Rebuilding Cavs will take time, patience

They could get both Pau Gasol and Jason Kidd. Shaquille O'Neal and Mike Bibby at the same time.

[Tim In Plantation FL]

Rebuilding to me is for a team like the Miami Heat, not a 28 - 21 team that is 16 - 5 in its last 21 games, even with numerous injuries to its top 8 rotation players. This same team also made it to the NBA Finals last year. This same team also has a superstar player who's only 23, AV who's 24-25, and Gibson who's 22 - all three are playing better this year than last year when this team went to the finals.

The Cavs last year were mostly a young team who had few players with any Finals experience at all. The veterans that they did have were mostly past their prime. They also went up against a veteran team in the Spurs who had already won the championship several times before playing the Cavs last year. Doesn't anyone think that maybe, just maybe, this Cavs team will continue to grow and play better together as a team and learn from last years Finals experience and be even better and hungrier in the playoffs this year?

When a superstar like Lebron gets embarrassed by being swept in the Finals, they usually come out the following year to be even more determined than ever. Remember the passive Lebron of last year, who at many times in the first half just floated around, made some passes here and there and then decided to get aggressive later in the game? That Lebron has matured into an aggressive, possessed monster on both offense and defense, and this is only the regular season. Who knows what level he will attain in the playoffs this year?

I'd say keep the team as is, hope it gets healthy, and enjoy the ride, because this team is very capable of winning it all this year with the team we have right now. And as a reminder, I was the one who predicted the Browns would go 10 - 6 before the season started, so I must have some wisdom.

[bikerman]

You have a lot of good thoughts Tim. To dissect the team to acquire a proven point guard would be a huge mistake. It is readily aparent recently, that we need Gooden on the boards. Marshall certainly doesn't fill the void, and Newble is not the answer at the #4. It also would be a mistake to trade Gibson, since he has great upside.

It seems like a mid level point guard would be our best option. It seems like Boynkin would have been our best option. Flip Murray could probably be had again. It is so painful to watch Hughes run the offense. Remember two years ago, when Hughes went down, Murray provided the spark for a 50 win season. Hughes came back just in time to help us stumble in the playoffs.

[RPB]

I agree with much of what you say Tim in Plantation (although we can do without your "wisdom" comment).
bikerman, I assume you mean Boykins, he is a good scorer, but is a liability on defense because of his size. Flip Murray is unavailable, the Pistons won't give the Cavs anything. Like I said yesterday, I am not a huge fan of Hughes, but your comments about him are far from true. They win when he runs the point.
Everyone needs to exercise some patience and allow this team to get healthy. The East is very weak. The Cavs can beat Boston, Orlando, and Detroit in the playoffs. Then I'll take my chances in the Finals with LeBron on our side.

ESJ, quit rubbing your Bingo Ball and pipe in with your "wisdom". I guess because your so old you must know everything!

[East Side Joe]

RPB wrote:

I agree with much of what you say Tim in Plantation (although we can do without your "wisdom" comment).
bikerman, I assume you mean Boykins, he is a good scorer, but is a liability on defense because of his size. Flip Murray is unavailable, the Pistons won't give the Cavs anything. Like I said yesterday, I am not a huge fan of Hughes, but your comments about him are far from true. They win when he runs the point.
Everyone needs to exercise some patience and allow this team to get healthy. The East is very weak. The Cavs can beat Boston, Orlando, and Detroit in the playoffs. Then I'll take my chances in the Finals with LeBron on our side.
ESJ, quit rubbing your Bingo Ball and pipe in with your "wisdom". I guess because your so old you must know everything!

Deep thoughts from Pittsburgh and pointing out the obvious.

[larry d]

We are truly lucky to have a man like Danny Ferry teaching us the meaning of patience.

[Temple-Man]

Thanks for this article. Maybe...just maybe...this article will quell some of the inane trade demands by fans. WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO TRADE. I'd like some GM to be stupid enough to trade us Jason Kidd or Mike Bibby for Larry Hughes or some of our other junk, but no one is that stupid. Phoenix gave up Shawn Marion. LA gave up draft choices (and junk). Dallas is offering Devon Harris for Kidd. The Cavaliers are tapped out. LeBron and Mike Brown's defense are keeping us competitive until the landscape changes. Patience is all we have.
Let's also not be so insanely impatient for short term veterans that we wind up looking like Miami when LeBron's contract expires. The Heat hit the championship lottery because Dallas collapsed in the finals. But look at them now. We don't suck, so let's wait for the right opportunity to get better. One good deal at the right time will change everything for years to come. If Hughes wasn't so terrible we'd already be there.

[Mike]

Cavs have had several chances over the years to bring Andre Miller back, why they didn't I don't know. I can understand why they can't get him now. But why did they let Boykins sit available for months and months? Just because of his defense? A real mystery to me.

[Paydog79]

How about a trade with the chicago Bulls. Cavaliers will get Ben Wallace and Ben Gordan or Chris Duhon for Larry hughes and drew gooden. If they go with Ben Gordan he will provide much needed points to help James, If they go with chris duhon he will provide the point guard that you need. Ben Wallace will provide the defense in the middle and rebounds.

[alan t]

RPB wrote:

I agree with much of what you say Tim in Plantation (although we can do without your "wisdom" comment).
bikerman, I assume you mean Boykins, he is a good scorer, but is a liability on defense because of his size. Flip Murray is unavailable, the Pistons won't give the Cavs anything. Like I said yesterday, I am not a huge fan of Hughes, but your comments about him are far from true. They win when he runs the point.
Everyone needs to exercise some patience and allow this team to get healthy. The East is very weak. The Cavs can beat Boston, Orlando, and Detroit in the playoffs. Then I'll take my chances in the Finals with LeBron on our side.
ESJ, quit rubbing your Bingo Ball and pipe in with your "wisdom". I guess because your so old you must know everything!

