SB Nation User Blog: Buckeye Brad

Fear The Links - Wednesday 7/1

Buckeye Brad — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:43:03 -0000

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Brian Windhorst writes about the Cavs' interest in free agent Charlie Villanueva and says the Cavs will be buyers in free agency which begins today.
Their Cavs HQ blog, by Micheal Curry, discusses the two V's and Ron Artest.

Akron Beacon-Journal

George Thomas also looks at possible free agent targets for the Cavs.

The News-Herald

Bob Finnan discusses the Cavs interest in Varejao and Villanueva and has other Cavs notes.

Around The Internet

At TheClevelandFan, Jesse Lamovsky looks at the free agents available while Sam Amico looks at the needs for every team in the Eastern Conference.
Scott at WaitingForNextYear discusses the recent rumblings on the top free agents.
Marc Stein at ESPN.com discusses the latest free agency news and think the Pistons will go hard after Villanueva and could offer him more money than the Cavs.
John Schuhmann at NBA.com gives his list of the top 10 free agents this year.
As always, Cavs The Blog and Cavalier Attitude have plenty of great stuff about the Cavs' free agency plans. They both have too many good articles to link to seperately so just check them out.

Barfield to Columbus, Perez added to roster

Buckeye Brad — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:15:28 -0000

Barfield to Columbus, Perez added to roster

Josh Barfield has been demoted to Columbus to make room for new relief pitcher Chris Perez. This is no surprise since Cabrera was actived before yesterday's game, meaning Barfield went from almost completely useless to entirely useless on the Indians roster.

Fear The Links - Sunday 6/28

Buckeye Brad — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:00:08 -0000

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Brian Windhorst looks at free agency options for the Cavs.
Terry Pluto discusses the Cavs (along with the Browns and Indians) in his Sunday notes column.
Bill Livingston writes that Mike Brown will need to change the offense with Shaq on board and says that Cleveland doesn't usually see stars of his magnitude come to town.
Mary Schmitt Boyer writes about first-round pick Christian Eyenga's first visit to Cleveland.

Akron Beacon-Journal

Patrick McManamon looks at what Shaq bring to Cleveland and says the rewards of the trade are greater than the risks.
George Thomas profiles Christian Eyenga.

The News Herald

Bob Finnan says the Cavs will have a rock-star feel next year with Shaq and LeBron and also checks in with his NBA notes.

Columbus Dispatch

Michael Arace says trading for Shaq was a no-brainer for the Cavs.

Around The Internet

At TheClevelandFan, Sam Amico has some thoughts about the Cavs' draft while Erik Cassano, Nick Allburn, and Jerry Roche all write about Shaq coming to Cleveland.
At WaitingForNextYear, RockKing analyzes the Cavs' draft picks while Brendan looks at what we can expect from Danny Green and discusses what the Vince Carter trade does for the Magic.
Two other Cavs blogs have differing views of the draft: Amar Panchmatia says Danny Ferry screwed up while John Krolik thinks he made some smart moves.
Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports breaks down what Shaq could do for the Cavs next year.
Chad Ford at ESPN.com, Steve Kyler at HoopsWorld.com, and Scott Howard-Cooper at SI.com grade each team's draft.

OK, we got Shaq, what about the draft?

Buckeye Brad — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:54:57 -0000

Now that the Cavs have traded for Shaquille O'Neal we'll look towards the NBA Draft (tonight at 7:30). After the season most people thought the Cavs would be looking for a true backup point guard, an athletic wing player, and more help in the post. Shaq obviously helps in the frontcourt but the Cavs may still need help there, especially with Varejao a free agent and Hickson suffering a setback from his back injury. Big men are hard to find later in the first round, though, so the Cavs may look for backcourt help there.

The strongest position in this draft is supposed to be point guard so there should be a few good ones on the board when the Cavs pick at 30. They could use a true point guard to backup Mo Williams since neither West or Gibson fit that role. The also would like to get a tall, athletic wing player to help on defense because the Magic exposed the Cavs in that area in the playoffs.

The Cavs may be able to move up in the first round, though, because some teams in financial trouble might want to sell their pick to save money, so we'll have to see if the Cavs try to make a move. There are many players who would help the Cavs that most people think will be drafted in the late teens or early 20's, such as Sam Young of Pittsburgh and Ty Lawson of UNC. Sam Young is a guy I really like; he's a 6'7" forward from Pitt who can shoot, rebound, and defend, and is exactly the kind of player that the Cavs need coming off the bench. Some people have compared him to James Posey, who helped Boston win the title last year. He was a four-year player at Pitt so he should be able to step in and help right away. If the Cavs can trade up to get him I'll be thrilled.

