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Cavs 06-07 season thread

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ABJ

Cavs defend honor of U.S.

Playing to win, they beat team from Israel with sharp offense

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - Before it started, all were blase and downplayed significance, but in reality the Cavaliers had no intention of sharing any of their fellow NBA teams' embarrassment.
Three NBA squads have been beaten in preseason games by European powers in the last two years, including the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers this month. Tuesday night's guest was Maccabi Tel Aviv, which sucker-punched the Toronto Raptors last October in Canada.
No, the games don't mean anything, but with Team USA consistently bringing back bronze medals these days, the line has to be drawn somewhere.
So the Cavs showed extra fire just to make sure the game was quickly forgotten, not remembered as further evidence of America's regression. The result was a 93-67 dispatching of Maccabi as head coach Mike Brown let his front line play three quarters, just to be sure.
``This is a scary game to play: In the preseason we're working on certain things to get better, and a team like that is playing with nothing to lose,'' Brown said. ``We decided to play this game to win as opposed to looking at all the guys.''
LeBron James did his part, nearing a triple-double in just 30 minutes of court time with 13 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and three blocks. The downside is he turned the ball over five times and now has 10 giveaways in three preseason games.
The Cavs did work on things in the contest, especially their new continuity offensive sets that continue to look refreshingly effective.
They piled up 28 assists Tuesday, most coming off passes into the lane for easy shots. Overall, they scored 50 points in the paint and also got to the free throw line 30 times.
Drew Gooden, back after missing two games with a leg injury, made his first seven shots, just as he did in last week's preseason opener. He finished 9-of-11 from the floor and scored 21 points. He's now a surprising 17-of-21 shooting in his two preseason games as he seems to be benefiting from being an option in the post in the new schemes.
``I like the ball in the post; that's how I got in the NBA, scoring on the block,'' Gooden said. ``I took one bad shot, I was feeling myself, it was a heat check.''
Donyell Marshall, determined to be an effective player around the basket, is also flourishing. He made 8-of-12 shots for 19 points with 10 rebounds. He took just one 3-pointer and has attempted just four in four preseason games. He averaged nearly five 3-point attempts per game last season.
Larry Hughes continued to look good shooting the ball, making several jumpers on his way to 12 points.
The sore spot offensively has been the turnovers. The Cavs gave the ball away 19 times against Maccabi and are averaging 21 per game in the preseason. Part of it is general sloppiness, but some of it can be attributed to learning new sets in the offense and making more high-risk passes into the interior.
Former NBA player Rodney Buford led Maccabi with 19 points.
Dribbles
James and several other players are expected to sit out tonight's game with the Raptors in Rochester, N.Y.... Though he didn't seem to enjoy the attention, General Manager Danny Ferry was honored by the Cavs in the first half Tuesday for his 40th birthday.... Brown on whether new pickup Dwayne Jones is 6 feet 11 as reported: ``I don't think he is, but it sure sounds good.''
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Canton

Cavs No. 1 goal for season is to win an NBA championship

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

BY Mike Popovich REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CLEVELAND They did not say it out loud, but the Cavaliers were eyeing the NBA's prize trophy as early as last season.

