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Cavs 06-07 season thread

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ABJ

Varejao takes charge on defense for Cavs

Forward leads with 18 offensive fouls absorbed

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - At the end of each month, the Cavaliers player who draws the most charges gets a bonus from coach Mike Brown.
To Brown, drawing an offensive foul is one of the most exciting plays in the game. He has been known to plant kisses on his players' foreheads after they take one.
There is almost no suspense in the monthly contests anymore. The guy going home with all the cash, and the kisses, is always forward Anderson Varejao.
Varejao doesn't seem to get proper credit for it, but he might be the NBA's best at taking charges. This season, Varejao unofficially has drawn 18 offensive fouls in the Cavs' first 17 games, an incredible pace.
Last season, the Phoenix Suns' Raja Bell led the NBA by drawing 76 charges in 79 games. That's an impressive number.
Bell took one charge for every 38.9 minutes that he played.
Varejao ranked 30th in the league with 32 charges drawn last season, in part because he missed 34 games with a shoulder injury. He led the league by drawing one offensive foul for every 23 minutes that he played.
It is an important part of Varejao's game. Because he is not a gifted shot blocker, drawing charges is his way of creating turnovers.
This season, Varejao has increased the pace, drawing an offensive foul about once every 20 minutes on the floor. He already had one game this season in which he took four charges, and he took three in another.
He's on pace to lead the NBA in total offensive fouls drawn and fouls drawn per minute.
``It is about body position,'' Varejao said. ``You have to judge where the man is going to go and try to be ahead of him.''
The charge factor is just one facet of Varejao's versatility and agility that the Cavs take advantage of. He's probably the team's best pick-and-roll player because he's quick enough to get in position, yet big and strong enough to set solid screens. Paired with gifted passer LeBron James on the plays, Varejao can become an offensive weapon.
He's also good at finishing around the basket, the valuable aspect of the ``roll'' in basketball's most basic play. The Cavs have increased his pick-and-rolls this season, which is why he's averaging a career-high 7.1 points and leading the team in shooting at 56 percent.
Varejao honed those skills playing three years for FC Barcelona. In Europe, big men generally are more active and set more screens.
His raw talent and judgment seem to be as valuable as experience in getting his 6-foot-10 frame into position.
``I try not to let the man see where I am coming from. That is the best,'' Varejao said. ``If it is a screen or getting a charge, you don't want them to see you until it is too late.''
Hughes back?
Larry Hughes took part in Cavs practice Sunday in Houston and is expected to practice today, after the team took Monday off. His sprained ankle is holding up and he's improving. If everything goes well and there are no setbacks, there's a chance Hughes could return to the floor Wednesday when the Cavs play host to the Toronto Raptors.
Hughes has missed the past nine games with the injury.
Analyzing Gibson
Perhaps the sample is too small to be meaningful, but the stats suggest that rookie Daniel Gibson is helping the Cavs when he's on the floor. He has played in only seven of the team's 17 games and 82 minutes overall, but he has the highest plus/minus ranking of anyone on the team. That means the Cavs have outscored their opponents by the largest rate when Gibson, who is averaging 4.7 points, is on the floor.
Conversely, fellow rookie Shannon Brown, who has started the past four games in place of Hughes, has the worst plus/minus rating of any of the Cavs' regulars.
Of course, it is still early.
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TheMorningJournal

CLEVELAND -- He's not ready to take on the moniker of scoring machine, but Eric Snow has been one of the Cavaliers' most consistent players in the last week.


The veteran point guard has averaged 10.5 points, 7.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds in his last four games.

Yet, Snow remains the favorite whipping boy to many fans and some in the media. Detractors had better come to the grips with the fact that he's not going anywhere, at least for the rest of this season.

He said the sudden surge in his scoring is not a freak of nature.

''I've been a double-figure scorer in this league,'' Snow said. ''I don't know why you guys don't think I can't be. It doesn't mean I can't do it. It's whatever the coach wants or whatever situation you're put in.

