The Wine and Gold Rush

The Cavs Aren't Good At Free Throws

Fox Sports Ohio color commentator Austin Carr has a saying (naturally) for when a Cavs player fools a defender into biting on a pump-fake, leaving the ground, and fouling the shooter on the way down.

He says:  "He got himself a bird." 

And he usually follows that up with a sing-songy:  "Time to go to the line for two."

But there hasn't been anything sing-songy about what actually happens at the line:  Which, at least recently, has been a split of the pair . . . hopefully. 

It's become so much of an adventure, or misadventure, that - with the way the Cavs have been scoring from the field - you kind of just want them to forget the song, forget the bird, forget the pump-fake and just take the shot and live or die with that.

I realize that isn't great basketball, but it sure beats bricking free throws.

Cleveland's free throw shooting has been atrocious all season . . . and as of late, it's been even worse. 

In November, the Cavs shot 73.4% from the line.  In December, they made 74.7% . . . in January, it was 71.5% . . . in February, it was 72.8% . . . and now in March, it's 65.4%.

And Shaquille O'Neal hasn't even played since February 25th.

Sunday's game against the geriatric Boston Celtics was a 104-93 win.  It's wasn't a blowout . . . although it easily could've been, if the Cavs would've made some free throws.  They went 31-for-48 from the line, which means they missed 17 "free" throws for an abysmal 64.6%.

So, no, the Cavs couldn't even cover their 65.4% average for the month.

[I just Googled "average high school free throw percentage."  The very unofficial answer?  "About 65%."  That seems a little high, but in any event  . . . 15 feet is 15 feet.  It's always the same.  It's a shot these guys have been shooting all their lives . . . a shot the coaches have spent their careers coaching.]

On Sunday, Leon Powe went 6-for-6 and Delonte West went 2-for-2 from the stripe . . . and it went downhill from there.  Antawn Jamison missed six (2-of-8), LeBron James missed five (11-of-16), Anderson Varejao missed three (5-of-8), J.J. Hickson missed two (4-of-6) and Anthony Parker split two shots.

Breaking Down the Two LeBron-Less Cavs Games

Unless something unexpected happens, LeBron James will be back on the court on Friday, when the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Philadelphia to play the 76ers. 

(Philadelphia won't be on a back-to-back, but they played last night and will play again tonight . . . while the Cavs will have had three full days off leading into the game.)

LeBron has sat out the last two games . . . Saturday in Milwaukee and Monday night at home against San Antonio . . . with a cornucopia of banged-up parts, including a left quad bruise, a right ankle injury and a little back soreness.

Thankfully, nothing serious though.

With the three-day break in-between the San Antonio game and Friday's game in Philly, it was a convenient time to give LeBron some rest.  He could pretty much shut himself down for an entire week, while missing just two (nondescript) games.

So, the LeBron-less Cavs got a shot to show what they could do.

But before we get to that, here are a few statistics we dug up regarding life without LeBron.

#1.)  Prior to this season, the Cavaliers have been LeBron-less 20 times.

• 2003-2004:  2-1
• 2004-2005:  1-1
• 2005-2006:  3-0
• 2006-2007:  3-1
• 2007-2008:  0-7
• 2008-2009:  0-1

J.J. Hickson Would Like To Remind You That Danny Ferry Did Not Trade Him

J.J. Hickson has a question for you, along with all Cleveland Cavaliers fans, Coach Mike Brown, the Association as a whole, and Brian Windhorst for one of his weekend "Hey Brian!" Q&A features:

"Do I have your attention yet?"

Last month . . . before the trading deadline . . . I wondered whether the Cavs already had the young, athletic, toolsy power forward that they were looking for in a mid-season pick-up. 

J.J. may not be ready to be a dependable star in the playoffs yet, but he does seem ready to be a playoff contributor . . . and someone who's capable of blowing up if he's ignored, like Daniel Gibson did in 2007.  Simply put, he was in my nine-man playoff rotation.

Unfortunately, he looked to be as good as gone.  Danny Ferry looked set on making a trade . . . a trade for a significant player . . . and J.J. was the commodity everyone wanted in exchange for handing over a great player, and agreeing to the Zydrunas Ilgauskas yo-yoing.

