Cavaliers send Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his $11.5M expiring contract to the Washington Wizards.
- Everyone who is anyone that is a Cavaliers fan has a place in their basketball heart for Z. We saw him battle back from foot problems, and develop into a mainstay on some very bad teams, and then some very good teams. He even became an All Star. Right now, Z is no All Star. As Nate Thompson put it, "Dwight Howard eats Z for breakfast." He's right, Howard does. Z doesn't move around as well as he used to, but he does stretch other centers into covering him because of his ability to hit jumpers. (Well, they are kind of jumpers, he barely leaves the floor.) Regardless, the Cavs will miss Z, but there is an outside chance the Wizards may cut him and the Cavs can resign him. That's a big couple of "ifs", but it can happen. Or maybe it won't happen. Nothing is promised in the NBA, right Carlos Boozer?
Cavaliers send Washington a First Round Draft Pick.
- Fine by me. We seem to do better with our Second Round picks (Carlos Boozer, Boobie Gibson) anyways.
Cavaliers receive Antawn Jamison from the Wizards.
- Jamison is big (6ft9") and averaging 20.5 points and almost 9 rebounds a game. Don't get the fantasy into your head that he'll score 20 a night for the Cavs. We don't need him to. He may even come off the bench with the second unit to provide a legitimate scoring threat when LeBron needs a breather. Best 6th man in the NBA, believe that.
Cavaliers receive Sebastian Telfair from the Los Angeles Clippers.
- Telfair is a real toss in. He could provide some quickness, but I really don't know how or if the Cavs will find him minutes. Consider that Mo Williams will be back soon, Delonte West is now healthy, and Leon Powe has been practicing. Cavs may even release him.
What this boils down to is the fact that the Cavs and Danny Ferry want to win NOW. Shaq has the "Get a ring for the King" mentality, the rest of the team is on board, and Jamison is saying all the right things after finding out he'd been dealt to the 1st place Cavs.
If you think about it, the Cavs starting 5 will be:
Mo Williams
Delonte West
Shaquille O'neal
JJ Hickson
LeBron James
Coming off the bench then is:
Antawn Jamison (a starter on any other team in the NBA)
Anderson Varejao (a starter on most teams in the NBA)
Anthony Parker (can really spread the floor, and plays above average defense)
Jamario Moon (also spreads floor with good defense)
Leon Powe (The Cav Killer should provide toughness if he can prove healthy)
Daniel "Boobie" Gibson (with as many open looks as he'll get, he should be a marksman from the 3pt line)
Darnell Jackson (may see the floor more often until/if we see Z come back)
Is that the lineup to bring Cleveland the Championship it so yearns for? I'm not sure, but I do know, if I'm Danny Ferry, I feel good about my chances.
Well done, Danny. Well done.
Love,
Cleveland Fans Everywhere
1 comment:
Damn that lineup is SOLID. Reminds me of how the Tribe lineup was super-talented in the mid- to late-90s.
Great read! Great quote by Nate! What I really like about the Cavs is that they are sizing up all the contenders and picking them off one-by-one. Shaq starting somewhat of a rivalry with Howard is fantastic! Can you imagine a best-of-seven playoff series with those two bangin' down low! It's gonna be good!
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