I'm led to understand the Cavaliers' new acquisitions aren't likely to be available for tonight's game against the Wizards; they have to pass physicals first. Boobie's down with a sprained ankle (and the news isn't good there; he could miss six weeks), and Varejao has been said to be close to coming back, but may not be able to play yet tonight. That would leave LeBron, Z, the two Joneses, Devin Brown and Eric Snow to take on Washington. Snow hasn't gotten into a game in almost two weeks, but he'll probably start tonight, with Damon Jones as the shooting guard, and Brown or Dwayne Jones will have to play power forward, unless Varejao can do it.
I don't know what the current rules are on signing D-Leaguers, but they can't expect to win with six players.
Some Web searching indicates the pundits like this deal for the Cavs: ESPN's John Hollinger, who invented the statistic "player efficiency rating" to measure a player's overall per-minute contribution to his team, thinks the Cavs are clear winners in this trade, and gives it an A-.
Fellow ESPNer Chris Broussard, who is a Cavs fan, is a bit more reserved, but he likes it too.
The News-Herald's Jim Ingraham also likes it, and thinks Danny Ferry deserves some credit for doing something bold.
The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto thinks it'll take a while for this trade to pay dividends, but it'll help in the playoffs.
The Beacon Journal's Patrick McManamon is more reserved than the others, but feels it's a gamble worth taking.
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2 comments:
The Cavs are clear winners in the recent trade. It's beyond me how any of these sports commentators could be lukewarm about this trade. This was a HUGE WIN for the Cavs!!
Among the positive aspects of the trade:
* they unloaded Larry Hughes and his huge contract. Hughes never materialized into the King's sidekick, as many imagined. Yes, it's true they took on another huge contract in Ben Wallace, but even if Ben has slipped a little bit -- and even if he slips a little more over the next 3 years -- he is still a stellar defender, shot blocker, and intimidator that the Cavs need... and those are the kind of skills that don't deteriorate as much as shooting (see old man Bruce Bowen in San Antonio).
* They got Delonte West, who is a very good young player.
* They got one of the league's most reliable outside shooters, Wally Szczerbiak. Although most people didn't notice, Wally was awesome as Garnett's sidekick in Minnesota for a few years.
* They got Joe Smith, a proven contributor. He will easily replace Donyell Marshall, and will actually be an upgrade. Just watch -- Smith will be on the floor at the end of big games, along with James, Varajeo and Szczerbiak (and whoever else is hot).
* Who cares about the other guys they lost. They are all fine players, but let's get real -- who is going to miss any of them? Who is even going to remember any of those guys in a couple of months? The guys we got are IMPACT players... ones who actually have a chance to turn back the Celtics and give the Cavs a realistic chance to win the NBA title.
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Now, of course there is no guarantee this new group will gel as a unit. That will be the key -- how they learn to play off each other. I'm confident, however, that the King will help figure out how to make everyone better, and everyone play as a team.
Hail the King!
All excellent points, my friend.
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