But the Cavaliers ended up being able to pry Antawn Jamison out of Washington without giving up J.J.  And once again, Danny Ferry's intellect, creativity, toughness, and resilience . . . coupled with Dan Gilbert's checkbook . . . proved to be a magic combination.

With Antawn in the fold, J.J. lost his spot as the starting power forward, and for one game (the losing streak-busting win against New Orleans last week) his spot in the rotation.  (It was his first DNP-CD of the season.)  But then Shaquille O'Neal went down, and J.J. was ready to resume his breakout season.

The Distance Between the Cavs and the Knicks Is Much More Than Just LeBron

Did you ever have an imaginary friend while growing up?

It's OK to admit it.  And actually, it's kind of weird if you didn't.  Like your brain was missing a few connections or something. 

I had one.  His name was Sidney J. Mussburger, and he was the CFO for a Fortune 500 company based in Minnesota.  He was pretty dull, and totally sucked at tennis.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may or may not have individual imaginary friends . . . or a collective imaginary friend . . . but they do have a collective imaginary foe:  The New York Knicks.  (And the term "foe" is used so liberally that it's actually being misused.)

The Knicks may or may not actually exist.  But either way, they totally suck at basketball. 

Case in point:  On Monday night, the Cavs beat their imaginary foe by 31 points, 124-93.  And it wasn't anywhere near that close.  Seriously. 

The 42-point lead the Cavs had after three quarters is a little more like it.  The last 12 minutes was basically an extra, full-on practice for the bench guys . . . in front of 20,562 live fans, and many, many thousands more via television.

For the second time this year, the Cavs have scored 74 points on the Knicks in a half.  Which, I suppose, isn't shocking since the Knicks have a 12-player logjam for their "Worst Defender" distinction.

Cleveland is playing like a team that has finally surrounded its megastar with a perfect complement of players to contend in the face of any adversity . . . and to win against almost every single one of them.

New York is playing like a bunch of local dudes who are really hoping to have a shot at winning a YMCA round-robin tournament.  Or, like an NBA team that's been punting seasons since LeBron was in high school.

The Cavs' Stellar Record While *Not* At Full-Strength Is About to Be Tested

You never wish injury on an opponent.

On Thursday night, the Boston Celtics were without Paul Pierce due to a right thumb injury.  Paul, of course, has served as the linchpin of Boston's "Big Three" (copyright 2007, 2008).

You also never wish injury on yourself.

For fans in other cities, that's an obvious joke.

For fans in the success-starved city of Cleveland . . . it's often a temptation, especially when it seems as though an injury is the only way to banish an overpaid, under-performing veteran who was brought in, almost inexplicably, to block the ascent of the younger, potential-filled kid waiting in the wings.

If an injury does not occur, the stubborn Cleveland coaches / front office may never unseat the fading vet to get a good enough look at the prospect.  Then, undoubtedly, that kid leaves or is traded to have an opportunity elsewhere.  And with uncanny frequency, a star is born and Cleveland is burned.

It's the modus operandi of the Cleveland Indians . . . but it's happened to the Cavaliers and the Browns as well.

Relax.

This is not an anti-Shaquille O'Neal / pro-J.J. Hickson (with a slice of Anderson Varejao) article, but if the Cavaliers weren't being run by a smart coach and an elite front office . . . it could've been.

Mike Brown Shrinks the Rotation . . . and the New Cavs Grind Out a Win

If you were Mike Brown, what would be harder:

Taking minutes away from one of your Top Seven guys (LeBron James, Anderson Varejao, Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Delonte West and Anthony Parker) . . . or allowing your team to play through periods of turbulence and ineffectiveness while the talents of your B-team (Daniel Gibson, J.J. Hickson, Jamario Moon, Jawad Williams, (soon) Leon Powe, and maybe Danny Green) . . . waste away on the bench?

Prior to the playoffs, the challenge might be finding enough minutes for everyone (or the Top 13, at least) to keep them in a rhythm, and to give them an opportunity to build on-court chemistry with each other, so that in the event they are needed in the playoffs, they can be plugged in without appearing disconnected from both their individual and team play.

Once the playoffs hit, Mike Brown's tendency (like a lot of coaches) will be to shrink the rotation down to seven or eight players . . . and barring any injuries or severe lop-sidedness, that's it.  That's the team.

