Cavaliers Clean House, Add Playoff Pieces

Friday’s game against the Wizards was like watching a really expensive pick-up game with all the unfamiliar players on the floor. Ten of the fifteen players on the roster were either inactive or signed as emergency injury replacements. The starting five consisted of LeBron, Z, and what’s left of the Cleveland bench after the trade. Despite the plethora of journeymen, spare parts, and D-Leaguers on the floor, Cleveland was able to steal a win against the struggling Wizards. You know you’re in a nasty losing streak when Damon Jones personally destroys your defense. Jones hit seven 3-pointers and combined with LeBron for 60 points. It’s as if Jones was inspired by the recently departed Larry Hughes (Jones will go 2-20 next game as a tribute to Larry’s legacy in Cleveland).

Meanwhile, the newest Cavs were stuck in a sky box, munching on hot wings and looking kind of bored. It’s too bad these guys can’t play before taking a physical because having to entertain Danny Ferry for three hours can’t be much fun. The best part of the whole game was the look on Wally Szczerbiak’s face after LeBron dropped a one-handed jam through traffic; the poor guy just had this terrified “wow” on his face as the camera panned over.

On the Trade

The more I think about Ferry’s deadline deal, the more I like it. The only player I was sad to see moved was Gooden, but his contract was good for only one more season anyway and it was unclear how interested Cleveland was in resigning him. The departure of Larry Hughes, his jump shot, and his contract is awesome. In fact, that may be my favorite part of the trade. Ferry rolled the dice with his deadline deal and is relying on a rebound (no pun intended) from Wallace and reliable production from Szczerbiak and West. The payoff could be significant, but with the way the payroll is structured and the fact that most of the departed were dead weight anyway, the risk does not seem particularly high on Cleveland’s end.

I think Ferry really redeemed himself with the trade. First of all, he made LeBron happy (sort of). Second, he was able to dump various unproductive experiments like Shannon Brown and Hughes while getting real value in return. He even got a partial refund for the draft pick wasted on Brown in the form of a 2^nd rounder in 2009 from Chicago. Ferry was able to improve the team on multiple fronts, while maintaining payroll flexibility for the future (no easy task).

I tried to address the impact of the trade on Cleveland by going through each new player and how they may fit in. We’ll know Coach Brown’s rotations for sure when the Cavs face Memphis on Sunday.

Ben Wallace

Position: Center
Age: 33
Vitals: 6-9, 240

Wallace will be expected to fill the rebounding void that Drew Gooden left behind. Wallace is averaging 8.8 RPG, but has the potential to be an even greater force off the boards. Unlike Gooden, who was unlikely to exceed more than 8.5 RPG this season, Wallace has historically been a much better rebounder. Wallace averaged 10.6 rebounds just a year ago with Chicago and will likely outperform Gooden this season, even with a down season.

Wallace’s trademark is his tough interior defense. He’s earned a reputation as an enforcer and should get the job done on defense where Ilgauskas occasionally seems overmatched. It will be interesting to see how Wallace does in Coach Brown’s defensive scheme against dynamic big men like Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard. The Cavaliers are betting on a resurgent Wallace to shut down Boston and Detroit’s size inside during the playoffs.

Wallace’s kryptonite is his offense and has averaged just 6.2 PPG over the past three seasons. There’s really not much to say other than it’s terrible and isn’t going to contribute to many wins. There is a chance Wallace could take advantage of all the attention LeBron receives on the perimeter and get some extra scoring opportunities inside, but I doubt much will change in that regard. If the Cavs are smart in who they surround Wallace with, his offensive shortcomings won’t be as prevalent. It will be interesting to see if Varejao and Wallace switch it up at forward and center. I’m not sure Varejao is able to handle more offensive responsibility, but he’s shooting a career best this season with 7.8 PPG and a .511 FG%. Varejao may earn more minutes regardless with Gooden gone. A second configuration could be Wallace at forward and Z at center, giving the Cavs extra size on defense while maintaining a mid-range threat in Z.

