 |
 |
|
| | Friday, July 28 With Mihm on board, Cavs are looking better | |||||||||||||
| ESPN.com Yes, we are high on the Cavs. And yes, Cavs fans are high on their team. As a result, most of the e-mails we received about the Cavs Offseason Spotlight echoed our positive remarks and suggested a playoff season was in the making. Here are some of the better comments you had to say about the Cavaliers. Enjoy, and check out our spotlight index page to see when your favorite team will be inspected.
Shawn Kemp and Andre Miller are the cornerstone of the Cavaliers, much like Stockton and Malone of the Jazz. However, it is the role players that must step it up in order for the Cavs to make a run for the playoffs. Chris Mihm will certainly fill the center spot, but his offensive skills will be tested in the NBA and Chicago may look like the smarter team by the end of the season. However, the Cavs needed a center badly, and although they could have made a better deal, possibly Crawford for Portland's Jermaine O'Neal, they still got what they needed. In addition, the Cavs are in serious need of a team leader. The Cavs hope that Andre Miller will step up and take up this role, something he was used to doing during his college days. Lamond Murray is a proven player, while Wesley Person needs to rebound from one of his worst seasons. The three-way trade made with Golden State and Milwaukee was decent for the Cavs, since they get a solid backup for Kemp in Traylor and give up the inconsistent Sura. Reid is a possible backup for Murray, leaving Person and Henderson to man the two-spot. This team has the capability to win 35-45 games next season, and could improve even more the following season. Joe New York City Every year it seems people think that the Cavs are going to be better than what they are, but this year they are going to be right. Mihm is the perfect fit for the Cavs, a big guy who can move and compliment Shawn Kemp. Mihm is a lot like Duncan in San Antonio. The backcourt is looking good with Langdon and perennial All-Star Andre Miller. All this team needs is some better production from Kemp, and some fans to show up, and they can be in the playoffs. Branden Mello Swansea, Mass. Finally! A balanced (and accurate) analysis of the Cavs. Too many so-called experts lump this team into the basement without a thought. Barring a major injury (which Cavs fans know is likely) this team will be a road playoff contender in the weak Eastern Conference. Kemp (in shape or not) demands double-teams every night and the Miller/Knight point combo produces points and assists every night. They now have more big beef up front than almost every East team, and Mihm adds some good offensive skills. The big IFs ... if someone steps up at the two-spot, this will be a good team. And if Z plays all season near his previous form, this will be a team nobody wants to face in the playoffs. Lars Harvey Overland Park, Kans. The acquisition of Chris Mihm in the draft is definitely a positive step for the Cavs, who are a player or two from being in the playoffs again. The emergence of Andre Miller was expected from my point of view, and the acquisitions of Tractor Traylor and J.R. Reid are also pluses. Perhaps Traylor can learn from Kemp and possibly become his backup. I am a huge Duke and Trajan Langdon fan and would love to see him healthy and get some quality minutes, if not the starting position. Person needs to prove himself again, if not they could trade him and maybe one of the other big backups (Mark Bryant/J.R. Reid) for a quality shooting guard to give this team great depth at all five positions. This depth would then lead this team to the playoffs. Steven Bisciello Queens, N.Y. What is the world coming to? I actually agreed with most of the comments made by Eric Karabell in his offseason spotlight of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not to say that the Cavs will be a major player in the East in 2000-01, but they seem to finally have a direction. Painfully thin in the frontcourt last season, the front office did a remarkable job to acquire Mihm, Traylor and Reid. Not to mention freeing up some cap space in the Sura trade. The Cavs do need some luck: Mihm to be productive in his rookie season, Wes Person or Trajan Langdon to establish themselves as a starting shooting guard, Kemp to stay in reasonable shape, and coach Randy Wittman to gain control and respect of the team. If most (or all) of these factors materialize, the Cavs have one of the brightest outlooks of all non-playoff teams from last season. James Rolen Long Island, N.Y. I agree with potential. If Traylor or Langdon ever fulfill promise (BIG IF) then this team has great potential. We have to find a home for Knight and