Cavs 08-09 Season - Central Div Champs (official thread)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Defense again disappears (but not turnovers) as Cavs fall flat against Pistons

by Brian Windhorst Wednesday October 22, 2008, 11:15 PM

Duane Burleson/Associated PressDetroit's Amir Johnson (right) taps the ball away from a driving Sasha Pavlovic during the first half of Wednesday's exhibition game at Auburn Hills, Mich. The Cavaliers had 17 turnovers in an 18-point loss to the Pistons. Photo gallery



AUBURN HILLS, Mich -- There isn't a Cavaliers player who isn't ready for the preseason to be over, but that doesn't mean they're 100 percent prepared for the real thing.
The team still has some lingering issues to clean up before the regular season, which showed in Wednesday's 97-79 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
It came without LeBron James, who took the night off, so judging the overall effort is somewhat circumstantial as the Pistons (6-1) played their starters heavy minutes. Yet some things have been constant no matter the lineup and they will probably be the focus in the Cavs' final tuneups for next Tuesday's opener in Boston.

Continued..............

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Cavaliers Insider: James trying to take care of home away from home fans

by Brian Windhorst Wednesday October 22, 2008, 7:51 PM

Joshua Gunter/The Plain Dealer
LeBron James sat out Wednesday's preseason game against the Pistons to make sure he would be available for Friday's "home" game in Columbus.


AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- It's not exactly a battle cry, but "Remember Rochester" does seem to be a bit of a guiding principle for the Cavs and their preseason plans.
LeBron James sat out Wednesday night's preseason game with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Not because he's hurt or tired, but out of precaution and just to make sure he isn't overextended.
This is not a new idea. James has rested during preseason games in the past, but there were other reasons for selecting this one. It is the second night of a back-to-back, but there's more to it.
Coach Mike Brown said James wanted to be sure not to skip Friday's game in Columbus at Value City Arena. It's not just because that game against the Wizards is being nationally televised by ESPN.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Home at last: Williams thrilled (quietly) that he's made Cavaliers roster

by Brian Windhorst Thursday October 23, 2008, 7:17 PM

Tracy Boulian/The Plain DealerFormer St. Edward and North Carolina standout Jawad Williams played in Spain, Israel and Japan along with the NBA's developmental league before finally making a roster with the Cavaliers.

CAVALIERS VS. WIZARDS
Where: Value City Arena, Columbus
Tipoff: 8 p.m.
TV/radio: ESPN; WTAM/1100 AM
Notable: The Cavs will treat this final preseason game as if it were the real thing, with starters playing in a normal rotation. ... The Wizards are without Gilbert Arenas (knee) and Brendan Haywood (wrist). ... The Cavs are 2-5 in the preseason, the Wizards are 2-4.
-- Brian Windhorst


James, Jay-Z plan Obama event



BEXLEY, Ohio -- Jawad Williams knows the ups and downs of being a professional basketball player, so he spent Thursday trying to keep himself emotionally under control after receiving probably the biggest news of his career.
But the giant smile that kept crossing his face in a post-practice shooting game with his teammates at Capital University revealed some of his inner feelings.
The Cavs waived veteran guard Ronald Dupree before the workout, meaning Cleveland native and St. Edward graduate Williams had made the team's 15-man roster. It is the first time Williams -- who has played in Spain, Japan, Israel and the NBDL since leaving North Carolina -- has been a full-fledged member of an NBA team.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Michael Arace commentary: James, Cavs hit campaign trail looking for respect

Saturday, October 25, 2008 3:22 AM
By Michael Arace


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


With the Cleveland Cavaliers in tow, LeBron James blew into town this week. The team and he worked out Thursday afternoon in the Capital University Center. The next morning, Michelle Obama made an appearance in the same venue. No doubt, at some point, James' people met with Obama's people.
They have to iron out details for an Obama rally scheduled for Wednesday on James' home court, Quicken Loans Arena. James and Jay-Z are playing host to the event with, of course, Barack, a lean left-hander who is said to have a potent mid-range game.
Today, James will pull camera time with ESPN's College GameDay crew and break down the big clash between Ohio State and Penn State. James is a Buckeyes fan and possesses the requisite persecution complex.

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[crazybuckfan40]

After seeing the Cavs the other night at the Schott, I truly believe that we can contend in teh East for sure, and the whole league as well...Not ready to say that we are the favorites or anything like that...But I do believe that we could win it all, and I also could see us exiting in the second round again...

Think we are better than we have been the past two years, and with LBJ anything is possible and he has a guy that can create for himself in Mo Williams, so as long as we stay healhty and Brown doesn't fuck it up, I think we could see an enjoyable season...The East should be much better this year tho, with Philly, ATL, Toronto looking to have good teams...

 

[exhawg]

After seeing the Cavs the other night at the Schott, I truly believe that we can contend in teh East for sure, and the whole league as well...Not ready to say that we are the favorites or anything like that...But I do believe that we could win it all, and I also could see us exiting in the second round again...

