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The Cavs and the Cav nots

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Will Kasten blow up the Hawks? | Does Jay Williams need a break? | Peep Show

Will Cavs GM Jim Paxson please make up his mind?

Paxson's firing of coach John Lucas on Monday has more than a few GMs around the league scratching their heads. Despite the headlines around the NBA that led with the statement, "Lucas's firing came as no surprise," it came as big surprise to the guy who mattered most -- Lucas.

"It was a major blow for me," he told the News Herald. "This was a tough job. It was challenging. ... I thought this was a development year. With Dajuan Wagner and Carlos Boozer making the Rookie Challenge, Ricky [Davis] was playing well and Z [Zydrunas Ilgauskas] was having a good offensive year, I thought things were beginning to come around. But we were getting beaten badly. I feel like I was not given a chance to win."

He wasn't the only one.

Ricky Davis

Guard-Forward

Cleveland Cavaliers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

40 22.6 4.3 4.8 .421 .732

"I was shocked," one Eastern Conference GM told Insider. "If Paxson was expecting John to win some games, he sure didn't give him much ammunition to work with. Really, the Cavs are even better than they should be. It's really a miracle that Z [Zydrunas Ilgauskas] is playing the way he's playing. Without him, things would be much, much worse."

"I was crushed," said 76ers coach Larry Brown. "He's a good friend and a good guy. I thought he was in a no-win situation. The impression I got was they didn't care if they lost this year."

It was pretty clear after the Cavs shipped out last season's three top scorers this summer -- Andre Miller, Lamond Murray and Wesley Person -- that the goal of this year's Cavaliers was to lose as many games as possible in an effort to land the biggest draft day score since, well, Yao Ming. Judging by those standards, Lucas should've been up for Coach of the Year, not the NBA coaching graveyard. His 8-34 record was the worst in the NBA. Didn't Lucas have the Cavs right where Paxson wanted them?

Apparently not. Paxson's decision to let Lucas go came off the end of a terrible road trip that saw the Cavs torn apart by the Nuggets. I'm sure Paxson looked at the Nuggets' roster (Juwan Howard, Nene Hilario and Rodney White) and wondered how in the world they were doing it. Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik has his team playing their butts off every night. Their hodge-podge collection of lottery picks and veteran castoffs ranks second in the NBA in defense. Lucas' hodge-podge collection of lottery picks and veteran castoffs ranks 28th.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Center

Cleveland Cavaliers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

41 17.7 8.0 1.5 .414 .766

Did Paxson want his team lollygagging around the court? No. But at this point in the season, don't pretend that the Cavs are promoting Keith Smart to get the Cavs back on track.

Paxson has said on several occasions that this is supposed to be a rebuilding year. Remember, it was Paxson who recently told Lucas to quit playing veterans like Tyrone Hill and Bimbo Coles and start giving more time to underachievers like Chris Mihm and DeSagana Diop. And, it was Paxson who refused to sign a legitimate point guard this summer, despite Lucas' pleadings.

Paxson wants change, but not too much change. He wants his team playing harder. He wants better defense and more discipline on offense. Paxson made Lucas the captain of the Titanic this year. His job, however, was to keep the band playing, and the players calm, as the ship sunk slowly into the icy depths. When players such as Davis, Hill and Coles began making waves, he felt he had no choice but to off the captain and put in another figure to keep everyone under control. But make no mistake. There are no lifeboats here. The Cavs will continue to lose. Paxson is just crossing his fingers Smart can do it with a little more class.

The players aren't so sure.

"I like Keith, but he won't be able to turn it around by himself," Ilgauskas told the News Herald. "It's time to stop pointing fingers. We have to look at ourselves first. The fact of the matter is we're the worst team in the league. We've not played up to our potential. They made the change, and we'll go with it. These are the things that happen when a team is in last place."

"We're trying to develop the young guys. It's obvious this season is over," Coles said. "Guys were frustrated and things were lost to the point where the younger guys didn't want to come to the gym and play basketball. When you got guys from 19-23 years old who don't want to play basketball, then something is wrong. We need someone who is positive and energetic and someone who can teach. That doesn't mean just talking about it. You have to show them on the basketball court. Keith is around the young guys all the time. He's the perfect person for the job."

Paxson has a few other requirements for Smart.

Give rookie Dajuan Wagner a chance to play point guard. Lucas never believed Wagner had what it took to be a point guard. He saw him more as an Allen Iverson type -- a dynamic scorer in a point guard's body. However, Paxson didn't let Miller slip away to replace him with Milt Palacio.

"I have wanted to put Dajuan in position to see if he can be a point guard," Paxson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "He is one of the better ballhandlers on the team."

Paxson downplays the fact that even Wagner himself doesn't believe he's a true point guard.

"Half the teams in the league have no true point guard. From the beginning, we felt we had to do it by committee."

Save Darius Miles. The relationship between Miles and Lucas was going south fast. Lucas liked to play Wagner at the two and Davis at the three, leaving no natural position for Miles. Lucas' attempts to have Miles play the point flopped, as did Miles' confidence on the court. Paxson knows his job depends on how Miles and Wagner develop. He didn't like the direction either kid was going and decided to pull the plug before he got kicked to the curb.

