Posts Tagged ‘Cleveland Cavaliers’

Well….

I was going to attempt to put together a piece explaining my feelings and where we go from here….but then I found Dan Gilbert’s letter….and I felt a lot better.

Dan Gilbert is the ballsiest and greatest owner out there not named Mark Cuban. I don’t care how classless anyone thinks this letter may be, this perfectly sums up how Cleveland fans feel.

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html

I’ll put something down later when I can fill a page with more than just cussing and scenarios in which LeBron tears both ACLs.

Go Cavs.

Guilty Pleasures

As I sat anxiously watching “The Decision” I could not control my giddiness. Everything leading up to his decision had me believing that he was jumping ship and I could not be happier. It’s not because Cleveland actually had a good, check that GREAT team…that’s right folks, that’s a Yinzer complimenting a Cleveland sports team…but rather it’s because I enjoy seeing die-hard Cleveland sports fans suffer. Yeah I know thats wrong. Probably kind of sick too, but it’s the truth. Their hopes get built up so much for the Browns and the Indians but each year they fall flat on their faces. However the Cavs were legit. But now they’re unlegit. Again.

It’s hard to say James made the wrong decision because he’s playing with Wade, and Bosh. Miami fans don’t come close to Cleveland fans. Cleveland fans are some of the most loyal fans ever. Cheering for pathetic teams isn’t easy to do…trust me, I find myself questioning why I continue to chee for the Pirates, but then I remember it’s because I love that team. And Clevelanders love their teams. No fault there. But seriously, why get all upset. In seven years, how many championships has James gotten you all? Zero. How many finals did he lead you to? One and they got swept.

Now are you a better team without him. HELL NO. Not even close. Actually, the Cavs are now one of the worst teams in the league if you ask me, but cut the guy some slack. Except for the last few games in this postseason, this guy carried you. He led what was otherwise a collaberation of run-of-the-mill players to the best record in basketball. Here’s something you all should do. Learn from Pittsburgh. When Sergei Gonchar signed a contract with the Ottawa Senators this offseason, the city didn’t go up in arms, instead they thanked him for his time and service to the team and community. Granted Gonchar was a key contributor to their Stanley Cup championship, but when he comes back to Pittsburgh, I promise you he will get a standing ovation. Please do the same with James.

These super-freakish athletes are humans too. They need to lookout for themselves. James tried for seven years and couldn’t get it done. Now nothing is for sure, but I think he has earned the right to go to South Beach to try and win a championship. If nothing else, James can’t be called greedy or that he is in it just for the money. Instead he wants to win. He tried and Cleveland, but now will try in Miami.

Yeah, I’m happy he left. I feel bad to an extent for Cleveland, but at the same time, deep down I’m smiling. Guilty pleasure.

Ed Speaks: Why We Are Not Covering LeBron

Things. Keep. Changing.

Besides, just watch out Twitter account @BorderWarSports.  Just easier to re-tweet what Windhurst at the Plain Dealer is reporting.

Maybe we’ll have a reaction piece on Friday.  If we care enough about the biggest decision in Cleveland history.

And yea, I’d consider ranking LeBron with Model if he left.

/Editor out!

Jersey Watch: Going the T-Shirt Route?

I’ve been desiring a jersey of some type.  Pens, Blue Jackets, Crew, Indians, Cavs, Browns, etc.  You name a team I like, and I’ve priced a jersey I’d like to own.

But I may get this t-shirt first.

It captures the essence of funny type shirts, with a destinctive local flair.  I MUST HAVE IT.

Anyways, I now return you to the Indians giving up four consecutive doubles (to the same spot in left center, mind you) in a loss to the Mets, or the first game for another new Pittsburgh Pirate in an attempt to grab headlines.

Michigan State Can Relax: Izzo’s Not Leaving

The Cavaliers won’t be getting their first choice for head coach.

In what was the more important of the two major press conferences tonight (well, at least if you’re in Cleveland, which has despised BP since they moved their workforce from downtown Cleveland), Tom Izzo announced tonight that he would be staying with the Spartans.

This leaves me wondering what Dan Gilbert will do with his Izzo-themed PJ’s and alma mater tax write-offs.