Think we are better than we have been the past two years, and with LBJ anything is possible and he has a guy that can create for himself in Mo Williams, so as long as we stay healhty and Brown doesn't fuck it up, I think we could see an enjoyable season...The East should be much better this year tho, with Philly, ATL, Toronto looking to have good teams...

I'm really looking forward to this season. Right now the Cavs are better than they have been at any point in the Lebron era. Best yet they have plenty of expiring contract in case a Michael Redd type of player becomes available. In the past year they have gone from maybe 1 serviceable PG to 3 good to very good PG's. They got rid of Hughes so now his injuries are the Bulls problem. They have 3 proven bigs and a rookie that has more athletic ability than any of the other bigs with nothing but upside. If Pavs and Wally can hit some shots at the 2 and backup 3 this is going to be a hard team to stop. I'm really looking forward to seeing Lebron when he has other guys to control the ball and allows him to move away from the ball. I will be really disappointed if they revert to an offense of Lebron dribbling for 20 seconds every possession.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I'm really looking forward to this season. Right now the Cavs are better than they have been at any point in the Lebron era. Best yet they have plenty of expiring contract in case a Michael Redd type of player becomes available. In the past year they have gone from maybe 1 serviceable PG to 3 good to very good PG's. They got rid of Hughes so now his injuries are the Bulls problem. They have 3 proven bigs and a rookie that has more athletic ability than any of the other bigs with nothing but upside. If Pavs and Wally can hit some shots at the 2 and backup 3 this is going to be a hard team to stop. I'm really looking forward to seeing Lebron when he has other guys to control the ball and allows him to move away from the ball. I will be really disappointed if they revert to an offense of Lebron dribbling for 20 seconds every possession.

I agree, and I didn't see anything like that the other night...I think with Mo being able to handle the rock, we should see more of LBJ in the post...

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

You read it here first: Cavs will win NBA title

By Greg Simms
Staff Writer

Monday, October 27, 2008
As we know, the Cincinnati Bengals are no good and the Cleveland Browns aren't much better, so it's time to move on to a more fantastic form of sports entertainment. Yep. You're right. The upcoming NBA season.
And let's take it a logical step further. The 2008-2009 season will belong to the Cleveland Cavaliers. I'm telling you straight, so you won't have to ask anyone or read up on it.
Just think about it. The Boston Celtics won the title last season by making the Los Angeles Lakers look like that pretty dance team that performs during timeouts. Kobe Bryant probably never wants to see Paul Pierce again.
Yet who gave the champs the toughest time?
Bingo. The Cavs, even after being hindered by holdouts and not enough talent to help LeBron James.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Tipoff thoughts as the Cavs prepare for 2008-09

by Brian Windhorst Sunday October 26, 2008, 6:11 PM


As they prepare to open the season this week, the Cavaliers believe they have one of their most talented and deepest teams in franchise history. Their entire roster is healthy and they have a favorable mix of youth and experience. Because of it, their goals are the highest possible. Here's a look at what must happen for the Cavs to accomplish them:

Three things the Cavs must do:

Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerWith more options available with the addition of Mo Williams and the occasional move of LeBron James to power forward, Mike Brown must get more points from his offense this season while not abandoning his defensive emphasis.


1. Use the new point guard Much of the preseason was spent focusing on playing more up-tempo on offense, an effort to take advantage of Mo Williams' talents. For the first time, the Cavs will look to push the ball whenever possible and try to avoid getting bogged down as much in halfcourt sets. But they need to be better in the halfcourt, too, which is where Williams can also be valuable by setting up pick-and-rolls and creating his own shot. Just dumping the ball into Zydrunas Ilgauskas or having LeBron James dribble while everyone watches can't be the answer so often anymore.

2. Remember from day one defense is their calling card
By the end of last season, the Cavs were one of the best defensive teams in the league but it took them too long to get there. Periods of lazy defense hurt them early; they ranked in the bottom 10 of the league for the first half of the season. This is especially true when it comes to being active on rotations to the weak side, a vital part of their strategy which was too often soft in the first few months last year.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Cavaliers Insider: TNT crew say off-season changes merit high expectations

by Mary Schmitt Boyer Sunday October 26, 2008, 6:14 PM

Tony Dejak/Associated PressNew Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams averaged nine points and three assists in 20 minutes of action during the preseason.
Tipoff keys to Cavs' season

When a national television audience tunes in to TNT's season-opening game between Cleveland and Boston on Tuesday night in TD Banknorth Garden, most of the pre-game attention will focus on the Celtics' celebration of their 17th NBA championship. Another banner will be raised to the rafters and rings will be distributed.
But once the ball is tipped and these two Eastern Conference contenders go at it, there will be just as much focus on the Cavs with the incomparable LeBron James and newcomer Mo Williams.
TNT analyst Reggie Miller already selected James as his early favorite for MVP.
"I think he is ready to take the next step," Miller said of James during a conference call last week. "Watching the Olympics this summer, you can see the maturation process of LeBron."
The two teams are different than when they met in a tough seven-game conference semifinal series last spring. While the main change for the Cavs is the addition of Williams, the Celtics lost Twinsburg's James Posey, who signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Hornets.
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[Brutus1]

They need to start the season in Boston by showing the Celts that they mean business this season. If they can start the season by winning in Boston on banner-raising night, that will send a message to the rest of the East.

