CAVS RECORD: 19-63
The Cavs Are Now 5-0 Without Last Year’s Starting Backcourt
Ten days ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers found out they’d be without Mo Williams for four-to-six weeks with a shoulder sprain.
A day later, it was announced that Delonte West had fractured the ring finger on his shooting hand. He was said to be day-to-day, but no timetable for his return was given.
The next five games were against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat (in Miami), (Uh) Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Danny Granger and the Indiana Pacers (in Indiana).
Somewhat unbelievably, the Cavs have gone 5-0 since Mo went down, which is a testament to the team’s depth, flexibility, resilience, and mind-set. They have one goal this season . . . and it isn’t to use their injury problems as an excuse to dog it for a few games.
The Cavs are now 37-11, and riding a seven-game winning streak. They’re also 9-1 over their last 10 . . . the only loss being that heart-breaker in Utah, when LeBron James’ miraculous comeback was spoiled by a last-second three by that Sundiata Gaines dude.
And while Daniel Gibson has been solid since taking over the starting “point guard” job (averaging 12.8 points on 45% shooting), it’s been LeBron and Shaquille O’Neal that have been picking up for Mo.
Over the past five games, LeBron is averaging 28 points (on 43% shooting) with 7.6 rebounds, 9.8 assists (!), 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals. Meanwhile, Shaq is averaging 17.8 points (on 72% shooting) (!) with 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 blocks.
If anything, January has taught us one thing:
This year’s Cleveland Cavaliers team is another special one . . . and while there’s a decent chance Danny Ferry may make a move to alter the roster before the trade deadline on February 18th, the greatness of the team we already have should not be overlooked. A low-risk, high-reward trade would be great . . . if possible . . . but the team we have right now looks pretty tough.
Here are our awards for the past two games, both blow-outs against bad teams . . . and several days late. Hey, we might not be doing this if the team was 11-37, but since this is a year you should enjoy, we’re not going to miss a thing.
But we are going to cheat.
Since Wednesday’s 109-95 win over Minnesota and Friday’s 94-73 pummeling of Indiana were fairly similar . . . we’re going to go ahead and make this a Wine and Gold Rush Awards mash-up!
The Wine and Gold Rush Awards:
[We'll be giving these out after each game.]
Most Valuable Player:
Minnesota: LeBron James. Indiana: LeBron James.
Perhaps taking advantage of two weaker teams, LeBron spent most of these games setting up shots for his teammates . . . in the hope that it’ll pay dividends in both confidence and offensive execution in future games.
Against Minnesota, LeBron had 11 assists. He added 12 points of his own (on 3-of-8 shooting) with six rebounds a steal and a block.
Against Indiana, he had 13 assists . . . including nine in the first quarter. He also scored 22 points (on 6-of-18 shooting) with nine rebounds, two steals and four dynamic blocks. As you can see, LeBron was just a rebound shy of a triple-double, not that that really matters.
Least Valuable Player:
Minnesota: Jawad Williams. Indiana: None.
Jawad missed all six of his shots in the Minnesota game. He picked up a couple points on two made free throws, and pulled down two rebounds. In all, he played 15 minutes.
The Indiana game was pretty solid all around . . . and a lot of individual players’ deficiencies were made up in other areas. For example, Anthony Parker shot just 2-for-9, but both shots were 3s, and he also pulled down eight rebounds and picked up two steals.
And Jamario Moon only shot 1-for-4, but he grabbed seven rebounds and had a block.
Everyone finished with a positive plus/minus . . . and six players had seven rebounds or more: LeBron and Anderson Varejao (9), Shaq, J.J. Hickson and AP (8) , and Jamario (7).
“The Diff Award” (for the difference maker, even in defeat):
Minnesota: J.J. Hickson. Indiana: Shaquille O’Neal.
J.J. may or may not survive the trade deadline, but his value appears to be growing. After about a month of so-so play, J.J. is back to playing some huge games . . . like he did when he first took over the starting power forward gig in November.
