Game #1 Preview Boston at Cleveland

The new look Cleveland Cavaliers (0-0) will open their season up against the Boston Celtics (1-0). The Celtic green will look familiar when the Cavaliers lost against the Celtics in the playoffs just 5 months ago.

Since then the Cavaliers have made the necessary moves that were right for the team for the right things. They hired new Head Coach Byron Scott and have made great roster moves to get players to fit his system. A system that requires an up-tempo style of play and hard nose defense.

The Cavaliers acquired Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins from Minnesota and have also signed rookie Christina Eyenga. Two undrafted rookies, Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels also made the team with impressive training camps and preseason games.

The team will look to the Cavaliers veterans to lead the way. Mo Williams, Andy Varejao and Antawn Jamison all look to have huge impacts this season. The biggest player however will be JJ Hickson, it will be his first season that the team will turn to him when things aren’t going their way and he must be ready for that.

The Boston Celtics look to continue their momentum after beating the highly anticipated Miami Heat. The Celtics outplayed the Heat in every aspect of the game last night and the Cavaliers must be ready to play tonight.

Projected starting line-ups:

Boston Celtics: (2010-11 Stats)

-G Rajon Rondo (4.0 ppg, 17.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 13.90 PER)
-G Ray Allen (20.0 ppg, 1.0 apg, .625 3P%, 17.62 PER)
-F Paul Pierce (19.0 ppg, 9.0 rpb, 3.0 apg, 22.33 PER)
-F Kevin Garnett (10.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 0.0 bpg, 3.66 PER)
-C Shaquille O’Neal (9.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 14.14 PER)

Key Reserves: Glen Davis, Jermaine O’Neal, Marquis Daniels, Nate Robinson

Injuries: Kendrick Perkins (out), Delonte West (suspended)

Cleveland Cavaliers: (2009-10 Stats)

-G Mo Williams (15.8 ppg, 5.3 apg, 1.0 spg, 16.18 PER)
-G Anthony Parker (7.3 ppg, 1.9 apg, .414 3P%, 9.95 PER)
-F Jamario Moon (4.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.8 apg, 12.68 PER)
-F JJ Hickson (8.5 ppg, 4.9 apg, 0.5 bpg, 15.26 PER)
-C Anderson Varejao (8.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.9 bpg, 15.87 PER)

Key Reserves: Antawn Jamison, Ramon Sessions, Daniel Gibson, Jawad Williams, Ryan Hollins, Joey Graham, Leon Powe

Injuries: Daniel Gibson (probable), Mo Williams (questionable – personal reasons)

So buckle up and get ready for another exciting season and continue your great support of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Most importantly never stop believing in them because they never stopped believing in you.

Go Cavs!

All for One. One for All.

Keep your heads up Cleveland

Cavaliers 106, San Antonio 80 (Cavs continue preseason success)

Who would have thought the Cavaliers would have been 4-1 with a 3-game winning streak in the middle of preseason? I think I know of only one person who would have said yes. That would have been my co-writer and creator, Ben Jackson.

Anyways, the Cleveland Cavaliers are proving to the rest of the NBA that they still belong in the league and are proving to the haters that the Cavaliers are a forced to be reckoned with.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1) beat the San Antonio Spurs (2-2) Thursday night with a final score of 106-80. The Cavaliers and Spurs played at the University of Pittsburgh’s Peterson Events Center and just over 5,000 fans crammed together.

J.J. Hickson continued his strong preseason, finishing with 18 pts and nine rebounds.

Others that had big nights seem to be the norm, including the newly acquired Ramon Sessions. He finished with 14 pts and nine rebounds as well. Daniel “Boobie” Gibson showed his all-around game tonight, finishing with 13 pts, six assists and four rebounds.

The Cavaliers used an 11-2 run late in the third quarter to help outscore the Spurs 56-39 in the second half. However, the short-handed Spurs didn’t play Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker or Richard Jefferson.  Minor detail. 

Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao were dressed and with the team, but did not play. Also, Antwan Jamison did not play after sustaining a left knee sprain in the second quarter. I have not heard how serious the injury is or how long he will be out. I also heard Anthony Parker also had an injury as well, not sure about him either.

The win against the Spurs continued the Cavaliers streak at 3 games in a row. Even though its preseason, the Cavaliers are starting to look they have found themselves and are starting to find a swagger. Maybe, the Cavaliers are starting to play with a chip on their shoulders, or maybe they always have had one since someone “Took their talents to South Beach” and we didn’t even know.

The Manny Harris Watch:

- News broke that former second-rounder Danny Green may soon be getting cut. With Manny Harris emerging as a Cavalier Legend, how could you not cut Green? Harris fits the system better and he has raw talent you can’t find around the world.