They must play with playoff intensity on both ends of the floor. I'm not sure if they can do that the first game of the season.

Either way, it should be a fun game.

Pavlovic needs to stop sucking !!!

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Cavs to skip Celtics' bling Team to prep for opener rather than witness ring ceremony
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Tuesday, Oct 28, 2008
INDEPENDENCE: The Boston Celtics will get their championship rings tonight prior to facing the Cavaliers in the NBA season opener at the TD Banknorth Garden.
Their minds probably will be on raising a banner and sizing up some rather expensive and glittery jewelry.
The Cavs won't be watching, instead choosing to focus on beginning what they plan to be a championship season. The eventual-champion Celtics eliminated the Cavs in the seventh game of the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring.
Coach Mike Brown was emphatic when asked whether his team would watch the ceremony.
''No. No. No. The Celtics, they deserve it. They kicked everybody's behind last year,'' he said. ''They're the NBA champs. That's a special night for those guys. They've got to cherish that and all that other stuff.''
Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is taking a business-like approach to tonight's happenings.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

This opener is awkward for Cavaliers Cavaliers won't watch Celtics' celebration
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist

Published on Tuesday, Oct 28, 2008
BOSTON: Some trips become hauntingly familiar.
On Monday, I took the same steps, same subway, same path as the last trip to Boston, which, of course, was Game 7 in the NBA playoffs. That's the game that ended the Cavs' season and sent LeBron James walking directly off the court when it was over. No handshake, no greetings to the other team, nothing. Just a direct stroll to the locker room, fueled by the intense hatred of losing.
For the 2008-09 season opener, the NBA, in its desire for TV ratings and to capitalize on the best player in the league being in the building (no, it's not Paul Pierce), brought the Cavs right back to the spot where their season ended in May.
Call it a gift the league office dropped on the Cavs.
Or more correctly, hung over their heads.
Because an hour before tonight's tipoff, while the Cavs are in the locker room, the crowd will be roaring as the Celtics receive their championship rings and raise another championship banner in the Boston Gaahden.
Apparently F Troop reruns on cable sounded more appealing to the Cavs.
''We don't need to be out there watching that,'' James said. ''We need to get ready for the game. Congratulations to them, but we're not the fans. That's for
Boston.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Head teammate: Cavaliers' Brown works to motivate without being 'the boss'

by Brian Windhorst Monday October 27, 2008, 6:48 PM

Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerCavaliers coach Mike Brown coaches without being the boss. "If you have two people who think they are working together and not a boss telling an employee, it is going to work better."


On the Cavaliers roster, Mike Brown's title is listed as head coach. That's accurate but far from encompassing, just like the man himself. Brown starts his fourth season with the franchise Tuesday night when the Cavs open in Boston. By the numbers, he is already the most successful coach in team history, the leader in winning percentage (.589) and virtually every playoff production category.
He's done much of it under the radar, which is by his design. And by passing off credit and absorbing as much criticism as possible, which is by design, too. Which may not have earned him the highest approval ratings with the team's fan base, but has remarkably endeared him to the players.
When Brown was hired, he had never been a head coach at any level and was the second youngest head coach, at age 35, in the NBA. He never played in the league and didn't play in a major conference in college. So it was somewhat of a tough sell, a gamble considering the challenges he faced.

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Meet the 2008-09 Cavs forwards

by Brian Windhorst Monday October 27, 2008, 7:14 PM

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerA close second to Kobe Bryant last year as NBA's Most Valuable Player, LeBron James should be entering his prime seasons.
The starters: 23 LEBRON JAMES
6-8, 250, sixth season
Contract status: Will make $14.4 million in the second year of a three-year, $43 million deal. Has a player option for $17 million for 2010-11.
Comment: Perhaps ready to enter the prime of his career as he's coming off his first scoring title and career-highs in assists and rebounds. Has developed into a full-blown leader, taking over as the team's sole captain. He has a chance to win his first MVP Award.
4 BEN WALLACE
6-9, 230, 13th season
Contract status: Will earn $14.5 million in the third year of a four-year, $60 million contract.
Comment: When his back is feeling good, the 34-year-old Wallace is still one of the best defensive big men in the league. The Cavs will keep a close eye on his minutes and do everything they can to keep the back healthy. Has major limits offensively but it is overlooked when he's playing high-level defense and rebounding.

Cont...