Cavs 06-07 season thread

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes is hurt again, and it?s obvious the team learned its lesson from last season. Last spring, Hughes rushed back from finger surgery and set himself back. Now, with a mild shin injury, the Cavs are taking extra precautions and will hold Hughes out until next week, in part because of what happened last season. One player benefiting from Hughes? injury is backup guard David Wesley, whose shooting and scoring touch has improved since he joined the starting lineup. Cavaliers coach Mike Brown says Wesley, who has been a starter most of his career, has had trouble warming up and then regaining his rhythm after sitting on the bench.

 

[scarletngrey11]

Lets just let the Pacers shoot fucking free throws every time down the floor the rest of the fucking game.

That seems to be the official's plan.

 

[mooktarr]

Lets just let the Pacers shoot fucking free throws every time down the floor the rest of the fucking game.

That seems to be the official's plan.

Does this mean you are less than excited about the zebras work tonight?

 

[scarletngrey11]

Z is worthless. If there is a slower and goofier player in the NBA I need to see this. Its amazing how smaller players go right at him like hes a lemon or something.

Marshall needs to stop shooting all together. When he shoots there is no way in hell the ball is going in on his 3's. At least make it appear close... but its like hes trying to damage the rim with a rocket.

Is there a worst or slower starting guard duo then Wesley and Snow?

That is all for now.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Cavs blow big lead in loss

Problems are exposed on offense, defense; LeBron even fouls out

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao, right, of Brazil, puts up a shot against Indiana Pacers' Jeff Foster during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, Nov. 24, 2006.
More photos

INDIANAPOLIS - Larry Hughes was walking around Conseco Fieldhouse without a boot on his ankle Friday, which was the only positive news for the Cavaliers in Central Indiana.
Hughes is needed back, and in a hurry. Perhaps he could bring along a wrench as well, because the Cavs have leaks all over the place.
Friday night, the Pacers beat them 97-87, exposing a litany of faults that have been arising over the last week and a half. It was the Cavs' (8-5) third defeat in the last four games and their fourth loss in six tries on the road, and they're now 2-3 without Hughes.
The Cavs had the Pacers down by 16 at one point in the evening, but that is nothing special. The Cavs routinely bury opponents under giant runs when they are clicking, an appetizer for the sort of team they could be. But over the last several games they've exhibited some bad habits and started some negative trends.
``Eventually we're going to have to figure something out,'' said LeBron James after his 30-point, seven-rebound effort was wasted. ``I don't think some of the guys are mentally focused at times when we're on the road. We've got to dig down deep.''
The whole second half was in the red against the Pacers as the Cavs were thoroughly dominated by a team they expect to beat out in the Central Division standings. They couldn't run the offense -- either turning the ball over in bunches or tossing up bad shots off bad plays -- and they couldn't begin to stop several of the Pacers.
There was no answer for Jermaine O'Neal, not that there usually is when he's healthy and having a good night. The Pacers' lanky power forward scored a season-high 29 points but took just 15 official shots. That's because the only way the Cavs seemed to be able to stop him was to foul him, sending him to the line 15 times.
Four Cavs tried to guard Sarunas Jasikevicius in the second half, when he scored 12 of his 15 points, and he seemed to lose them all. His speed and O'Neal's interior presence led a 17-2 run in the third quarter that basically finished the Cavs. It was just the latest in a series of focus-less shifts that Brown's timeouts and fiery speeches can't seem to fix.
Here's how bad it was: James fouled out for just the second time in his career; the first time was Dec. 18, 2004.
But that was only on the defensive end. Offensively, the Cavs were perhaps at their worst. They turned the ball over 19 times, allowing the Pacers 24 points. Meanwhile, the Pacers were forced into just seven turnovers. In the second half, the Cavs shot just 22 percent, making just seven baskets in 24 minutes.
The offense dragged at times, with no movement and little execution. It's been a common sight since Hughes and his 14 points a game and dynamic abilities left. Over the last four games without Hughes, the Cavs' opponents have taken 51 more free throws, and the Cavs have failed to crack 100 points.
``Anytime you have one of your best players out of the game, there's going to be less space,'' James said. ``You can see how wide open the perimeter was for us earlier in the season, and now we're not getting it done.''
After scoring 11 points in the first quarter and mockingly blowing on his fingers pretending they were on fire, Drew Gooden scored just four points the rest of the way. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavs second-leading scorer at the moment, took just two shots and scored two points. Donyell Marshall failed to match his scoring average for the sixth game in a row.
Brown tried to mix up his rotation as much as possible and got seven points in nine minutes out of rookie Daniel Gibson, but nothing could remedy the situation.
``We didn't move the ball well, we didn't take care of the ball, and the end result was we couldn't score,'' Brown said. ``We've got to figure out how to take care of the ball. We've got to keep plugging away.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Forward Pollard missing his family