- Speaking of Harris, the man played again tonight. If you guess he played another stellar game, you’re right. Manny went 3-8 from the field, with 11 points in 24 minutes of action.

- Harris had a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of +17. That was second best tonight, second to Boobie Gibson of +20. Let’s face it, if he continues to play like this, Byron Scott will have no choice but to start the soon to be Hall-of-Famer.

- I would suggest starting to pre-order your Manny Harris jersey’s now before they sell out.

All for One. One for All

Keep your heads up Cleveland

Cleveland 85, Dallas 79 (A new Manny is in town)

It's been about 10 years since Manny Ramirez was a Cleveland Indian, but after tonight, Cleveland fans may soon have another Manny to cheer for.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (3-1) beat the Dallas Mavericks (1-3), 85-79, on their second game in as many nights. The Cavaliers finished off their two-game sweep in Texas, beating the Houston Rockets the night before.

Daniel “Boobie” Gibson led the way for the Cavaliers scoring 15 points. JJ Hickson also had a strong game inside, scoring 11 points and adding 9 rebounds. Ramon Sessions continued to run the show at point, scoring 12 points and dishing 5 assists.

However, the real story was when someone by the name of Manny Harris entered the ballgame in the second quarter. Harris has quickly become a hot topic on Cavaliers United and deservedly so.

With high energy right off the bench, Harris came out set on making an immediate impact. Standing at 6 foot 5 inches, Harris grabbed two quick steals that turned into easy Cavalier points.

He went on that quarter to make every shot he took, scoring nine Cavalier points before the half ended.

As the game went on into the 3rd quarter, the Cavaliers and Dallas went back and forth, with a total of 16 lead changes in the game. That’s when Coach Byron Scott decided to put Sessions and Manny Harris back in.

So what did Manny do? Only miss one shot and finished the game 4-5 from the field and 4-6 from the line, finishing with 14 pts and 3 key steals. The former Michigan star is making the most of his time in the preseason, and Byron Scott has too be wondering, can this kid start?

When and where might be the real question; Harris is an ideal shooting guard. He has shown great amounts of speed and quickness. Not to mention a great basketball IQ and pure shooting stroke.

Things I saw that need improvement:

• Minimize the turnovers and stupid decisions the Cavaliers are making.
• Ryan Hollins. In the preview, I said Ryan Hollins needs a big game. Well he did just the opposite and needs to start to find a rhythm.
• Samardo Samuels. He needs to work on his low-post game some more. Showing flashes against the Rockets was nice but tonight was a different story.
• Anthony Parker. He better start worrying about his starting role with Manny Harris emerging.

So I don’t know about you or anyone else out there, but I’m ready to sit down with my popcorn, turn on NBA League Pass and start this season.

All for One. One for All.

Keep you heads up Cleveland

Part Two of the Texas Roadtrip - Cavaliers at Dallas Mavericks

Following a come from behind win against the Houston Rockets, the Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1) will take on the Dallas Mavericks (1-2) at American Airlines Center. Tip-off is slated for 8:30 ET, and will be televised on NBA TV.

The Cavaliers will look to continue their strong play from a night ago. We arguably played our best game of the preseason.

J.J. Hickson finally showed he could be the Cavalier's go-to-guy, scoring 18 points while addding 11 rebounds. Ramon Sessions also chipped in with 15 points and showed he could run this team very effectively.

However, the biggest surprise had to have been the other young guys that stepped up. Samardo Samuels finally showed new Coach Byron Scott that he can play down low, displaying multiple post moves while finishing at the rim.

The former Michigan star, Manny Harris, also saw extended playing time. At one point he scored 7 straight Cavalier points and helped lead the comeback.

Christian Eyenga sealed the win by knocking down two crucial consecutive three-pointers.

With the Cavaliers new offensive system in place, players may finally be coming around. On Sunday night, the Cavs had 27 fast-break points and had lay-up after lay-up. Easy scoring with fast breaks and also in the halfcourt sets was a trend; The Cavaliers players were constantly on the move.

For the Mavericks, they are coming off a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. The Mavs shot only 31 percent from the field in the 1st half, and fell behind by 36 points. Dallas did muster a furious comeback but the Suns were able to hold on for the wine.

Things to look for tonight:

• Manny Harris, as he will look to continue his strong play and show Coach Scott that he can indeed lead the Cavaliers to the promised land.
• Christian Eyenga, and his surprising outside jumper. He will look to prove that was simply not luck.
• Ryan Hollins; With Samuels and Hickson emerging, Hollins will attempt to get back into the thick of things and remind Scott that he's still an athletic 7-footer.
• Another Cavaliers win, plain and simple.

All for One. One for All.

