Cleveland Sports Forum

Bottom line is this. Detroit would love to call Hamilton an asset. He is a cancer and everyone knows it. Detroit is currently borrowing money to meet their obligations (widow of Davidson) and is expecting the new owner to pick up the notes as part of the selling price. Detroit would love to get rid of Hamilton. Probably there is only one team (the Cavs) that can get this done.

Gilbert is not against spending money but not draft picks unless he has to.

#2 Picks for the last 10 years: Evan Turner, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marvin Williams, Emeka Okafor, Darko Milcic, Jay Williams, Tyson Chandler, Stromile Swift, Steve Francis, Mike Bibby

#4 Picks for the last 10 years: Wesley Johnson, Tyrus Thomas, Chris Paul, Shaun Livingston, Chris Bosh, Drew Gooden, Eddy Curry, Marcus Fizer, Lamar Odom, Antawn Jamison

The same Piston sources explained that Joe Dumars still has a great deal of affection for Richard Hamilton and that "dumping" him was not viewed as a necessary option

Oh brother, what a load of crap.

Over the hill and drastically overpaid. He would be moved in a minute for the right deal.

Here are the last five NBA teams that have had two picks in the top five:

• Houston Rockets, 1983 — C Ralph Sampson (1), F Rodney McCray (3). Result: The Rockets went to the finals two years later, but only because they had the first pick in ‘84, too — Hakeem Olajuwon. They won back-to-back titles in ‘94 and ‘95, but by then Sampson and McCray were gone.

• Milwaukee Bucks, 1977 — C Kent Benson (1), F Marques Johnson (3). Result: Benson was pretty much a bust, but Johnson helped the Bucks get to the conference finals in ‘83 and ‘84.

• Atlanta Hawks, 1975 — F David Thompson (1), C Marvin Webster (3). Result: The hapless Hawks couldn’t sign either player, losing both to the Denver Nuggets of the rival ABA.

• Detroit Pistons, 1967 — G Jimmy Walker (1), F Sonny Dove (4). Result: Walker is probably better known for being Jalen Rose’s father than for anything he did in the NBA (such as playing in two All-Star Games). The Pistons were terrible before he and Dove arrived, and they remained terrible for years afterward.

• San Francisco Warriors, 1965 — F-C Fred Hetzel (4), F Rick Barry (5). Result: Hetzel, who graduated from Landon School in Bethesda and was Lefty Driesell’s first great player at Davidson, was just a journeyman pro. The Warriors struck gold, though, with Hall of Famer Barry. He led the Warriors to the finals in his second season and to a championship (over the Washington Bullets) in ‘75.

1-4-8 or 1-2?

1-4-8 might land Irving, V or Kanter, & Leonard. I would be thrilled with that.

Kyrie Irving might work out only for Cavaliers

Published: Wednesday, June 01, 2011

By Bob Finnan

RFinnan@News-Herald.com


There's a chance Duke point guard Kyrie Irving's predraft tour might consist of one stop.

"Our priority is Cleveland," agent Jeff Wechsler said from his office in Florida on Tuesday.

Irving, 19, might work out only for the Cavaliers. Don't expect him to work out with any other players.

"For my safety, I'm not going to work out with anyone else," he said at the NBA draft combine in Chicago on May 20.

The Cavs own the Nos. 1 and 4 picks in the June 23 NBA draft. They are expected to use the first overall pick on the 6-foot-3 1/2, 191-pound Irving.

Wechsler said they have yet to establish when Irving would come to Cleveland for his predraft workout.

"At some point, he will (come to Cleveland)," he said. "We have not set that (date) yet.

"He was down in Miami working out. He's an impressive young man."

Irving isn't obsessed with being the No. 1 pick.

"It's important, but it's not something I'm focused on completely," he said. "Preparing for these private workouts is my main focus. When I go into these private workouts, I want to be fully prepared where it's a clear consensus whatever team picks me."

Irving was a bit embarrassed by his 10.2 percent body fat during the NBA draft combine in Chicago two weeks ago.

"We're not concerned with that," Wechsler said.

In other news, Turkish center Enes Kanter is scheduled to work out in Cleveland on June 7, according to the Hoops Report.

Kanter is scheduled to work out for four teams, one of them the Cavs. He's also working out for Minnesota (which has the No. 2 pick), Utah (No. 3) and Toronto (No. 5).

As a I read more about Williams, i think there is at least a small chance he is there at 4. Very reasoanble to believe Minny goes Kanter, the key is the Jazz. I woud sure like to flip picks with them, but if not I fear they will trade with Toronto as it would be highly unlikely they would fear Cleveland picking Knight with the 4th pick (I think Kight is their pick at this time).

I would love to seize the moment and trade with Utah, before Minny declares who it wants

Does the Cavs trade exception go away at the beginning of next season? Isn't it a use it or lose it senerio? If that is the case, then the trade seems like a no brainer, if they get to keep the exception for another year, that would change things.