Returning to the playoffs after a long absence and winning a round satisfied most of their long-suffering fans. But deep down, the Cavs were thinking big.
"Our short-term goal was to get better every day," Head Coach Mike Brown said. "Our long-term goal was to win the NBA championship."
After coming within a win of the Eastern Conference finals last spring, expectations for the Cavaliers this season have dramatically risen.
There is no talk of just making the playoffs. The Cavs have openly talked about winning a title.
"It's a major, major difference and will be tough to accomplish," guard Eric Snow said. "But if you don't believe you can do it, who else will?"
If the Cavaliers want to know first hand what it takes to win a championship or even make the finals, Brown and Snow are two people they can turn to.
Brown was an assistant under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio in 2003 when the Spurs won their second NBA title. Snow was a rookie with Seattle in 1996 when the SuperSonics reached the finals and was a contributor in Philadelphia's drive to the 2001 championship series.
The Sixers made it to the finals a year after they were knocked out in the first round. But getting there is easier said than done.
"A lot of things have to go your way to go to the finals," Snow said. "You have to stay healthy. ... More importantly, you just try to control what you can control. You always put forth that effort every night and give yourself a chance to win. You have to take advantage of winning those games you have a high percentage of winning."
Brown also looks beyond the basics when breaking down what it will take for the Cavs to make the finals and win the title.
Sure, the Cavaliers need to shoot better. Sure, they need to play better defense.
In Brown's eyes, it also comes down to intangibles.
"We have to play harder," Brown said. "We have to play smarter. We have to play as close to 48 minutes as possible in terms of giving effort for a longer period of time. And we have to sacrifice. We have a lot of good players on this team, and our guys have to understand that not everybody is going to have a chance to play.
"A lot of the intangibles will come into play if we expect to reach our ultimate goal which is to win a championship."
CAVALIERS 93, MACCABI TEL AVIV elite 67
A 23-8 run by the Cavaliers during the final eight minutes of the second quarter broke open Tuesday's preseason game against the six-time European champions from Israel.
Facing a non-NBA team, the Cavs still had a lot to lose, so they treated it more like a regular season game.
"The international game has obviously gotten a lot better, and there are a lot of teams out there who are capable teams when it comes to playing other NBA teams," Brown said.
"Because I knew they were playing this game to win, we changed our mindset a little bit. We decided to play this game to win as opposed to taking a look at all the guys.
The power forward tandem of Drew Gooden and Donyell Marshall was unstoppable for the Cavaliers. Gooden scored a game-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. Marshall finished with 19 points off the bench on 8-of-12 shooting and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Gooden picked up where he left off after he missed two games with a left quad strain. He shot 8-of-10 from the floor and finished with 16 points in the preseason opener against Boston.
"I feel like I'm in a good rhythm now," Gooden said. "My offseason preparation is really helping me out now."
LeBron James scored 13 points, and Larry Hughes added 12 for the Cavs. Reach Repository sports writer Mike Popovich at (330) 580-8341 or e-mail: [email protected]
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ABJ

LeBron sits; fans in Rochester boo

Cavs rest others, too, in loss to speedy Raptors

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Not even LeBron James can please all the people all the time.
Thousands were upset Wednesday night at Blue Cross Arena when the Cavaliers sat James out of a preseason game against the Toronto Raptors. It was the start of a nonchalant night as the Raptors hammered the mostly resting Cavs 103-81.
Rochester, once home to the NBA's Royals, who are now the Sacramento Kings, hadn't been home to an NBA game of any sort since 1981. For weeks, newspaper and radio ads promoted the NBA's return, especially James' presence. Wednesday, 9,435 fans paid between $25 and $150 to get in and were none too pleased with what they got for their money.
Before the game, James was grilled on the issue by local television stations and local newspaper columnists. During the game, fans chanted ``We Want LeBron'' and even booed when the Cavs left the floor.
``I would be disappointed if I came here to see someone play, and he didn't,'' James said. ``If you look at the real reason, you'll understand.''
The decision wasn't left to James, just as it wasn't last week in Manchester, N.H., when James sat out the first of back-to-back games. Those fans in Manchester, who were mostly backing the Boston Celtics and get a preseason game every year, didn't seem to mind as much.
``It was an organizational decision that we thought was best for the team,'' Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry said. ``We apologize to the fans of Rochester.''
Technically it was a Cavs home game, not unlike preseason games coming up in Columbus and Pittsburgh. But the team sold off the game to a neutral promoter who made promises that James would play.
Despite trying to play to their growing fan base in upstate New York, the Cavs stuck to their plan of not playing James in back-to-back games in the preseason. They were even more convinced when they saw the court's old, temporary floor, which was hard and had exposed screws.
The Cavs also held out Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Ira Newble for similar reasons. Eric Snow and Zydrunas Ilgauskas played only limited minutes, all in the first half.
Raptors star Chris Bosh also took the night off to rest a foot injury, and fellow starter Morris Peterson rested as well.
As for the players who did play, Drew Gooden turned in another strong performance for the Cavs. He scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds and is averaging 17.3 points on 72 percent shooting and 8.3 rebounds in three exhibition games. Sasha Pavlovic, who drew a start, had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Rookies Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown saw their most extensive time in the preseason. Gibson had 13 points, and Brown added nine points and five assists. But both continued to be challenged at the defensive end, as were many of the Cavs.
The Raptors, a running team freshly stocked with a horde of European-trained shooters, were able to beat the Cavs' rotations with ball movement and speed for much of the game.
Point guard T.J. Ford, who usually gives the Cavs problems because of his quickness, scored 11 points in just 20 minutes. Top draft pick Andrea Bargnani, a 7-footer from Italy, had 13 points, all on jump shots. Jorge Garbajosa, an imported shooter who was a major part of Spain's world championship team over the summer, scored 16 points.
The two teams will meet again Sunday in Toronto, when James is expected to play. The Cavs (2-3) have three preseason games left, starting Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks in Columbus, and their regulars will probably play in each and get extended minutes.
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CPD