Keep your heads up Cleveland

Preseason Game #3: Cavaliers 99, Rockets 93 (Houston we have liftoff)

I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun watching a preseason game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers went into Houston to face the Rockets, just a few days after getting owned by the Washington Wizards.  With Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao not making the trip, no one gave the Cavaliers a chance to win this game. Going up against the likes of Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks, and the rest of the Rockets, it should have been a blow out.

But that's why they play the game.  Luckily Jake sent me the link of the online stream with a couple minutes to go in the 2nd quarter.  The Cavs were up 37-35, with 2:43 to go.  What's the first thing I see in the game?  A nasty throwdown by J.J. Hickson?  Yes Sir.

I listened to Joe Tait call the first quarter, and it was a back and forth battle between the two teams.  Samardo Samuels was playing great, and Hickson looked dominant.  Fast forward about 30 seconds, where JJ decides to pull a rebound out of the air on a missed layup by Sessions, and completes the nasty tip-slam.  For some reason the refs called a ridiculous technical foul for apparently hanging on the rim for 2 seconds.  That's what I call Cavaliers swag in my book, definitely worth the unjustified technical.

The Rockets have to call a timeout and the Cavs are up 41-39.  What do we see when we return from the break?  You guessed it, another JJ dunk.. this time a demoralizing alley-oop.  This is what Cavaliers basketball is all about.  There was 1:21 left in the half and Hickson already had 16 points and 10 rebounds.  Meanwhile, we're trading baskets with the Rockets but I could honestly care less. 

There was one thing that was bothering me;  Antawn Jamison kept bricking 3's and he was really holding the Cavaliers back.  I've seen him shoot 3's in practice, and he always seems to be money.  Apparently he forgot to bring his A-game last night. 

Let's get back to the important things, like when Hickson emphatically blocked a shot which led to a Sessions layup to give the Cavaliers a 47-45 lead going into the half.  They say preseason doesn't matter, but several things were clear after 2 quarter of play;  Hickson is going to be a beast this season, Samardo Samuels is legit, and the Cavs offense looked like it's supposed to.  Not to mention the Cavaliers road jersey's are sick.  Get used to it.  While we did miss all 7 three pointers we attempted, we shot 48% on the half and things were going our way.  Gibson and Sessions led the way with 7 points each. 

Jared Jeffries started the scoring off in the 2nd half with a ridiculously deep 3.  Sessions returns with a basket, and another after that when Antawn made himself useful with a great assist to Sessions.  This is some seriously fun-to-watch basketball, and I"m starting to gain confidence in the new team.

Unfortunately Jamison continued his ice-cold shooting, and bricked another three.  At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder how Byron Scott can pull off a short-sleeve polo under a blazer.  I digress.

Jawad Williams finally drills a 3 halfway through the 3rd quarter, after attempting quite a few.  And the Cavaliers just.keep.rolling.  A no look pass on the fast break from Hickson to Parker, and it's 63-60 Cavs. 

At this point in the game, another blatently ridiculous call on J.J. occurs when he went up for a tip-slam.  Apparently referees in the association blow their whistle when someone jumps over Jordan Hill to dunk the basketball.  Must be a new rule this year.  He literally jumped over him and apparently someone felt bad.  Next time they call over-the-back on Hickson we're going to have some serious issues.

And Jamison is still the weak link.  Not to pick on him, but he simply just was not having a good night.  Sessions keeps up the pressure, and the Cavs just keep scoring. 

The 4th quarter starts and the Cavaliers trail by 5.  Much to my delight, rookie stud Manny Harris starts off the quarter in the game, just as he should.  Jawad drills a 3 to start things off right, and the Cavs cut the lead to 2.  It was right about then that Manny Harris decided to take things into his own hands.  His first display of greatness came when he drove to the hole and finished an And-1 lay-up, and it's Rockets 74, Cavs 73.  Harris comes down the floor and proceeds to knock down another jumper, destroying Houston's confidence in their ability to play the game of basketball.  Next things up, Manny feels the need to steal the ball.. and proceeds with a fast-break dunk that would have made Ricky Davis proud.  Harris definitely wants to make this team, and was making quite a case to do so. 

Samardo Samuels resumes his presence on the offensive post and a spinning hook gives the Cavs a commanding 81-78 lead.  Meanwhile, Jawad loves shooting 3 pointers. 

Manny Harris is still in the game, and for good reason.  Yet again he makes more magic happen, and drew contact on a 3 pointer.. swishing all three free-throws that followed.  It was about time for Eyenga to show up to the party;  His entrance was nothing short of grand.  Christian pulls up on consecutive possessions with deep 3's and rainbows both of them in to the bottom of the net.  The lead has now ballooned to 88-80 Cavaliers, with 6 minutes remaining.  After some Manny free throws put us up 97-91, the game was all but over.  Other than Hickson, Eyenga and Harris are officially the best players on the Cavaliers roster. 