I read some of these posts, and I gotta roll my eyes everytime. Peaches and cream and peaches and cream.

By the way, if you'd wake up out of your bear-like winter hibernation for just a brief moment, then I'll be able to inform y'all that Boykins was signed by Charlotte in January. So how this now makes him "available" to the bald pasty white tall guy who makes the bad decisions in the Cavs' front office, I'm really not sure.

[East Side Joe]

Give up n the trade thing. No one wants what we have. You could find a team looking to dump their version of LH but unlikely. Best to go with the team 'as is' and have BROWN WORK HIS USUAL WONDER with rotations.

[kylerockins]

Ah, some thinking people on here today....I'm sick of the "shut up and get it DONE, Ferry" drivel that's been so prevalent lately. True, we have very little that is attractive to other teams, and we do NOT have a declining HOFer like Shaq to unload for real talent (talent evaluators for other teams get paid for knowing this....the idea of fleecing them by talking up Hughes or Marshall or Shannon Brown on these posts is pretty idiotic). The Cavs will go as far as LBJ can take them this year, and if they fall short of the Finals, the season is not a total loss; in this day and age of the NBA, you DO have to look at expiring contracts and and least partial-plan a year or two in advance. Oh, and if you DO get lucky with a second-round gem like Boozer, don't trust their word that they'll sign a favorable agreement.....that was our Championship-level missing piece!

[Gain Some Reality]

Tim In Plantation FL wrote:

I'd say keep the team as is, hope it gets healthy, and enjoy the ride, because this team is very capable of winning it all this year with the team we have right now.

That is exactly what the article says will happen. No one wants mosts of the players and contracts we can offer. The next couple of years, the expiring contracts look very tempting.

[Gain Some Reality]

Paydog79 wrote:

How about a trade with the chicago Bulls. Cavaliers will get Ben Wallace and Ben Gordan or Chris Duhon for Larry hughes and drew gooden. If they go with Ben Gordan he will provide much needed points to help James, If they go with chris duhon he will provide the point guard that you need. Ben Wallace will provide the defense in the middle and rebounds.

Why would a team in our division trade with us, especially for Hughes?

[Minor-Deal Miner]

Once again BW proves why he's the best Cavs reporter in the area, great article... If the Cavs do anything, it'll be something along the lines of the Flip Murray deal, so look for PG's and/or big-men-with-potential rotting on the ends of NBA benches. Ridenour? Reddick? Smush?

I may be a headcase for this suggestion: Artest for Gooden. Headcase for Headcase. When Artest is on his meds he's among the best defenders in the league, and among the few who can keep LBJ relatively in check one-on-one. Ron's offensive #'s aren't bad either. Lebron wasn't too disappointed when Ron went to the left-coast. Imagine if Lebron went up against Ron in practice everyday. How much better would LBJ become? If it could happen, would the benefits out weigh the obvious disadvantages? Food for thought. Talk amongst yourselves. I'm late for my shrink appointment.

[RPB]

East Side Joe wrote:

<quoted text>
Deep thoughts from Pittsburgh and pointing out the obvious.

Sorry ESJ, Because I'm not being critical I guess it's not insightful? I don't have a Bingo Ball to rub when I need a deep thought. You always come strong with your comments... like coming back with the above, or the 12 year old/Bingo comment yesterday! Good stuff!

[RPB]

alan t,

Peaches and cream??? So you don't think the Cavs can compete with the "top teams" in the East? And yes, I know Boykins has signed. I was simply responding to bikerman's reference to "Boynkin".

Nice job with the Larry Mikan reference yesterday, that was sweet!

[Akron Al]

Mike wrote:

Cavs have had several chances over the years to bring Andre Miller back, why they didn't I don't know. I can understand why they can't get him now. But why did they let Boykins sit available for months and months? Just because of his defense? A real mystery to me.

Well, yeah, because of his defense. He's easily exploited. He also tends to hog the ball. It's bad enough when 'Bron or Larry pound it at the top of the key. There's a reason why no one else in the NBA signed him, either. Our record with Hughes at the point is very good. The point guard situation is simply not a big problem. We need another scorer, not necessarily a point guard. If he can bring the ball up, fine.

[truth is gold]

I love LeBron, he is inspirational to watch. For more inspiration watch yeswecansong.com , I know its early but its time!!!

[Akron Al]

Paydog79 wrote:

How about a trade with the chicago Bulls. Cavaliers will get Ben Wallace and Ben Gordan or Chris Duhon for Larry hughes and drew gooden. If they go with Ben Gordan he will provide much needed points to help James, If they go with chris duhon he will provide the point guard that you need. Ben Wallace will provide the defense in the middle and rebounds.

I don't think that Wallace and Duhon makes the team better. I'd rather have Gooden and all his faults than Ben Wallace. At this point Gooden is as good a rebounder as Wallace, and Big Ben's defensive skills are fading fast. And Wallace's contract is worse than Hughes'- yikes! Hughes and Duhon are pretty similar players, which says more about how disappointing Larry's production has been than it does about Duhon. Gordon would be cool, although we'd suffer a defensive dropoff, it'd be nice to have another go to scorer. I just not sure it would be worth it to take on Wallace's contract, and frankly, restricted free agents kind of scare me now....

[donny]

hey well i think we can get j-kidd just listen if we do a trade like maybe.sending them eric snow, larry hughes, shannon brown, and drew gooden for jason kidd and jamal miglore it would be good and would help. because Z is in his few last years jamal can take over and jason will help with a vetrian core .