But if the Cavs don't make a trade and stay at pick #30, who would you like to get? I looked at many mock drafts and came up with a list of names who most experts think will be available late in the first or early in the second. Pick a name from the list and let us know why you want that player.

Fear The Links - Wednesday 6/24

Buckeye Brad — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:06:32 -0000

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Brian Windhorst answers readers' questions and looks at how the recent trades might affect the Cavs on draft day. He also breaks down the options for every pick in the first round.
Terry Pluto gives his thoughts on the NBA draft.
Their Cavs HQ blog, written by Michael Curry, also looks at some players the Cavs may target in the draft.

The News Herald

Bob Finnan looks at some of the guards, forwards, and centers available in the upcoming draft. He also reports that JJ Hickson is still having back spasms, which will make him unable to participate in summer league action next month, and has other notes on the Bucks-Spurs trade and the draft.

Around The Internet

At ESPN.com, Chad Ford gives his mock draft (Insider required for the full article) and has the Cavs selecting Xavier PF Derrick Brown with the 30th pick.
Ian Thomsen at SI.com has his mock draft (with the Cavs picking Chase Budinger from Arizona).
At TheClevelandFan.com, Erik Cassano looks at player the Cavs may target in the draft and Sam Amico checks in with his two-round mock draft (which sees the Cavs selecting Wayne Ellington from UNC).
Smooth at Cavalier Attitude ranks the top draft prospects at each position and has notes about possible trades for Vince Carter and Chris Kaman.
John Krolik at Cavs:The Blog looks at more Cavs' draft prospects here and here.
WaitingForNextYear has a look at six possible choices for the Cavs at pick #30.
Basketball Prospectus breaks down the guards in the draft and gives their projection for the first round.
At NBA.com, David Aldridge ranks the top prospect at every position.
Tony Meija at ProBasketballNews.com thinks the Cavs will pick Wayne Ellington in his latest mock draft.
Finally, one more mock draft, this one from Brian Levenson at CBSSports.com. He has the Cavs choosing PF Jeff Pendergraph from Arizona State.

Tarence Kinsey charged with DUI

Buckeye Brad — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:33:23 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

2 months ago: Cleveland Cavaliers' Tarence Kinsey (8) grabs a rebound in front of teammate Darnell Jackson (00) in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinal game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 99-72. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Browse more photos »

Tampa Bay Online is reporting that Cavs guard Tarence Kinsey was arrested and charged with driving under the influence early this morning in Tampa, his hometown. According to police, he was stopped while drifting in his lane and driving 70 mph in a 55 mph zone. He failed field sobriety tests and refused to take a breathalizer.

What is with Cleveland athletes driving drunk in Florida lately? Are there no cabs in that state? I wonder if this will affect his status with the team this upcoming season; he has a non-guaranteed contract worth $995,000.

Fear The Links - Saturday 6/20

Buckeye Brad — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:42:21 -0000

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Brian Windhorst discusses the Anderson Varejao rumors.
Terry Pluto says the Cavs are in the market for a quality big man.
Their Cavs HQ blog, written by Michael Curry, breaks down possible targets for the Cavs and what it would take to get them. So far they've featured Josh Smith, Zach Randolph, and Shaq.

Akron Beacon-Journal

George Thomas writes about the Cavs' need for a big man in the draft.

The News Herald

Bob Finnan looks at options for the Cavs to add depth up front and other notes from the team.

Columbus Dispatch

Bob Hunter says a deal for Shaq is worth the risk for the Cavs.

Around The Internet

John Hollinger at ESPN.com has a long post (Insider required) using his own rankings to break down the top draft picks. He has North Carolina PG Ty Lawson rated as one of the top two picks of the draft, which is surprising because most people have him as a late first-round choice. He might even be available when the Cavs pick at 30 and they could be looking for a backup point guard.
At TheClevelandFan.com, Gary Benz discusses the Cavs brining in Shaq.
Amar Panchmatia at Cavalier Attitude writes about Josh Smith possibly being available in a trade and thinks Sam Young could be the long, athletic wing player that the Cavs need. He also looks at the Cavs' three highest paid players this year and thinks that should be the clue why the team wasn't championship-caliber.
John Krolik at Cavs:The Blog looks at players he thinks the Cavs should target on draft day and profiles Jawad Williams, which leads to a discussion about what a 12th man in the NBA should be like.
WaitngForNextYear has a review of the documentary More Than a Game which follows LeBron's SVSM team through their high school years. They also have a Q-and-A with the film's director Kris Belman and another one with the five players themselves. They have another post discussing a possible Josh Smith trade.
HoopsWorld discusses rumors about Vince Carter to the Cavs and Yao Ming to the Cavs. They also have mock drafts from four of their writers.
For a little history lesson, Bleacher Report looks at thefive defining draft moments for the Cavs.

