May 22, 2013

NBA Rumor: Stan Van Gundy not interested in current options

April 20, 2013 by 3 Comments

Buried in an Orlando Magic notebook article from The Orlando Sentinel’s Brian Schmitz, there was a little nugget of information that appears to be news with one hot name around the Cavs coaching rumors.

Per Schmitz: “The Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavs and Philadelphia 76ers are looking for coaches — three more possibilities for former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. I’m told that Van Gundy has no interest in those openings at this time. More jobs could open after the playoffs end, however.”

Van Gundy, 53, had a 259-135 (.657) record in his five seasons with the Orlando Magic that ended last summer, which also followed 2.5 relatively productive years with the Miami Heat. A noted grinder — hence maybe fitting with one of Chris Grant’s preferred qualifications — he also gained a solid statistical reputation for his showmanship at this year’s Sloan Sports Analytics Conference at MIT.

Among possible veteran head coaches, his name appeared to be the most frequently listed for Cavs fans in this process. He was one of several veteran head coaches — including former Cleveland coach Mike Brown — on the long lists of possible candidates. For now, it appears that folks can remove this pipe-dream.

Overall though, this shouldn’t be too disconcerting to Cavalier fans. Van Gundy was a long-shot from the get-go. Now, it’s likely just a matter of the Cavs continuing to secure some interviews, which could be prolonged if intriguing candidates are currently on the staffs of playoff teams.

[Related: Fair or not, it was time for the Cavaliers to move on]

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The Boots: NBA Draft Lottery, John Wall and winning streaks

March 26, 2013 by 20 Comments

byron scott disappointmentIn my usual half-rapid fire, half-prose form, I’m here today with another edition of The Boots. Again, for those unfamiliar with this feature, I assign loosely defined “Boot Up” or “Boot Down” votes to trending topics in the sports world. I’m feeling some Tuesday basketball talk today.

Boot Up: #TankStrong — Stop me if you’ve heard this in the past few weeks: There’s an incredible logjam in the No. 3-11 spots in the NBA Draft Lottery positioning right now. With the abysmal Charlotte Bobcats and Orlando Magic clearly landing the No. 1 and No. 2 best odds, in some order, the bulk of the rest of the lottery is still very much up in the air with three weeks to go.

In an effort to break down the end-of-season standings that will determine the probabilistic odds related to the NBA Draft Lottery, here’s a quick-ish look at these intriguing nine teams: [Read more...]

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Irving’s disinterest piques that of Cavalier fans

February 4, 2013 by 14 Comments

20130123-102356.jpgA strange thing happened this past weekend: Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, who previously could do no wrong, irked a few fans when he candidly admitted that he was agitated and became disinterested midway through a basketball game. A game wherein the All-Star was benched for the entire fourth quarter — alongside the rest of the team’s starting unit — while his team would ultimately reside on the embarrassing side of the win-loss ledger.

Using his considerably short career as a barometer, the night was nine kinds of bizarre. Irving had one field goal attempt in the second half. His typically assertive and kid-in-a-candy-store body language seemingly transformed into pouting. It was not quite Game 5, but Irving went from leader to lackey in the matter of 48 game minutes. He owned the loss, claiming responsibility, but his quote — “My energy wasn’t there; it was there in the first quarter, then the second and third I was disinterested …” — rang louder than any game-winning bell the second-year marvel has rung.

[Read more...]

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Interior, Transition D Causes Cavaliers To Pack It In Early Against Detroit

February 2, 2013 by 10 Comments

knightlayindet“There’s problems everywhere. We were nonchalant, didn’t have the effort… I just think they’re tougher than us… They’re using their energy somewhere, and it isn’t on the court.”

That’s just a snippet of what Cavaliers coach Byron Scott had to say following his team’s third loss to the Pistons this season, a 117-99 drubbing that was headlined by yet another A-plus Brandon Knight performance against the Cavaliers, a common theme in his short career. Knight’s 20 points and 10 assists outshined Irving in a head-to-head battled once again as Byron Scott made a statement to his starters and did not play them in the fourth quarter, despite the second unit getting the deficit to just 10 points.