Against Minnesota, he notched a new career high, 23 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) He also had eight rebounds, a block, and had a team-leading +17 in plus/minus. And he did all of that in less than 25 minutes!
Shaq’s torrid shooting pace . . . yes, torrid . . . continued with yet another strong game in Indiana on Friday night. He had 22 points, tying LeBron for the team-lead (on 8-of-10 shooting). He also had eight rebounds, two blocks, and ran a fast break. It wasn’t successful (ending in a turnover) but it was fun.
Against Minnesota, Shaq had 13 points (on 6-of-8 shooting) with four rebounds and four assists.
By the way, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavs other “trade chip” had 13 points (on 5-of-7 shooting) with five rebounds and three blocks against Indiana. And in the Minnesota game, he also had 13 points (on 5-of-8 shooting) with five rebounds and two assists.
I realize Minnesota and Indiana aren’t the L.A. Lakers and the Boston Celtics . . . but the strong play of Z and J.J. (along with the rest of the Cavs right now) can’t be forgotten when you are thinking about those trades.
J.J. will not be coming back if we trade him. And it’s against the rules for the Cavs to talk about Z’s return (after a trade) with either Z or the other team. So we can’t assume it’ll work to have him come back. Just tossing that out there.
Amar’e Stoudemire to Cleveland Speculation Surfaces . . . So Why Can’t I Get Excited About the Trade Deadline?
There are 24 days until the NBA trading deadline.
I know this because when I woke up this morning, I opened the #24 window on my NBA Trading Deadline Advent Calendar.
Pretty exciting right?
Well, at least it’s supposed to be. (That’s why I have the NBA Trading Deadline Advent Calendar in the first place. No one enjoys counting down to something inconsequential . . . like Groundhog Day. Ooooh, snap! I know, cue the rage.)
Plus, there’s a decent to more-than-decent chance that something will happen . . . to some degree . . . because of the “all-in” mode that the Cleveland Cavaliers are in right now. On top of that, it looks like they’re actually in a good position to do a little thievery.
Are the Cavs one puzzle piece away? Is that puzzle piece out there? And if the missing piece is discovered (say, in the collection bag of a household vacuum), would the Cavs be able to acquire it with reasonable (or more than reasonable) expense and without creating too much of a dust-up?
(Because the Cavs have company coming, and they need to have the house ready . . . regardless of whether or not the puzzle is finished.)
See? How can you not be feeling the early pangs of NBA Trading Deadline excitement?
Here’s a list of the Cavs liquid assets:
In Zydrunas Ilgauskas, they have a large, $11.5 million expiring contract. (They also have a bigger one, at $20 million, in Shaquille O’Neal . . . if you’re someone who believes they’d be open to trading him.)
In J.J. Hickson, Daniel Gibson and (apparently) Jawad Williams, they have young talent that is ready to make an impact on most teams.
In Darnell Jackson and Danny Green they have intriguing prospects that have already made significant steps toward becoming NBA players. And speaking of horizon assets, the Cavs also have their full set of future draft picks that they’d be able to trade if necessary.
In Danny Ferry they have a creative General Manager, who has made big, bold, and well-thought out moves in the past . . . and who is well aware of the stakes LeBron’s uncertain future has created.
And . . . here’s the big one . . . in Dan Gilbert they have a passionate owner who’s willing to invest whatever smart money is required in order to bring a championship to Cleveland, and to retain LeBron.
And there has already been a lot of speculation on several potential targets: Antawn Jamison, David West, Troy Murphy, Andre Iguodala, Corey Maggette, Andre Miller, etc.
All that being said . . . what if I’m not excited? If I don’t feel the pangs. Is that bad?
Maybe it’s still too early for me . . . or maybe the right name hasn’t been seriously (and at least somewhat legitimately) discussed yet . . . or maybe something’s just wrong with me, and I should get it checked out.