Former Pacer's wife and children still in Indiana. Cavs debut orange jerseys

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS - Cavaliers game day
Most of the Cavaliers got to have Thanksgiving with their families and then traveled to Indiana on Thursday night. It was the opposite for Scot Pollard.
The Cavs forward played the previous three seasons with the Pacers, and his wife and two small daughters still live in Indianapolis.
It is the first time Pollard and his wife have been apart since they met at the University of Kansas, and he is missing his children, as well. It has all been part of an adjustment, which has included almost no playing time as the Cavs' fifth big man.
``It has been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I thought it would be all right,'' Pollard said. ``They've always been with me. This is the longest we've ever been apart.''
Pollard had negotiations to return to the Pacers in the offseason, but the Cavs came in with a $2.2 million offer for one season, and he took it.
In the locker room
The Cavs debuted their new all-orange jerseys Friday, an homage to the Cavs teams of the 1980s. That and something to sell in the team shop for Christmas. Consider LeBron James a fan. ``They are very nice. If I had to pick between the yellow ones we wore two years ago, I'd pick these. But the navy is still my favorite.''... The tipoff was moved back an hour to 8 p.m. Friday to accommodate fans who wanted to attend a Christmas-tree lighting ceremony in Indianapolis.... Eric Snow will be looking for score updates from the Canton McKinley-Mentor high school football state semifinal. His nephew Jewone Snow is a linebacker for McKinley.
In the coach's office
Mike Brown has activated Ira Newble for the last two games and left Pollard inactive. That will likely continue when the Cavs play smaller teams and Pollard will be active against teams with better big men.
In the news
Earlier this week, Memphis Grizzlies rookie Kyle Lowry had to leave a game against the Cavs in the third quarter after banging his wrist. An exam revealed it was broken, and he's out indefinitely.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Ilgauskas? 18 points, 15 boards ignite Cavs

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Tom Withers
ASSOCIATED PRESS

TONY DEJAK ASSOCIATED PRESS The Cavaliers? Zydrunas Ilgauskas, left, and the 76 ers? Allen Iverson chase a loose ball, one of a number the Cleveland center went after last night.


CLEVELAND ? The Cavaliers located their missing 7-foot-3 center.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, mostly forgotten in Cleveland?s offense, scored a season-high 18 points and added 15 rebounds, and LeBron James had 25 points and 11 assists in a 108-95 victory over the Philadelphia 76 ers last night.
Ilgauskas came in averaging nine points per game ? six below his career average ? and the center hasn?t been as involved in Cleveland?s new offensive schemes as much as he or Cavs coach Mike Brown would like.
"My fault," Brown said before the game.
Ilgauskas scored two points and took two shots Friday night in a loss at Indiana. He and Brown met in the coach?s office about 90 minutes before tipoff with the Sixers, and whatever they discussed became Cleveland?s game plan.
The Cavaliers did more to get Ilgauskas the ball in good scoring spots, and he responded by scoring 12 points in the first half. He had his 18 by the end of the third quarter, when Cleveland opened an 82-70 lead.
"It got to the point where we said, ?Screw the offense,? " James said. "There were some (play) calls we made that had nothing to do with our offense. We?ve got to find a way to get ?Z? in a comfort zone."
Ilgauskas tied a team record with 12 offensive rebounds and had five blocks. Cleveland?s big man also dived to the floor several times for loose balls.
" ?Z? did a tremendous job," said Brown, whose Cavs have won six straight at home. "He got on the ground three or four times going after loose balls; that?s a heck of an effort for a guy that?s 7-foot-3. His points and rebounds were tremendous, but his five blocks is what I like to see."
Allen Iverson scored 31 points on 10-of-28 shooting from the field to lead Philadelphia. The Sixers started fast and built a 13-point lead in the first quarter but couldn?t sustain it.
"We gave the game away," Iverson said. "We just stopped playing."
Trailing by 13 early in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia pulled to 94-86 on two free throws by Samuel Dalembert with 5:24 left. But Ilgauskas came back in off the bench to spark the Cavs.
Eric Snow hit a jump shot, Drew Gooden scored in the lane and James completed a three-point play to put the Cavaliers, wearing orange throwback uniforms from the 1980s, up 101-86 with 3:04 left.
With Ilgauskas leading the charge, the Cavaliers outrebounded Philadelphia 49-36. "I got off to a little bit of a slow start, but they kept calling plays for me," said Ilgauskas, who played a season-high 36 minutes. "It was nice to get back into the offense."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Cavs make big discovery

