“He settled a little too much against [Zydrunas] Ilgauskas early, rather than driving the ball at him, but down the stretch, I thought he was very, very aggressive”
Dwight Howard spent a good part of his summer working on the two aspects of his game most separating him from greatness: making free throws and cutting down turnovers. via The Orlando Sentinel
Despite the rumors swirling around the media, a trade for Kobe Bryant is unlikely. via MVN - Recent Articles
“My advice would be for him to try to just enjoy himself. He will experience new things all the time and he should be positive about that. Any rookie season is a challenge and he needs to learn and to not feel any pressure.”
Adonal Foyle of the Orlando Magic tries to block a pass by Ding Jinhui of Team China during their exhibition game at the Venetian Macao arena in Macau, 18 October 2007. via Iran Daily
“They all look like they’re in Little League having the time of their life.”
CLEVELAND - On an unseasonable, sun-splashed fall evening, a wave of optimism spread across the city of Cleveland - along with a chilly undercurrent of nervous pessimism. via Coshocton Tribune
By Tariq Ali on Oct 18, 2007 in Cavaliers News Peter Vecsey of the New York Post had a good article about Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic contract negotiation. via CavsNews.com
“I think Americans would be very interested in seeing what’s going on here with basketball”
The numbers don’t lie. They just open doors.
It’s good business to do business in China.
In its efforts to globalize the game and promote its ever-expanding brand, the NBA has opened a full-court press on China, the world’s most populous nation but still just a burgeoning basketball market.
The Orlando Magic now have become a big part of the NBA’s push, featured this week in China Games 2007. They will play two exhibition games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and another against a Chinese national team. Although the league has been flirting with this market since 1979 — when the Washington Bullets first played there — this week is the most comprehensive NBA experience ever in China. Read more
“The Chinese are looking for individual heroes”
LeBron James signed autographs for Chinese fans after a training session in Shanghai. via KansasCity.com
“We think there’s an upbeat tenor”
In a city desperate for a champion, in a state where finishing as the runner-up has become all too common, the Cleveland Indians are giving hope again that maybe this year will be different. via The Plain Dealer
“We are going to try to do those things the right way and not give the Cavs easy shots and easy chances. “In China we are going to be working on our defensive schemes and right now we have a new offense.”
SHANGHAI: While many prepare to enjoy a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere at the NBA China Games in Shanghai, Dwight Howard is staying as serious as anybody. via People’s Daily
Henry Abbott linked to an article by Brian Windhorst and their “new” offense. I am withholding most commentary about the new offense - Mike Brown doesn’t call it a new offense but, really, it is - because it is … via BMac’s Blog
“We think the function of his heart and lungs should return to normal”
Cavaliers All-Star forward LeBron James was forced out of action in the third quarter of Friday night’s exhibition game against the SuperSonics because of a right shoulder contusion. via ChicagoSports.com
Tony Parker hit a shot in the lane at the buzzer to cap a big run at the end of the second quarter, giving the Spurs a 40-38 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers at halftime in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. via Austin American-Statesman
P.J. Carlesimo earned his first win as SuperSonics’ coach as Seattle beat the Cavaliers 96-90 in an exhibition game in Cleveland tonight. via WANE-TV Fort Wayne
Kevin Durant hardly lit up the summer league ; his 24.0 ppg average only looks good if you hold the stat sheet so that your thumb and forefinger cover up his .333 field goal percentage and .263 three point … via 20 Second Timeout
“And good thing for (Gooden) LeBron came over there. I told LeBron he better keep coming over there.”
If I didn’t know any better, we are still still having that same nightmare. The Pistons are in Cleveland, losing a tight game. via MVN - Recent Articles
LeBron James witnessed quite a comeback. James scored 17 points - all in the first half - but he watched from the bench while icing his knees when Cleveland’s reserves rallied the Cavaliers to a 96-90 overtime … via Slam Sports
“We had Z (Zydrunas Ilgauskas), Drew (Gooden) and Donyell (Marshall) playing big minutes for us. They may get increased minutes again. Sometimes I have trouble finding minutes for four ‘bigs’ anyway. Their minutes may increase if no one else steps up.”
Coach Mike Brown is in his third training camp with the Cavaliers, and for the second time, he’s had to make do without valuable forward/center Anderson Varejao. via The News-Herald
We took a stab at running down and ranking the Western Conference last week. Let’s take a look at the Eastern Conference heading into the 2007-08 season: 1. BOSTON: With three bona-fide stars - Kevin Garnett, … via San Francisco Examiner
“We only have 15 healthy bodies”
Preseason opener shows offense needs tuneup and key players back All-Star forward LeBron James said the Cavaliers were going to use Tuesday night’s preseason opener against Washington as a “test.” If that was … via The News-Herald
“Hey, Mike, do you have them take any shots at practice?”
Exhibition? Excruciating was more fitting. It’s a good thing the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards have a few more weeks to work out the kinks. via The Plain Dealer
