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Cleveland Cavaliers 2009-10 Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter joel232
  • Start date Start date
LOL at the experts.
Maybe I should get a job @ ESPN:
97564411.png

I didn't get it right either, but better than most :D
 
I like those expert picks. It goes to show that people are revisionists, just like me.

Up until the start of this season, I really, really, really thought Mike Brown should be sacked, even after they went to the Championship series. Then, this year, they seemed to be playing incredibly well. Everything was great during the regular season. LeBron was smooth, Shaq accepted his role, Varejao was hustling, we got Jamison, Mo Williams was shooting....and all those experts and fans thought the Cavs would be in the Finals again. Now this play-off disaster happens and all the experts and fans tell us that they saw it coming.

So, while I agree that Mike Brown shares some of the blame for the play-off loss, he was very successful this season and he deserves a lot of credit for the great season. That is a success and an important one.

...but...

Mike Brown did fail to make any significant adjustments during the Chicago series this year and the Boston debacle. We've been riding his horse for a long time. It probably is time for a change.

I'm sure Phil Jackson would be great, but I would hate it.

I always liked Paul Silas when he was the Cavs coach.
 
Shaq for 3 more years?

Shaq for 3 more years?

according to an article in nypost.com

CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers free agent center Shaquille O'Neal, a Newark native, told The Post he would consider the Nets as a destination this summer -- intrigued because they now reside in his hometown.

O'Neal, the Cavs "other" free agent, praised the new Prudential Center as being an NBA hotspot and said he would rather them not move to Brooklyn in 2013.

"I think it's better than most arenas, I think it's one of the best arenas in the country," O'Neal told The Post following the Cavaliers' stunning second-round elimination against Boston on Thursday night. "Hopefully they can stay there forever. I don't know what's going on with the Brooklyn situation, but it says a lot for the city of Newark." O'Neal has real-estate investments in Newark and is also intrigued in one day being a part-owner of the Nets because they now are in Newark. But he would want them to stay there. Shaq had long wondered why it took so long for the club to move to his hometown. Last season, while with Phoenix, he attended a Devils game at Prudential Center and got a grand tour by the owners.

O'Neal said he is happy to see the Nets have a new owner in Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.

"It's great that they are in Newark and have a new owner," O'Neal said.

O'Neal said two years ago in a published report on Nets' ownership, "It'd be nice -- real nice. I know the area, I know the people, it's close to New York."

O'Neal, who missed nearly the final seven weeks of the regular season with torn ligaments in his thumb, did not have a good postseason in a starting role. His addition as one of the final pieces to a championship puzzle ultimately backfired because he didn't mesh well with LeBron James.

Nevertheless, the 350-pound O'Neal could make a good backup center to young Brook Lopez and show him the ropes as he nears retirement.

"I've got a lot of options," O'Neal said. "We'll just see. I still got to sit down and look at all my options. I don't want to comment on [the Nets]. It's too early."

But Shaq, at 38 the NBA's oldest active player, wants to keep playing a few more years.

"Of course. I missed 360 games due to injury in my career so by my calculations I still have 3.7 years left," O'Neal said. "That means I'm going to play until I'm 41. I've missed a lot of games, so I still feel I can play."

Perhaps O'Neal became the victim of the vaunted Sports Illustrated cover jinx as he graced the cover this week with the headline: "Win a Ring for the King." It didn't happen and now it's doubtful Cleveland will re-sign him. He was slow on defense in the Boston series and got eaten up in Game 6 by Kevin Garnett. In the playoffs, O'Neal averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.

"There are a lot of free agents on the team," Shaq said. "We just have to sit back, and I'm sure everybody's going to do what's best for them."

The Knicks, meanwhile, have a glaring need at center but O'Neal's arrival in Phoenix with coach Mike D'Antoni wasn't a huge success.

But he didn't rule out the Knicks either.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets...kU7lpEyRM?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=#ixzz0o3MxL0x8
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It seems the Cavaliers and Shaq are likely to part ways in which Shaq's contract ($20,000,000) can be used to sign free agents like Chris Bosh or even Carlos Boozer while Amare Stoudemire is a long shot.
 
Interesting Article

Interesting Article

courtesy of hoopsworld.com

This was because last weekend the Celtics had just been eviscerated by LeBron James and the Cavs in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, by the final score of 124-95. The Cavs held a commanding 2-1 lead in the series, LeBron was his usual, unstoppable self (38 points on 63% shooting, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and just 1 turnover in Game 3), and it appeared to most that it was only a matter of time before King James and the young Cavaliers dispatched the Celts.

