Cleveland Sports Forum

Kyrie Irving (illness) is doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Wizards.

We knew there was a possibility Irving didn't play in all of his games down the stretch, and it looks very unlikely he'll be able to go on Wednesday. Donald Sloan would draw the start in Irving's place, and has averaged 9.1 points and 5.7 assists in 10 starts this season.

Source: Plain Dealer on Twitter Apr 25 - 10:52 AM

Home finale a likely farewell for Cleveland Cavaliers veterans Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker
Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 7:44 PM
Tom Reed, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In all probability, Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker will be introduced as Cavaliers for the last time to fans at The Q on Wednesday night.

Jamison, 35, is headed to free agency. Parker, 36, is likely bound for retirement. But the lessons they have taught the Cavaliers' youngsters about professionalism and dealing with adversity will endure for seasons to come. They have fulfilled one of the toughest tasks in pro sports: serving as veteran leaders on losing and rebuilding teams.

Many fans don't want to hear about it -- they want high draft picks to replace past-their-prime players -- but coach Byron Scott and rookies Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson appreciate what Jamison and Parker did for them this season.

"This is one of the few places ... never had to worry about the locker room with those guys," Scott said. "They made sure that the young guys understood every day what we had to do.

"Even going through what we went through last year, those guys kept the locker room intact. Invaluable. If this is their last game here ... I can't say enough about both of those guys."

Irving, the presumptive NBA rookie of the year, entered the league with Parker and Jamison in the locker room. Eight years earlier, LeBron James walked into the same room inhabited by Ricky Davis. The leadership on James' first Cavs team (2003-04) was so bad they made a midseason deal to acquire Eric Williams, who became the team's most respected voice five minutes after he arrived from Boston.

General Manager Chris Grant knew the importance of surrounding Irving and Thompson with the right veterans while not overpaying for them. It's why he re-signed Parker for one season in December. At All-Star weekend in Orlando, the Cavaliers rookies -- who participated in the skills competitions -- were making unsolicited comments about the mentorship of Parker, Jamison and Anderson Varejao.

"[Jamison] has always had my back," Irving said. "We are going to lose some games, but if you play hard every single time out you can look at yourself in the mirror and say you gave it your all. That's what it is about.

"AP taught me how to be a professional and how to carry myself. He's a really humble guy who I like to emulate."

Parker has played through a painful season which saw him sidelined with back and sternum injuries. He's averaged seven points in 25.4 minutes while committing just one turnover per game. The club obviously needs an upgrade at shooting guard, but Parker set a good example for his impressionable teammates.

"I'm a big believer in walking the walk before you talk the talk," said Parker, the team's union representative. "That saying actions speak louder than words is true. You can say whatever you want to say, but if somebody looks at you and you're contradicting yourself with your actions ...

"Every day Twan and I are the first ones on the court shooting. Those kind of things, just being consistent and being professional. Anyone can do it once or twice, but doing it over and over again is why guys have the longevity that they do."

Jamison, a finalist for the NBA Sportsmanship Award, concedes a 40-106 record since the start of the 2010-11 season has taken its toll. He was billed as a get-over-the-hump piece when the Cavaliers acquired him near the end of the 2009-10 season. But after the club flamed out in the postseason and LeBron James left for Miami, Jamison was left to absorb two years of steady losing.

He entered last off-season unsure of his role. Jamison regretted how he handled his benching early in the 2010-11 season in favor of J.J. Hickson and vowed to help mentor Thompson regardless of his minutes.

In a condensed season when injury and fatigue have victimized many, the club's second-oldest player has started in every game except one. Scott actually rested Jamison during the Cavs' recent back-to-back-to-back games.

He leads the team in playing time (33.4 minutes) and ranks second in scoring (17.4 points). He relieved pressure from Irving by giving the Cavs' a second legitimate scoring option. Jamison also was the club's most outspoken player after losses, the veteran not afraid to chide the team for a lack of effort, focus or urgency.

