At Least Three Other Teams Courting 'Z'

The Washington Wizards and Zydrunas Ilguaskas have finally hammered out a buy out deal that will make 'Z' a free agent. As you know by now, the Cavaliers can re-sign him after the mandatory 30 day waiting period expires.

There may, however, be some serious competition for Cleveland. It is being reported that there are at least three other teams coming hard after Ilguaskas. They include, Atlanta, Dallas and Denver. The problem for the Cavs is that these teams are willing and able to offer 'Z' a multi year deal and at a decent price, something Cleveland either can not do or may not be willing to do. It doesn't help that these teams are all serious playoff contenders, something 'Z' would insist on when signing any potential deal.

Making matters more complex, Shaquille O'Neal suffered a "significant sprain" to his right thumb last night versus the Celtics and may be out for an extended period. This leaves a giant hole in the middle for the Cavs when facing the likes of Dwight Howard.

We all know that LeBron James and a large contingent of Cavalier fans want 'Z' back, soon we all find out if the feeling is mutual or if Zydrunas' feelings were hurt beyond repair.

Is LeBron's Supporting Cast Good Enough?

The Cavaliers have recently added Antawn Jamison to their roster as you all know. And although the Cavs have hit a rough stretch since the trade losing 3 straight games the trade was a good thing. Jamison is a talented player, and a team can't have too much talent as far as I'm concerned. Danny Ferry has done his best to surround LeBron James with the pieces necessary to win a title. As great as James is he can't win a championship by himself, as was evident a few years ago when San Antonio swept the Cavs in 4 straight games. If we take a look at the great championship teams in recent NBA history we find that not only did they have a superstar player( and in some cases more than one) but a strong supporting cast as well.

Going back to the 1980's we saw Magic Johnson lead the Lakers to multiple championships. He had Kareem Abdul- Jabbar who was named one of the 50 greatest players of all time and was arguably one of the top 5 or 10 players of all time. Add to the mix James Worthy( 7 time All-Star and 2 time All-NBA, one of 50 greatest players) And Michael Cooper ( 8 time All Defensive Team and Defensive Player of the Year) and it is clear that Magic was not a one man show.

Larry Bird's Celtics teams had a pretty good overall cast as well. There was Robert Parrish (9 time All-Star, 2 time All NBA, one of 50 greatest players ), Kevin McHale (7 time All-Star, 6 time All Defensive team, one of 50 greatest players), Dennis Johnson (8 time All Defensive, 2 time All NBA), and Tiny Archibald (5 time All NBA , one of 50 greatest players). With a team like that it's surprising the Celtics didn't win more than they did.

Even the great Michael Jordan had his share of help. There was Scottie Pippen (7 time All NBA, 10 time All Defensive team, one of 50 greatest players), Dennis Rodman(10 time All Defensive team, 2 time Defensive player of the Year, led NBA in rebounds for 3 straight years with Bulls), and the most accurate 3 point shooter in league history Steve Kerr (.454 %) and the 7th best 3 point shooter in league history B.J. Armstrong (.425 %).

None of these teams I have just mentioned would have won titles without their superstar players leading the way. There is no way the Bulls would have been 6 time World Champs without M.J. so please don't misunderstand where I'm coming from . My point is that these dynasties were not one man shows, they were good teams with more than one great player that they could count on to contribute.

The point is that Lebron's supporting cast over the course of his career with the Cavs can't even be mentioned in the same sentence with the aforementioned teams. Lebron James has carried under talented teams as far as he could in seasons past, but great individuals don't win titles great teams do. Although I do give Danny Ferry credit for making the most significant move in the NBA at this years trading deadline the question remains is it enough to get the Cavs a championship?

MYOS "Quick Hitters"

Time for a few more "Quick Hittters". What are your thoughts?

1.) Cavs 0-3 since Jamison/"Z" trade. Bad karma or coincidence?

2.) The NFL combine begins Wednesday. Do NFL executives over weight this exhibition? Can you say Akili Smith.

3.) The United States leads the medal count in Vancouver, "upsets" Canada in hockey.

Woods Unlikely to Shed New Light

Tiger Woods has called a "press conference" on Friday to discuss his golf future. I put the words press conference in quotes because there is likely to be little conferring going on. Just Woods apologizing to his family and fans and yada, yada ,yada....zzzzzzzz. Excuse me for dozing off, but Woods is not likely to say anything we haven't heard already either from statements he has previously released or previous media reports.
Let me save you 5 minutes of your life and tell you what will happen on Friday. First, Woods will appear in front of a small group of "Tiger yes men." He will then read word for word from a prepared document just to keep it as impersonal and insincere as he possibly can. Woods will exit without fielding any questions. Sounds real exciting doesn't it?
Woods will likely never discuss this situation again. Furthermore his agent will make it clear that the media is not welcome to ask Woods about this topic going forward. Any rogue reporter who tries to question Woods about his personal troubles in the future will simply be denied access to press conferences. The sports media will go back to tossing Tiger softballs as they always have.
Woods has always been heavily protected by his entourage and that was before the story of his personal decadence surfaced. The wall of defense should only get higher now. Woods likely feels he owes the public no apology for his personal habits anyway, and I guess he makes a good point. So why waste our time with the same boring , insincere rhetoric we have already heard.

