SB Nation - Delonte West

Preview: Cavaliers at Kings

Ziller — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:00:52 -0000

More photos » by Gary Dineen - NBAE/Getty Images

THE OPPONENT

The Cavaliers are really good, a popular pick for NBA champion the last, what?, four years or so. The team sits at 21-8, just 4th in the East but probably 5th in the entire league. This is a really, really good team. It was, this week, the first to beat the Suns in Phoenix, and is working toward its mammoth Christmas showdown against the L*kers.

Cleveland bakes its bread in several key categories: it is fourth in the league in shooting, second in shooting defense and second in defensive rebounding. That, frankly, spells a bit of doom for our Kings, who need to shoot well (currently 7th) and rebound on offense (currently 6th) to get that offense humming -- you'd prefer if the Cavs did other defensive things well. One nice feature of this arrangement is that Cleveland isn't good at forcing turnovers (committing turnovers being a major Kings problem); however, it's plausible the Kings don't need the opponent forcing any turnovers, because they can force themselves to commit them just fine.

The huge problem, as it always is with the Kings, is on defense. Again, the Cavaliers shoot brilliantly, with almost every rotation player boasting an effective field goal percentage above league average. (Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West are the exceptions.) LeBron James is of course the amazing Alpha -- know that he is remarkably shooting at a 50 percent clip from the field. Add in his threes (4-1/2 per game at 37 percent) and free throws (nine at 79 percent) and, yes, he is at a remarkable 60 percent True Shooting, Kevin Martin territory while soaking up 34 percent of the Cavs offense while on the floor. Remarkable is just the beginning.

Beyond James, Mo Williams shoots brilliantly, Anthony Parker has been effective, and even Jamario Moon and J.J. Hickson have come up roses. That's a lot of Cavs to cover, and the Kings have a dearth of quality defenders. That's a problem. Expect, perhaps, some early zone, buckets of help on LeBron, and pray for luck.

THE KEY BATTLE

Tyreke Evans vs. Mo Williams. LeBron will be matching up against two and maybe three Kings at many points, so it's vital that those who aren't helping down (Evans to start, Beno at some point) make sure to limit shooters like Williams. At the other end, that's where this becomes most key: the Kings cannot afford to fall in any sort of hole to Cleveland, so Evans can't just turn it on in the second half. He needs to attack the smaller, weaker Williams early early early. LeBron will be there to help, and I suspect James will have at least one "Welcome to the league, son" weakside block, but that's no deterrent: attack, young Padowan. Attack.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
LeBron James	29	38.1	9.9	19.7	50.2	1.7	4.5	36.9	7.2	9.1	78.9	0.9	5.9	6.8	7.8	3.7	1.3	0.8	1.9	28.7
Mo Williams	29	35.6	5.8	13.0	44.2	2.2	5.1	43.9	2.8	3.1	87.9	0.3	3.0	3.3	4.8	2.4	1.4	0.2	2.8	16.5
Shaquille O`Neal	23	23.0	4.2	8.3	50.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.0	4.0	48.4	1.7	5.2	6.9	1.4	2.0	0.3	1.3	3.3	10.3
Anderson Varejao	27	29.9	3.3	6.5	50.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.5	2.4	64.1	2.5	5.4	7.9	1.0	0.7	1.0	0.9	3.2	8.1
Anthony Parker	29	28.7	2.7	6.0	44.3	1.6	3.2	50.0	0.5	0.7	78.9	0.4	2.3	2.7	1.7	1.0	0.8	0.2	1.7	7.4
J.J. Hickson	29	19.1	3.0	5.3	56.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.4	2.1	64.5	1.1	2.7	3.8	0.2	1.1	0.4	0.4	1.7	7.4
Zydrunas Ilgauskas	28	21.9	3.0	7.0	43.1	0.0	0.0	100.0	1.2	1.6	73.3	1.9	3.7	5.6	0.6	1.0	0.3	1.0	3.2	7.3
Delonte West	20	21.7	2.8	6.1	45.5	0.1	0.6	8.3	1.6	1.9	86.5	0.2	1.8	2.0	3.2	1.4	1.0	0.5	1.4	7.2
Daniel Gibson	27	19.7	2.5	5.3	46.5	1.4	2.9	49.4	0.6	0.9	70.8	0.2	1.1	1.3	1.1	0.6	0.6	0.0	1.7	7.0
Jamario Moon	24	18.6	2.1	4.3	48.5	0.6	1.8	34.1	0.8	0.9	85.7	0.5	3.4	4.0	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.6	1.5	5.5
Darnell Jackson	14	4.7	0.6	1.2	47.1	0.1	0.1	50.0	0.1	0.1	50.0	0.5	0.5	1.0	0.2	0.6	0.1	0.2	0.7	1.3
Danny Green	6	2.3	0.3	1.0	33.3	0.2	0.8	20.0	0.3	0.3	100.0	0.3	0.3	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.3	1.2
Jawad Williams	8	1.4	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0
Coby Karl	3	1.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.7	0.0	1.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

I'm telling you, when Jon Brockman checks in ... you may want to turn the volume down a few notches if you have a sleeping baby in the room. Evans and Ime Udoka deserve kudos for their role in the Comeback Heard 'Round the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area And Also Sacramento, but Brockman is already a mascot fan favorite of sorts, and his game actually embodies the steez of this squad. It's easy to love this kid, and Sacramento clearly does. He will be rewarded for his effort tonight.