The TPE expires with the CBA. Cavs have petitioned the NBA for an extension of 10 days from whenever the new CBA agreement is reached.

Cavs TPE expires on July 9th or 10th , 2011. The CBA ends on July 1 and there are no deals allowed without a CBA. The Cavs are asking for an additional 9 days once a new CBA is agreed upon so they would have had a full year to use it.

LeBron defers to greatness of Wade

By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
5 hours, 1 minute ago



DALLAS – Here promises to be the perilous path of chasing a title with Dwyane Wade(notes), undertaking everything with the franchise star most responsible for raising a Miami Heat banner five years ago. Biggest stage in the world, biggest moment of his basketball life, and LeBron James(notes) has clearly come to terms with the fact he’s slowly, surely been reduced to the sidekick in these NBA Finals.

As the final minutes of the Heat’s 88-86 Game 3 victory unfolded on Sunday, Wade had reclaimed complete control of this partnership. James had deferred to Wade’s disposition to dominate these Dallas Mavericks. Wade has that killer scoring DNA of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant(notes), and James will forever make the right play, the pass to a lesser teammate when circumstances dictate. Always more Magic than Michael, and that has a chance to make him one of the two or three greatest all-around players ever.


Nevertheless, Wade watched James play that part in the Eastern Conference finals, but roles have been juxtaposed with Wade recreating the 2006 Finals against the Mavericks all over again.

“I’ve been here before, so just trying to lead,” Wade said. “My guys did a great job of following.”

Wade’s reveling in the notion that he’s no longer playing Robin in these Finals, referring to himself as the captain, as the leader and the star responsible for charting an aggressive path to a Game 3 victory some 24 hours earlier in a Saturday practice.

Perhaps nothing illustrated the dramatic transformations within the dynamic as Wade letting loose with a brief, blasting bark at James late in the fourth for dropping off a pass to Mario Chalmers(notes). Wade wanted James, so reluctant, to take the ball to the rim himself. No one has ever talked to King James like this on the floor, ever challenged him in such public and piercing ways.

Wade had a magnificent 29 points, 11 rebounds and no turnovers for the Heat. These Finals have evolved into a spectacular duel with Wade and Dirk Nowitzki(notes) delivering dagger upon dagger, until Nowitzki finally missed a fade-away to end the game and end one more Mavericks comeback.

So far, Nowitzki has had to do far too much on his own. He’s been genius, but his greatness won’t overcome Wade, James and a resurgent Chris Bosh(notes).

Nowitzki is surrounded with aging stars and flawed dependants. He had 34 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, but he still missed that 17-footer at the buzzer. As the Heat has thrust their tremendous defensive resolve upon Nowitzki, he’s still managed to find his points on tough angles, tough shots. He isn’t the frontrunner in these Finals, and that makes things different for him.

Nowitzki is viewed through a different prism because let’s face it: His Hall of Fame teammate is 38 years old; Jason Kidd’s(notes) well past his prime. Dirk didn’t go chasing a ring, he has tried to let it come to him.

This was part of the arrangement, and part of the criticism that’ll come with James winning a title. Wade’s on his way to the MVP in this series, and that’ll feed those who’ll want to diminish James’ choice to fortify his title aspirations with Wade. For some, this is why James will never get considerable due unless he parlays this partnership into multiple titles. He’ll need a fistful to validate the legitimacy of this front-running frolic. It isn’t fair, but it’s a fact.

So, James needs to accept those charges and consider it part of the sacrifice he made to be a champion. Credit can be fleeting, but his first ring will be forever. When James and Wade gathered for a postgame news conference, someone asked King James about “shrinking” in the fourth quarter, about failing to be a superstar when it was needed.

He gritted his teeth and stayed poised, but it cut to the core of his ego. Shrinking? James never publicly snaps, never loses his cool. He was goaded, but showed restraint.


LeBron James received an earful from Wade in the final quarter of the Game 3 victory. Said James: "As a competitor, you love when guys challenge you."
(NBAE/Getty Images)
“I think you’re concentrating on one side of the floor,” James sniffed. “All you’re looking at is the stat sheet. Honestly, I’m a two-way player. Since D-Wade had it going … we allow him to handle the ball, bring it on offensively. You should watch the film again and see what I did defensively. You’ll ask me a better question tomorrow.”

He’s right. He did play well defensively, but the nature of the game is to examine closer the two points and two turnovers in the fourth quarter. Still fresh on minds was LeBron’s part in the Heat’s fourth-quarter meltdown of Game 2, and how his reticence conspired to make possible the Mavericks’ improbable comeback.

Wade seemed far more amused and far less offended with the question. Before long, he was listening to James get asked about what it was like to have Wade getting in his face, challenging him with 3½ minutes left in the fourth quarter. Truth be told, Wade loved the line of questioning, loved that everyone noticed that he had reclaimed these Heat in Game 3.

