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Shaq, Nate the Great, and Legacies

April 19th, 2010

As the playoffs rage on, and a slimmer Shaq continues to dominate players, I couldn’t help but marvel at his transformation. The man knows how to flip the switch. Seeing him play now, diving for loose balls, after watching him play himself into shape during the regular season, I wondered who else in Cavalier history Shaq might resemble.

I’m starting to see Shaq as having a Cleveland career similar to another former Cavalier legend: Nate Thurmond.

Between 1975-1977, the legend Nate Thurmond played a grand total of 114 games for the Cavaliers. His statistics, in contrast to his incredible career, were nothing to party about. He played around 19 minutes a game, had a field goal percentage hovering around 41 percent, and made just over 50% of his free throws. All in all, Nate the Great averaged five points and six rebounds in a Cleveland uniform.

Yet, if you attend a Cavaliers home game and look up at the rafters, there you’ll see his number 42 hanging on a curtain of immortality. The Cleveland Cavaliers retired his number in 1977. And why’s that? For 5 points and 6 rebounds a game?

To start with, you can just hear someone say: ‘He’s Nate fricking Thurmond. Of course his number should be retired’. Very true. Thurmond did produce some of the most insane point-rebound averages in NBA history. The man averaged 15 points and 15 rebounds for his entire career. Almost all of that production came with the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors. And, rightfully so, they retired his number 42 as well. So, with that idea gone…what compelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to reward a two-season bench player?

After a 6-11 start to the 75-76 season, Thurmond helped turn the Cavs into a more well-rounded force, giving the team a quality 20 minutes a game. That season they ended up 49-33, and defeated the Washington Bullets in ‘The Miracle of Richfield’. (Watch that video and marvel at how much the crowd got into it).

I cannot express the immensity of that series. Before TMOR, the Cavaliers had not been able to put a ‘success story’ into their history books. They were jesters in a league of knights and kings. But Thurmond, along with Bobby Bingo Smith, Austin Carr, Jim Chones, and Dick Snyder, gave the city of Cleveland something to smile about.

Enter Shaq.

The man has already established himself as a legend, much like Nate Thurmond. His very presence alters the psyche of the other team. Although he starts over Z , they share the same position—slightly similar to the way Thurmond complemented Jim Chones.

Shaqtus has burned a few bridges in Orlando (leaving for bigger money), Los Angeles (an ego feud with Kobe Bryant), Miami (coaching issues?) and Phoenix (team chemistry). But with Cleveland, Shaq could end his career on a high, giving a city a championship they’ve been wanting for over forty years. All it takes is one miracle season (hopefully this one), the ability to compromise his stats for the greater good, and Shaq could see his 33 retired, and a city that unconditionally loves him.

Nate Thurmond, a native of Akron, knows the feeling well.

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Before the Fame

April 10th, 2010

“You have to know the past to understand the present.” –Carl Sagan

Before the playoffs start, and Lebron begin playing like a superhuman, I thought it would be a good idea to perhaps share with fans some ‘highlights’ of who he was before the 40-8-8 stat lines. Lebron had a childhood, and he was good enough to share a fair portion of it in his book Shooting Stars, co-authored with Buzz Bissinger.

It’s a great read, and if you’re from the area of Akron, you’ll enjoy imagining the spots in the city mentioned in the book. Plus, you’ll find a few facts that humanize Lebron and, as a result, bring him to life more.

Here are a few:

–In order to raise enough money to travel to Salt Lake City with his 12 and under AAU team, Lebron and the rest of the team sold duct tape door to door. That’s right, not boxes of candy. Duct tape. I had a hard enough time selling Reese’s Cups, but they were able to pull together enough money to go to the national tournament.

–That trip to Utah was Lebron’s first time on a plane in his entire life. According to the book, he “cried like there was no tomorrow, scared out of my wits, my ears an impacted mess because of the altitude.”

–In order to get away from the craziness of his team’s ever-growing popularity, Lebron would hang out in Coach Dru’s basement and play NBA Live with his teammates for hours. His favorite team? The Bulls.

–His favorite burger joint was Swensons, where he’d sometimes get “a burger (with everything), fries, and Cherry Coke on a tray that was attached to the window of your car by a goofy-looking teenager still dealing with acne.”

–The man loved Akron, and wanted to someday make it famous. “With a population of about 225,000 when I was growing up, it was still small enough to feel intimate, a place you could put your arms around, a place that would put its arms around you.”

–His first high school game as a member of St. V was against Cuyahoga Falls, where I graduated high school a year before Lebron started. They ripped us 76-40, and Lebron had 15 points and 8 rebounds. The beginning of a journey.

