Cavs 07-08 Season Thread

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Huddle greets new Cavs Welcoming gesture appreciated by four players
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Saturday, Feb 23, 2008
CLEVELAND: Just before the Cavaliers, or what was left of them, took the floor Friday night, their four new additions arrived outside the locker room.
They were all in suits, but the old Cavs invited the new Cavs into the huddle as the first moments of a new era were launched.
''It was a great feeling to walk in an arena where you came in so many different times as a rival and the enemy, to now walk in and the guys embrace you as one of their own,'' Ben Wallace said.
''For me, it was great.''
Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith ? acquired in Thursday's mega three-team deal one minute ahead of the trade deadline ? spent the game against the Washington Wizards meeting people and watching from Cavs owner Dan Gilbert's suite.
Today, they will undergo physicals at the Cleveland Clinic. The hope is they will play Sunday, when the Cavs host the Memphis Grizzlies.
There are still many questions to be answered and roles to be defined, but because all four players arrived from teams out of the playoff hunt, there was excitement at being part of a winning team.


Cont...

 

[exhawg]

I figured this thread would be more active during the game. All signs are good so far for the new Cavs. I think the only thing harder than working 4 new players in your lineup is scouting a team with 4 new players in the first game.

 

[leisou32]

Didn't get to see the beginning of the game. Who ended up starting and once everyone's healthy who starts and who will be in the second unit?

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I figured this thread would be more active during the game. All signs are good so far for the new Cavs. I think the only thing harder than working 4 new players in your lineup is scouting a team with 4 new players in the first game.

Was making my way home from the bucks game...But I like what I have seen so far...Add Sasha, Wild Thing, and Boobie back to this team and one would be hard pressed IMO to think that this team doesn't ahve the same chance to represent the East as Boston and Detroit...

 

[billmac91]

Didn't get to see the beginning of the game. Who ended up starting and once everyone's healthy who starts and who will be in the second unit?

Starters tonight were:

Z
Benjamin Wallace
LeBron
Devin Brown
Delonte West

I'd imagine Sasha starts for Brown once he gets healthy. Damon Jones is playing backup PG tonight and will share that duty with Daniel once he comes back. Daniel will obviously back-up the 2. I think Wally's minutes get cut drastically come playoff's and end of regular season when the rotation is being solidified.

I also think we'll see tons of Benjamin and Anderson together, esoecially in the playoffs. Joe Smith provides good depth.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Starters tonight were:

Z
Benjamin Wallace
LeBron
Devin Brown
Delonte West

I'd imagine Sasha starts for Brown once he gets healthy. Damon Jones is playing backup PG tonight and will share that duty with Daniel once he comes back. Daniel will obviously back-up the 2. I think Wally's minutes get cut drastically come playoff's and end of regular season when the rotation is being solidified.

I also think we'll see tons of Benjamin and Anderson together, esoecially in the playoffs. Joe Smith provides good depth.

I don't follow on Wally minutes getting cut come playoff time...

He provides shooting that we will need...Putting Boobie and Wally out there doesn't allow teams to help on LBJ at all or they will get burnt...

I think if anyones minutes get cut it will be Devin Brown, unless of course they are looking for some defense...

 

[stowfan]

I am no doubt the biggest ass on the board, would some of the folks from 3-4 days ago please tell me why they feel Ben Wallace sucks?

 

[billmac91]

I don't follow on Wally minutes getting cut come playoff time...

He provides shooting that we will need...Putting Boobie and Wally out there doesn't allow teams to help on LBJ at all or they will get burnt...

I think if anyones minutes get cut it will be Devin Brown, unless of course they are looking for some defense...

Wally is a defensive liability with a limited offenisve game. How many set shooters does LeBron need?

Devin Brown has a better overall offensive game than Wally and plays much better D. When Sasha comes back, you have a much better offensive player and a better defensive player. Between Sasha, Boobie, Devin Brown, and Damon Jones, I just think Wally will see limited minutes, especially in the playoffs when defense is a premium.

Additionally, Wally was averaging about 24 minutes a game in Seatle. His minutes won't match that on a much better team.

 

[Napoleonbuck]

I think it will depend on match ups.

Don't forget, Wally matches up defensively better than Sasha or Brown against bigger guys. He could match up some against someone like Rasheed Wallace where as Sasha or Brown couldn't. Wally is 6'7" 244 while Brown is 6'5" 220 and Sasha is 6'7" 210.

If someone tries to go big on us, Wally could be invaluable.

With that said, I think it will ultimately come down to who's playing the best at that time. Who knows how Sasha will play coming off his injury. It might take him awhile to get his movement and stamina back.

I just wouldn't cut Wally's minutes just yet.

 

[billmac91]

I think it will depend on match ups.

Don't forget, Wally matches up defensively better than Sasha or Brown against bigger guys. He could match up some against someone like Rasheed Wallace where as Sasha or Brown couldn't. Wally is 6'7" 244 while Brown is 6'5" 220 and Sasha is 6'7" 210.