After coming off so many winning seasons with the Pistons, it’s possible that Wallace’s frustration with the Bull’s terrible season was coming out in his performance. There’s still a risk Wallace will continue to play his worst since the ’99-‘00 season, but a change of scenery and a winning environment could go a long way. I predict a strong bounce-back from Big Ben as the season wraps up.

Wally Szczerbiak

Position: Forward
Age: 30
Vitals: 6-7, 244

The addition of Szczerbiak will provide LeBron with a badly needed sniper to pair with Daniel Gibson. In the short-term, Szczerbiak will allow the Cavs to maintain their three-point game while Gibson’s ankle heals over the next six weeks. Having Szczerbiak and Gibson on the floor may benefit LeBron the most by drawing some of the defensive pressure off him and directing it to the perimeter. Damon Jones may also see more minutes in Gibson’s absence. Jones has quietly posted a .428 3PT% this season, matching Wally’s percentage. Szczerbiak is not as feared a shooter as Gibson this year, but should be an effective weapon coming off the bench.

Unfortunately, all Szczerbiak is really good for is shooting; the rest of his stats are weak across the board. To be fair, I’m not sure how much of Szczerbiak’s sagging stats are from his role on the bench in Seattle and he may be a more complete player than the numbers indicate. It’s ironic that the two headliners in this trade appear to be complete opposites, with one specializing in defense and the other offense. I think Szczerbiak’s offensive production will be able to compensate for the loss of Hughes or Gooden, but not both. Given how maddeningly inconsistent Hughes was this season, finding alternative options on offense may not be too difficult once the Cavs get healthy again.

Delonte West

Position: Guard
Age: 24
Vitals: 6-4, 180

West will likely get the nod as starting point guard for now, but I would like to see Gibson take over that role later in the season. Neither guard will have to worry about setting up the offense all the time, given James’ playmaking ability and leadership role. I haven’t heard much about West, but he seems to be lacking in opportunities during his career. He averaged 32.1 minutes per game while posting 12.2 points, 3.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and a solid .427 FG% with Boston last season. West’s performance took a dip in Seattle this year, shooting .388.

According to Branson Wright of the Plain Dealer, West is “a point guard who can run the pick and roll, run the offense and more importantly, knock down the open shot.” West appears to have the potential to be a decent point guard if surrounded by quality players to facilitate his skills. The lack of talent and reduction in minutes in Seattle may be the culprit behind West’s poor season so far. I think West may be a pleasant surprise for Cleveland if given the opportunity.

Joe Smith

Position: Forward
Age: 32
Vitals: 6-10, 225

The one thing I keep hearing about Joe Smith is how overlooked he has been in this trade. I would have to agree, since Smith will be a significant upgrade over Donyell Marshall and helps to bolster the new-look Cavs bench. Smith is averaging 11.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and a .466 FG% on 22.9 minutes per game. For comparison, Marshall averaged 3.7 PPG on a .295 FG% and has only played in 11 games this season due to injury. While Smith does not shoot beyond the arc like Marshall, he will provide the Cavs with strong interior scoring off the bench.

On Payroll

Cleveland’s overall payroll will increase by $4.5 million this season, but the quality of the players they’ll be paying is higher than before the trade. Hughes, Gooden, Marshall, Simmons, Newble, and Brown will make a total of $30 million this year. The biggest reason for the post-trade payroll jump is Szczerbiak’s $12 million salary being almost twice as much as Gooden’s. If the Cavs decide they don’t need Szczerbiak after this season, his expiring contract could be easy to move.

Cleveland Contracts Moved (data from Hoops Hype):

Arriving Player	07-'08	08-'09	09-'10	10-'11
B. Wallace	$15,500,000	$14,500,000	$14,000,000	$0
W. Szczerbiak	$12,000,000	$13,000,000	$0
D. West	$1,889,759	$2,762,828	$0
J. Smith	$5,200,000	$0
Total:	$34,589,759	$30,262,828	$14,000,000
Departing Player
L. Hughes	$12,000,084	$12,827,676	$13,655,268	$0
D. Gooden	$6,400,000	$7,100,000	$0
D. Marshall	$5,566,965	$5,950,894	$0
I. Newble	$3,441,900	$0
C. Simmons	$1,629,120	$1,742,760	$0
S. Brown	$1,044,120	$0
Total:	$30,082,189	$27,621,330	$13,655,268
Difference:	+$4,507,570	+$2,641,498	+$3,44,732

Wallace and Hughes are the highest paid players involved, but both have the same contract lengths. The bonus with Wallace is that he’ll become cheaper as his contract expires, while Hughes will get almost $1 million more each season. I also believe Wallace will provide more value than Hughes over the remainder of his contract.