Use of Ilgauskas gets offense going again in victory over Philadelphia

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - Wearing throwback uniforms with throwback logos, the Cavaliers rediscovered a throwback basketball principle Saturday.
The value of a big man.
At least for one night, the Cavs actually used their $50 million center. Not ironically, their offensive woes seemed to melt away.
Riding Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavs played one of their best offensive games of the season in upending the Philadelphia 76ers 108-95. The win ended a two-game losing streak and a malaise that has been plaguing the team's offense since Larry Hughes succumbed to an ankle injury six games ago.
After getting just two shots in the loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, Ilgauskas was called early and often by Cavs coach Mike Brown against the Sixers (5-8). In fact the first three times the Cavs (9-5) had the ball in the half court, it went inside to Ilgauskas.
It took awhile to start working, but establishing a post game ended up paying dividends. Ilgauskas finished with a season-high 18 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. But just getting him interested in the game paid off in ways that go beyond those numbers.
Feeling a part of the game plan seemed to tap into a new energy stream for Ilgauskas. He blocked five shots, twice got Cavs possessions by diving on the court for loose balls, and he repeatedly outran opposite center Samuel Dalembert down the court. He also tied a Cavs team record for offensive rebounds in a half with 10 and for a game with 12.
``I got off to a little bit of a slow start, but they kept calling plays for me,'' Ilgauskas said. ``We've been struggling a little bit and the extra effort, the little things that don't show up in the box score, helped.''
Early in the game, the 76ers were playing zone and bringing sometimes as many as three players to within a footstep of LeBron James, a tactic other teams have employed recently. But getting Ilgauskas going seemed to unlock the Cavs' attack. With him scoring and Damon Jones hitting 3-pointers on his way to 12 points, the triple teams stopped and James' driving and passing lanes reopened for business.
After not making a field goal until midway through the second quarter, James piled up 25 points and was able to hand out a season-high 11 assists. With him able to drive and score or drive and kick, the Cavs piled up a season-high 62 points in the paint. By comparison, in Friday's loss, they had just 24.
``It got to the point where we said screw the offense,'' James said. ``There were some calls made that had nothing to do with our offense (to get the ball to Ilgauskas).''
The 76ers, like the Cavs, were playing their fourth game in five nights. After jumping out to an early 13-point lead, they were unable to get stops against the Cavs' clicking offense and, after getting outscored 35-13 in the second quarter, they couldn't recover. The Cavs held Philadelphia to just 40 percent shooting on the night.
Allen Iverson scored 31 points a night after he had 46 against the Chicago Bulls. But former teammate Eric Snow actually did a pretty solid job defending him, stealing the ball from him three times and always putting a hand directly on his nose whenever he shot. It led to a 10-of-28 shooting night for Iverson. Snow also contributed 11 points and eight assists.
Led by Jones, the Cavs' bench players also had a good night. Anderson Varejao had 11 points and eight rebounds, and Sasha Pavlovic and Donyell Marshall broke the mini-slumps they were in by scoring a combined 15 points with seven rebounds.
But on this night, really, it was all about big ``Z.''
``Z did a tremendous job,'' Brown said. ``It was my job to do a better job of getting him the basketball. He said `OK, coach,' and shook my hand, so that means I must have said something he wanted to hear.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Cavaliers game day

