<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Da_Future_2k5:</div><div class="quote_post">so u would take 2 mil less per year to play with the Wizards instead of jumpin ship to play with King James?? YOUR LYING TO YOURSELF if you say you would. thats a bunch of bologna. lol... the Cavs have showed they are committed to winning now that Gilbert is doing whatever it takes to get LBJ some support.. the Wizards havent shown they are serious about winning at all IMO.</div> Absolutely, I would take less money, much less money to stay loyal to a team that gave me a chance. I'd take less money to live in a better city, be surrounded by friends, watching my kids grow up in a stable environment with the best schools available in the nation, and being part of a winning nucleus. Does Washington have all those things, I don't know, but if it is then yes I'd take less money. If I get my hands on $12Million a year I'd be more than happy to stick around and build on something great. What can you buy for $14Million that you can't buy for $12Million? There are no guarantees LeBron James sticks around after his rookie contract is up. The Cavs have yet to prove anything, while the Wizards made it to the second round of the playoffs without Kwame Brown. Wizards haven't shown they are serious about winning? I think they haven't shown they are desperate to satisfy a player from leaving in 2 years. The Cavs still have a lot left to do in free agency to even consider them a playoff caliber team. They need to get Ilgauskas, and they need another player in the frontline or a point guard. Keep in mind Hughes has only played 75% of a season his entire career. The Wizards still have a lot of options available to them. Losing Hughes is a huge blow, but they have a chance to replace him still. The guard friendly system the Wizards run is going to improve the stats of anyone they put there.
^ the Wizards without Hughes arent even close to being a playoff team... the Bucks have a better shot than them... even the Hawks if they get JJ.. and u are going to say the Cavs cant make the playoffs this upcoming year with the addition of Hughes? wowww this will be the first year LeBron had a decent sidekick in his NBA career (dont say Ilgauskas because hes as soft as cotton candy and is a non factor half the games) the Cavs will add one more key piece before free agency is over with and as long as they can get Luke Jackson to stop being a bum and be that perimeter shooter they need, they are EASILY a playoff team.. most likely even without Jackson doing anything...
Until the Cavs add one more key player, no they are not a playoff caliber team. Take a look at the roster there are several holes, and this is not the Eastern Conference Circa 2002, the East is a lot stronger. PG - Eric Snow SG - Larry Hughes SF - LeBron James PF - Drew Gooden C - Anderson Varejao Bench - Luke Jackson, Alexander Pavlovic, Ira Newble That is the current Cav roster, are you telling me a team with absolutely no depth in the frontcourt, and Eric Snow at PG is going to make it to the playoffs? I never said the Wizards would make the playoffs either, losing Hughes obviously is a blow to their chances.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Until the Cavs add one more key player, no they are not a playoff caliber team. Take a look at the roster there are several holes, and this is not the Eastern Conference Circa 2002, the East is a lot stronger. PG - Eric Snow SG - Larry Hughes SF - LeBron James PF - Drew Gooden C - Anderson Varejao Bench - Luke Jackson, Alexander Pavlovic, Ira Newble That is the current Cav roster, are you telling me a team with absolutely no depth in the frontcourt, and Eric Snow at PG is going to make it to the playoffs? I never said the Wizards would make the playoffs either, losing Hughes obviously is a blow to their chances.</div> good job at takin Ilgauskas off assuming that they wont re-sign him OR replace him. u really believe that ? WOW if its not Ilgauskas, it'll be Eddy Curry. (they will also add a PG) and yes that WILL make them a playoff team. EASY.
He didn't take Ilgauskas off, right now he isn't under contract with the Cavs, he is not part of their roster. Larry Hughes is gauranteed to miss atleast 20 games a year, he has done so his whole career, why would things change in Cleveland? What's to say Eddy Curry will go to Cleveland, talks between Atlanta and him are heating up...fast. The Cavs, along with the Wizards, are not playoff caliber teams right now, that simple. LeBron needs that 3 point shooter and the Wizards need a guard, which won't be hard to fill because like Shape said, Washington runs a guard-friendly offense that will increase any guards stats. Hughes will not be that hard to replace, as for Cleveland...they need a big, they need depth, and a pg.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Da_Future_2k5:</div><div class="quote_post"> good job at takin Ilgauskas off assuming that they wont re-sign him OR replace him. u really believe that ? WOW if its not Ilgauskas, it'll be Eddy Curry. (they will also add a PG) and yes that WILL make them a playoff team. EASY. </div> Right now he is off the roster, that's why I said CURRENT roster. The CURRENT roster is not playoff caliber like you seem to believe. If they bring back Ilgauskas who plays backup center? Tractor Traylor was let go, and we both know Ilgauskas breaks down, so they better get a quality big man to play heavy backup minutes.
Varejao and Gooden are underrated. all Cavs need is DANIELS, I feel that is their final piece, a guy who doesnt turn the ball over, and can score, you already have all stars in Hughes and Lebron, Gooden, and Varejao are very good rebounders, you don't need an all star front court, just guys who can get 10 and 9 is good service.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting j0se:</div><div class="quote_post">Varejao and Gooden are underrated. all Cavs need is DANIELS, I feel that is their final piece, a guy who doesnt turn the ball over, and can score, you already have all stars in Hughes and Lebron, Gooden, and Varejao are very good rebounders, you don't need an all star front court, just guys who can get 10 and 9 is good service.</div> Drew Gooden is underrated? How so? I think he is inconsistent and is what he is. He's a solid role player capable of averaging a double double. Varejao, he hasn't really played enough to evaluate his game. He's shown flashes here and there, but again, can he do it consistently. Do you realize how rare it is for a guy to come off the bench and average a near double double? Most starters don't even average 9 rebounds a game. Only 19 players averaged 9 or more rebounds a game last year. The year before that only 17, 2002-03 only 14, 2001-03 only 17.
I wouldn't count the Wizards out of the playoff race just yet, I mean it's still the off-season and the Wizards still have their two core players left (Arenas and Jamison). They just need to sign a decent shooting guard in the market and with Arenas improving and Jamison in his prime they should be good to go. Maybe somebody like Cat Mobley or Marko Jaric would do the trick.
Arenas is our present and future. He can score at will, I don't think he will have any problems adjusting to life without Hughes because he is so quick. I forgot all about Marko Jaric, he would be the perfect replacement. He can share ball-handling duties with Arenas like Hughes did. He can score when need be, I don't know how is defense is though, can someone tell me -- below average, average, above average?
He's solid, he gets ALOT of steals similar to Hughes, but Jaric is extremely inconsistant as a starter.
It tough with that kind of money thrown at you. And he'll be playin beside LBJ. Thats the BIG SHOW right there.
Jaric is a pretty good defender, he's good at anticipating and playing the lanes, but was a below average man to man defender at PG because he can't guard quicker guys. If he's guarding SG's though, he should be pretty average.
