Its that time of the year

Here are some thoughts on the Browns and Cavs.

Browns

-The hiring of Mike Holmgren to be the President of our organization seems like a step in the right direction. He is a viable face in the NFL, he has a Super Bowl ring, and he has coached well in the past. According to reports, he will have the power to hire a new GM, and a coach if he desires. I wouldn't want Holmgren picking players, because as GM of the Seahawks from 1998-2002, the only solid players he drafted were LB Anthony Simmons, RB Shaun Alexander, WR Darrell Jackson, G Steve Hutchinson, CB Ken Lucas, FB Heath Evans, G Floyd Womack, RB Maurice Morris, and DT Rocky Bernard. In these 4 drafts, he had 46 picks and only 9 of them turned out to be solid/fringe NFL players.

-John Clayton of ESPN is reporting that Holmgren will probably fire HC Eric Mangini. I know I supported Mangini when he was first hired, and I still think he is a solid coach. I think you have to give the guy one more year. Yes he got rid of Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow, but the Jets have no faired well since they added Edwards, and the Bucs have won 2 games this year. Alex Mack has improved, Mo Massaqoui looks like a solid WR, LB Maiava has been solid so far (39 tackles and 1 sack), Jason Trusnik has had 44 tackles in 10 games with the Browns, and Matt Roth has been impressive in his 4 games with the Browns (2.5 sacks, and 21 tackles). Also, the team has dealt with a lot of injuries as well as D'Qwell Jackson, Shaun Rogers, CJ Mosley, Kenyon Coleman, and Brodney Pool missing time.

-Mangini has cleared up a lot of cap space for he team next year (2nd most out of any team in the NFL), and we have 11 draft picks. Lets see what he can do with them. He has done well for the last few weeks as his team fought hard against San Diego, upset the Steelers, and beat the Chiefs.

-Overall, you have to give Mangini some credit as his team has played with discipline (we are the least penalized team in the NFL), and while we might not have a lot of skill players, we fight hard. Yes, WR Brian Robiskie hasn't seen much of the field, and neither has LB David Veikune, but Mangini has been finding some solid players. We can't just say game over after one year with Mangini. We need to be patient, make good use of our cap space, and draft solid players. It is easy to fold your tent when you have one win playing the Steelers, but the team showed that they were not going to back down from anyone. This is a testament to coaching.

-I feel that if Mangini does stay, it will be good to have a GM over him. This is because Mangini right now is doing 2 jobs, which can be very overwhelming. If Mangini turns his attention to coaching, then I think we will see better results.

Cavs

-Everyone seems to be in an uproar about how the team isn't blowing teams out anymore. Well don't expect us to win 66 games this year. Its not about the regular season. Yes, getting a top seed is important, but we need to save our energy and resources for the postseason. Last year, it was smooth sailing the entire year. We faced no problems, no adversity, but when lost game 1 versus the Magic at home, we didn't know how to react. We lost that invincibility. Throughout the year, teams were adjusting to our play, but when we had to adjust to the Magic, we had no idea what to do. The team last year faced no adversity, and its good that we are going through all the bumps in the road now. I would rather have this team be battled tested now, lose a few more games, save some energy and bodies, then winning 66 games again.

-Everyone is whining about how Shaq doesn't fit here. Read Chris Broussard's article about Shaq, its a good one (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/news/story?id=4762941). Our 3 point shooting is #1 in the league (44%). I am sure Shaq has had some effect on that. Also, Shaq isn't here to beat the Bobcats, Kings, and Warriors. He is here to beat the Magic, Celtics, and Lakers. He will be judged on how well he does in May and June.

-LeBron needs to not stall the offense in the fourth quarter. He gets in LeIso mode, and he dribbles for 15 seconds. The team needs to continue to move the ball around, and keep the ball out of LeBron's hands. We need him coming off screens, setting picks, and rolling to the basket. When everyone stands around LeBron, we become a very ineffective team.

