RISE UP! A Cleveland Cavaliers Dynasty (RETIRED)

[Skills]

Solid scouting reports and articles! I wouldn't get too worried about drafting whoever. Just draft the best player available, and if they turn out to be a team need, go for it!

[XpLosibo]

yeh, solid rookies that could really boost ur lineup.. im feeling for hibbert and gordon

[homicide1550]

kinda makes me nostalgic seeing those familiar names retire
nice articles man; Free Agents a plenty! hope you've got some sal cap room

yeah.. sad to see them go especially my two vets... cap room is what I really don't have..

Loving the draft updates!

Thanks..

The off-season might be interesting. Hope Rose goes in the Top 3, where he belongs to go.

I'll bet the redeem-team will get the cold.

Cold? I think you mean Gold, right?

Agreed Rose is one of my favorite non Thunder players.

Thanks for checking out my dynasty..

There's the Randolph scouting report... pick him now!

No worries, you'll soon see who I picked.. Draft results will be posted soon.

Solid scouting reports and articles! I wouldn't get too worried about drafting whoever. Just draft the best player available, and if they turn out to be a team need, go for it!

Thanks man.. I'll do just that..

yeh, solid rookies that could really boost ur lineup.. im feeling for hibbert and gordon

I like Gordon too..

[homicide1550]

Re-signing Period

"Okay man, don't worry alright, I got this. We'll try and make next year's team as competitive as last year or even more. Just concentrate on your training with the US team and give my regards to Michael. Bring home that gold okay? And please, please, please don't get yourselves injured. Gotta go."

Cavaliers GM Zoilo Resurreccion just got off from a phone conversation with LeBron James and he knows he made some big promises to his superstar and he isn't quite sure how and if he can really make this team a contender. Not with the recent retirement of Mutombo and Hardaway and the potential of Joe Smith leaving because of cap issues.

Only thing he has accomplished so far is the re-signing of Delonte West. It was an easy task as Delonte was eager to come back and play for the team which was evident when he agreed to a lower contract offer from the Cavs. He and his agent wanted a three-year deal worth 17.85M but got a 16.20M deal instead.

"I love West, he's such a team player," Resurreccion said as he was preparing to make another call.

"Hello, may I please speak to Colin Bryant, Gerald Green's agent?"

"Yes, speaking. I've been waiting for your call Mr. Resurreccion. My client and I have already discussed things and we both agreed on a certain amount. So how much are you offering him?" Bryant demanded.

"Hmmm.. Gerald is a talented player and the team really needs him," Resurreccion said but with disgust in his face.

He has seen Gerald's antics during the course of the playoffs and was completely sick of seeing him but he knows he is a vital part of the team.

"We can give him a four-year deal worth about 19M. It's a fair market price don't ya think?" asked the Cavs GM.

"WHAT?! 19 million in 4 years? You've gotta be kidding me. My player is much better than that." shouted Bryant.

"You've gotta calm down man. He is talented guy but I think you're overestimating his worth."

"Did you see what my boy did in THE PLAYOFFS? He practically carried the team's scoring. Give us another deal with more money and call me back." a hysterical Bryant said as he turned off his cellphone.

"ASSHOLE!" Resurreccion shouted in his office. "Carried the team in scoring? Fuck, if LeBron didn't get hurt he may not have played more than 15 minutes."

After 5 minutes of cursing like there is no tomorrow, Zoilo composed himself and got back to work. He thought of a new deal to present to Green's agent. One that is full of incentives. After making the finishing touches he then called back Collin Bryant.

"Hey Collin, its me again. Listen this is the most we can offer, 24M for 4 years plus we'll throw in 1M incentives each if Green finishes in the Top 5 of any statistical category and if Green gets invited to participate in either the 3 PT Shootout or Slam Dunk Contest, what do you say?"

"That's an enticing offer there but sad to say I still don't like it. Why don't we make it a 36M deal including those incentives? My client will be very happy with a deal like that. You feeling me right?"

"36 MILLION? For a FUCKING lazy and arrogant kid like Green?!You know what, take your offer and shove it up where the sun doesn't shine coz we ain't agreeing on that! You know what? I'll make sure Gerald doesn''t come back here. Take him elsewhere." as a fuming Resurreccion slammed down the phone.

"I hope we have a good draft, or else LeBron won't be happy," he said to himself.

[homicide1550]

Cavaliers Re-Signs Free Agent Delonte West, Lose Four Others
Posted: 24/6/2008 01:15:00 PM


West is expected to regain his stating role next season.

