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Cavaliers notebook: Brown is settling on a player rotation

By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer

POSTED: 10:18 p.m. EST, Nov 12, 2009

MIAMI: Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said today that he's starting to get a feel for his rotation, something that's been in flux since the start of training camp.

''It's been evident the last two games,'' Brown said. ''I'm starting to feel comfortable with the different pieces and parts to this team and I'm starting to be able to mix them on the fly.''

The Cavs have won five of their last six games and the offense has flowed better. The Cavs have scored 100 or more points in four of those games, including Wednesday night's win over the Orlando Magic.

But issues remain.

The primary one is the continuing saga of Delonte West, the troubled, talented and inactive guard.

West, missed both the game against the Magic and today's game against the Miami Heat because of a matter that the team is handling internally.

Although the Cavs won't go into details as to why West missed the two games, he missed the team's charter flight to Orlando Tuesday night.

West's absence alters any rotation that Brown can come up with, but the coach is not worried about it.

''In my mind, I have a way to go if he's active and a way to go if he's not active,'' Brown said. ''So I'm good either way.''

Brown sounds as if he's ready to minimize the use of centers Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shaquille O'Neal on the floor together.

''For the most part, they probably won't play together unless the matchups really warrant it and I felt it did when they had [Marcin] Gortat and Dwight [Howard] on the floor together,'' Brown said of the game against the Magic.

Brown said the Ilgauskas-O'Neal pairing will likely make another appearance.

''There may be times when we have to go that way against the Lakers or against Portland or a couple of other teams like that,'' he said.


Life's a fantasy

LeBron James said that he had indeed allowed himself to think about what it would be like to play with his friend, the Heat's Dwyane Wade.

Both players, who came in the league at the same time, will head a much heralded free-agent class next summer. But James said that despite his fantasy, reality tells an entirely different story.

''In a fantasy world, there are a lot of guys in the NBA that you'd love to see if you could be on the same team to see how you match up with the rest of the NBA,'' he said. ''But there are so many great teams that you just go out there and take care of your own business.''
 

The question

The moratorium James placed on free-agent talk spread through the NBA world like the H1N1 virus and the question regarding his future only game up in a cursory way. Some believed that the reluctance to deal with the issue again came out of frustration, but James said that wasn't the case.

''How many ways can I answer the question? It got to the point where I couldn't answer any other way,'' he said. ''It doesn't make any sense for me to keep talking about it.''
 

Body armor

Forward Anderson Varejao has been wearing padding ever since the physical game against the Chicago Bulls. It has served its purpose by protecting him, but now the Cavs' forward has grown a bit superstitious. Riding a two-game winning streak, Varejao said he might keep wearing it.
 

Buzzer beaters

The Cavs and Heat went into tonight's game as two of the league's highest-rated defenses.

George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas.

 

MIAMI: Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said today that he's starting to get a feel for his rotation, something that's been in flux since the start of training camp.

''It's been evident the last two games,'' Brown said. ''I'm starting to feel comfortable with the different pieces and parts to this team and I'm starting to be able to mix them on the fly.''

The Cavs have won five of their last six games and the offense has flowed better. The Cavs have scored 100 or more points in four of those games, including Wednesday night's win over the Orlando Magic.

But issues remain.

The primary one is the continuing saga of Delonte West, the troubled, talented and inactive guard.

West, missed both the game against the Magic and today's game against the Miami Heat because of a matter that the team is handling internally.

Although the Cavs won't go into details as to why West missed the two games, he missed the team's charter flight to Orlando Tuesday night.

West's absence alters any rotation that Brown can come up with, but the coach is not worried about it.

''In my mind, I have a way to go if he's active and a way to go if he's not active,'' Brown said. ''So I'm good either way.''

Brown sounds as if he's ready to minimize the use of centers Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shaquille O'Neal on the floor together.

''For the most part, they probably won't play together unless the matchups really warrant it and I felt it did when they had [Marcin] Gortat and Dwight [Howard] on the floor together,'' Brown said of the game against the Magic.

Brown said the Ilgauskas-O'Neal pairing will likely make another appearance.

''There may be times when we have to go that way against the Lakers or against Portland or a couple of other teams like that,'' he said.


Life's a fantasy

LeBron James said that he had indeed allowed himself to think about what it would be like to play with his friend, the Heat's Dwyane Wade.

Both players, who came in the league at the same time, will head a much heralded free-agent class next summer. But James said that despite his fantasy, reality tells an entirely different story.

''In a fantasy world, there are a lot of guys in the NBA that you'd love to see if you could be on the same team to see how you match up with the rest of the NBA,'' he said. ''But there are so many great teams that you just go out there and take care of your own business.''
 

The question

The moratorium James placed on free-agent talk spread through the NBA world like the H1N1 virus and the question regarding his future only game up in a cursory way. Some believed that the reluctance to deal with the issue again came out of frustration, but James said that wasn't the case.

''How many ways can I answer the question? It got to the point where I couldn't answer any other way,'' he said. ''It doesn't make any sense for me to keep talking about it.''
 

Body armor

Forward Anderson Varejao has been wearing padding ever since the physical game against the Chicago Bulls. It has served its purpose by protecting him, but now the Cavs' forward has grown a bit superstitious. Riding a two-game winning streak, Varejao said he might keep wearing it.
 

Buzzer beaters

The Cavs and Heat went into tonight's game as two of the league's highest-rated defenses.

George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas.



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EastSideJo
Bethesda, MD

Posted 08:25 AM, 11/13/2009

Time running out on West. Gibson's new body has made a difference. But if the Cavs make a move/trade it will be early in the season. Iverson has been mentioned. The time to move on is near.


A Different TonyZ

Posted 08:57 AM, 11/13/2009

No Iverson. That's all they need is 2 guys who always want the ball in their hands.


Hermie13
Cleveland, OH

Posted 11:28 AM, 11/13/2009

If Iverson agrees to be a backup and never complains, he'd be a good pickup.....

But I don't think that is gonna be the case. Iverson would be a good guy to have when Lebron is on the bench. He can create his own scoring chances and makes the defense concentrate on him even at his age.

But the risks are just high with him. Maybe if you trade DWest straight up for AI it could work (if it appears West is just never gonna get his head on straight this year).

AI is an expiring contract. Maybe Memphis will take DWest thinking that they can get something out of him (instead of nothing like AI). Cavs could throw in a pick (though it won't be a good one).

Losing that extra $4M from DWest's contract next year would really help the Cavs be able to bring in someone like a Linas Klieza next year to be a stretch 4.


I do not see any of this happening....but there are ways AI could fit with the Cavs.


scsecaur
Woodville, TX

Posted 02:38 PM, 11/13/2009

Iverson has proven to be totally selfish and very immature at every stop in his NBA career. He would be a disaster for the Çavs. "Practice, it's practice, man..."


EastSideJo
Bethesda, MD

Posted 04:28 PM, 11/13/2009

Check out Wilbon's column in the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/10/AR2009111016558.html
















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