CAVALIERS INSIDER

Pollard is settled in role as backup

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Branson Wright

Plain Dealer Reporter

Scot Pollard was not misled and he did not have any illusions on his role with the Cavaliers this season.
"I'm coming in as the backup to the backups," Pollard said. "Coach [Mike Brown] told me when I came in that Donyell [Marshall] and Andy [Varejao] are going to back up [Zydrunas Ilgauskas] and Drew Gooden and I'd get in on occasion. I came into camp as the fifth big guy. I'm looked at as more of a locker-room guy: I'm not late, I work out and I don't cause problems."
Pollard, entering his 10th NBA season, signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Cavs last summer after three years with the Indiana Pacers. Pollard has spent his career coming off the bench for the Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons.
Pollard, 6-11 and 265 pounds, had choices of playing for teams where he would have received more minutes or at least be considered a starter but rejoining his former coach in Brown and playing for the Cavs was more important.
"I'm going into my 10th year," Pollard said. "I've started some games, I've been a back-up and the older I get, I'd rather be a part of a winning team as a back-up than a starter on a crappy team."
Night-night:
Cavaliers assistant coach Melvin Hunt and guard David Wesley were teammates at Baylor. Once during Hunt's senior year he decided to visit Wesley at his parent's home. Hunt learned where his teammate was taught some strict discipline.
"All the lights were out in the house and I was on the floor studying for an exam with a flashlight," Hunt said. "I was real quiet but David's dad came into the room and said I had to go to bed. It wasn't even 11:30 p.m., but his dad said: We go to bed in this house at a decent hour. If you're in this house, you have to go to bed.' I'm thinking, I'm 20 years old and I'm a senior and he's making me go to bed."
Gone is 60 seconds:
Toronto's T.J. Ford is arguably the fastest man in the NBA. Cavs rookie Daniel Gibson, who attended the University of Texas like Ford, is the fastest player on the Cavs.
"People say I'm fast, but when it comes to him I'm not fast anymore," Gibson said. "He's got the kind of speed where I'm reduced to an average Joe. Once when I played against him in high school, I tried to stop a fastbreak. He made a move on me at halfcourt and when I turned around he was laying the ball in."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4671
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crazybuckfan40;637592; said:
Hey Hawg didnt get to see the game. How did they look?? Did Hughes continue to look much improved from the way he was playing last year?
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D was spotty at times and they gave away way too many easy buckets. They also had too many dumb TO's. Hughes looked like he had more touch than I've ever seen out of him. If he can shoot like that this season the Cavs are going to be in good shape. Gibson has a beautiful shot, but both rooks need to work on their D. Brown needs to work on keeping his eyes up on the "ready made break". He missed a prime chance for an assist on a break and tried to take it himself even though he had a guy on him. I could see the talent, but he isn't ready yet. I hope the Cavs don't trade away Pavlovic for nothing like they did Jackson. If they have injuries again they will need Pav.
 
