<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Coach Mike Brown is in his third training camp with the Cavaliers, and for the second time, he's had to make do without valuable forward/center Anderson Varejao. Varejao is embroiled in a contract dispute with the Cavs and has yet to make an appearance in camp. In Brown's rookie season in 2005-06, Varejao was sidelined with a shoulder injury. "We were in this situation before when I first took the job," Brown said Tuesday after practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "We had Z (Zydrunas Ilgauskas), Drew (Gooden) and Donyell (Marshall) playing big minutes for us. They may get increased minutes again. Sometimes I have trouble finding minutes for four 'bigs' anyway. Their minutes may increase if no one else steps up." But the landscape is a bit different this time. For one thing, Marshall isn't the same player he was two years ago. He's 34 now and seems to be nearing the end of his career. His rebounding numbers, which were quite impressive in 2005-06, dropped off drastically last season. Secondly, the Cavs' big-man rotation, which helped carry them to the NBA Finals last season, is severely lacking without Varejao in the mix. Dwayne Jones, on the roster bubble, was the backup center in Tuesday's 81-62 clunker of a preseason opener against the Washington Wizards at Quicken Loans Arena. The one thing Jones does well - rebound - was once again on display on Tuesday. But that's about all he does. Jones had seven rebounds, four personal fouls and three turnovers in 15 minutes. He missed all four of his shots. At least three of them were blocked. The 6-foot-11, 251-pounder didn't help his cause to make the team. It's quite possible there's not another player on the roster who can fill Varejao's backup center spot. Observers are waiting for a glimpse of power forward Cedric Simmons, acquired in a trade from New Orleans on Sept. 29. The 6-9, 235-pounder is hampered with a left ankle sprain suffered on July 9 - on the eve of summer league. "It's been bothering me ever since," Simmons said.</div></p> Source: Zwire</p>
