Free Agency 2010 (Spotlight on...Chris Bosh)

I absolutely love the sport of basketball. I adore it, and thus, I can never stop watching. But that said...what the hell is going on here? Chris Bosh woke up this morning and actually typed the following into a computer.

Seriously Chris, I'm glad you enjoyed your belgian waffles, but I'm at my breaking point. It happened somewhere between "belgian" and "stupendous!" How old are these people? This isn't free agency, this is flaunting and preening. And had Chris Bosh ended up in Cleveland with LeBron, I still would've had a problem with that.

On a lighter note, I was an absolute nerd/beta-male in high school, and if Chris Bosh had been in my grade I'm almost positive I would have been able to beat him up.

Free Agency 2010

Of course I want him back, and of course I can forgive this (said the man mulling over Boozer S&T proposals in his head)...but for the first time in his career, LeBron has become a caricature of himself.

Business LeBron

He's not even 'at risk of becoming of caricature.' He leapfrogged that. If the guys who brought you Scary Movie made a parody film on the excesses of NBA free agency, it would end in a 9:00 press conference. I don't know what else to say.

LeBron, I'll see you at 9:00 tomorrow night. Come back, and let's start over.

....................

(Also, watch this. It's a video of Dwayne Wade announcing his return to Miami, and Chris Bosh imitating a school girl.)

Early Trade Deadline Fodder

From time to time, I suppose it can't hurt to look ahead. (especially during the off day after a loss.)

Danny Ferry, pictured here in what appears to be a dream

For a while I've been telling my dad that at some point over the course of this season, the Cavs would need to find a way to add one more franchise piece (an all-star slash borderline all-star, aged 22-28, preferably 6-10 or above.) And my dad usually responds with the logical question: "who?" To which I respond with the logical answer: "Chris Paul."

The Cavs will have some chips, but who will actually be in play? I'm working on a system (if the definition for system meant 'list') to determine just that. I present the return of the semi-official, Oh my gosh, could he possibly be available at the trade deadline? list. When we last left the OMGCHPBAATTD list, it included three names (and no name shall make the list unless said player is determined to benefit the long term health of the franchise). It was structured with the highest reward/lowest probability guys at the top.

OMGCHPBAATTD list, version 1.0

Chris Bosh
Josh Smith
Rudy Gay

Now, in the second installment of 'Trade Deadline Fodder', I present to you the slightly more flushed out, but no more deluded...

OMGCHPBAATTD list, version 2.0

Chris Paul
Chris Bosh
Josh Smith
Andre Iguodala
Rudy Gay
David West
Emeka Okafor

What are the chances any of the these happen? Well, I must say that last year's failure to deal Wally Szczerbiak's substantial expiring contract for anything of substance has left me humbled. Therefore, let the baseline for trade season be set at Emeka Okafor. Should the probability meter (not yet pictured) find its way up to Rudy Gay, I'd be ecstatic.

Brian Windhorst's post game notes

I'm literally re-posting Brian Windhorst here, but he covered a few things in his blog that I didn't touch upon, and I thought they were worth reading.

ALMOST all roses in Cleveland

Some really interesting subtext (both positive and negative) to last nights game:

• "Standing at his locker getting ready to get into the shower, LeBron James was chatting with teammates and shaking his head and giving knowing glances. Regardless of what anyone writes, says or speculates, LeBron completely wants it to work with Shaq and is fully committed to it. He has spent time with him talking about it and the two have their own plan. It was LeBron who told management he wanted Shaq and to pull the trigger on the trade. It was LeBron who was convinced it could work. Maybe it won't work. Maybe this game, where Shaq took a stuggling team down 18 points and anchored the turnaround with his style, will be a rarity. There's reason to believe the plan won't come off. But games like this one, against a team headed for the playoffs, show why the Cavs tried it. And why LeBron is trying hard to make it work." -BW

• "There was another matter that was happening below the surface, though. In the third quarter, Delonte West became angry about a non-call and spent the next several possessions arguing with the officials. Then he committed a hard foul on Mike Miller and glared at the official. Mike Brown instantly took him out of the game and never brought him back, though it made it easier because Daniel Gibson was playing well. In the first game, Delonte was hit with a technical foul. On top of his bipolar disorder, West has anger management issues. He's had trouble with officials in the past. Two games in, he is obviously teetering. Was a tough day for him no doubt, he was hit with six gun charges by a prosecutor in Maryland who is famously tough on gun charges and, based on the press release he issued today, intends to make this a public case. But the anger issues with West are real and another thing for the Cavs to manage. He's a valuable player but he's got a full plate and today and tonight were just another reminder of it. And another reminder of why it is perhaps not prudent to count on him being there." -BW
  

Don't know what to say other then I hope Delonte's around for the long haul. It's now come out that both D-West and the team dealt with elements of this last year...I hope they're able to again.

Mo Williams

Okay. I've calmed down from the two game, season opening debacle. Sometimes, the gate opens and the horse runs the wrong way. On to the positive. I've come to have this realization prior to game 3:

Mo Williams is really good. Remember? Range, handle, tats. Total package.

The artist formerly known as Mo Williams

He's kind of been letting us forget these things lately, but that doesn't change the fact that, at his core, on this team, Mo Williams is a major plus. We just haven't seen it since the playoffs started last year. And if the playoffs can be written off on account of Mo hitting the wall after a Bucks-length season...that would seem to be hinting real Mo is on the way back soon.