March 25, 2010
Cavs-Hornets Bazooka Point

It would be impossible, I think, to write about tonight’s game against the Hornets without talking about the triumphant return of Big Z, Zydrunas Ilgauskas. 

So here goes. 

Let’s talk about the contract Z signed on Tuesday.

As has been reported elsewhere, Z took the Cavs’ biannual exception for the rest of this season, and the rest of this season only. He was offered a second year by Danny Ferry, but turned it down. With the money he will make over the rest of the 2010 campaign and the money he received as a result of a trade kicker,  Z will be able to cover his losses from the buyout that was reached with Washington.

Now, what are the ramifications of this? 

From a business standpoint, it is not a great deal for the Cavs. The reason is that their biannual exception is now gone. Since the biannual can only be used every other year, it is no longer available for the Cavs in the summer of 2010. For a team that’s over the salary cap, this is a fairly big deal. Not that they could’ve signed a marquee guy with it, but they could have certainly added another Anthony Parker or Jamario Moon-like piece. 

Secondly, what does it say about Z’s future plans, since a) he believes he can play for at least one more season, and b) he wants to be a free agent this offseason? 

Well, personally, I find it amusing that Z is always portrayed as a pillar of the Cleveland community … and he spends his offseasons at an apartment in SoHo in New York City.

Many speculators assumed that the second Z was released by the Wizards, he’d be back in Avon Lake, hanging out with his kids and driving around at night wearing his stunner shades.

Of course, what was the first thing Z did after he was bought out? 

He went to NYC.

In my mind, this opens up the door for the ultimate conspiracy theory:

Z decided that he wants to be a free agent in the summer so he can go to New York and play with LeBron on the Knicks. After all, one of the major cogs in Donnie Walsh’s plan is that he’ll be able to surround two max players with a bunch of guys willing to play for the veteran’s minimum. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out who all of these veteran’s minimum players could be (Tim or I will write a column on some possibilities in the near future) … well, now we have one guy.

Can you imagine the revolt in Cleveland if both LeBron and Z went to NYC this summer?

Cavs win by 13. Game #73 against San Antonio on Friday.

1:00am  |   URL: http://www.josemesaisdead.com/post/472111158/cavs-hornets-bazooka-point
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FILED UNDER: Cavs Hornets Z LeBron Knicks 
February 23, 2010
Cavs-Hornets Bazooka Point

*Note: Image is of a Bazooka Scuba Subwoofer Tube

The Cavs survive a career performance from rookie Marcus Thornton (15-22 shooting in only 31 minutes and 14 seconds) to beat New Orleans by ten points.

The main product of my consternation tonight wasn’t the further DNP - Coach’s Decision flip-flopping of Jawad Williams and Jamario Moon (it was Williams’s turn), Mo Williams’s dreadful shooting (2-9), or even the poor defense (NO shot 50%, out-rebounded the Cavs by 3, and only turned the ball over 12 times, below their season average, without Chris Paul) … no, it was the fact that I had to listen to Cleveland announcers Fred McCleod and Austin Carr spout misinformation.

In the first half, while the Cavs were getting shredded in transition, McCleod made a big point of saying that New Orleans likes to get out and run, even when they’re playing on the road, unlike most teams.

Huh?

Why would utilizing transition offense have anything to do with being home or away?

I assume McCleod’s basing this assertion on something no one could ever prove, like the notion that road teams fast break less because they’re tired from traveling. Transition points are very hard to find online, so I can’t do any kind of snap analysis by looking at game logs or I would - despite the fact that McCleod’s statement doesn’t pass the infamous proverbial “smell test.”

AC, on the other hand - who, as a side note, had one of the greatest “Deep in the Q” flubs in history tonight - continually spoke about what a great shooting team New Orleans are.

Unfortunately, “average” is a more opportune word.

45.5% FG | 36.4% 3P | 53.8% TS

League averages are 45.9%, 35.2%, and 54.0% respectively.

Even if we were to look at by zone, we’d see that NOR is within one percent of the league average in every area from the rim to the 3P line. And when it comes to threes, the Hornets are only 2% better then the rest of the league.

Hardly counts as great.

Boston on Thursday - it’s been a long time since the two teams played one another, and right now, it looks like they wouldn’t meet in the playoffs unless BOS somehow gets past ORL, and CLE finishes off ATL.

If you’re a Cavs fans, personally, I recommend rooting for ATL to overtake BOS for the 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, so ATL and ORL can play each other in the semis and the Cavs can deal with Boston.

ORL, by the way, is now second in the NBA in efficiency differential at +7.0. The Cavs are first at +7.8 and the Lakers are third at +6.9. Boston comes next at +5.9.

On Thursday, please watch TNT if you’re in Cleveland instead of FSO. I know Barkley and the Jet have been badly usurped by the splendid tandem of Webber and McHale on NBA TV Fan Night, but at least you’ll get a dose of impartiality and insight from the play-by-play.

Just remember I used the word “dose.”

9:53pm  |   URL: http://www.josemesaisdead.com/post/408553042/cavshornets
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FILED UNDER: Cavs Hornets