Delonte At His Best. . .

Hats off to Delonte West, or should we say head band off to the Cavs point guard who came up with his best Cavalier effort. He told FSN's Jeff Phelps he thought there were no more head bands left, so he went without one against the 76ers...maybe he'll be sans the head garb again after this performance.

Delonte has always viewed himself as a shooter, so, knocking down big shots is what he expects to do. In this game he did not hesitate taking them, or setting up others as he became aggressive. He says it's still an adjustment to being so open, playing with LeBron James, but LeBron has encouraged Delonte all along to take those open looks and not think about it.

How about his chase down block of Andre Miller. He's showing the shot blocking skills we saw in Boston. He has impeccable timing for a guy at his position to get those swats...

A day off for the guys, then back to practice tomorrow before leaving for Charlotte. See you Wednesday night on FSN...

Off to Detroit

It's on to Detroit - a short flight of course - so, maybe a little finger food on the plane. Daniel should provide the hook-up with McDonald's since he is their latest spokesperson with Moondog in their radio and TV commercials.

Boobie is a natural on camera of course, although he said the toughest part was not to smile all the time (gee, what a shocker). Being "serious" took some acting for the Cavs guard. Daniel finally got a chance to see the spot, where he and Moondog pull up to the drive-thru and Boobie orders for the Cavs mascot, because dogs can't talk of course. Boobie saw it during March Madness last night and thought the spot was cool and felt his was debut ok. He says he'd like to do another spot again some time.

Damon Jones of course is the resident TV critic and now calls Daniel "Sweet Tea" as he recites Boobie's lines in the commercial with the same delivery. Boobie ordered two Snack Wraps and two Sweet Teas. Of course Moondog can't eat human food either, so Daniel got some extra food, and that's the punch line.

On a basketball note, Daniel again took part in his third full practice and would love to play for the first time in 5-and-a-half weeks. That call will be made at game time in all likelihood.

By the way, if you are going to drive to The Palace for the game, note that I-75 is closed near downtown so you'll have to take a detour which will add about 20 minutes to your drive. Hope to see there, if you do.

Other wise see you on FSN at 7pm.

A Standing Ovation

Indeed, “way to go Joe!" He’s always been one to follow for me as he spent a lot of time with me in my early Cleveland broadcast days and never forgot me when I continued my career. I vividly remember lunches on the road with he and Bill Fitch...a lot of brain power to tap into during those discussions, that is once I stopped laughing at their stories.

Only Al McCoy of the Phoenix Suns has been with one team longer, and he is a Curt Gowdy award Winner in the basketball Hall of Fame. Joe will soon follow. He’s still as good as there is! We’ll all stand and give “The Great Tait” a standing ovation tonight.

As for the game, Chris Paul is scary good. I watched him again last night and for my money, he’s the best in the game at the position because he really has no weakness. It’s splitting hairs with Tony Parker, Steve Nash and Deron Williams as to who is the best at the point, but this guy is the entire package, now that his jump shot is so deadly. He’s also become even more of a verbal leader this season. Devin Brown, who played with Paul last year, Williams the season before and Parker prior to that, won’t pick sides, but he does say Paul was motivated last summer when he heard all the Deron Williams talk as being the best when the Jazz made it to the Western finals. Thus, he put even more time into working on his game. Paul, like LeBron, makes all of his teammates better and tonight will be a treat to watch those two guys go at it.

See you tonight on FSN...

Back to Work. . .

Back to work for the guys today, after Mike Brown made a late decision to give the team an extra day off following 5 games in 7 nights and considering it is late in the season, where freshness will count come playoff time.

Daniel Gibson worked with player development assistant, Lloyd Preston, playing some full court one on one. That is the first test for any Cavalier coming off a debilitating injury. Step 2 is a full contact practice session, which Boobie went through today. The verdict? All positive as Daniel competed in every drill and says he had a "great day of practice!"

He thought he played good defense, and had no trouble moving. As far as being excited to return, Boobie says he is "10 levels past anxious" to get back. Right now, he's listed as out for the Hornets tomorrow night, but that could change, especially if he wakes up tomorrow without any pain. Mike will defer to the medical staff and so will Daniel for that matter. Daniel says it was really fun working with the new Cavs for the first time. He thought the 2nd unit looked really good, with himself, Wally and Damon on the perimeter as they were high fiving each other and had a lot of good energy. Again, the Cavs have only had 20 games this season with the top 8 guys in the rotation on the floor togther. That goes back to the beginning of the season.

Ben Wallace is out with his back spasms. It's too early to tell if he'll be able to return Saturday against the Pistons at the Palace.

See you tomorrow night on FSN...

The New Scoring Leader. . .

It's on to Milwaukee, unfortunately the snow storm hit them worse, closing Mitchell International Airport so we flew into the beer city this morning. It's the 2nd time this season the guys have had to fly in day of the game.