Overall, the Cavs did not take on any extra contract years, providing them flexibility to make a free agent signing as these contracts expire or get moved before 2010. Depending on how well the Cavs draft picks work out, the aging roster could clear out just as the younger players are ready to step up.

Contract Roundup

All three Cleveland teams were busy negotiating or finalizing contract extensions for key personnel this week, so I thought it would be useful to recap this week's transactions:

The Crooked Cap

Just so there's no confusion, Sabathia did not sign a contract extension this week. Negotiations are still ongoing between the Front Office and Sabathia's agent. Word on the street is that the Tribe has placed a four year contract with an option year on the table. No monetary values were provided, but a lot of fans have been pointing to the number of years as the potential snag for both parties up to this point.

The Diatriber countered with a comprehensive breakdown of pitchers awarded five year-plus contracts in the past and how those pitchers fared for their team(s). The article makes for a very interesting read; I hadn't realized just how spectacularly bad some of those hefty contracts were (my favorite one is Mike Hampton, I honestly don't know how the man can sleep peacefully). According to the article, only "[seventeen contracts] have been signed by starting pitchers for 5 years or more in the last 10 years, only six for 6 years or more, and merely three for 7 years or more." Most of those signings ended up as poor investments as the pitchers succumbed to age, chronic injury, or just plain stunk for the duration of the contract.

It's difficult to comprehend how Major League GM's continue to get sucked into this vortex of stupidity where 7-year contracts even enter the discussion. Actually, I'll just go ahead and say it: Brian Sabean, is a moron. The unfortunate part is that a ridiculous contract like Barry Zito's can cause a ripple effect in the pitching market, causing guys like Santana and Sabathia to expect no less than five years per contract.

Obviously, there isn't a single team that wouldn't like to have an ace of that caliber, but the team is paying more than just a salary. They're taking on a certain amount of risk as well and when the stakes (payroll flexibility, health, etc.) are so high, teams have to protect themselves. Taking on a player for a guaranteed four years is risky enough, but seven? How does an agent even ask for that kind of contract with a straight face?

I understand the pitcher is looking for the best job security possible and a long contract is their insurance against injury or a poor season. Before I go off on a tangent here, I guess the bottom line of any discussion about contracts is risk. Some team's can afford to take on more risk (read: years and money) and gain a competitive advantage when recruiting free agents. As long as some nutty GM thinks believes its worth rolling the dice on a potential stud pitcher, players will keep seeking them out. Fortunately these contracts do not have as much of a precedent as some agents would like you to believe; not yet anyway.

As far as Sabathia is concerned, I think he should take a long, hard look at the contracts Carlos Zambrano (5 years plus option, $91 mil) and Jake Peavy (4 years plus option, $14.5 mil) signed recently. Peavy's contract is a true hometown discount and I wouldn't expect Shapiro to low-ball C.C. with that kind of salary. Zambrano's may be close to Cleveland's ceiling for Sabathia. It's important to remember that Zambrano was in his walk year when he signed the contract mid-season and expressed interest in staying with Chicago.

If Cleveland offers Sabathia Zambrano's deal and he turns it down?

Trade him.

If it were up to me, I'd give Sabathia a deadline before Spring Training to get this extension done. If he truly wants to stay in Cleveland, he'll make some concessions (like Zambrano and Peavy did) to stay here, be it a little less money or one less guaranteed year. He'll get paid, no doubt about that, but if he wants to play games with this and wait until the last minute where the Tribe may get nothing in return if/when he walks then I'd ship him out for a cost-controlled replacement, like Phil Hughes, in a heartbeat.