Expect Miles to get more time at small forward, get more shots in the offense, and get a chance to prove that he was worth all of the hype.

Pick up the tempo. When Paxson traded for Miles and drafted Wagner, he envisioned a team, like the Clippers, that ran the floor with abandon and showed up nightly on SportsCenter with highlight-reel dunks and heart-stopping effort. What he got was one of the most lethargic teams in the league, both offensively and defensively.

"I think that this team is as athletic as we've ever had here," Paxson said. "Yet, we are near the bottom of the league with a young, athletic team. Offensively, we stood around too much and were pretty easy to guard."

In 42 games, the Cavaliers ranked 26th of 29 teams in scoring, averaging 89.4 points a game. Defensively, they ranked 28th, allowing 100.5 points.

Even if Smart is successful in all three areas, he's probably gone at the end of the season, especially if the team lands LeBron James. League sources told Insider on Monday that Paxson wants former Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy to take over the helm at the end of the season. Whether Paxson is around to actually hire him is the question owner Gordon Gund has to be pondering as the Cavs sink to a watery grave.

Lucas is fired after 8-34 start

Bob Finnan / Willoughby News-Herald

Paxson: The point is Wagner's to play

Branson Wright / Cleveland Plain Dealer

Players say it was time for a change

Bob Finnan / Willoughby News-Herald

Lucas' demise is no surprise

Mike McAllister / Dallas Morning News

Will Kasten blow up the Hawks?

Speaking of franchises on life support ...

Is Hawks president Stan Kasten on the verge of blowing up his "playoff bound" Hawks. Obviously firing head coach Lon Kruger wasn't the answer. Interim head coach Terry Stotts is just 3-10 since Kruger was thrown overboard.

Jason Terry

Guard

Atlanta Hawks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

41 17.6 3.4 7.1 .412 .878

The word around the league for the past few weeks was that Kasten and GM Pete Babcock were looking for a quick fix, preferably a veteran, all-star-caliber point guard, to dish it to Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Glenn Robinson and Theo Ratliff. Several GMs, despite Babcock's insistence to the contrary, have told Insider that Jason Terry and Nazr Mohammed have been the bait.

But Kasten hasn't had any strong nibbles, let alone bites, on his offer, prompting teams to speculate that he might decide to throw the babies out with the bathwater. Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune is the latest to speculate that sagging attendance and sagging AOL/Time Warner stock could force Kasten to sell off his stars for more cap room.

According to Smith, just about everyone is available, with the Hawks preferring to land players whose contract will be expiring so they can get under the salary cap and start over.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Power Forward

Atlanta Hawks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

40 19.9 7.8 2.8 .488 .827

Of course, the big prize in Atlanta is Abdur-Rahim. Robinson has too many skeletons in his closet and not enough D in his defense. Ratliff's career trajectory seems to be following Marcus Camby's. Terry has some value, but giving his contract away won't buy much cap relief. Alan Henderson and Mohammed are expendable, which is why so few teams are interested.

So, if Abdur-Rahim is available for expiring contracts, who would be interested? What about the Lakers, who have roughly $11.3 million in salaries they could dump? Or the Sonics, who could send a package of Kenny Anderson and Vladimir Radmanovic? The Sonics almost dealt Gary Payton for Abdur-Rahim two seasons ago. Could they get him for much less now? The Bulls have been searching for veteran help and have plenty of young players -- Jamal Crawford, Marcus Fizer -- to trade. If the Cavs really want to start winning now, a combination of Tyrone Hill and Darius Miles from the Cavaliers could jump start the process.

And don't forget the Heat, Nuggets and Spurs. Abdur-Rahim is better than almost any free agent those teams could land this summer. The Heat have Alonzo Mourning's salary they could use to acquire Abdur-Rahim. The Nuggets have Juwan Howard's. And the Spurs have Hawks favorite Steve Smith's to play with. If these teams were willing to take on another unwieldly contract (like Henderson's or Mohammed's) and throw in a prospect or a draft pick, would the Hawks do the deal?

Given the direction the Hawks seem to be heading, someone has to pay for the refunds when they don't make good on their playoff guarantee.

Hawks set to clear roster

Sam Smith / Chicago Tribune

Does Jay Williams need a break?

Jalen Rose isn't happy with the Bulls' decision to put rookie Jay Williams on the injured list for the next five games.

Williams sprained his ankle on Jan. 4th and has struggled since then. He is 6-for-23 in his last four games with 14 turnovers and 15 assists. Nobody doubts the ankle is sore, but most believe that the Bulls made the decision hoping the time off will help mentally.

"I was surprised, and to be honest, I was upset about it," Rose told the Chicago Sun Times. "The thing about struggling is that it builds character. What does taking five games off do? If that's the case, the five games you played bad you took off, and now that's taking off 10. . . Mentally, that's a defeat. You ran into a wall, and it knocked you down."