The last time was into Orlando last month, which was made palatable by a huge win.

As LeBron told the sellout crowd last night, the win over Toronto means nothing if the Cavs don't go get the win in Milwaukee.

LeBron's take over of the most coveted record in franchise history does allow all to pause for a moment to soak in what the Chosen One has been able to do. In less than 5 full seasons? Are you kidding me?

Mike Brown took time to thank 'Bron for allowing him to coach him and that's all a head coach can do, is ask his superstar to buy in. LeBron has done that and more.

And the King thanked Mike for making him a better defender and allowing him to grow as a player, while giving him the respect any player wants.

See you tonight on FSN.

Light Workout. . .

The guys went through a light workout today as they are in the midst of 5 games in 7 nights..

Mike Brown proudly wore a U of San Diego conference championship T-shirt - his alma mater of course a heavy underdog against UConn. Mike is boldly predicting victory for his beloved Toreros. Got to be faithful to your school.

Daniel Gibson, who has been out four weeks with his high ankle sprain continues extra shooting and agility drills. He says there is still discomfort.

Boobie is probably a week and a half out, meaning a return against Detroit on the 29th. Asked if this was playoff time would he be out there, Daniel said "absolutely!" The key now is to come back healthy to get some rhythm back for the playoffs.

Remember the original prognosis was 4-6 weeks...so, he is right on schedule.

Sound the Bell...

Get ready for Round 2 of the Cavs and Pistons, with two more to follow...and then perhaps they will meet again in May. There is no love lost here on either side for obvious reasons. It will be intriguing to see how the Ben Wallace factor plays in. Ben, better than anyone, knows what makes the Pistons tick, and vice versa. Ben has only lost once in the regular season to the team loaded with his closest friends. He says these games will always be special because of the battles they went through together.

Z had an interesting take on the rivalry, saying there is "a lot of BS" that goes back and forth and as a player if you get caught up in the grudges, it will take you out of your game.

The Pistons have their best bench in years, certainly since the championship year of '04 when Corliss Williamson, Mehmet Okur, Mike James and Lindsey Hunter provided 29 points a game and defensive energy. This group is even more youthful.

The most amazing aspect of the Pistons current run is their durability. Think about this...in the 4 and a half years since Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups have been together, the team has played in 420 regular season and playoff games. Combined, that quartet has played in 96 percent of those games, a rarity for four starters.

That kind of number speaks volumes about LeBron, Ben and Z's durability as well. Over that same period, King James and big Ben have also played in 96 percent of their games and Z, 95 percent. It's the difference between good teams becoming great, just ask the resilient San Antonio Spurs about that.

LeBron and Tiger

It's amazing to think that LeBron had never met Tiger Woods before last night's game. It was a brief encounter that came before the 2nd half, as Tiger, who makes his home in Orlando, was sitting front row (of course) directly opposite the Cavs' bench. He could have reached out and touched Damon Jones on one of his three pointers.

If you've seen Tiger in person at Firestone, you know he is not a physically imposing guy like LeBron, but ripped of course. It does seem strange to see him without his golf hat, making him look even more like your average guy when he's an NBA spectator.

I was wondering how the exchange might have gone between 'Bron and Tiger...

(LBJ) "It's great to finally meet you"

(TW) "It's great to finally meet you too"

(LBJ) "I love to watch you dominate"

(TW) "I love to watch you dominate too"

(LBJ) "Great choice of athletic apparel by the way"

(TW) "You too"

(LBJ) "And belated Happy Birthday from December 30th"

(TW) "Hey belated Happy Birthday from December 30th to you too"

Think the global guys might have a few things in common? Just a bit...I'll bet the fans sitting near Tiger wished they had a camera to capture that little moment.

Complementing Each Other Well...

Even if it is for only 21 hours, its nice to catch some sun in Orlando. LeBron looked out the window today during brunch and asked..."What is that orange thing in the sky?"

A nice turn of events was a real night's sleep here which is a far cry from the last trip in. Back on February 11th we had to fly in the day of the game and yet came up with one of the most impressive wins of the season. This game will decide the season series and tie breaker. The Magic lead the Cavs in the loss columm by 5 games with 14to play.

The Cavs 118-111 win was punctuated by the brief benching of Dwight Howard in the 4th quarter with the Cavs up 7, when Stan Van Gundy was not happy with something Howard said on the floor. He then took his star to task after the game saying the big man is thinking too much about his offense and gets too frustrated. Van Gundy added he needs the NBA's rebounding leader to concentrate on getting defensive boards and worry about offense 2nd. Since that game, Howard is averaging 14 and a half boards a game, and got 24 the very next game against Denver. this will be the Cavs first look at the Magic since the big trade.