Person, who are solid players with some value but are expensive bench players. Seems like a 2-for-1 deal with Toronto for Doug Christie would make sense. When Zydrunas gets healthy I see both he and Mihm on the floor at the same time!! I love seeing the Bulls in last place forever. John Schulze Erie, Pa. I think that the Cavaliers have a great chance of making the playoffs. Especially if Shawn Kemp can manage to get back to his normal stature as he was with the Sonics in 1996. Also, with Andre Miller running the point, he will have everything under control because he has good floor leadership. And let's not forget my main man, Chris Mihm, he's a guaranteed 17 points, 9 rebounds per game. So if all goes well, the Cavs will make the playoffs. I'm not saying they'll get past the first round, but they'll get there. Carl Williams Houston, Texas
I concur with most of the points that you made in the article. In addition, I believe we should note that Traylor appears to be highly motivated for a breakout year. He supposedly is working out regularly, and to be genuinely happy to 'make a splash' in Cleveland. If he can spell Kemp effectively and introduce some much needed physical play into the lineup, he could be a key ingredient of an Eastern Finals ballclub. My hat is off to Paxson and the new Cavs front office for a job well done! Only wish I could get from New York to the Gund to be part of the story. Mark Davis West Point, N.Y. The Cavaliers have finally put together a core of talent that should keep them competitive in the upcoming years. However, there are still too many holes in their lineup to get them very far in the playoffs. Miller, although not flashy, will be a solid point in the NBA for years (can you say John Stockton?). And at 7-feet, Mihm should prove productive as long as he stays healthy. But what the Cavs still lack is a go-to guy when they are in trouble. Unless Shawn Kemp can shed a few pounds and return to the form of his days in Seattle, he won't be the guy. Although he is still a formidable power forward in the league and consistently puts up good numbers, he lacks the explosiveness and excitement that can pick up and carry a team when they are struggling. Perhaps with the responsibility of carrying the load as the Cavs' lone big man lifted off his shoulders he can flourish once again. The other question mark for the Cavs is at the two-guard. Wesley Person isn't going to get the job done, but would be a quality backup. They had a solid player in Bob Sura but traded him away for Tractor Traylor, a questionable trade that might pay off in the end. Last year's Trajan Langdon experiment has proven to be a bust so far, but the Duke graduate fits the prototypical Cavaliers player and with his range could move into that spot. Either way, the two-spot is going to be their greatest weakness. One thing is for sure though: If the Cavs don't bring some excitement to C-town, those seats at the Gund are going to remain empty. Jon Jones Columbus, Ohio Your views on the Cavs are right up there. I still think the hardest thing on the Cavs was the coach transition. Mike Fratello wasn't doing what he should, and Randy Wittman came in and screwed us up. I watched every Cavs game and the only time I saw that guy acting like a coach was when he was talking to the refs. All the assistant coaches were doing the real coaching, and they weren't doing that good of a job. Another problem is Shawn Kemp. He needs to lose weight. He's still got five or six All-Star years left. Miller is a protege, but he can't get 15 points and 10 assists consistently. Langdon and Knight are trade bait, Person can still turn around, Boykins is a spark plug that we need, Ferry is one of those take-him or leave-him guys, Cedric Henderson isn't worth anything, same with Mark Bryant, and Andrew DeClercq is worth keeping. Scott Esterly Westlake, Ohio I am actually surprised you guys see a bright future ahead for the Cavs, as I think most "experts" would write off the Cavs as another subpar team. But of course I believe otherwise. In general, I agree with your assessment of the Cavs. One question I have is the potential of Trajan Langdon. I am surprised you guys believe he can be a starter, even on this team. But I hope you guys are right. Either way the Cavs have a lot of pieces in place to be a playoff team. The only worry would be at shooting guard, where I think we need to upgrade. Mr. Revolution Chicago I have been a devoted Cavaliers fan for some time now. I was extremely happy to see the Cavs come out of the draft with Mihm, who I feel should be an impact player right away. The addition of Mihm should free up Kemp and allow him to play his true game. True, Kemp is no longer Rain Man, only Rain Man plus 40 pounds. But he still is a very solid player, and a workhorse. Andre Miller showed exactly what he could do this season, bringing youth and savvy to a usually boring team. If Trajan Langdon can live up to at least half of his potential, along with Lamond Murray's shooting ability, Kemp's hustle, Mihm's size, and Miller's all-around great play, the Cleveland Cavaliers will once again be a playoff-bound team, no longer depending on defense to make up for their lack of offense, but a 100-point scoring team on a regular basis. GO CAVS!!!!! Andy Borrell Bowling Green, Ohio
