I really like this post by Cleveland.com blogger Dan Labbe:
Enough about 2010.We know all about 2010. We know LeBron James can opt out. We know teams are scrambling to clear cap space. We know the Cavs, at least for now, have plenty of cap space. We know the Cavs can offer more money and more years. We know Cleveland doesn't offer the gargantuan marketing and merchandising opportunities, fan-base size and mystique some other cities may have.
But who cares about 2010? Are we so paranoid as a fan base that we're losing sleep over something two years away? Are national sports writers (and me...) so bereft of ideas that all they can do is churn out the same thing we've read 100 times or more?
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, the time is now.
Not only do the Cavs have the best player in the NBA (even if talking heads don't want to admit it), they now have a legitimate second scoring option in Mo Williams. They have two small guards in Delonte West and Daniel Gibson that can shoot in transition and allow this team to spread defenses and push the basketball. They have a 7'3" center that can score in double figures. They have a coach that, for all the moaning about his offense (and I've been amongst the moaners), knows how to instill a strong defensive mindset, understands his success is dependent on LeBron James and knows how to win in the playoffs.
And most importantly, they have the ability to get significantly better at the trade deadline thanks to Wally Szczerbiak's $13 million expiring contract.
He's exactly right. The Cavs are in a great spot heading into this season and they should be in great position heading forward (I mean, look at their salary for 2010-11).
He's also exactly right about Wally. The Cavs could go either way, if Szczerbiak can regain the shooting touch that has made him his money, the Cavs will be in a very very good position. If he stinks? Well, they have the biggest trade chip for the deadline and it gives them the potential to pick up one or even two impact players.
Finally, Steven Aschburner has a column on LeBron's 'loyalties' and it's mostly standard stuff except for this:
But then, the superstar's people reportedly are already unhappy with the Cleveland media, believing that they are too hard on, and demand too much from, their guy. On that one, LBJ might want to seek out another out-of-towner and see what Alex Rodriguez thinks about that. There's one superstar who might wish he were wearing anything but a Yankees cap.
Too hard? Really? Are you serious? And they want to go to New York?
The idea that the Cleveland media is too hard on LeBron James is laughable. The only guy who could even be considered tough on James is WTAM's Mike Trivisonno, and if you're worrying about what that racist asshole thinks, you got too much time on your hands.
4 comments:
But did you see how they phrased it in the initial headline on ESPN? Something to the effect of "A majority of our panelists say LeBron is not staying in Cleveland."
Even though the biggest vote share went to Cleveland, the 11 votes were still trumped by the 14 that went against Cleveland. Ergo, the headline is not untruthful, even though Cleveland got the most votes.
I don't think the majority of the national media cares where LeBron goes or doesn't go. They're in this for the headlines. And "LeBron James is perfectly happy playing for the Cavs" doesn't make headlines.
Unfortunately, LBJ also knows this. So we can look forward to more of the "Buckeye 4 Life/I Heart NY" two-face routine from him in the next two years.
Man, I wish we would have had a few superstars in Cleveland between Jim Brown and LBJ. Right now, Bron is sort of like a first hot girlfriend to local fans. We're all terrified that the next guy with bling and a sexy car is going to steal our big catch away. If we had actually had a few legit superstars in town the past 40 years, we'd be more familiar with how they act, how they manipulate the spotlight to serve them, and maybe we wouldn't be so defensive.
are you saying that Andre Miller isn't a legit superstar....?
While Cleveland has had some great players over the recent years (Tribe mostly) none of them have been that big personality/perennial mvp candidate (though if the Browns ever got legit, K2 prolly could fit that mold).
oh, and I meant to get a screen grab of that story on the NBA front page. They had a pic of LBJ wearing a Yankees hat with a caption of something like "knick fans hope this cap is a clue for things to come".
I just keep waiting to see the rumors about James to the Mavs, because it has about the same legitimacy.
Eric - I noticed the headline as well, then saw the results and laughed. Total spin.
This really is about the media more than anything.
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