Big Z and Ben Wallace with play their 5th game together tonight. Ben is averaging 10 rebounds with Zydrunas along side. Likewise for Z, with 10 a game on the glass in those four, but tonigh is a tough cover with Howard and Turkoglu playing so well.

See you on St. Patty’s Day coverage on FSN...

Producing On and Off the Court

Going to Washington will always be a big deal for Joe Smith (notice I resisted the urge to say Mr. Smith goes to Washington).

Joe of course started at nearby Maryland, so the trip to DC never gets old. Most of the guys rarely go far without their head phones, especially Joe, perhaps listening to his own work...

He has composed over 300 rap songs over the past decade. He, himself records the lyrics in his home studio which he had set up as recently as Chicago. But Joe says he is a writer, not a singer and will soon have his new teammates take a listen...

Joe is still seeking the right match for an artist to record some of these tunes because he'd like to get them from the recording studio to the listening public...

Stay tuned on this one..

Returning From Injury

The wait is finally over for Sasha Pavlovic - 7 weeks to be exact - as he makes his return from his mid foot sprain. It's his left one which experiences a little pain when he goes to his right, but Sasha says...."I don't care...I want to play". He's missed 23 games and says this has been the toughest wait of his basketball life. He says it has seemed like 10 years, not 7 weeks...

If he comes off the bench, he just hopes to make an impact any way he can. Certainly at the defensive end, where he was playing his best basketball before he injured his foot...

Timing is always an issue when returning from an injury. Anderson Verejao has said not only does he have more lift from his ankle sprain, but his timing is coming back. Knowing again, where he can get his shots - the last two games he has 31 points and 25 rebounds, getting back to his boundless energy.

I know I've relayed this many times of how entertaining Damon Jones is during shooting games, just talking junk. DJ often yells..."get me to the 9th...get me to the 9th", meaning he'll close out the competition by hitting the clinching 3. Today, DJ failed as a closer...admitting..."even Mariano Rivera has a bad day". Damon explained why he had three consecutive misses to possibly win for his group, "sometimes I just get tired of all the applause". He is a riot!

See you tonight on FSN...

Entertainment Jones

Maybe Damon “Entertainment” Jones is just not destined to see Ahmaad Rashad - the last time we came to New Jersey in December, snow delayed our trip, so much so, that DJ could not keep his date with “Tuesday’s with Ahmaad” on NBA TV.

So, this time, a reschedule as we fly to Jersey again for the game with the Nets, but grip your chair tight as you read this - you won’t believe it - flight delays around NYC! I know, hard to fathom. This time, despite clear weather, the Newark Airport was down to one runway, so we all patiently sat at CLE for nearly 3 hours. Instead of landing at 4:30 as planned, we arrived after 7pm. Damon was whisked from the hangar to NBA Entertainment - whew - the price of television fame!

Damon had his Mohawk trimmed one final time, as he is keeping his promise of a week ago of doing away with the “mo” once we finish this road trip, meaning enough arenas have seen this version of “Jones”. He took some good natured ribbing from Rick Mahorn and New York sportswriter, Frank Isola.

DJ also took part in the segment called the great debate...the topic? Who’s the most playoff ready of the Cavs, Celtics and Pistons. Damon made his points, prompting Isola to call D-Jones, “Barack Jones”.

Damon had the best line of the night, calling himself Prince Jones since, he will try and accompany King James back to the promised land of the NBA Finals.

Who knows, maybe when his playing days are done, the Prince will be hosting his own show on NBA TV.

Pavlovic Close to Returning

As we dig out, it's even more remarkable the crowd that turned out at The Q despite the horrible conditions. It would have been easy to stay home, which I'm sure the guys took note...

Sasha had his first full contact workout since his mid foot sprain against the Wizards six and a half weeks ago...

He was pleased with how he felt, especially with his explosion and his ability to get to the hole...

Sasha was playing his best basketball when he went down, but this team has different pieces now. Mike Brown's task will be finding meaningful minutes for him, knowing Sasha lost his starting job because of injury...

We should see him back within the next week...The Cavs play five games in eight days starting tomorrow night against Portland, so ample opportunities are right around the corner...

"The James" on Rush Street

How good is LeBron? He gets 50 and in Chicago they erect a hotel in his honor!

Seriously though this is where the team hotel should be, ”The James” on Rush Street...somewhere between Niketown and the world famous Garrett Popcorn shop...

Last night’s game was one of those performances (now many) where King James takes your breath away. He started in warm-ups, between the legs, off the board and a thunderous smash that had the crowd roaring - IN WARM-UPS - and now he’s doing it with a spirit breaking jumper. I know we keep talking about it on the broadcast how he worked so hard in the summer with assistant, Chris Jent, anytime of day, anywhere. Chris has a way about him that connects with players, a no nonsense approach, but an engaging personality that players can relate to. The former Buckeye earned LeBron’s trust, the way David Ledbetter did with Tiger Woods. Even the great ones want to be taught, or lent a discerning eye...