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Shaquille O'Neal will be widely booed. And not just by Spencer Hawes.

DETAILS

7PM, ladies and germs, the only late-late game on the NBA slate. Game thread at 7, sequel at 8, post-gamer at 9:45, recap on Christmas Eve.

Revenge of Shaqtus - Cavaliers dominate Suns, sweep season series

John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:51:50 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

3 days ago: Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) dunks over Phoenix Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire (1) and Channing Frye during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Browse more photos »

Shaquille O'Neal was the scape goat in Phoenix. It was O'Neal that cramped the Suns style, O'Neal that kept Steve Nash from running and gunning, kept the Suns from making the playoffs in 2009. All that could be true, and the Suns hot start seems to be proof positive. Against O'Neal's new team, however, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Shaqtus scored just 3 points, but for the second time in 3 weeks, the Cavaliers pulled away from the Suns, winning big 109-91. It was similar to the 107-90 win the Cavaliers enjoyed at The Q in early December. It was the Cavaliers 2nd straight win in Phoenix - breaking the Suns' 19-game home winning streak.

I was pretty harsh on the Cavaliers last night after their lackluster effort in Dallas. Tonight is the reason. How can the Cavaliers look so bad, so disinterested one night only to come out on fire the next. It starts with LeBron James. James is the emotional leader, and when he brings it, the Cavs bring it. After scoring just 2 points in the 4th quarter last night, LeBron was ready right from the start.

James scored 10 points in the first 4 minutes, a variety of layups and power dunks that seemed to get him, and the team going. It was an example of LeBron at his best - using his penetration game to get his outside game going. Again, the team followed. LeBron led all scores with 29 points.

The Cavs didn't attempt a 3-point shot until midway through the 2nd quarter. They attacked the basket and kept the Suns on their toes. Phoenix doesn't want to play defense - they want you to hoise jumpers and get into a run-and-gun game. The Cavs weren't tempted tonight, thus won going away.

A tip of the cap to the Cavaliers perimeter defense. After allowing the Suns to shoot 3-6 from deep in the 1st quarter, the Suns managed only 1-13 the rest of the way. Steve Nash started the game with 8 points and 6 assists - but finished with just 4 more assists the final 3 quarters. In other words, the Cavaliers forced the Suns to play the way Cleveland wanted the game to go.

Delonte west was huge once again - 12 points/6 assists in 23 minutes - and once again proved that the Cavaliers most effective lineup has West at the point, with Mo Williams(24-6-5) playing off the ball. If West continues to improve, on and off the court, the Cavs could quickly regain their 66-win form.

A night after the 4-starters not named LeBron combined to score 29 points, Williams, Shaq, J.J. Hickson and Anthony Parker scored 44 points. The bench chipped in 36 points.

It was a solid win, and proved the Cavaliers really hate to lose. After playing very poorly last night, the Cavaliers responded and beat a very good team, who had been dominating on their home floor.

Up next, the Sacramento Kings - all they did was beat the Bulls after being down 35 points in the 3rd Quarter - on Wednesday Night.

Cavaliers sleepwalk in 102-95 loss to Mavericks in Dallas

John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:07:18 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

4 days ago: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, second from left, goes up for a shot against Dallas Mavericks defenders Josh Howard (5), Drew Gooden (90) and Tim Thomas (7) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Browse more photos »

The NBA is a long season - filled with ups and downs. It's hard for a team to bring the same level of energy and effort every night for 82 games. For the Cavaliers that has been a struggle all season - at home and on the road - consistent effort. It happened again as the Wine and Gold, seemingly in a game-long fog, fell to the Dallas Mavericks 102-95. Perhaps even more perplexing was the Cavaliers inability to take advantage of a Dallas team missing their best player - Dirk Nowitzki - who missed the game with a gash on his elbow.

For the Cavs, it was a bit of the same. In ending their 5-game losing streak, the Cavaliers were out-shot 48%-46%. The Cavaliers did take 6 more free throws(26-20), but shot 77% while the Mavericks shot 95%. Lastly, the Cavaliers wasted a great effort by their bench. Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas combined to score 41 points, a good night for the Cavaliers most nights, only to see the Mavericks bench score 45 points.

Most disappointing was the complete lack of production from Shaquille O'Neal. In over 17 minutes, O'Neal scored 5 points on 1-7 shooting. LeBron James had an off-night shooting the ball, scoring 25 points on just 9-23. He was held without a rebound in the 1st half and totaled just 3 rebounds in the game.

As for the rest of the starters, J.J. Hickson scored 4 points and Mo Williams added 8. When 4 of your starting 5 scores just 29 points, you are not going to win many games, tonight is no exception.

No time to worry about it, as the Cavs get right back on the court tomorrow night in Phoenix. With a Christmas trip to see Kobe and the Lakers on the horizon, the Wine and Gold needs to get its head right, and fast!

Game 22: Cleveland at Oklahoma City

daddydai — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:39:41 -0000

More photos » by Joe Murphy - NBAE/Getty Images

Browse more photos »

This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 6:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Fear the Sword

Backstory: But first a disclaimer.

