Cleveland Cavaliers Thread

[paddio]

Antawn Jamison had an MRI on his knee and everything came back ok!!!

[Lester-Worm-Murphy]

Antawn Jamison had an MRI on his knee and everything came back ok!!!

What...not front page breaking news on this???...lol

[paddio]

Light day: Antawn Jamison and LeBron James headlined a group of Cavs who did not practice on Wednesday. Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao and Anthony Parker also did not practice with a variety of injuries. Shaquille O'Neal continues to rehab his right thumb out of town.

While James is expected to play on Friday, Jamison is listed as day-to-day with stiffness in his left knee that forced him out of Monday's game against San Antonio. He said he has a cyst in the knee that fills with fluid periodically. While he's not sure about Friday's game at Philadelphia, he said he would play Sunday when Boston visits.

"It's something that occurred earlier in the season," Jamison said of the cyst. "With proper treatment, it went away. So I don't see this lingering any longer than it has the last couple of days."

He said surgery would not be necessary.

"I know my body," he said. "My mechanics, the way I run, contributed to this. We addressed that. There are certain things I have to do before and after to maintain. I'm not a young buck any more."

Furthermore, Jamison said, having three days off this week aided his recovery.

"It's perfect timing for something like this to happen now," he said. "This organization is looking at the overall picture to make sure guys are healthy when it counts."

Brown has not decided yet who would start if Jamison can't play at Philadephia.

"There's plenty of guys I could go to if Antawn doesn't play," Brown said, mentioning Jackson and Leon Powe. The coach said he'd like to continue to bring Varejao off the bench.

[paddio]

About the Cavaliers ...
By Terry Pluto

1. Since joining the Cavs, Antawn Jamison is averaging 17 points, shooting 48 percent (39 percent on 3-pointers). According to 82games.com, the Cavs are outscoring the opposition by 14.8 points with Jamison on the court. They are 7-1 with Jamison in the lineup. He sat out Friday's game at Philadelphia with a minor knee problem. The Cavs were aware that Jamison's knee sometimes flares up, so this was not surprise. If Friday were a playoff game, Jamison would have been in the lineup.

2. The strange part of Jamison's performance is how he's a 73 percent career shooter from the foul line, but 47 percent (18-of-38) since the trade. He has no explanation for it. In March, he 7-of-20 (35 percent).

3. Since his thumb surgery, Shaquille O'Neal has been recovering at his home in Florida. The Cavs have sent an assistant trainer to help him stay in shape, and O'Neal is expected to be back in town within a week. The key was avoiding an infection after the surgery, and it seems that has been accomplished and his thumb is healing well. The Cavs still are not expecting him before the playoffs, but O'Neal wants to be back for the final week of the regular season.

4. Suppose J.J. Hickson were in this college draft, how high would he picked? Certainly in the top 10. The 21-year-old Hickson should be a junior at N.C. State. That's why he is making such progress in his second pro season, growing in every area from physical to emotional to learning the pro game. Since O'Neal was injured and Hickson became the starting center on March 1, he is averaging 10.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and shooting 51 percent in 24 minutes per game.

5. Hickson averaged 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in his only season at N.C. State, where he also shot 59 percent. He was second in the ACC in rebounding. General Manager Danny Ferry knew Hickson needed time to mature, but also realized that it's rare to find a 6-9 big man with such obvious physical gifts at No. 19 in the draft. He resisted the offers to trade Hickson, as Indiana (for Troy Murphy) and Washington (for Jamison) wanted him. So did Phoenix, but the Suns wanted other players in the package -- and in the end, decided to keep Amare Stoudemire.

6. In the 97-95 victory over San Antonio, Hickson impressed the coaching staff by battling Tim Duncan, who had only 13 points and five rebounds compared to 12 points and seven rebounds for Hickson. A few months ago, Duncan probably would have destroyed Hickson and enticed the young Cavalier into foul trouble. About 65 percent of Hickson's field goals are "at the rim," mostly dunks and layups. But the Cavs want him playing inside, moving without the ball to catch passes from LeBron James and also crashing the boards for offensive rebounds to take advantage of his leaping ability.

7. Leon Powe started Friday night, and was 3-of-6 shooting for seven points and three rebounds in 15 minutes. The Cavs need to use this time with O'Neal hurt to see if Powe can help come the playoffs. It seemed a waste when played only four minutes over the last three games before Philadelphia, as time went to Darnell Jackson and Danny Green. Powe is far more likely to be a contributor than either of those two young players. But Powe needs court time to get into game shape after coming back from major knee surgery.

[paddio]

If we could have made our free throws we would have really kicked the shit out the Celtics yesterday. Bring them old fucks on in the playoffs.

[paddio]

Varejao's hustle frustrates Celtics
Photos
AP / Mark Duncan


Getting destroyed by LeBron James is nothing for the Celtics. They also know there’s not much they can do about it.

But watching Anderson Varejao beat them with hustle is something that’s getting old for Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers. He thought the Cavs forward “completely dominated this game” in Cleveland’s 104-93 win Sunday.

“Loose balls, activity, getting under our skin,” Rivers said. “I mean, he’s doing what he should be doing. That was very frustrating.”

Varejao had 17 points and 10 rebounds for his 11th double-double, continuing his strong season as Cleveland’s super sub. He grabbed six of the team’s 17 offensive rebounds and kept numerous other balls alive.

“Anderson Varejao was the key today,” Celtics All-Star forward Kevin Garnett said. “If you control him, you control the majority of that, and he was the 50-50 game (getting loose balls), energy, hustle, all of that.”

Varejao has scored in double figures in nine of the last 10 games, averaging 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in that stretch. He’s shooting 70.7 percent from the field the last 10 games.

“As a teammate, we kind of take him for granted,” James said. “You know he’s going to be active, going to play his butt off every single game, and give it his all.”

[Sack]

If we could have made our free throws we would have really kicked the shit out the Celtics yesterday. Bring them old fucks on in the playoffs.

Rasheed has got to be the worst player in the league. Finley is in the top 5.

[paddio]

West sits: Delonte West was held out of Tuesday's game with a mild left knee sprain, which he suffered Sunday against the Celtics. Coach Mike Brown the move was precautionary and the injury wasn't serious. West is questionable for Wednesday's home game against the Pacers.


More free throw info: The Cavs have slipped to 29th in the league in free-throw shooting at 72 percent, easily their worst in the LeBron James era. However, players and coaches don't seem to be all that concerned. Perhaps it is because the Cavs rarely seem to lose because of it.

There have been only two games this season free-throw shooting was a major culprit in a loss. One was a one-point loss at Utah and the other was an overtime loss at home to Denver by two points.

In fact, the numbers show the Cavs make more free throws when they are important. They shoot just 69 percent in the first halves of games, but 75 percent in the second half. The fourth quarter is their best at 76 percent.

"It is not my style to talk about it publicly and make it a spectacle and put it more in the guy's head," Brown said. "We'll continue to shoot during practice but I know we have capable free-throw shooters."


Schedule change: The time of the second Cavs-Pistons game this week has been changed. The game will be played at 6 p.m. Sunday at The Q instead of 8 p.m. The game has also been taken off ESPN and will only be televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

[Sack]

I'm starting to get frustrated with the free throw shooting. Jamison is shooting them like he's Ben damn Wallace.

[paddio]

I'm starting to get frustrated with the free throw shooting. Jamison is shooting them like he's Ben damn Wallace.

All mental now