You really could stop and start with the fact that the Cavaliers didn’t come close to playing good enough defense to win this game. Against a fairly pedestrian Pistons offense (ranked 17th in offensive rating), the wine and gold allowed 62 points in the paint and 22 fastbreak points. They allowed 54% shooting, including 61% shooting in the second half. They allowed 30 or more points in each of the last three quarters. They let Kyle Singler reach his career high in scoring with 20 points. I could go on and on, but it all points back to the same undeniable fact, the Cavaliers suck at defending right now.

[Read more...]

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NBA Rookie Rankings: Lillard vs. Kidd and Payton, Waiters can’t finish

January 25, 2013 by 8 Comments

dion waitersWith the Cavaliers having two rookies playing prominent minutes, WFNY thought it would beneficial to see how the fresh meat around the league is faring in comparison with the Cavalier rookies. Each week, we’ll have NBA rookie power rankings where we’ll rack and stack the freshman class of the NBA. The rankings will be weighted with the most recent games carrying the most importance, but the whole body of work will be taken into account. Great beards and great celebrations may also play a large factor.

1. Damian Lillard (Last Week: 1)

The mid season rookie of the year had another strong week, averaging just over 21 points and 7 assists in 3 games, including a win against Indiana that snapped the Blazers’ 6 game losing streak. Lillard has received praise from the media, coaches, and even LeBron, but now we can add future hall of famer, Gary Payton to that list.

In an interview with Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk, Payton gave his endorsement of Lillard for Rookie of the Year. “I like Damian Lillard because he’s from Oakland, California, and he’s a phenomenal basketball player,” Payton said. “He should be the rookie of the year, he’s playing very well right now for Portland and I love his game.” [Read more...]

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NBA Rookie Rankings: Jedi Drummond, Bradley Beal heating up

January 11, 2013 by 1 Comment

Drummond light saberWith the Cavaliers having two rookies playing prominent minutes, WFNY thought it would beneficial to see how the fresh meat around the league is faring in comparison with the Cavalier rookies. Each week, we’ll have NBA rookie power rankings where we’ll rack and stack the freshman class of the NBA. The rankings will be weighted with the most recent games carrying the most importance, but the whole body of work will be taken into account. Great beards and great celebrations may also play a large factor.

1. Damian Lillard (Last Week: 1)

It’s been another good week for Damian, collecting December’s Rookie of the Month honor and getting the approval of the King. The Blazers have won four straight and 12 of 15, including wins against LeBron and the Heat, and against fellow rookie Alexey Shved and the Timberwolves. Against Minnesota, Lillard hit step back jumper after step back jumper, leaving the defender no chance to stop him. As the ‘Wolves sagged off, Lillard rose up and buried shots from deep. But the highlight that sticks with me most is his attack off a high ball screen and finish through the contact from mountain man, Nikola Pekovic. With just two explosive dribbles from the top of the key, he manages to get all the way into the lane, onto Pekovic’s body, 1 get the ball up on the glass, and in to the hoop.

The Blazers and Lillard are both much farther along than anyone expected them to be. Lillard is the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors, while Portland has cemented themselves in the middle of the murky Western Conference playoff picture. Not a bad time to be a Blazers’ fan. [Read more...]

___________________________________

  1. Being on Nikola Pekovic’s body, every lady’s fantasy [back]

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NBA Rookie Rankings: Davis climbing, Lillard beats buzzer

December 21, 2012 by 3 Comments

Left Cameron Browne NBA Getty Images. Right Steve Dykes USA TODAY Sports

With the Cavaliers having two rookies playing prominent minutes, WFNY thought it would beneficial to see how the fresh meat around the league is faring in comparison with the Cavalier rookies. Each week, we’ll have NBA rookie power rankings where we’ll rack and stack the freshman class of the NBA. The rankings will be weighted with the most recent games carrying the most importance, but the whole body of work will be taken into account. Great beards and great celebrations may also play a large factor.

The past seven days have been kind to the top of the 2012 rookie class. Signature games from the Kentucky boys, Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist, and a signature moment from Damian Lillard highlight the last week in fresh meat action.