When it comes to Thunder basketball, I am an eternal optimist. Positive thought equals positive results, right? So being unbiased is a rough task for me. After the Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic, I feel OKC proved that they can beat any team. So let's continue with the task at hand.

The Cavs added Shaq to their roster in order to "Bring the King a ring". With the extra strength inside somehow the Cavs have already tallied up seven losses. Not to mention losses to teams that the Thunder have already defeated (Washington & Memphis). So should we be encouraged? I'd say yes. Plus we all know that KD and the boys like to step up to the top teams in the league.

Of course Cleveland has plenty of bigs that can contend with our paltry front court. So expect Krispy to jump start his jump shot in hopes to pull the Shaq away from the basket. Cleveland also has a nice outside game that OKC has to be aware of. Expect some nice cuts to the basket by Williams and Lebron. In order for the Thunder to pull this one off shots have to fall and rebounds must be collected.

Since, I'm always bouncing about the internet here are a few more thoughts about the game:

Cavs Hit the Road, Travel to OKC | King James Gospel | A Cleveland Cavs Blog
Cleveland’s starting shooting guard Anthony Parker played basketball in Israel for Macabbi Tel Aviv before entering the NBA and is very accustomed to the celebrations of Hanukkah. And AP comes out hot right from the opening tip. Parker picks up four of LeBron’s seven first quarter assists and pours in 12 early points to lead the Cavs to an early 14 point lead. Cleveland withstands a late second quarter run by the Thunder and goes into the locker room with an eight point advantage, 54 – 46.

The King takes matters into his own hands to start the third quarter and pours in 8 consecutive points and finished the quarter with a game-high 27. After sitting the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, James checks back in with his team

clinging to a four point lead. Kevin Durant tries to steal the King’s throne but LeBron matches him point-for-point. Jeff Green cans two from long distance in the last two minutes and the Cavs trail by 2 with 11 seconds.

LeBron takes the inbound pass from Delonte West and dribbles to his right. Anderson Varejao levels Green on a screen but LeBron runs out of room at the foul line. He swings out to Mo who feeds Parker with a touch pass in the corner. And Anthony Parker celebrates day three of Hanukkah with a game winning tre. Cavs win 103-102.

Cavaliers-Thunder Preview - STATS Senior Writer - NBA - Sporting News
The Thunder are three games over .500 for the first time since 2004-05, when the team was based in Seattle and finished 52-30. Oklahoma City, the second-youngest team in the NBA, has reached 12 wins after needing 50 games to accomplish that feat last season. "They have a very, very good young (group) of basketball players that love to play the game of basketball," James said. "We are looking forward to the challenge. It is going to be a good road test for us against a young, explosive team in their home building, and we have to come out with the same fire we did in the second half (Friday)."

Star Power: Comparisons grow between Kevin Durant and LeBron James | NewsOK.com
At first glance, it’s easy to think LeBron James and Kevin Durant aren’t in the same league. Simply suggesting the two players are seemed silly this summer when the connection first gained steam. Durant’s Thunder was coming off a shameful 23-win season. James’ Cavs, meanwhile, were fresh off yet another deep playoff run. But the comparison now seems credible as the two meet for the first time this season tonight inside the Ford Center. Durant, in his third season, is blossoming into the star many projected him to become and has his Thunder off to a surprising 12-9 start. Durant also ranks fourth in the league in scoring, sitting .1 point ahead of James.

Cavs (16-7)	Matchups	Thunder (12-9)
Mo Williams Some people call me Maurice	Point Guard Tonight's point guard match up will be overlooked since we will have a superstar match up on our hands. Williams is 44% from beyond the arc. Westbrook shoots 66% from three-land while facing Cleveland. One important note, Mo often leaves the ball handling responsibility to LeBron. Slight Advantage: Thunder	Russell Westbrook The Constant Evolver

Anthony Parker Not Tony	Shooting Guard Parker is a legitimate threat with the 3-ball. He has shot over 50% this season. Thabo can contain Parker, but Thabo will likely be spending time helping guard LeBron. Just how much time Thabo spends with James will determine the result of this match up. Advantage: Thunder	Thabo Sefolosha Swiss Army Defender

Bron Bron The King	Small Forward Here it is! The match up we all waited for. The summer long discussions of who is better will be re-sparked if KD can hold his own against Cleveland's Dancing Queen. Unfortunately LeBron is much quicker and stronger than Durant. Advantage: Cavs	Kevin Durant The Kid

J.J. Hickson Ze Son of Hick	Power Forward Hickson's rebounding average is only 3.8 rebounds per game. Green should us this to his advantage, even though Green isn't a rebounding machine himself. Who ever wins this match up will decide the game. Advantage: Thunder	Jeff Green Green Energy

Shaquille O'Neil The Big Question	Center So the Vanilla Gorilla poked Shaq in the eye, and the Big Whateva is listed as questionable. Either way, I don't see Krstic winning against anyone from the Cav's front court. Perhaps Thomas will get minutes tonight? Advantage: Cavs	Nenad Krstic Mr. Comb Over

Anderson Varejao Curly Fries	Bench & Role Players Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison will face off against Curly Fries and Nosferatu (better known as Varejao and Ilgauskas). While Lucky Harden and Shaun Livingston will compete against the really athletic Jamario Moon and gun-toting Delonte West. If Harden's shots fall we will be fine, otherwise I'm expecting Moon to defy gravity. Advantage: Cavs	James Harden Wonder Beard