For example: Last night, “Cleveland Plain Dealer” beat writer extraordinaire Brian Windhorst reported that there was credible word that the Cavaliers have (at least) had trade talks with the Phoenix Suns regarding Amar’e Stoudemire . . . with Golden State and Minnesota also in the picture.
He writes:
“The natural trade that makes sense here would be Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson for Stoudemire. The Suns could also ask for draft picks. The Cavs and Suns talked about Hickson [in] the O’Neal deal but the Cavs wanted to keep him. So the Suns have a history of interest in Hickson.
“Straight up, this type of deal would save the Suns around $3.4 million off their payroll ($6.8 million including luxury tax). However, the Suns currently are a little more than $5 million over the luxury tax line. It is then possible they could then negotiate a buyout with Ilgauskas and get below the tax, which would probably enable such a trade to save them around $10 million in real money.” [Windhorst Beat Blog]
[Hit up that link. Brian talks about how Shaq and Amar'e have already been teammates, somewhat unsuccessfully, in Phoenix . . . and about how an extension for Amar'e, who can opt out of his contract this summer . . . would play a part in this deal, if it got real.]
But, I don’t know if I’m feeling this right now.
In addition to the Shaq + Amar’e workability and the contract situation, there’s also chemistry and personality issues. He currently averages over 14 shots per game, but can he be cool with being the second to fourth option on offense? Will being on a title-contending team inspire him to pick up his effort on the defensive end, or will he initiate breakdowns in the Cavs’ rotating help defense?
He’s also had some health issues in the past. A few years ago, he had microfracture surgery on his knee . . . and last season he suffered a detached retina, an injury that could have threatened his career.
Assuming the trade is as billed, the Cavs would lose Z (for at least 30 days, if not permanently) . . . and J.J. Assuming the trade will require more talent than that (which seems realistic from the Suns’ perspective, considering it’s possible that Amar’e doesn’t leave Phoenix after the season), the Cavs would also lose another player.
OK. Before you worry about my sanity, yes . . . if Phoenix offered Amar’e straight-up for Z and J.J., Phoenix agreed to buy Z out, Z agreed to come back, everyone involved thought Amar’e could play with Shaq in Cleveland (and some serviceable defense) and Amar’e agreed to some sort of extension with the Cavs . . . you just have to do this deal.
Even if one of the above doesn’t happen, you strongly consider it.
Amar’e is a star, and would definitely make a huge impact on the team. This should be an exciting possibility . . . but for some reason, I’m thinking about the “huge impact” from the other side.
I’m thinking about all those things that need to come together just to make a trade like this work . . . and that’s before you have any idea whether it’ll be a success, a wash, or a detriment.
In any potential trade, there are two intangible things to think about:
#1.) As of yesterday, the Cleveland Cavaliers (34-11) have the best record in the NBA. Obviously, it’s January . . . and the team hasn’t always looked as dominant as that record would suggest. Still, they do have the best record in the NBA.
(And yes, I realize this was the line of thought that may have stopped us from making a trade at the deadline last season. Notice I still didn’t delete it.)
#2.) With the uncertainty surrounding LeBron, you want to be cautious about trading for contracts that limit your future flexibility and trading for old guys. I believe LeBron will be thinking most about future championships this summer. So ideally, you’d trade for someone who could be a part of a young core with LeBron.
Amar’e (27) would be a fit there.
And he may be “the piece” . . . or a ”the piece” . . . I mean, you’d think he would be.
But you just never know. (For the record, even though both Phoenix and Cleveland are reportedly putting feelers out there . . . it definitely doesn’t mean anything serious yet. There may not even be a trade to be made there.)
That’s why I think I haven’t become too excited about the trade season yet.
Maybe I’m sensing some of the pressure that Ferry is under (not necessarily to make a deal, but to to make sure that whatever you do is the right thing to do) . . . and feel a little queasy about the goodness or badness of “huge impacts.”
Fortunately, it seems like the stars are aligning in a way that Ferry may be able to snag a nice piece in one of those “financial cap/tax relief deals,” without giving up much of anything at all.