''There's no doubt in my mind I can be (a double-figure scorer). I'm not a guy who is going to play 10-15 minutes and score in double figures. Some guys, like Daniel Gibson, can play 10-15 minutes and give you double figures because that's how he plays. That's not me. I'm not going to come out and shoot 3s.''

Gibson, the rookie from Texas, has been getting steady minutes the last few games, largely because of his ability to score in bunches.

''Nothing that he's done has surprised me,'' Snow said. ''He's taking advantage of the time he does get to play. He's not bashful.''

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said he's actually called a few plays for the 33-year-old Snow, especially with guard Larry Hughes still sidelined with a high ankle sprain. Snow has responded by shooting a career-high 46.4 shooting percent from the floor .

''I've called his number a few times and put him in pick-and-roll situations,'' Brown said. ''He's been real efficient with it. As long as he continues to be efficient with it, I'll continue to call plays for him.''

Brown said he's aware of Snow's scoring potential, but he has other offensive-minded players at his disposal.

''When you have LeBron (James), Larry, Z (Zydrunas Ilgauskas) and Drew (Gooden), and a few other guys, you don't get your number called initially,'' Brown said. ''You have to do your scoring on the backside. With Larry being out, and Eric being efficient in the pick-and-roll situations, it's opened up my eyes a little more.''

Snow has been efficient in not turning the ball over, as well. He has 51 assists and just 13 turnovers in his last eight games. After leading the league for a while in assists-to-turnover ratio, he's currently ranked fifth (3.43).

The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder has been noticeable in attacking the basket in recent games.

''I'm just trying to be aggressive and make plays,'' he said. ''He's calling more plays for me to put me in the position to be aggressive. It's a combination of him giving me the opportunity to do more and me just coming in with the mind frame of being more aggressive and trying to get into the paint. That has been a point of emphasis for our team.''

In a loss to the New York Knicks last week, the Cavaliers (10-7) settled for jump shots in the fourth quarter. They didn't do that in a victory over Atlanta last Friday. They didn't do much of anything against Houston on Saturday and managed a season-low 63 points.

''There's nothing wrong with shooting jump shots, but we can't settle for them when we have better opportunities,'' Snow said.

When Gibson is in the game, however, jumpers are coming from all angles. He took seven shots in 20 minutes against the Rockets, making two 3-point goals.

Brown said it isn't Gibson's defense that keeps him off the court.

''(It's) nothing technical,'' he said. ''It's him learning the NBA. Some guys can figure (it) out within a year. Some guys take a couple years. He's definitely on the fast track, just like Shannon (Brown). They have both done some good things on the floor. There's nothing technically wrong with him defensively. It's a matter of growth (and) being out on the floor.''

Noted

There doesn't appear to be much of a chance of the Cavaliers trading for second-year power forward Channing Frye of the Knicks. The Cavs might have some interest in him, but so does the rest of the league. Knicks coach Isiah Thomas might have his eye on Gooden, who is a base-year compensation player. The Cavs could take back just half of Gooden's $6.6 million contract. Frye is making $2.3 million this season, so another player would have to be included in any such deal. Also, the New Jersey Nets have supposedly inquired about forward Anderson Varejao ... Gibson played in his hometown of Houston on Saturday. ''It was really cool,'' he said. ''It's something you dream about as a kid. It felt good, but the outcome of the game is not what I wanted.'' ... Toronto invades Quicken Loans Arena at 7 p.m. tomorrow. James is averaging 32.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists in his last six games against the Raptors. ... Four of the Cavs' next five games will be at The Q ... Coach Brown will coach in his 100th career game against Toronto. He currently has a record of 60-39.

[email protected]

?The Morning Journal 2006
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ive said it before, ill say it again. personally i would like to see lebron playing in a pick and roll system. with a 4 who is compatiblie the two are unstoppable. i just dont understand it.

brown seems to suprise me all the time. i dont watch the cavs that often, but often enough to wonder on his subs, why does he make some of his moves?

i tend to want to rant on the weakness of the team but in 22 pages im sure it has been throughly discussed...

when will we see lebron be unleashed with a pick and roll system?
 
