M/A-W: LeBrontourage
Feb 22nd, 2008 by Brinson
Initially, as you can see, I pointed out that Chad Ford may have over-played the whole lead up to the trading deadline. That’s not a huge shock - it’s ESPN, it’s what they do, etc. Including, but not limited to, “taking phone calls” from NBA GM’s that were reading the chat and wanted to know from Ford what the deal was on the Cavs-Bulls trade (I’m calling total bullshit on that by the way), which is a superb way to sell your product. “Wait … the GM’s read this chat? Holy shit! I am in!” Even if it was true, it’s silly to think about - the general managers are the ones who create the news, so why on Earth would they be concerned with what the guy who is reporting it has to say to the general public in a vaguely veiled way? Exactly.
All that being said, I pointed out that Ford’s chat essentially amounted to a bunch of nothing (possibilities! rumors! gossip! live!) except pointing out that Isiah Thomas was a moron, which is something anyone can do. However, after the deadline, the proposed Bulls-Cavs deal did go through, and the more and more and more I think about it (I can’t help but ponder Danny Ferry’s thought process throughout this whole thing), I tend to believe it works really well for the Cavs.
However, that’s easy to lob out and less simple for the Cavs to prove correctly over the course of the rest of the season. LeBron and Big Z will be the only two starters remaining on this particular Cleveland team, I think. Seems to me that Ben Wallace and Z could easily co-exist and wreck old man rebounding havoc on the East from the four and five … Bron would obviously stay at the three and run point say 60 percent of the time. When he wasn’t he would simply come off of screens or set up isos and when everyone collapsed on him in the lane he kicks out to Wally and West for open jumpers.
The beauty of this though, is that we might finally get to see the uber-evolved form of LeBron that is currently being forced to score too many points for his own good. LeBron is a better player when he passes more, but it’s also obvious that he’s taken another significant jump in terms of his maturity and talent blend this season. Is this Cavs team immediately better than the Pistons or Celtics? No, of course not. HOW-EVA. When LeBron James is on a team, as we “witnessed” during the Eastern Conference Finals last year, he has the ability to beat a team by himself. Now he has some help.
And that’s the thing that gets me - how did Danny Ferry plan this? Because if you watched it unfold and made a quick gut check reaction to it, the immediate thought is “desperation is a stinky cologne”. But when you start to think about the process - sure Cavs management loves Ben Wallace but his contract was absurd - you realize that maybe Ferry did know what he was doing. He took on Wallace because it gives them a bigger presence than Drew Gooden down low (a much bigger presence even if it’s much more expensive) but he was obviously right in forcing the Bulls to take on Larry Hughes. Hughes’ absence created the room - financially and on the court - to bring in Szczerbs, who is more of the true spot up shooter that James needs to compliment his ability to attack the hole than another slasher like Hughes. Look, much like the Shaq trade (quasi-hedge alert!) it all really depends on whether they win or not, of course. But this more than anything depends on whether or not LeBron James is happy with ownership, management and his teammates. If he is, and he thinks this Cavs team can win, he’ll stay. And they’ll win. Which makes it a good trade.
I’m from the Cleveland area and everyone around here is pretty happy to see hughes go. He’s injury prone and just didn’t fit in well/produce here. I think the changes will suit us well, however, I’m a bit worried at the fact we’ll be a “slower” team. Z, wallace, and scerb won’t be running circles around anyone.
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