air's Cavs dynasty

Yeah, Kobe101! Just did, although I will need to make some changes to the team.
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CAVS FIGHT TO WIN IN CHICAGO

Cleveland 95
Chicago 85

Cleveland Cavs got their first win of the season against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago last night. It didn't come easy, though. The Bulls held the lead for most of the game as the Cavs defence again looked suspect to say the least. Eddy Curry was dominating the paint just like Dwight Howard in the previous Cavs game, and Tony Battie looked like a bystander rather than a defender. Finally, Paul Silas' decision to play rookie Ambrose Hawken against Curry got some sense into the Cavs inside play, and LeBron James started making amazing plays in the fourth quarter. He decided the game almost single-handedly, although Larry Hughes made two huge threes down the stretch. James finished with 34 points, five rebounds and five assists. Hughes got 20, and Drew Gooden improved on his earlier outings with 21 and 11. Curry scored 28 and 8 for the Bulls, Ben Gordon got 19 and Kirk Hinrich had 14 and five assists.

"We still have a long way to go", said LeBron James, looking only slightly relieved.

The Cavs face the Memphis Grizzlies next.

Starters:
Cleveland (0-2 before game)
C T. Battie
F D. Gooden
F L. James
G L. Hughes
G M. James

Chicago (0-2 before game)
C E. Curry
F A. Davis
F L. Deng
G B. Gordon
G K. Hinrich

Player of the game:
James CLE 34/5/5 ast

Box scores:
Cavs
Bulls

Pictures:


Curry moves Battie out of his way.


Hughes goes in for some points.


Arroyo sees the space and makes a big play with just 2:03 to go on the game.

1st win of the year!!! keep the momentum going!

hey, are you gonna get 06?

I've been working on a bit of a trading frenzy now. It's probably not very realistic, trading two new signings but instead of playing through the season cursing them I would rather make a couple of trades and see what I can do this season.

It would involve getting rid of Tony Battie and Mike James, two decent players but I don't really like them. More to come on this later.


Isaiah214, thanks for checking in again! I think I will get 06, and if it's good and works on my computer and all. I will see if I can carry on with this dynasty in 06 after this season, or the next... although no guarantees because my dynasty may be interrupted in a couple months' time if I have to change countries. But there's plenty more basketball before that!

curry pic is killer. nice win, despite being at my bulls' expense...

Nice win man! They dont call him "Baby Shaq" for nothing!

Very impressive. I like the new looks Cavs. Good to see that you got your first win against the Bulls after you loss the first two games. I am also looking forward to see your 06 dynasty.

Thanks for your feedback, ColickyBoy, Kobe101, Kemp40! I have now done my trading and hopefully it will not confuse everybody too much. I didn't really like having Battie and Mike James in the team so I've made a couple of transactions.

Cavaliers in trading extravaganza
by Chuck Collins, cleveland.com sports writer

Cleveland Cavs have made three trades and one free agent signing before their game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Center Michael Olowokandi arrives from Minnesota in exchange for center Tony Battie and small forward Matt Barnes. Olowokandi will add strength, rebounding and blocking ability to the Cavs inside play.

Rookie center Ambrose Hawken and power forward Ryan Gomes have been traded to Seattle in return for point guard Luke Ridnour. Ridnour will look to orchestrate the Cavs offence with his playmaking abilities.

Small forward Luke Walton comes to Cleveland from Los Angeles. Point guard Mike James leaves the Cavs after just three games to join the Lakers. Walton can switch between the small forward and power forward positions.

6'9 shooting guard Eddie Robinson joins the Cavs on a one-year deal. Robinson was a free agent and will most likely be a reserve player.