If Zydrunas Ilguaskas comes back, he gets the final spot in that Top Eight.  That sure leaves a lot of talent on the bench.  This deep, deep depth is a good problem to have, but it doesn't exactly output easy answers.  The nagging question will always be:  Are my Top Eight really my Top Eight . . . right now?

Wednesday's game against the New Orleans Hornets was a "must win."

Not in a playoff, do-or-die way, of course.  And actually, not in any sort of real, necessary way either.  But it was nonetheless, and Mike Brown celebrated that fact by using a tight, playoff rotation.

W&GR's Midseason Follow-Up with Comedian and Lifelong Cavs Fan Sam Greenspan

[In October, The Wine and Gold Rush conducted a comprehensive interview with our friend, Sam Greenspan . . . an L.A.-based, Cleveland-rooted comedian, who writes the brilliant comedy website 11points.com.]

[We asked Sam for his thoughts on the Cavs, the new acquisitions, the Delonte West situation, the possibility of trading Zydrunas Ilgauskas' contract, and the landscape in the Eastern Conference.]

[And since we're at the halfway point . . . at least, with regards to the All-Star Break . . . we decided to do a follow-up, to revisit some of Sam's projections and predictions from the preseason.  And again, as is his nature, Sam took our questions and re-worked them into 11 points.  He can't help it.]

W&GR:  Before the season, you said you were happy with what Danny Ferry did in the offseason, because it addressed specific weaknesses that were exposed by the Orlando Magic in the playoffs last year.  We haven't seen Leon Powe yet (although his arrival is imminent), but what is your take on how the other new Cavaliers have performed in the first three months of the season?  Any surprises or disappointments?

Sam:  1.)  The new Cavs have all done about what I expected (although for one of them it took a long time to get there).

Anthony Parker has fit in well in the Shane Battier role -- and I'm not just saying that because he's a super intelligent light-skinned black guy. What I mean: Thanklessly guard the other team's superstar and knock down threes when the ball gets swung to you. Brian Windhorst gave him a lower grade during his midseason review -- I think it was a C+ -- so I think I'm a little higher on him. But, come playoff time, he's going to be great to throw at Kobe or Carmelo or Wade or Paul Pierce or Joe Johnson. (Or, I guess, Vince Carter -- although I feel like they could just pick a random fan out of the stands and he or she could shut down Vince Carter at this point. I'm so disappointed that I'm writing this shortly after Carter had his first good game in three years. Don't let his entire disastrous season be obfuscated by one recent game. It's the exception and not the rule. That 5-16 he put up against the Cavs? That is the real Vince Carter.)

It felt like Jamario Moon was out forever with his injury, so I haven't seen quite enough of him to make a full evaluation. But he's making athletic plays, earning minutes defensively -- and, most importantly, is a great defensive asset to have coming off the bench in the playoffs. I'd say he's ranked third out of the three new guys in terms of impact, but he's still an asset.

Shaq has been a wild ride. At first it was tough to watch -- I thought he'd fit in faster. But finally, with the injuries to the guards and the continued maturity of the team and the offense, he's settled into his rightful place. However -- that's not what matters. The reason the Shaq addition makes me confident: Orlando and the Lakers. Last year, both of those teams would've killed us with skilled big men. This year, that opportunity isn't so available. Like he said after the Orlando game: He doesn't need or want double team help. He can keep Howard out of position and in foul trouble on his own. And that is the main reason I don't think the Magic will upset the Cavs in the playoffs again.

The common thread in all three guys: Stopping the teams that we'll inevitably see in the playoffs. As long as Shaq stays healthy enough to bang with Howard and then Gasol/Bynum, I feel good.

In terms of surprises, the emergence out of nowhere of Jawad Williams is pretty good -- though I don't really see him getting too many minutes in the playoff rotation. J.J. Hickson tends to frustrate me more often than any other Cav -- I love the athletic plays and flashes of brilliance, hate that he often makes Braylon Edwards look sure-handed and Drew Gooden look defensively attentive.

A Pseudo-Accurate Layman's Guide to the Cavaliers' 2010 Salary Cap Situation

The trade deadline is exactly one week away . . . assuming you are reading this at 3:00 P.M. Eastern on February 11th, 2010.  (If you're not, please adjust accordingly.)