“I was trying to do what leaders do, and what captains do,” Wade said. “Step up and say what you feel …”

James backed Wade, insisting: “At this point, there’s no room to hold anything back. As a competitor, you love when guys challenge you.”

Whatever happens, give Wade and James this: However they feel inside, they always maintain a united front. And remember, Wade has the chops – and the championship pedigree – to call James out on the floor, in the locker room, anywhere he chooses.

Wade had gone after James in the locker room at halftime too, and James went out of his way to disclose that. Wade is flexing his old muscle memory, pushing past the defense to the rim, lifting long, sure jumpers and barking admonishments to James. This is why they’ve moved within two victories of a championship, and why LeBron James has to bite his lip, absorb the misdirected daggers and accept that Wade’s genius on the offensive end could somehow reshape the narrative of a Heat championship season.

James can’t get angry. He can’t get defensive. He wanted to be part of a cornerstone of the most staggering array of talent that free agency ever brought together, and he’ll have to live with the repercussions of the choice. Only his coaches will go back and study the tape of his work on the defensive end, and ultimately James will have to find his most satisfaction, his most comfort, in victory.

Yes, Wade has transformed the most talented player in basketball to something of a championship series understudy. Wade was right: He’s been here before, and his guys did a great job of following. This was true of everyone, especially James. He’s done everything right in these playoffs, and that includes deferring to Wade turning back the Finals clock five years on the Mavericks.

Dwyane Wade has reclaimed control of these Miami Heat, restored himself as the Alpha Dog, and LeBron James has never been closer to a championship ring. And this is why he’ll have to grit his teeth and understand this was always going to be part of the perilous path of chasing a title with a champion who’s been there, done that.

Adrian Wojnarowski is the NBA columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter. Send Adrian a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

The look on James face late in the 4th quarter helps make his leaving palatable. He looked like a man in shock, having conceded his kingdom to Wade. Still pulling for Dallas, but at least we have stopped hearing about Lebron the closer.

The Pistons' job opened Sunday when new owner Tom Gores officially gave the go-ahead to cashiering John Kuester, as everyone knew would happen once the team all but quit on him during the season. Kuester, a source said Sunday, was "99 percent certain" to wind up on new Laker coach Mike Brown's staff as offensive coordinator, the role he served under Brown in Cleveland before taking the Pistons job. Hornets assistant Mike Malone, who interviewed Sunday for the Warriors' head coaching job, is likely to also join Brown's staff as the defensive boss -- the same role he had with Brown in Cleveland. NBA.com
DETROIT PISTONS, COACHING, MIKE BROWN, JOHN KUESTER | SHARE

The Numbers King

Arizona's Derrick Williams is the most complete player available, and would be well worth trading for at No. 2 -- or even selecting ahead of Duke point guard Kyrie Irving at No. 1. Everyone knows that Williams is versatile; a search for his name and that adjective yields around 127,000 hits in Google. His standard stats make it clear he's an excellent scorer (19.5 points per game), rebounder (8.3 per game), three-point shooter (56.8 percent) and drawer of fouls (11.6 free-throw attempts per 40 minutes), but the hoops world may not realize the true degree of his versatility. The data in his Synergy file is stunning:

• The Wildcats loved to force opposing big men to guard Williams one-on-one outside the paint, and 12.3 percent of his offensive possessions were in isolation situations. Of players who had 50 isolation possessions on the season, Williams ranked third in the nation in efficiency, at 1.1299 points per possession. The only players ahead of him were Butler's Shelvin Mack, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, and Ohio State's David Lighty, a 6-5 wing. Williams is a 6-8 hybrid forward who could not be contained off the dribble. His ISOs resulted in free throws an amazing 29.9 percent of the time, which is by far the highest rate of any player who appeared in the top 50 in ISO efficiency.

• Williams was a better spot-up shooter than any other major-conference forward, at 1.3731 PPP. He stretched defenses, and opened up his ISO game because his shot needed to be respected from anywhere on the floor.

• He thrived as the roll man in pick-and-roll situations, too. They accounted for 11 percent of his offense, and he was more efficient than any other major-conference forward, at 1.3768 PPP.

• Williams is just as comfortable in the low post, ranking fourth among major-conference forwards in post efficiency, at 1.0645 PPP. The only players ahead of him last season were Kansas' Marcus Morris (whom Williams destroyed in a head-to-head matchup), Vanderbilt's Festus Ezeli and Cal's Harper Kamp. In post situations, Williams managed to draw fouls 37.1 percent of the time. In comparison, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, the other first-team All-America forward, drew fouls on 21.0 percent of his post possessions.

To recap: Williams was the nation's most efficient forward in ISOs, spot-ups and pick-and-rolls, and was fourth-most efficient in the post. He really can do everything -- and the fact that he didn't truly break out as a star until this past season as a sophomore suggests he may be far from hitting his ceiling. I wouldn't want to be the GM who passed on him.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... z1OmyZ9myS