With the top 3 shining, the rest of the rookie class is struggling to keep up. Top 4 picks, Dion Waiters and Bradley Beal continue to chuck the pumpkin with little success, while big men Andre Drummond and Jonas Valanciunas contribute solid but unexciting minutes off their respective benches.

The top 3 sees a minor shakeup while the 4th and 5th spots continue to be a revolving door.

Vamanos! [Read more...]

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Box Score: Pistons 104 Cavs 97

December 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

After holding a three point lead at half time, the Cavaliers fell behind shortly in the third quarter and could never quite catch up. Cleveland made a strong push in the fourth quarter, getting stop after stop on the defensive end, but continously came up empty on the offensive side of the ball.

The Cavs were led by another strong showing from Jeremy Pargo who finished with 24 points, and Anderson Varejao who recorded his 14th double-double in 15 games.

Tyler Zeller had maybe his strongest game as a Cavalier, scoring 13 points, and pulling down 5 offensive rebounds.

Detroit was led by second year point guard Brandon Knight who finished with a game high 29 points.

The Cavs are now 4-17 and get back into action on Tuesday when they host the Lakers.

Detroit

Team Statistics: Starters for Detroit Pistons
Starters Pos Min FG 3Pt FT +/- Off Reb Ast TO Stl BS BA PF Pts
B. Knight G 38:25 10-20 5-6 5-6 +13 2 7 5 1 1 1 2 3 30
K. Singler G 35:05 2-4 0-1 5-5 +1 2 2 1 2 1 0 0 4 9
G. Monroe C 29:05 2-8 0-0 7-9 -1 1 4 3 3 1 0 2 2 11
T. Prince F 34:23 5-11 0-0 4-4 +3 0 8 1 1 0 0 1 1 14
J. Maxiell F 30:00 4-7 0-0 2-4 +13 2 4 0 1 0 1 0 4 10
Team Statistics: Bench for Detroit Pistons
Bench Min FG 3Pt FT +/- Off Reb Ast TO Stl BS BA PF Pts
Totals 35-75 9-15 25-33   10 35 17 9 5 5 8 22 104
Percentages .467 .600 .758   Team Rebounds: 11
R. Stuckey 29:08 4-10 2-4 0-0 +11 0 2 6 0 1 1 2 1 10
A. Drummond 21:08 4-6 0-0 1-3 +10 1 3 0 0 1 1 0 4 9
C. Villanueva 15:47 2-5 2-4 0-0 -8 1 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 6
C. Maggette 6:59 2-4 0-0 1-2 -7 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 5
W. Bynum DNP – Coach’s Decision
A. Daye DNP – Coach’s Decision
K. English DNP – Coach’s Decision
J. Jerebko DNP – Coach’s Decision

Cleveland

Team Statistics: Starters for Cleveland Cavaliers
Starters Pos Min FG 3Pt FT +/- Off Reb Ast TO Stl BS BA PF Pts
D. Gibson G 32:56 2-11 2-9 0-0 -1 0 1 6 3 1 0 0 4 6
J. Pargo G 27:30 10-18 2-4 2-3 +3 0 2 4 1 0 1 2 3 24
A. Varejao C 36:14 7-13 0-0 2-3 -2 7 13 5 3 0 2 1 5 16
A. Gee F 38:05 4-12 1-6 3-3 -6 3 9 0 1 1 1 0 2 12
T. Thompson F 24:14 4-6 0-0 1-2 +7 4 5 0 0 1 1 0 3 9
Team Statistics: Bench for Cleveland Cavaliers
Bench Min FG 3Pt FT +/- Off Reb Ast TO Stl BS BA PF Pts
Totals 39-91 6-27 13-17   20 46 19 14 3 8 5 27 97
Percentages .429 .222 .765   Team Rebounds: 12
T. Zeller 28:54 6-11 0-1 1-2 -9 5 8 0 2 0 3 1 3 13
D. Sloan 20:30 1-6 0-1 0-0 -10 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 2 2
C.J. Miles 15:04 5-11 1-4 4-4 -6 1 2 1 3 0 0 0 3 15
O. Casspi 9:55 0-3 0-2 0-0 -1 0 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
K. Jones 6:38 0-0 0-0 0-0 -10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
S. Samuels DNP – Coach’s Decision
L. Walton DNP – Coach’s Decision

 

Arena:
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH

[Related: Scott hopefull Waiters & Irving will return Tuesday vs. LAL]

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LVH SportsBook Lists Cavs’ Over/Under at 32.5 Wins

October 4, 2012 by 8 Comments

We had news earlier this week of the first casino to unveil its over/under wins projections for the 2012-13 NBA season. The predictions for the Cavs? Not too promising.