Now you get an idea why the Bulls have been shopping Rose. His leadership skills are less than diplomatic. But he raises an interesting question. Is Williams really out with an injury, or was this the Bulls way of benching him without causing another point guard controversy with Jamal Crawford?

Coach Bill Cartwright admitted on Monday that he had discussions with GM Jerry Krause about sitting Williams.

"I had to talk to Jerry," Cartwright said. "I kind of knew, but I couldn't say that until today. I had to see what Jerry wanted to do."

Crawford started in place of Williams and said he expects Williams to reclaim his job no matter how well he plays. Asked who would start if Crawford played well -- which didn't happen Monday -- and the team fared well in Williams' absence, Cartwright frowned.

"Too many ifs," he said.

Ailing Jay needs break, or does he?

Roman Modrowski / Chicago Sun-Times

Bulls prescribe rookie rest

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune

Peep Show

Jordan

Washington Wizards: Thanks, but no thanks. If the fans and the coaches don't think he belongs in the All Star Game, then neither does Michael Jordan, himself, even if the league wants to make an exception for him and David Robinson. "I would not want [the league] to do that," Jordan told the Washington Post. "If I can't make it on merit as one of the 12 players on the team, I don't want them to create a 13th spot. I would not feel comfortable with that." Jordan trailed Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady for the guard positions in the last fan count and the voting has since ended. "If I am not elected, I will have no remorse," said Jordan, a 13-time all-star. "That's seven days of relaxation. If I am, it's always a pleasure to represent the fans, coaches, whoever puts you on the team. It will be a good way to end my career playing in an all-star game. If I don't, it will not spoil my lunch."

Portland Trail Blazers: Defending the league's hard stance on Rasheed Wallace's seven-game suspension for cursing out a referee after a game, commissioner David Stern responded Monday: "Nothing about this incident involves any real or perceived animosity to the Trail Blazers franchise or any other issue. This is about the referees reporting to me, and it's my duty to protect them, period. But you can't have somebody menacing an official on the way out of the building and threatening to do violence to him," Stern said. "It's just not going to be acceptable. And anyone who thinks it is had better find another place to ply their trade, because it's not going to go in the NBA."

Allen

Milwaukee Bucks: How can you possibly bench Jesus Shuttlesworth? "That pissed me off," Ray Allen told the Milwaukee Journal after scoring only 13 points in Milwaukee's last game. "To me, there was no rhyme or reason to how I am being played. If I am going to play, I want to be playing basketball. I don't want to be on the bench collecting dust. I didn't like what happened. As a starter, I want to be on the floor." Allen played 36 minutes in the game but was subbed in and out in ragged fashion with each missed shot or defensive assignment. "The personality of your team changes," coach George Karl said. "We need to be more solid and fundamental. We were getting too wild and goofy. We think we can win games with stops, fundamentals, and clock management. We can't afford a wild and crazy shot selection."

Philadelphia 76ers: Center Todd MacCulloch doesn't have a foot to stand on. "I feel a little bit better, but it's not an instantaneous thing," MacCulloch told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Things linger, and it's probably going to be a long process. I'd like it to be gone after the first round of treatment, but that didn't happen." A day after leaving the hospital to cure his foot problems, he was still feeling that annoying, tingling sensation. "He didn't look great to me in shootaround," Sixers coach Larry Brown said before tip-off. "I didn't notice him jumping up and down any different, but we'll wait and see." He is due for more testing on Thursday.

Battie

Boston Celtics: Tony Battie and the Celtics may not want to admit it, but the center may need to go under the knife to fix his right knee. "It's frustrating and it's kind of getting scary now, with all of this talk arising," Battie told the Boston Herald. "But even though the doctors are thinking ahead, I'm solely thinking of getting better without surgery." Battie had hoped to play through the pain but it wasn't working and he was unable to even practice. "If this continues, then we have to determine what is the best remedy," coach Jim O'Brien said. "Surgery is always a consideration if he's hurt and there's a problem with the knee. So he's out until further notice."

Seattle SuperSonics: You can apparently bench guard Joseph Forte, but don't ask to put him on IR. "Would you want to be sidelined as a reporter?" Forte tols the Tacoma News Tribune after Seattle tried to activate Reggie Evans off the list and replace him with Forte. "For them to say, you work hard every day but you can't go to the games and report on Desmond Mason or Brent Barry or whatever you like to do. It's the same with me. This is not a job with me, it's a career. It being a career, I can't spend two years of a three-year contract on the injured list. Of course, you have to put the team first. But I did that last year [in Boston], as far as being a rookie and having the burden of responsibility. But this being a career, and me being 21 years old, I need to be out there at least contributing and showing people what I can do, not on the injured list."

Jordan Has No Desire to Be the 13th All-Star

Steve Wyche / Washington Post

Stern defends severity of Wallace's penalty

Jim Beseda / The Oregonian

Allen stews on bench

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

MacCulloch is back, but feet still hurt

Ashley McGeachy Fox / Philadelphia Inquirer

Battie, C's consider surgery

Mark Murphy / Boston Herald