Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Complaints against officer keep coming
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Region makes way for latest batch of snow; cancellations rise
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Police: Man tries to buy crack with credit card
Cleveland named worst U.S. city for winter weather; Columbus is No. 8
Woman rescued after falling through rotting floor in house
Man admits stealing TV from Akron home
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Law, Love and Chocolate
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 09:56 p.m. EST, Nov 24, 2009
INDEPENDENCE: When the Cavaliers square off tonight against the Detroit Pistons in the Palace of Auburn Hills, a familiar figure will pace around the opponents' bench.
Pistons President Joe Dumars hired John Kuester, the former Cavs assistant, during the off-season, giving him his first shot at being an NBA coach.
''It's exciting. I was obviously once an assistant coach,'' coach Mike Brown said. ''As an assistant coach, most guys want that opportunity to coach — especially in this league — so for him to get that opportunity, it's a great thing for him to experience.''
Kuester arrived from the Orlando Magic in August 2007. Although he spent only two seasons with the Cavaliers, there's little doubt that he had influence, especially during last year's record-breaking run when the Cavs grew significantly on offense. Much of that is attributed to Kuester, whose philosophy allowed the Cavs to open up their offensive game.
As the current season unfolded and the Cavs began to struggle on offense, Brown and LeBron James said that the loss of Kuester was one of the reasons. When the Cavs take the court tonight, James is expecting to see a mirror image.
''It's going to be the same thing that we run and the same sets that we run for the most part,'' he said. ''It's going to almost be like we're going against ourselves in practice — only with different players.
''It's going to be good though.''
Brown said that he expects to see a team that trusts one another, communicates and plays together.
''He's a very good coach. I think that was the right hire by Joe Dumars,'' Brown said. ''He's a guy who can bring a group together. He's a guy who knows what he's talking about offensively. He knows what he's talking about defensively, it's just going to take them some time to gel.''
Indeed, the Pistons have had their share of new faces, as well. Gone are Allen Iverson and that one-season experiment. Gone is Rasheed Wallace, shipped off to shore up the Boston Celtics' bench. Dumars has injected some new, youthful blood via free agency in the persons of guard Ben Gordon (20.6 points, 3.3 assists per game) from the Chicago Bulls and power forward Charlie Villanueva (15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds per game) from the Milwaukee. Another old friend, Ben Wallace, found his way back to the Pistons during the offseason after leaving the Cavaliers.
Courtesy of some tense playoff series — one of which included James' masterpiece performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007 — the two teams built a rivalry over the years. But given what happened in last year's playoffs with the Cavs sweeping the Pistons and the change in personnel, that seems like a distant memory.
Brown said that there have been too many changes since the Cavaliers began to scrap their way to the NBA's tier of elite teams.
''Their team has changed since the time we were coming up,'' he said. ''I don't know how much of a rivalry it was for them, but it was for us.''
Brown honestly assessed the current state of the Cavs-Pistons rivalry: ''Is it now? It doesn't really feel like it. Maybe people think differently.''
James also said the luster has worn off somewhat.
''We have a lot of history with them, but no, I don't see them as a rival at this point,'' James said. ''It's still going to be a really good game, but with Rasheed gone, it's really not like it was.''
Injury update
Brown said a decision will be made just before tonight's game on whether Shaquille O'Neal will play. The Pistons will be without two of their key players. Richard ''Rip'' Hamilton (sprained ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (small ruptured disc in his back) will sit out.
Buzzer beaters
Not including last year's playoff sweep, the Cavs have won three consecutive games against the Pistons.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/thomas.
INDEPENDENCE: When the Cavaliers square off tonight against the Detroit Pistons in the Palace of Auburn Hills, a familiar figure will pace around the opponents' bench.
Pistons President Joe Dumars hired John Kuester, the former Cavs assistant, during the off-season, giving him his first shot at being an NBA coach.
''It's exciting. I was obviously once an assistant coach,'' coach Mike Brown said. ''As an assistant coach, most guys want that opportunity to coach — especially in this league — so for him to get that opportunity, it's a great thing for him to experience.''
Kuester arrived from the Orlando Magic in August 2007. Although he spent only two seasons with the Cavaliers, there's little doubt that he had influence, especially during last year's record-breaking run when the Cavs grew significantly on offense. Much of that is attributed to Kuester, whose philosophy allowed the Cavs to open up their offensive game.
As the current season unfolded and the Cavs began to struggle on offense, Brown and LeBron James said that the loss of Kuester was one of the reasons. When the Cavs take the court tonight, James is expecting to see a mirror image.
''It's going to be the same thing that we run and the same sets that we run for the most part,'' he said. ''It's going to almost be like we're going against ourselves in practice — only with different players.
''It's going to be good though.''
Brown said that he expects to see a team that trusts one another, communicates and plays together.
''He's a very good coach. I think that was the right hire by Joe Dumars,'' Brown said. ''He's a guy who can bring a group together. He's a guy who knows what he's talking about offensively. He knows what he's talking about defensively, it's just going to take them some time to gel.''
Indeed, the Pistons have had their share of new faces, as well. Gone are Allen Iverson and that one-season experiment. Gone is Rasheed Wallace, shipped off to shore up the Boston Celtics' bench. Dumars has injected some new, youthful blood via free agency in the persons of guard Ben Gordon (20.6 points, 3.3 assists per game) from the Chicago Bulls and power forward Charlie Villanueva (15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds per game) from the Milwaukee. Another old friend, Ben Wallace, found his way back to the Pistons during the offseason after leaving the Cavaliers.
Courtesy of some tense playoff series — one of which included James' masterpiece performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007 — the two teams built a rivalry over the years. But given what happened in last year's playoffs with the Cavs sweeping the Pistons and the change in personnel, that seems like a distant memory.
Brown said that there have been too many changes since the Cavaliers began to scrap their way to the NBA's tier of elite teams.
''Their team has changed since the time we were coming up,'' he said. ''I don't know how much of a rivalry it was for them, but it was for us.''
Brown honestly assessed the current state of the Cavs-Pistons rivalry: ''Is it now? It doesn't really feel like it. Maybe people think differently.''
James also said the luster has worn off somewhat.
''We have a lot of history with them, but no, I don't see them as a rival at this point,'' James said. ''It's still going to be a really good game, but with Rasheed gone, it's really not like it was.''
Injury update
Brown said a decision will be made just before tonight's game on whether Shaquille O'Neal will play. The Pistons will be without two of their key players. Richard ''Rip'' Hamilton (sprained ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (small ruptured disc in his back) will sit out.
Buzzer beaters
Not including last year's playoff sweep, the Cavs have won three consecutive games against the Pistons.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/thomas.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, OH
Posted 12:03 AM, 11/25/2009
Those guys know one another, don't they? Rasheed's gone and Ben is back . . . . that's a switch.
medina, oh
Posted 08:26 AM, 11/26/2009
How come Ben Wallace can make a foul shot now?