CAVS SURVIVE TO WIN IN MEMPHIS

Cleveland 95
Memphis 87

Three new players appeared on the Cleveland Cavs' roster for their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Michael Olowokandi started at center, Luke Ridnour started at point guard and Luke Walton was among the substitutes as the game tipped off in the FedEx Forum. The Cavs had a dream start. LeBron James was hitting every shot he put up, he didn't even have to get close to the basket with every mid-range jumper hitting the bottom of the net. He had 26 by half time and the Cavs had a commanding 54-36 lead. But the Grizzlies started the third quarter with a 9-0 run and kept cutting into the Cavs lead, as Cleveland looked lost defensively after Larry Hughes' injury in the second quarter. Cavs led by just one with minutes to go, but LeBron James stepped up once again to finish with 41 and an eight-point win for the Cavs. Hughes returned in the second half to finish with just eight points, but also six steals. Power forward Anderson Varejao impressed with six points and eight rebounds. Of the debutants, Michael Olowokandi had four points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Luke Ridnour had a tough time, scoring just two points, and Jason Williams scoring 22 for Memphis. Pau Gasol got 23 and 9 rebounds.

"It's an important win for us but what makes it even more important is that the new guys who came in helped us get a win. It should help their confidence and make it easier for them to settle in", said Drew Gooden, who had 14 points and six rebounds.

The Cavs face the Boston Celtics in their next game.

Starters:
Cleveland (1-2 before game)
C M. Olowokandi
F D. Gooden
F L. James
G L. Hughes
G L. Ridnour

Memphis (0-2 before game)
C P. Gasol
F B. Cardinal
F S. Battier
G M. Miller
G J. Williams

Player of the game:
James CLE 41/3/3 ast

Box scores:
Cavs
Grizzlies

Pictures:


Olowokandi scores his first points here.


Varejao has improved lots from last season. He's a quality rebounder and will
probably get a better shooting pct than .105 this season!


Turnaround spin move... finger roll... two points...

Hughes out with sprained foot
by Chuck Collins, cleveland.com sports writer

Larry Hughes will miss next four games for the Cleveland Cavaliers after being diagnosed with a sprained foot. Fortunately for the Cavs their playing schedule is not as hectic as it could be, so Hughes should be fit by the time they face the LA Clippers next month.

The good news is that Tractor Traylor has now fully recovered from his injury, although it didn't seem to affect his game too much against Memphis.

CAVS WIN AGAINST WEAK CELTICS TEAM

Boston 74
Cleveland 81

Cleveland Cavs recorded their first home win of the season against the Boston Celtics. With Larry Hughes injured, LeBron James started at shooting guard with newcomer Luke Walton starting at small forward. After leading by seven after the first two quarters, the Cavs again let their opponent right back into the game in the third quarter. In the end some well-executed plays earned Cavs the win by seven points. LeBron James scored 30 points to lead all scorers, but it was the Cavs' inside play that caught the eye, as well as Celtics' inability to match it. Drew Gooden was outstanding, holding Antoine Walker to just six points, scoring 14 points himself and adding six boards and two blocks. Tractor Traylor was menacing, scoring 16 points. Ricky Davis led the Celtics with 21, and Paul Pierce got 16, eight of his points coming in the first quarter. A notable fact about the Cavs' game was that they recorded only a couple of assists, didn't play many fast breaks and scored no three-pointers. It wasn't down to the point guards having a bad game, in fact Luke Ridnour was consistent offensively and defensively, but down to the slow half-court play by the Cavs. With Larry Hughes returning after the next three games, there should be more fast-paced action.

"We did well considering Larry [Hughes] was out", said center Michael Olowokandi. "We slowed the game down a little and it helped us."

The Cavs travel to Seattle next to meet Luke Ridnour's former team, the Sonics.

Starters:
Boston (0-2 before game)
C R. LaFrentz
F A. Walker
F P. Pierce
G R. Davis
G G. Payton

Cleveland (2-2 before game)
C M. Olowokandi
F D. Gooden
F L. Walton
G L. James
G L. Ridnour

Player of the game:
James CLE 30/4

Box scores:
Celtics
Cavs

Pictures:


It wasn't this easy for James all the time.


Pierce scored a quick eight points, and was then shut down by a double team.


Gooden owned the paint.

doing well despite the lack of help from your new acquisitions. traylor 8-of-10! have you considered starting him over olowakandi?

I actually played another game (recap coming soon) where Ridnour and Walton played better, although I don't need them to score that much. The secret to Traylor's scoring is that I put him on against power forwards with not much strength. He lacks height and rebounding skill, and he couldn't score on almost any starting center.