LVH SportsBook has Cleveland projected for 32.5 wins and a .396 winning percentage, tying for 10th in the Eastern Conference with the Detroit Pistons. Both teams are projected to be 11 games behind the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets, who are tied for seventh place in the final two playoff positions.

Rounding out the Central Division, Indiana is projected for 51.5 wins, Chicago for 47.5 wins and Milwaukee is in ninth place with 36.5 wins. The Cavs are tied for the eighth-worst record in the NBA in these projections, placing them right in the middle of the lottery.

The Cavaliers finished with a 19-63 (.232) record in 2010-11 followed by a 21-45 (.318) mark in last year’s lockout-shortened season. Projected out to 82 games, the most recent total would be 26.1 wins. But, the Cavs began last season 16-23 (.410) before injuries took their toll and many D-Leaguers made their way into the starting lineup.

[Related: Kyrie Irving: “Our No. 1 Goal is to Make the Playoffs This Year”]

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Boxscore: Indians 5, Tigers 7

June 7, 2012 by 1 Comment
Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cleveland 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 0 5 11 1
Detroit 4 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 X 7 10 1
WP: C. Crosby (1-1) S: J. Valverde (10)
LP: D. Lowe (7-4)

 

Scoring Summary
Bot 1st: Detroit
- P. Fielder singled to center, Q. Berry scored, B. Boesch to third
- D. Young singled to right, B. Boesch scored, P. Fielder to second
- P. Fielder scored, J. Peralta to second on wild pitch
- D. Kelly singled to right, J. Peralta scored
Top 4th: Cleveland
- J. Lopez doubled to right, J. Kipnis scored
Bot 4th: Detroit
- B. Boesch ground rule double to deep center, D. Worth scored
- M. Cabrera homered to deep right, B. Boesch scored
Top 6th: Cleveland
- C. Santana grounded out to second, A. Cabrera scored, J. Kipnis to third
- J. Lopez hit sacrifice fly to right, J. Kipnis scored
Top 7th: Cleveland
- A. Cabrera doubled to left, L. Marson and S. Choo scored
 Cleveland
AB R H RBI HR BB K SB LOB Season Avg
S. Choo rf 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .281
A. Cabrera ss 4 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 .296
J. Kipnis 2b 4 2 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 .279
C. Santana dh 4 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 .232
J. Lopez 3b 2 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 3 .274
M. Brantley cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 .282
S. Duncan lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .202
    J. Damon ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .185
C. Kotchman 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .221
L. Marson c 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .216
 Totals 35 5 11 5 0 4 3 1 13
 Batting
2B – A Cabrera (15, P Coke); J Kipnis (5, C Crosby); J Lopez (7, C Crosby).
SF – J Lopez.
RBI – A Cabrera 2 (25), C Santana (25), J Lopez 2 (18).
2-out RBI – A Cabrera 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out – S Choo 2, J Lopez 2, S Duncan 1.
GIDP – S Duncan, L Marson.
Team LOB – 8.
 Base Running
SB – J Kipnis (14, 2nd base off C Crosby/B Holaday).
 Fielding
E – J Lopez (2, field).
DP – 1 (A Cabrera-J Kipnis-C Kotchman).
 Detroit
AB R H RBI HR BB K SB LOB Season Avg
Q. Berry cf 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 .306
B. Boesch rf 4 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 .227
    M. Young lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
M. Cabrera 3b 4 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 2 .323
P. Fielder 1b 3 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 .318
D. Young dh 4 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 .261
J. Peralta ss 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .264
D. Kelly lf-rf 3 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 .184
D. Worth 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 .190
B. Holaday c 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167
 Totals 32 7 10 6 1 2 6 0 10
 Batting
2B – B Boesch (10, D Lowe).
HR – M Cabrera (13, 4th inning off D Lowe 1 on, 2 Out).
S – B Holaday.
RBI – B Boesch (21), M Cabrera 2 (49), P Fielder (37), D Young (20), D Kelly (7).
2-out RBI – B Boesch, M Cabrera 2, D Kelly.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out – D Kelly 2.
GIDP – D Worth.
Team LOB – 4.
 Fielding
E – P Fielder (7, field).
Outfield assists – D Kelly.
DP – 2 (J Peralta-D Worth-P Fielder, D Worth-J Peralta-P Fielder).
 Cleveland
IP H R ER BB K HR WHIP Season ERA
D. Lowe (L, 7-4) 5.0 9 7 7 1 4 1 1.50 3.72
S. Barnes 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.50 0.00
J. Accardo 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0.94 1.54
 Detroit
IP H R ER BB K HR WHIP Season ERA
C. Crosby (W, 1-1) 5.1 5 3 3 3 2 0 1.85 9.35
B. Villarreal 1.1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1.12 1.35
P. Coke 0.0 3 1 1 0 0 0 1.50 4.37
J. Benoit (H, 14) 1.1 2 0 0 1 0 0 1.40 2.52
J. Valverde (S, 10) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.46 4.24
WP – D Lowe, C Crosby.
Pitches-strikes – D Lowe 80-48; S Barnes 22-13; J Accardo 15-11; C Crosby 91-54; B Villarreal 18-16; P Coke 11-8; J Benoit 29-16; J Valverde 15-10.
Ground balls-fly balls – D Lowe 13-5; S Barnes 3-1; J Accardo 2-0; C Crosby 9-4; B Villarreal 1-3; P Coke 2-0; J Benoit 2-4; J Valverde 0-3.
Batters faced – D Lowe 25; S Barnes 6; J Accardo 4; C Crosby 22; B Villarreal 5; P Coke 3; J Benoit 7; J Valverde 3.
Game Details
Umpires: HP–Gerry Davis. 1B–Phil Cuzzi. 2B–Manny Gonzalez. 3B–Greg Gibson.
Weather: 79 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 11 mph, out to right.