Who in their right mind would have had the audacity to predict Boston would win the next three games - by a combined 51 points, no less! Or that the win last Friday night in Boston would be the Cavs last victory of the 2009-2010 season; and possibly the last time LeBron would walk off the floor as a winner in a Cavaliers uniform.

Nobody could have foreseen the meltdown ahead. Nor could anyone have imagined LeBron would (shockingly and inexplicably) barely break a sweat in a crucial Game 5. For a lack of a better word, it was all a bit inconceivable. Unfortunately for Cleveland and their fans, their worst nightmares became a sad reality.

And this is what makes "What's next for the Cavs?" such a difficult question to answer; no one expected to be facing these queries this soon, or under these particular circumstances.

The easy, short answer to the question: lots and lots of nervous handwringing. But after the autopsy is performed and the obituary of the 2009-2010 season is written, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth is over – the reality of the situation has to be dealt with.

Thus, let's take a look at what the Cavaliers franchise is currently facing.

LeBron. Obviously, any talk surrounding the future of the franchise begins and ends with LeBron James. Unfortunately for Cleveland, as depressing as the season-ending Game 6 defeat was, LeBron's comments in his postgame press conference afterwards were extremely disheartening as well. Not only did LeBron refuse to refer to the Cavs as "we," but whenever he spoke about "his team" he was alluding to his agents/friends/handlers. LeBron again spoke of keeping his options open and exploring different possibilities. In no way could it be interpreted as the reassurance Cavs fans were hoping they would hear.

Moreover, the manner in which the Cavs lost – in the second round as heavy favorites, with LeBron's teammates not carrying their weight – adds further fuel to the fire.

Moreover, LBJ isn't the only member of the organization with an uncertain future.

Head coach Mike Brown hasn't been fired yet, but 'yet' is the operative word. It is safe to assume his days in Cleveland are numbered.

General Manager Danny Ferry's contract is also up. Will he be brought back? Is owner Dan Gilbert satisfied with the players Ferry brought in to surround LeBron? Was LeBron satisfied with the players Ferry brought in to surround LeBron?

As far as the roster itself, there will actually be very little turnover. The only free agents, other than LeBron, are Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskus.

The rest of the team is locked up in long-term contracts. Antawn Jamison and Jamario Moon are signed thru 2012. Mo Williams and Daniel 'Boobie' Gibson's contracts don't expire until 2013. Anderson Varejao has another five years left on his deal (with a team option for the 2014-2015 season). The majority of the Cavs roster is essentially set. Barring a big trade, many of the starters and key bench contributors are locked in.

When the Cavs were steamrolling though the regular season and appeared to be developing into an eventual champion, this future stability and continuity of the Cavs roster was viewed as a saving grace and a significant advantage. Over the last year or so, when someone would play the "LeBron will never leave Cleveland" card, they would often point to the roster and insist that Cleveland gave LeBron the best chance to win, both now and in the future. Why would LeBron leave for uncertainty and inferior talent elsewhere?

Now, in light of all that has taken place this past week, can that argument really be made with the same conviction?

The gloomy reality staring Clevelanders in the face is that the way the Cavs season ended and the way the team disintegrated down the stretch was an absolute dream scenario for fans in Chicago, New York, and New Jersey. Bulls, Knicks, and Nets fans simply could not have asked for a better turn of events.

If we are going to examine what's next on the Cavaliers horizon, we have to at least address the possibility of LeBron leaving, right? As devastating as it would be for the franchise and the city and the state ($100+ million impact?), a contingency plan should be in place, just in case.

So, with that in mind, would the Cavs consider a sign-and-trade? As we know, the Cavs can offer LeBron the most money, both in terms of annual salary and length of contract, so signing his deal with Dan Gilbert makes the most fiscal sense for LeBron, even if he plans to relocate.

Subtracting the money owed to LeBron (once he opts out of his contract) Cleveland has $48.4 million in committed salaries for the 2010-2011 season. This means that they would only have about $7.7 million (assuming the cap land at $56.1 million) to spend on potential free agents in an attempt to make up for the loss of The King. A sign-and-trade scenario would allow the Cavs to add talented, high-salary players to their depleted roster. If LeBron was determined to desert Cleveland anyway, would the Cavs consider that option?

I would imagine it would be a difficult choice to make. In a way, it is giving LeBron a potential excuse – he could later claim that he was "helping" the franchise on his way out the door. Cleveland brass may want to put pressure on LBJ, and force him to stay in Cleveland or abandon his home town completely (and leave money on the table in the process). But would this be a case of cutting off their nose to spite their face?