-I have stated numerous times, that this team needs to make a trade. We will barely get out of the Eastern Conference with this team. The Lakers will make quick work of us in the Finals. We need either a tall guard who can create his own shot, or a bigman who can stretch the floor and create his own shot. Antwan Jamison sounds perfect right about now. Brian Windhorst, and Marc Stein have re-iterated that the Cavs have been active on the phone for trades. I would expect a deal to go down before the deadline. Again, as a sign of the tough economic times, the Utah Jazz gave away rookie PG Eric Maynor to the OKC Thunder, along with Matt Harpring's $6 million contract. The Jazz basically said we will give you a young rookie PG if you take on $6 million of salary. The Jazz can't afford to pay the luxury tax, and this shows how desperate they were to get under the luxury tax line. The Pacers, and Hornets are 2 examples of teams in financial problems as well. Again, the Cavs have Z's expiring deal, and the ability to sign and trade Wally Z in a trade. These two trade chips could be very valuable to teams who are looking to get under the tax or get cap space for the future. The NBA trade stove will be cooking for the next couple months.

This about does it. If I hear any substantial rumors about trades, I will be sure to right about them. Until then, have a great holiday and go Cleveland!

-Raz

Blowin in the Wind (Part 1)

Its been awhile since I last wrote, I apologize. I had foot surgery, finals, and laziness all in one. In this blog, I am going to discuss some possible trade options for the Cavs in the coming months.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported last night that the Cavs have made inquires of 3 PF's. He believes that the Cavs biggest need is a PF due to the fact that we might have to play Kevin Garnett, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, and Rashard Lewis in the playoffs. I don't disagree with this, as I do believe the Cavs need an inside/outside PF who can score. I also would love to see the Cavs get either a solid backup PG (one who can handle the ball and set up an offense), or a tall SG who can defend and create his own shot.

As I have stated before, the Cavs have a few assets in their hands. One, they have young players with some upside with cheap rookie contracts (JJ Hickson, Christian Eyenga, Danny Green, Darnell Jackson, and Sasha Kaun). The Cavs will only include Hickson in a deal if it is for a super star or a "home run" deal. Two, the Cavs have the expiring contracts of Z. It is worth about $11 million which can give a team some cap space, or get under the luxury tax. We can also sign and trade Wally Z because we own his bird rights. Three, the Cavs have draft picks to trade as well have they have their first round picks for the next few years at their disposal. With all this said, here are the names that Windhorst said, and my thoughts.

Anthony Randolph, PF, Golden State Warriors

-Randolph is 21 years old, who was drafted in the same draft class of JJ Hickson. He is 6'11, can handle the ball, athletic, and can score inside and out. The problem with Randolph is that he is still somewhat raw, skinny, and he has had immaturity issues. He left after his first year at LSU, and he has had many run-ins with Warriors head coach Don Nelson (who hasn't!). The Warriors are 7-19 and last in their division, so they seem destined to blow their team up. He is averaging 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block a game, in 23 minutes per game. There have been some discussions according to the San Jose Mercury News that the Cavs might be offering Hickson straight up for Randolph. I don't see the Warriors doing this trade as I think they are going to try to package him in a deal with a bad contract (Corey Maggette). According to Windhorst, Cavs coach Mike Brown is enamored with Randolph because of his size and athleticism. Randolph would give us some more size up front, but again he is an unproven scorer, and in a year where we are aiming for a championship, I don't want to put it on the shoulders on a 21 year old sophomore.

Troy Murphy, PF, Indiana Pacers

-Murphy is a 29 year old 6'11 PF who is averaging 13 points and 9 rebounds a game. The Pacers are 9-16 and are last place in the Central Division. He is very good defensive rebounder, a great pick and pop player, and he can shoot the 3 ball very well (39% for his career). He would fit in perfectly with what we want to do offensively because he can space the floor out to the 3 point line, and rebound. Again, he would give us size on our frontcourt. The problem with Murphy is two things, one, he is very slow on defense. He will get killed on pick and rolls, and he cannot play physical in the post. Two, his contract goes until 2011 for $11 million. Murphy would be a good backdrop option for the Cavs because he does what we need to do offensively, except he would hurt us on defense. With the Cavs going all in this year, and have Dan Gilbert as an owner, I don't think his contract will be as big of a problem. I wouldn't trade Hickson for him, but I would definitely trade Z for him.....

