Better Late Than Never
The Cavaliers are about to match the three-year/$17 million offer sheet Anderson Varejao recently signed with Charlotte.

What took so long?

Varejao should have been in camp weeks ago since he truly is one of the team’s five best players and they need him on the floor.

How do I know this to be so?

Look down the stretch in the fourth quarter most nights and you will see AV on the floor. That’s all the evidence you need to know he was worth keeping and paying. This corner felt months ago AV would ask for an $8-10 million a year and get it from some NBA team if not the Cavaliers. We were wrong. So was Andy.

Regardless of that, the Cavaliers did not need to play hardball with AV. Why hurt a relationship with one of the few decent, young players with upside on this roster? Varejao wanted starters’ money but the Cavaliers felt he didn’t qualify. Just compromise and meet in the middle guys.

Someone forgot to tell Danny Ferry that it doesn’t matter who starts the game, it’s who finishes that counts, and the kid was on the floor in the game’s final minutes most of the time the past two seasons – certainly more so than either Z or Gooden.

So where are we now?

A disgruntled player is back in the fold. He can opt out after two years – which is possible if he plays well. No, the ill will created in the negotiating process will not last – especially with the fans, who will cheer loudly the first time AV takes a charge or goes on the floor for a loose ball.

LeBron and company will also be pleased to have their energy bunny back on the floor with them. They understand he brings a unique skill set to a roster void of high energy guys.

In the end, it turned out okay. It simply should not have taken this long.
At least they got it right this time by matching AV’s offer quickly. I just wish they would have done the same four years ago and matched Carlos Boozer’s Jazz offer sheet – a much better player than AV.

At least they didn't make the same mistake twice.

Cavaliers Without 23
The Cavaliers are winless since #23 has been out with an injury. Surprised? Of course not.

This is at best a 15-20 win team without him. We’ve been saying “get him HELP” for years now. Watching these guys trying to create offense without James on the floor almost makes one physically ill.

The clock is ticking Danny - we haven’t forgotten. You have 79 days and counting before you should be given a pink slip if you don’t improve this roster prior to the 2008 trading deadline (Feb. 22).