CAVS LOSE TO SHARP-SHOOTING SEATTLE

Cleveland 83
Seattle 94

Cleveland Cavs lost against the Seattle Sonics at the Key Arena in Seattle last night. It was a game where Seattle always had the upper hand, it seemed, no matter what the Cavs did. The Cavs were dealt a tough blow early in the game, when power forward Drew Gooden injured himself after being challenged when going up for a lay-up. The Cavs were down by as many as eleven points, and only some LeBron James heroics got them as close as five points in the final quarter. James tried to inspire the team for a late comeback, but Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and Antonio Daniels were all hitting their shots and the Cavs couldn't come back. Gooden stayed out for the rest of the game, but with him in play it could have been a different result. LeBron James scored 31 to lead his team, and DerMarr Johnson did his best to fill in for the injured Larry Hughes with 11 points. Anderson Varejao was a huge presence inside, with ten rebounds as well as six points and two blocks. Ray Allen was named player of the game with 24 points, four rebounds and six assists, Rashard Lewis scored 20 and rookie guard Demetrius Hardy had 16.

"Hopefully Drew's injury isn't serious", said LeBron James after the game. "Anderson [Varejao] did a great job on the boards, but we still need Drew and Larry [Hughes] back as soon as possible."

The Cavs face the Milwaukee Bucks next.

Starters:
Cleveland (3-2 before game)
C M. Olowokandi
F D. Gooden
F L. Walton
G L. James
G L. Ridnour

Seattle (1-2 before game)
C A. Hawken
F V. Radmanovic
F R. Lewis
G R. Allen
G A. Daniels

Player of the game:
Allen SEA 24/4/6 ast

Box scores:
Cavs
Sonics

Pictures:


Varejao has developed into a real monster on the glass.


Gooden is injured, but will be OK to play against the Bucks.


Traylor was shut down by many defenders.

I hope Gooden will be ready by next game because now the Cavs are out of weapons. Hughes is still injured and only James steps up and carry the load of the Cavs offence. Hope you can beat the Bucks next.

Thanks for your support again, Kemp40! Yep, Gooden was okay for the Bucks...

Remember when Peeler scored 30 last season? Well, here's another one. DerMarr Johnson scores 36 and point guards get 8 assists just because the idiot zone defence leaves guys wide open on the three-point line. So you don't have to wonder why this doesn't happen every game. Fortunately, the Bucks are the only team that plays zone.
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CAVS EXPLOIT BUCKS ZONE DEFENCE TO WIN

Milwaukee 78
Cleveland 95

Cleveland Cavs returned to winning ways after beating Milwaukee Bucks at the Gund Arena in Cleveland last night. Much like in last season's encounter, the Cavs took lots of three-pointers to win the game. Anthony Peeler's 30-point performance was outdone by DerMarr Johnson, who drained threes with confidence, scoring an amazing 28 points in the first half. The Cavs led by 20 points at half time. The Bucks changed to man-to-man defence for the second half, but the Cavs extended their lead by nine in the third, before playing a terrible fourth quarter. They still won by a comfortable margin. Johnson finished the game with 36 points, and was named player of the game. LeBron James picked the right day to be off the mark, shooting 7 for 20 from the field. No jump shot would fall for him and he got his 21 points from dunks, layups and the free throw line. Hopefully his shooting drought will not continue over into the next game. On the inside, Drew Gooden and Tractor Traylor both played good games, scoring 16 and 14 respectively. Bucks' star center Andrew Bogut had just four points, four rebounds and six blocks. Michael Redd scored 22.

"We had to take those shots. When your opponent defends deep, you have to shoot from downtown. I love scoring but the most important thing is that we won the game", DerMarr Johnson said.

The Cavs travel to Indiana to face the Pacers next.

Starters:
Cleveland (3-3 before game)
C M. Olowokandi
F D. Gooden
F L. James
G D. Johnson
G L. Ridnour

Milwaukee (3-4 before game)
C A. Bogut
F T. Chandler
F D. Mason
G M. Redd
G T. Ford

Player of the game:
Johnson CLE 36

Box scores:
Bucks
Cavs

Pictures:


Here's how the zone defence works:
Step 1: Leave a guy wide open.


Step 2: Watch him drain a three-pointer.


