“Gretchen Fri, spokeswoman for the event, said “we’ve reached out to him,” but she is not certain whether James will attend.”[James Ewinger]
“Izzo called Gilbert ”one of the classiest guys I’ve ever met” as he put his NBA aspirations behind him. But in the aftermath of Izzo’s rejection, Gilbert seems more like a meddler on a power trip than ever before.” [Plain Dealer Staff]
“”At the same time, I can’t just sit around and wait. I have to be proactive with my choices and what’s gonna make me happy. I have to make sure I take my time and make the right decision.”" [ESPN]
Neil Paine posted the advanced stats for the finals and declined to comment on them – until we baited him in the comments section :)
Not quite sure what the deal with the PD is, but man are they turning on the team. Gilbert is a power hungry meddler because he fired a coach and gm? Sorry, but that’s his job. He pays the checks, and if he feels the guys he’s hired to rn the team aren’t getting it done, then he fires him? There is nothing power hungry (we/ they said) about that. Dumb.
Yeah, can we stop talking about whether or not Brown deserved to be fired? What’s done is done. Frankly, the guy didn’t get the job done, so it was his time to go. It just so happens that the year Brown was finally fired, there really are no decent replacements. That’s life.
Well ferry wasn’t fired. Also Gilbert has earned the right to run the team however he pleases. Everyone is turning on the Cavs. Any news if lebron is going to lebron appreciation day?
He showed up after it ended and stayed for 10 minutes.
@rich
i agree a 100% with you on this but i am reminded that pluto and crew were also ripping gilbert when he fired paxson and silas when he bought the team and they were calling him a meddler, power mad then as well. i just think they instinctively don’t like an owner who doesn’t act like dick jacobs or something. in point of fact, bud shaw and pluto have gone out of their way to make excuses for the dolan’s and randy lerner but bash gilbert, by FAR the best owner cleveland has had in recent memory!! burns my britches…btw, as always, windy is exempted from this PD discussion. he reminds us of what actual spots reporting can be like…
and colin, LBJ showed up near the end of the ceremony. the fact that he showed up is a positive despite yr obviously negative reading of the event.
There is no positive and negative anymore.
My comment was not made in a negative light, nor a positive light. I was just stating what I read.
Mike Brown could not correctly identify the 7-8 best players on his roster from series to series. He painfully established that fact in the last two postseasons. Ferry’s unending support of Brown, despite that fact, is an indictment of Ferry’s judgment as well.
Both men needed to go.
The team that was built last year, I still think could have won a title. I know I’m becoming a lone voice on that. It was built as a deep team that had the personnel that could either play slow in the half-court and pound you inside, or we could go very small and run with a bunch of athletic big guys and ball-handlers. I think we had the ability correctly match-up with anyone and the only problem was we didn’t have a coach who knew how to do that. Brown had to befired, but apparently the PD and company think it better for an owner to do what? Buy a team and then never, ever check in out it again? Just hire a GM and let him be there forever? Yea, that’s a positive move.
It’s crazy how fast all of this has happened. Wouldn’t have it any other way in Cleveland though, right?
http://zeusofsport.com/?p=341
@rich,
i agree. people seem to forget (conveniently) how well shaq was playing before the injury. i’m not whining or making excuses but shaq’s injury killed our season. dead. i would like anyone to tell me how this team could expect to win a title though, when shaq played like 4 games with jamison before the playoffs started.
now, mike brown messed things up, LBJ’s elbow was a BIGGER DEAL than either he, the cavs or the people are/were willing to admit and andy CLEARLY had injury issues as well, as he had the worst post-season of his career. add in delonte going AWOL both literally and figuratively this season…well, the more you look at it the more it amazes me what they were able to accomplish, quite honestly.
i think the same team could win the title next year if by some miracle they all stayed healthy…ain;t gonna happen but…
Problem is the public tide is way against them. Media/fans/everyone saying the roster is terrible, no talent, no blah blah blah. 60+ wins makes you a title contender. You might not win it, but you are a contender. I’d LOVE to see them give it one more shot with a different coach. It isn’t going to happen, they are gonna blow the whole thing up, or at least die trying and they pretty much have to because of all the public outcry over this or that on the roster.
@rich
you’re spot on. couldn’t agree more…
btw, i KNEW larry brown would pop his head up sooner or later! haha! he’s so predictable…
Hey guys I agree completely. No way does a “horrible” team win 61 games. As shaq said, You gotta have things fall in place at the right time, as it did with the 2 teams in the finals, and the now champion Lakers. I was thinking bout the vacant coaching position recently and I posted this on PD website this morning:
I’ve agreed with Scott, but I’m wondering whether Shaw could be a good one to go after. Shaw won a championship playing for the Lakers while playing for Phil. Right now he’s considered the heir to The lakers coaching position if Phil retires. He’s now won 2 rings as an assistant coach with Phil. Shaq endorses him as well. If Phil comes back to coach Lakers again next year, why not go after someone who has learned directly under him? If the championship Lakers could entrust him to coach their team, I think the Cavs should definitely go for him.
Yea, I’ve been against Scott the whole time, but I know that it’s gonna be hard for management to hire an assistant with everyone saying “We need a head coach with experience this time around.” I don’t like Scott. I don’t think he’s a good coach. But I understand their reasoning for going after him.
Would much rather see Shaw or, my personal pick, Bill Laimbeer.
Leimbeer of course his name speaks for itself. I know he got wnba ring. Haven’t read up on his coaching philosophy. What does he specialize in?
i think people calling for assistants are forgetting one thing and that is head coaching experience on some pro level is very important. i think mike brown’s weak spots were all a result of his not having any real head coaching experience. the juggling of playing time and rotations being the obvious ones.
now, laimbeer coached in the wnba as i recall, so that is a plus but shaw did not. sorry but post-brown, that is a red flag for me.
ideally i want a guy who’s played in the league and has head coaching experience. that points to scott. look, doc rivers was a crap coach til he got the big three to go along with a quality assistant like thibedou. i don’t see why we can’t get a top level defensive assistant for scott and have similar success.