Anyways, Izzo probably did the right thing.  He stuck with what he knows works well and will continue to work well.  Despite the secretive flight to Cleveland, and then an equally secretive flight by Gilbert to Akron’s Fulton Airport to meet with LBJ, supposedly (Media covered both flights, but the latter has seemingly disappeared from the interwebs).

LeBron is the question mark, and no high-quality coach will be willing to come to Cleveland  without him playing for them.  Without the ‘Akron Hammer’, the Cavs have nothing to keep good talent.  Except for the rumored promise of somewhere in the range of $6 million a year.

Unfortunately, it would seem that Cleveland is in a bit of a quagmire.  They will have to try to sign LeBron first, then a coach.  This isn’t what NBA teams usually do..  Typically, you want to hire a coach early in the Summer, that way you can get the best name on the market and let him plan for the Fall season (which feels like starts in a few weeks…damn you three month long playoff system *shakes fist*)

The Cavs won’t do that, though.  They heard the message loud and clear.  Sign LeBron.  Then we’ll talk.

Breaking Down Cavs Rumors (with a side of ranting)….

The NBA season isn’t even over yet, but rumors about the Cavs change 30 times every day. It’s astounding the rumor mongering that is going on before the offseason even starts. The funny thing is, as important as the off season is to free agents *cough*LeBron*cough*, the rumors about him are fading fast while the rumors about the Cavs are spreading like wildfire.

By now, everything has kind of settled with LeBron. It’s going to be either Cleveland, Chicago, New York, or on the off chance David Geffen pries the Clippers from Sterling’s should-be cold, dead hands, the LA Clips. He’s already done Larry King. Everybody from his AAU coaches to his girlfriend’s mother’s hairdresser’s aunt has tried to leak some ‘inside information’ on what he’s planning, but it all boils down to the fact that nobody really knows yet. There’s been so many attempts at discussing LeBron that he’s just not newsworthy anymore. It’s going to happen after July 1 and any attempt to sway him one way or another; any attempt to leak where he’s going….its all pointless.

So, let’s focus on the one sure thing about the 2010-2011 Cleveland Cavaliers- with or without LeBron, the team will still exist. It probably won’t look like this years team, even if LBJ signs.

First, we’ve got the front office shake ups. Mike Brown fired and Danny Ferry resigns. Honestly, everyone knew Mike Brown was out. 5 years, numerous all-stars, the current greatest player in the game (debatable), yet only ONE Finals appearance? That just doesn’t fly, no matter who you are.

Now, I don’t think MiBro was a bad coach. Quite the contrary. I think he was a stellar coach without that drive to win the big one. Just like everyone blames LeBron for lacking the passion, the killer instinct needed to push it one more gear to win that trophy, Mike Brown was missing it as well. He was too passive with his players. He was too busy being friendly with them than getting in their faces to get them motivated. When he finally would do that, it would come off wrong. He just doesn’t have the intangibles yet to make a great NBA coach.

I think he should look into a college job before coming back to the NBA. I think he could be a great college coach, especially in a defense-oriented league like the Big Ten. His personality, youth, and coaching style would perfectly fit a college program.

Now…Danny Ferry…he’s got the misfortune of being a Duke product. Anything from Duke when it comes to basketball will fail terribly at some point or another. It’s science, really.

Ferry is the most to blame. Everyone heaps it on Mike Brown, LeBron, etc….everybody forgets Ferry and 2005. It was a huge free agent summer. Here are just some of the names you know these days that were available in 2005- Ray Allen, Chris ‘the Birdman’ Andersen, Raja Bell, Matt Bonner, Tyson Chandler, Austin Croshere, Samuel Dalembert, Chris Duhon, Udonis Haslem, Grant Hill, Robert Horry, Marko Jaric, Joe Johnson, Jason Kapono, Cuttino Mobley, Shaq, Gary Payton, Vlad Radmanovic, Michael Redd, Jalen Rose, Stromile Swift, Bonzi Wells……that’s just some of them.

Who did we pick up? Who did Danny Ferry decide to nab? Larry Hughes. The same Larry Hughes who has had four seasons with a 3pt percentage under 20%! The same Larry Hughes who had his best FG percentage in 2002! The same Larry Hughes who had ONE healthy season, back in 2001 with Golden State.