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ABJ

Ilgauskas knows he's an American

Both on, off the court, native of Lithuania adjusts as Cavs' center

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - Zydrunas Ilgauskas had his suspicions for several years, but the truth came this week.
It was sometime in between him openly complaining about rule differences and taking a certain pride in smashing Maccabi Tel Aviv on Tuesday night. It marked the first time Ilgauskas had played against a true European team in 10 years, a reminder that he's now spent a decade calling Cleveland home. It led to somewhat of an epiphany.
``I know now I'm an American player,'' the native Lithuanian said. ``Ten years in the NBA has made me one.''
Technically, once Ilgauskas married his wife last year he became an American. He's certainly paid enough taxes to Uncle Sam to make him welcome for the rest of his life as well.
Still, it is with a certain nostalgia that Ilgauskas admits his life changes that have played out in front of Cavaliers fans for a decade. When he showed up as a part of the heralded 1996 draft class he spoke little English, had lots of hair, a raw game and a pair of brittle feet.
Now his feet have been surgically corrected, he's developed into one of the league's most talented and steadiest centers with two All-Star appearances. His command of the language has enabled him to become famous around the team for his quick yet dry wit, which is why he also points out his hairline has given up significant ground over the years.
At 31, Ilgauskas is looking forward to this season with more vigor than any during his career. Last year marked the first time since his rookie season that Ilgauskas got to experience the playoffs. Like the other experiences in his past, he's trying to learn from it.
In each of the last two seasons, Ilgauskas has seemed to wear down at the end of the season. Now on the backside of his career, he's attempting to make changes to plan for the end of the season. Cavs coach Mike Brown has promised to keep a tight hold on Ilgauskas minutes to help out.
``You've got to take care your body better. The things you got away with at the beginning of my career I can't do any more,'' Ilgauskas said. ``I've got to go to bed at a reasonable time, watch what I eat before a game. The older you get, the first thing you realize is your recovery time takes longer.''
Now in the second year of a five-year, $50 million contract, Ilgauskas is still in his prime. But he's also been putting things in perspective. When he signed the contract last summer, he figured it might very well be his last.
``Basketball has been great to me and my family, but it is just a game,'' he said. ``It has been a part of my life since I was 6 years old. So many missed Christmases, missed Thanksgivings, it takes so much time eventually you want a normal Christmas. I don't see myself playing until they show me the door. I'd like to play this contract out, then I'll be 35 and probably be done.''
There's another factor at play as well. While Ilgauskas is used to pressure on the floor, he's also now getting a different kind of pressure from his family -- to start one of his own.
``I'm sure my family would like it at some point,'' Ilgauskas said. ``If I have a daughter, when she goes to prom I want to intimidate her date. I don't want to have to use a cane.''
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CPD