If that ends up being the case, something tells me my excitement will be building.
The Mo-Less, Delonte-Less Offense: LeBron, Shaq, and a Hint of Boobie
With just under four minutes to go in Saturday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr “told” the Cavaliers:
“Don’t stand around and watch LeBron create miracles. Help him create miracles.”
Long story short, LeBron created the miracles.
Cleveland won 100-99. And although LeBron was mesmerizing once again, he did have some help from Shaq, and a Boobie flash!
At the beginning of the game, the Cavs debuted their “C”-team backcourt . . . with Daniel Gibson starting in place of the injured Delonte West, who had started in place of the injured Mo Williams.
[Delonte fractured his left ring finger . . . on the hand he shoots with . . . while chasing a loose ball in the Lakers game last Thursday. He's considered day-to-day, but is expected to miss (at least) a few games. Mo will be out for four-to-six weeks to recuperate from a sprained shoulder.]
[The Cavs are also still without Jamario Moon, who has missed nearly three weeks with an abdominal strain. He's expected to be back soon, but it's unclear if he'll be cleared for Monday's game against Miami.]
So how did Gibson do in his first start of the season?
Well, he played some solid defense (including two blocks) . . . wasn’t a liability handling the ball or getting the team into its offense (he had two turnovers) . . .
Oh, and he hit the game-winning shot.
The Cavs were down by one with 13.8 seconds left to go. LeBron raced the ball up the court . . . and when he reached the top of the key, he passed it back to Boobie, who nailed a 3-pointer (a step-and-a-half behind the arc) with 8.2 seconds remaining. The crowd at The Q went ballistic.
The game wasn’t over yet, though. In the ensuing possession, LeBron had a huge block on a jumper by Kevin Durant that would’ve tied the game. Anthony Parker was also defending Durant on the shot.
Aside from the late-game heroics, the Cavs held the Thunder to just 38.4% shooting. (The Cavs shot 49.3%.) That’s the good news. And since the Cavs won by just one point despite that spread, you know there’s bad news coming. Here are the two big things:
#1.) Turnovers. The Cavs had 17 turnovers . . . led by LeBron, who had 6 . . . while the Thunder had just eight. The Thunder had nine steals; the Cavs had three.
#2.) Foul-Shooting. The Thunder shot 84.8% (28-of-33) from the stripe, while the Cavs shot just 50% (20-of-40). Kevin Durant, who finished with 34 points and 10 assists, went 12-of-13 on free throws. For the Cavs, LeBron was 13-of-19 and Shaq was 6-of-15.
Not that the Cavs have a choice, but Gibson still looks miscast as a point guard. On the defensive end of the floor, I thought he got the job done. It wasn’t his best shooting night, but he hit the freakin’ game winner, so he got the job done. He pushed the ball up the court, and allowed LeBron to play off the ball a little, which got the job done.
But he wasn’t able to create shots for his teammates. Somewhat amazingly, he didn’t come away with any assists . . . and he only moved with the ball when he was creating a shot for himself. Otherwise, I thought he passed the ball too quickly in the possession . . . forcing LeBron or someone else to find their own shot.
Three out of four isn’t bad, though. And honestly, as long as Gibson is defending well (and he’s greatly improved this season) . . . he’ll be a more than adequate stop-gap point guard.
Boobie finished with 13 points (on 5-of-13 shooting; 3-of-8 from beyond the arc). He also had four rebounds, a steal, and those two blocks. And eight of his 13 points came in the second half of the fourth quarter.
There are still PG depth concerns, though. But this was the first game. It’s difficult to project how significantly Mo and Delonte’s absences will affect the offense until we have more data . . . and in Delonte’s case, have a better idea of when he’ll return.
If you haven’t heard, the Cavs signed a point guard named Cedric Jackson from their D-League team, the Erie Bayhawks. Cedric was averaging 14.7 points and 7.6 assists there. He’s also a good defender.
