GOR/8-15-08

Maurice Williams
The Cavaliers have not had a point guard average 17 points a game since Mark Price did it some 15 years ago. The addition of Maurice Williams is clearly an upgrade over anything the Cavaliers have had at that position since Andre Miller – Jim Paxson’s best draft choice during his less than illustrious run as Cavs’ GM.

What people are missing is the fact that Williams’ ability and tendency to think shoot first and pass second as a point guard is just what the team needs – not something to be afraid of like some local fans and media types are already groaning about.

They have it backwards – as usual.

Any player that can score on his own without 23s help is a big addition to this roster. The Cavaliers do not need any more complementary players. They need a couple players who can “get theirs” without help. That will allow James to take a few offensive possessions off from time to time. This is a luxury he did not have last year, or the year before, etc.

Remember, early in James' career with the Cavaliers, he had Z who could still be counted on to get some easy post possession baskets. With each passing season however, Z has floated more and more away from the basket – needing James’ pick and roll game or 23’s penetration and kick to get the bulk of his points now.

For those who are still worried Williams will hog the ball - Relax.

Come the fourth quarter, James will be in charge and Williams will take a back seat when necessary. Overall however, having a player who can take some pressure off James on some occasional offensive possessions will allow 23 to stay stronger longer.

Remember - you want to reduce his (23s) workload as much as possible during the 82-game regular season grind.

Understand this – I have only seen Williams play a handful of times and have not made a complete judgment on his abilities – at either end of the floor. But facts don't lie - his numbers have improved each of the past three seasons and he led all Eastern Conference point guards in points per game in 2007-08 while shooting 48% from the field. That’s impressive.

I will be focusing on two things when he takes the floor for the Cavs this fall – his basketball IQ and his ability to defend penetration.

Yes, I now he played in Milwaukee last season – where they were out of it early and played very little defense, either as individuals or as a team. But 17 points and six assists from a 25-year old point guard is nothing to sneeze at. Besides, he’ll be playing next to 23 in 2008-09. That should help his game even more.

Good move Danny.

Obviously, this move was also made because the Cavaliers felt they could trade Joe Smith and not lose much off the bench. Remember, Smith is a pro’s pro who has a high basketball IQ, and who at this point in his career, is a solid role player off the bench – something he provided for the Cavaliers during his short stay in Cleveland last season.

JJ Hickson’s summer league performance most likely convinced the Cavaliers’ front office the rookie first round pick would be ready for some minutes off the bench this fall in the front court– thus making Smith expendable.

I hope they are right. I am looking forward to seeing the youngster play along with watching Williams fit in.

Indians Fire Sale
As we predicted in an early summer posting, CC, Casey Blake and Paul Bird were all likely to leave town prior to the end of the season. Obviously, it’s impossible to judge the deals because prospects take time to develop. We are glad however the team kept shortstop J. Peralta and did not listen to some of the media and fans who wanted Peralta banished.

This is becoming a yearly request with Peralta bashers. It's ass though it's his fault when things go south for the Tribe. Morons.

No, he's not Cal Ripken. However, there is nothing wrong with a POST STEROIDS ERA middle infielder who hits 20+ home runs, drives in 70-80 runs and hits .270 on a regular basis. No, Peralta is not a good defensive shortstop. We were the first to call for Cabrera to move to SS a year ago. However, a consistent middle of the infield power bat is hard to find these days.

Peralta lacks certain non-verbals that lead local fans and scribes to judge him as being lackadaisical. No, he doesn’t do back flips like Ozzie Smith when running out to his position, nor does he always have a smile on his face like Omar did. But don’t mistake that for lack of talent.

Consistency should NEVER be taken for granted. Managers and head coaches know this better than anyone. Bat him sixth or seventh in your line-up and give him 600 at bats and hell put up solid numbers - year in year out. That is, unless you can do better there. Right now, I don't see anyone better on the horizon.

Think about it, the Indians don’t have a clue who will be starting a first base in 2009, nor who will be at third base in next season, or if Cabrera’s sophomore slump at the plate was a one-year occurrence or a sign of things to come. Why unload, or unload on, the one infielder who has given you good numbers every year but one - 2006?

Kelly Shoppach
Last year, we suggested the Indians sign Kelly Shoppach to a long-term deal and give him more playing time behind the plate while moving Victor Martinez around between catching, playing first and the DH role.

After watching Shoppach on an everyday basis since Martinez went down in 2008, it is clear to this observer we were right in our early appraisal that Shoppach could be a solid everyday receiver. No, he won’t ever come close to hitting .300 like Victor, but he has 20+ home run and 80+ RBI potential while having very good defensive skills. There are only a handful of big league catchers out there today who are better than Shoppach behind the dish and can produce better power numbers.

When he returns, I would like to see Martinez play the bulk of the time at first base while Shoppach handles the work behind the plate. Call it an audition for next year. If the Indians can get his pre-2008 offensive numbers from Martinez at first base and Shoppach can keep producing at the plate, the team is stronger for it.