Minor adjustments for Cavaliers' youth

D-League affiliate is now Albuquerque

Friday, October 20, 2006

Mary Schmitt Boyer
Plain Dealer Reporter

The NBA coaches held their annual conference call with the media earlier this week, and one topic that was brought up repeatedly was the NBA Development League, the D-League for short.
No one asked Cavs coach Mike Brown about it, which was probably just as well.
The best thing that can be said is that the Cavs won't have to worry about sending players to Arkansas this season. That's because the Cavs are now affiliated with Albuquerque.
This is not an improvement, geographically speaking.
"It's a challenge," admitted Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry, who said the team was at least examining the possibility of buying their own D-League team as the Lakers did this season.
According to the National Geographic Road Atlas, it is 882 miles from Cleveland to Little Rock, Ark. It is 1,619 miles to Albuquerque.
It could be worse. Orlando's D-League affiliate is in Anaheim, Calif. Unless the main concern is accumulating frequent flier miles, it's tough to understand why these changes make any sense.
"The NBA assigned us," Ferry said. "We had zero say in it."
According to NBA spokesman Mark Broussard: "As the D-League continues to expand into different regions of the country this is a fluid process that is reviewed following each season. There are no obvious choices for some teams due to the simple geography of the league, just as there are obvious choices for others. The ones that make more sense are assigned first, followed by those that are less geographically compatible."
The Cavs have yet to decide if they will send any players to Albuquerque, the defending NBADL champion coached by former Laker great Michael Cooper. Last season, the Cavs shuttled rookie Martynas Andriuskevicius back and forth to Arkansas. An experience Ferry described as positive, overall.
But at this point Ferry is not prepared to say who, if any, of the Cavs young players are likely candidates for the league's minor-league system. Only rookies or players with one season of experience are eligible. Of the 17 players remaining in the Cavs' training camp, five would qualify - rookies Shannon Brown, Daniel Gibson and Ondreij Starosta and first-year players Stephen Graham and Dwayne Jones. The Cavs will have to reduce their roster to 15 before the season starts, and any players assigned to the D-League would have to be included in the 15.
"It's not something we've dug into as of yet," Ferry said. "Let's see what we have. We're getting to know the guys, and we'll build from there."
Ferry does like the fact that Joe Harge has joined Cooper as an assistant coach. Harge was with Arkansas last season, so at least there's some continuity. But there still seem to be some problems to be worked out for the league in general. Travel is just one of them. Because teams share affiliates - Indiana and Phoenix also are assigned to Albuquerque - there's no guarantee how much practice or playing time a player will get once he's sent down. In addition, the D-League teams more than likely don't run the same offense and/or defense as their NBA partners. For that reason, the Lakers bought their own D-League team in Bakersfield, where they can be sure players are learning the triangle offense.
According to Ferry, the Cavs could follow suit.
"We're doing our due diligence," Ferry said. "Nothing's imminent."
No second thoughts:
Ferry said he still had no regrets about not playing LeBron James in an exhibition game against Toronto on Wednesday night in Rochester, N.Y. The fans booed when the public address announcer asked if they were having a good time.
"It was a necessary evil," said Ferry, who indicated promoters were alerted to the possibility that James might not play as long as two weeks ago. "It was not an easy decision. . . . I am sympathetic to the fans, but it was the right decision for our team."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4668
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exhawg;638394; said:
D was spotty at times and they gave away way too many easy buckets. They also had too many dumb TO's. Hughes looked like he had more touch than I've ever seen out of him. If he can shoot like that this season the Cavs are going to be in good shape. Gibson has a beautiful shot, but both rooks need to work on their D. Brown needs to work on keeping his eyes up on the "ready made break". He missed a prime chance for an assist on a break and tried to take it himself even though he had a guy on him. I could see the talent, but he isn't ready yet. I hope the Cavs don't trade away Pavlovic for nothing like they did Jackson. If they have injuries again they will need Pav.
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Sounds about like the first game I saw. I think we can chalk up the stupid TO's to preseason and the fact that they are throwing so many guys out there and some guys are sitting.

I just hope that Brown and Gibson can contribute, but I think Gibson is goign to be sent to the NBADL at first and then maybe brought to the Cavs in the middle of the season or if there is an injury.
 