Coach Brown gives rookie Brown start

Pulling guard off bench is latest move in search for fill-in for Hughes

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - The search for a Larry Hughes stopgap continues.
After going five games with veteran David Wesley, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown instead reached down the bench and gave rookie guard Shannon Brown his first career start against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Wesley averaged just 4.2 points and shot just 33 percent in place of Hughes, and his minutes had been dwindling. Now he might have lost his starting job and his spot in the rotation, with more minutes slated for Daniel Gibson as well.
After the loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday, LeBron James openly said he thought there should be some lineup and rotation changes, specifically in regard to rookies Brown and Gibson.
Yet the move seemed somewhat strange, considering coach Brown hadn't played Shannon Brown at all in the previous two games and has played him more than five minutes just once this season. The team went over the new look in a brief walk-through before the game at the practice court.
It is the third starting lineup the Cavs have gone with so far this season. Last year, when Hughes was out, Sasha Pavlovic, Damon Jones, Flip Murray and Ira Newble all saw turns in the starting lineup, as the Cavs searched for a suitable replacement.
``It's not the answer or the reason why we haven't played well the last two games,'' Mike Brown said of the lineup switch. ``We just need... to bring more energy and more effort to the game.''
In the locker room
Fans could probably have an argument over which dunk of James' career has been the most impressive, but several Cavs have seemed to cast their votes. A color picture of James' dunk over Tim Duncan on Nov. 3 has been placed on the wall next to James' locker.... About two hours before the game Saturday, there was a malfunction and confetti that is stored in the ceiling to be let loose after home victories started falling all over the court and lower bowl at Quicken Loans Arena.... There are no special hair products in Anderson Varejao's locker. He says his 'do is all natural. ``Just shampoo and conditioner, that's it,'' Varejao said. He does, however, have highlights put in every summer while on vacation in Barcelona.
In the coach's office
Zydrunas Ilgauskas wasn't a major part of the new offense the Cavs installed in training camp and hasn't even been much of an option recently.
In the loss to the Pacers, Ilgauskas got just two shots, despite the Cavs' offensive woes.
He and Mike Brown met before the game Saturday, and later the coach took the blame for not getting him more looks.
``A lot of it is my fault,'' Brown said. ``That is something as the season goes along that I've got to do a better job of.''
In the news
It turns out the seven turnovers the Pacers committed against the Cavs on Friday were the fewest in a game by any team in the Eastern Conference this season. The Pacers had been averaging almost 18 a game.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Cavs keep searching for some consistency
Sunday, November 26, 2006
cavaliers CORNER MIKE POPOVICH

CLEVELAND

The Cavaliers have spent most of the first month of the season in first place. They would be in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference if the playoffs started at the end of November.
That said, they looked nothing like a first-place team this week.
The Cavs know they have to play better basketball if they are to remain atop the division over the long haul. Second-half collapses against Memphis on Tuesday and Indiana on Friday justify what Head Coach Mike Brown has said.
The team has not arrived yet.
Brown said the Cavaliers were fortunate to beat the struggling Grizzlies. They almost saw a 21-point lead disappear and needed a last-second 3-pointer by Memphis to fall short to avoid overtime.
The Pacers game was another head scratcher. How many times have you ever seen a team with a 16-point lead lose by 10?
Losing focus in games you have control of is not the formula for success for a team that hopes to play well into May and June.
?Yeah, it?s something we have to work on,? LeBron James said after the Memphis game. ?It?s early in the season. Games like this, we?re hoping to get better with big leads. It?s very difficult. The crowd gets out of it. We kind of get out of it, but we have to find a way to try to sustain the same exact effort that got us that lead.
?It?s very difficult, but we have to do it.?
The Cavs have been successful against the NBA?s best teams. Their win at San Antonio this season is just one example.
When facing a .500 team or below, they sometimes don?t play with the same intensity they bring against teams such as the Spurs, Heat or Mavericks.
The Cavaliers undoubtedly must approach each game as if they are playing a playoff contender. Another test comes Wednesday when they host New York.
The Knicks have given the Cavaliers fits even though they have struggled the past couple of years. An April win at Cleveland cost the Cavs a berth in the 2005 playoffs. And New York almost wiped out a 14-point deficit this season when the two teams met at Madison Square Garden.
?No matter what our opponent?s record is, any team can win on any given night,? Brown said.
OPPOSING VIEW
Grizzlies Head Coach Mike Fratello must wonder what it would have been like to coach a Cavs team that is as promising as this year?s.
Fratello coached the Cavaliers to four playoff appearances in the 1990s. Lenny Wilkens is the only coach who has led the team to the postseason more times.
The Cavs were eliminated in the first round each time under Fratello. It would be an upset if this year?s team experiences the same fate.
?They really have a very, very good team,? Fratello said. ?They are extremely well-coached and they play unselfishly.
?And they make you work. You really have to work. They are to be commended. If they stay healthy and avoid any serious injuries, they are going to have an outstanding season this year.?
CALLED OFF FOR NOW
Former Cavs guard Dajuan Wagner?s comeback attempt was temporarily aborted this week when the Golden State Warriors bought out his contract.
Wagner has battled injuries and illness since he was drafted by the Cavaliers with the sixth overall pick in 2002. He did not play last season after having his colon removed.
?It became evident over the last couple of weeks that he was not ready for the day-to-day rigors of the NBA,? Leon Rose, Wagner?s agent, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Wagner played in one game with the Warriors and scored 4 points.
SNOW TOY DRIVE
Eric Snow will host a holiday toy drive at Quicken Loans Arena again this season.
New unwrapped toys can be brought to the six Cavs home games from now until Dec. 21. Toys also can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the arena?s northeast and northwest entrances.
All toys will be donated to children in Northeast Ohio.

