I agree. JVG's done wonders with team defense in which indivdual defense was below average at best. But if he misses assignments or doesn't learn that defense, I doubt he gets playing time or gets on the team to begin with. So I'm hoping it's a case of he's an average defender at best and not a case of he doesn't want to try on defense or he just has no defensive IQ.
Another positive that I think I should add is that I found Baxter to be an exceptional passer... Stuart
Great pick up! I do hope ther is a trade in the works... Either way, I am happy to add more depth to the bench. It is amazing how much we have improved at the PF in the last year. LB reminds me of a thicker maybe a little bit slower Othella. Better all around player though... and a HUGE upgrade over Spoon and Baker!!! Cannot wait for the season to start!
Good pickup. I'd rather see Baxter on the bench than Spoon, adding another front court player was needed, I think this fills to hole well enough. The question is who is gonna get cut, I think it will be Ward.
Remember, Baxter would destroy scrubs in college but get killed by Boozer whenever the Terps played Duke. Just substitute "Summer League" for scrubs in college and "NBA competition" for Boozer.
I've also heard the rumblings that Ward could join the coaching staff so it makes sense that he would be waived. That way he can at least still earn his check. Moochie as a third or fourth option is still pretty good, he's a good distributor of the ball, can score on occaision and he's not going to be a distraction as far as minutes or locker room chemistry. I think Baxter may actually get some quality minutes even if he be a mobile banger which is the type of PF we don't currently have on the roster.
Much ado about nothing. Player similar to Braggs. Banger and hard worked. But in no way will he contribute to the short or long term success of this team. If he could... he would have stuck with someone before now instead of being bounced around. Do not read too much into Summer League stats as I once averaged 12ppg in the Rocky Mountain Review. Ok... that isn't true but I bet I could have if my basketball career hadn't been cut short by a tragic lack of skill. Anyway... Braggs adds depth and garbage time hoops. But he doesn't address our true need for depth at that position. If Howard drops dead from a heart attack (sorry... not funny) or Mutumbo starts to show his true age... or worse yet if Yao or Swift go down... we are hurting if Braggs is our man.
Predicting the departure of some of our deadweight is premature. Signing Baxter doesn't mean much for their futures. It is common to have extra guys in training camp. That doesn't mean they'll make the team. The crux of it is, did Baxter get a guarantee for the year? If so, maybe that means a cut.
Sorry to re-hash and play hindsight, but why did we draft Luther Head and sign re-sign Bowen? We could have lost a guard and drafted a rookie PF. I just thinking about how we could have paired (sp?) down our roster.
Oh yeah, one of the best things about Bowen is when he makes a steal or makes a defensive stop or catches his man off guard and scores on him, the guy will stop, look at him, and realize that Ryan Bowen shut him down. Not Artest, not Pierce or even James Posey. Ryan Bowen. And that gets into their head and they start doubting themselves. Bowen gets them, because they don't ever see it coming.
Yes, just look at Dirk. Bowen shut him down in one game and he never had any decent game in the whole playoffs!
I think this is a good signing. One more good trade, and we will have had the best offseason, next to the Cavs and Spurs, I think.
You dont think signing Swift, DA for cheap were the best moves in this offseason? Cavs added a lot of players, but Hughs, D. Jones didnt sell themself cheap. Spurs, well, Finley signing is a good one, but we still beat them by 2 to 1.
I was only looking at it from a perspective of what quality got added to the roster. Cavs also got Donyell Marshall. Spurs also got van Exel for cheap. But yes, I think getting Swift and DA was great.
Cavaliers had $25 million in salary cap space. Rockets had 0. Our offseason was better. We had a miracle offseason considering we didn't have much to work with. We got three players under market value (Swift, Anderson, Mutombo), all three will be part of the regular playing rotation. Once Lebron gets his contract, Cavs will have $75 million payroll. I don't calll that a great offseason. The Cavaliers's owner is turning out to be Mark Cuban of the East i.e. overpaying players and having talent on paper without any defense to speak off. Cleveland doesn't have any on ball defenders, Ira Newble is the only one that resembles a defensive player and he's not a starter. Neither is Snow Cavaliers have a bad defensive player at every position. Ilgauskas (one of the worst defensive centers), Marshall (the worst defending PF in the league), Hughes and James (gamble on defense, neither plays man on man), Damon Jones (the slowest and worst defensive PG in the game).
