Pictured are Cleveland Urban News.Com Sportswriter Karl Kinbrough and Cleveland Cavaliers Center Spenser Hawes
By Cleveland Urban News.Con Sportswriter Karl Kimbrough
(www.clevelandurbannews.com) /
(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)
CLEVELAND, Ohio-Several NBA teams, including our Cleveland Cavaliers, made moves recently to strengthen their teams for the playoff run this year. Some teams made trades, some cleared roster space to add players, and some did both.
There were not many high profiled players changing teams late this season. But most of the players who went to contending teams have helped them.
The Cavaliers, who have not lived up to their own expectations as a strong contender for a playoff position all season, made one last effort by trading forwards Earl Clark, Henry Sims for Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes. That trade also gives the 76eres bids on two second round draft picks in upcoming drafts that would ordinarily be given to the Cavaliers.
So far that trade has yielded good results for the present and the future for the Cavs. Hawes was averaging 14.7 points and nine rebounds after his first seven games after the trade and his solid offensive game should continue to work well and improve with this Cleveland roster. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, starting center Anderson Varejao had been injured and out of the line up from before the All Star break in mid February until Saturdays game against New York.
Hawes and Varejao could have made a great tandem together at times with an inside outside impact on opponents that could have been difficult to match in February's tough schedule. The ability to shoot from three point range has given the Cavaliers and point guard Kyrie Irving a true drive and kick offense. Having a big man who is a strong outside shooter is a must for this type of offense to succeed. Irving is experiencing freedom in the half court because of Hawes. freedom that he could only dream about in the first half of the season.
Along with Varejao missing significant minutes Dion Waiters' sprain knee and C.J. Miles' sprained ankle kept them both out of the line up in this crucial stretch run for the playoffs. So Cleveland's attempt to win that eight spot in the wide open Eastern Conference looks now like an impossibility though Hawes could be their center for the future if they sign him this summer. Other teams ahead of the Cavaliers were looking to strengthen their positions in the playoff chase or to make themselves a threat to dethrone the champion Miami Heat.
The Indiana Pacers, who loss to the Heat in last year's Eastern Conference Championship Series, are creating every opportunity to seek to beat the Heat. The Pacers, who already had a loaded roster, added more weapons when they traded for guard/forward Evan Turner and power forward Lavoy Allen. Turner had been having the best season of his career with the lowly Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 17.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. In exchange for Turner and Allen the Pacers sent small forward Danny Granger to the 76ers. Granger and Turner are in the last year of their contracts and will be free agents after this season. Granger has played off and on this season because of injury, only averaging 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 31 games for the Pacers. Granger was injured and did not play most of last season as well after being one of the best small forwards in the league from 2007 through 2012 when averaged between 18.7 and 25.8 points per game.
The Pacers are looking to add better ball handling and passing in Turner who has played point forward for much of his career with Philadelphia. Indiana has led the Heat with the best record in the Eastern Conference most of the season and currently has a two game lead over them, even though they have loss four straight games. The Pacers want to keep the best record badly so they will have home court advantage if they meet the Heat again in the playoffs this year. More importantly, the Pacers want to have the skill sets and fire power to over take the Heat in the playoffs. Allen averages only 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game but did play very well in the playoffs last year.
Another team looking to improve playoff position in the East is the Brooklyn Nets, who began this season with high expectations but were a disappointment early on. They turned their season around over in the last two months, and currently sit in the sixth playoff position in the East and are playing .500 in the last 10 games.
The Nets hope they added some scoring when they acquired shooting guard Marcus Thorton just before the trade deadline. Thorton is averaging 8.3 points per game this season but shooting only 38 percent from the field. The Nets traded point guard Jason Terry, who is in his 15 season after coming to the Nets form Boston before this season began. Long time power forward Reggie Evans also went to the Sacramento Kings in this deal for Thorton, a 26 -year- old known as a streaky shooter. Being only 26, the Nets are thinking a change in culture will bring him back to the 18 points a game production he demonstrated two seasons ago.
Just ahead of the Nets are the Washington Wizards in the fifth slot in the East. Washington wanted to upgrade the guard position as well and brought in 15 year veteran point guard Andre Miller who languished on the Denver Nuggets bench this season. Miller had not been able to see eye to eye with with first year Nuggets Coach Brian Shaw. Miller had not played for Denver since he had a public shouting match with Shaw in December.
The Wizards gave up former lottery pick Jan Vessely, who played power forward for Washington over his two plus years in the league. Guard Eric Maynor and two second round picks went to Philadelphia in this three team trade. Washington is looking to solidify its playoff position and is eight and two over the last 10 games. and felt the need to add another point guard with playoff experience who could supplement star guard John Wall.
The Charlotte Bobcats, who are struggling to hold on to their seventh team rating position added outside shooting when they traded point guard Ramon Sessions and forward Jeff Adrian for Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour from the Milwaukee Bucks. Ridnour could provide solid back up help for point guard Kember Walker. And Neal is shooting 36.0 from the three point line this season and averaging 10 points per game.
In the Western Conference the Oklahoma City Thunder did not make a trade but made roster room available to sign small forward Caron Butler after his contract was bought out by the Bucks. The Thunder know that Butler can add to their perimeter shooting.
The Los Angeles Clippers appeared to be getting rid of dead weight when they traded center Byron Mullens and power forward Antwan Jamison to Philadelphia and Atlanta respectively. Actually, the Clippers were freeing roster space for Glen Big Baby Davis and Danny Granger, who were released by the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers respectively. Big Baby should give the Clippers bench scoring at the low post and wing positions off the bench.
The Golden State Warriors needed a back up point guard every since they did not resign Jarrett Jack after the 2012-2013 season so the Warriors traded guards Kent Bazemore and Marshon Brooks to the L.A. Lakers for point guard Steve Blake. Blake was averaging only 8.7 points per game but gave out 6.7 assist per game this season with the Lakers. The play making ability or making others better is what the Warriors needed to help star point guard Stephen Curry. Taking the ball handling stress off of Curry was exactly what the Warriors needed. Over the last 10 games the Warriors are seven and three and are solidly holding down the seventh playoff position in the West. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)