Cleveland, OH -- The Cleveland Cavaliers announced today that the team have re-signed free agent guard Delonte West to a 3-year deal worth 16.20M.

West started 55 games out of 69 games he played last season and posted averages of 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.97 steals.

West was part of a three-team trade which sent him, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith and Wally Szczerbiak to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is still expected to run things at the point and execute the Cavaliers' plays.

Meanwhile, the Cavs management also announced that they failed to re-sign Gerald Green, Joe Smith, Dwayne Jones and Jake Voskuhl. All four are now eligible to talk with other teams.

The roster now stands at 9.

[XpLosibo]

easy now GM, G2 is not worth ur hypertension

[kibaxx7]

Nice to see you not re-signing Green. So you have 9 players under contract, plans on acquiring Shaq?

[homicide1550]

easy now GM, G2 is not worth ur hypertension

hehe.. I was just pissed that he wanted 9M per year..

Nice to see you not re-signing Green. So you have 9 players under contract, plans on acquiring Shaq?

Hmmm... I could get him but I guess not now..

[homicide1550]

Draft Day

Zoilo was inside a small office assigned to them by the NBA along with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, Mike Brown and his coaching staff. He couldn't wait to make his first draft pick, he was dying to call the commissioner and tell David Stern who the Cavaliers were going to pick.

It was 7:00 PM when the festivities started and then Detroit was officially on the clock. The 2008 NBA draft had finally begun! Everyone in the room went back into their seats and were glued to the TV set. Commissioner David Stern was now at the podium...

"With the first pick of the 2008 NBA draft, the Detroit Pistons select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis," Stern announced to a rousing ovation.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was almost 8:00 PM and Cleveland was a pick away from drafting a new player. Only 2 names remain on their rookie watch list for the first round, D.J. Augustin and Jason Thompson. The Cavaliers camp were hoping that neither won't be selected so they can at least choose form the two.

"It looks like the Clippers have made their decision as the commisioner is back on stage," said Stephen A. Smith who was covering the event for ESPN.

"With the 21st pick of the 2008 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select J.R. Giddens from the University of Mexico," Stern said as Giddens walked to the stage to shake hands with his new boss.

"Thank God they picked him," said Dan Gilbert. "Alright, we have to make a decision guys who do we pick?"

"I say we get D.J. Augustin, the kid will be a great backup and could be a starter in the next 2 or 3 years. He really impressed me during the workouts plus he came from a good college program," said Cleveland scout Fernando Izquierdo.

"Hmm.. but don't you think he's a little too undersized? How about Thompson? What do you guys think about him?" Resurreccion asked.

"Thompson is a hard worker, with our aging front court I really think we need him. He played real good in college but only problem is we are not sure if he can play like that in this level of competition. It's your call Zoilo," Mike Brown said.

"Damn, this is hard," the Cavs GM thought to himself.

An NBA representative came in to say that only 30 seconds is left on the clock and that they should submit their pick immediately.

"Make your pick now Mr. Resurreccion, our future is in your hands," said Gilbert.

Zoilo hate being in situations like this but he knows he's gotta do it. He picked up the phone hesitantly as everyone looked at him. His mind was still deciding on who to pick, the unproven Thompson or the undersized Augustin, when the commissioner picked up the call.

Moments later...

"With the 22nd pick of the 2008 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select....."

[Fresh8]

I hope you picked Augustin!

[XpLosibo]

tick tack tick tack... il also have a hard time picking, coz both are really promising players

[kibaxx7]

With Smith, Voskuhl, Mutombo and Jones gone, I think Thompson was a better pick, but I like Augustin, so...

[Its_asdf]

Tough choice between Augustine and Thompson... Both seem to fill a position of need while at the same time they are both talented youngsters with potential. I'd personally go with Thompson, your front court seems to be pretty old and I think a guy like Thompson would make guys like Z and Wallace good trade bait since they're both pretty big expiring contracts and you can land a guard that way.

[homicide1550]

Cavaliers Select Thompson, Brown in 2008 NBA Draft
Posted: 26/6/2008 11:05:00 PM


Jason Thompson (left) from Rider University and Bobby Brown (right) of
California State University, Fullerton

Cleveland, OH -- After weeks of anticipation and endless pundit projection, the 2008 NBA Draft finally arrived Thursday.

And with the 22nd pick in the 2008 NBA Draft the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Jason Thompson.

The senior out of Rider averaged 20.4 points and 12.1 rebounds while being named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year (MAAC), leading the MAAC in rebounding and ranking second in scoring.