The Cavs are still too soft. I think they are more concerned on draft day with how nice of a guy a player is rather than his talent. Luckily, Andre Miller happened to be both talented and nice. The Trajan Langdon pick was a debacle. He wasn't even the best player on his college team left on the draft board (Corey Maggette). Unfortunately, I think Mihm will be more of the same. Another nice guy, but he will not help put the Cavs over the top. They will need to draft some more serious athletes (perhaps with a bit of a mean streak) before that happens. Dan Sheppard Cleveland, Ohio It's kind of perverse to call the Cavs "deep." Aren't most of their players 10th men? They need two things to get to the playoffs: Return to dominance by Kemp, and a superlative coaching job. Neither is a foregone conclusion. Mihm is an average center at best. Todd McComb Mountain View, Calif. The Cavs addressed some needs in the draft by acquiring Mihm. He's the only legitimate center the Cavs will have. If he can make an immediate impact, Shawn Kemp might be able to return to his dominant form since he won't have to play out of position like he did last year. I really do think that Langdon will make a big difference on that team and beat out Wesley Person for the two-guard spot because of his Duke background. Andre Miller will run the team and is capable of winning ballgames for them with his intelligent play. As long as Miller is the man, the Cavs will continue to get better. Kyle Seitz Raleigh, N.C. The rebuilding of this team since the Price-Ehlo-Daugherty era has been rocky and disappointing. The deal with Boston made last year bringing in DeClercq and a lottery pick (Miller) for underachieving and overpaid Vitaly Potapenko was a stroke of genius, until Ilgauskas was hurt and the season seemed to go downhill from there. The anticipation of the upcoming season is exciting for Cavs fans. The additions of Mihm, Reid and Traylor and the return of Ilgauskas make this an incredibly potent front line. However, the loss of Sura severely weakens the backcourt depth, with Person underachieving and Knight an overpaid backup. Look for the Cavs to package Knight (with a big man) in a trade to a contender in need of a playmaker, (Knicks, Spurs, Hawks or Raptors) for some backcourt help. Daniel Eng Sydney, Australia You guys sure had the kid gloves on in discussing Kemp's season. Yes, he played out of position, but more importantly, he played badly out of shape. It doesn't seem to be asking to much to expect a guy who makes zillions of dollars and wants more respect to be professional enough to show up in condition to play. I'll be surprised if Langdon is ever a starter. He has terrific range and is apparently a very smart player, but he's too slow to keep up with most of the shooting guards in the league. Jim Collins Wilmington, N.C. I don't see the Cavs' future as being as bright as you do. First of all, this team lacks veteranship. Knight, Mihm, Miller, Henderson, those players have to carry the team and are still very young, and the only veterans on the squad (Kemp, Ferry, Bryant) do not possess much leadership. Moreover, this team clearly gets unlucky year after year. Ilgauskas' foot problems, Langdon's injury, and remember Brad Daugherty. I think they should trade Knight and one of their many big men (DeClercq, Bryant) to acquire a decent shooting guard. But they still have a long way to go. Best regards. Arthur Gautier Montlucon, France I'm really pleased to see what Paxson has done with the Cavaliers in such a short period of time. Ever since Embry has been here, it's been a nightmare. It's surprising how Paxson could do anything at all with such outrageous contracts from the Embry days. It looks like Paxson is going for a big lineup, just like he wanted when he was with Portland. I look for Lamond Murray and Andre Miller to have great seasons. As a die-hard Cavs fan, all I can say is we need Kemp to be in shape this season, and need Ilgauskas to return healthy. If this happens, were playoff-bound. Nathaniel Maloney Burton, Ohio | ALSO SEE Offseason spotlight: Cleveland Cavaliers Offseason spotlight index | |||||||||||||