This win truly showed what the new look Cavs are capable of, and certainly gave the team a new feeling of confidence heading into the future. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are now 2-1 in the preseason, and will likely defeat the Dallas Mavericks tonight to cement their legacy.  I can't remember ever having this much fun watching the Cavs.  16 days until Boston?  Sign me up.

Anderson Varejao is back in Cleveland.. not a minute too soon

It's been quite a tumultuous offseason for the Cavs' Anderson Varejao, to say the least.

First, you have the departure of LeBron James.  In case you didn't watch the two of them play last season, Varejao was the benefactor of hundreds of easy backdoor passes for layups (courtesy of LeBron.) 

The departure of the King will hurt Varejao in more ways than one, as now he must look to create his own shot.  Andy's jumper has never been his best skill, but we did see a lot of improvement with it last season.  The Cavaliers will need him to be the player he's capable of, and soon.

So the biggest star in Cleveland sports history heads South, and that's just the start for Varejao.  Anderson decides to play for team Brazil in the 2010 FIBA World Championships.  Two things would come of this.

For starters, Varejao did not look to be himself, and in the one game I watched, he appeared to be beaten consistently on the defensive side of the ball. 

Next, Anderson goes down in what could have been a bad injury to his ankle.  Reports would later surface that this injury was only minor, and Varejao would not miss any significant time at the start of the NBA season.  At least one thing went our way this offseason.

And then just over two weeks ago, another bombshell in Varejao's life;  His grandfather whom he was very close with passed away in Brazil.  Byron Scott and the rest of the organization was very sensitive to this and told Varejao to forget training camp, go be with your family.  So Anderson flies to Brazil, and misses what arguably was the most important time for the Cavaliers before the season.  Daniel Gibson after the first day of training camp, andhow the hard work and running will translate for the team,

"It was very tough, but man I know that's going to bring us closer together.  It's got to."

The rest of the team went through probably the toughest conditioning test of their lives in the first few days of Scott's camp.  This may hurt Varejao in terms of developing chemistry with his teammates, but they certainly understand the situation he was in.

Considering all the things that have happened, the Cavaliers could not be happier to have Anderson back in Cleveland.  It's been well chronicled that we are lacking a strong presence in the post, as well as consistent rebounding.  While Andy might still be somewhat limited offensively, his energy and effort will go a long way for the Cavs this season.

Think about it.  Scott wants this team to run, and he's likely going to have to play small until we bring someone else in at the Center position.  For Anderson, that means he will consistently be starting for the first time in his career, as he was used to coming off the bench in his time under Mike Brown.  Even Scott has said that he would prefer Varejao to be that valuable spark off the bench, but the current circumstances won't allow that to happen.

The Cavaliers need Andy to come up huge this season;  His veteran leadership will go a long way in mentoring some of the young talent we have on the roster.  You don't lead the NBA in plus-minus by chance, and Varejao will have to do that and more for this team to be successful. 

One could easily make a case that in terms of getting under the opponent's skin, Varejao takes the cake.  When he's on the other team, you can't stand him.  When he's a Cavalier, you love him.  I'm just glad he's back in Cleveland.

Preseason Game #2 - Cavaliers 83, Wizards 97

The past few weeks in Cleveland, the weather has been cold and rainy. That cold weather seemed to pass right on through Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday night, in a preseason game that featured the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards.

The Cavaliers lost to the Wizards 83-97, on a night where Cleveland turned the ball over 26 times and shot a miserable 35 percent from the field.

Learning Coach Scott’s new offense may have been a reason for some of the poor play.

"We're still in the crawling stage," said Scott. "We knew this was going to take some time."

With the new system in place, JJ Hickson and “Boobie” Gibson looked comfortable. Scoring 16 and 10 respectfully, each played well. Hickson also ended up with 8 rebounds with Gibson looked very comfortable running the point.

The newest Cavaliers that came over from Minnesota also looked good. Ryan Hollins made several key blocks down low and grabbed a game high 14 rebounds. The teams only 7 footer, Hollins, has made it known that he can be the man in the middle, or at least play a big part for the Cavaliers this season.

As for Sessions, the point guard played well tonight. He had several moves that showed the somewhat filled arena why the Cavaliers went out and traded for him. He got the rack at will and pushed the tempo nicely. Ramon ended up with a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

As for the Washington Wizards, things didn’t go much better, shooting 40 percent for the game with 12 turnovers.

Missing his first 9 shots, there wasn’t much time for the John Wall “Dance”. Wall didn't come out strong, and looked like a first-year rookie. Coming off his preseason debut in which he scored 21 points, Wall didn’t get his first basket until the 3:15 mark in the third quarter.