"It was important for us to get a young big," Cavaliers General Manager Zoilo Resurreccion said. "One of the things that really impressed us is his ability to rebound, dribble the ball and run the floor along with that size. So we think, again, that he'll be a very multidimensional type of player for us and it gives us a young big to develop under Big Ben (Wallace) and Zydrunas ( Ilgauskas)."

Cleveland followed up its choice of Thompson with one more senior selection in the second-round. The Cavs selected California State University, Fullerton point guard Bobby Brown with the 52nd pick.

Brown was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, awarded to the nation’s top point guard, as a senior. He finished his collegiate career as the all-time leading scorer in Cal State Fullerton history with 1,961 career points, which also ranks ninth all-time in Big West Conference history.

Thompson will wear jersey number 1 and Brown will sport the number 5. The roster now stands at 11.

[homicide1550]

I hope you picked Augustin!

With Smith, Voskuhl, Mutombo and Jones gone, I think Thompson was a better pick, but I like Augustin, so...

Had to go with a big if only I had the cap room to re-sign Joe Smith, I would've drafted Augustin.

tick tack tick tack... il also have a hard time picking, coz both are really promising players

Yeah, both have a bright future in the NBA..

Tough choice between Augustine and Thompson... Both seem to fill a position of need while at the same time they are both talented youngsters with potential. I'd personally go with Thompson, your front court seems to be pretty old and I think a guy like Thompson would make guys like Z and Wallace good trade bait since they're both pretty big expiring contracts and you can land a guard that way.

Big Z and Wallace still have 2 years left in their contract.. I could trade Big Ben but there's a good chance he'll retire as Cavalier..

[Martti.]

Nice picks! You really needed Thompson. And Bobby Brown could also play nice. Probably no more then 10 minutes though.

[hova-]

Good pick to get a big to play alongside LeBron. It will take time to develop him though. Bobby Brown is not a bad pick either since he is a good spark of the bench.

[kibaxx7]

Great pics. As asdf said, maybe you can trade Z for a guard, that would make your roster a little more versatile...

[homicide1550]

Pistons Take Rose at Number 1
Posted: 27/6/2008 09:05:00 AM


The calm before the storm. Draft hopefuls pose for the cameras before the big
event.

NEW YORK (AP)-- With the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons selected Derrick Rose, a 6-3, 190-pound point guard out of the University of Memphis.

Rose posted averages of 14.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game as a freshman and led Memphis to the NCAA National Championship game. He appeared in all 40 games for the Tigers, who went 38-2 and set an NCAA men’s basketball record for wins in a season.

"He’s got a strength about him that most guards don’t have in this league at that position," Pistons General Manager Joe Dumars said after making the pick. "He’s got a great burst and he’s very fast with the ball. I think he’s going to make other players better, and I think he’ll give us some leadership abilities as he goes on that we really need. For us, it was the right pick.”

Insiders are speculating that the Pistons will put Chauncey Billups on the trade block to allow Rose to develop quicker by playing some big time minutes. But Dumars was quick to deny this rumor and told that Detroit might play small ball and start Rose at shooting guard while moving Rip Hamilton to the 3, Tayshaun Prince at the 4, and Rasheed Wallace at center.

“I’m just an extremely competitive person,” said Rose, a member of the 2008 NCAA Tournament All-Final Four Team. “Everyone was saying I was too young or that another player was going to get the best of me because they were older, but age doesn’t always matter. It’s about being the better player. I just wanted to prove people wrong and show that I was the best player on the court.”

And to a surprise to many, Orlando opted to fill a need instead of drafting the best talent available. The Magic drafted shooting guard Eric Gordon instead of projected number 1 pick Michael Beasley, who was chosen third by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Phoenix Suns drafted O.J. Mayo at number 4 followed by Russell Westbrook who was picked by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Below is the complete draft board.