Here's some rare points for Johnson, not on an open three-point shot.

That's a big win for the Cavs! Plus you're now over .500 I found this interesting, Traylor was the only one who scored off the bench and he scored 14! Good luck next game.

Cheers, Sensation! Usually someone else scores from the bench too, but Traylor is THE sixth man. I've been playing again so here's another recap!
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CAVS LOSE AFTER MISERABLE FOURTH QUARTER

Cleveland 75
Indiana 82

Cleveland Cavs lost against the Indiana Pacers in a game that could have been over by the third quarter. After leading by 16 points at the half due to a great scoring performance by Drew Gooden, the Cavs started giving up more and more rebounds, and the Pacers came back to level the game halfway through the fourth quarter. It was all thanks to an incredible display by Jermaine O'Neal, who finished the game with an amazing 38 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. During the final stretch the Pacers double teamed Gooden, and it was up to LeBron James and DerMarr Johnson to try and win the game. Looking at the fourth quarter stats, it's easy to see why it didn't happen. James was 1 for 6 and Johnson was 0 for 4 from the field. The Pacers outscored the Cavs 29-10 in the fourth and won the game. Indiana's biggest strength was their rebounding. They had 44 rebounds against Cleveland's 27. Drew Gooden had just two rebounds to add to his 25 points, Tractor Traylor had three and Anderson Varejao had zero rebounds. Michael Olowokandi managed nine.

"Drew [Gooden] and Tractor [Traylor] scored well for us. I'm really disappointed that I couldn't finish the job", said LeBron James, whose shooting drought continues while playing at guard. In all honesty, he has had to carry a big scoring load and playing at guard he has had to take too many jump shots, and has had too few chances to drive to the basket.

Larry Hughes is expected to return against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Starters:
Cleveland (4-3 before game)
C M. Olowokandi
F D. Gooden
F L. Walton
G L. James
G L. Ridnour

Indiana (4-3 before game)
C J. O'Neal
F J. Bender
F R. Artest
G F. Jones
G L. Chalmers

Player of the game:
O'Neal IND 38/16/4 blk

Box scores:
Cavs
Pacers

Pictures:


Gooden rejects Artest.


Ridnour takes it inside on the fast break and draws the foul.


Deja vu from last season. Artest takes a late three and Indiana
go up by three. James doesn't have time to put his hand up...

tough loss...thatz two in a row now. Itz like how it was last year, with hughes injured, only lebron to carry the offense.

CB#4, yeah, although Gooden and Traylor have scored well. I didn't want too many scorers because I like to know who to go to. As for Hughes, he returned for Clippers (below), I've never played with a scoring shooting guard so I'm still learning how to get the best out of him...
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CAVS LOSE HEAVILY, REBOUNDING PROBLEMS CONTINUE

LA Clippers 102
Cleveland 78

Some teams are harder to play against than others. In Cleveland Cavs' case, the LA Clippers seem to be an almost impossible task. With their main inside scoring threat Drew Gooden facing Elton Brand, the Cavs had to go to Larry Hughes and LeBron James for points. Hughes went just 5 for 17 from the field, and James shot 9 for 24. Add to this the fact that the Clippers grabbed 52 rebounds to the Cavs 36, it is no surprise that the Cavs lost by a big margin. The Clippers played intense defence, and points were hard to come by for the Cavs. Every time a player went up for a layup, a hand came out from somewhere to block. On the other end, any turnaround jumper or a challenged shot hit the bottom of the net for the Clippers. Elton Brand was player of the game with 15 points, 10 boards and four blocks. Corey Maggette had 18 and 11, Chris Kaman also had 10 rebounds and Kerry Kittles scored 19 points. LeBron James got 26 and five, Hughes had just 11 and Olowokandi and Gooden scored 10 each.

"We couldn't win in Indianapolis and we couldn't win today. You can't really win if you lose so many rebounds", said Drew Gooden, who had seven rebounds.

The Cavs face the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia tomorrow.