However, Wall seemed to settle down at the end of the game, scoring 12 points in the last duration of the game to go along with his 9 assists. "It's a learning experience," Wall said of his second game as a pro. "I told everybody it was going to be up and down. I had a good game the other day. This was an average game, like a C or a D."

For the Cavaliers, the biggest issue is their lack of depth in the frontline. Washington had their way tonight down low, and even though the Cavaliers out-rebounded them by 11, Washington picked apart the Cavs.

Yi ended the game with 16 points but it was an easy 16. Blatche also had some easy buckets and the Wizards got inside without a problem. The Cavaliers hopefully will address this issue sometime soon, knowing you can’t win often without a good post player in the NBA.

Starting point guard Mo Williams, who has a groin injury that occurred in the beginning of training camp, was out again.

Antawn Jamison also sat out tonight on a coaches decision to give him rest, and Andy Varejao was also out for personal issues.

The Cavaliers next preseason game will take place in Houston, where they face the Rockets this Sunday.

All for One.  One for All.

Keep your heads up Cleveland.

Video Highlights

Preseason Game #2 Preview and the "John Wall effect"

Much like the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Washington Wizards are a new team with some fresh faces. 

First you have Gilbert Arenas, the recently-troubled veteran member of the team who has represented the franchise in the past.  The Wizards are turning a new page over from the Arenas-era, to effectively hand the team over to John Wall.  Washington was fortunate enough to lock up the #1 draft pick, and thus were handed the keys to the best college player in recent memory.

John Wall has an explosive first-step, and will likely be the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award. 

In my opinion, Arenas is still a formidable option at the Point, but he will see a reduced role this year as the team will want to get Wall the experience he needs to lead this team in the future.  Along with Chris Paul, John marks a player who represents the new generation of stud point guards in the Association. 

Don't forget about another off-season acquistion, the underrated Kirk Hinrich.  As a member of the Bulls last year, he saw significant minutes and was simultaneously expected to mentor the young but talented Derrick Rose.  While he knows he will be be expected to mentor Wall in a similar fashion, he still expects to get a fair share of minutes with Washington this season. 

"That comes with the territory of being a veteran in this league," Hinrich said before his first preseason game with the Washington Wizards.  "When you're a veteran on a team that's got a lot of young guys, I feel like it's your responsibility to help bring them up right.  But I'm here to play as well."

Don't count him out either.  Head Coach Flip Saunders has already made it clear that Hinrich will at least begin the season starting at the 2 position, with Wall at the point.  That means Arenas will be coming off the bench, and at least for now, he said he's more than okay with that.

However, with 3 talented players who all originally played point guard, one might anticipate Washington making a move that would send Arenas out of town, effectively removing his long-time stamp on the franchise.  Like the Cavaliers, the Wizards want to get their new players into the mix and create a new feel for the team.

It should be interesting to see the dynamic John Wall in action tonight at Quicken Loans Arena, in a matchup with our Cleveland Cavaliers.  Byron has declared that players who didn't see as much action in Tuesday's game will see more time on the floor tonight.  That should bode well for Christian Eyenga, Jawad Williams, and maybe even Manny Harris. 

The season is quickly approaching, with only 20 more days until the opener against Boston.  Byron needs to see what exactly he has, and what lineups work best.  Wall's explosiveness should be a good test for a Cavaliers defense who has had trouble stopping quick guards such as Rajon Rondo in the past.  Maybe if we're lucky, we'll even get to see him do the John Wall Dance. 

Preseason Game #1 - Cavaliers 87, Bobcats 72

As I sat watching the Cavaliers in their first game of the 2010 season, I couldn't help but notice how different this team is from last year.  New coach, new players, and a new attitude.  Gone are the days where LeBron drew the attention of the entire defense, opening up easy shots for other players.  No more endless media scrutiny from ESPN (that also went to South Beach.)  No, this is a completely different team with an altogether different mindset.

There were definitely some other things you couldn't help but notice.  One, was the lack of J.J. Hickson in the starting lineup.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sold on Byron Scott.  But why was Joey Graham starting at the 3? 

When J.J. did make his way into the game, the Cavaliers endlessly sent the ball to him, almost in a LeBron-esque manner.  How much did we hear about Hickson's improved jump shot, and his new confidence in it?  By my count, he shot one jumper, and it clanked off the rim.  Far more often, J.J. was given the ball outside of the paint, expected to make things happen.  Granted, he does have a quick first move to the basket, but he didn't look like the player we all are expecting him to be. 