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On Kyrie Irving and the Comeback Kids

February 22, 2012 by 23 Comments

A three-ball from the top of the key. A cross-over move from the left elbow that found fellow rookie guard Brandon Knight wondering what the heck just happened as the ball fell through the nylon. And an Alonzo Gee steal turned into a 360-degree, over-the-shoulder, no-look pass back to the athletic wing for the unabated dunk.

The entire sequence took roughly one game minute, but it was just the momentum the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to extend a lead against the Detroit Pistons, a lead they would never relinquish thanks to consistent defensive efforts across the board coupled with timely conversions on the offensive end. A lead that would ultimately end in a one-point win at home — their second consecutive win by the narrowest of margins. [Read more...]

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Cavaliers’ Rematch with Pistons An Important One

February 21, 2012 by 5 Comments

Samardo punished the Pistons frontcourt last game

Welcome back Manny Harris!

Forget all the other story lines, the big news in this game is the return of Manny Harris to the wine and gold, right? Right?

Basketball is funny. I don’t know why, but there always marginal players out there who become my guys. They come in different shapes and sizes, but there are always certain players that catch my eye and capture my basketball heart.

Manny Harris is one of those players. I’m well aware of his limitations and I know how measured his upside is. I know he’s a Wolverine and I’m a Buckeye. But I like the guy. I like his story, I like his game, I like his attitude, I like his heart. I’m glad to see him back in uniform tonight, and I hope he can have his own Jeremy Lin type story. Well, ok, let’s set the bar a little lower. I’d be pretty happy just to see Manny get some minutes and prove effective enough to earn a permanent roster spot.

So with that out of the way, let’s get down to business discussing tonight’s game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-17, 9th in the East) and the Detroit Pistons (11-22, 11th in the East) at the Q. [Read more...]