For instance, if LeBron chose to sign with the Knicks, could the two sides discuss a sign-and-trade involving David Lee? With Shaq and Zydrunas out of the picture, the Cavs don't have a center on their roster and Lee was very solid in the middle for the Knicks the past couple of seasons, even earning an Eastern Conference All-Star nod back in February?

Or if LBJ decided on Chicago, would the Cavs consider accepting Luol Deng (despite his bloated contract) in exchange? This would give Cleveland a solid starting small forward. Otherwise, they'd be looking at a combination of Jamario Moon and Jawad Williams potentially splitting minutes at SF. Not a pretty proposition.

All things considered, the future of this franchise remains very much up in the air. There will be continuous conjecture and endless speculation over the next 45 days.

What's next for the Cavs? Very difficult to predict right now, check back in early July, we should have a much clearer idea by then…

Read more NBA news and insight: http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=16233#ixzz0o8Shbgmo
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mvblair said:
I like those expert picks. It goes to show that people are revisionists, just like me.

Up until the start of this season, I really, really, really thought Mike Brown should be sacked, even after they went to the Championship series. Then, this year, they seemed to be playing incredibly well. Everything was great during the regular season. LeBron was smooth, Shaq accepted his role, Varejao was hustling, we got Jamison, Mo Williams was shooting....and all those experts and fans thought the Cavs would be in the Finals again. Now this play-off disaster happens and all the experts and fans tell us that they saw it coming.

So, while I agree that Mike Brown shares some of the blame for the play-off loss, he was very successful this season and he deserves a lot of credit for the great season. That is a success and an important one.

...but...

Mike Brown did fail to make any significant adjustments during the Chicago series this year and the Boston debacle. We've been riding his horse for a long time. It probably is time for a change.

I'm sure Phil Jackson would be great, but I would hate it.

I always liked Paul Silas when he was the Cavs coach.
Click to expand...

Mike Brown had a great roster, James is dominant as few guys have ever been, so, his impact on the Cavs leading the league may not be that great. He would have been a much better coach trying to make up for the weaknesses of his team. The main one is: What do we do when Lebron is not doing all? And we saw the result. He may have been injured, may not. It is not the question. But no one steps up when he is down.

They have a king but no Chancellor. Just a King and his Serfs. No team wins this way. For me the Cavs lack some spirit. They are all very happy to be there and to wait for Lebron to bring them a ring.
 
Cavs fired Brown to make LeBron happy

Updated May 24, 2010 2:05 PM ET

When the final buzzer sounded 11 days ago and the Cleveland Cavaliers' season was officially over, Cavs fans had two serious questions for their team.

1. What will you do to keep LeBron James in Cleveland?
2. Will Mike Brown be fired for the 2010 failure?

Late Sunday night, one of those questions was answered when Brown was fired by Cleveland. But with that move, has the Cavaliers front office answered the other question and, in essence, made their first major step towards keeping LeBron?

Every day, speculation runs rampant on which uniform James will be wearing when the 2010-11 season begins. In all likelihood, a majority of the 30 teams across the NBA are preparing their pitch to King James, but only the Cavaliers are able to discuss contract issues with their superstar until July 1st.

Mike Brown was a big part of the growth of the Cavaliers since his arrival five years ago. He is the man that coached Cleveland to a Finals appearance in 2007 when the team was starting players like Sasha Pavlovic and Larry Hughes, two names that are not likely to be listed amongst the better players in the league. LeBron James was the lone superstar on that squad, and Brown was the savvy coach who won them an Eastern Conference championship.

It's been no secret that Cavs GM Danny Ferry and majority owner Dan Gilbert have been making moves to keep LeBron happy for several years now. Retooling a team and adjusting the roster for maximum potential have always been a priority, and James has hopefully seen that dedication.

Trading two expiring contracts to pick up future Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O'Neal. Grabbing Antawn Jamison for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, then resigning Ilgauskas a month later. Swapping Damon Jones and Joe Smith for All-Star Mo Williams, then picking up Smith again later.

These trades were all designed to improve the cast surrounding LeBron James.


Sunday night, the Cavs simply made another "keep LeBron happy" move when they fired Brown. Brown was part of the rise of this team, but it was apparent that he had taken them as far as he could. It'd be a wise move to search for a new coach who can take them to the next level. But ultimately, this move was made first and foremost for LeBron James.

With a coaching vacancy, James can be part of the process to select the man to lead the Cavs in 2010-2011.

