G West Held Out of Season Opener

Cavs guard Delonte West remained in the locker room on Tuesday night as the Cavs opened the regular season with a loss against the Boston Celtics, 95-89.

Cavs coach Mike Brown said GM Danny Ferry and a support group of West’s decided to keep him inactive on Tuesday, as the guard continues to battle bipolar disorder and mood problems that have gotten him arrested and accused of spousal battery this offseason.

“They have some things that they feel they have to get in order for him to be active,” Brown said. “When they say he’s ready then he’ll be out on the floor.”

West was in Cleveland’s locker room before the game, as he went for a workout inside the Q roughly an hour before the game.

Boston coach Doc Rivers, who coached West for 2 ½ years, said nothing but kind things about West on Tuesday night.

“I just pray for him, honestly,” he said. “I just hope things work out for him.”

“We didn’t have all this,” he said. “We had some issues, but we didn’t have all this. It’s tough. Those are the kids you just hope somehow, someone can touch him. You can’t give up on him. You shouldn’t give up on anyone breathing, that’s my belief. Obviously, I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but it’s a lot of stuff. You just hope somehow, somebody gets to him.

Given the legal issues that West has stumbled into lately, he likely faces an NBA suspension when he returns to the team.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 9:25 pm by bryan

Cavs Drop Opening Night to Boston

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t get the start to the regular season that they were hoping for.

In a battle of two of the East’s best teams, the Boston Celtics one-upped the Cavs for a 95-89 win on Tuesday night at the Q.

Reigning MVP LeBron James was his usual ridiculous self, scoring 38 points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing eight assists, while notching two steals and blocking four shots. But the Cavs couldn’t get much else going, as the next highest scorer for Cleveland was PG Mo Williams, with 12 points.

The Cleveland offense often grinded to a halt, especially when James wasn’t in the game. The Cavs were still working out kinks, adjusting to life with their new 7 footer, four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq posted a double-double on his first night with the Cavs, scoring 10 points and adding 10 rebounds and a block in 29 minutes of work.

“We’d like to start off 1-0, but there are 100 games left,” said O’Neal, who sputtered after halftime and missed both his free throws in the game. “We’ll be fine. I’ve been on teams that started 0-1, 0-5, 5-0, 10-0. Nothing matters unless you win the whole thing.”

While Shaq’s self-proclaimed goal to “win a ring for the King” didn’t get off to the start the Cavs were hoping for, both teams gave each other nothing but respect after the game.

“Boston is a great team,” James said. “I think we can all say that we probably will see each other in the postseason. We will be around.”

at 9:24 pm by bryan

G West Cited in Domestic Abuse Report

A troubling offseason has just gotten worse for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West.

West’s wife filed a domestic violence report against him on Sunday with police at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

West’s wife claimed that he accused her of cheating on him, then broke down into an argument which featured West taking his wife’s wedding ring and purse.

On Monday, police said that no charges have been filed against West as they continue to investigate the case.

This is just the latest in a string of incidents involving West in the past few months. He was arrested in August after being pulled over in Maryland and being found with three guns. West also missed every preseason game with the Cavs as he battled back from bipolar disorder that caused him to miss the first two days of training camp.

West has been ruled doubtful for Tuesday’s season opener against the Boston Celtics, opening the possibility for Anthony Parker or Daniel “Boobie” Gibson to get the start at shooting guard alongside Mo Williams.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 7:45 pm by bryan

Cavs Hammered by Big Three-less Celtics

With Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen on the bench, one would likely assume that the Cleveland Cavaliers would have rolled the Boston Celtics over on Wednesday night.

Instead, the Celtics’ bench took it to the Cavs in a 98-82 win, which was sparked by a quick start by Boston. The Celtics held a 10-point lead over the Cavs after just one quarter (32-22).

League MVP LeBron James led the Cavs with 18 points, center Shaquille O’Neal added 16, and PF Anderson Varejao chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds of his own.

“At the end of the day, it’s a preseason game and you don’t want to look too far into it,” said James. “We did want to play better, but we know can get better. That doesn’t mean we’re going to be on top of our game the first game. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for us to get to how we’re going to play for a whole season. Let’s not let the first game determine our season, either.”

While James sounded less-than-pleased with the Cavs’ collective effort on Wednesday night, his newest teammate seemed to be enjoying his time on the court much more.

“Oh, it’s perfect. It’s a close-knit group,” O’Neal said. “I look forward to a fabulous season.”

The Cavs have a chance to avenge this loss to Boston quickly, as they open the regular season with the Celtics on Tuesday.

Friday, October 23, 2009 at 12:19 am by bryan

James said cancer scare affected him

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James said that the growth on his jaw last year was a distraction and a concern.

James had a benign growth on his jaw removed through surgery, which caused him to miss some time last season.

However, he said that he was very relieved when the doctors informed him that it was not cancer.

He said it was a great couple of weeks of sleep following confirmation that he did not have cancer.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 7:10 pm by steve

A King-Sized Cancer Scare

After an earlier-than-anticipated exit from the NBA Playoffs this past season, the spotlight has shined brighter than ever on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

One storyline no one reported? Forget Dwight Howard – how about the King’s potential battle with cancer?

James had developed a growth on his parotid gland (it produces saliva), and while 70 to 80 percent of those growths turn up benign, James found himself worried.

“I was working with some good professionals,” James said. “They were telling me they didn’t think it was cancer, but we had to be sure, of course.”

While the growth didn’t cause James pain initially, it had grown enough in size that it was visibly noticeable, and had the potential to grow malignant if left unchecked. James took the cautious approach and arranged for surgery soon after the season ended.