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Cavaliers climb two spots in latest ESPN power rankings; Pistons jump ahead seven

February 20, 2012 by 3 Comments

We’ve been tracking the progress of the Cavaliers through Marc Stein’s power rankings the last few weeks. Today’s new rankings reveal the Cavs at number 23. The significant mark in this week’s rankings however involves the Pistons at number 20, leap-frogging the Cavaliers for the first time this season. Here’s what Stein had to say about the Cavaliers this week-

“It wasn’t the sort of dazzling drive he delivered to beat Boston and Dallas, but Kyrie’s two FTs with 0.4 seconds left Sunday night to finish off Sacramento marked the third time in Cleveland’s past five victories that the rook — after missing three games due to that concussion — served up the Cavs’ game-winning points.”

And here is his take on the Pistons-

“With a loss to the lowly Nets in its first game of the month, Detroit became the first team in the league to sink to 20 losses this season. Remember that low point? All they’ve done since is go 7-2, which includes two wins over the lowly Nets … but also two wins and 194 points against uber-stingy Boston.”

The Cavaliers and Pistons play each other tomorrow night at the Q. Cleveland leads the season series 1-0.

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Cavaliers Look To Bounce Back Against the Pistons

December 28, 2011 by 6 Comments

Game One for the Cleveland Cavaliers was one to forget. Wednesday night, the Cavaliers (0-1) head up to the Palace to take on the Detroit Pistons (0-1) in the battle of the Central Division’s two winless teams.

There were plenty of eye opening issues with the Cavaliers in Game One. The first, and most obvious one, was the play of Kyrie Irving. While some nervous Cavalier fans might be concerned with the young PG after just one game, the reality is that there’s not much worth reading into after just one game.

There’s no question Irving was hesitant to create his own offense. Only a couple times did he decide to make matters into his own hands and create something by driving into the lane. The Cavaliers will need him to be much more assertive. That’s what he was drafted for. As he gets more comfortable with his teammates and his role in this offense I expect him to be much more aggressive, the way he was with Duke.

The Pistons game gives Kyrie his first chance to show how he bounces back from sub par games. It will be a tough test at is also his first regular season game on the road. Fortunately for Irving and the Cavaliers, it will be in an arena they have already played in, thanks to the preseason matchups with the Pistons. [Read more...]

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NBA Trade Rumors: Cavs Discussing Three Team Deal to Land 1st & 2nd Picks in Draft

May 28, 2011 by 34 Comments

Chris Broussard is reporting this afternoon that the Cavaliers are discussing a potential 3 team trade that would net them the 2nd pick in the draft.  The Cavs would then take Kyrie Irving at number one and Arizona’s Derrick Williams at number two.

The deal would involve the Timberwolves and the Pistons.  The Cavs would take on Rip Hamilton’s contract via the trade exception and also acquire Detroit’s 8th pick.  They would then spin the 4th and 8th picks into the 2nd overall in a deal with Minnesota.  Broussard added the disclaimer that the trade is being discussed at this point and nothing is imminent.

WFNY’s Scott is reporting that particular deal tweeted by Broussard is unlikely.  An initial source with the Cavs put considerable doubt on that specific trade rumor, indicating that the Pistons would demand more, and that the Cavs don’t value Williams enough to burn picks – they’d rather use the 1st, 4th, and 8th picks in that hypothetical.  A second source told Scott the reported deal is “bogus.” All this stems from the Pistons desperate desire to unload the expensive, aging, and disgruntled Hamilton.  It’s still early in the process with a lot of “discussions” taking place.  No trade is imminent.

It’s certainly an appealing scenario for Cavs fans.  Coming away with Irving and Williams in one night would be a delicious outcome.  Thus, a third source told Scott that the deal between the three teams is not far-fetched.  We have a month to go but, as is his wont, Dan Gilbert is exploring all options, including those where the Cavaliers take on more money to gain the opportunity to add young talent.  Follow WFNYScott on Twitter for the latest draft rumors.

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Hollins Incited Villanueva Like a Little Brother

April 12, 2011 by 10 Comments

Growing up in the suburbs playing neighborhood sports there were a fair amount of fights. When you are playing competitive running bases, occasionally a fielder is invariably going to apply a tag a bit too hard, too late, or on someone’s face as they dive headfirst. Obviously that isn’t even to mention football. Worse yet, there was kickball when a sprint down the first base line would turn into a game of dodgeball where the runner would be out if you pegged him from across the diamond. Competitive juices were flowing and you just knew that occasionally the powder keg would blow. Normally not quite to the level that it exploded last night in Detroit with Charlie Villanueva and Ryan Hollins during the Cavs’ 110-101 victory.