Bill James and Joe Poz on pitch counts

Buckeye Brad — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:07:05 -0000

Bill James and Joe Poz on pitch counts

Joe Posnanski has an aticle at SI.com where he discusses with Bill James how pitch counts have changed baseball over the past few decades. They talk about Nolan Ryan's crusade to increase the workload of his starting pitchers in Texas.

Both of them wonder why 100 became such a magic number for pitchers. Of course, everyone in baseball wants to keep their pitchers healthy, but where is the proof that 100 pitches should be the limit for starters -- because it's such a nice number? Why not 110 or 120 or 130? And we know that Bill James loves any discussion that confronts conventional wisdom.

Rob Neyer also gives his two cents on their discussion.

Fear The Links - Sunday 6/7

Buckeye Brad — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:45:28 -0000

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Brian Windhorst looks at the free agents who the Cavs might pursue this summer and hands out grades for each player this season. He also checks in with his Hey Brian Q-and-A session.
Dennis Manaloff looks at LeBron's MVP season by the numbers.
Terry Pluto gives his Sunday notes about the Cavs (along with the Browns and Indians).

Akron Beacon-Journal

Patrick McManamon also looks at some possible targets for the Cavs this offseason.

Around the Internet

At TheClevelandFan.com, Sam Amico sides with LeBron about not shaking hands and gives us his first Mock Draft, while Erik Cassano writes that LeBron is still learning to be a leader.
Amar Panchmatia at Cavalier Attitude shoots down the Rasheed Wallace report from SLAM Magazine and talks about ESPN radio's Colin Cowherd practially begging Chris Bosh to sign with Cleveland. How often do you hear that from an ESPN broadcaster?
At HoopsWorld, Tommy Beer reviews the Cavs' season and looks at what Danny Ferry needs to do in the offseason to improve the team while Bill Ingraham looks at potential trade targets for the Cavs.
John Schuhmann from NBA.com writes about Orlando learning the difference between guarding Kobe and LeBron.
Ken Berger at CBSSportsline.com discusses David Stern's address to the media last week. Stern talked about the NBA's declining revenues and what affect that might have on the salary cap in 2009 and, more importantly, 2010, when LeBron, Wade, and Bosh will be among many big-name free agents.

Fear The Links - Thursday 6/4

Buckeye Brad — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:30:22 -0000

Fear The Links brings you the best Cavs news every day. If you find any good Cavs stories online send them to me at buckeyebrad79@yahoo.com and I'll add them to the links. Hope you enjoy!

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Terry Pluto says that Cavs fans should have faith in Gilbert to help bring them a championship.
Brian Windhorst has a very good article about what to expect from the media for the next 13 months until LeBron's free agency begins in 2010.
Rich Exner points out that this is the first time in 11 years that Eastern Conference teams posted a winning record against Western Conference teams, so the gap in talent level between the conferences is closing.

Akron Beacon-Journal

Patrick McManamon on Dan Gilbert's thoughts about the team and LeBron.
Marla Ridenour has some thoughts from Tiger about LeBron.

The News-Herald

Bob Finnan has a question-and-answer with Dan Gilbert.

Around the Internet

Jesse Lamovsky of TheClevelandFan.com, who predicted the Magic would beat the Cavs in 6, looks back at that series and previews the Finals. And Gary Benz has a great article about being a sports fan and the hope that we all feel.
ESPN.com's Sports Guy gives us his mailbag with plenty of questions about the NBA. He discusses how the Magic changed between the beginning of the Boston series and the Cleveland series, who with the Cavs is the blame of the loss, and has a fresh perspective on HandShakeGate.
Amar Panchmatia at Cavalier Attitude takes his first look at the Cavs offseason options with an article about Kevin Martin.

SB Nation User Blog: Buckeye Brad

Fear The Links - Wednesday 7/1

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Akron Beacon-Journal

The News-Herald

Around The Internet

Barfield to Columbus, Perez added to roster

Barfield to Columbus, Perez added to roster

Fear The Links - Sunday 6/28

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Akron Beacon-Journal

The News Herald

Columbus Dispatch

Around The Internet

OK, we got Shaq, what about the draft?

If the Cavs stay at pick #30 who should they select?

Fear The Links - Wednesday 6/24

Cleveland Plain Dealer

The News Herald

Around The Internet

Tarence Kinsey charged with DUI

Fear The Links - Saturday 6/20

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Akron Beacon-Journal

The News Herald

Columbus Dispatch

Around The Internet

Bill James and Joe Poz on pitch counts

Bill James and Joe Poz on pitch counts

Fear The Links - Sunday 6/7

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Akron Beacon-Journal

Around the Internet

Fear The Links - Thursday 6/4

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Akron Beacon-Journal

The News-Herald

Around the Internet