News and Notes - November 17, 2008
Posted November 17th, 2008 by Michael Curry
Lots of Cavs’ Notes today:
Brian Windhorst has a breakdown of LeBron’s current and potential contract situations. I understand that it sells papers and generates hits (it was the first post on Truehoop today, so mission accomplished), especially from the New York market, but trying to forecast which teams will and won’t be in a position to go after LeBron in two years is still very premature.
Bob Finnan says keep Vince Carter on your list of possible Cavalier acquisitions. Carter is still very talented, and he fits a position of need at the shooting guard spot - though Delonte West has been superb on the offensive end, shooting 51% from the field and 47% from 3-point range. But I don’t think there is any way that Vince Cater and Mo Williams can co-exist. And if LeBron does bolt in 2010, Cavalier fans would be left watching those two fight over the ball nonstop.
Finnan also mentions Gerald Wallace, a name that has been coming up a lot lately because Wallace has said that he expects to be traded. Which led to certain news sources to say that a trade was imminent. Which is why you should always be weary of what you read on the internet. Wallace may be moved this season, but I expect the Bobcats leaked that information to see what other teams would offer. Bobcats GM Michael Jordan may not be a great GM, but he saw what happened with the Pau Gasol trade last year, and he doesn’t want to be stuck with making a bad deal just because he didn’t explore all his options.
Joe Tait has agreed in principle to a new deal that will extend his contract through the 2010-2011 season. Windhorst’s report says the deal has been signed, but Tait refuted that on WTAM’s Wills and Snyder in the Morning on Monday. Tait will sign the deal when he returns from the Cavaliers road trip this week.
George Thomas compares the Cavaliers old offense to a Yugo. I would compare it to one of those NHRA drag racers with a front wheel missing and a parachute that would occasionally deploy prematurely. With LeBron there’s always plenty under the hood. The trick is pointing it in the right direction and fully unleashing it.
Like everyone else, the Miami Heat have contacted Antonio McDyess in an effort to sign the free agent forward. Like everyone else, I would love to see McDyess in a Cavaliers uniform. Like everyone else, I should resign myself to the fact that McDyess is headed back to Detroit in 30 days, and nothing is going to change that.
Kenyon Martin was fined $20,000 for his antics after his ejection on Thursday against the Cavaliers.
Around the League:
Undrafted rookie Anthony Morrow dropped 37 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against the L.A. Clippers in a 121-103 win. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes a fan base stupid, and with the way things are going in Oakland at the moment, might make the front office stupid as well. If Morrow develops into a legitimate NBA star, I’ll eat my hat.
Mark Cuban has been accused of insider trading by the SEC. But this is a civil case, not a criminal one, so don’t go all Martha Stewart on him. Stewart was sent to prison for lying during the investigation, not for the insider trading itself. For all of your college football fans, the SEC stands for Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Detroit Pistons handed the Los Angeles Lakers their first loss of the season on Friday, 106-95. The Pistons just completed a quality road trip, winning 3 out of 4, and play the Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics back-to-back this week.
The Lakers home loss, combined with Boston’s loss to the Denver Nuggets at home, leaves the Cavaliers as the only Eastern Conference team with an undefeated record at home. The Utah Jazz (4-0) and Portland Trailblazers (3-0) also remain unbeaten at home.
While the Western Conference has been the stronger of the conferences over the last several seasons, this year one could argue that the 3 worst teams in the league are in the West. The Minnesota Timberwolves (1-8), Oklahoma City Thunder (1-9) and L.A. Clippers (1-8) have just one win apiece. The only Eastern Conference team in such dire straits are the Washington Wizards (1-6), who are, admittedly, quite awful. With teams like the Spurs and Mavericks out to slow starts, this could be the season where the East reasserts itself as equal to the West.
Boston’s Kevin Garnett got into a slap fight with Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut, something that could lead to a suspension for either player. Fortunately for the Celtics, if a suspension does come, it will come against the awful New York Knicks.
A heads-up on the season Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors is having. Coming into Monday, Bosh is averaging 25.1 points and 10.2 rebounds a game. With the exception of a bad game last week against Boston (9 points, 7 rebounds), Bosh has been the best power forward in the league.
Jon Mladic of Hoopsworld.com thinks that Paul Pierce is the early leader in the MVP race. Be sure to let him know what you think of that.
Go Cavs. Big games this week.