From where I sit, I see a guy consistently repeating his stroke, with the confidence to knock it down from anywhere, including that absolutely absurd 34 footer (the now official distance) to close the half. That wasn’t a heave, it was a flat out, leaning left JUMPER. His brute strength, along with all his other attributes, is what separates him from the greats, including Kobe Bryant...

I would continue, but my keyboard is totally covered with orange-cheese flecks from a bag of Garrett’s cheese/carmel popcorn. Don’t knock it, until you try it...
See you tonight at 6:00 on FSN...

Running the Point

Delonte West sat at the end of the scorer's table this morning after shootaround and exhaled..."I think I finally have the plays down". It's been a cram course for the Cavs' point guard since joining the team a week and a half ago. Mike Brown simplified the offense for the four new guys...Delonte says there are around 15 or so plays that he has had to learn, for both the one and two guard positions. It's what players go through when they change teams; it's as much terminology as it is the plays themselves...

Delonte has had Eric Snow in his ear a lot since the two play the same position and go back to the days when Eric played for the 76ers and Delonte played at St.Joes of Philadelphia. Eric says Delonte is still feeling his way when to be aggressive, making not only plays for others, but for himself and Eric's been helping him with the Cavs defensive concepts...

Clearly though we have seen a young guard who is very good at pushing it down the floor - sure helps when you have a LeBron James filling the wing. Since going 2 for 10 against Memphis in his first Cavaliers' appearance, Delonte has gone 20 for 40 from the floor...

See you tonight on FSN...

Drew and Larry's Return

The return of Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes was what we expected; for both, a strange feeling, as it will be for Ben Wallace and Joe Smith on the return engagement Thursday night in Chicago. Drew had a Cavs’ home white 90 draped over his leg in the Bulls’ lockeroom after the game. He says the guys he left will always seem like family, and added he’ll always be proud of the Eastern Conference championship banner in the rafters, and that can never be taken from him...

Pure gamesman ship in the 2nd half when Larry hit the long ranger to put the Bulls up 8...he said something to the Cavs bench on the way to a timeout, wearing a smile. But later, when the Cavs went on the rampage with LeBron scoring 6 straight, 23 was animated in his response to the Bulls’ bench. When asked what he said, Lebron smiled and said “I don’t remember”. On the floor he had made a gesture as if to say not in my house, and when that was suggested to him, he said, ”I forget”, and smiled again...

Wally Szczerbiak says the fact that son, Maximus Jack was born yesterday meant little sleep as he flew back from New York this morning and perhaps that helped settle him down a little bit, because he’s been on an adrenalin rush the past three games and needed to settle down. He actually had not planned on returning today, but his wife, Shannon said go play, everything is fine...so, Wally gave her credit for encouraging him to return. This was clearly his best game as a Cav...

See you Wednesday night from NYC…

Taking the Court...For An Important Reason

One of the highlights of the week has been the “Take the Court” benefiting the Children's Tumor Foundation, presented by the Better Halves (coaches, players and personnel staff wives and girlfriends) headed up by Carolyn Brown which was a big hit. Mike’s wife has that special touch...from the shrimp the size of baseballs which sat in ice sculptured basketballs, to centerpieces of Nike shoes filled with Gerber daisies and tulips. Jennifer Ilgauskas helped spearhead the evening from the podium and showed she is just as cool under pressure as Z is.

Former Cavaliers, Jim Brewer, Larry Nance and Jim Chones were among the special guests of honor, but the show was capped by auctioneers, Dan Gilbert and Danny Ferry. They started out taking bids on a LeBron James signed jersey, followed by a trip on the team plane to watch the Cavs tangle with the Pistons at the Palace. Also a popular item was an upcoming skills competition at the Cleveland Clinic Courts...the winning bid meant competing against the Cavs assistant coaches.

But the big hit of the night, was when the two auctioneers ad-libbed their additions to the auction items. It started with two tickets in the owner's suite, sitting next to Danny, who would be wearing an Anderson Varejao wig. As the bids continued to climb, they kept sweetening the pot "Two feet on the floor” said the GM, meaning two prime tickets courtside, premier parking right next to LBJ, and oh yeah, the boss added, "How about a Mike Brown piggy back ride around the court." Good idea, until Mike's better half saved him. Carolyn thus had her husbands back...after all, it's only March and the head coach has too much standing to go this season...can’t throw out his back before the playoffs.

One fan asked Dan G "Are you still matching all bids?" Dan said "Yep." $10,000 was the winner...a great time had by all...over $75,000 were raised. Great job!!!

If you’d like to donate to the Children’s Tumor Foundation…go to CTF.org.