Who did Danny Ferry NOT ONCE make a phone call to?

The one and only Jesus Shuttlesworth, Ray Allen.

I mean….really? You’ve got one of the best, pure shooters in the game who is a free agent and you don’t give him a call? By that point, Ray was a 4-time All Star, 3rd team NBA, held the record for most 3s made in a half, AND had the most consecutive games played (400) for Milwaukee.

Yet he didn’t even garner a phone call.

That, boys and girls, in a nut shell, is the single biggest reason the Cleveland Cavaliers do not have an NBA Championship under their belt. Picking Larry Hughes over Ray Allen in 2005.

This is something that irks me….so I’ll end the analysis there before I get heated.

Moving on to other rumors…

Tom Izzo. Love this move. I think its great. Izzo is a stellar, take no crap coach. He’s the polar opposite of Mike Brown. His players love him because he forces them to respect him. This is the type of coach a superstar like LeBron needs. Not one who’s main soundbyte is ‘I’m glad LeBron lets me coach him’. You need a coach who will do just that, coach, and not be a constant ennabler. I really hope we can pull this coup off. Izzo is one of the all-time great college coaches and I think that could easily relay into a great professional coach. He already runs a pro-set offense with MSU as is, so the translation in game between college to pro won’t be as tough.

Trade Bait! The Cavs are shopping Mo and Delonte to see what they can get out of them. With Delonte, you really can’t go wrong. The Cavs would be effectively selling high after they bought low with him. They brought him in as a deep benchwarmer and have turned him into a starter on most any NBA team….barring of course his mental state that day. I love Delonte. I think he’s hilarious. But if we’re gonna be contenders, one of our main guards can’t be a guy where everyday we have to wake up and hope he’s not gonna be carrying his shotgun in a guitar case on a trike because somebody didn’t get him his donuts.

As for Mo…well…I’m really torn. I like Mo. He’s a great guy and a great regular season player. He hasn’t really been a playoff contributor. That could be attributed to fatigue, maybe nerves, I don’t know. This year, he had two stellar playoff games- one against Chicago and one against Boston, but otherwise has been suspect. He’s been a great addition to the Cavs but my fear is that he has reached his ceiling.

There has been rumors of overtures to Toronto about Mo, which made me a bit giddy. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I really think those overtures concerned a sign-and-trade for Bosh. Most rumor reports that I could find mentioned those two for Calderon and others….but I think there would have to be more to it.

If you could package Mo, Delonte, JJ, and Shaq to Toronto for Bosh and Hedo, would you pull the trigger?

I would, in a heartbeat. Hedo hates Toronto and Bosh wants to play with a superstar. With this trade, the Cavs can wipe about 30-40mil off their books. Toronto uses Shaq as cap relief and they get talent for the already-departing Bosh.

This would also give the Cavs Bird rights on Bosh, which allows the Cavs to offer the max contract to both Bosh and LeBron without affecting the year’s salary cap.

Jesus Shuttlesworth is also a free agent this season. Just sayin….Allen, Hedo, LeBron, Jamison, Bosh starting five? Game over. Absolutely game over. Pack the season in and gift wrap the trophy, because it’d be coming to Cleveland.

Even if they didn’t pick Allen up….Boobie can be a starter. You’ve also got Bassy Telfair who just picked up his player option for another year. There’s also some young FAs out there you could probably pick up like JJ Barea or TJ Ford.

In the end, there’s a lot of What Ifs for the Cavs in the coming weeks. Its exciting. Even if LeBron does leave, Dan Gilbert has shown Cleveland he will do what he needs to make us contenders and bring us championships, which is what we need in an owner. Dolan would be run out of town on a pike if fans could get a hold of him and Lerner has finally gotten the hint that we wouldn’t stand for him to focus on Aston Villa…a freakin English Premier League soccer club over our Browns.

So, over the next couple weeks, keep an eye out for more and more Cavs news, because I’m positive it will keep mounting.

Let’s get ready for a good 2010-2011 season, All Together! (which, by the way…one of the worst playoff themes ever…)

Big Z Has It Right

Head over to Fox 8 Cleveland and check out this video of Zydrunas Ilgauskas speaking out about Coach Brown’s firing and you’ll see what people are forgetting about the most:  You can’t blame Coach Brown for losing when the whole team is at fault for losing.