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ABJ

Cavaliers report

Offense focus of new effort

Preseason games, play reflecting positively in shooting and assists

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - After 40 years of coaching, Hank Egan has come to believe certain fundamental truths exist in basketball, especially in dealing with pros.
The Cavaliers' most senior assistant coach took them into deep consideration in offseason meetings with head coach Mike Brown as they set out to add some life to the team's offense. The changes Egan and Brown instituted have largely reflected it.
``I can like the offense and (the media) can like the offense,'' Egan said. ``But if the players don't like it and believe in it, you don't stand a chance.''
The Cavs considered several opinions from the Cavs' leaders when making the adjustments, which add more movement and continuity to the basic sets installed last season. So far the returns from the populace have been nothing but positive, which is showing during preseason games and practices.
``I think everybody is embracing it,'' said Larry Hughes, who openly said he didn't think last season's basic principles took advantage of his talents. ``We really get a chance to get some player movement, guys are not standing around so much. To make cuts and get defenses moving will be good for us.''
There are several goals within the new system. One is to get quick players the ball while moving to the basket, which is a facet specifically aimed at getting more out of Hughes and also complements the Cavs other main cogs. Another is to get more action in the post, be it guards or big men actually getting the ball near the basket.
Players who are routinely guarded by smaller defenders, LeBron James and Donyell Marshall for example, have been getting the ball much more in the post.
The new system has also taken advantage of the versatile players the Cavs have on their roster because many of them can play multiple positions to force matchup problems for other teams.
The direct result in the preseason is that the Cavs are shooting at a higher percentage and being more efficient. They are shooting 47 percent and averaging 22 assists per game even though the front line has usually just been playing a half. Last season the team shot 44 percent and averaged 19 assists per game.
``You can already see the benefits, everyone is getting more involved,'' Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. ``We have good passing and shooting big men and we are taking advantage of them.''
Ultimately, the ball is going to end up in James' hands in all key situations. But the effort is to get more people involved early in the game and have more options to go to in pressure situations.
``We're going to do some things people will like and some things they won't, which is why all of us will have to sacrifice,'' Hughes said. ``But overall it can work for everybody.''
Minutes to expand
Brown said he'll be expanding the minutes of his starters and top reserves in this weekend's back-to-back set. The Cavs host the Atlanta Hawks at Nationwide Arena in Columbus tonight and then face the Raptors Sunday night in Toronto. James and all the regulars will play in both games and probably get close to three-quarters of the action.
``It is the time of the preseason that we need to extend some guys out to get ready for regular season games,'' Brown said.
Jent staying?
Chris Jent, who was the interim head coach of the Orlando Magic just two years ago, has been helping the Cavs coaching staff for the last month. But it appears as if he has a chance to become a more permanent member. After initially intending to keep the former Ohio State star around just for the opening week of training camp, he's continued to stay in Cleveland and work with players.
``He'll be with us until the end of the preseason and who knows what will happen then,'' Brown said. ``If I believe I need more help there is money there for me to add somebody.''
If he stays, Jent will likely not be a full assistant. But Brown and the Cavs have been in search of a development-type coach for several years. Numerous other teams have coaches assigned to that role. They've discussed the job with several candidates but never have made an official hire.
Brian Windhorst can be reached at [email protected].
Check out Windhorst's Cavaliers weblog at http://blogs.ohio.com/cavaliers_blog.
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News-Herald

Cavs' Pavlovic wants to show more on defense
By: Bob Finnan, RFinnanNews-Herald.com