Reach Repository sports writer Mike Popovich at (330) 580-8341 or e-mail: [email protected]

THIS WEEK?S TOP 5
Repository sports writer Mike Popovich?s ranking of the top five NBA teams based on results through Friday.
1, UTAH Overcame three double-digit, second-half deficits this week.
2, SAN ANTONIO League?s only unbeaten road team.
3, DALLAS From 0-4 to 9-4 in a hurry.
4, ORLANDO Won five of first six games decided by 5 points or less. 5, DETROIT Starting to fire on all cylinders.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

LeBron helps get rookies on court

Cavs seem to act on hints they should play more

By Brian Windhorst

When LeBron James speaks, the Cavaliers understandably listen.
That's true even on small levels, such as last week, when he questioned why the Cavs would debut their orange throwback jerseys on the road. Within 24 hours, the Cavs were on the phone with the NBA office getting permission to wear the throwbacks for the next home game. Those are minor details; just think of James' influence on the major ones.
James has been dropping hints publicly -- and making statements privately, according to team insiders -- that he'd like to have more court time with rookies Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson. Especially Gibson.
In the past week, coach Mike Brown has increased the rookies' playing time. Just a few hours after James suggested following the loss to the Indiana Pacers that there should be lineup changes, Shannon Brown was in the starting lineup in place of David Wesley. Also, coach Mike Brown is beginning to give Gibson meaningful minutes off the bench in place of Wesley and Eric Snow.
``You only can grow up in this league if you're on the court,'' James said. ``In this league, you have to play.''
Wednesday in Toronto, Gibson was on the court as the Cavs tried to win the game in the fourth quarter. Several times, James looked for him on offense, passing him the ball. It was hardly rookie treatment, and it was a message that James wants to see what Gibson can do.
Gibson missed the clutch shots, but all he got was encouragement Wednesday and again Friday when he was in for key moments of the loss to the Pacers. He scored 14 points in 30 minutes in those two games with some impressive overall shooting.
``I just think (Gibson) is going to be a very good point guard in our league. It was a steal for us to get him in the second round,'' James said. ``I was glad to see him fail against Toronto; that was good for him. It was an excellent decision (to play him). As he grows, I want to play with him more.''
Mike Brown, like most NBA coaches, has gone with experienced veterans over unstable rookies in the early going. There is always temptation -- especially among fans and the media -- to see what new players can do. Now, though, No. 23 wants a look, and he's probably going to get it.
Dribbles
? NBA front-office members keeping an eye on soon-to-be free agents are zeroing in on Anderson Varejao. Big men often get more money in the open market than their productivity suggests. With the league now coveting versatile big men who move well, Varejao might become the next. In his third season, Varejao has impressed with his first month of play.
``Someone is going to offer him $7 million or more per year,'' said one high-ranking league executive. ``The Cavs are going to have some tough choices with him.''
All of it is simply conjecture in November; lots of things might change by July, including the number of teams with salary-cap space. Also, Varejao, who is averaging 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, is a restricted free agent, and the Cavs have his full ``Bird'' rights, which means they can match any offer.
But with James' maximum contract kicking in next season, paying Varejao big money probably would put the Cavs into the luxury tax. That is a serious decision to make. Further complicating matters is that Drew Gooden, who is the starter and statistically more productive than Varejao, will make $6.4 million next year. Hard to justify giving Varejao more than that.
Last summer, the Cavs handled the Gooden restricted free agency professionally and hammered out a fair deal. Looking ahead, getting one with Varejao promises to be challenging as well.
? General Manager Danny Ferry has had several conversations with former teammate Brad Daugherty in an effort to persuade him to come to his bobblehead night on Dec. 6. Daugherty has stayed away since 1999, when he was replaced as television color analyst and Wayne Embry left his general-manager role. Daugherty skipped the ceremony in 2000 when he was named to the Cavs' all-time starting five. Daugherty has not made a commitment to be in Cleveland and be honored.
Last season, Campy Russell and Austin Carr persuaded World B. Free to return and be recognized after he had a 20-year feud with the franchise.
? The Cavs have sold out six of their first eight home games and are near the top of the league in attendance, averaging 20,400 fans per game. Last season, the Cavs averaged 18,700 fans in their first eight home games and didn't have their sixth sellout until February.
According to team officials, the difference has been the season-ticket base, which grew by a significant percentage for the fourth consecutive year.
? E-mails regularly come in from fans asking about the ``blonde who is always around the Cavs' bench on TV.'' So that you know, her name is Amanda Mercado, the Cavs' director of communications. She oversees media requests and availability, specifically regarding James.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Cavs' Jones ranks among top reserves

