http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/64804/20100217/mavs_will_pursue_ilgauskas/ Please please please! Cavs will only have Varejao and Shaq as their legit C's
A team like the Mavs could trade for him before he's bought out. The only risk would be if Big Z stipulates he'll retire.
If/when he gets bought out and waived by the Wizards he becomes a free agent and can sign with another team. If he wants to re-sign with the Cavs he'd have to wait 30 days to clear the waiver wire.
Now we'll just have to hope someone else gets Z. But still the cavs have improved with that trade, though they wouldn't have power on the post to guard Dwight, Bynum and Perkins when playoffs come (Assuming Shaq will play few minutes)
^exactly my point... without Z... Cavs will only have 20-25mins of shaq to defend dwight, bynum, perkins... i dont think varejao or hickson can handle those guys, not to mention pau
And I don't think Z can handle them either. He's too slow on his feet and he's got bad knees. That's why they got Shaq in the first place.
your absolutely right, cleveland may look scary now, but they are still a one dimensional team, much like the mavs a few years back when they got knocked out of the 1st round by the warriors. the cavs under good defense, aren't the same, boston and lakers have great defense on both ends. also if we use our big guys well, the cavs only have verejao as a viable option on the block. shaq has his moments, but having moments wont win you any games in the finals. with pau, bynum and odom down low, kobe coming in and out and artest at the three, the cavs will be forced to protect the paint. kobe and artest, along with odom, shannon and at times fisher, are great from outside. we could win it on jump shots, or we kick inside when they focus defense on the perimeter, and either pau or bynum is going to have an open look almost 80 percent of the time. as long as we are smart all game on offense and play tough D on lebron and there point gaurd, i forget his name, but he is good from 3, as long as we play them tough we're golden.
Cavs lost again last night to the Bobcats. Charlotte has beat them 3 of 4 games now and could be their first round matchup. They matchup really well against the Cavs because they defend, rebound well, have roster flexibility and have a lot of size. Plus Larry Brown is one of the best coaches at making adjustments and taking away a team's best offensive player out of the game. He did it against the Lakers and Kobe, he should be able to do it with LeBron.
Charlotte is a scrappy team, they should be a tough matchup for anyone in the playoffs if they can get in.
LA Times reported that the NBA will prevent Big Z from returning to Cleveland. I don't know if their sources are correct, or if this is even possible.
if its true its a HUGE boon to the bigger teams lets just say Shaq plays 25 mpg Varajao isn't going to play more than 30 so lets says that from the 2 big positions you get 96 minutes minus the 55 from those 2 that means there will be 41 minutes a PF should be able to dominate Jamison/Hickson every night on offense