Another thing I noticed was the play of Ryan Hollins.  Ryan was given the start, and it was clear everything thats been said about him is true.  Sure, he's an athletic 7 footer who can run the floor.  If you watched the game, you will have realized that this concept does not translate to productivity as well as efficiency on the floor.  Hollins looked out of control, and quite frankly he was physically dominated.  He's exactly what we expected;  Ryan represents a raw and unfinished product who hasn't mastered his craft.  I believe it was in the 3rd quarter when he picked up his 5th foul.  He would exit the game and not return.  Let's hope to see better things from him in the future.

Comparable to the unpolished look Hollins provided, Samardo Samuels did not impress me.  Maybe part of it was the fact that he wasn't sure he was even going to play, but he did get inserted into the game.  He tried to move way too fast and didn't mesh well with the other players on the floor.  Maybe it's just me, but it looks like he could have used another year in college.

Now, let's talk about the play of Ramon Sessions.  He definitely was one of the few players attempting to push the offense down the floor, but he sometimes got into trouble and forced things that weren't there.  He had several turnovers and couldn't really create good opportunities for his own shot.  Under his direction, I didn't really see the flow I had expected.  I think Byron wanted to see a little more out of him as well.

Jawad Williams did not see the floor until the 4th quarter.  For a player you'd assume is challenging for the starting SF position, that couldn't have given him too much confidence.  Sure, Byron said that he was just trying to figure out what might work, but get him in the game earlier.  Jawad looked out-of-sync offensively and couldn't really make good on his opportunities. 

I'm not trying to question Scott's lineup strategy in the first preseason game.. well actually yes I am.  Arguably the most athletic player on the team this year is Christian Eyenga.  Why not get him into the game and get him a taste of some NBA action?  Another major issue:  why not get some of the training camp invites more playing time?  How can you know what you really have until you see them in game action.  Personally, I would have loved to see Manny Harris get a chance to show what he can do.  I refuse to accept the thought of cutting him from the team until we see what exactly he has in his arsenal.  Speaking of which, shoutout to UMhoops.com who linked my last article about Manny.  We appreciate the love.

My last major bone to pick is the so-called "Princeton" offense, or lack-there-of.  Too many times I caught myself wondering why we were running a halfcourt offense.  This team is not going to win many games if we play that sort of basketball.  Byron clearly is conditioning this team to run the floor.. the entire game.  Let's not get into some of the bad habits this team had from last year.  I expected to see more of an uptempo feel.  Enough setting up the offense and attempting to play through the big-men we clearly are lacking.

Enough about the things that bothered me, because in all reality, the Cavaliers put on a pretty good show.  Most of these things can either be corrected or improved, and we still won the game by 15 points.  Mind you we were without two of our biggest impact players, Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao.

Daniel "Boobie" Gibson led all scorers with 19 points.  He has noticeably improved his game from last year, and looks far more confident this year. 

Boobie's jump shot is undeniably pure, and we can only hope to see more of that. 

Not only was he knocking down perimeter shots, he was also looking to drive to the hole, and it translated into point production.  When's the last time Gibson shot 10 free throws in a game?

Anthony Parker can still shoot the basketball, and proved it with multiple jump shots.  He really seems to have great focus when he's on the floor, and he probably will cement his starting position at the 2.  Parker was actually pretty fun to watch last night.

Jamario Moon might just be the most underrated player on this roster.  His energy level was a huge boost for the Cavaliers, and he made several nice plays that made him stick out from the rest of the crowd.  One was a great/lucky block.  He added a few memorable dunks as well.  Jamario might have had the best game out of everyone on the floor.  If I had to name a starter at the SF position after last night, I'd say the nod would have to go to Jamario.

The Cavaliers pulled away in the 4th quarter, thanks in large part to the terrible shooting of Stephen Jackson.  It seemed like every time he pulled the trigger on a 3 it was always going to be a brick.  Gerald Wallace didn't have his best night either;  The Bobcats will need both of these players to perform on a nightly basis to be competitive this year.

There is however, another player who is worthy of mention.  In fact, it's almost embarassing that I haven't mentioned him yet.  I must say it was a shock to see.. an NBA legend representing the Charlotte Bobcats?

No, I'm not talking about Michael Jordan.  He was okay from what I've heard, but there was a more notable figure on the sidelines.  If you guessed Larry Brown, you're wrong again.  Do you even know who #24 on the Bobcats is this year?

Ahhh.. it's all starting to make sense now.  Darius.Miles.  Say it one more time out loud.  Darius Miles.  Really?  I felt honored to watch in person, a player with such grace and presence as the great D-Miles.  Don't look at the statistics, just believe me when I tell you he made the impact that was expected of him.  In fact, he played so well that he should maybe cement his chance of surviving another week of training camp.  That's right, he doesn't even have a guaranteed contract.  Something is clearly wrong with the world we live in.