Last year's woes blamed on shock of change in role

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - Looking back with the benefit of perspective, Damon Jones said he was operating in a state of shock for much of his first season as a Cavalier.
In a year, Jones went from being a blue-collar role player in Milwaukee to the starting point guard on the flashy Miami Heat and a career season. In a whoosh, the undrafted former CBA player from Houston had a dazzling $16 million contract in Cleveland, a lucrative shoe deal with a Chinese company and all the status that came with it.
At his news conference on the day of his signing, Jones famously claimed he was ``one of the top five shooters in the world.'' He showed up to games in leopard-skin sport coats and said he didn't believe in pregame warmups because he was ``wasting makes.''
Not long after, Jones lost the battle for the starting point-guard job to Eric Snow, then started the season in a prolonged shooting slump that left him feuding with the home crowd, which booed him.
``There was a shock of playing a different role than I had played the year before,'' Jones said. ``I was coming off the success I had and the success we had as a team in Miami. My role was changed drastically, and it was part of my problem.''
Which is why now, after a stellar first month of his second season with the Cavs, Jones feels as if a little pressure has been relieved.
After promising to return in better shape physically and with a more basketball-centric mind-set, Jones has been one of the NBA's top reserves in November. He's averaging 9.9 points a game, and his shooting has returned to the level it was in Miami. He is making 42 percent of his 3-point attempts and 45 percent overall. He also has been the Cavs' best free-throw shooter, at 86 percent.
``I do have a sense of relief,'' Jones acknowledged. ``But I still have a long way to go.''
By the end of last season, Jones had righted the ship somewhat. He started playing better after the All-Star break, and over the last 15 games of the season, he shot almost 50 percent on 3-pointers. He ended up leading all NBA reserves in 3-pointers made and, of course, hit a jumper that put the Cavs in the second round of the playoffs.
Still, all of his percentages were down, and he was hearing his name in trade rumors.
Building on the momentum of the end of the season, Jones spent two months working out in Las Vegas. When he reported for training camp, he was again promising big things. But this time, it wasn't with flair; it was with mettle. So far, he's been true to his word.
``Going into the summer, whether I was going to be here or traded somewhere, I was going to be the player I'm capable of being,'' Jones said. ``I had two great months of training, and I'm a more confident player because of it.''
Injury update
Larry Hughes took part in noncontact work at practice Monday, his first full-team workout since he sprained his right ankle two weeks ago. He will be examined today by Cavs doctors, but he said he doesn't plan to play Wednesday when the Cavs host the Knicks. That would be his seventh game missed because of the injury.
Coach Mike Brown said he will start rookie Shannon Brown at shooting guard Wednesday. Shannon Brown left practice to have an ingrown toenail removed but is expected to be able to play against the Knicks.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

CAVALIERS
In the Knick of time, DJ comes alive


Tuesday, November 28, 2006 Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter

The formula for breaking out of a slump is never the same for everyone. Damon Jones' formula: Spike Lee on the sidelines in a courtside seat and the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
Jones started the season with 27 points in six games, but erupted for 29 in 28 minutes of the Cavaliers' 102-96 victory over the Knicks in New York on Nov. 3.
The two teams meet again on Wednesday night at The Q.
Jones took advantage of the Knicks opting to drop off on LeBron James in the first game, hitting 7 of 10 shots from 3-point range to tie a club record. He had 24 points at the half. The 29 points he scored were two shy of his career high.
It's rarely a smart move to let Jones hoist up open 3s, particularly when he's on stage and the lights are turned up.
"I love playing in the Garden," Jones said. "It's the aura there, the celebrities. It's the Mecca of basketball."
Cavaliers television analyst Austin Carr can relate. "The fans are so knowledgeable there," said Carr.
"The atmosphere there is unlike that anywhere else."
Carr recalled playing at MSG during his days at Notre Dame in the late 1960s. " 'Jesus Christ Superstar' was playing on Broadway at the time," Carr said. "Late in the game, the fans began chanting, 'Austin Carr Superstar.' "
Jones was shooting 31 percent (10-of-32) from the field and averaging 4.5 points a game when the Cavaliers rolled into MSG. "When you are in a slump," Jones said, "you are looking to bust out of it, anywhere.
"It was my breakout game."
Jones has used the success in MSG to get on a roll. He's averaging 13.9 points and is shooting 50 percent (39-of-78) from the field - including 44 percent (21-of-48) from 3-point range in the Cavaliers' past eight games.
While knocking down the seven 3-pointers against the Knicks, Jones and Lee talked some smack. "I don't know Spike real well," Jones said, "but we did a lot of joking around on that night.
"At one point, Spike said now that I was making some shots, I was once again doing some talking. It was all in good fun."
The Cavaliers (9-5), who have won eight of 10 against the Knicks at The Q, will be without starting shooting guard Larry Hughes for the seventh straight game.
Hughes, who suffered a high right ankle sprain in a 100-87 victory over Portland, said no timetable has been set for his return. He ran through some plays in the early going of Monday's practice at The Q. "It's definitely getting better," he said.
"Things have been bumped up as far as the rehabbing goes. I am able to put some more weight on it."
The Cavaliers, 6-2 in the eight games Hughes started, are 3-3 without him.
Coach Mike Brown said that rookie first-round pick Shannon Brown will make his second consecutive start on Wednesday night against the Knicks.
Looking understandably jittery in his first NBA start on Saturday night against the 76ers, Brown was 1-6 from the field, 1-of-4 from the free-throw line and committed two turnovers in 14 minutes.
Another rookie, point guard Daniel Gibson, has posted better numbers (22 points on 7-of-17 shooting) in the last three games he's played, but Brown opted to keep him on the bench.
"Gibson has played well at times," Brown said, "but he's made some mistakes that did not warrant him playing ahead of Shannon."
Brown said the mistakes came at the defensive end. "Mostly off the ball," Brown said.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

LeBron, headband longtime partners

Cavs' star has sympathy for Ben Wallace's plight

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - When it comes to headwear, LeBron James is banding together with Ben Wallace.
Wallace, the Chicago Bulls' star center, made headlines over the weekend after he violated a team rule by wearing a headband when the Bulls played the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Bulls coach Scott Skiles twice benched Wallace after he put on his headband when going to the floor at Madison Square Garden, and Skiles refused to put him back in the game until he removed it. Wallace probably will be fined for the transgression.
James, who has worn a headband since he was 13, said Tuesday he understands why Wallace is upset.
``I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't wear a headband; I'd be upset if they had some rule here,'' James said. ``I don't know why it is such a problem. It is not disrespecting anybody, it's not thinking you're bigger than anyone on the team.''
The Cavaliers don't have team rules about what players may wear on or off the court, other than the standards imposed by the NBA. Usually, six Cavs -- James, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown, Drew Gooden, Daniel Gibson and Ira Newble -- sport headbands during games.
``I don't have a problem with headbands,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ``We're all adults here; you just have to be clean. We know what we should and shouldn't wear.''
When James was in high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary, he stuck to the school's policies of no facial hair and covered tattoos on his arms with bandages. There was no rule against headbands, and he wore one with an NBA logo, much like the ones he wears now, for his entire high school career.
``It is a routine. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't wear one,'' James said. ``If it is something you have been doing your whole life -- it doesn't matter what field you're in, athletics or the business side -- if someone comes and tells you to switch your routine up, it is going to mess up your work.''
Easy month ends
The Cavs welcome the New York Knicks to Quicken Loans Arena tonight, marking their ninth home game in November. The Cavs started the season with a favorable schedule; they play more home games in November than any other month. The Cavs have also yet to play a team at home that has a winning record, one of the reasons they're 7-1 at Quicken Loans Arena thus far.
``Anytime early in the season when you can get your feet underneath you, no matter how you do it, is for the best,'' Brown said. ``So far we have done a decent job of taking advantage of our homestand.''
The advantages go deeper. The Cavs will be catching the Knicks, who played Tuesday at Chicago, on a back-to-back. It is the fifth time in the last six home games the Cavs are getting a team on a back-to-back. Only once in those situations have the Cavs been on a back-to-back as well.
``It has benefited us. It is early but you never want to be in a hole,'' Donyell Marshall said. ``But come January_ it turns around.''
Cavs killer
Knicks guard Jamal Crawford was originally drafted by the Cavs before being traded to the Bulls for Chris Mihm. He seems to never let the Cavs forget. He's punished the Cavs over his six-year career, but especially since he's become a Knick.
Despite mostly coming off the bench, Crawford is averaging 24.4 points against the Cavs over the last three years. Two weeks ago, he scored 18 points off the bench in nearly rallying the Knicks to a win over the Cavs in New York.
``I always get nervous when I see Jamal Crawford; he's an amazing talent. We have to be ready for him,'' Brown said. ``You have guys like him, Tyronne Lue and Allen Iverson that like playing us for some reason.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Knicks 101, Cavaliers 98

