Box Score: Bucks 113, Cavaliers 112 OT
February 10, 2012Box Score: Butler 52, Cleveland State 49
February 11, 2012While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Why don’t more NBA coaches vote for role plays for All-Star reserves? – “The All-Star game is an exhibition game. It doesn’t count. It’s not a competition. It’s show business. I get that. But it’s also a 48-minute infomercial on the NBA. On basketball. On how to play the game. The right way.
At least that’s what it should also be. But it’s not. The NBA All-Star game is mostly just treated for what it is: An all-expenses paid weekend of glamour, preening and ego-stroking for 24 players and their posses.
What I don’t get is all the NBA coaches, who constantly search for a hard-working, unselfish, team-first, winning player — and then moan about it when they can’t find or don’t have one — totally ignoring the importance of that kind of player when it’s time for them to select the reserves for the All-Star team.” [Ingraham/News Herald]
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The players Cleveland fans love to hate – “But the Cleveland player who is probably the most divisive – and it surprises us – is the Cavs Antawn Jamison. The starting power forward is second on the team in scoring (15.5 points per game) and rebounding (5.7 per game) and, after a 19-win season in 2010-11 that featured a 26-game losing streak, Jamison has helped the Cavs be entertaining and actually watchable this season.
Every time the Cavs play, however, our Twitter timeline blows up as Cavs fans vent about Jamison; everything from his array of odd shots to his laissez-faire attitude about defense. If someone only went by the comments, you would think that Jamison is a cross between Mel Turpin and Paul Mokeski.” [Moore/The Cleveland Fan]
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So this thing sounds pretty neat.
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I change my mind on the ‘what to do with Andy’ question seemingly every other minute (currently leaning heavily towards ‘keep’). But his long term health is a legitimate concern. Varejao left the game Friday with a sprained wrist (no timetable). “According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Varejao’s recent play has made him virtually untouchable. This puts the Cavs in an interesting dilemma. Thinking with your head and not your heart, you have to wonder if Varejao is the type of guy who can maintain this level of on-court ferocity in three years, when, if everything else goes perfectly, the Cavs may once again be serious playoff contenders.
Varejao is a tick from the big three-oh and throws himself around the court like a maniac. Can he sustain that level of punishment, perhaps a Dennis Rodman with better offensive skills but without the cross-dressing and cameraman-kicking? Why not? Hell, Rodman averaged 15 rebounds a game at age 36 for the 97-98 Bulls, and was a huge reason Chicago was able to finish off its second three-peat of that decade.
Of course, Varejao’s unique talents are not an end-all for the Cavs. He’s certainly not going to be a second banana to Kyrie Irving. The sidekick Irving needs is still in college. [Cleveland Sports Torture]
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Hey! A chart on the age of the Indians. I enjoy charts. [Let’s Go Tribe]
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And finally, I caught Emancipator at the Beachland Ballroom on Friday night. Enjoyed myself. Not for everyone, but fun, chill stuff. Nice guys, too. Always thought this song would go quite well with some basketball highlights.
3 Comments
That’s one crazy chart. They’ve got the years in the x-axis going in the wrong direction.
Mr. Stickler
So I’ve been too lazy/busy since I got a job again to create a Disqus account (the work computers won’t allow it), and I know this topic has been breached in full articles, add in the fact that it’s a weekend so it will mostly go unread, but I’ve been wanting to throw in my 3 cents in the “Andy V” debate for a while.
I completely understand the argument for trading him – he’ll be too old/broken down by the time we’re ready to compete to contribute like he is now, and his stock will never be higher than it is now. What I don’t understand is why, throughout all the debate, that nobody has yet to give him the “Cleveland athlete” treatment he truly deserves. He isn’t Lebron, either in skill-level or having been born in Cleveland (yeah, yeah, I know – Akron isn’t Cleveland); he isn’t exactly Z, drafted by Cleveland and stuck with us through thick, thin, and injury (although while not technically drafted by Cleveland, he never played a game for any other team); and he isn’t Joe Haden, embracing the city in ways these superstars who demand to play in big markets do once they get there (although his recent comments come pretty close) (ok I just went back and read all the comments from that post and realized some people are actually starting to come around). I’m not saying that if a Godfather offer comes along that we yell “CLEVELAND PRIDE” and hang up the phone. I’m just saying that until it does or until his reckless play does take a long-term toll, let’s just welcome the latest addition to the only list shorter than “great Jewish athletes” (“Cleveland athletes that requite our love”), enjoy the nightly triple doubles (points, rebounds, and hustle plays), and embrace the Wild Thing like only Cleveland fans can.
yep, i’m there. if it happens, it happens. going to enjoy the floppy hair playing for our team in the meantime.
and Gooden gave us yet another reason to dislike him last night.