Insider: why Silas is out

[Weez]

Cavs shake-up already in motionBy Chad Ford, ESPN Insider

Chad Ford Archive

The public hand-wringing Monday in Cleveland had everything to do with the Cavaliers' making the playoffs this year. The short term. The next 18 games.

The private hand-wringing was of a different nature entirely, encompassing the long-term future of the franchise. More precisely, how does new owner Dan Gilbert keep LeBron James in Cleveland?

Monday, we got our first glimpse into Gilbert's plan of attack on both issues.

The Cavs had lost nine of their last 12 and appeared to be fading fast. Monday, the team fired head coach Paul Silas, citing concerns the team is in danger of slipping out of the playoffs.

"We felt we have a deep roster, and we believe in our players," GM Jim Paxson said at a news conference announcing the firing. "That progress wasn't being made. We felt if we didn't make this decision, we jeopardize our chances of being a playoff team."

Cleveland is the second team in a week to fire its head coach – the Orlando Magic dismissed Johnny Davis on March 17 – despite massive improvements over the course of the season. Two seasons ago, the Cavs were the worst team in the NBA. Last year they won 35 games. This year, they already are at 34 victories, and according to Insider's projections are on course to win 43.

Despite the optimism surrounding LeBron, the team has issues.

Ron Kuntz/Reuters

Less than two years after GM Paxson (left) welcomed Silas to the Cavs, management showed its coach the door on Monday.Of all of the playoff contenders in the East, the Cavs currently sport the worst road record, having won just 10 games away from home all season. Of those 10 road victories, seven came against the worst five teams in the league – the Atlanta Hawks (two), Charlotte Bobcats (two), Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors. The three other road wins – against the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies – all came when those opponents had losing records. In other words, the Cavaliers haven't beaten one good team on the road this season.

The team's woes go beyond its play on the road.

The Cavs also are sputtering at the point right now. Last season, Jeff McInnis' injury pushed them out of contention. This year, it has been his defensive lapses and poor shooting. In Sunday's loss to the Toronto Raptors, Silas benched McInnis for the entire game, causing a major stir. It might have been the straw that broke the camel's back in Cleveland. With the Cavs fighting for their playoff lives, Silas' refusal to play McInnis in a critical game clearly was frustrating to Paxson and Gilbert.

To make matters worse, Zydrunas Ilgauskas also is slowing down. After a red-hot start this season, he is shooting just 41 percent from the field in March.

And none of the Cavs' swing guys – Jiri Welsch, Ira Newble and Sasha Pavlovic – is bringing anything to the table right now. Silas also was reluctant to play Anderson Varejao despite the rookie's fantastic rebounding numbers in the limited minutes he has seen.

That, too, was a major issue for Paxson and Gilbert. After trading this summer for Pavlovic and Varejao, then acquiring Welsch at the trade deadline, management wanted Silas to incorporate them in the rotation.

Silas' refusal to budge on the issue may have been his ultimate undoing.

"There was no consistent rotation or substitution pattern," Paxson said. "Both Dan and I encouraged Paul to do different things with the rotation. ... Philosophically, we didn't see quite the same way in what was happening."

With Silas refusing to play many of the younger players, LeBron and, to a lesser extent, Drew Gooden were forced to shoulder most of the offensive load. As LeBron proved Sunday, even a 56-point effort wasn't enough.

"There was too much of a burden on LeBron," Paxson said. "LeBron is a passer first. Teams adjusted to make him a shooter. We weren't able to readjust."

The stats bear out Paxson's point. In 15 December games, LeBron averaged 18.5 shot attempts and 8.1 assists per game and handed out 7.1 assists. In nine March games so far, he is taking 22.4 shots and handing out only 5.7 assists.

Despite the extra burden on James, Gilbert was adamant that LeBron had nothing to do with Silas' firing.

"LeBron James didn't play any role in this decision," Gilbert said. "Absolutely zero, nothing."

While that might technically be true – both Gilbert and Paxson said James wasn't consulted about the decision until after it had been made – the decision to ax Silas has everything to do with LeBron.

It's probably the first of many changes you're going to see in Cleveland over the next few months.

Gilbert, who bought the franchise for $375 million several weeks ago, is scared James might bolt the team when he becomes a free agent after the 2006-07 season.

The minute Gilbert took over, the clock started ticking. He has roughly two years to create a world-class organization that can persuade LeBron to sign a long-term contract.

With the length of contracts likely to be shortened, along with raises, by a new collective bargaining agreement, the Cavs' advantages in keeping LeBron are likely to get slimmer. As Insider first reported months ago, James has lucrative kickers in his endorsement contracts should he move to New York, Chicago or L.A.

Persuading LeBron to stick it out in Cleveland will be a monumental task. The Cavs not only have to make the right choices in free agency this summer, they also have to find the right coach and upgrade almost every area of the organization.

That means interim head coach Brendan Malone won't last long. The Cavs already have their eye on former Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders. However, Saunders also will get plenty of attention from the Blazers, Knicks and Pistons (should Larry Brown retire), so it's not a slam dunk Cleveland will be able to get him.

Phil Jackson might be another possibility for Gilbert. In his effort to give the Cavs a "world-class" reputation, he might be willing to outbid Jackson's other suitors, selling Jackson on coaching the next "MJ."

There also is speculation Gilbert plans to shake up the Cavs' front office this summer. When asked specifically Monday about Paxson's future, Gilbert was elusive.

"We're focused on this year," Gilbert said. "We'll see how things go. We're going to look at everyone in the organization and make an evaluation on everyone."

Forgive Gilbert if he's not confident Paxson is the right guy. Not only has Paxson made some egregious errors in the draft and free agency over the years, he doesn't have the freewheeling, entrepreneurial personality Gilbert values.