Starters:
LA Clippers (7-6 before game)
C C. Kaman
F E. Brand
F C. Maggette
G K. Kittles
G M. Jaric

Cleveland (4-4 before game)
C M. Olowokandi
F D. Gooden
F L. James
G L. Hughes
G L. Ridnour

Player of the game:
Brand LAC 15/10/4 blk

Box scores:
Clippers
Cavs

Pictures:


James couldn't score with jump shots and also missed some layups.


There were no easy shots.


Maggette took his share of rebounds with 11.

CAVS BACK ON WINNING TRACK

Cleveland 99
Philadelphia 81

Cleveland Cavs took an important win against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia last night. The game was very close through the first two quarters once Cleveland caught up the first six points of the game by the Sixers. Cleveland led 45-44 at the half, and came into the third quarter with a different kind of intensity. A three-pointer and another basket by DerMarr Johnson made it a ten-point lead going into the fourth quarter, in which the Cavs extended their lead to win comfortably. They took very few shots compared to the Sixers, mostly because Chris Webber was doing a good job on the offensive board. However, the Cavs shot a very high percentage, usually taking the ball inside to score. LeBron James led the Cavs with 24 points, followed by great performances by Drew Gooden with 22 and Tractor Traylor with 17. Jason Collins, last year's champion with the Nets, got little help from the rest of the team and Gooden and Traylor took advantage of being one on one. Larry Hughes was stopped by Andre Iguodala and had just 10 points, four rebounds and four steals. Michael Olowokandi was poor, grabbing just two rebounds and eight points. Chris Webber had the best of him with 27 and 12, Allen Iverson scored 14.

"It's a huge win for us", said LeBron James. "We haven't been doing as well as we want to."

The Cavs face the Toronto Raptors next.

Starters:
Cleveland (4-5 before game)
C M. Olowokandi
F D. Gooden
F L. James
G L. Hughes
G L. Ridnour

Philadelphia (5-5 before game)
C C. Webber
F J. Collins
F K. Korver
G A. Iguodala
G A. Iverson

Player of the game:
James CLE 24/4

Box scores:
Cavs
Sixers

Pictures:


There was no stopping Webber. Not with Olowokandi, anyway...


Hughes scores on the fast break. I'm still figuring him out.


James took it inside many times and scored.

Wtf is Philly thinking?? Webber at C Collins at PF and Dalembert on the bench?! Nice win air, I just wish it would have come at a later time.

Sensation, yeah, the CPU makes some funny decisions. Webber's actually not that bad at C but the PF position is very weak. Here's the next game!
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HUGHES INSPIRES CAVS TO CLOSE WIN

Toronto 83
Cleveland 85

Cleveland Cavs took a close win last night over Toronto Raptors, who had started the season well with an 8-5 record. After a low-scoring first quarter, the game picked up pace and Cleveland were playing the ball inside to Drew Gooden, who was scoring effectively against Donyell Marshall. The Cavs already had a 12-point lead, but they again lost it somewhere in the midst of the early fourth quarter. When Gooden wasn't hitting his shots anymore and LeBron James was having an average game by his standards, Larry Hughes saw his time to step up. The Cavs had sunk to a five-point deficit, but Hughes went down the court for a slam, and on the next play drained a huge three to level the game with just three minutes to go. With less than 30 secords to go on the game, LeBron James lost the ball and the Raptors tied the game. It was again time for another huge play, and Hughes delivered, driving hard to the basket, taking the contact and scoring with 2.5 seconds on the clock. Donyell Marshall, who had made all his three outside shots, took the final buzzer beater but missed. Gooden was player of the game with 31 and 11, James got 22 and Hughes had 16 and seven rebounds, going 6 for 7 from the field. For once, Cleveland rebounded well, grabbing 45 boards to Toronto's 28. Offensive rebounds were 16 to 6 in Cleveland's favour.

"We couldn't have won without Larry [Hughes] tonight", said Gooden. "He scored just 16 but he won the game for us."

Starters:
Toronto (8-5 before game)
C C. Bosh
F D. Marshall
F J. Rose
G M. Peterson
G R. Alston

Cleveland (5-5 before game)
C M. Olowokandi
F D. Gooden
F L. James
G L. Hughes
G L. Ridnour

Player of the game:
Gooden CLE 31/11

Box scores:
Raptors
Cavs

Pictures:


Gooden has developed into an all-star calibre player.