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jimotis4heisman;680008; said:
ive said it before, ill say it again. personally i would like to see lebron playing in a pick and roll system. with a 4 who is compatiblie the two are unstoppable. i just dont understand it.

brown seems to suprise me all the time. i dont watch the cavs that often, but often enough to wonder on his subs, why does he make some of his moves?

i tend to want to rant on the weakness of the team but in 22 pages im sure it has been throughly discussed...

when will we see lebron be unleashed with a pick and roll system?
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At this point I am not so sure about that, he doesnt have a jump shot to force the guy to try and fight over top the screen.

They have been running sort of a flex offense and then they have the pick-n-roll off of that...

I do think that LBJ and Wild Thing have shown that they are the best pick-n-roll combo on the team.

I just think LBJ needs that other guy that can slash to the hole beside him to open things up so they don't have a 5 man zone geared towards him. If Hughes is healthy he takes care of that and last year when we brought Flip Murray he took care of it to some extent...
 
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ABJ

LeBron, get thee up to the basket

Cavs star knows fans can whoop the more he goes to the hoop

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - It is a cliched plea, a call heard by basketball stars for decades and a common fix-it for broken offenses.
It has reached that status because it usually is both simple and effective. It is the issue facing LeBron James right now.
With the Cavaliers undergoing some turbulence -- four losses in six games to be exact, largely because of offensive deficiencies -- there is a call to action for the resident superstar. It goes like this: ``Go to the basket more.''
Easier commanded than achieved, of course, but the technical and artistic data show the Cavs simply get better on offense the more James attacks the glass and get worse when he doesn't.
Compared with last season, when James had one of the most prolific offensive years in franchise history, he isn't getting to the basket as much. According to data provided by stats Web site 82games.com, a higher percentage of James' shots this season are jump shots, and he's shooting 5 percentage points lower (37 percent) than last season's 42 percent.
The stats also reveal that when James goes inside and takes anything but a jumper, he shoots 73 percent, up from 69 percent last season, and he is drawing more shooting fouls than he did a year ago.
Translation: James is more effective going to the basket than ever, yet he is doing it less. No wonder his scoring average is down about four points a game and his shooting percentage has also slipped a few points early in the season from last year's levels.
It is hard to say legitimately that James needs to do more on offense for the Cavs. But the plain truth is he has not been as effective as he was last season.
Consequently, the Cavs have failed to crack 87 points in three of their recent losses.
``I've got to try to be more aggressive,'' James said. ``I need to look for my shot more and see what happens, look to getting into the flow more early. I try not to force things. (Going to the basket) can work. There are pros and cons.''
In the victory over the Atlanta Hawks last week, James opened the game by driving to the hoop. He scored 14 points in the first quarter, making four layups and a short four-foot jumper and also drew three shooting fouls. The offense flourished and the Cavs ended up getting 11 assists in their first 14 baskets as they piled up 106 points on the way to a victory.
It was just the best example of a truism: The Cavs are better offensively as a group when James is attacking. Which is why teams make it as hard as possible for James to get to the basket and why it may be his greatest challenge.
In an unexpected twist, when James is off the floor, the Cavs have been faring better than ever. Over the past nine games, when James has taken his rest during the first half of the second quarter, the Cavs have outscored their opponents by 21 points. Over the whole season, the Cavs are plus-7 when James is on the bench in the second quarter.
When James is in the game, when all look for him to be the offensive leader, the numbers suggest the team is more sluggish. Perhaps his teammates lean on him to be the catalyst for everything. There are broad schematic and personnel issues that contribute, but there is no denying that the Cavs go as James goes.
``He's our guy. He sets the tone for everything we do,'' coach Mike Brown said. ``He sets the tone for practice, he sets the tone for games, for shoot-around. When you're in his shoes, Tim Duncan's shoes, Kevin Garnett's shoes, Kobe Bryant's shoes, Dwyane Wade's shoes... those guys set the tone. But he can't do all by himself, but we have to be led by LeBron.''
Dribbles
Larry Hughes practiced Tuesday but ruled himself out of tonight's game against the Toronto Raptors, his 10th missed game with a sprained right ankle. ``I'm feeling a lot better. I'm getting close,'' Hughes said. ``It is coming along, but it is not where I need to be.''... Brown hinted he might give rookie Daniel Gibson his first career start instead of Shannon Brown as he attempts to match up with Raptors guard T.J. Ford.... Raptors star Chris Bosh (eye infection) is expected to try to play, as is forward Morris Peterson, who has missed two weeks with an elbow injury.
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Canton