Mike Brown Former COY	Coach I could be completely wrong, but I believe LeBron won Brown's coach of the year. Brooks on the other hand has done a great job harnessing the Thunder. Oh yeah, don't forget the Thunder also have Mo Cheeks and Ron Adams helping from the bench. Advantage: Thunder	Scott Brooks Next COY
	images via yahoo.com

	Other Factors
	Injuries Shaq might be out with a poked eye. Daniel Gibson injured his finger in Battier's jersey the other night. Of course Leon Powe, Kyle Weaver, and Kevin Ollie are out of commission for awhile.
	Intangibles If the Thunder keep this game close, LeBron will likely wear himself out. Can Sefolosha's defense and Collison's rebounding keep this game close? Will Westbrook maintain his composure?
	Prediction Expected a very energetic game from both teams. In the long run the Cavs will dominate the game with dribble penetration, while the Thunder will rely on mid-range shooting. Prediction: Cavs 98 - Thunder 93

Poll

Who will win tonight's game?

Oklahoma City Thunder

16 votes

Cleveland Cavaliers

13 votes

29 votes | Poll has closed

Recap: Rockets keep LeBron, emotions in check to defeat Cavaliers 95-85

Tom Martin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:15:16 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

15 days ago: Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, center, yells at official Scott Wall, left, after no foul was called as LeBron James (23) drove to the basket against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, in Houston. Brown was ejected from the game. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Browse more photos »

First and foremost, I'd like to extend a hand of thanks to Herman Sayger, who originally suggested the idea of implementing the three point shot. Lord knows we needed it tonight against Cleveland. So thanks for that, Herman.

Secondly, I'd like to commend Memphis for taking the Cavs to OT last night. It was evident that Cleveland was tired, especially with all of the open threes that we were getting.

Finally, we address our own performance, which was mostly good, and slightly bad. The good? We kept LeBron in check, and when it comes to defending Cleveland, that's about seventy-five percent of the work. The only Cavaliers to find a rhythm were Delonte West and Big Z. Otherwise, it was the best defensive performance we've seen from the Rockets in this young season.

Aaron Brooks' overall numbers were very good, but most importantly, he was in the lane every other possession. This is key to creating offensive opportunities elsewhere. He also got to the free throw line thirteen, missing only one of those. That's the equivalent of six made jump shots. Sometimes people forget just how valuable free throws are.

If there is anyone to truly commend on our victory, however, it is either Shane Battier or Trevor Ariza. Battier, for his defense and his rare offensive contribution (a Battier three always seems to energize the rest of the guys), and Ariza for his excellent production on offense. It was one of his most efficient outputs as a Rocket.

In a rare turn of events, the Rockets got destroyed on both the offensive and defensive boards. To combat this, the Rockets forced twenty turnovers. Whether it's forcing turnovers or grabbing offensive boards, Houston always finds a way to give themselves extra opportunities to score.

Luis Scola was notably absent, as was Chase Budinger. Sometimes, the shots don't fall. Other times, they are engulfed by a host of defenders, which was indeed the case every time Scola got the ball on the block. Wouldn't you love to, for once, see Luis just throw it down in someone's face?

In a perfect world, the Rockets would have shot better. There were countless possessions in which Houston had open jump shots, and they simply missed them. The Cavs took advantage of this, and stayed alive throughout the game. Cleveland, despite scoring 101 points per game, likes the low-scoring contests, as they are one of the better defensive teams in the league. Tonight, however, they were out-defended by a team that can still put down the clamps when necessary.

Fear The Sword

Game Preview - Phoenix Suns vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Mike Lisboa — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:11:43 -0000

Amar'e Stoudemire must start AND FINISH with his gorilla game for the Suns to have a chance in Cleveland tonight. (Photo by Max Simbron)

View full size photo »

Hopefully the Suns can make like Alando Tucker and wash the icky residue of last night's loss to the Knicks off their hands before mixing it up with the Cavaliers in Cleveland tonight.

The Suns head into Cleveland 2-1 with a chance at salvaging a winning record on this eastern road swing before coming home to face the Kings on Saturday. Last night the Suns came out flat on both ends of the court and despite rallying to get within 6, never recovered offensively or defensively.

So, which Suns team will show up tonight? The 14-3 power rankings darlings or that group of zombies that took the court in New York last night.

The Cavaliers come into tonight's game riding a 4 game winning streak, including a 16-point thumping of the Mavericks on Saturday. That's right: Saturday. In addition to being at home, Lebron and company have 3 days of rest. For their part, after taking most of yesterday's game off, the Suns should be plenty rested as well *rimshot*.

Match-ups

Guards

At the point, we have Steve Nash going up against Mo Williams. On paper, this would seem to be a clear advantage for the Suns, but last season Mo torched the Suns for 30 points in their meeting in Phoenix and 44 in Cleveland (Nash missed this game with an injury). Off the bench, it's Daniel Gibson vs. Goran Dragic. While Boobie is capable of getting hot, in 8 games this year, he's only averaging 6.8 point per game. If Dragic can bounce back from a terrible performance in New York, they should basically cancel each other out.