Age Brings Experience Not Brittleness

So that’s it. It’s done. Cleveland you will probably need a eulogy after what just happened. Then again what just happened? This was the number one team in the East, those Cleveland Cavaliers. They were also the number one team in the association. They were suppose to once again walk through into the finals and have that LeBron James versus Kobe Bryant Final we all wanted. Yet again, James’ journey to the finals took an abrupt stop thanks to great defense and better team play that was the Boston Celtics.

It’s weird writing about how the Celtics have played well in this series, in fact the entire playoffs the Celtics have played great. This is a team that people wrote off because they were too old, and health was a huge issue. And yet it was the old guys that performed so well in this game 6. Rasheed Wallace able to get double digit points, Kevin Garnett got a double double, and Paul Pierce was able to get double figures. Yet the Celtics weren’t suppose to be here. In fact many people picked the Miami Heat to upset the Celtics in the first round. Yet the Celtics nearly swept the Heat and then comes this series against the Cavaliers. A series where there was only one game where the Celtics looked awful which was game 3. That makes the clash between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics a lot more interesting, don’t count out the Celtics experience.

Yet what’s sad about this series is that it’s not about the Celtics. It was never about the Celtics. Once the series went 3-2 in Boston’s favor, this series was more about James. Not the Cavaliers, but just one man. A home town hero and a home grown talent. These last two important games were all on LeBron James. He has been called the greatest, the next Micheal Jordan, a two time MVP, and yet he still couldn’t win. What doesn’t make any sense to me is that Cleveland has brought pieces to him to win. They got him Mo Williams, they got him Shaquille O’Neil, they got him Antawn Jamison, yet they only get into the second round? While in ’07 James with virtually no one carried his team over the Detroit Piston and made it to the Finals. Shouldn’t this have been easier for James to win?

What is different about ’07 was how James had people who stepped up. In this series no one other than James came to play, and even James’ play was questioned. Cavs fan had to be happy to see Williams step up getting 20 points in the first half but it seemed to little too late (Since he only had scored two points in the 2nd half). The Cavaliers were committing to many turnovers with nine going to James, and the defense made it more difficult for the Cavaliers to shoot well. James’ triple double may have seemed like he was trying to take control of this game himself, yet the look in his eye seemed very disinterested. What’s funny is that the Celtics didn’t have to rely on one person to carry the team.  This is probably why I’m not shocked that they won the series. The Celtics had production from all kinds of players not just there starters. Tony Allen, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, and Rasheed Wallace all contributed in this series. Kind of makes LeBron look over and say, “Coach, where’s my help?”

Well now the playoffs will continue without it’s prize player continuing on. Can’t say I’m upset considering I’m a huge Celtic fan. However the big picture now starts to loom over the NBA playoffs and offseason. Where does LeBron go? Before I would have said he would stay in Cleveland, yet why didn’t he take a contract extension knowing that the Cavaliers can offer him the most money out of any teams in the market? But with him not talking, not saying he will stay makes me think. LeBron James is packing and getting ready to leave. Don’t quote me on where, but I will say Chicago seems logical to me, if James leaves. Cleveland, you will now be looked at every second for the next 47 days till free agency starts, and with that if James does leave what happens to the city that desperately needs a title to revitalize it. Don’t fret just yet Cleveland, this motion picture is just over. The curtain falls, time to leave, people booing, and waiting for the sequel.

-C.J Maffris

BORDER WAR – Thursday the 13th

After one day, Mike and Chris are left wondering what happened to their beloved hockey team, and how to get out of the hole they are now in.  Can they tie things up in this week’s Border War?  Three chances today, as we pick the Cavs/Celtics, Indians/Royals, and Marietta College Pioneers / John Carroll University Blue Streaks in the second game of the OAC Tournament.

Nightmare on Huron Rd., Part 2.

Its 1:30 in the morning as I write this and sleep just doesn’t sound like a viable option right now.

I think I’m in a nightmare as is.

As a Cleveland sports fan since as long as I can remember, you become indoctrinated to heartbreak. You’re used to it. Its just part of being a Clevelander. With the Cavs in the playoffs the past five years, the video montages come prepackaged and ready to roll every single year.