Brett Favre
You all know where I stood on the Brett Favre – Packers melodrama. It seems Vegas agreed with me. I’m told the Jets’ chances of winning the Super Bowl this season improved dramatically with the Favre acquisition while the Packers odds went down. Geez, that’s a surprise.

Michael Phelps
I was asked to comment on Michael Phelps in terms of where swimming rates comparing it to other sports. Understand this – I just learned to swim last summer so I REALLY have no idea what he does and how he does it.

I will say this however. I have tuned in to watch his races and marveled at his dominance. It’s not like he’s competing against the best swimmers in the county, state or country. The guy is going up against the world and taking names every time out.

As to where swimming is in terms of sport – here’s my list and accompanying explanations. Please do not take offense if you play one of these sports that I rate near or at the bottom of the pack. Remember – it’s just one man’s opinion.

Let’s first give you my general parameters.

SPORTS DEFINITION: If you can do it well while drinking heavily - it’s not a sport. If you don’t sweat while doing it – it’s not a sport. If you don’t move at all – it’s not a sport. And finally, if you can dominate while approaching 50 (without performance-enhancing drugs), it’s not a sport.

With that – we are off and running.

1. Basketball – I believe basketball players are the best athletes in the world. As a group, they possess great physical stamina, outstanding hand-eye coordination, quickness, strength, balance, etc…They’ve got the whole package. It’s not hard to imagine NBA players playing other sports and playing them at a high level (i.e. Antonio Gates).

2. Football – The average NFL defensive back ranks right up there with basketball players in my book. Wide receivers are a close second. As a group, they obviously possess better hand-eye coordination than defensive backs but lack the toughness their counterparts possess. There are exceptions of course.

3. Baseball - Yes, I know. Some pitchers look like they are having a heart attack running from first to third. On the whole however, most baseball players were very good all-around athletes growing up – especially those in the middle of the diamond.

4. Decathlon Athletes – These guys aren’t just running in circles. They have to be able to do it all.

5. Soccer – Yes, it’s the world’s sport. Being originally from Europe, I enjoy, understand and appreciate a 1-0 soccer game between two outstanding international teams. This observer watched the World Cup from start to finish recently. Now, here’s the bad news for soccer – it’s a very soft sport culturally. Guys go down like they have been shot with an UZI to get fouls called. I can’t place the sport any higher on the list just because of what I call its “natural softness.” Could you imagine Ronnie Lott faking an injury? Enough said.

6. Hockey – These guys are much tougher than soccer players. However, we have them below soccer just because soccer is the world’s game. So out of respect – we place “football” first and hockey second.

7. Rugby - If we were judging on toughness alone, we would place rugby at or near the top. We have rugby seventh – just ahead of boxing. These guys constantly crash into each other without any protective gear on. That’s sick. They also have to be able to run and use their feet as well. I loved watching Australian Rules Football back in the early 80s during ESPN’s infancy. That’s probably why I rate it above other more recognized sports.

8. Boxing – These guys are built, in great physical shape and I would probably want one of them with me – over any other type of athlete – if I were walking down a dark alley at night. However, I place boxers eighth because I can’t think of two many boxers who would be studs elsewhere – with the exception of my favorite recent college football player, now turned pro - (ZIBBY out of ND).

9. Sprinters – Great quickness, speed and body development. One-dimensional
or they would be higher.

10. Wrestling – These guys work their ass off and get very little attention. It’s somewhat of a specialized sport. You don’t see wrestlers elsewhere often except on on the offensive and defensive lines. I have tremendous respect for the work put in, but I can’t go any higher than #9.

Swimming – The BEST sport available in terms of getting in shape. However, it doesn’t crack the top-10. Much like wrestling, it’s another specialized sport where you do not see a lot of cross-over in terms of the athlete potentially playing other sports at a high level.

I’ll stop at top-10. From here on out, it gets rough.

For example, I can’t rate golfers or tennis players because I do not recognize any sport where the audience MUST remain silent. That just goes against everything that sports is all about. If you put a gun to my head and made me choose, I would put tennis above golf. I’m sorry. I can’t get over the fact that in golf the athlete STANDS STILL when he performs.

I realize it may be harder to get a PGA card than hit a ML fastball, but I keep thinking about John Daly being liquored up and being competitive in his sport. I can’t imagine someone drinking a fifth of Jack Daniels and hitting a 90+ mile per hour fastball from a ML pitcher, or nailing a 20-foot jumper over a 6-6 NBA player, or catching a pass 30 yards downfield with a 220 pound safety coming at you.

La Crosse – Rich kid sport.

Car Racing – Great hand-eye coordination needed along with lots of guts and a special type of stamina, but you AIN’T moving. Sorry.

Horse Racing – This one is simple. If there’s an animal in tow, it AIN’T no sport! That also eliminates dog-fighting. Sorry Michael.

Bowling – Already covered above in terms of drinking and being effective. Add smoking a pack of camels and you have bowling.

Distance Running – Please.

I know I have probably forgotten one or two legitimate sports. However, I did not want to drag this on forever. Therefore, I left out pool, darts, dwarf tossing, etc… You get the point.

Again, don’t be mad if you were the best frisbee player in your high school and I didn’t even give it a mention.