“It was a nerve-racking experience but I knew at that point I had to get it done,” James said. “I was on edge for those few days, I was lucky the season was going on and we were playing really well so I could concentrate on basketball. My family was nervous.”

James went onto the operating table on June 3, two days after the Cavs were knocked out by the Orlando Magic. Dr. Frank Papay of the Cleveland Clinic worked the surgery, which lasted twice as long as expected (six hours!) but went without any major complications.

Now, Cleveland fans are ready to welcome their King back to the court… with a 7’, 300 pound sidekick this time around.

Monday, October 19, 2009 at 9:00 pm by bryan

James Tests Positive for Influenza A

He may be the King, but even the King can catch the flu.

LeBron James missed the Cavaliers’ preseason game on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards with flu-like symptoms. Now, the Cavs’ star forward has tested positive for Influenza A, along with Darnell Jackson and Coby Karl.

The three returned to practice on Thursday, although they are being treated like they have the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. H1N1 is a strain of Influenza A.

“You come back around and everyone is like, ‘Ugh, you got the cooties,’ ” James said Thursday. “They don’t want to be around you.”

The three sick players are traveling to Texas for the Cavs’ preseason games against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and Dallas Mavericks Saturday, although they’re well-equipped with the proper medicine.

“We feel very comfortable and confident that what we are doing is an appropriate course of action,” Cavs spokesman Tad Carper said. “The key for us is to approach things proactively and from a presumptive standpoint.”

As James points out, at least the flu bug struck in the preseason.

“If it’s going to happen, now is the best time,” James said. “I don’t wish anyone to be sick. I wish great health for everyone. But if this is the time the flu bug is going to hit our team, I’m glad it’s happening now.”

Friday, October 16, 2009 at 9:42 pm by bryan

Cavs Lose First Preseason Game, King Sidelined

The Washington Wizards got a hint of revenge against the Cavaliers for all of those playoff defeats, as the Wizards beat the Cavs 109-104 for Cleveland’s first loss of the preseason.

LeBron James sat out the game with flu-like symptoms, leaving his two-man running mate Shaquille O’Neal on the floor all by himself. PG Mo Williams sat out, resting his strained groin, while SG Delonte West continued to remain away from the team due to personal reasons.

With a depleted backcourt, Shaq took it upon himself to shore up the frontcourt. The big man posted an efficient 13 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes of action, including a no-look assist to PG Anthony Parker for a lay-up.

“We didn’t have all our guys, but that’s no excuse,” O’Neal said. “We’ve got to keep working at it to get better.”

Substitute forward Jawad Williams, starting in place of James, scored 21 points in 26 minutes, posting a team-high +8 for the game.

Daniel “Boobie” Gibson left the game in the third quarter with a bruised tailbone and did not return.

Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 9:25 pm by bryan

Cavs Continue Hot Preseason Start, Stomp Olympiacos

Shaquille O’Neal went airborne at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Monday night, as Superman and the King, LeBron James, brought the Cavs to their third straight preseason victory with a 111-94 win over Olympiacos of Greece.

O’Neal leaped into the seats when a player for Olympiacos pushed him in the back on a fast break during the first half. Shaq careened into the seats, landing on an empty chair.

“That chair ain’t going to hurt him,” James said. “I feel bad for the chair.”

“I just try to land safely,” O’Neal said. “I look out for sharp objects, land and spring back up.”

All the high-flying Shaq drama aside, the Cavs continued to look hungry in the preseason, with LeBron and Shaq each scoring 12 for Cleveland. The two perennial All-Stars are still figuring each other out and establishing court chemistry with each other.

“It’s still continuing, where he wants the ball, where he likes the ball,” James said. “We’re going to force-feed him the ball if he wants it, and I think he does. He’s one of the all-time leading scorers in this league’s history, so we know he can score the ball.”

The Cavs played without their starting backcourt, as PG Mo Williams sat out with a sore right groin, while SG Delonte West continues to take time away from the team to deal with personal problems. For what it’s worth, Cleveland coach Mike Brown said Williams “easily could have played,” suggesting that his injury wasn’t too serious.

The Cavs moved to 3-0 in the preseason with their win over Olympiacos.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 10:09 pm by bryan

Ilgauskas to retire after season?

On Friday, long-time Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas hinted that he might consider retiring after this season.

“I think I still have at least a few good years of basketball left in me, it’s whether I would like to do it,” he said. “It gets hard every year mentally and physically. We’ve been playing long seasons the last few years. It all stacks up.”

Ilgauskas has a history of injury problems, particularly with his legs and feet. Being a 7-footer and being a professional athlete will do that to you. But Ilgauskas also stated that he has no interest in being on a team that’s rebuilding. Obviously, that’s a direct reference to the LeBron James sweepstakes in the Summer of 2010. Should James depart after this year, it’d be hard to imagine the Cavs finding a way to add enough pieces to remain a serious title threat.

What he does have in his favor, though, is the addition of Shaquille O’Neal via trade this offseason. As strange as it sounds for a player being relegated to the bench being a good thing, in this case, it is. Playing less minutes and not having to exert as much effort defensively banging with some of the most dominant centers in the league should give him a better chance of staying healthy and relatively pain-free this season.

Head coach Mike Brown believes that Ilgauskas could play for a very long time.

“Z could play as long as he wants. I think 7-footers, especially guys that have skill, can play forever,” Brown said. “There have been a lot of 7-footers who have played into their late 30s and even early 40s. You can’t coach size or teach size. They’re going to be big whether they move slow or slower.”

Brown could be right. Aging centers with high basketball IQs who play to their strengths and not their limitations as they slow down have had great success in the NBA: Think Vlade Divac or Ardvydas Sabonis. Or more recently, Dikembe Mutombo and Fabricio Oberto.

Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 12:22 pm by Raj Sethi