NO.	TEAM	SELECTION
1	Detroit Pistons	Derrick Rose, Guard, Memphis
2	Orlando Magic	Eric Gordon, Guard, Indiana
3	Minnesota Timberwolves	Michael Beasley, Forward, Kansas State
4	Phoenix Suns	O.J. Mayo, Guard, USC
5	Milwaukee Bucks	Russell Westbrook, Guard, UCLA
6	New Jersey Nets	Brook Lopez, Center, Stanford
7	Sacramento Kings	Joey Dorsey, Forward, Memphis
8	Atlanta Hawks	Mareeese Speights, Forward, Florida
9	Toronto Raptors	Javale McGee, Center, Nevada
10	New York Knicks	Anthony Randolph, Forward, LSU
11	Miami Heat	Hamed Haddadi, Center, Iran
12	Houston Rockets	Roy Hibbert, Center, Georgetown
13	Golden State Warriors	Brandon Rush, Guard, Kansas
14	New Orleans Hornets	Bill Walker, Forward, Kansas State
15	Indiana Pacers	Jerryd Bayless, Guard, Arizona
16	Washington Wizards	Robin Lopez, Center, Stanford
17	Philadelphia 76ers	D.J. White, Forward, Indiana
18	Chicago Bulls	Marc Gasol, Center, Spain
19	Los Angeles Lakers	Mario Chalmers, Guard, Kansas
20	San Antonio Spurs	DeAndre Jordan, Center, Texas A&M
21	Los Angeles Clippers	J.R. Giddens, Guard, New Mexico
22	Cleveland Cavaliers	Jason Thompson, Forward, Rider
23	Utah Jazz	Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Forward, UCLA
24	Charlotte Bobcats	Joe Alexander, Forward, West Virginia
25	Denver Nuggets	D.J. Augustin, Guard, Texas
26	Oklahoma City Thunder	DeMarcus Nelson, Guard, Duke
27	Boston Celtics	Kosta Koufos, Center, Ohio State
28	Detroit Pistons	Steven Hill, Center, Arkansas
29	Dallas Mavericks	Joe Crawford, Guard, Kentucky
30	Portland Trail Blazers	JuJuan Smith, Guard, Tennessee

NO.	TEAM	SELECTION
31	Orlando Magic	Courtney Lee, Guard, Western Kentucky
32	Minnesota Timberwolves	Nicolas Batum, Forward, France
33	Phoenix Suns	Donte Greene, Forward, Syracuse
34	Milwaukee Bucks	Patrick Ewing, Forward, Georgetown
35	New Jersey Nets	Ryan Anderson, Forward, California
36	Sacramento Kings	Maureece Rice, Guard, Stanford
37	Memphis Grizzlies	Nathan Jawai, Center, Australia
38	Atlanta Hawks	Mike Taylor, Guard, Iowa State
39	Toronto Raptors	Malik Hairston, Guard, Oregon
40	New York Knicks	Kevin Love, Forward, UCLA
41	Miami Heat	Kyle Weaver, Guard, Washington State
42	Indiana Pacers	Chris Douglas-Roberts, Guard, Memphis
43	Washington Wizards	James Gist, Forward, Maryland
44	Houston Rockets	Sean Singletary, Guard, Virginia
45	Philadelphia 76ers	Walter Sharpe, Forward, Alabama-Birmingham
46	Golden State Warriors	George Hill, Guard, IUPUI
47	Chicago Bulls	Anthony Morrow, Guard, Georgia Tech
48	New Orleans Hornets	Sonny Weems, Guard, Arkansas
49	Los Angeles Lakers	Roko Ukic, Guard, Croatia
50	San Antonio Spurs	Darell Arthur, Forward, Kansas
51	Los Angeles Clippers	Dwayne Mitchell, Guard, Louisiana-Lafayette
52	Cleveland Cavaliers	Bobby Brown, Guard, Cal St. Fullerton
53	Utah Jazz	Serge Ibaka, Center, Congo
54	Charlotte Bobcats	Deron Washington, Forward, Virginia Tech
55	Denver Nuggets	Dion Dowell, Guard, Houston
56	Oklahoma City Thunder	Dontell Jefferson, Guard, Arkansas
57	Boston Celtics	Dan Grunfeld, Guard, Stanford
58	Detroit Pistons	Charles Rhodes, Forward, Mississippi St.
59	Dallas Mavericks	Blake Ahearn, Guard, Missouri
60	Portland Trail Blazers	Kai Zhang, Center, China

Notable Undrafted Rookies: J.J. Hickson (N.C. State), Alexis Ajinca (France), Goran Dragic (Slovenia), Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), Darnell Jackson (Kansas), Jawad Williams (North Carolina)

[homicide1550]

Nice picks! You really needed Thompson. And Bobby Brown could also play nice. Probably no more then 10 minutes though.

Good pick to get a big to play alongside LeBron. It will take time to develop him though. Bobby Brown is not a bad pick either since he is a good spark of the bench.

Yeah, Thompson will be a big help to my front court while Brown may spend most of his time in the reserves list...

Great pics. As asdf said, maybe you can trade Z for a guard, that would make your roster a little more versatile...