10/21/2006

When the Cavaliers are on offense, Sasha Pavlovic is a highly effective weapon.
But, as most fans know, teams must also protect the basket. Therein lies the problem for the 6-foot-7, 239-pound Pavlovic.
The swingman has one of the best vertical leaps on the team. But he doesn't move extremely well side-to-side. That, coupled with the fact that he's such a good offensive player, has resulted in a shoddy defensive game.
"He can jump out of the gym," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Guys can be athletic, but have questionable lateral quickness. Sasha's lateral quickness is not the greatest. It's not the (worst) either.
"He could do a lot better than he's shown in the past. Part of that comes from him saying, 'I'm not going to let this happen to me.' He needs to put his foot down and bring it from within. He has to defend without fouling and be a physical presence."
While we're on the subject of his shortcomings, he's also not a great ball handler, either, and he's been a foul magnet for much of his previous three seasons in the NBA.
Someone, perhaps Brown, has pounded into his head that if he wants to play, he needed to shore up his defensive game.
"I know I can play in this league," Pavlovic said. "The only way to get minutes is to play defense. I understand that, and I'm going to do it. I know what (Brown) wants from me."
Pavlovic, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, might have the prettiest looking jump shot on the team. It doesn't always go in the basket, but it looks great getting there. He shot 41 percent from the field last year and averaged 4.5 points and 1.5 rebounds. In 19 games he started, his numbers vaulted up to 8.5 points and 2.6 rebounds.
There's little question about his scoring ability.
"He's about as talented as they come as long as he doesn't get careless with the ball," Brown said.
"He's a skilled offensive player. He's got athleticism, size, can shoot the 3, take it off the dribble and finish at the rim. I can go on and on. With the continuity (offense) we're running, there are a lot of screens to be had. He can be a dangerous weapon on that end of the floor."
His scoring average is actually higher than Donyell Marshall's thus far in the preseason (7.8 compared to 7.5).
"I think I'm doing fine," Pavlovic said. "I worked hard over the summer to come in 100 percent ready.
"My shot doesn't feel good yet, but it's coming. It's usually like that in the preseason. It will be there when I need it."
The 22-year-old will likely be LeBron James' backup at small forward. But that doesn't mean he's going to play a lot of minutes.
He played a lot of minutes in the Las Vegas summer league, but didn't play real well. He shot just 31 percent from the field against inferior competition.
"It was good for me because I didn't play for the national team this summer," he said. "I got to play with some of the new guys like Shannon (Brown) and Daniel (Gibson)."
Notes
There are new heights and weights for many of the Cleveland players. That includes LeBron James, who is now listed as 6-8, 250. Marshall is 6-9, 245, while Anderson Varejao is 6-10, 240. ... The Cavaliers list Pavlovic from Serbia, but he said he's actually from Montenegro. "During the summer, they separated," he said. "They are not the same country any more." ... Brown said he might not sit any of the regulars in the last three games unless someone gets hurt Saturday in Columbus against Atlanta. It's time for some fine-tuning. ... Former Cavaliers personnel director Gary Fitzsimmons has been promoted to the Hawks assistant general manager. He had been a scout under GM Billy Knight. ... Brown said he intends to keep Chris Jent beyond the preseason. "I borrowed him from Ohio State," Brown said. "(OSU coach) Thad Matta has been great. He was a graduate assistant down there." If they keep him, the former Orlando Magic interim coach won't be an official assistant coach. "I have four assistants," Brown said. "If I believe we need more help, Danny has been generous enough to find the money to keep him. (Jent has) been terrific. (The) staff likes him and the players like him." Borrowing a phrase from the NFL, perhaps Jent can be a quality-control coach.


?The News-Herald 2006
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Dispatch

NBA
Cavs coach no longer rookie
Brown is eager to apply lessons he learned last year
Saturday, October 21, 2006
James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
20061021-Pc-E5-0900.jpg

Mike Brown hopes to build on his first season with the Cavs, who stretched the Pistons to seven games in the playoffs.
20061021-Pc-E5-1000.jpg


CLEVELAND ? Cavaliers first-round pick Shannon Brown got a taste of coach Mike Brown at a recent practice. The rookie guard had his shot blocked on one end and trotted back on defense. Quickly, the whistle blew. "Rookie!" the coach yelled. "You better run, son! You?re just a rookie." Shannon Brown nodded his head in embarrassment and Mike Brown refused to call him by name the rest of the practice, mostly referring to him as "rook" or "the rookie."
It was another lesson taught by the second-year coach. Last year, it was Brown learning most of the lessons while trying to coach a talent-laden team in his first season.
There were several surprises, a few failures and some triumphs.
Brown takes all of those experiences into this season with the Cavaliers, who play host to the Atlanta Hawks tonight at 7:30 in Nationwide Arena. He displayed his coaching prowess by getting the Cavs deep into the second round of the playoffs. His ability to relate with LeBron James and other players is invaluable.
"Last year is going to help me out in a lot of different situations," Brown said. "The biggest one for me was getting through Larry Hughes? injury and how to try to deal with that. Now I?ve gone through it; hopefully, if I face it again I?ll know how to get through it without floundering too much and without guessing. But I still feel like I?m going to be learning every day."
James said he sees a coach that?s more in control. Last season, Brown was trying to get a feel for his players and vice versa.
"I think he has much more confidence in his coaching ability," James said. "What he was able to do for us last year, getting us to win 50 games after an injury to one of our key players and keeping us focused and getting us almost to the Eastern Conference finals, (helped)."
Brown, who came to Cleveland with a defensive pedigree, had his biggest learning curve on offense. James made up for a lot of ills, averaging 31.4 points, but the offense as a whole was fairly basic.
When it comes to his offense, Brown reverted to his three years of experience as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs. That team began with a "bare bones" offense and continued to tweak and add more sets in his second and third years on the staff.
Expect a similar process of adding more options this season, which was much needed when the Cavs scored 61 points in a Game 7 loss to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"On the offensive end of the floor, I?ve never been the guy in charge," Brown said. "I?ve been able to give input, but I?ve never called plays so on and so forth. So I feel like I kind of know now what I like and what I want to do with this team."
The seven-game series was a learning experience for the players and the coaching staff. The loss still stings, but it is also part of what drives Brown to coach even harder this season.
"You get there. You taste it. You feel the hurt. You feel the loss, and it?s not necessarily a bad thing," he said. "Everybody wants it and wants it now, but getting that experience can help anybody the next time you get there."
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ABJ