So, as we watch these playoffs, and we see Lebron—now a twenty-five year old father of two, at peak physical condition, and the team leader of the best team in basketball—dominating games, perhaps knowing a few of these tidbits might enhance what we are trying to fathom. Sometimes we forget that our heroes had pasts somewhat similar to our own, and that, by forgetting, we risk losing a connection to the players we love.

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The Future of Daniel Gibson

March 19th, 2010

After two years draining threes for the University of Texas, Daniel Gibson declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft. After waiting forty-one slots on draft day, he was chosen by the Cavaliers in the hopes that he would be an outside-threat, coming off the bench ala Dell Curry, B.J. Armstrong, or Steve Kerr (another second round draft pick).

I remember Gibson’s rookie year. I heard about how hard he worked on his jumper with Lebron, how he’d stay after practice and get his reps. His work ethic was off the charts, and slowly he started gaining minutes. Mike Brown’s confidence in him grew, and he started getting heavy playing time in the playoffs, delivering an incredible Game 6 performance against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Conference Finals, hitting five threes and scoring thirty-one points.

After that game, we started hearing a lot more praise. Coach Brown compared him, oddly, to Tony Parker during the NBA Finals. He could see Gibson improving into a starting point guard, slashing to the basket, and developing his defense.

After that season, Gibson dealt with injury problems, and at times blipped onto the screen with outstanding performances such as the Rookie/Sophomore Game, where he hit 11 threes in the game. He missed Game 7 of the Boston series, but his up and down season didn’t stop Cleveland from giving him a 5 year contract worth around 21 million, a steal at the time.

Yet, with the arrival of Mo Williams, the defensive grit of Delonte West, and the realization that the kings of the league (L.A., Orlando, and Boston) all have a height advantage on him, Mike Brown has decided to place him as the 10th man on a team loaded with talent.

There is a comfort zone between Lebron and Gibson, and that was never more apparent during their winning streak this season. Lebron would run the point and create space for Gibson, who was filling in for Mo. I’ve always believed Gibson is a pure shooting guard, a far more talented Damon Jones. At times I watch Stephen Curry play 48 minutes for Golden State and shoot 25 shots a game, and I think, “Boobie could do that, and probably better.”

And that’s where I’m going with this article. Whether or not Gibson contributes to the Cavaliers playoff run this season, upper management is going to have a tantalizing choice in the offseason. Gibson is far too talented to be getting DNP-CD’s on a nightly basis. If he wanted, he could demand a trade to a weaker team, and inflate his stats perhaps the same way Curry is with the Warriors at the moment. Or, he could remain with a winner, hoping to improve, but, realistically, continue playing 15 minutes a game and helping the team the same way Armstrong or Kerr helped the Bulls during their championship years.

I think a lot of teams view Gibson as a confused guard. Does he dream of playing the point, or does he simply want to be an outside threat? The way his career is shaping out, I see him as the latter, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He’ll stay healthier, and, considering how the injuries to his ankle, toe, and shoulder bothered him in the past, I wonder if he feels the same way.

In any event, whatever happens this season will be bittersweet. During the playoffs this year, in those Game 5’s and 6’s in Boston or Orlando, it’s going to be Mo Williams we need to make 5 three pointers in a game. Gibson will have to watch from the bench, perhaps play 5-10 minutes in order to give Mo a breather. And he’ll be wondering if he wants to reinvent his career with another team, or remain with a winner, participating in any way he is given. The Cavaliers could use him in a trade during the offseason for a younger big man, since they are loaded at the guard position, but I’m hoping (as is my wife) that he stays with the team, because, when it comes down to it, you can’t replace NBA Finals experience, and playoff success.

Plus, he’s just a bad ass.

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What is wrong with Mo Williams?

March 8th, 2010

Put yourself in Mo’s shoes. Last season you had a career year. You were an all-star. Your team won 66 games and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. You were the point guard, the leader, the man who often set the tempo.

As reported so many times throughout, the Cavaliers have nothing to prove until they make the playoffs. The regular season, according to the critics, is meaningless. As long as you get through the regular season healthy, you’re fine.

As we all know, a few months ago Mo hurt his shoulder, and everyone feared that the Cavaliers would somehow lose their best record status. Instead, the exact opposite happened. The Cavaliers were 11-0 with Mo Williams on the sideline, benefitting from a somewhat soft schedule. As Mo sat, the Cavaliers won…every single time. Mo watched Lebron turn out ridiculous assist numbers. He watched Daniel Gibson, a spot-up shooter (do these kind of shooters fit better with Lebron’s point-forward style?), fill in nicely during Mo’s absence.

It’s important to note that, with a left shoulder injury, you simply cannot practice shooting. Sure, you can keep your right arm in tune by shooting one handers, but the art of the shot lies in the guidance of the left arm. And for more than a month, Mo wasn’t able to do that.

