What to Watch For - Cavs v. Bobcats
Posted December 6th, 2008 by Michael Curry
What to watch for tonight when the Cavaliers try to pick up their eighth straight victory in a road contest against the Charlotte Bobcats:
1. Will LeBron James light it up in front of Bobcats head coach Larry Brown and GM Michael Jordan? LeBron has made his feelings known about Larry Brown after their time together on the 2004 Olympic team, and Jordan has always held his Airness in the highest esteem. After a rough night last night, it wouldn’t be too crazy to expect an early explosion from LeBron, though he might end up sitting through another fourth quarter if he does go off early.
2. Who will win the matchup between Bobcats rookie point guard D.J. Augustin and Cavalier guard Boobie Gibson? Both Augustin and Gibson played their college ball at the University of Texas, and Augustin is off to a hot start to his rookie campaign, scoring 12.5 points per game and dishing off 4.2 assists. Gibson on the other hand has struggled to start the season, averaging 8.9 points per game on just 38% shooting from the field and 27% from beyond the arc, an astounding 17% drop from last season’s 44% 3-point percentage. Gibson has shown signs of snapping out of this funk recently, and has scored in double figures in four of the last five games. It could be interesting to watch Augustin and Gibson go head-to-head for a bit tonight.
3. Are the Cavaliers still window shopping for Bobcats players? When the Bobcats came to Cleveland for the Cavalier home opener (a 96-79 Cavs victory), there was plenty of talk about the Cavaliers possibly acquiring either Jason Richardson or Gerald Wallace from the ‘Cats. To get a better feel for how the Bobcats and their fans feel about Richardson and Wallace, and the likelihood of a trade, I consulted David Arnott of RufusOnFire.com (say it out loud). His thoughts:
Gerald Wallace is the best player on the team, with Emeka Okafor the only other player giving him a run for the honor. Jason Richardson scores the most points, since the offense tends to be funneled toward him, but his defense is lacking when compared to Crash. Should the Bobcats trade Wallace, they won’t only be trading their defensive stopper, best finisher at the rim, and best slasher, they’ll be trading their emotional center, who happens to be signed to a multi-year contract for very reasonable money. Richardson, on the other hand, is the team’s third worst contract, after Matt Carroll’s and Nazr Mohammed’s. In a very direct way, as long as they’re responsible for Richardson’s contract, they’ll be unable to sign a truly transcendent player, a perennial All Star type.
But try telling the average fan that the guy with the most points per game is only the third best player on the team, and there’ll be lots of resistance. If the Cats can trade Richardson for a better contract–say, as part of a package for Chris Kaman–it would be an utter coup. It is highly unlikely, at this point, that Richardson gets traded, and somewhat unlikely Wallace gets traded, now that Zach Randolph is in Los Angeles.
Any possible trade you could see happening?
The player on the Cavs who is both expendable and would make a real difference for the Bobcats is probably Delonte West. We don’t need another spot up shooter like Wally, but his expiring deal certainly looks tasty. If I were running the Bobcats, I’d propose this trade and hope the Cavs see how it benefits both of us.
http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=4852098
Straight talent-wise, the Cavs get the best player in the trade, Richardson, to start at the two and give LeBron the best second banana he’s ever had, so that the starting lineup is Williams, JRich, LBJ, Ben/Andy, and Big Z. Carroll is a jump shooting two for the end of the bench, and you put up with his awful contract in order to get Richardson. Felton is essentially a younger Mo Williams and is only a slight step down at the point coming off the bench, allowing Boobie to be a shooter at his natural spot at the two when the Cavs go small.
For the Bobcats, the primary attraction is converting Richardson’s long contract into Wally’s expiring deal. West is a better partner for DJ Augustin, since he’s more defensive-minded and makes more sense playing the two than Felton does. (And we’ve seen that West can thrive next to a shoot-first point guard in Mo Williams, a guy Augustin should try to emulate.) Hickson is a lottery ticket who might be the sidekick Emeka needs in the front court. And Pavlovic would give Adam Morrison competition for PT. Based on what Larry Brown’s done all year, he’d start a lineup of Augustin, Wally, Crash, Hickson, and Okafor.
Interesting ideas there. Before the season started, there were (legitimate) concerns about Delonte West in the starting shooting guard spot. By acquiring Richardson for West and Szczerbiak, the Cavaliers would be adding size and scoring firepower to the backcourt. While Cavalier fans love Delonte West and his recent play, I don’t think any player is safe as the Cavaliers have just a 2-year window to win a Championship before LeBron James has to make his 2010 decision.
I can’t see the Cavaliers making a move like this for a couple of reasons. First, I don’t see the Cavaliers shipping out four players on a team that is playing this well. Such a dramatic overhaul midway through what could be a championship season seems unlikely. Second, the proposed trade would weaken the Cavalier front line more than it appears, as Wally Szczerbiak is actually getting a number of minutes alongside LeBron James in the frontcourt, and Hickson, for better or worse, will be expected to contribute for more minutes as the season progresses.
But take Hickson out of that deal and you might have something. Make it just Szczerbiak and West for Richardson and Felton, and I think the Cavaliers make that deal tomorrow, even if they have to throw in a first round pick. Obviously we’re just kicking this stuff around, but I still wouldn’t be shocked if there are serious conversations between the Bobcats and the Cavaliers before the trade deadline.
Then again, maybe Danny Ferry and Bobcats GM Michael Jordan still have some bad blood from this.
A last note from Arnott:
As for Saturday night, the Cats are on the second half of a back to back, and they just lost to the Bucks tonight. They’re nowhere near the Cavs’ class. The frontcourt after Emeka is totally overmatched, and the bench in general is totally overmatched.
I couldn’t agree more. The schedule has been great to the Cavaliers this season, and they have taken full advantage. Even the typically dicey road games on the second night of back-to-backs have been made easier of late, because the opposition has been coming off of a back-to-back as well.
Thanks again to David Arnott and the fantastically-named RufusOnFire.com (Rufus is the name of the Bobcat’s mascot). Enjoy the game tonight, and Go Cavs.