I thought it was the 30-somethings that were supposed to struggle with back-to-backs? Jason Richardson has been a key ingredient to the Suns potent offense this year, averaging 17.4 points per game, good for 2nd on the team behind Amare Stoudemire. However on the 2nd night of back-to-backs, all of J-Rich's offensive numbers have taken a hit: -7.7% on FG%, -4.9% on 3PT%, -32.1% on FT% (yipes!), and -6.1 PPG. There's no reason he shouldn't reverse that trend against Anthony Parker (and you thought the Suns had cornered the market on lesser siblings! He has to play in the shadow of his sister Candace.) and he'll have to if the Suns want to win this one.

Off the bench at the 2, it will be interesting to see who the Suns go with in Barbosa's absence. After pouring it in (14 points on 4-7 shooting), Alando Tucker may have earned some increased minutes. Equally mysterious is who the Cavs will bring off their bench behind Parker. After seeing limited use thus far this season due to personal and health reasons, Delonte West played a season-high 29 minutes against the Mavs, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 boards.

Forwards

Grant Hill will have his hands full with LeBron James. If he and Jared Dudley can combine to keep LBJ around his averages, the Suns will probably consider that a success. I don't think anyone has any illusions of stopping him.

Off the bench, Jamario Moon is something of a Matrix-Lite, so he and Jared Dudley will engage in some kind of sideshow hustle competition.

At power forward, the Suns have what should be their clearest advantage, offensively at least. Amare Stoudemire needs to bring his vaunted Gorilla Game to exploit Cleveland's tandem of Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson. If he can stay out of foul trouble, look for Amare to log heavy minutes and heap piles of offensive abuse on the Cavs while not having to worry too much about being challenged on the other end. Except for rebounds.

Center

Here's where line-up and strategy will come into some serious play. It's entirely possible the Cavs elect to send Varejao and Hickson out on Frye at the perimeter, keeping Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the lane to defend Amare on the pick and roll. If that's the case, look for Amare to log heavy minutes and heap piles of offensive abuse on the Cavs. (See what I did there?)

Defensively, Channing Frye doesn't have the bulk to keep up with Shaq in the post and the Cavs will probably go to this mis-match early and often, much like the Lakers did with Andrew Bynum earlier in the season against the Suns.

Robin Lopez will probably get some early minutes on the defensive end to see if he can help stop the bleeding in the paint against the much larger Shaq. Robin vs. Shaq has the potential to be explosive as Robin looks to heap some punishment on the The Big Mentor who rode his Fuzzy-head pretty hard last season.

Of course, that's just wishful thinking. Shaq will destroy Robin given the chance.

Predictions

Offensively, the Suns will look to spread the floor against the Cavs using their dead-eye shooting (which hopefully they bring with them tonight) to exploit the lack of speed of the Cavs big men. If his shot his falling, Channing Frye could have a career night. Similarly, if the Cavaliers lumbering bigs stay at home on Stoudemire, he and Nash should have a field day running the pick and roll till the cows come home.

Defensively, the Suns will have to find a way to limit Cleveland's opportunities in the paint AND contain the speedy Williams AND contain LeBron James. If the Lopez and Frye struggle with Shaq, look for Jarron Collins to come in and provide 6 additional fouls against O'Neal. I'm pretty sure Robin will use his up fairly quickly.

In a perfect world, the Suns draw the Cavaliers into an up-tempo shoot-out, regain their accuracy and out-run the Cavs. For their part, Cleveland and their 8th ranked defense (100.6 points per 100 possessions) will look to keep things slow as molasses (7th slowest pace in the NBA), bogging the Suns down in a half-court game. Look for them to pound it inside and run plenty of isolations for LeBron James. Like, 70 of them.

While I think the Suns will come out more focused than they did last night in New York, I don't see them winning this game. They'll keep it close in the first half, but their porous defense will be their undoing as the game wears on.

Final score 105-93, Cavs.

Suns vs Cavaliers coverage

Suns vs Cavaliers preview

Fear The Sword

K-Mart for Shaq: Would you make this deal?...

Andrew Feinstein — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:58:16 -0000

The Cavaliers need an athletic, quick, tough power forward. The Nuggets need cap relief. If the Cavaliers offered Shaquille O'Neal to the Nuggets for Kenyon Martin, should the Nuggets make that deal? It deserves some serious consideration...

How many more games do the Cleveland Cavaliers need to play before realizing that the acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal has been an utter failure? As noted in last week's Stiff List, without O'Neal the Cavs are 5-1. With him, 7-4 (including losses to the Raptors, Bulls at home and the Bobcats).

But that record doesn't tell the whole story.

Watch any Cavs game with Shaq on the floor, and it becomes immediately evident that he clogs up the middle, slows the game to a halt and, even worse, contributes next to nothing defensively. Moreover, not only weren't the Cavs hurting at center to begin with, but the center they had/have - Zydrunas Ilgauskas - may have been/may be the perfect center to play alongside LeBron James. After all, the Big Z can hit a long jump shot from anywhere on the floor, forcing opposing defensive big men to play him outside while leaving the lane wide open for an LBJ dunk or drive-and-dish to an open teammate.

(On a side note, I found myself in an elevator once with the Big Z at the historic Boston Harbor Hotel in downtown Boston. At a legitimate 7'3", the poor guy had to completely bend his head and arch his back down to fit into the tiny elevator. Nice guy, though!)