He’s on a 10-day contract, and he actually got into the game Saturday. He only played two minutes . . . and didn’t notch any stats . . . but the team’s plus/minus was +8 when he was on the floor.
He probably won’t play all that much, but you never know. The Bayhawks reportedly use similar offensive sets as the Cavaliers do, so maybe the learning curve isn’t be as dramatic as you’d think it’d be.
Regardless, the real challenge is going to be finding players who can move the offense and hit LeBron while he’s playing off the ball.
It’s nice to have the ability to allow James to take the reins every now and then . . . to get his teammates involved, and to create shots for himself . . . but as we all know, if LeBron dominates the ball too much, the offense grinds to a standstill.
And the Cavs’ players all stand around and watch LeBron create miracles.
The Wine and Gold Rush Awards:
[We'll be giving these out after each game.]
Most Valuable Player: LeBron James.
In addition to hitting Boobie for that three, and making that giant block at the end of the game, LeBron hit some huge shots (including some momentum-altering 3-pointers).
He finished with 37 points (on 9-of-19 shooting; 6-of-10 from beyond the arc). He also had 12 assists and nine rebounds.
By the way, Jawad Williams had all 12 of his points in his first six minutes on the floor (in all, he played 23 minutes). He entered the game with 4:40 left in the first . . . then hit five nice shots, culminating in a 3-pointer just 1:20 into the second. He didn’t score the rest of the game, but he didn’t go cold. He finished shooting a nice 5-for-7.
Least Valuable Player: Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Z wasn’t much of a factor in this game, unfortunately. He played 11.5 minutes, and had zero points (on 0-of-2 shooting). He also missed both of his free throws . . . and his plus/minus was -6. He did have five rebounds though.
“The Diff Award” (for the difference maker, even in defeat): Shaquille O’Neal.
One of the main reasons the Cavs were able to keep the Thunder to just 38.4% shooting was their strong interior defense. The Thunder don’t really have someone to battle with Shaq, so he pretty much had his way with them on both ends of the floor.
On the defensive side, he and J.J. Hickson made a formidable duo. Shaq would challenge any shots in the paint, while J.J. would pull down strong rebounds in traffic. Because of this, the Thunder suffered through long stretches of one-and-done possessions. (That wasn’t always the case though. The Thunder were able to grab 17 offensive rebounds.)
On the offensive end, Shaq had 22 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) with six rebounds and three assists. He also led the team in plus/minus. The Cavs were +13 with The Diesel.
The State of the Cavaliers – #3 – Playin’ Like It’s November 2008
[This is a regular feature called "The State of the Cavaliers." In it, we'll rank each player on the roster, based on recent on- and off-the-court production, news, and intangibles related to the Cavs' quest for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.]
Since our last State of the Cavaliers on November 3rd, the Cleveland Cavaliers have proved that their first two wins (in Minnesota and against Charlotte at home) were not merely the product of a lost team playing lost franchises.
Instead, those wins proved to be a springboard for a team that was re-grouping from a weak 0-2 start. Over the past two weeks, the Cavs have posted a 5-1 record . . . and are suddenly 7-3, placing them back in the mix atop the Eastern Conference.
It hasn’t all been pretty; the offense was extremely flat in the irritating loss to Chicago at home . . . and the defense, especially late in games, leaves a lot to be desired (specifically, good defense). But the Cavs current work-in-progress-ness is much more reasonable and palatable than it was two weeks ago.
The crowning moment has been how the team was able to capitalize on a four-day break to execute a two-game all-Florida sweep, which produced solid, back-to-back road wins over Orlando and Miami.
This return to form makes it a little easier to get a feel for where the Cavaliers are at this stage . . . and we’re going to break that down right now in our third State of the Cavaliers rundown.
[Up to date, through Sunday, November 15th.]
Here’s the complete list. Each player’s previous rank and average rank are in parentheses . . . because, as they say, too much information is good information. (?)