11/29/2006, 11:02 p.m. ET By TOM WITHERS
The Associated Press


CLEVELAND (AP) ? Eddy Curry was often New York's biggest cheerleader during crunch time last season.
Now, he's the center of everything for the Knicks.
"I wouldn't even see the fourth quarter, let alone the ball," Curry said. "But that was last year."
Curry scored 24 points ? 12 in the final period ? and Quentin Richardson had 27 points as the Knicks continued to play better on the road with a 101-98 victory over Cleveland on Wednesday night, snapping the Cavaliers' six-game home winning streak.

Curry and Jamal Crawford (11 points) combined for 23 of New York's 28 points in the fourth as the Knicks, playing their second game in two nights, improved to 5-5 on the road. Maybe they should stay away from Madison Square Garden, where they are just 1-6.
The 6-foot-11, 285-pound Curry was an inside force in the fourth quarter, barreling down the lane for easy baskets on routine pick-and-rolls. Once he got the ball close to the rim, there was little the Cavs could do but foul him.
Curry was 6-of-9 from the free throw line in the final quarter.
"He's the guy," Crawford said. "He's the guy we go through. It's great to see him take over down the stretch."
Richardson, who missed Tuesday's game in Chicago with a strained hamstring, was 5-of-7 on 3-pointers and added nine rebounds. New York made nine 3-pointers ? the biggest by Crawford with 1:46 left to put the Knicks up 97-93.
Richardson also did a nice defensive job on LeBron James, who scored 27 points but on just 10-of-22 shooting.
Drew Gooden had 16 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who had no answer for Curry when it mattered.
"They were playing pick-and-roll with Curry, just rolling him down the gut," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "Nothing we did worked. It wasn't him necessarily catching in the post, posting up and backing in. It was just them playing pick-and-roll."
Curry's dunk and free throw for a three-point play with 46.5 seconds left put the Knicks ahead by three, and New York was able to hang on despite Steve Francis missing two free throws and firing up an airball in the final 36 seconds.
Trailing by three, Cleveland had a last possession to tie it, but Donyell Marshall was short on a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds remaining. Crawford grabbed the rebound, and when the horn sounded, New York's guard celebrated by throwing the ball high enough to hit the arena's giant scoreboard.

"We needed this," Crawford said. "We needed it bad."
James, who scored eight in the final period, blew by Richardson for a layup to tie it at 98 with 1:05 remaining. But following a timeout, Crawford drove the lane and dished underneath to Curry, who was fouled by Gooden on a dunk.
Curry missed three free throws earlier in the quarter, but he completed the three-point play to make it 101-98.
James forced up a shot over two defenders on Cleveland's next trip, but New York was unable to take advantage as Francis missed a pair of free throws. Damon Jones' turnover gave it back to the Knicks, but Francis again gave Cleveland hope with his miss in the lane.
But on their final trip, the Cavaliers, who settled for too many jumpers, couldn't get a 3 from Marshall.
"We had wide open shots," James said. "They just didn't fall."
Despite coming in with the Eastern Conference's second-worst record (5-11), Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said before the game that he is convinced his team is headed in the right direction.
"We've just got to stay sane in mind and get on the other side of the storm," he said.
Any threatening clouds seem to be clearing.
"This is a new team," Curry said. "Same guys, but we have a new attitude."
Notes:@ According to a story in the current issue of GQ magazine, James and New England quarterback Tom Brady were "fleeced" during a card game at rap mogul Jay-Z's 40/40 club in New York. So who lost more? "It wasn't me," James said. "I try not to lose." James said Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has also joined the high-stakes, high-profile table. "We always have fun," he said. ... G Larry Hughes missed his seventh game with a high ankle sprain. He and the Cavaliers remain noncommittal about his return, but Hughes still isn't able to run comfortably. ... Knicks G Nate Robinson, the NBA's reigning slam dunk champion, was called for traveling in the second quarter when he tried to bounce the ball off the floor and slam it. "I won't be trying it again unless we're up by 20," he said. "But that's spontaneous Nate Robinson. I can't control that."