Cavaliers turn up intensity, still lose

Starters play more, but Hawks win in overtime

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

COLUMBUS - Enough of the resting and the practicing, the Cavaliers plotted to treat Saturday night's preseason game like it was for real. Unfortunately for them, the plans were ahead of the play.
The Cavs were sluggish in the first half and rusty for much of the game against the Atlanta Hawks, who showed up with the same intentions but a tad more vigor early, and it showed. The Hawks ended up beating the Cavs, 90-88, in overtime.
It was a game that turned out to be somewhat intense late, much to the delight of the 10,235 fans at Nationwide Arena. But it still demonstrated the Cavs' distance from being a finished product. The Cavs (2-4) shot just 38 percent for the game and managed just 28 sickly points in the first half. Even against a still youthful and meager Hawks' outfit, falling behind by 13 points at halftime was too much to overcome.
``In the first half, we didn't play with a sense of purpose or a sense of poise,'' said Cavs coach Mike Brown, who played just nine players. ``They really took advantage of us.''
More than the Hawks' efficiency it was the Cavs' self-inflicted wounds -- after all the Hawks (4-2) only shot 39 percent and scored just 79 points in regulation -- until overtime. Then it was the Hawks' only star, Joe Johnson, who decided the game. Johnson made four-of-five shots in overtime and scored nine of his 17 points down the stretch.
LeBron James had his most complete preseason game yet, mostly because he played 41 minutes. He scored 21 points and had seven rebounds and six assists. In the final 90 seconds of regulation he scored six points and had a key assist to tie the score. But his last-second shot missed, even though he complained of being fouled.
Nonetheless, the evening enabled the Cavs to log some meaningful and competitive time against another NBA foe. It is expected the final two preseason games will be more like this one as the front line will play the bulk of time.
``It's not about wanting it tonight, it's about getting ready for the season,'' James said. ``We have to get ready and play big minutes like we're used to.''
Drew Gooden had yet another effective night, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds. He's averaging 17 points and nine rebounds in four preseason games. But he had a key turnover in overtime that hurt the cause.
Other than Gooden, the only other offensive performance worth praise belonged to Donyell Marshall, who made 7-of-10 shots and scored 15 points. The Cavs scored 51 points in the second half with a cleaner effort, which was at least something to build upon.
``I didn't plan on playing the starters the whole game, but it was close,'' Brown said. ``It gave us an opportunity to have our main guys on the floor trying to execute down the stretch.''
Free, not easy
The Cavs were just 19-of-30 at the free-throw line Saturday, a major factor in a game that went to overtime. It has been an issue throughout the preseason, albeit an ignored one. The Cavs are shooting just 63 percent from the line in the first six exhibition games, averaging 10 misses per game.
Nice touch
Pregame warmups were partially delayed Saturday when one of the backboards had to be replaced. It broke, not following a fierce dunk, but while Hawks guard Tyronn Lue was taking jumpers. The glass splintered apparently without cause.
Nice wit
During the pregame, Lue was walking down the hall as James was conducting interviews. As he walked by he said loudly: ``Yeah, they booed me the other night when I didn't play in Birmingham.'' It was reference to the boos James got for not playing an exhibition game the same night in Rochester, N.Y.
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