I have no plans to trade Z as of now, would probably look at some point guards in the free agent pool..

[kibaxx7]

Nice first round. Keep Z then, surely a couple of good PGs will be in the free agent market.

[Its_asdf]

JaVale McGee going that high with the Raptors? I guess it kind of fills a need for the Raptors but they definitely missed out on a lot of quality talent.

Good pick with Thompson, he'll be a 15+ point per game scorer in the near future if he develops correctly.

[Martti.]

Great picks with Thompson and Brown! Miami took Haddadi at #10..

[homicide1550]

█ USA Returns To Gold Standard
Posted: 26/6/2008 10:34:00 AM

Redeem Team, indeed.

After eight long years, the United States returned to its customary place atop the basketball world, winning the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics with an emotional and hard-fought 118-107 victory over determined Spain.

After knocking off its first seven foes by an average of more than 30 points, the Americans found themselves in a one-possession game in the fourth quarter against the 2006 World Champions, who had lost to the USA by 37 points in group play but showed plenty of character and heart in this contest. Then the U.S. began displaying some redeeming qualities of its own.

The leader was NBA MVP Kobe Bryant, who simply took over. After Spain closed to 91-89, he made a tough runner, found Deron Williams for a 3-pointer, added another hoop and broke up an alley-oop pass to rebuild the lead to 105-94. When the margin dwindled again to four points, Bryant stuck in the dagger, draining a 3-pointer and drawing a foul for a 108-99 bulge with 3:10 to go.

Click Here to see the full article.


█ Proven NBA Players Left Unsigned
Posted: 18/8/2008 08:25:02 AM

Up to this date some young and veteran NBA players are still in the free agent pool waiting to be signed by a team. Budding stars like the 3-point gunner J.R. Smith, bench-spark Josh Childress and the high-flying Gerald Green are all looking for a new team to play for next season.

"There's no doubt they have the talent to play in this league but teams are hesitant to sign some of them because of their attitudes and off-court antics," said an anonymous NBA executive.

Meanwhile, league veterans like Michael Finley, Jerry Stackhouse, Joe Smth, Bonzi Wells and James Posey among others have yet to find offers and situations that they really like.

Click Here to see the full article.


█ New teams, Fresh Start
Posted: 14/8/2008 10:30:00 PM

A bunch of NBA players have signed with a new team with hopes of having a fresh start to their careers.

Sharpshooting guard Daniel Gibson, last year's Rookie Challenge MVP, signed a 5-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves worth about 35 million while Slovenian play maker Beno Udrih agreed to play for two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers.

"I wanted to have a long-term deal but Milwaukee didn't want to offer me more than 2 years, that's when the T-Wolves called my agent," Gibson said. "They're a young team and it'll be nice to build the future with them."

Other notable players who switched teams were Matt Barnes (OKC), Ronny Turiaf (DAL), Chris Andersen (MEM) and Ryan Gomes (ATL).

Click Here to see the full article.


█ NBA Stars Decide to Stay Put
Posted: 18/5/2008 06:20:12 PM

After lengthy conversations and weeks of speculation, almost all the NBA's free agent stars decided to remain with their old team. Clear winners were the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards who kept their core intact.

The Warriors have re-signed Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins and Mickael Pietrus to long-term deals. These moves enable them to remain a competitive team in the West. While the Wizards kept their "Big Three" intact when they agreed to new contracts with their two stars, Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison.

Other notable re-signings: Elton Brand/Corey Maggette (LAC), Emeka Okafor (CHA), Josh Smith (ATL), Luol Deng/Ben Gordon/Andres Nocioni (CHI), Ron Artest (SAC) and Andre Iguodala (PHI).

Click Here to see the full article.

[homicide1550]

Nice first round. Keep Z then, surely a couple of good PGs will be in the free agent market.

I got some nice guards form the FA pool, I'll post the details once its ready..

JaVale McGee going that high with the Raptors? I guess it kind of fills a need for the Raptors but they definitely missed out on a lot of quality talent.

Good pick with Thompson, he'll be a 15+ point per game scorer in the near future if he develops correctly.

Was fortunate enough to get some quality players, I just hope that Thompson develops well enough to help my team in the near future.

With McGee, I guess the Raptors really needed a big man. The only legit big man they have is Nesterovic. Bosh and Bargnani are not really post up guys. What's more surprising is Joey Dorsey being selected at #7 by the Kings.

Great picks with Thompson and Brown! Miami took Haddadi at #10..

I guess the Heat picked him because of his "fighting spirit"...

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