<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Drew Gooden thinks he can be the same kind of relentless rebounder that Carlos Boozer was for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coach Paul Silas thinks so, too. ``I think it's just going to be a good fit for him as well as us,'' Silas said Wednesday when Gooden was introduced at a news conference. ``I think Pax (general manager Jim Paxson) did a great job of working this thing out, and we couldn't be happier.'' The Cavs needed a power forward after Boozer unexpectedly signed a 6-year, $68 million offer sheet with the Utah Jazz, and the Cavs didn't have the money to match it. Gooden was the key acquisition in last week's trade that sent forward-center Tony Battie and two second-round draft picks to the Orlando Magic. The Cavs also got Brazilian rookie forward Anderson Varejao and center Steven Hunter, but it's Gooden who has to replace Boozer's points and rebounds. `I want the ball every time it comes off the rim,'' Gooden said. ``It's a passion.'' The 6-foot-10 Gooden averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 79 games -- 17 starts -- for the Magic last season, when the 6-9 Boozer emerged as one of the NBA's rising stars. Boozer averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds and, along with rookie sensation LeBron James, helped Cleveland improve its win total from 17 to 35. Boozer and James are teammates on the U.S. Olympic team. In comparison to Boozer's deal, Gooden is a bargain. He'll make $3.2 million next season and the Cavaliers can decide whether to pick up a $4 million option for 2005-06</div> <div align="center">Link</div> It's not going to be an easy task. If he thinks averaging a double-double is going to cut it, well it won't. Boozer provided the team with much more than his brilliant stats. He provided the Cavs with energy, toughness, hope and his companionship with James made things easier for James as well, and if James is rolling then the team is rolling. And traits such as energy, hope, etc? aren?t traits that you can affiliate Drew Gooden with just yet. But it's going to be an interesting season, and Gooden has to be himself and do his job and he'll be fine, just hope he doesn?t try to do too much.
I think he will easily fill boozers shoes in terms of appealing to the fans. Though in points and rebounds I dont think he will espcially with the new stories now appearing that he has alittle work ethic and preffers to party rather than play basketball. He can easily average as many points as boozer did for the cavs though rebounds I dont see it happening. Alot of GM's consider him not like lets say tough enough he doesnt bang his body to ge tthe boards like boozer does. He also doesnt have the power boozer does to over muscle people in the paint and jump over or around a defender to get a rebound. He can not post up very well either he has a limited varity of moves at his desposal and uses about 2 of them. Unless he seriously improves his muscle tone this off season and work ethic in the gym I see the cavs suffering on the boards more than anything else followed by suffering on defense for his lack of strength. Hopefully he does well though and proves me wrong.
I think Drew Gooden will easily fill Boozer's shoes as well but I hope he fits with the system and resigns when his contract is done.. Unless (god forbid) Gooden gets injured it wont be that hard of a task.. 15 and 12... Gooden is easily able to put up those numbers assuming he gets the minutes and fits the system.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I think he will easily fill boozers shoes in terms of appealing to the fans. Though in points and rebounds I dont think he will espcially with the new stories now appearing that he has alittle work ethic and preffers to party rather than play basketball. </div> I agree with that totally.. Cleveland will welcome him and love him if he plays decent. Will he post up a double double every night? Probaly not but if he can get 12 poins and 8 rebounds (close but not totally filling Boozers shoes) then I will be happy. Another thing you got to look at he was always playing center most of the time now playing PF and starting he will gain more expeirence and playing people his size (maybe smaller.) So I think he will fit great in Cleveland.. He can only get better and with Z and him down low I really like the future of the Cavs.
Gooden feels good about Cavs <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"I feel almost like I got drafted again," Gooden said, grinning, "and I'm starting over." The Cavaliers' loss of Carlos Boozer in free agency was Gooden's gain, the third-year power forward gushed Wednesday when introduced five days after a trade with Orlando brought Gooden, center Steven Hunter and forward Anderson Varejao to Cleveland. The Cavaliers surrendered Tony Battie and two second-round draft picks for the players. Silas declined to address questions about the loss of Boozer on Wednesday, noting only, "We don't dwell on what's been lost, we look at what we've gained." And though he called the Cavaliers squad upgraded with the acquisitions of Gooden and point guard Eric Snow in the past week, the Cavaliers coach conceded there is still work to do this off-season - namely find a backup for center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The answer isn't likely to be 7-0 Hunter, who also was included in the trade with Orlando. The 15th pick in the 2001 draft has career averages of 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds, and isn't a lock to make the training camp roster. The only thing certain is that this is Gooden's opportunity to start anew, his chance to prove how his energy can mesh with the Cavaliers. He insisted his short stints in Memphis - where noted talent evaluator Jerry West gave up on him after 51 games with the Grizzlies - and Orlando were not an indictment of his character, effort or ability. "I think it's been a matter of me being on two losing basketball teams," Gooden said. "Changes needed to be made to teams that are in last place." </div> <div align="center">Link </div> What do you think of this? It sounds to me like Gooden has a bit of an inflated ego and is way up himself. I don't know if that's bad, but he sounds like he just wants to praise himself and say how good he is. At least he thinks he is on a good team and is willing to have a real crack at it. Who so you think will back up Z?
The more I think about the more and more I like it. He never got to play a whole season at PF because he was either a backup or a center. And he did a great job as a center. But with him and Z down low I'm liking the new look for the Cavs.
It all depends on his work ethic, and if he really wants a championship. He could match, or even surpass Boozer, playing with James; he has skill. But if he doesn't change his apparent bad habits, he'll be garbage.