To sum everything up: 

• The Cavaliers blew out the Bobcats, on the same day they unveiled new jerseys as well as a new teamshop.  We actually played halfway decent defensively, and beat a team who arguably has more talent than we do.
• There is a lot of room for improvement, namely the insertion of Manny Harris into the game.
• Everytime the Cavs scored, I said proudly.. "Anddd the Cavs are better than the Bobcats"
• The Legend of Darius Miles exists.    

The way I see it, the Cavaliers are off to a running start.. pun intended.  Let's hope we can keep up the good karma and show John Wall how to do the "John Wall Dance".  Ladies, look at your man, now back at Darius, now back at your man.  Sadly, he's not Darius.

We can't all be perfect.

Larry Bird Considered?

When the Cavaliers took the floor for the first time on Tuesday night in the post-LeBron era, Byron Scott was the Head Coach on the sidelines.

However, Byron Scott may have not been the only alumni from the once classic Lakers-Celtics rivalry in the 1980’s the Cavs considered.  Cleveland is believed to have considered Larry Bird, the Pacers team president and still to this day a legend.

It is confirmed by sources close to the situation that the Cavaliers did indeed contact Bird, before naming Scott the new coach on July 2^nd. Larry Bird did take the phone call, but it is believed that the call was quick and didn't get anywhere.

Bird let Cleveland know that he wished to remain in the front-office with the Pacers and has all but ruled out coaching again, because of health and family reasons. Larry Bird was a successful coach from 1997-98 to 1999-2000, posting a 147-67 record while gaining a significant amount of respect from players around the league.

Although many players respected Bird around the league, Byron Scott was named head coach. He receieved strong recommendations from Chris Paul and Jason Kidd.  Winning three rings as a player, Scott knows how to win it all.  He also took the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 as a coach, and won Coach of the Year honors with New Orleans in 2008.

John Wall is coming in town on Thursday and I will be watching him in person as the Cavaliers take on the Washington Wizards. Should be interesting, let’s go Cavs!

One for All. All for One

Keep your heads up Cleveland

P.S. The new team shop looks utterly extravagant

                        

Training Camp Preview (Part 4)

At last, we have finally reached the fourth part of a special training camp preview that I have been gathering for the past week and a half. It sure is a different feel this season compared the others. A team that on average, was one of the oldest teams in the league just a few months ago, almost overnight became one of the youngest.

Once LeBron left town, followed by Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shaquille O’Neal, the Cavaliers had no choice but to rebuild. A trade that brought over Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins from Minnesota instantaneously made the team young again. Christian Eyenga (2009 first round draft pick) and Samardo Samuels (rookie out of Louisville) also explain how the Cavaliers have turned age into youth.

However, the Cavaliers did grow older in one area of their team.

Former Head Coach Mike Brown was fired soon after an unacceptable exit in the second round of the playoffs last season. Mike Brown was 40 years of age, one of the youngest coaches in the league.  Now, with all of that in the back windshield, the Cavaliers hired Byron Scott to lead the team in the post-LeBron era.  Byron Scott is nine years older than Brown.

So let’s take a look at not just Byron Scott, but the others that will help Coach Scott guide this team to what hopefully will be another playoff season.

Coaches:

Byron Scott - A former three-time NBA Champion, Byron knows how to win it all. A successful NBA point guard, Scott played for the Lakers, Pacers, and Grizzlies. Byron scored 15,097 points in his career to go along with, 2,729 assists and 1,224 total steals. Scott plans on using the “Princeton” and an up-tempo style offense to help improve his team and win ballgames. The “Princeton” involves a lot of player movement and ball movement as well, looking for the open man on each possession for the best quality shot. Byron Scott was a former coach for the New Jersey Nets and the New Orleans Hornets. He led the Nets to an NBA Finals appearance, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. Scott led the Nets back to the Finals once more but once again got the same result against San Antonio. He also led the once lowly Hornets to multiple playoff seasons, taking a far less talented team to the playoffs. He was awarded the 2007-2008 NBA Coach of the Year award.

Chris Jent—Jent has been around the Cavaliers since 2006. Jent was known for his work with LeBron James, and helped him with his shooting.  Formerly, he was an assistant head coach with the Orlando Magic during the 2004-2005 season.  Jent spent 10 seasons playing professional ball, including two years in the NBA. He won an NBA Championship with the Houston Rockets and played with the Knicks during the 1996-1997 season. Jent will look to help his players with shooting and defense.

Paul Pressey— Brought on with Byron Scott, Pressey, next to Scott, is the newest coach the Cavaliers are honored to have on the sidelines. Pressey has been in the NBA for quite some time now. He was an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, San Antonio, and New Orleans.