If you watched the Cavs play last season, their biggest problem wasn't at center but rather, power forward. Anderson Varejao is a nice change-of-pace, wreaking havoc, flopping pest for 20 or so backup minutes, but you don't want him as your featured power forward late in games (remember his shot attempts against the Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals? Ghastly!). The Cavs are in dire need of a power forward who brings Varejao's defensive toughness and peskiness, but can also finish on a fast break and will get out of LBJ's way on the offensive side of the floor. The Nuggets just so happen to have such a player in Kenyon Martin.

Having spent over six seasons learning how to play alongside Carmelo Anthony, K-Mart would be a great fit for Cleveland. With K-Mart on board at the four spot, the Cavs could move the Big Z back to being starting center and fill out their lineup with LBJ at small forward while their backcourt combo of Mo Williams at point guard and Anthony Parker at shooting guard stays in-tact. As another plus, rather than having Big Z eat up meaningful bench minutes the Cavs bench would be comprised entirely of their "energy foursome" of Delonte West (when he's on his meds), Varejao, Daniel Gibson and Jamario Moon. Now that's a team that can contend with Orlando and Boston in a conference final.

And while K-Mart's salary (more on that momentarily) might be tough to swallow for Cleveland, it will feel a lot better if K-Mart helps get LBJ back to the NBA Finals meaning LBJ will be more apt to stay in Cleveland. (And yes, I know I predicted that LBJ might go to the Nets to be coach by George Karl just a few days ago. While I believe LBJ will stay in Cleveland - and why would those Chinese investors pony up to own the Cavs if LBJ is walking? - I also believe if he goes anywhere, it's to the Nets.)

By now you're probably thinking: you haven't said one good thing about Shaq, so why the @#$% would the Nuggets do this deal?

For the Nuggets, it's all about economics. Shaq's $20 million salary comes off the books at the end of this season, whereas K-Mart's is still owed $16.5 million next season. (It should be noted that the money due to K-Mart next season is a "player's option," but I have a sneaky suspicion he'll be exercising it. Thank you, Kiki Vandeweghe. K-Mart's contract is the gift that keeps on giving.) Also, K-Mart's $15.4 million salary this season is close enough to Shaq's $20 million that the Nuggets would only have to use a little trade exception money to make the numbers work.

Before you accuse me of asking the Nuggets to throw away this season just to get K-Mart's salary off the books, consider this: next season, Melo, Chauncey Billups, K-Mart, Nene and J.R. Smith's salaries combined will be $64.2 million - expected to be near the luxury tax line in 2010. Throw in Chris Andersen's $4 million due for next season and the Nuggets are guaranteed to be at or over the tax line paying the salaries of just six players. Last I checked, that's less than half of a 13-man NBA roster.

If this deal actually happened (and remember, I've suggested crazier deals before...like the time I proposed trading Allen Iverson to Detroit for Billups and Antonio McDyess way before it actually went down), what would it mean for this season? How would it affect the Nuggets on the floor?

In theory Shaq would give us the center we desperately desire, enabling Nene to dominate at power forward (Nene's more natual position). In theory Shaq would give the Nuggets much needed size to go up against the bigger Western Conference teams. And in theory Shaq would be so amped up to get revenge against his former team, the Lakers, that he'd give the Nuggets a much needed ally in their war with L.A. with one more burst of energy for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs before riding off into the sunset. And lest we forget, good Shaq or bad Shaq, he puts asses in the seats (admit it, you'd watch every game with Shaq in a Nuggets powder blue and gold jersey).

But these are the same arguments that recently duped Phoenix and Cleveland into acquiring Shaq. And watching the 37-year-old center "play" these last few weeks, I can't with a straight face say that he'd be good for the Nuggets on the floor. Shaq would undoubtedly clog up the lane for Melo and Nene and slow down the Nuggets overall pace, which is what makes the Nuggets so deadly in the first place...especially at Pepsi Center. It shouldn't be a surprise that a Suns team sans Shaq is back to running teams off the floor en route to a top two record in the Western Conference right now.

Furthermore, in spite of the inexcusably unacceptable loss to the Timberwolves on Sunday night and another bad loss to the Clippers a few weeks ago, at 13-5 the Nuggets have tied their best start in franchise history and have a good thing going. The players seem to genuinely like each other, seem to listen to head coach George Karl (at least a majority of the time) and it feels like they haven't even played that well yet. (They also haven't played that many good teams yet...it has to be said.) As-is, we're looking at back-to-back-to-back 50-win seasons and another shot at the conference finals, if not more if the Nuggets catch a few breaks.

That said, if we - and/or Nuggets management - truly believe that this incarnation of the Nuggets, constructed as-is, can beat the Lakers and march into the NBA Finals then I say fine; let's see how the season plays out and hope for the best. Maybe Kobe Bryant or Pau Gasol will get injured. Maybe the Lakers will get shorter. Who knows.

But if we - and/or Nuggets management - think that another Western Conference Finals appearance is the best this team can do, why not bring in Shaq and unburden ourselves of K-Mart's contract? At the very least, the Nuggets would remain a top five team in the West, would be fascinating to watch, would make any Nuggets/Lakers games and a possible playoff series an instant ESPN Classic and, most importantly, would free the Nuggets up financially to be a player in the 2010 free agent sweepstakes. As of today, the only free agents the Nuggets will be able to afford next summer will be from the D-League.