If someone tries to go big on us, Wally could be invaluable.

With that said, I think it will ultimately come down to who's playing the best at that time. Who knows how Sasha will play coming off his injury. It might take him awhile to get his movement and stamina back.

I just wouldn't cut Wally's minutes just yet.

Wally will never-ever match-up against Rasheed Wallace. I can't think of a single match-up where I'd take Wally over Devin Brown. I'll give up the height/weight for athleticism and tenacity in Devin Brown.

In my mind, if you run a combination of Boobie and Wally, you are asking for it on the defensive side of the court. If Delonte West is in the game, then you may see Wally, but I'd rather have Boobie, Sasha, or even Damon Jones in than Wally. Damon has been shooting the hell out of the ball lately.

I agree Wally will get a chance, but in my mind we have better options and he is going to be on the outside looking in come crunch time. He'll be an excellent piece to move next year however.

 

[exhawg]

Just think of the possibilities with a lineup of Gibson, Jones, Wally, Lebron, and Andy/Big Ben? As long a Ben keeps his motor running like it was today this is going to be a very good trade. The pick and roll with him was awesome. I liked what I saw out of the new guys. Wally got his shot after a couple misses, and was able have a couple drives. Both bigs did what they do best and had good scoring nights. West was the only one that struggled shooting, but it was great seeing what they looked like with a real PG leading them up the floor. The Cavs need to figure out who will be the backup PG when West is on the bench

 

[BuckeyeMafia]

Seeing that score on Cavs.com pretty much gave me a woody...

Damn.. I love it.. A non healthy team, whippin the hell out of a really terrible team.

It mighta been Memphis, but holy cow, we can do this!

 

[exhawg]

Seeing that score on Cavs.com pretty much gave me a woody...

Damn.. I love it.. A non healthy team, whippin the hell out of a really terrible team.

It mighta been Memphis, but holy cow, we can do this!

You could tell that they have a way to go before everyone is clicking, but this team has a lot more potential than they did before the trade. Let's just get everyone healthy. I also want to give some props to Damon Jones for what he is doing this season. He is shooting better than at any point of his Cavs career and is trying to play D. He will never be known as a defender, but he isn't as big of a liability as he has been in the past.

 

[Napoleonbuck]

Wally will never-ever match-up against Rasheed Wallace. I can't think of a single match-up where I'd take Wally over Devin Brown. I'll give up the height/weight for athleticism and tenacity in Devin Brown.

In my mind, if you run a combination of Boobie and Wally, you are asking for it on the defensive side of the court. If Delonte West is in the game, then you may see Wally, but I'd rather have Boobie, Sasha, or even Damon Jones in than Wally. Damon has been shooting the hell out of the ball lately.

I agree Wally will get a chance, but in my mind we have better options and he is going to be on the outside looking in come crunch time. He'll be an excellent piece to move next year however.

I guess we'll just have to disagree then. I think Wally will be crucial in matching up with bigger lineups. I like Brown a lot, but it's not like he's a stalwart defensively.

I also must admit I don't understand you not wanting Wally playing for defensive deficiencies and then you lobby for Damon Jones to get more playing time(not that I'm against that, I just don't follow your logic).

 

[billmac91]

I guess we'll just have to disagree then. I think Wally will be crucial in matching up with bigger lineups. I like Brown a lot, but it's not like he's a stalwart defensively.

I also must admit I don't understand you not wanting Wally playing for defensive deficiencies and then you lobby for Damon Jones to get more playing time(not that I'm against that, I just don't follow your logic).

I'm not lobbying for more PT for Damon Jones, but if Wally or Damon is to get the minutes, I'd rather give them to Damon who has been in the system and is shooting as well as anyone is the league the last month or two.

It's about combinations really, and having Boobie and Wally in at the same time is worrisome. It's amazing how effiecient teams are in the playoffs, and a backcourt of Boobie and Wally will have teams like Detroit and Boston licking their chops. Last year Detroit and San Antonio exploited our perimeter defense almost at will. I just don;t think you'll see Mike Brown sacrificing defense for offense, hence the reason I think Wally see's little time down the stretch.

I just don't think you'll ever see Boobie and Wally on the court together. You'll more likely see Delonte West get paired with Boobie, Wally, Sasha, or Damon down the stretch, and I just don't see Wally taking those minutes.

I think it makes more sense for Wally to spell LeBron a few minutes a game, rather than pairing LeBron with Delonte West and Wally or Boobie and Wally. Boobie has shown he's way more effective as a 2 and I don't believe management is as interesested in that experiment as the media is making it out to be. Some think it's just as easy as running Boobie at the point, pick a shooter at the 2, LeBron, Wallace, and Z and I doubt it materializes like that.

And I can guarantee you will not see a line-up where Wally plays the 4 and Wallace or Anderson plays the 5. It just isn't consistent with what Mike Brown does.

I think it's amazing how much deeper this team got overnight though. It says a lot that we are even having this debate on whether Wally will see significant playing time.