Cleveland does have other options to take Sabathia's place, but once you start bringing Adam Miller and Fausto Carmona into the "ace" discussion, the future becomes a bit hazy. Miller has yet to throw a pitch in the Majors and has had a few injuries slow down his development already. Carmona may very well develop into an ace, but I doubt Shapiro and Wedge would want to place the burden of anchoring the rotation on either young pitcher just yet.

Coach Brown Gets a Raise

The Cavs inked head coach Mike Brown to a two year contract extension through the 2010-2011 season. Official numbers haven't been released yet, but according to Brian Windhorst, Brown will see his current $2 million salary jump to $4 million in addition to the two extra years being tacked onto his old contract.

I've always been a fan of Brown's defense-first philosophy and think he's done a great job keeping the team together this season despite all the contract B.S. and injuries. Brown's track record has been outstanding: two straight 50-win seasons, four playoff series wins in two appearances, and a franchise best .592 win percentage since 2005.

I was a little concerned Brown may take the fall if things turned ugly following the team's championship run last season. Apparently the Cavs' Front Office got something right this year as they reward Brown's solid work thus far.

In the meantime, Cleveland has won 8 of their last 10 games, including road wins in Dallas, New Orleans, Toronto, and San Antonio.

The Browns

Head Coach Romeo Crennel and starting QB Derek Anderson are in line for new contracts this off-season. No specifics have been released while preliminary negotiations take place. I don't have much of an opinion on Crennel, but I am glad to see a head coach for the Browns finally pan out. If the Front Office and players have faith in Crennel, then that's good enough for me. Stability often gets overlooked in pro sports, but the extension is a good move to take pressure off the coaching staff and their players.

Re-upping Anderson makes perfect sense to me, although I'm sure a lot of fans are itching to get those Brady Quinn jerseys out in the open. The success of Anderson last season allows the Browns to take a slow approach to breaking in Quinn and may leave them with a tough decision depending on how 2008 plays out. Look for either Quinn or Anderson to get shipped out of town by the end of next season. For now, the Browns can afford to bide their time and evaluate their options at QB.

Bringing back first-year offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski didn't make a big splash, but could prove to be just as important as Crennel's contract. Chudzinski maximized his resources in Anderson, Edwards, and Lewis and molded Cleveland into an elite offensive unit. It would have been a shame to see him leave for Baltimore's head coaching vacancy after just one year of running his offensive juggernaut. Cleveland was smart to get Chudzinski's extension wrapped up quick because Baltimore had been knocking on the door.

The Browns are also exploring an extension for running back Jamal Lewis and his 1,304 rushing yards this season.

Finally...

Just in case you missed out on Tony Lastoria's Top 50 Prospects list for the Tribe, check out the link here. If you're like me and have always wanted to learn more about the Tribe's farm system, this is a great place to start. It's really an impressive piece of work and deserves all the praise it's received around the blog-o-sphere.

Varejao Still on Vacation; Shannon Out in '08

What exactly is going on with the Cavs right now? First, they make no significant free agent signings and no trades. To be honest, I was busy watching the Tribe’s playoff run to monitor the NBA free agent market too closely, but I don’t think the Cavs necessarily failed in the acquisition department. Granted, I have no idea how close they came to getting Garnett (rumor alert), but who did people expect Ferry to go out and get? Mike Bibby? Wow, another aging, over the hill, guard. No, thanks. My beef is how the team’s two restricted free agents were handled.

Again, it’s tough to tell who’s been more unreasonable: Ferry or the players (or the agents). Fortunately Pavlovic is coming back, but not before missing two games. Pavlovic is said to have received a 3 year deal around $4 million per year.

Varejao still seems to think he’s worth a heck of a lot more than he really is. I’m not sure who’s done the bulk of the negotiating on behalf of Varejao to this point, but they should be fired. Varejao is pretty good at what he does, but there are very few teams where he would be starting. Whether Varejao is asking for too much or the Cavs are offering too little is difficult to decipher. Cleveland certainly wants to bring Varejao back, so it’s probably safe to say they’re offering him fair market value. The issue seems to be Varejao’s unrealistic expectation of what his market value really is.