Everyone will want to talk about Villanueva because he appeared to be the crazy one having to be wrestled out of the arena. He charged across the court long after everything seemed to be settling down which emits a certain air of pre-meditated psychosis.  He reportedly followed that up with his long-lasting rage that led him to want to get at Ryan Hollins deep in the bowels of the Palace after both players were sent to their respective locker rooms.  Many will want to judge Villanueva, but  I’ll tell you.  I’ve been there. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… Pat Shurmur Approval, NBA Labor, Chad Durbin

February 26, 2011 by 4 Comments

While 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.

More positive words on the new Cleveland football leader: “St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo worked with new Browns coach Pat Shurmur for eight years. He gave a scouting report for Cleveland fans Thursday at the first day of the NFL scouting combine.

‘A teacher and high-character guy,’ Spagnuolo said.

They were assistants together in Philadelphia for six seasons, then Spagnuolo hired Shurmur as his offensive coordinator… . Shurmur stressed the importance of teaching in his introductory news conference with the Browns, and Spagnuolo said it’s a philosophy taught by Eagles coach Andy Reid, their former boss.” [Scott Petrak/Chronicle-Telegram] [Read more...]

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Timberwolves 129, Cavs 95: NBA’s Worst Team Right Now?

December 5, 2010 by 10 Comments

Following an emotional blowout to the Miami Heat two nights ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers responded with one of the worst performances in recent franchise history. Allowing a record-breaking night to the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, the Cavs fell 129-95 to prompt questions or whether they are currently the worst team in the NBA.

Anytime a team allows 37 points in the first quarter and then 36 in the second, you know that it is going to be a long night throughout. That’s exactly what happened to Cleveland Saturday night as young forward Kevin Love provided 28 points and 19 rebounds to pace the Wolves. The defense was awful, the rebounding was awful, the offense was fairly abysmal, and it left head coach Byron Scott scrambling for words after the game.

Not too many people with the guts to break down the narrative of last night’s blowout, so let’s just handle a few statistical disclaimers to show the epic nature of this loss:
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2010-11 NBA Blogger Previews – Central Division

October 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Yep, it’s that time of year again already. Once again, CleticsBlog are hosting the annual Blogger Previews for every team in the NBA. How this works is simple, every day a certain NBA team is up and bloggers who write about said team will offer their previews for that team in the upcoming season. Then, once a division is completed, all the bloggers throughout the NBA who are participating will post links for all the previews for that division.

Next up is the Central Division. All the previews are linked below, and I encourage everyone to take a few minutes, click on the links, and check out what writers from across the nation are saying about their own teams.

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Shaquille O’Neal Reportedly in Great Shape, Awaiting Return

March 22, 2010 by 16 Comments

As Cavaliers fans anxiously await the return of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, their other center continues to rehabilitate his surgically repaired thumb.  And while maintaining a good physical condition has often been a knock on Shaquille O’Neal, reports are circulating that the veteran big man has actually lost weight since falling victim to an injured thumb on February 25th.

“When he left to go to Florida after the surgery he was telling teammates that he’d not just be back before the end of the regular season, but that he’d be in better shape when he comes back than went he left,” said beat reporter Brian Windhorst.  “Nothing can prepare anyone for playing in real games and it will probably take a while for him to get some rhythm when he does return. But if there were any concerns about O’Neal letting himself go because he’s not playing, take it from me — it appears to have been quite the opposite.”

O’Neal was reportedly hitting the weights during the first quarter of yesterday’s win over the Detroit Pistons.  Given his role on the Cavaliers, he will likely be eased back into the rotation upon his return which is slated for mid-April. 

At age 37, O’Neal is averaging 12.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while playing a career low 23.4 minutes per game. The Cavaliers have gone 11-1 in his absence with the only loss coming to the Milwaukee Bucks when LeBron James was nursing an injured ankle.

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(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

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