As usual, there are factions developing among fans: 

There are those that would like to make a trade because they see weaknesses on the team, and strength on the current trade landscape.  There are those that don't want to make a trade because they see strength on the team, and weaknesses in the trade landscape. 

There are those that want to make a trade because trades are cool and exciting . . . and there are those who don't know what the hell they think.  (And I'm a proud member of that last group.)

So, without getting into all the positives and negatives of potential deals that may or may not be currently (or have ever been) on the table, I thought I'd take a look at our flexibility for the Summer of 2010 . . . assuming we don't make a trade.

I'm not necessarily advocating that here . . . although one-half of me could . . . I'm just doing this for your information.

And also because it's hard to factor in the addition of Player X, and the loss of Players Y and Z, if you have no idea who Players X, Y and Z are.  My hope would be that Player X is better than Players Y and Z together:  Right now, in the playoffs, and next year . . . because I'm assuming LeBron's staying until I hear otherwise.

[As a quick aside, I'm just a Cavs fan.  I am not an insider (Assistant GM Lance Blanks is not my father), and I am not a salary cap expert (CBA stud Larry Coon is not sitting here, sharing a beer with me while I write this).  So, this is a rough outline.  If you have any information that would be more accurate, feel free to send it over.  I'll send you Necco Wafers as a 'thank you.']

W&GR Cavaliers Stat Check [2/10] . . . The Minus-Mo, Minus-Delonte Edition

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New Jersey Nets at The Q on Tuesday night, 104-97.

That was expected . . . although, I was sort of expecting it to be a little easier than it was.

[After all, the Nets have won four games all season.  The Cavs have won four games in the past week.]

But Cleveland's play in the last 10 games, all things considered, has definitely not been expected.

In a good way.

[I'm an optimistic guy, but I dare you to try to convince me that you saw the Cavaliers starting out 10-0 when you first heard Mo was going to be out for four-to-six weeks.]

The Cavs are in the middle of arguably their longest stretch of goodness this season . . . and it's happening without Mo Williams (sprained shoulder), Delonte West (fractured ring finger), and for a while, Jamario Moon (abdominal strain).

Tomorrow night's game at The Q  against the Orlando Magic will be another big test . . . but for now, let's take a step back and appreciate how the Cavs have been getting the job done over the last three-and-a-half weeks. 

Soak in these numbers:

#1.)  The win makes the Cavaliers 42-11, which matches their record after 53 games last year.  Mathematically, the Cavs are on pace to go 65-17.  Last year's team finished 66-16.

#2.)  The win against the Nets pushes the Cavs' (short-handed) win streak to an incredible 12 games.  It's the longest winning streak in the NBA this season, and it's the second longest in Cavalier history, behind only last year's 13-game run.

The Cavs last loss was their heartbreaking fall in Utah all the way back on January 14th.  That was the game that rookie Sundiata Gaines . . . playing in his fifth NBA game . . . nailed his first career 3-pointer at the buzzer to thwart an absolutely brilliant fourth quarter comeback by LeBron James.

In a Rush: The Water Fountain Mystery / Delonte Back? / Mike James Delusions

The Mystery of the Missing Water Fountains.

Hysteria broke out yesterday, when reports were flying around the Internet that the Cavaliers had removed all the water fountains from The Q.

Some say this was done to force fans into spending $4 for bottled water at the concession stands, while a team spokesman says that it was done to reduce the spread of diseases, like the Swine Flu.

Neither of those arguments really makes any sense . . . and neither does the fact that the water fountains were taken out back in November, and, for whatever reason, it's just now causing a dust-up.

It's all pretty bizarre . . . and pointless.  But then again, I don't have a horse in this race.  (Personally, I always thought the water fountains at The Q always had warm, metallic-tasting water that I was had to wash down with $4 bottled water from the concession stands anyway.)

If you're interested, the "Cleveland Plain Dealer" has the details.

Delonte West Could Return to the Lineup Tonight.

There's talk that Delonte West could be back in the lineup for tonight's game against the New Jersey Nets.  Delonte has missed eight games with a fractured left ring finger (on his shooting hand).

As of early this morning, the team hadn't made an announcement yet . . . but by the way Mo Williams talked yesterday, it sounded like it would happen, barring any problems.