#1.) LeBron James. (Prev: #1 / Avg: 1.0)
LeBron was the only Cavalier who didn’t need an extended preseason. And now that the rest of the team has noticed that the NBA season has started, LeBron is showing that he’s there to be their superstar.
In the past six games . . . after the Cavs’ reset at 2-2 . . . LeBron has averaged 29.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. But the story, as usual, ishow he’s doing it.
In New York, he catapulted the team out of the gate; in Miami, he went toe-to-toe with Dwyane Wade . . . and trumped him; he was an unstoppable force while closing out the Utah game; and he came just a whistle tweet away from bailing the Cavs out against Chicago. Can you say MVP?
#2.) Mo Williams. (Prev: #4 / Avg: 5.3)
After a sluggish start, Mo has returned to his all-star form . . . and in related news, the offense has, too. In the first four games, he shot 43%. In the past six, he’s shot 52%. In those games, Mo has averaged 18.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists.
Mo’s official coming out party (or so I’d like to hope) came against Orlando, where he looked like Mitch Richmond in “NBA Jam”. He connected on his first three shots . . . the ball seemed to glow in his hands . . . and then he was making everything. [You can read more about his night, here.]
In his last three games, he’s averaging 25 points, 5 assists, and is shooting 58.5%.
#3.) Anderson Varejao. (Prev: #3 / Avg: 5.0)
Andy has averaged 7.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists over the past six contests.
Four games ago, Andy was bumped to the bench . . . not because of his play, but because Mike Brown wanted to give J.J. Hickson some regular, scheduled minutes every game. Coach also wanted to re-team Andy with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and give the bench a shot in the arm.
And it worked. Since then, the Cavs are 4-0, and J.J. has been given an opportunity to blossom . . . which, so far, he has. And Andy is providing the second unit with some much-needed toughness, continuity, and yes, “energy.”
His shot attempts are down over those four games . . . but as a reserve, he’s shooting 62% (8-of-13).
And something for the “team player” files: Did anyone hear a single complaint from Andy when he was moved to the bench?
#4.) Shaquille O’Neal. (Prev: #7 / Avg: 5.3)
It doesn’t sound like Shaq’s “shoulder injury” . . . the reason he was held out of the Utah game . . . is anything serious, so we’ll go ahead and place him where he deserved to be up until then.
We brought Shaq in for more than just stats. We want him to be a tough, intimidating paint presence on the defensive end. And on offense, he’s a big target under the basket for LeBron . . . he’ll draw fouls . . . and he’ll split the opposing team’s attention away from the Cavs shooters.
Shaq’s infusion into the team is still in development, but the early returns are good. On Wednesday, Dwight Howard put up half the numbers we saw in the playoffs last year . . . and on offense, Shaq has made at least 50% of his shots in his past six games.
Over that time, he’s averaging 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
#5.) J.J. Hickson. (Prev: #8 / Avg: 5.0)
Check this: In the first six games . . . before J.J. was inserted into the starting lineup . . . he was averaging 6.5 minutes per game, and 1.5 shot attempts per game. Yeah, that’s attempts.
In the four games since, he’s averaging over 26 minutes, 13.3 points (including his back-to-back career-highs of 18 and then 20 points), 3.5 rebounds, and he’s shooting 59% from the floor.
LeBron and Mo have been finding him for wide open dunks and lay-ups, and J.J. has some promising finishing abilities. He’s also shown some good post moves.
The next step in J.J.’s crash course is going to be improving his rebounding and boxing out . . . and getting him to the point where he’s comfortable within the team defense.
#6.) Anthony Parker. (Prev: #5 / Avg: 5.0)
If it weren’t for 3-pointers (and in the case of the Utah game, clutch 3-pointers), Anthony would be closer to Delonte West than the Top Five on this list. But 3-pointers do count . . . for more than 2-pointers, as a matter of fact . . . and that’s a good thing for AP, because he can’t make those.