"I always go back to when I was a rookie and I had guys to help me out," Jamison said. "I realized the importance of that. When I came back and realized what we had and how the young guys were receptive to me and willing to learn and willing to be the best player they could possibly be, it just made it easier for me."

Even as both Parker and Jamison prepare to say goodbye to the organization, they plan to follow the progress of the young players who looked to them under trying circumstances.

"I'm anxious to see the next 4-5 years how things turn out with Kyrie and Tristan," Jamison said. "Hopefully I had an impact as far as teaching them some things on and off the court, how to do things the right way and going out there and competing for 48 minutes."

Kyrie is actually playing tonight. Why ?

Because the Cavs are going to tank these last 2 games and playing Irving for a half makes it look respectible. Hello top 3 draft pick....

Not so fast frankie. If everyone loses tomorrow, Cavs could finish anywhere from 3 - 5 based on 3 way tie. Then they could fall as many as 3 places in the lottery.

Finding a Niche For: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

by: Jonathan Givony - President

April 24, 2012


A national champion with impeccable winning credentials, is Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to warrant being a top three draft pick?


Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a dream freshman season by any standard, being an essential cog on a Kentucky squad that won the national championship in emphatic fashion.

Standing 6-7 ½ in shoes, with a 6-10 wingspan and a chiseled 228 pound frame, he has ideal physical attributes for a NBA wing prospect, and a versatile skill-set to go along with that.


US Presswire


Offensively, Kidd-Gilchrist is far from what you would consider a go-to guy, as he actually took the smallest percentage of shots (18.6%, 7th on the team) of any player in Kentucky's rotation, relative to minutes played, according to Ken Pomeroy.

His most prolific source of offense came from pushing the ball in transition, getting out on the fast break as well as any non-guard prospect in this draft. His size, strong frame, aggressive mentality and physical nature all help him out tremendously with his forays to the rim, as he simply refuses to be denied once inside the paint. Kidd-Gilchrist finishes 71% of his field goal attempts on the fast break, according to Synergy Sports Technology, which is #1 amongst all draft prospects.

In the half-court, Kidd-Gilchrist doesn't have the most visually appealing style of play, but he finds ways to be productive, often through sheer desire and tenacity.

He has the ability to go inside the paint and back down smaller wing players in post situations, showing great strength overpowering opponents and having no problems finishing through contact. He has nice touch around the basket and even a jump-hook he likes to utilize at times with his back to the basket situations, something that could become more useful as he improves his footwork and ability to recognize and take advantage of mismatches at his size.

Kidd-Gilchrist has an excellent feel for the game, which shows up in the way he moves intelligently without the ball, as well as with his passing skills, which are very well developed considering his age.

Not someone who can be expected to shoulder an offense considering his somewhat limited skill-set, he is the type of player who needs good teammates around him to fully utilize all the different things he does well. He really understands the nuances of making others better with his ability to set screens, pass, and make hustle plays, which is likely a big reason why he's always been considered such a winner from very early on in his career.

With that said, he has a ways to go before he can be considered anything more than a complimentary offensive option, which is exactly what he was for Kentucky as their fifth leading per-minute scorer.

He's an average perimeter shooter at best, making 26% of the 51 3-pointers he attempted this season, showing highly unconventional mechanics (shooting the ball on his way down, with his elbow flailing out) that could hamper him from ever becoming anything more than that later in his career. He doesn't have much of a mid-range game either, struggling to pull-up off the dribble effectively due to his crude shooting mechanics.


US Presswire


Kidd-Gilchrist isn't a very fluid or polished shot-creator either, as he's not a very advanced ball-handler at this stage in terms of changing speeds and directions on his secondary moves. His first step is very effective, and he has extremely long strides and the ability to overpower defenders on his way to the lane, but if he can't simply blow by his man or get his shoulder past him, he struggles somewhat trying to create offense in isolation or pick and roll situations.

Nevertheless, Kidd-Gilchrist found ways to help his team this year, be it crashing the offensive glass, cutting off the ball, getting out in transition, or drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line, where he converted a very solid 75% of his attempts this season.