K-Mart for Shaq? Would you make this deal?

Like I said at the top of this column, it deserves some serious consideration.

Shaquille O'Neal photo courtesy of Getty Images: Isaac Baldizon

Kenyon Martin photo courtesy of AP Photos: David Zalubowski

Rumor: Orlando Magic to Meet with Free-Agent Point Guard Antonio Daniels

Ben Q Rock — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:53:19 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

Browse more photos »

There are conflicting reports of the Orlando Magic's desire to add a third point guard in the wake of starter Jameer Nelson's knee injury, which will sideline him for 4-to-6 weeks. GM Otis Smith told the Orlando Sentinel yesterday that he's not in a hurry to sign another point guard, as he'd like to see how Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson fare first. However, Alex Kennedy of RealGM reports that Tony Dutt, who represents free-agent point guard Antonio Daniels, is in Orlando and expects to meet with the team tonight.

UPDATE: Dutt confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that he did indeed contact the Magic on Daniels' behalf:

"I talked to Otis about Antonio after Jameer got hurt. But I think they are going to wait a few days if they do anything," Dutt said by phone.

Dutt said that the Magic could sign Daniels, 34, to a non-guaranteed contract.

Our original story is after the jump.

I'm not sure what to think of this rumor, as I tend to believe Smith when he says he'd rather not make a knee-jerk move. However, Daniels appears to be the sort of player Smith would value, given his experience (12 years) and usually mistake-free play (career pure point rating of 5.2). It's a bit worrisome that his turnover rate has increased in each of the last 5 seasons, from a stellar 9.3% in 2004/2005 to a garish 18.1% last season.

Also adding kick to this rumor is that Dutt and Smith aren't strangers, as Smith has signed Dutt clients Rashard Lewis and Brandon Bass as free-agents during his tenure as Orlando's GM.

Daniels split last season between the Washington Wizards and the New Orleans Hornets. The Hornets sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal for Bobby Brown and Darius Songaila in September; Minnesota released him at his request. He had a workout with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who would like to add another guard due to the uncertainty surrounding the troubled Delonte West, earlier this month, but a deal with them never materialized.

In 867 career games, Daniels has averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 turnovers. We'll hold off on any further analysis until the Magic either confirm or deny the rumor.

Battered and bruised Cavaliers head to Washington

John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:09:59 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

about 1 month ago: Cleveland Cavaliers' Shaquille O'Neal, center, jokes on the bench with Mo Williams, right, and Jawad Williams during an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, in Cleveland. O'Neal sat out the game with a shoulder strain but the Cavaliers won 114-108. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Browse more photos »

After some computer troubles of my own, and with the network - the latter which killed the open thread last night - I am back and better than ever. Hopefully, we'll be saying that about some of the injured Cavaliers, especially across the front-line.

Here is the latest -

Jamario Moon -- Moon left last night's game vs. the Golden State Warriors with 11:03 remaining in the 3rd quarter with a sprained left ankle. He did not return to the game. He traveled with the team to Washington and is listed as QUESTIONABLE for tomorrow night's game versus the Wizards.

That's the good news. Now for the not so good.

Anderson Varejao - Varejao did not play in the game vs. Golden State (hip contusion). He traveled with the team to Washington but is listed as OUT for tomorrow night's game.

Shaquille O'Neal - Shaq also missed the game vs. the Warriors (shoulder strain). He did not travel with the team to Washington and will remain in Cleveland to receive treatment.

Leon Powe - Powe is still rehabbing his left knee.

Delonte West - Your guess is as good as mine. West is due in court in a couple days, so I'd imagine we won't be seeing him for awhile. At what point do the Cavaliers simply move on without West??

Daily Links 11/14

FLCeltsFan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:11:17 -0000

Herald Al Horford won’t back down from the Celtics
Hawks view the Celtics as a measuring stick
Board game doesn’t go way of stumbling Celtics
Paul Pierce’s knee a pain
Bad result not tough to explain
Rival Al Horford begs to differ
Dirk Nowitzki gives Mavericks late lift
Globe Hawks top Cs, 97-86
When Celts need a lift, this little guy rocks the house
Pacers thumbnails
Pierce’s status undetermined
Atlanta’s growth spurt was the biggest factor
Slow burn
The Stubborn, Impatient, Self-Centered, and Absolutely Essential Rajon Rondo