Interesting Fact: Anthony is 14-of-24 (58%) from beyond the arc in his last six games. In that same period, he’s just 3-of-17 (17.6%) from inside the arc. Expanded out: AP has hit 60% of his 3-pointers over the whole season, and 22.5% of his 2-pointers.
This is either just an anomaly . . . or Boobie is contagious.
#7.) Daniel Gibson. (Prev: #6 / Avg: 6.3)
First off, while we’re here: Daniel has hit 46% of his 3-pointers over the whole season, and 25% of his 2-pointers. Fortunately, 73% of his shots are from beyond the arc. Boobie had a rough game offensively in Miami last week (where he shot just 1-of-7) but overall, he’s having a strong season.
That being said, there has to be a way to get Boobie six to eight three point attempts every game. That’s where he can thrive . . . and honestly, right now that’s the only place he can thrive.
With Delonte West out indefinitely, Boobie is going to get 20+ minutes a game. The Cavs really should take advantage of his time on the floor and try to get him some deep looks. Otherwise, isn’t he playing a lot of fairly empty minutes?
#8.) Jamario Moon. (Prev: #10 / Avg: 7.0)
Over the past four games, Jamario has averaged just under 20 minutes a game . . . that’s a big improvement over the three games before that, when he was getting under 4 minutes a game.
And Jamario has looked good . . . especially rebounding the ball. With Jamario and J.J. playing increased minutes, it gives us more athleticism on the boards. Shaq and Z may be huge . . . but they aren’t going to be leaping for many rebounds this year.
Over the last four games, Jamario has averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds.
#9.) Zydrunas Ilgauskas. (Prev: #2 / Avg: 6.3)
For whatever reason, Z was the only Cavs player that played better in October than in November.
In his first four games, Z shot (a team-leading) 54%. In his next five, he shot just 4-of-31, which is 12.9%. Z showed some signs of breaking out of it in Saturday’s game against the Jazz . . . making four of his 10 shots. But then again, that’s the game he started in place of Shaq.
Z will regain his touch . . . although the team could probably help him out by calling some plays for him when he comes into the game.
#10.) Delonte West. (Prev: #9 / Avg: 11.3)
Due to the uncertainty surrounding Delonte, he probably should be at the bottom of this list. And I wouldn’t have any problem putting him there . . . except with the “uncertainty,” there’s always the chance that he could play, which beats everyone from here on out, who hasn’t played.
Before mysteriously disappearing from the active list last week, Delonte had cooled down after his spectacular first game back. He always supplied good defense and posted solid +/- numbers, but in his last three games he averaged just 3 points on 22% shooting. He’s now missed three games since then.
As far as we know, he’s still day-to-day at this point.
#11.) Leon Powe. (Prev: #11 / Avg: 11.3)
Can’t wait to see Leon on the court . . . but he’s still a long way away. He’s recovering from an ACL replacement and a microfracture procedure on his knee. Last we heard, he was ahead of schedule and could be back on the floor as early as January. (Although, February is a more realistic expectation.)
#12.) Danny Green. (Prev: #15 / Avg: 13.7)
Danny made his NBA debut in Miami last Thursday night.
It was everything he always dreamed it would be . . . assuming that he always dreamed it would be less than a minute long, and not require him to do anything whatsoever.
#13.) Darnell Jackson. (Prev: #12 / Avg: 12)
Darnell has played a few seconds in two of the last six games, but didn’t make a dent in the stat sheets. The Cavs have a fairly light schedule throughout the rest of November . . . so if they can continue to improve and take care of business, they might build up some leads big enough to get Darnell some playing time.
#14.) Jawad Williams. (Prev: #13 / Avg: 11.3)
Jawad last entered a game two weeks ago against Washington. He was in for two minutes . . . and fouled somebody. It’s unclear if he needed to shower after the game.
#15.) Coby Karl. (Prev: #14 / Avg: 14.5)
Coby hasn’t played in the past six games. On the bright side though, he’s still on the team.
Until next time, Go Cavs!