NBA AM: Not Tearing Apart The Cavs
How ‘Bout Those Cavs: Cavalier fans continue to ask when the team is going to trade off some of their veteran assets. The problem is that’s not at all where the Cavaliers’ thought process is at.
If the NBA season ended today, the Cavs are a playoff team. They are the 7th-best team in the East and that’s exactly where they want to be.
Fans might be drooling over the 2012 draft class with dreams of another high draft pick, but management in Cleveland is more concerned with winning than getting draft picks. That’s why players like Anderson Varejao and Ramon Sessions are not being considered in trade talks, and why the Cavs want to hold the line on moving out veterans.
There is a belief within the Cavs that winning games will help move the franchise along faster than letting their young guys experience a lot of losing.
If you look around the NBA, perennial losers seem to continue losing because their young guys forget what it takes to win.
The Cavs are very aware of this cycle and want to avoid that as much as possible.
When it’s all said and done its unlikely that the Cavs will end up in the playoffs, and as the March 15th trade deadline approaches selling off veteran may become a necessary reality. For now the Cavs don’t seem overly interested in making changes, because winning games may be more valuable developmentally than tanking the season for a draft pick.
The Cavaliers have just $ 31.7 million in salary commitments next season, meaning they will have ample cap space to add players. With Kyrie Irving looking the part of franchise playmaker, things are looking up for Cleveland, so don’t expect them to tear things apart until it’s obvious that they have to.
Melo’s Advice For Howard: As the Orlando Magic dropped the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the intense media spotlight that dissects every move of the Knicks shifted its focus over to the visiting locker room and on to Magic center Dwight Howard.
Reports surfaced yesterday of an expanded list of teams Howard would be willing to consider, a list that now is said to include the Nets, Lakers, Mavericks and L.A. Clippers.
Howard and Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony have spoken several times about Howard’s situation and the similar situation Anthony went through last year in his efforts to get out of Denver to become a Knick.
Howard was asked repeatedly last night about those conversations.
“All he said was, ‘Do what’s best for you,’” Howard said to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. “‘Whatever you decide, people are gonna dislike you, but you have to live for you.’ And it’s good advice. I just told him, ‘I want to do whatever I can do to win.’”
“Right now, I’m with the Magic. That’s the only thing that matters.”
“We can’t focus on any other situation,” Howard said. “Right now, the focus should be one game at a time. We can’t look ahead. We’ve got to stay in the moment. We’ve been doing a good job so far.”
“Our minds are on winning and staying focused on the goal, which is a championship,” Howard said. “It’s my job to lead our team and try to do a better job this year of being a good leader.”
The Magic have made it clear that they will not explore trading Howard this season, and it seems Howard has resigned himself to finishing the season where he is.
Things could change at the March 15th NBA trade deadline in 58 days, but as thing stand now the Magic are making one last stab with Howard and it seems that’s been made very clear.
The Magic are 9-3 on the season which is good enough for third place in the East and are on a 4-game winning streak and play host to the Charlotte Bobcats tonight in Orlando.
The Magic kick off a three-game home stand featuring Charlotte, the San Antonio Spurs and L.A. Lakers.
Curry Not Happy About Team USA Snub: Since taking over control, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo has pledged to follow the path other nations have taken to build a lasting and competitive infrastructure. Rather than toss together rosters of NBA players, the idea was to build an infrastructure based on commitment and continuity. The same committed core, with new blood added along the way.
After winning the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Colangelo and Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski opted to use a different core of players in the 2010 World Championships.
With the 2012 Olympics in London now on center stage for Team USA, selecting the 12 players that will represent the country is no easy task.
Warriors’ guard Stephen Curry, who was part of the 2010 roster that won the gold in the FIBA World Championships in Istanbul, was left off the 20-man invitee list announced this week.
Curry said that he found out about the decision in a letter from USA Basketball, and while he is not happy to have been left off, he understands the process.
“It was a little disappointing knowing I was a part of that team two years ago and now I have to sit and watch,” Curry told Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports. “I got a letter from USA Basketball, a personal letter from Colangelo, just saying they went through the selection process and they would have some of the Redeem Team [2008 Olympics] guys back on there.
“But up until last week I had an expectation of being a part of that finalist squad trying out for the last five spots. I got to make some more summer plans.”
The twenty finalists selected for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Men’s Team includes LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers); Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks); Chauncey Billups (Los Angeles Clippers); Chris Bosh (Miami Heat); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Tyson Chandler (New York Knicks); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Eric Gordon (New Orleans Hornets); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); LeBron James (Miami HEAT); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Lamar Odom (Dallas Mavericks); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); Dwyane Wade (Miami HEAT); Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder); and Deron Williams (New Jersey Nets).
From that group, a 12-man roster will be assembled for the 2012 games in London, which gets under way July 27th.
“I’m a little disappointed after being a part of the world championships squad that won the gold gearing up for the Olympics,” said Curry. “I just wanted to be at least a part of the squad that was trying out for the final roster. I’m still young so hopefully I’ll be able to crack that later.”
The next two major events for Team USA after the London games is the 2014 FIBA World Championships which will get underway August 30th, 2014 in Spain, with the 2016 Olympics slated for August 5th, 2016 in Brazil.
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