RAPTORS AT CAVALIERS
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
MIKE POPOVICH

RAPTORS (7-10) AT CAVALIERS (10-7)

TIPOFF 7 tonight, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
TV FSN Ohio
RADIO WHBC-AM 1480, WAKR-AM 1590, WTAM-AM 1100, WJER-AM 1450
FAST BREAKS The Cavaliers will try to avenge last month?s 95-87 loss at Toronto. The Raptors held Cleveland to just 22 percent shooting and 12 points in the fourth quarter. Chris Bosh finished with team highs of 25 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. LeBron James led the Cavs with 30 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. ... Larry Hughes is listed as doubtful with a high right ankle sprain. He has sat out nine games since spraining the ankle Nov. 15. ... Eric Snow has averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists in his last four games. He and Houston?s Tracy McGrady are the only NBA players who are averaging at least 7.0 assists while playing under 33 minutes a game during that stretch. ... Cleveland?s Mike Brown will coach his 100th regular season game tonight. His 60-39 record is the best of any Cavs coach entering his 100th game.
UP NEXT Home vs. Indiana, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (FSN Ohio)
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CPD

Cavaliers can't just flip it on

Murray no longer around to help
Wednesday, December 06, 2006 Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter
The Cavaliers can use a Flip Murray.
It was Murray, a 6-4 guard acquired from the Seattle SuperSonics in late February 2005, who came to the rescue while Larry Hughes recovered from a broken finger.
With Hughes healthy for the first 28 games last season, the Cavaliers were 18-10. But, with Hughes out and coach Mike Brown alternating Sasha Pavlovic, Damon Jones and Ira Newble as the replacement at the shooting guard spot, the Cavaliers foundered for nearly two months - going 14-14.
Enter Murray, who started 25 of the last 26 games. The Cavaliers went 18-7 in those starts to storm into the playoffs.
Hughes' latest injury, a high right ankle sprain, will keep him out of his 10th straight game when the Cavaliers (10-7) face the Toronto Raptors (7-10) tonight at The Q.
The Cavaliers are a noticeably different team with Hughes out. They miss his slashing to the basket, the threat he poses from the perimeter and the defense he plays.
They were 6-2 when Hughes went out, 4-5 since.
But this time around, Brown has yet to find a Flip Murray to bail them out. Murray, who averaged 13.7 points and 2.7 assists in 25 starts for the Cavaliers last season, signed a two-year, $3.6 million free agent contract with the Detroit Pistons during the summer.
With Murray gone, Brown has used David Wesley and rookie first-round pick Shannon Brown as Hughes' replacement. The Cavaliers were 2-3 in Wesley's five starts, when he averaged 4.2 points on 33 percent (7-of-21) shooting from the field.
They are 2-2 in Brown's four starts, when he averaged 4.3 points on 35 percent (7-of-20) shooting.
Mike Brown indicated he may give another rookie, Dan Gibson, his first NBA start tonight against the Raptors. "With T.J. Ford on that roster," Brown said, "I have thought about starting Dan Gibson."
Ford, one of the quickest point guards in the NBA, had 11 points, four assists and three rebounds in the Raptors' 95-87 victory over the Cavaliers at the Air Canada Centre two weeks ago.
Brown is hoping Gibson, the quickest guard on the Cavaliers roster, will be able to match foot speed with Ford. Plus, Gibson knows Ford's game. Both came out of the University of Texas and have played summer ball against each other.
Gibson, selected in the second round of the June 2005 draft, has demonstrated he's no slouch and not in awe of the professional game. Seeing more time recently, Gibson had 21 points and seven rebounds in 46 minutes of the last three games he's appeared.
Along the way, he's shown some range - hitting 5 of 11 3-point attempts.
"Both rookies have shown flashes," coach Brown said. "Both for the most part have played with poise."
Hughes, who was averaging 13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists when sidelined, will be sitting out the 56th of 100 games with the Cavaliers since signing a five-year, $60 million contract in August 2005.
The Cavaliers officially list him as doubtful for tonight; he says he's out.
"I am going at about half speed," he said after participating in Tuesday's practice at The Q. "I am not ready for live game action.
"I feel better, but I am not ready for the pace of a game. I have to be able to impact the game at both ends."
The Cavaliers have lost four of six games - averaging 83.8 points in the four losses. It's dropped their scoring to 94.9 points a game, 23rd in the NBA.
"We need to get a rhythm offensively," LeBron James said. "We're in the top 10 in a lot of defensive categories, but it's offensively where we're having problems."
Hoop happenings:
Zydrunas Ilgauskas will become the Cavaliers' all-time leader in offensive rebounds with the next one he gets. He's currently tied with Hot Rod Williams at 1,620.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4479
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Totally agree about Gibson...He is a stud and if they put him and Hughes on the floor together and bring Snow off the bench that is crazy athleticism in the starting lineup...

