-Rumors, Rumors, Rumors Galore!
-Summer Of Doom Stuff: According to the Miami Herald, the Heat would like LeBron James, but won’t risk losing another big free agent (like Wade) by waiting to move on him.
-Gordon Gund is hopeful LeBron will stay.
-According to Chris Sheridan’s chat yesterday, Boobie Gibson is the Cavalier most likely to be moved and the Cavs could have a realistic shot at David West at the deadline if they’re willing to include Boobie. But what, exactly, would the Hornets want with Boobie? I guess he’d be an upgrade at the starting two-guard spot, but that would be a pretty terrible defensive backcourt, and the Hornets have young guys on their roster better suited to back up CP3 at a much lower price tag.
-Also in the Sheridan chat, Chris calls shenanigans on the “Cleveland should sign-and-trade LeBron if they know he’s leaving” rhetoric, saying that if he does leave they’d probably rather go for a big free agent of their own with LBJ and Z’s money. I agree.
-Blake Griffin, done for the year. Major bummer there, as the Clips are starting to pick up some momentum, but we’ll see if this doesn’t kill their swagger a little bit.
-One more Sheridan Chat note: he thinks the Lakers are unlikely to do a Bynum-Bosh swap, because of the financial bugaboo it could put them in after the year is done. I hope the Lakers think long-term on this one, because they’d be a juggernaut if that trade went through and really hurt the Cavs’ chances for a 2010 title, which is the only year that matters to the organization right now.
-WFNY’s Jacob with a writeup on Anderson Varejao as a legitimate core player. I don’t think that Andy’s improved so much this season as I think that people are starting to realize what he’s always brought to the Cavs, especially as Shaq, Z, and JJ have all had their ups and downs in the frontcourt as Andy has stayed steady.
-New Windhorst podcast, on trade rumors, LeBron this season as compared to last, and Delonte’s situation in light of the Arenas suspension.
Alright, that’s all the links for the time being. Until later, campers.
“I don’t think that Andy’s improved so much this season as I think that people are starting to realize what he’s always brought to the Cavs, especially as Shaq, Z, and JJ have all had their ups and downs in the frontcourt as Andy has stayed steady.”
I have to respectfully disagree. While I think it would be hard for him to improve too much defensively, I think he has grown more dynamic offensively. He was never anyone who really took anything off the table offensively since he’s an almost-7-footer and rebounds like a mother, but he never really put much on either. This year I think he’s definitely bringing something to dinner, particularly making up for the lack of a solid jump shot with his cuts to and finishes at the rim. He did that in the past, but as I recall never in this volume. His points per game and shooting percentage are both above his career average (though below his numbers from last year which, I realize, somewhat diminishes my point).
I do agree with the sentiment, though, that if you’ve been following his performance with the Cavs over the last few years, what he’s doing is no surprise. I run into some (albeit of the lowest common denominator variety) Cavs fans from time to time who still profess to despise him. It doesn’t take much beyond watching one game with them to disabuse them of the notion that he’s nothing than a European [sic] flop artist and waste of offense, as Andy offers ample opportunities throughout (with both old and new skills) to show what an important piece of the Cavs he is on both ends of the floor.
Sheridan has no clue what he’s talking about, fwiw.