MYOS "Quick Hitters"

MYOS "Quick Hitters" is a new feature here at Mind Your Own Sports where we give our readers a chance to post their thoughts on a few topics of current interest. Simply click the comment link and give us your thoughts. If none of the topics seem of interest to you, take this opportunity to let us know what is on your mind.

1.) Tiger to comment on his return to golf on Friday.

2.) Do we really need all the pomp and circumstance that events such as the NBA All Star Game and Super Bowl provide? Maybe I am getting old, but I just want to watch the game.

3.) For any race fans we may have: A chuck hole in the track at the Daytona 500 with cars traveling in excess of 190mph, this can't be good.

Cavs Turning Attention To Jamison

The latest rumors now have the Cavaliers working hard on a deal with Washington. It is being said that the Wizards would ship Antawn Jamison and Mike James to Cleveland for Zydrunas Illguaskas, Jamario Moon and a first round draft pick. The deal evidently can be done without the Cavs including J.J. Hickson.

While LeBron James prefers the Cavs acquire the Phoenix Suns Amar'e Stoudemire, Cavs management still seems leery of the potential fit that Stoudemire could supply.

Jamison, at 34 years old, would amount to a rent-a-player for the Cavs down the stretch. In my opinion, if you are going to risk the team chemistry by acquiring a player, I would prefer it to be someone who can present a longer term upside. That is why the Stoudemire deal makes more sense to me.

Cavs In Hot Pursuit Of Stoudemire

With the NBA trading deadline only days away, the Cavaliers are very close to completing a deal that would send Zydrunas Illgauskas and J.J. Hickson to Phoenix for the Suns Amar'e Stoudemire.

Talk here in Cleveland is that the pieces for a championship are already in place and no moves are necessary, furthermore, an aquisition of a high profile player such as Stoudemire may actually be counter productive.

I understand the concerns. Team chemistry is important, no doubt. However, my opinion is that adding more talent is generally a good thing and the folks here should reconsider.

In the 2007-2008 season the Boston Celtics brought in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to go along with Paul Pierce and second year point guard Rajon Rondo. There was not a whole lot of time for chemistry building there and they barreled their way to an NBA title.

The showtime era in Los Angeles, featured Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Byron Scott. That quartet led the Lakers to multiple titles in the 80's. Too much talent, I think not.

The other factor that people are not considering here is the effect of this move going forward. Illgauskas and Shaquille O'Neal are at the end of the line. The Cavs have no big men ready to fill those shoes at this point. If the opportunity to solidify that need presents itself now, you have to take it. Secondly, if there was ever a player to make this situation work it is LeBron James. His team oriented attitude and unselfish play give this potential trade the best chance to ultimately succeed. Finally, and probably most important, LeBron James wants Stoudemire. Acquiring a player of this caliber may be the nudge that LeBron needs to sign that long term deal with the Cavs.

At long last we here in Cleveland have an owner with deep pockets, if he is willing to dish out the cash to secure James and Stoudemire to long term deals I am more than willing to take the short term risk that this deal would present.

Oh, by the way, 'Z' fans need not fret. Any deal with the Suns would almost assure Illguaskas' return to the Cavs after the standard 30 day waiting period after Phoenix releases him, which they will most certainly do.

Saints Go Marching In

Congratulations to all are friends down in the Bayou! This was one occassion in which The Handicapper was not all that upset he missed on his pick. The Saints, who lived off turnovers all year, only came up with one but it was the biggest one in team history dare I say. WHO DAT Super Bowl Champ? The New Orleans Saints!

The Handicapper Looks At Super Bowl XLIV

Super Bowl XLIV has the potential to be one of the more entertaining Super Bowls of all time. Both teams have the ability to make big plays offensively at the drop of a hat, add to that, the ability to make big plays defensively and on special teams (slight edge to the Saints here) and you have the makings of one exciting football game.

There is not doubt that the ability of the Brees to spread the ball around to no less than five different targets and the big play ability of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas can wreak havoc on any defense. Meanwhile defensively, the Saints have created turnovers all year led veteran defensive back Darren Sharper.

The big question for the Saints is, will they be able to extract the ball from Peyton Manning and the methodical Colts offense at the same clip they have all year? I'm not so sure.

Honestly, I have been concerned about the Saints for several weeks now, especially offensively, as they seemed to have bogged down a bit. They did explode against a very troubled Cardinals defense, but struggled for most of the second half against the Vikes despite being handed the ball consistently by their defense.

Ultimately, I think experience prevails Sunday in Miami. "WHO DAT"? "DAT BE" Peyton Manning and the Colts.

LeBron/Kobe Playoff Comparison

Let's shed some more light on the LeBron/Kobe "clutch shot" situation. Our research here at M.Y.O.S. has been hard at work. We have found that LeBron James in the last four seasons has five game winning shots in the playoffs.

