David Aldridge: "Silas Couldn't Please Lebron James" <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If you think the Sixers are a dysfunctional bunch, you haven't seen the Cavaliers lately. Cleveland fired coach Paul Silas yesterday (actually, the Cavaliers decided Sunday night) with 18 games left in the regular season despite being 34-30, the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference. (Wouldn't Billy King and Jim O'Brien take that kind of "failure" right now?) If you think it odd to make such a move so late in the year, you're not alone. But Cleveland has a melange of troubles, from a new ownership group flush with money and power, to a coach that lost his team, to a superstar in LeBron James who doesn't know whom to trust or what to believe. "We were in jeopardy, with the way we were playing [3-9 in their last 12 games, and nine straight road losses], of not making the playoffs," general manager Jim Paxson said yesterday by telephone. "We just didn't see any progress or anything that was being changed to make us better," Paxson said. Silas had coached looking over his shoulder since new owner Dan Gilbert and his group bought a majority interest in the team from Gordon Gund three weeks ago. Sources indicate ownership wanted to remove Silas immediately after the $375 million sale of the team went through March 1, but was dissuaded, giving Silas a chance to prove himself. Sadly, Silas didn't. "It got to the point where the guys were like, 'It's just a matter of time,' " a team source said yesterday. Silas' playing rotation confused many. He soured on forward Drew Gooden, who had had a solid first half of the season after being acquired from Orlando, and played Robert Traylor more in recent weeks. He inexplicably removed point guard Jeff McInnis, who had started all season, from the starting lineup in Sunday's loss at Toronto. It was McInnis who Silas had said would have gotten the team to the playoffs last season if he hadn't been injured. But Sunday, McInnis was a DNP. And Silas, according to a source, had told players in recent days that he didn't care whether the team fired him, that he was going to continue coaching the way he had all season. That meant continued isolation plays for James, who was not especially comfortable taking 36 shots on Sunday against the Raptors. It's not that LeBron doesn't like the spotlight, but he's sixth in the league in assists for a reason. Gradually, Silas lost James, too.</div> Source
