While We’re Waiting… Favorites in the East, Cavs 2009 Roster, and Browns Fantasy Football
Written By: Scott | Category: Best of the Web | Comments: 14While 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 in the sidebar.
“Which brings us back to Gortat. You can insist he be happy because he got paid; you can also see why he’d prefer to get the chance to start. But as anyone who watched the playoffs knows, Gortat does get some chances to shine off the bench. With Hedo gone, who knows what line-ups SVG will opt to play—bigger ones, you’d think. So the man finds himself paid like crazy, on a team that’s looking more and more like the favorites in the East.” [Bethlehem Shoals/The Baseline]
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Quite a change from the Ira Newble days: “If you want to call it a step forward, Mike Brown will take that in 2009. Why? For the same reason he took one in 2008. The roster is better. Shaq gives him a reason to throw it inside, Anthony Parker will help [Delonte] West and [Mo] Williams a great deal in the backcourt.” [Brendan Bowers/Stepien Rules]
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Victor Martinez took an intentional walk in last night’s All-Star Game. Check out Joe Posnanski’s thoughts on the matter. Bring your abacus. [Joe Posnanski/Joe Blog]
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A look at what support the Knicks could offer the King: “And it gets worse. The player being mentioned as the guy that can entice LeBron to join the Knicks is Danilo Gallinari. Holy crap! Really? Gallinari is going to be the bait to lure LeBron? I think Gallo is a talented player, but really? It would be like being attracted to a chick’s personality.” [Dennis Velasco/Barkley's Mouth]
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The Cleveland Browns get the fantasy football treatment over at Yahoo! Take a look for their thoughts on our key players, but this line may be the best: ”Romeo Crennel used to coach games as if he owned Phil Dawson in nine fantasy leagues. Will Eric Mangini do the same?” [Andy Behrens/Roto Arcade]
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(photo courtesy of Ball Don’t Lie)
Author: Scott
Scott is a co-founder/editor of Waiting For Next Year who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Feel free to follow him on Twitter or email him at scott@waitingfornextyear.com.Scott has written 2013 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
Can somebody help me with all of this talk about how the Magic are suddenly the favorites in the East? In my mind, losing 3 key components (Lee, Alston and Turkoglu) and adding a ball-hogging, past-his-prime prima donna and Brandon Bass does not equal improvement.
lol…I remember all the cracks from last year about Romeo and Phil. Cry now, laugh later moment.
I would say Orlando is 3rd best right now in the East behind (in no particular order) Cleveland and Boston.
@ #1
yes but they also have a healthy jameer nelson. the real question mark is VC but we all know he can score. howard is only gonna get better. its a stretch to say “clear favorites” but emerging team is an understatement. the east is top heavy again in 09-10
They definitely got better at SG.
My only thing is that Bass is now their PF. He is very much the traditional PF instead of Rashard Lewis, who will have to slide over to SF more often. And then VC is an upgrade over Lee, Nelson is healthy, yadda yadda.
Our issue was with Turk at the SF and Lewis at PF, with “Petrey” coming off of the bench at SG/SF. Starting lineup wise, I think that Varejao/Jackson would be more than capable of keeping Bass at bay than Lewis, who will now be flanked by LBJ (I assume).
It just doesn’t seem to be as much of a match-up issue any longer.
@ Scott – do you think Bass will start? I see them keeping Lewis at the PF and starting Petrieus at the SF then bringing Bass off the bench. As I’ve said in the past, I’m not sure if Orlando improved, but I don’t think they got worse either. That said, I think the Cavs match up a lot better now with Turk gone and Shaq in Cleveland.
i see cleveland and boston as 1a and 1b, assuming kg comes back 100% (i still have doubts)
orlando comes back at 3rd, and then it’s pretty much everyone else.
orlando beat us in 6 games, they won at the q, but as a cavs fan, are any of you worried about them now? they no longer have the matchup nightmares they did. shaq can cancel out howard, he can handle him on his own. parker adds size on the perimeter, plus the cavs are not done, they may be looking at one more guy.
i think the cavs blast orlando next year.
i think the celts are on a 1-2 run of being good than its downhill. age will catch up. but they’re still loaded with talent.
AMC – if Pietrus starts, your sixth and seventh men are both bigs, no? Not sure that Van Gundy would rotate like that, unless Redick gets a small promotion…
Couple that with the money that is now tied up in Bass and Gortat, and that’s one pricey bench.
Gortat got $34M for 5 years, and he can do nothing but dunk and play backup center. Can we quit moaning about Andy’s deal and understand that bigs get dollars? Andy is more like $38 for 5 years with a club option…..I’d hang up the phone on anyone who would swap Andy for the big stiff named Gortat.
fyi, Bass is slated to start at PF for the Magic, moving Lewis back to his more natural SF spot. (that’s what the Orlando Sentinel has been reporting).
Injuries always play a role and they will again this year. Absolutely no reason contemplating who is the “favorites” until next March.
Safe to say, the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic will be tough to beat again next year. As long as the Magic don’t shoot 1000% from 3 again, I feel good about the Cavs chances.
Isis as in the band?
Isis as in the band?
Well if Bass is starting (I’ll take Scott and Isis’ words) then I think the Cavs match up very well against them. West can check Carter, LeBron gets to go on Lewis, and Andy can definitely handle Bass, with the Big Witness patrolling down low.
people people!! Give it a rest we all know that the cavs are the team to beat in the east since Shaq and Parker arrival cavs fans have nothing to worry about. N yes cavs will have another amazing season. DONT 4GET WE STILL HAVE 5MILL TO GIVE AWAY!!! HAHA