Bells & Whistles

Bells & Whistles Are Nice, But Players Are Better

The Cleveland Cavaliers just unveiled their new basketball operations center & training facilities – the Cleveland Clinic Courts, in Independence, Ohio, complete with a state of the art training room electronically linked to the world famous Cleveland Clinic, special high tech video rooms, 3x the basketball court space as Quicken Loans Arena, lavish player areas fit for a king - literally, all with a great view of the Cuyahoga River Valley.

The estimated cost of the facility - around $25 million, all coming out of the deep pockets of Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert.

We applaud Gilbert for following and one-upping Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban's model when it comes to sparing no expense to make NBA players feel they are part of a first-class operation.

We only hope for one thing – it attracts real talent, real soon.

Don’t get me wrong, a state of the art training facility hooked up to the Cleveland Clinic is nice – but I would rather have a true point guard who can actually make an open jumper on a consistent basis.

I like the idea of high tech video equipment, but a real defensive presence in the front court with a mean streak who can defend, block shots and rebound would make me happier.

Huge, new court space helps, but maybe, just maybe, another player who can create his own shot without 23's help might improve the yearly win total and make this team more dangerous in the post-season.

Lavish player areas, complete with a heated parking deck sounds great, only if another true
all-star besides LJ parks his BMW there on a regular basis on his way to the Cavaliers’ morning shoot around.

Again, I’m not complaining.

I hope this makes “The Chosen One” happier. In the end, that’s what this is all about – trying to keep him in a Cavaliers’ uniform well-beyond the length of his current contract.

But something tells me he would be even more impressed with a little help on the court in terms of an influx of talent, than all the bells and whistles $25 million can buy you off the court.