"We Back Now": LeBron Leads The Dance Party

CLEVELAND -- With the game well in hand, LeBron James spent a timeout late in the fourth quarter Tuesday bouncing as "Soulja Boy" blasted over Quicken Loans Arena's sound system.
It's been awhile since there's been a reason for the Cavs to dance.
They blew out the Indiana Pacers 118-105, ending a six-game losing streak. But this was more than a victory, it was a get-well game.
The Cavs famously did virtually nothing to upgrade their roster in the offseason. After missing James for five games, Anderson Varejao for 21 and Larry Hughes for 12, getting them all back together made it feel like the team had just pulled a blockbuster trade.
Just to make the point, the Cavs ceremoniously brought them all in together.
For the first time in his NBA career -- and the first time in his life, save for the 2004 Olympics -- James did not start. He said he asked coach Mike Brown to bring him off the bench.
That's what Brown did, along with Hughes and Varejao midway through the first quarter. The 20,000 fans on hand came to their feet. It was the first time they'd seen James play in two weeks, Hughes in a month, and Varejao since the NBA Finals.
"I thought it would raise the intensity of the fans, having me, Larry and Andy come in at the same time and it worked," James said. "I thought by coming in with Andy it might stop some of the boos Andy might get. Andy is one of my favorite players, I was just protecting my teammate."
That's a charming story and it did work. Varejao, who drew the ire of Cavs fans when he told ESPN.com that he no longer wanted to be in Cleveland over two weeks ago, didn't hear jeers.
But it's not 100 percent true. Brown didn't discuss his substitution pattern with James; he was the one who made the move. Not that Brown wanted to get in the way of James' poetic statements.
Nonetheless, it certainly worked on the court. As soon as the trio hit the floor the Cavs tore off a 22-5 run. When they entered as a group again in the third quarter, the Cavs immediately went on a 15-0 run to build their lead to 25 points.
James had 17 points in just 23 minutes. If his sprained left index finger was bothering him under a protective glove, he didn't let it show, especially on a two-handed alley-oop dunk in the second half.
Varejao had a typical night, buzzing everywhere to grab nine rebounds and score six points in 24 minutes.
Hughes, who is back to playing shooting guard after being forced to fill in at point guard from last March until now, hit 13-of-17 shots to score 36 points. It was the most points he's scored in a game in more than two years and he did it in just 26 minutes, the first NBA player to score 36 points in 26 minutes since Tracy McGrady did it as a member of the Orlando Magic in 2004.
"I thought they had two LeBron Jameses out there," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said.
All of it overshadowed Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley's first game since he was involved in a shooting outside an Indianapolis hotel early Sunday morning. Tinsley had 10 points and very little to say after the game.
"We've got another game tomorrow," Tinsley said.
This night was really about the Cavs getting close to whole. Starting point guard Daniel Gibson missed the game after getting a wisdom tooth pulled and Donyell Marshall is out at least another month with a wrist injury, but the Cavs still had the most talent they've had on the floor all season. The results and the good feeling gave them reason to think it could be a turning point.
"You go through a stretch when you're losing games and people were looking at us like we're not a good team," James said. "We knew once we got our guys back that it would be a totally different story. We back now."

Brian Windhorst, a regular ESPN.com contributor, covers the NBA and the Cavs for the Akron Beacon Journal

NBA Rookies: The Rookie Award Contenders for 2008

If you're a fan of fantasy sports leagues or simply like rooting for individuals instead of teams, there can be fun and sometimes value to be found in individual proposition bets. They can give you a season-long rooting interest in someone's results and, if you know what you're looking for, you might get decent odds for your dollar.
A recent scan of some NBA props revealed some interesting odds for the 2007-08 Rookie of the Year award. The odds-on favorite, no surprise, is NBA-ready stud Kevin Durant who, after one spectacular year at Texas, might be the only hope for the rebuilding Sonics to make fans less sleepless in Seattle. He comes in at 3/2 and, with Ray Allen gone via trade to Boston and Rashard Lewis taking big free-agent dollars in Orlando, the high-scoring guard/forward should get ample opportunity to put up 20-plus points per game and take down the rookie top honor.
But there have been questions about his strength - he could not bench press 185 pounds in NBA pre-draft workouts - and there rarely is value in the chalk when it comes to prop bets. The other favorite, Ohio State product Greg Oden, is probably an even worse pick at 5/2. Young big men typically take a little longer to acclimate - and the 7-footer clearly needs to add bulk - so while he should make an impact with shot blocking and rebounding right away, he probably won't generate good enough numbers to win the award.
The best candidates for the award are usually small forwards (such as last year's winner, Brandon Roy of Portland) and point guards (Chris Paul of the Hornets) who can score right away, or seasoned big men (think Charlotte's Emeka Okafor) who have the physical strength to compete in the league. The award also tends to favor players who have at least some college experience, as past winners have included Tim Duncan and Grant Hill, who each spent four years as starters at respected collegiate programs. Of course, a couple of high schoolers who went straight to the pros have won the award, such as Lebron James and Amare Stoudemire, but the physical and mental maturity of a 22-year-old as opposed to an 18-year-old is usually a safer bet.
So if you are looking for some candidates with good odds and a legitimate chance to win, keep an eye on the following dark horses. All NBA Rookie of the Year odds come from Bodog:

1. Al Thornton, Clippers (12/1) - Might have been the steal of the first round at No. 14, as some draft experts regarded him as one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, he has an NBA prototype body and was a four-year player at Florida State, improving each year and finishing with an ACC-best 19.7 points per game last year. Could have a hard time getting big numbers alongside the likes of Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, but the Clippers have been injury prone in years past and Brand will miss a good chunk of the season as it is. Worth a look at these odds.