LBJ finally stepped up and took the game over down the stretch. Still not an all aroudn good game for the team tho...
 
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crazybuckfan40;681013; said:
Totally agree about Gibson...He is a stud and if they put him and Hughes on the floor together and bring Snow off the bench that is crazy athleticism in the starting lineup...

LBJ finally stepped up and took the game over down the stretch. Still not an all around good game for the team tho...
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A win is a win and I will take it.
 
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Dispatch

CAVALIERS 95 RAPTORS 91
3-pointers help Cavs top Raptors
James has 10 assists, scores 26 points in win

Thursday, December 07, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

20061207-Pc-C6-0600.jpg
</IMG> Cleveland?s Daniel Gibson slips a shot past Toronto?s Rasho Nesterovic in the first quarter.


CLEVELAND ? The Cavaliers are falling in love.
And there are times when love can help, and other times when love can hurt.
Last night, Cleveland?s infatuation with the three-point shot turned out to be a good thing in a 95-91 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Cleveland rode a wave of 10 three-pointers made by four players.
LeBron James led all scorers with 26 points and 10 assists. Forward Donyell Marshall (19 points) and guards Daniel Gibson (18 points) and Damon Jones (12 points) contributed three threepointers apiece.
The Cavaliers (11-7) are taking shots from beyond the arc at an increasing rate. They shot 24 last night, which was their secondhighest total of the season, and they?ve attempted 135 three-pointers in their past seven games, an average of 19.3.
This is a key reason why Cleveland has been inconsistent and playing .500 basketball in its past eight games. There are times when threes are going in, and other times when they are not.
"That?s something that we talk about all the time," coach Mike Brown said. "But the thing is if we?re open, we got to shoot it. ? Because if we don?t, teams are going to be able to play a zone and sit in that paint, and we?re going to move the ball and end up driving into a crowd."
More teams are using a zone defense against the Cavs in order to stop James from driving into the lane. The difference against Toronto was that James? supporting cast made open jumpers, which allowed him to contribute 10 assists for his sixth double-double.
Cleveland is searching for someone to fill a void until Larry Hughes returns from a leg injury, and Gibson looked like a good fit
Gibson, a second-round draft pick from Texas, filled in nicely in his first NBA start. He made 6 of 12 shots from the floor and had five rebounds and two assists. He also played 36 minutes and remained in the game during crunch time to knock down two free throws that helped seal the win.
"It shows that (Brown) has a little confidence in me, and it makes me go out and perform a lot better knowing that he has that trust in me," Gibson said. "I?m out there just relaxing, playing basketball and having fun."
The Cavs started the game sluggishly as the Raptors took a 25-18 lead after the first quarter. They won the remaining three quarters and took their largest lead of six points in the fourth after a layup by James with 2:09 remaining.
Forward Chris Bosh and guard Anthony Parker led the Raptors with 18 points apiece. Cavs point guard Eric Snow played a solid game with 12 points, six rebounds and six assists.
[email protected]
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