He won an NBA Championship coaching when he was with the San Antonio Spurs in 1998-99. Paul also enjoyed an 11-year NBA career, appearing in 724 regular season games with Milwaukee and San Antonio. Paul Pressey is very familiar with Byron Scott and his system, and will use his knowledge to teach not only the players but the other coaches as well.

Jamahl Mosely—A four-year letterman at the University of Colorado, Mosely will look to take another big step in what has already become a promising career. Jamahl is 28 years of age and came over from the Denver Nuggets last season. He will help Coach Scott and the others develop the skills and fundamentals of the Cavalier players.

Joe Prunty - Spending time with the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio, Prunty will look to add to his experience with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prunty began coaching high school basketball in San Diego. During his time there, Joe coached Luke Walton (Lakers) and Mark Prior (Cubs). Joe brings a wide variety of things he can do for the Cavaliers.

In the year 2000, Joe was the video coordinator for the Spurs. Prunty was also a scout/assistant for the Spurs as well.  Coach Prunty also has had experience running camps for colleges and high schools.  Joe will look to help the Cavaliers out with all of the experience he has gained over the years and help take this team to the promised land.

So just in a few hours the Cavaliers will tip-off the 2010-11 season, pre-season that is. The Cavaliers play the Charlotte Bobcats.  This year we have a brand new team that is ready to shock the world with possibly the biggest chip on their shoulders.

Experts are already writing them off, but I’m not. A 66 and 61 win team the past two seasons didn’t win that many games with just one man, (LeBron James) and I’m ready to see what these Cavs can do! Are you ready?

All for One. One for All.

Keep your heads up Cleveland.

The Cavaliers could use some help at the Center position

On Friday night, the Cavaliers previewed the new team and offense in the annual Wine & Gold Scrimmage.  By all accounts, the game was a constant fastbreak, and it seemed like the Cavs were not completely adjusted to the new system under Coach Byron Scott.  Take this with a grain of salt, because there were several key players missing;  Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, and Anderson Varejao did not participate.

There were several bright spots, most notably the play of Ramon Sessions as well as Cavs veteran Daniel "Boobie" Gibson.  Ramon seemed to have the best grasp of the new, uptempo offense, and it translated in the scorer's books;  Sessions finished with a game-high 13 points to go along with 4 assists, as he led the "Wine" team to a 47-41 victory (for what it's worth.)  Ramon has made it clear that he feels very comfortable in the "Princeton" style of offense Scott employs, and enjoys the seemingly unlimited amount of freedom afforded to him. 

Gibson started at the point for the "Gold" team, and was thus matched up against Sessions in what turned out to be a fun battle to watch.  With Mo Williams penciled in as the starter, it appears that Ramon and Boobie will be fighting for playing time, although you might see Boobie as well as Williams get some minutes at the 2 guard.  Byron obviously wants this team to press the ball, and he likes what Sessions is doing with the team so far.  He has the ability to see the floor very well, and often took advantage of open lanes and nicely utilizing pick-and-rolls.

There was however, a glaring issue that shouldn't really come as much of a surprise.  With Anderson Varejao in Brazil tending to family matters, the Cavaliers looked almost pathetically thin at the Center position.  Varejao undoubtedly will be the starter when the season opens, but he's not really accustomed to that role.  Our other only legitimate option at center is Ryan Hollins, who will be a work-in-progress this season.

The only other possibility the Cavaliers have at center as of right now is to slide one of our Power Forwards over, but that could prove to haunt us when we're matched up against the legitimate Centers in the east.  Don't get me wrong, I love J.J. Hickson, but he probably would get demolished against Dwight Howard.  Leon Powe could also play the Center, but he's still recovering from a serious knee surgery. 

That leaves Varejao and Hollins as our two options, and it's clear that the Cavs will be in the market for another big man.  Other teams know how limited we are with the departure of O'Neal as well as Ilgauskas, and they will exploit that weakness.  Sure, playing small can also have it's benefits.. but just ask the Phoenix Suns how far that got them.

Can the Cavaliers make the playoffs with our current predicament at center?  It's not out of the question.  Will we have a chance against the likes of Boston, Orlando, and Miami?  Nope.  I'm not sure who the Cavs will go after, but don't believe Byron Scott when he says that he's "not sure" if we'll need to add another Center.  This team has some good pieces right now, but its obvious we're missing another 7 footer.  Defending and rebounding in the paint might be the biggest weakness of this team right now.  Hopefully we'll get Varejao back soon, as well as Williams and Jamison.  Tomorrow we open up the preseason against the Bobcats, and only 23 more days until Boston rolls into town for the season opener.  The season is less than a month away, and the clock is ticking.