As an optimist, I like to think Mo’s shooting slump (21-64 in his last 5 games) is more attributed to lack of practice and rust. It will take time to get back the flow and rhythm of everything. But there also a few questions I’m asking myself.

1) Is Mo confused as to how much of a point guard he still is? Has Lebron taken over the role and relegated him to a shooting guard?

2) How much of an affect did the left shoulder injury have on his jump shot?

3) What is Mo more comfortable being: A true point guard, or a comes-off-screens shooting guard? (I believe the former…the main difference as to why he starts over Daniel Gibson is because of his fluidity and ability to create his own shot).

4) How much has Antawn Jamison (and his required 15 shots) changed Mo’s shot selection?

I think all of these questions will eventually be answered during the regular season, but there is major work to be done. So many of us, myself included, have been concentrating on how Jamison fits in with the team. I forgot to wonder how the rest of team would be affected by Jamison. Mo, Hickson, and Shaq/Z (when they get back) will all need help learning their role. Thankfully we’ve got 18 more games to figure it out.

San Antonio tonight. If Lebron doesn’t play, I expect an academic lesson in fundamentals to be given to J.J. Hickson by Tim Duncan, but I’ve got a good feeling, with Tony Parker out, that Mo might find a nice shooting rhythm.

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Recap: Orlando 101, Cleveland 95

February 21st, 2010

Perhaps it’s ridiculous to post my first ever recap in reaction to a loss to Orlando, a team I despise, and during our first three game losing streak since W. was president, but I’ve got to do it. I’m fuming, and I’m tired of seeing us walk down the court whenever Orlando has some momentum.

Where is our transition offense? Is all this because we caused a karmic earthquake and traded Z? Where’s the sense of urgency?

True, we’re up by a few games in the Eastern Conference. We’re learning how to play together. We’re getting Mo back, and now we’ve got to work Jamison in, and everybody is looking for what their role is on the team. I guess, in conclusion, we’re back at the beginning of the season.

Jamison responded with some measured aggression in the 3rd quarter, probably causing J.J.’s heart to break. If Antawn doesn’t get into foul trouble, or if we’re in Cleveland and Howard gets called for that charge in the 4th quarter, this game goes down to the buzzer. But he did get the foul called, and the only reason Orlando was able to gain the momentum it did was because we started to double team Howard. Once we do that, well, I think every Cavs fan knows Orlando’s offense after that. Swing…swing…drive a little…swing, swing, knock down a three.

I don’t care who is guarding Howard, they need to do it alone. And if they’re beat, they need to foul him…hard. As much as I enjoy Van Gundy’s commentating, he’s clearly dissecting Orlando’s problems a helluva lot more than Cleveland. To help his brother? Possibly. And how he got on Vince Carter’s case for the ENTIRE 4th quarter reeked, to me, of some kind of agenda for lighting a fire under Carter’s ass for the rest of the season, which is exactly what SVG wants. Anyway, he was right about fouling hard, even if he was meaning Orlando foul Shaq.

The Cavs are in a rare position where they can overpower and disrupt Howard. Make him not have fun. That’s the goal. If he gets sour, then he’ll stop playing with the carefree attitude that makes Orlando so dangerous. They thrive on lightness, rhythm, pace. The Cavs, when the playoffs come, will need Shaq, Varejao, Powe, and Z (please God come back Z…), to hammer him inside. And they need to do it without ANY help. That’s 24 possible fouls.

FOR THE FUTURE…

I hope Brown will use this starting lineup for a while: Lebron, Jamison, Shaq, Mo, and Hickson. Perhaps this seems a little bizarre and forward-heavy, but in order to beat the top 3 teams (Orlando, Boston, L.A.) in the league, we’re going to have to match up with them size-wise.  I want to keep Parker in the starting line-up, because he is a coach’s player, but he wouldn’t be boxing out a big man on rebounds, and Hickson, despite his brain farts, is a very ambitious rebounder and a talented leaper.

It will be up to Mo and Lebron to create tempo, and this is the most important part for the Cavs. They must, must, must, capitalize off misses and run the floor. Once we made the mistake of doubling Howard in the 4th quarter today, we lost all rhythm and walked up the court and ran set offenses that Orlando will just eat up.

I’ll end on this, and I promise, in the future, my recaps will be more organized. I just had to get these thoughts down.

Maybe Lebron doesn’t need to play point guard, but he needs to work together with Mo and speed up the offense. He’s not doing that right now. As with every single Cavs player right now, they are confused with their roles. Lebron has a choice right now, and he knows all this: Tell Mo you’ll run the offense and turn Mo more into a Ray Allen run off screens kind of player, or…well, there is no other or. I believe this needs to happen. This is the last evolution of Lebron’s game. He needs to become a true point-forward. He needs to keep the tempo going, because it slowed to a halt in the 4th quarter.

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