This was intended to be a warning to fans not to get too excited about the playoffs. Despite their surprising start, the Cavs still viewed themselves as sellers and not buyers in the trade market. They were not going to try to add pieces in an attempt to make the playoffs this season, but rather look at ways to build for the future.
That just doesn’t seem necessary now. Anderson Varejao’s fractured right wrist, which will probably keep him out at least a month, should quickly eliminate the Cavs from playoff contention.
And that’s not a bad thing.
Two surprises emerged through the first 25 games of this NBA season: The Cavs played better than anyone imagined and the Eastern Conference is a disaster after the top two teams (Chicago and Miami).
That left them in contention for the final playoff spot, when in reality that would’ve screwed up everything. The Cavs entered the season expecting to have another high pick in next summer’s draft, which they could add to Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson to form a nice nucleus for years to come. As it stands now, they should have more than $30 million in cap space next summer, which they can use in trades or free agency.
Only that top five pick was starting to look like it would fall instead to the 8-12 range.
The Cavs were concerned about what sort of message it would send to their players if they dismantled a team that was winning and playing well. They never showed much interest in moving Varejao, but Ramon Sessions is a valuable trade asset and Antawn Jamison could be dealt or have his contract bought out in the coming weeks, clearing the way for Thompson to start at power forward.
Any of those moves will be a little easier to make once the Cavs begin sliding down the standings. They began Sunday only two games out of the eighth spot in the East, but only three games ahead of the Nets, who have the third-worst record in the East.
It shouldn’t be a surprise if the Cavs free-fall in the standings, and now when it happens, the organization won’t be viewed as intentionally tanking the season to claim another high pick.
Keep quiet
LeBron James was involved in a brief altercation with a fan during Friday’s victory at Washington, according to Deadspin.com. James was the only player in the backcourt when fan Bob Moore made a lewd comment toward James about his mother.
Moore said James walked toward him and said “The only reason you talk s--- is because you know I can’t come off the court right now and beat your a--.” Moore said James later said “But if I had a free pass, I’d kick your a-- right now.”
Moore said he responded: “I’m right here baby. Let’s go,” before security stepped in.
No freebies
The Philadelphia 76ers are winning without superstars this season because they play well together and they don’t turn the ball over. The Sixers are averaging 10.5 turnovers per game (they had six in Saturday’s win over the Cavs).
If that figure holds, they’ll set the record for fewest turnovers in a season since the league began tracking turnovers as a statistic in the 1970s. The 2005-06 Pistons hold the mark at 11.4 turnovers per game.
Still seething
Nearly 16 years later, Kobe Bryant is still infuriated at how the Charlotte Hornets handled him after drafting him during the summer of 1996.
Bryant told the New York Post last week that then-Hornets coach Dave Cowens spoke with Bryant shortly after the team selected him. He was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and blossomed into a champion and star.
“You know what the deal is, right?” Cowens asked Bryant.
“Yes, I do,” Bryant responded.
Bryant told the Post that Cowens responded “Well, that’s good, because we don’t need you anyway.”
Bryant has won five championships with the Lakers, while the Hornets moved to New Orleans and are still searching for their first championship as a franchise.
“Can you believe someone would say something like that to a 17-year-old?” Bryant told the Post. “That really threw me. It really hurt. Especially since it came from him. I knew about Dave Cowens. I knew what a great player he was. I followed his career. I looked up to him because he played so hard and showed so much passion. That spit just blew me away.”
Linsanity
Knicks rookie Jeremy Lin has exploded onto the NBA scene, scoring the most points by any player since the ABA-NBA merger in his first three starts. Lin, who went undrafted out of Harvard, was released by the Golden State Warriors and nearly released by the Knicks, scored 89 points in his first three starts and the Knicks are 4-0 since making him their point guard.
The entire NBA world has been swept away in Lin fever, but I wonder how much of it is simply a product of his market. Everything in New York turns bigger than it really is. Just ask Shane Spencer, who in September of 1998 was an unknown rookie who hit 10 home runs (including three grand slams) for the Yankees. He immediately reached cult status, but never did much after that.
Lin has a fantastic story. He’s the first American- born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. It’s likely he’ll find his way into All-Star weekend somehow, although he won’t be part of the All-Star game or the rookie/sophomore game. The NBA is wise enough, however, to incorporate one of the hottest names into the biggest weekend of the regular season.
China is an important market to the NBA, but it has lagged a bit since Yao Ming’s retirement. This could be a way to boost interest again.
As for Lin, the fervor will probably pass. Had he performed like this in a market like Cleveland or Utah, few would have noticed. But if he helps NBA Commissioner David Stern wiggle back into China, everyone will leave happy.
Trade market
Lin’s breakout has cooled the Knicks’ need for a point guard. That’s not good news for the Cavs, who can move Sessions in the right deal, but the Knicks didn’t have many pieces that fit with the Cavs’ plans anyhow.
The Lakers are still looking for point guard help and were reportedly desperate enough to reach out to Allen Iverson a few weeks back, under the condition Iverson went to the Development League for a few weeks, ESPN.com reported. They also have spoken with castaway Rafer Alston.
Sessions remains a logical fit with the Lakers, but it will be difficult for any teams to complete deals until the Dwight Howard saga in Orlando is resolved. The Lakers have two first-round picks, but will want to hold onto both to see whether they can be used to pry away Howard.
Once Howard is moved, the rest of the market will take shape. The same was true last year with Carmelo Anthony’s saga.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at http://cavs.ohio.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.