Gilbert will want a new head coach and management team in place by July 1 to take full advantage of the Cavs' strong position in free agency.

As it stands, the team could have as much as $22 million in cap space this summer. Some of that likely will go toward re-signing Ilgauskas. However, expect Gilbert to be careful with those negotiations. Right now, Ilgauskas is asking for a salary in the $12 million area. Given his age, past health problems and his dwindling production this season, that's too much.

The team has a number of other priorities it must address, too. The Cavs need a point guard to replace McInnis (who also is in the last year of his deal), an athletic shot blocker in the paint and a sharpshooter.

The team could target such players as Michael Redd, Samuel Dalembert, Joe Johnson, Vladimir Radmanovic, Marko Jaric, Earl Watson and Bobby Simmons in the summer in an effort to get deeper, more athletic and to plug some major holes.

That's a lot for any NBA owner to swallow, let alone a rookie owner who claims to know little about the NBA.

Unfortunately for Gilbert, they don't have much choice but to act swiftly.

"We are going to have the courage to come to conclusions," Gilbert said Monday. "We're business people; that's what we do."

With the clock already ticking, courage and conclusions better come in large supply. The organization can't give LeBron an excuse to opt out.

"The way [LeBron] stays is if the organization is a winning organization," Gilbert said.

That process began in earnest on Monday.

Chad Ford covers the NBA draft for ESPN Insider.

[Plainview1981]

Paxton is a fool. First he let Boozer go because he

messed up.... Now he thinks the Cavs have a deep team?

Sorry to tell him that Eric Snow is not even a decent

player anymore... He can't defend anymore because of

all the stuff that has happend to his feet and he

never was able to shoot well. Harris doesnt seem to

have played well... Who else comes off the bench?

Jeff McInnis really is nothing special either. Drew

Gooden has decent enough numbers, but the times I've

seem him he sure doesn't look like a go to guy.

[Brxa]

He doesn't play his bench that is the problem. Pavlovic played very well when he was starting. Luke Jackson should have gotten way more playing time as he was ready to contribute. He kept pushing Harris (no word to express how bad he is), and Newble. Also needs to play Traylor more and Varejao.

[Plainview1981]

uke Jackson should have gotten way more playing time as he was ready to contribute.":

I thought he has been out injuried the entire year or

most of it?

"Also needs to play Traylor more and Varejao."

Varejao is a good player to have if you have him

surrounded by offensive talent..... But he from

what I've seen has no offensive game. Traylor

isn't very good.

[Brxa]

Luke was healthy for the 1st 30 games or so.

At the beggining of season Silas was rotating Jackson, Pavlovic, and Wagner(before he got hurt too) with one guy on the IL and 2 on the roster getting garbage time.

Traylor, has plenty of skills and is a good rebounder, he is also in shape, and would be good playing 15 to 20 minutes a game as a bench player.

I know so cos I'm in Cleveland.

[Plainview1981]

he is also in shape, and would be good playing 15 to 20 minutes a game as a bench player."

Isn't that about what he gets?? Either way he is

undersized and from what I've seen a not so good

defensive player. Statwise he is playing 18MPG...

Looking over his career he hasn't played more than

that and there is a reason. he also only shots 43%

and can't hit ft's, so I don't know if he is worth

playing at the end of games. He also averages 3 fouls

per game in 17MPG so he is obviousally foul prone.

I see Harris doesn't play alot of minutes, but he

is 36 years old and shooting about all he has ever

brought in the first place.. If he isn't doing that

well he is useless.

My question is... What about Wagner? Why doesn't he

play? I'd assume it's because of bad defense and

poor shot selection. I understand Varejao doesn't

play alot of minutes, but with Big Z and Gooden

there isn't much time there. You got to have Big

Z out there because other than James he is your

only other real go-to scorer. Gooden really isn't

overplayed at 30MPG.

The one guy Cleveland needs to replace is Ira

Newble... But Harris is too old, Traylor is to

wide and slow, Wagner is too small, and having

Gooden, Varejao, and Big Z on the floor still

leaves you without shooting. Cleveland needs

a swingman that can score and start at 3 and

help cut down Jeff McInnis minutes at SG.

I think a Mike Miller, Wally World or even

a Stephen Jackson would be good for Cleveland.

[Weez]

I don't know what's up with Wagner...he had some ridiculous rookie injuries (urinary tract infection...difficult to get for a guy)...but from what I know the guy can still ball....

and he's in the ideal place to do it. Some argue that LBJ has assumed too much of the sg role this year, decreasing his 'importance' as a distributor (as pg or -pg-sf). But it's ideal...because if Wagner can 'guard' ones...LBJ can guard the 2 or 3 (i.e. solving the JT problem we had here).

no excuse. perfect position...unless he REALLY IS AI v.2.0...thereby, he wouldnt have the ball in his hand the majority of time because LBJ does...and rightly so...

anyone know more of the new hit show, 'what's been botherin' Dajuan?

[Brxa]

At the biggining of the season Silas was unhappy with Gooden so he was playing Traylor a lot, like 35 minutes, some games Gooden wouldn't get of the bench after the 1st quarter. But lately he hasn't been playing at all.

Wagner has colitis and is out for the season, perhaps more.

Pavlovic and Jackson should have received majority of minutes at 2-3, at least from the bench. Pavlovic has started a few games in Utah last year, and he improved his shooting this year. He also played well when starting in Cleveland. He prolly should be playing around 20mpg at least.

[Weez]

damn. remember that about Wagner now...Colitis...most likely either Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. neither are particularly good things, to say the least, and quite difficult to cure (believed to be autoimmune in origin).

depends on how he does with treatment as to whether he'll ever truly be a 'viable' nba starter, let alone have a career of any discription...

thanks for the reminder