Marshall hits yet another three.


Hughes drains a huge three to tie the game.

air's note:
I made a bit of an experiment here, I went to Gooden several times to see just how much he can score. The Raptors doubled up and it became difficult, he hit just over .500 and I had to play the ball to other players. So it seems that the post is still not too easy, fortunately.

What can they do?
by Chuck Collins, cleveland.com sports writer

After an offseason that saw about as many moves as a game of chess, and an early-season trading frenzy that sent players one way or another, the hype around the Cleveland Cavaliers is slowly beginning to cool down. The regular season is once again underway and basketball games are becoming an almost daily routine for the players and the fans. Now is the time when the players are meant to create the hype, not with signing for a team, but playing for it. The Cavs have a 6-5 record and much is still expected of the team. Here's a look at who is doing what for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Michael Olowokandi provides the Cavs with what they need inside: strength, rebounding and shot blocking ability. A number one pick from 1998, The Kandi Man has been labeled as one of the biggest draft busts ever. He has expressed his excitement about joining the Cavs, and has a great chance to redeem himself by helping the team succeed. Olowokandi is not one of the league's top centers, but can still intimidate any big (or small) player with his shot blocking.

When Anderson Varejao was given a chance to shine last season, he became known for his defensive and rebounding skills. A part of the reason why Cleveland were able to trade two big men away was the trust they had in Varejao's abilities. He has picked up from where he left off last season, even putting in a couple of six-point performances alongside great rebounding.

Drew Gooden could be an all-star this season. A great defender and rebounder, he has the ability to put up some great figures in points as well. Gooden plays such an important role for the team that he should be in Cleveland for a long time to come. What he still needs to do is become a match for the top power forwards in the league, such as Elton Brand and Kevin Garnett.

Tractor Traylor gives great depth to the Cavaliers team. The powerful sixth man seems unstoppable at times, moving opponents out of his way. Sure, there have been games where the powerhouse player has finished with two or four points, but more often than not he lights up sometime in the game, making three consecutive baskets. His ability to use his strength cannot be matched by any bench player in the league.

LeBron James played his first playoff games against Detroit last spring, and in those games he showed signs of being a true leader. When the team was down, it was LeBron who made the inspiring play to try and get the Cavs back into the game. What we still want to see is him play in a crucial playoff game, with the game tied at two minutes to go.

Luke Walton was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to cover for James, as well as Gooden, Traylor and Varejao at power forward. He is a solid all-round player who will not score 15 or even 10 points, but he can rebound, defend, pass and sometimes put the ball in the basket, if that's what he's asked to do.

Larry Hughes' promising start at his new team was disrupted by an injury after just a couple of games. He will hopefully take some the scoring load off LeBron James a little, but Hughes is not a superstar just because of his scoring. He showed his defensive skills already with six steals in a game this season. Hughes also adds more dimensions into the Cavs offence with his ability to play the open court game and shoot three-pointers.

DerMarr Johnson is a pure scorer. At 6'9, he can shoot a jumper over a defender, but has been shooting a worryingly low percentage so far. He needs to get to the basket more, whether it's using his speed which he hasn't got much, or posting up against smaller guards.

Ira Newble was starting shooting guard last season, but there's a lot more competition for the spot this campaign. He has played some minutes and is still the reliable role player he used to be.

Dajuan Wagner is stuck at the bottom of the shooting guards list. In order to play shooting guard he should grow taller which is unlikely to happen, so he will be playing spare minutes at the point.

Eddie Robinson has played very few minutes since signing for the Cavs after being a free agent.

Luke Ridnour was brought in from Seattle to become the Cavs playmaker. The Cleveland half court game doesn't make for big figures in assists, but Ridnour has been making use of his playmaking skills at every opportunity. He has scored some fast break points and the Cavs should be an open court threat with him, James and Hughes in the team.

Carlos Arroyo played a decent first few games, but has since been the clear second choice to Ridnour. He has scored very few points but has otherwise been doing a decent job running the point.

Good to see you had won the last two games against the 76ers and the Raptors. With Hughes back from the injury, he can certainly help the Cavs when they need him the most. Hope you can get a good winning streak here. Go Cavs.