner in pro football without building a strong defense.

 

·          The Cleveland Indians will win less than 90 games this season, but that will be enough to win the Central Division championship.

 

MW

 

The All Star break couldn’t come at a better time for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  They had a remarkable first half of the season, entering the gala weekend with a 40-11 record, currently the 2^nd best in the Eastern Conference and third best overall.  However, the Cavs have not been playing with the same dominance they enjoyed earlier in the season.  It looks like the injuries have taken its toll.

 

Over the past two months, the wine and gold have lost starters Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West to significant injuries.  Also, key reserves Sasha Pavlovic and an emerging Tarence Kinsey are currently on the shelf.  The latter injuries have forced Mike Brown to give additional minutes to Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson, neither of who are defensive stalwarts, although they do work hard on that end of the floor.

 

For a team that is built on defense, that’s a tough pill to swallow.  Still, although they haven’t played well, they have continued to win.  The Cavs are 7-3 in their last ten games going into All Star weekend.  Compare this to Orlando, who after their loss of Jameer Nelson, are playing .500 ball since his injury.  Sure, they’ve lost to some elite teams like Orlando (with Nelson) and Los Angeles, but they are winning the games they should win for the most part.

 

It looks to me like the extra workload for LeBron James, Mo Williams, and Anderson Varajao have worn them down a little bit, and they need some rest.  James and Williams will participate in the All Star festivities, but they won’t work as hard as they would during a normal Mike Brown practice.  Varajao hasn’t looked the same since Ilgauskas returned to the lineup, and he should spend the weekend relaxing on his couch.

 

Another result of the injuries is the ball movement that had been a staple of the offense has decreased greatly.  This comes from having to play people who aren’t real offensive threats or are stand still shooters.  Getting West back, which could come right after the break, will help a lot in this regard.  West has an ability to shoot the jumper and take the ball to the hole, which opens up the attack.

 

Remember that West, next to LeBron James, may be the most indispensable player on the team.  He provides good shooting from outside, can drive to the basket, has the ability to play the point, and is a good defender.  The Cavs’ success with Delonte West doesn’t mean that he is a replaceable part.  Make no mistake about it, he will be a key factor for Cleveland as they finish the season and enter the playoffs.

 

He is also a better point guard option than Gibson, who is really a shooting guard in a point guard body.  Hopefully, it also means less of James initiating the offense, which means less of him pounding the ball outside the circle letting the shot clock run down. 

 

It should be obvious to everyone by now that the Cavs offense flows much better with Williams and/or West starting it than with #23.  James should be the finisher.

 

The break should also give Ilgauskas more rest for his ankle.  He clearly is not back to 100% after the chip fracture of his ankle. 

 

Getting West back and Ilgauskas’ continuing improvement with his ankle will be the medicine for what has ailed the wine and gold over the last few weeks.  Injuries are part of the game, and when you think about it, the Cavs have coped with them very well.

 

JK