Pavlovic played twice as many minutes per game than Varejao last season and seems to have a higher developmental ceiling. Varejao is valuable to the team from a depth perspective, given his versatility and rebounding ability, but he is not a critical piece of the puzzle for the long-term. Since Gooden and Ilgauskas are still with the team, it doesn’t seem like Varejao will see a significant increase in minutes either. So why is a role player rumored to be demanding a king’s ransom? Hopefully, details of these negotiations will be released soon after a deal is reached. The Plain Dealer reports that little progress has been made in negotiations.

The Cavs are looking pretty ragged already and the season’s just started. The roster has not been at full strength because of injuries and holdouts. Eric Snow has a left knee tear dating back to early October; he won’t be back for at least another week. Donyell Marshall will miss several games with a wrist injury. Forward Cedric Simmons has been battling an ankle injury, but may be called on to play now that Marshall is out. Varejao has apparently lost his mind. I suppose the good news is, the team can only get better from here on out.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the Cavs locker room is a little tense right now. My concern is a combination of discontent and injuries will put the Cavs in a funk, followed by a drop in the standings. Cleveland lost to Phoenix on Sunday and faces Golden State, Utah, the Clippers, Sacramento, and Denver on their six game road trip. You would hope the Cavs could handle the likes of Sacramento and LA, but there’s something about those West Coast swings that always seem give Cleveland trouble.

On Shannon Brown

I wasn’t too thrilled about this move. Cleveland has never had a real chance to evaluate Brown in the NBA, since a serious leg injury derailed his rookie season for 2006-2007. Now, with a grand total of 6 minutes playing time in his sophomore season, Cleveland has announced they won’t be exercising his third year option. The Cavs must have seen something good in Brown to draft him, so why the sudden turn around?

Brian Windhorst provided a scouting report of Brown on his blog:

Brown did not play well in summer league in my opinion, even though his scoring stats looked good. He scored a bunch of points in the preseason but did not handle the ball well, shoot the ball well or make good decisions.

Isn’t that like judging a baseball player on his Spring Training performance?

In addition to his poor showing in the preseason, Cleveland had until midnight, October 31 to make a decision on Brown’s third year option. I understand the timing of it, but I’m curious if the decision was discussed with Brown beforehand. I doubt carrying that kind of uncertainty into the season is going to do Brown’s game any favors. Cleveland may look to use Brown as trade bait, but wouldn’t he have been more attractive if he didn’t become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end?

This move would make some sense if Cleveland had a replacement lined up, but I haven’t heard any rumors on player movement. I suppose Cedric Simmons would qualify, but he hasn’t proven anything either and could easily be a non-factor. Not only did Cleveland waste a valuable draft pick, but they never gave him the proper time to mature. Brown may not be a perfect fit on the roster right now, but what makes Ferry so positive he won’t improve? Drafting a player is a long term investment, not a movie rental; you don’t get your money back if you make a poor choice. Plus, it’s not like the Cavs are in a position to be releasing players this season; not after failing to acquire any outside talent.

Even if Brown makes positive strides this season, he’ll likely feel snubbed by Ferry and walk. If Brown does leave, the Cavaliers will have made two draft picks in two years and retained only one in Daniel Gibson.

Don’t Look Now…

…but here come the Browns. No really, stop laughing. Your Cleveland Browns are 5-3 after beating Seattle 33-30 in overtime on Sunday. How about that? If Baltimore beats Pittsburgh on Monday, all three teams will sit with 5 wins going into Week 10. Even I’m a little excited about that, and I’m not even a big football fan. Actually, I’m more of a cautious (i.e. fair-weather) Browns’ fan, as it took a long time for me to come back to the team even after the despised Butch Davis skipped town.

The way the team has been drafting and acquiring players the last couple years piqued my interest though and I’m very pleased to see the team doing well again. The Browns are 2-1 in their division and 2-2 against teams with a winning record. Are the Browns truly contenders this season? I think so, but their next game against Pitt will go a long way in measuring their progress. Cleveland has built a three game win streak and a fourth may propel them into the playoff hunt. You never know…