He's extremely versatile on defense as well, being asked to guard point guards to power forwards, sometimes within the same game. He has ideal physical attributes here, with his terrific size, strength and length. He also moves his feet extremely well, and is competitive a player as you'll find on this end of the floor. It's obvious that he truly enjoys his work here, which is pretty rare at his age. His shows outstanding instincts blocking shots and getting in the passing lanes, and does a great job of contesting shots, playing the game with a real nasty streak.

The fact that he's strong and tough enough to defend many big men, yet has the agility to stay in front of guards makes him a real game changer covering the pick and roll, as he can switch onto virtually anyone without consequence. He also rebounds extremely well for a wing player.

Kidd-Gilchrist is a unique prospect in this draft, as he doesn't really fit the prototype of what teams drafting in the top five typically look for offensively. What he lacks in scoring polish he makes up for in toughness and competitiveness, though, as he's a consummate teammate who shows no ego and only seems to care about helping his team win games.

His work ethic is reportedly outstanding as well, as indicated by the well-documented “Breakfast Club” he started at Kentucky during Christmas break, urging teammates to show up at 6:30 AM every morning for weightlifting and shooting sessions.

Combine that with the fact that he's by far the youngest player in this draft, not turning 19 for more than five months, and it's not unreasonable to think that he still has considerable room for improvement over the next few years, particularly if he can improve his shooting mechanics.

In a perfect world, Kidd-Gilchrist would be drafted by a team that already has some talent in place, as he's probably not ready to carry a heavy scoring load early in his career. Regardless of where he ends up, though, it's difficult to see a team being disappointed in what he brings to the table, as he appears to be the type of player who will almost make the most of his potential, giving him very little downside.



From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz1tAN4EHxq
http://www.draftexpress.com

All of a sudden someone new in the lineup last night who leads the team in scoring.

My son had a chance to catch the Cavs in DC a week or two back ---had been looking forward to the opporunity -- but turned down the chance to catch the Development League Cavs (that was the night Harangoday joined Sloan and Harris and someone else who I forget already in the winning lineup)

Hornets up by 7 with 10 minutes in the 4th and only scores 6 points in the entire 4th quarter.

Sacramento is beating LA by 16 points in the 4th quarter. The Cavs will end up being tied for third with New Orleans.

Kings up by 18 points with 7 minutes left.

Kings win !

Cavaliers win tiebreakers for NBA lottery, draft
Published: Friday, April 27, 2012, 4:37 PM Updated: Friday, April 27, 2012, 4:59 PM
By Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was a good day at the NBA office for the Cavaliers.
They won two tiebreakers that will improve their position in the upcoming NBA lottery on May 30 and draft on June 28.
In the first drawing, Cleveland (21-45) won a tiebreaker with New Orleans (21-45) and now ranks third, with 138 chances out of 1,000, for the No. 1 pick in the NBA lottery. New Orleans, now fourth, will have 137 chances. Even if three teams behind them move up in the lottery, the Cavs will pick no worse than sixth.
The Cavs won the lottery last spring and used the No. 1 pick to select Kyrie Irving, the likely Rookie of the Year.
In the second drawing, the Los Angeles Lakers (41-25) won a tiebreaker with the Memphis Grizzlies (41-25) and now have the No. 24 pick in the NBA draft, a pick that was sent to the Cavs in the trade for Ramon Sessions. Memphis now has the No. 25 pick.
The drawings were conducted earlier today in New York City by Carol Sawdye, NBA chief financial officer, and Dan Rube, NBA senior vice president and deputy general counsel. The tiebreak process was overseen by Martin Shannon, a partner in the accounting firm of Ernst & Young.

Cavs now have the 3rd pick going into the lottery. Holy Crap !

Dan Gilbert
✔
@cavsdan

Sent @CavsNick to NYC for coin flip. Cavs won the flip! What's not to like?!!


27 Apr 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite

IT took some really really bad basketball down the stetch to seal the 3rd spot. And an awful lot of game time for NBA Minor Leaguers.