Here they are:
2006 game3 vs. Washington w/5seconds left
2006 game5 vs. Washington w/0.9 seconds left
2007 game5 vs. Detroit w/ 2.2 seconds left
2008 East Finals vs. Washington 2 seconds left
2009 East Finals vs. Orlando buzzer beater

Some here have tried to make the point that LeBron has made only one "clutch shot" (vs. Orlando, 2009). As we have shown, he has won five playoff games in the closing seconds. According to a Kobe Bryant devoted website (we are currently working to confirm this) Bryant has made a total of five playoff game winners in his career.
Now, if you still want Kobe to take "the shot" for you it is understandable, however, to say that James has not been up to par with him in this department is just not accurate.

More LeBron and Kobe

We seem to have opened a can of worms here at MYOS regarding the clutch play comparison of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Some readers have taken offense that I dare mention LBJ in the same sentence with Kobe as far as clutch play or "killer instinct". I really don't like reciting statistics over and over, but in a difference of opinion such as this it gives us something concrete to refer to in order to back up our arguments. So at the risk of sounding like a walking encyclopedia I will now list the players with the most game winning shots since LBJ has come into the NBA(this goes back to February of last season, or approximately one year ago. I apologize that I couldn't find a more updated list.) These shots are defined as shots taken with less than 24 seconds left in the game and your team tied or trailing by 1 or 2 points.



1- LeBron James 17-50 .340 percent

2- Vince Carter 16-51 .313 percent

3- Ray Allen 15-39 .385 percent

4-Kobe Bryant 14-56 .250 percent

5- Carmelo Anthony 13-27 .481 percent



I know statistics aren't everything in sports, but we need them at times to put our opinions into context. Although Kobe is a good finisher we can see LBJ at the top of this list once again. Interestingly enough Kobe's .250 FG percentage was below the league average of .290 percent. Opinions can be argued, and that's exactly why we are here at MYOS. But the numbers are what they are and you can take from them whatever you would like. One thing you can't take are Kobe's 4 championships, and I bet LBJ would like to be at the top of that list most of all.

LeBron vs. Kobe

There is a lot of debate these days as to who the best player in the NBA currently is. Most often the conversation boils down to 2 players- LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Let's take a look at how these basketball legends match up.
A quick look at their stats shows a clear edge to James as a rebounder and passer. James has out assisted Bryant every year he has been in the NBA, and has out rebounded him every year as well with the exception of his rookie season when they tied at 5.5 per game. James bigger, stronger frame gives him an advantage playing in traffic and scoring in the paint . James gets to the basket as easily and as often as any player I can remember watching. He has a higher career scoring average and is on pace to outscore Bryant for the 3rd year in a row. The knock on James has been his inability to make perimiter shots consistently, and shooting is where Bryant is perceived to have a big edge. This is where the numbers get a little surprising.
LeBron James' career shooting percentage of 47.3 is actually higher than Bryant's career 45.5. As a matter of fact James has had a higher FG % than Bryant every year with the exception, once again, of his rookie season when James shot only41.7%. Coincidentally that is the same % that Bryant shot as a rookie. James has been criticized for his poor 3 pt. shooting during his career, but Bryant's 34 % career mark is only a fraction better than James 33.2 %. James has improved his long range shooting greatly over the years, and with a few good seasons may just surpass Kobe in that department too. (he is currently out shooting Kobe from 3 point range 36% to 32%.) A look at this season's "clutch stats" ( 4th quarter or overtime with less than 5 minutes and neither team ahead by more than 5 points) shows that James has decided statistical advantages in FG% , 3PT % , rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.
As far as the stats go we can erase the myth of Bryant being a vastly better shooter or clutch player than LeBron. I hope the Kobe fans don't misunderstand me. If someone told me that I could have Bryant on my team tomorrow I would be happy to have him. He is one of the best players I have ever watched play the game, and if you would have asked me 3 years ago who the best player was I might have answered Kobe Bryant. He is a champion and a Hall Of Famer, but right now James is King.

Stern Drops The Ball On Arenas

By now everyone that has visited this blog should realize I have a great passion for sports, but sometimes I feel like I would be better off spending my spare time bird watching. Having to deal with some of the disturbing behavior exhibited by today's athletes is bad enough, however, the real head scratcher is how these things are being dealt with by the folks in charge.

The latest police blotter involving the Washington Wizards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton is very bothersome. Apparently, NBA commissioner David Stern, just isn't as sensitive as me. Stern, in what amounts to a slap on the wrist as far as I am concerned, suspended Arenas and Crittendon for the remainder of the year.

Let me ask you, would your boss have been so kind as to say 'see ya next year' had you brought your artillery collection to the workplace? I think not. This is not the first time that commissioner Stern has had to deal with gun related issues. Not too long ago, Stephen Jackson played shoot 'em up outside an Indianapolis night club and this past year Delonte West was stopped on his motorcycle packing some serious heat. Bad enough, right?

What is worse here, is that Arenas and Crittenton brought there transgressions to the workplace. Stern had an opportunity, with justification, to make an extreme example of these two guys and failed to do so. Stern should thank his lucky stars that no shots were fired and nobody was harmed in this incident. That would have been something that the NBA could have ever recovered from.

Wake up Mr. Stern!