CelticsBlog    Young Legs Cause Trouble
Celtics Outrebounded, Outplayed In Loss To Hawks
Loy's Place    Comments from the Other Side - Hawks 11/13
Random Thoughts on the Celtics Second Loss
MetroWest Daily    Hawks 97, Celtics 86: Friday night folly
Celtics.com    Ray Allen, Wyc Grousbeck and French Lick Team Up for "Ray of Hope Foundation"
Ford Keys to the Game: Hawks at Celtics
Celtics 17    LeBron’s proposed number change for next year is sure to stop the 2010 talk.
Updates and Links: LeBron James Better Watch His Punches, And More
Red's Army     Lebron Honors Jordan, Disses Bill Russell
I'm lovin' Rondo's new move
"...When they go out on the court, they’re on edge"
Your KG Face of the Day
Basketball 101 - The Box Out
Comcast SportsNet     C's/Hawks: Live from the Garden
Hawks soar past Celtics
Atlanta's rebounding was downright offensive
Celtics Hub     That Was Ugly: Hawks 97, C’ s 86
Notebook: Pierce Questionable for Tonight
Loscy    More reasons to HATE Lebron James: because he’s an idiot "
North Station Sports    Celtics Flat Feet Keep Them Grounded, Hawks Fly 97-86
NSS Flix: Celtics Lose to Hawks 97-86
Celtics Town    Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks: Don't call it a rivalry
Running Diary: Celtics fall short against athletic, hungry Hawks
Lex Nihil Novi     Parish and Jabbar Renew Rivalry
Fitch Goes with 9-Man Rotation to Defeat Great 8
The Love-In for Sheldoon Continues
Ain't No Back Flip from the Youngins
VEGAS: Boston -8.5 at Home against Atlanta
Stern is Leading Candidate to Replace O'Brien -(83-84)
CelticsLife    The Curious Case of Rasheed Wallace
Celtics Now: C's New Additions and New Gino
Celtics/Hawks Post Game Videos
Hawks 97, Celtics 86 Highlights
Gino's Jungle    Celtics Out Everythinged by Hawks
Time to Focus on Championship NOT 72-10
ESPN    Pierce will 'wait and see' after hurting knee
Game notes from an ugly Friday the 13th
Atlanta Hawks dominate on boards against sluggish Boston Celtics
Hawks coach says he's happy for Williams
Defensive benchmarks could be tested vs. Hawks
Fan Huddle    Celtics Look to Rebound in Indiana after loss to Atlanta Hawks
NBA Tipoff     LeBron Says Players Should Give Up No. 23; James Making Switch To No. 6
Kennebec Journal    NBA D-LEAGUE: Red Claws open camp today
Green Street    Doc: ‘I think No. 6 should be retired’
Pierce suffers bruised left knee
Horford Admires Ortiz’s Work Ethic
Pierce will ‘wait’ on tender left knee
Fast Break: Celtics - Hawks
NESN     Celtics Open Weekend Back-to-Back With Hawks at Home
Live Blog: Hawks at Celtics
Celtics Strong-Armed 97-86 By Board-Crashing Hawks
Celtics Taking Full Advantage of Social Networking to Build Fan Base
LA Times    Lakers' Ron Artest loses Round 1 to Denver's Carmelo Anthony
CBS Sports    Celtics-Pacers Preview
ProJo   Shelden Williams has put his past with the Hawks behind him
Rivers offers no excuse for Celtics’ effort against Hawks
Celtics-Hawks final: Hawks stun Celtics, 97-86
Celtics-Hawks pregame: Pierce moving up the scoring charts
Celtics-Hawks in-game update: Hawks up by two after three quarters of action
Hawks take control in second half and stun Celtics
The Vent    Hawks 97, Celtics 86 or Where the Hawks just flat out wanted it more
CT News Hawks Break 0-9 Drought in Boston: 97-86
NY Post Hornets firing of Scott predictable
Patriot Ledger    Atlanta Hawks come of age ... just ask Celtics
Telegram    C’s reserves draw praise
Too many second efforts
Dimemag    Opening Statement
Ball or Nuthin Hawks Win on the Road
Celtics Stuff Live    Would Bob Ryan Eat His Words Too?
CSL (Your Sponsor Here) Sunday/Friday Postgame Show: 11/13 vs. Hawks
AJC    Hawks stun Celtics, 97-86
Indy Cornrows     IC Cold Links: T.J. Ford Offers Up A Little Off-Day Leadership For Hansbrough
Cavs News    Deal for Stephen Jackson may involve Delonte West
Sports of Boston   Opposing Views: Can the Celtics Win 73 Games?
Bleacher Report     Face It Cleveland, Shaq Will Not Win a Ring For The King
The Key to the Knicks Season: Eddie Curry?
National Post     NBA Power Rankings: Celtics edge Lakers for first No. 1 of the season
Bluegrass Stat Basketball      Ex-Cat Rajon Rondo Understands that NBA is a Business
Slam Online     MVP Race: Early Impressions
Yahoo    Hornets' new coach must win over Paul

SB Nation - Delonte West

Preview: Cavaliers at Kings

THE OPPONENT

THE KEY BATTLE

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

BOLD PROCLAMATION

DETAILS

Revenge of Shaqtus - Cavaliers dominate Suns, sweep season series

Cavaliers sleepwalk in 102-95 loss to Mavericks in Dallas

Game 22: Cleveland at Oklahoma City

Point Guard

Shooting Guard

Small Forward

Power Forward

Center

Bench & Role Players

Coach

Injuries

Intangibles

Prediction

Who will win tonight's game?

Oklahoma City Thunder

Cleveland Cavaliers

Recap: Rockets keep LeBron, emotions in check to defeat Cavaliers 95-85

Game Preview - Phoenix Suns vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

K-Mart for Shaq: Would you make this deal?...

Rumor: Orlando Magic to Meet with Free-Agent Point Guard Antonio Daniels

Battered and bruised Cavaliers head to Washington

Daily Links 11/14