Until today, that was the one bargaining chip that the Chicago Bulls had to lure LeBron into the Windy City. Now the Cavaliers have matched that, and they still have 37 days to discuss options before the free agency market opens up.

The list of replacement coaches is already widening, and it includes some big names.

- Kentucky head coach John Calipari is at the top of the list. Calipari has been seeing his name thrown into the mix since he was seen at Cavs' playoff games with deal-maker William Wesley.

- Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who has a long-standing friendship with Ferry is now being mentioned.

- Radio talk shows in Cleveland are discussing whether the Cavs should (and would) make an offer to Phil Jackson after the playoffs are over.

Rest assured, none of these men will be offered the job without the approval and the full endorsement of LeBron James.

Dan Gilbert may own the team, and Danny Ferry may be the general manager, but the keys to the Cleveland Cavaliers have just been handed to LeBron James. It's his decision now.

For more news on the Cleveland Cavs and LeBron Watch 2010, check out FS Ohio.
Click to expand...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Lebron-James-reason-Cavs-fired-Mike-Brown

It's true that the Cavs management will do whatever it takes to keep Lebron on their roster :D
 
As I said before, I have mixed feelings about firing Brown.

I didn't like him until they played in the Finals. Then, I still never liked him very much, but I shut my mouth. He had a great season last year and this year, so how could I complain?

But, when I look at the team, he is the weak spot. We've got good guards, amazing forwards, and good centers. Our bench is pretty strong. I guess the coaching position is the weakest.
 
When he doesn't have plays enough to make such a team run effectively I guess he should be fired.
Moreover with all those stars just playing like amateurs with his presence I think a change should have been done.
Regular season results are nothing when it comes to playoffs, yes the team was having big numbers in the regular season but I can't give any credit to Mike Brown for that.
 
kerdito said:
When he doesn't have plays enough to make such a team run effectively I guess he should be fired.
Moreover with all those stars just playing like amateurs with his presence I think a change should have been done.
Regular season results are nothing when it comes to playoffs, yes the team was having big numbers in the regular season but I can't give any credit to Mike Brown for that.
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That's a pretty good, simple analysis of the situation, I think.
 
I'm expecting that the Cavs will part ways with Shaq as the latter is tendering offers from New Jersey for less in which the Cavs will have around $20 Million worth of cap space to sign someone named Bosh or Wade or even Boozer.

Hope is just beyond the horizon for the Cavaliers fans; now let's see on how we can resolve and instill a winning coach.
 
LordOfLeyte said:
I'm expecting that the Cavs will part ways with Shaq as the latter is tendering offers from New Jersey for less in which the Cavs will have around $20 Million worth of cap space to sign someone named Bosh or Wade or even Boozer.

Hope is just beyond the horizon for the Cavaliers fans; now let's see on how we can resolve and instill a winning coach.
Click to expand...
I hope your right, man. I don't think the Cavs can bring in Wade or Bosh. I'm not exactly sure what our financial situation is, but I think you're right that Shaq won't be back. Varejao and Hickson are capable and there is a good chance Z will be back, too.
 
Kelvin Sampson a Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach are among the candidates that the Cleveland Cavaliers are considering for the vacant Head Coach position.

cbssports
 
Danny Ferry is the newest casualty:

Ferry Not Returning as Cavs GM - By Johnny Ludden, Yahoo! Sports, June 4, 2010

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry has parted ways with the franchise less than two weeks after the dismissal of coach Mike Brown, triggering a dramatic reshaping of the team’s brain trust as it desperately tries to retain LeBron James...

...He had said after the Cavaliers’ second-round loss to the Boston Celtics that he would speak with owner Dan Gilbert to decide whether it was best for him to continue as GM. Ferry was disappointed about having to fire Brown, a close confidante from their days with the San Antonio Spurs. Gilbert had initially seemed open to bringing back Ferry, but sources said he ultimately expressed reservation about extending a long-term contract extension.

Assistant GM Chris Grant is taking over for Ferry. Grant had previously turned down the Atlanta Hawks’ GM job two years ago to continue working under Ferry.
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I heard in ESPN radio that Tom Izzo is a strong candidate for the vacated Head Coach position.
 
Its no surprise that the Cavs are parting ways with Shaquille O'neal. Shaq's vacated salary could net in a bigname in free agency.

Any info on whom the Cavs are interested in? I tried my own research but no consistent names are filling from my online sources.
 
CKR13 said:
Any info on whom the Cavs are interested in? I tried my own research but no consistent names are filling from my online sources.
Click to expand...
I haven't heard a thing. I imagine that the front office (which is still a mess since Ferry left) is only worried about LBJ.
 
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