Should the Cavs rebuild or Re-load?

[INKtastic]

Thanks Donkey McDonkerton. Yes, you guys were right about Lebron being a punk.

Since Lebron was from Northeast Ohio, a lot of fans considered him family and over looked his warts, but we found out that he didn't consider the fans of Northeast Ohio part of his family by stabbing us in the back on National T.V. no less. Lebron keeps talking about 'Me' in all his interviews which is a clear signal of how self-centered and egotistical he is.

that photo was photoshopped, the real "Home of LeBron James" signs were simply taken down

[RicardoTubbs]

suck off trannys.

[BlackMantis]

How many years till Cleveland's next championship?

[heathmalc]

Thanks Donkey McDonkerton. Yes, you guys were right about Lebron being a punk.

Since Lebron was from Northeast Ohio, a lot of fans considered him family and over looked his warts, but we found out that he didn't consider the fans of Northeast Ohio part of his family by stabbing us in the back on National T.V. no less. Lebron keeps talking about 'Me' in all his interviews which is a clear signal of how self-centered and egotistical he is.

that photo was photoshopped, the real "Home of LeBron James" signs were simply taken down

I was wondering about that...a little bit.

[RRT]

yeah that's photoshopped, feels weird to see them signs taken down though, got so used to them.

[rjgraca]

Thanks Donkey McDonkerton. Yes, you guys were right about Lebron being a punk.

Since Lebron was from Northeast Ohio, a lot of fans considered him family and over looked his warts, but we found out that he didn't consider the fans of Northeast Ohio part of his family by stabbing us in the back on National T.V. no less. Lebron keeps talking about 'Me' in all his interviews which is a clear signal of how self-centered and egotistical he is.

that photo was photoshopped, the real "Home of LeBron James" signs were simply taken down

I believed that was the case too, but it captured the feeling so well.

Warning To Miami Heat Fans: You Aren't Getting "King" LeBron James

Forget the "No. 1 and No. 2" argument. Although I believe James to be the latter in this situation, even making him a "No. 1.5" makes him substantially less effective at what he does.

How long will it be, then, before Prince James grows impatient with Miami's real king?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/4190 ... bron-james

LeBron James isn't Kunta Kinte

I’ve gone down this memory lane because the Rev. Jesse Jackson dredged up runaway slave-and-master imagery in connection with the whole farce that was LeBron James’s announcement that he was going to Miami. Jackson was all upset because Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert went ballistic over James bolting for Florida in an open letter to fans.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his ‘decision’ unlike anything ever ‘witnessed’ in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment....You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

So, Jackson responded by, to borrow an analogy, blasting an ant with a nuclear weapon in the Associated Press.

He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. His feelings of betrayal personify a slave-master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave.

Really? I mean, really? When we talked about this on “Morning Joe” today, I was beside myself. Sorta like when I was asked last Friday on “The Dylan Ratigan Show” about the nutty accusation that the tanning tax is a form of reverse racism on the part of President Obama against whites. Some things are so ridiculous that it hurts to even talk about them lest you give them more credibility than they deserve.

I don’t blame Grant or Cleveland or anyone else who feels stiffed by James one bit for being rip-roaring angry. Of course they feel betrayed. James was more than a basketball player or a cash cow to the Cavaliers management and the city of Cleveland. He was a source of pride for a city that still smarts when people talk about that river that caught fire -- 41 years ago. If the owner of the Cavaliers wants to vent in an online missive that could have been written with collage cut-outs of letters from Sports Illustrated let him. In the James-Grant relationship, we all know who the master is.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpa ... kinte.html

Jackson way off base on LeBron

And so, in defense of LeBron’s narcissistic ego explosion and Gilbert’s emotional reaction to it, Jesse compared Gilbert to an 18th-century slave owner.

“His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality,” Jackson said in a statement released Sunday. “(Gilbert) sees LeBron as a runaway slave.”

Yes, this is an attention grab by Rev. Jackson. He heard about ESPN’s impressive ratings for “The Decision” and, like a mafia don, wants to wet his beak. Why let Jim Gray and ESPN executives have all the fun exploiting LeBron’s naivete?

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Jess ... son-071210

[gflem]

"Reverend" Jackson is just one con man trying to profit off another. Cant say I'm surprised by this though.

[heathmalc]

Very good, very long article on LeBron, and how it effected each of the teams that was trying to get him; the damages those franchises caused themselves, and how the future looks for both.

Here is an except from the end, talking about Miami:
(PS: if you have time, go read the whole thing)

And now to the victor, go the spoils. The one team that hit the lottery in this whole bonanza was the Miami Heat. Their President and GM Pat Riley pulled off a coup for the ages. For that he deserves a mountain of credit. It also begs the question, will the Heat be able to win next June like they just won this July.

My short answer is no. I certainly would like to see what kind of group Riley is able to bring in to surround Batman, Captain America and Aqua Man. I refer to Bosh as Aqua Man because he’s the super hero who’s never saved anyone, but I digress. Eventually this group may win a title, but I don’t believe its going to happen next year. I think the Celtics and maybe even the Bulls can match up with them well. And if they do reach the finals, I believe that they cannot play defense well enough to beat the Lakers.

One last thought on the combination of James, Wade, and Bosh. In the interviews they have done since they made a decision to play together, they have frequently referenced their experience together on the 2008 USA Olympic basketball team that won the gold medal. The one prevailing thought that I can’t shake about that reference, is that would these three guys still think that they had such a great experience winning together if Kobe Bryant didn’t bail them out and take over in the last 3 minutes of the gold medal game against Spain?

http://hoopscritic.blogspot.com/

[iserp]

Outsider here.

You have a problematic situation; you have good players in your team, but not good enough to contend. You don't have many young assets to start rebuilding right away. And your contracts still run for some more years.

However your group is good enough to lure some really good players with high risk. I am specifically speaking of T-Mac. He WAS really good, but has been injured since a lot of time. If he could pull a full season together, you would be bordering the 60 wins again, and have a chance for a title. T-Mac might try to win a ring in a contender, but he can only do it in Cleveland as a star. The chances are slim, but until Jamison contract is expiring, i think it is better to try as hard as possible. You should try to convince Shaq to stay, although i think it is unlikely.

Of course, and even riskier move would be to get Iverson.... but i'd consider it only as a SG (Mo Williams definitely better) or 6th man; and even then, he's been quite average the last 2 seasons. Actually, i wouldn't do it.

Mo Williams/T-Mac/Jamison/Varejao/Shaq sounds like dangerous to me.

Good Luck next year!

[Baseline Runner]

I don't really view Iverson as risky at all. You know what you will get out of him, some good offense and bad defense. T-mac on the other hand has hardly played the last 4 years and seems completely washed up.

[clutch24]

Honestly, the Cavs should try to rebuild. Pieces like Williams/Jamison/West and company are good enough to get a low seed in the playoffs but that will not help the franchise as a whole and is a detriment in the end.

The best thing to do in this situation is play out with that team till the NBA trade deadline hits when teams are looking for pieces to contend and then start moving them in position to gain ground in the lottery.

Sure, the team will be bad for one year/two years, but at least you have a promise of a young talent that could revujenate the franchise.