Bon voyage Cavs head on road trip without Davis, Stewart Posted: Monday November 24, 2003 6:01PM; Updated: Monday November 24, 2003 6:01PM CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cavaliers guard Ricky Davis has been sent to his room by coach Paul Silas. Davis, who has a history of clashes with Silas dating to their time together in Charlotte, was not allowed to practice with the Cavaliers on Monday and will not accompany the team on their trip to play at New Orleans on Wednesday. Silas refused to give any specifics on why Davis, averaging 15.3 points per game, was being punished. "That's my decision," Silas said. "We're dealing with some issues. That's all I have to say. I've dealt with issues before with guys and we'll deal with these and move on." Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson was equally vague in explaining why the team was disciplining Davis -- and reserve forward Michael Stewart -- and keeping them away from the team for the next three days. Paxson said the players have not been suspended, and he would not comment when asked if they had been fined. "They're not with the team right now," Paxson said. "They're not with the team for practice and through the game in New Orleans." While Davis' situation was unclear, the Cavs suspended forward Ira Newble one game for his profanity-laced argument with Silas following the Cavaliers' loss on Saturday night in Atlanta. Newble and Silas began arguing in the coach's office and had it spill out into the hallway after the 6-foot-7 forward stormed out and slammed the door. Newble, who signed with the Cavaliers as a free agent in the offseason after playing with the Hawks, apologized to Silas and his teammates before Monday's practice. "I was wrong," he said. "I felt like I was out of line, but we're all frustrated right now -- we're 4-10. The main thing right now is that we have to stay together." Newble said Silas' punishment was fair. "It's just. He has to make a stand," Newble said. "I disrespected his authority, but we're going to put it behind us." Silas, who is in his first season with Cleveland, said he and Newble have patched things up. "It was the heat of the moment. It happens," Silas said. "We've all flown off the handle. It's closed as far as I'm concerned. I don't hold any grudges and we go on from here." He may not be as forgiving with Davis. On Saturday night, Silas benched Davis for the final 11 minutes as the Cavaliers lost their 29th straight road game. It was the second time in three games that Silas has sat Davis for an extended period. The benching came amid speculation that the Cavaliers are attempting to trade the five-year veteran, who still has five years left on a six-year, $34 million deal he signed before last season. Paxson dismissed any deals for Davis as rumor. "If I was trying to trade him, he'd be traded," he said. "If we could improve our team, we would trade anybody. You are not doing your job unless you're pursuing opportunities with any of your players." Silas was hired by the Cavaliers in June to help turn around a young team that went 17-65 last season. He expected there to be tough times, but he didn't envision so many distractions this early in the season. "It's something that I did not anticipate," Silas said. "But when you have situations, you deal with them. That's what I've always done and that's what I'll always do. You make decisions and you live with them -- right or wrong." never did like him...especially after his wannabe triple double attempt. wonder what happend.