Red Right 88.

The Fumble.

The Shot.

The Drive.

The Blown Save.

But what about tonight. The Emasculation? The Evisceration?

Tonight wasn’t much about heartbreak. Heartbreak indicated losing a close matchup where you honestly thought your team could win, only to be severely let down. This loss was never in question by the end of the second quarter. You saw no fire, no desire, no passion in the eyes of the Cavs. You had LeBron going up to shoot, outthinking himself, then passing it off and looking immensely awkward. You had Anthony Parker flubbing pass after open pass. You had your best guard playing only 9 minutes of the game and contributing absolutely nothing. You had your coach, a ‘defensive mastermind’ choosing to quickly sub players in the 4th quarter for quick fouls, a strategy saved for the final two minutes of a close game…..not with 4 minutes left in an unholy blowout.

I can’t figure out LeBron. I’m not sure anyone can. Here’s a guy who refuses to shake hands with the Magic because he was fuming that his team couldn’t pull off the win. He then speaks about it and promises to use it to fuel him throughout the coming season. Well, the 2009-2010 season isn’t over until the end of the Finals. All roads from Cleveland/Boston lead to Orlando. The team that enraged him.

So what does he do? Does he elevate himself to aggravated superstar playing with a chip on his shoulder…..you know, that thing that superstars do to play the game at a higher level than everyone else….like Jordan, Kobe, Bird, Magic, Isaiah…

Nope. He plays ONE great game, and four complacent games. His body language just screams that he’s given up. If it’s his elbow injury, then there’s more we aren’t being told.

I just don’t know what else it could be.

Either way….here’s some mental notes from the game:
Mike Brown needs to go. The guy is a non-entity. Retain him as defensive coach or just be rid of him. The guy is likable, but the point of a coach is not to be likable. It is to make his players work harder, to be smarter than them, to show them the path to a championship.

The only guys in the game who showed any passion or desire, even if it was the briefest flicker- Shaq, Antawn, Mo, Z. For 3 of those 4, this could be their last legitimate shot at a championship. For one, he’s been pegged as a playoff dud and, try as he might, only one game out of quite a few prove otherwise.

Boston is just proving to be the luckier team. Better calls. Bench players randomly catching fire (‘Sheed, Tony Allen, Big Baby).

The Cavaliers forgot how to rebound. They just stood there, or immediately began the run back. You know what wins games? Second chance points. Offensive rebounds. Resetting the offense. Thats what makes Z such an invaluable center. He may be plodding, he may be older, but I’ll be damned if he doesn’t scrap and give us 8-10pts per game on tip drill alone. Shaq doesn’t do that. Varejao was kind of catching on during the season but gave that up for playoffs. Hickson has been too terrible to make any judgments.

They just don’t want it. As fans, we often get accused of lumping ourselves in with the team to become a collective we. Not tonight. The city of Cleveland, the fans of the Cavaliers; we want this. We want this bad. We need a championship. We are a dying city that everybody likes to joked about and beat up whenever they can. We want that one shining moment to prove everyone wrong.

I just don’t think the Cavaliers players recognize that. They talk about it, sure, but do they really understand? When the game ends, they put on all their bling, go out and have a great meal, get some sleep in their plush houses/condos/apartments, and attempt to brush it off the next day.

For some fans, the Cavs are the only bright spot in their life. Watching the Cavs win makes their week better.

Cleveland as a city has been losing for years. We don’t hide that fact. We admit that we just can’t catch a break. The Cavs are supposed to be that break. But instead of helping, they’re just breaking us even more.

How much more loss can we take?

As we look toward Game 6, I don’t know what to say. I want the Cavs to pull it out. I wholeheartedly think they can.

But you won’t catch me saying that out loud. I also thought the Indians were World Series champions in 1997.

And that the Cavs were NBA Champions last year.
And that the second and third Matrix films would be the greatest films ever.
And that Han Solo shot first.
And that Luke Jackson, Jason Kapono, and Wally Szczerbiak would be great additions to the Cavs.

As you can see, I’m often wrong when I speak. So this time, I’m keeping my mouth shut.