Antwan Jamison, PF, Washington Wizards

-Jamison is a 6'9 PF who is averaging 21 points and 8 rebounds. The Wizards are 8-17, and seem to be headed no where. Yes, Mike Miller is injured, but will he make that much of a difference? For the past four years, the Wizards have blamed injuries for their mediocre performance, but the more I hear that, the more I think that this team isn't that good. The Wizards have a payroll of $79 million, and if we took Jamison' contract off their books, their payroll would be around $40-44 million next year (they have 8 expiring contracts). I would love to have Jamison here, as he can score inside and out, he is a leader, and he has been consistent over his career. He fits in with what we need, as he has size, and can defend as well. He can match up with Odom, Rasheed, and Rashard Lewis. He is averaging 20 points and 8 rebounds for his career, and this year he is averaging 21 points and 8 rebounds. Some drawbacks to getting Jamison would be that his contract is very long. It goes until 2012, and he gets paid $11 million this year, $13 million next year, and $15 million the year after. This could badly hamstring us in free agency in the future. Also, Jamison is 33 years old, and he will be 35 when his contract ends. Can he continue to play at this level for the next 2 and a half years? The only hurdle I see getting in our way of getting Jamison is Washington's willingness to trade him to us. Their owner Abe Pollin just passed away, and the team has stated they are going to wait for Mike Miller to come back to see if they can get into contention. I still think Jamison's name will be one that is floated around a lot in the next couple of months. Would I trade trade Z and Hickson for Jamison? Yes, but I would strongly prefer that we buy Z out and bring him back to bolster our front court. I will say this, if the Cavs do acquire Jamison then the Cavs are my favorites to win the NBA Championship.

Here are some other names one could see get floated around in the next few months:

David West, PF, New Orleans Hornets

-The key to looking at possible players to get traded is to see teams with high payrolls, that are not doing well. New Orleans is a team that has documented financial troubles, and their team payroll is $74 million, and their payroll next year as it stands will be $73 million. The team is hamstrung by the bad contracts of James Posey (another 3 years), Peja Stojakovic (another 2 years), Emeka Okafor (another 4 years), Morris Peterson (another 2 years). David West' contract goes for another 3 years as well. The Hornets are currently 12-14, and even if they do make the playoffs, they probably won't go far. West is a great pick and pop player, he can stretch the floor, shoot well, and defend the pick and roll. He is 6'9, and isn't as athletic as Randolph or Jamison. He is averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds a game, and he would be a solid addition to the Cavs. Z's expiring contract would provide some luxury tax relief for the Hornets.

Corey Maggette, SG, Golden State Warriors

-As I explained earlier, the Warriors seem destined to blow up their team, and they can start by getting rid of this guys contract. It goes until 2013, and Maggette is already 30 years old. He would be great off the bench as he can create his own offense, and draw a high rate of fouls. He is averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds a game. He is 6'6, and while he doesn't play D in Golden State, he has the skills to be a solid defender here in Cleveland. He would give us more size on our team, but his contract scares me a lot.

Caron Butler, SG/SF, Washington Wizards

-Again, with the Wizards' struggles of late, I wouldn't be surprised if they cleaned house. Butler is 29, and has a contract that goes until 2011. He is struggling this season as he is averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds, but he is shooting 30% from 3 and 43% from the field. Historically he is a great mid range shooter, and who has good athleticism. He is also a solid defender has he can anticipate passing lanes well, as he averages about 1.5 steals a game. I don't think Butler would put us over the top, but he definitely would provide us with some size and scoring, but again, will the Wizards trade him to us?

Well that just about does it, I will talk about the Browns/Holmgren situation next time. Until then, go Cleveland!

-Raz