It was just a week or so ago when veteran guard Antonio Daniels was all but in a Cavaliers jersey. Once Delonte West returned to the floor, it appeared that talks cooled off a bit. Now fast forward to today and we get word that Daniels was in Cleveland yesterday and could in fact be a member of the Wine and Gold within a matter of days.
Backcourt depth continues to be an issue for the Cavaliers despite the recent strong play of Daniel Gibson and the return of West. Gibson has been known to cool off from time to time and disappear for extended periods. West has the ongoing issue with his bi-polar disorder and could miss games with a possible suspension from the lingering weapons charges.
Thankfully, it appears that Ferry still holds the cards as he looks to make more tweaks for the betterment of the Cavaliers roster.
Per the Hoopsworld story, “Daniels’ top choice remains the Cavaliers and he’s awaiting an offer from the team before working out for other suitors. Cleveland has also asked Daniels’ camp not to speak with other teams, suggesting that an agreement between the two sides could come shortly.”
At this stage of the season, there appears to be some concern as to if Daniels would even be a part of the rotation. As The Wine and Goldrush points out, Jamario Moon – approximately our ninth man, or fourth off of the bench – has trouble netting 10 minutes per night. If Daniels would take the roster spot of Coby Karl, he would likely slot in around the 11th or 12th man on the roster.
With the four-man backcourt of Mo Williams, West, Gibson and Anthony Parker, it is admittedly tough to see where Daniels would fit in.
But with the season only a handful of games old, Daniels could be sought after as more of an insurance policy than anything. The Cavaliers are fortunate enough to not have had to play much without Williams manning the point. Daniel Gibson’s ball handling has been suspect at times, and West issues could be a season long hurdle. A hurdle that Cavalier Attitude tests as being bigger than the team is leading many to believe. Something that would ring true to what Vince Grzegorek touched on late last week.
Needless to say, as the Cavaliers are looking better now than they did through the first two games of the season, Danny Ferry continues to work the phones and see what he can do to make this team better. Whether or not he believes Antonio Daniels will do just that remains to be seen.