2. Acie Law, Hawks (15/1) - Anyone drafted by the Hawks should have a chance to play right away and, unlike No. 3 pick Al Horford, who will have competition at his position from incumbents Shelden Williams and Marvin Williams, Law should take over right away for the disappointing Speedy Claxton. Law started for four years at Texas A&M, and showed improved range in his senior season while repeatedly coming through in the clutch for the Aggies in Big 12 and NCAA Tournament play. Might have been the first point guard taken in the draft had Ohio State phenom Mike Conley Jr. not shined so brightly in the NCAA Tournament.

3. Brandan Wright, Warriors (15/1) - This super-smooth 6-foot-9 forward from North Carolina should fit in perfectly in the up-tempo system at Golden State, which made a shrewd off-season move by dumping the over priced and under-producing Jason Richardson and trading for Wright on draft day. The Warriors need skilled big men who can run the floor and, while some observers believe Wright will need a year or two to develop, don't be surprised if he puts up big numbers right away.

4.Joakim Noah, Bulls (25/1) - Might be the best long shot of the bunch. Dropping to the Bulls with the No. 9 pick, he certainly would have been a top-three selection had he left Florida after the first of its consecutive National Championship campaigns. A hard-nosed player with underrated offensive skills and a great ability to run the floor and defend, he should be a perfect complement to the guard-oriented Bulls, who get the bulk of their scoring from the likes of Ben Gordon and Luol Deng and are in need of a respectable low-post presence.
After you finish this NBA article check out our NBA Gambling lines page. If you plan on betting NBA you'll also want to read our NBA predictions page. Doc's betting NBA second half's resource is a must read for NBA wagering For 35+ years the team at Doc's Sports Service has provided and insight on basketball handicapping.

5. Glen Davis, Celtics (35/1) - The ultimate long shot, but he has a chance nonetheless. After the Celtics traded basically their whole team aside from Paul Pierce to land Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, someone has to fill out the roster and do some dirty work inside to clean up the superstar trio's missed shots. A steal with the No. 35 pick, "Big Baby" likely will play with a chip on his shoulder because he dropped so far in the draft, when he was a sure lottery pick had he jumped to the NBA after leading LSU to the Final Four two years ago. Lost amid concerns about his weight and his injury-plagued final season at LSU was the fact that he developed a nice low-post game to go along with his sheer brute force, and he averaged 17.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. A slimmed-down Davis has impressed in the NBA summer league, putting up 12 points and 10 rebounds a game.

by Josh Nagel

Gasol: Moving to Bulls?

With the Kobe Bryant trade talks apparently on hold for now, Bulls general manager John Paxson should turn his attention to Pau Gasol and gauge the chances of making a deal for the Memphis Grizzlies big man.
Gasol isn't nearly as talented as Bryant and I can't see any scenario in which fans at the United Center would begin chanting his name, but he'd give the Bulls their first legitimate low-post scorer since Eddy Curry was dealt a little more than two years ago -- and would come at a much cheaper price than what the Los Angeles Lakers are asking for Bryant.
Gasol, 27, is close in age to other members of the Bulls' young core, and his addition likely would make them serious contenders to reach the NBA Finals for the next five years or so. He's exactly what the Bulls need, a big man with a well-rounded offensive game. He can score on a variety of moves in the low post and step out to knock down an 18-foot jumper with regularity.
He averaged 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in 36.2 minutes last season. He shot 53.8 percent from the field and 74.8 percent from the free-throw line. Gasol also would give the Bulls a player capable of drawing fouls and getting easy points from the free-throw line. He had 400 free-throw attempts last season in only 59 games. The only player on the Bulls' roster to have that many free-throw attempts was Ben Gordon (440) -- and he played in all 82 games.
Gasol isn't a great defender, but he's big enough to make his presence felt and is a decent rebounder. His pluses far exceed his negatives.
Of course, the first thing Paxson has to do is discover if the Grizzlies have any interest in trading Gasol. Paxson talked with the Grizzlies about Gasol before last season's trading deadline, but it became apparent that they had no interest in making a deal then.
Although it's unlikely the Grizzlies would be willing to pull the trigger on a major deal at this point of the season, it never hurts to inquire. Besides, Memphis has a new general manager (Chris Wallace) and coach (Marc Iavaroni), and they might be more receptive to trading Gasol.
As solid a player as the 7-foot Spaniard has been during his six years with the franchise, he's not the type of player who can create interest in a marginal market. If the Grizzlies continue to play before modest crowds at the FedEx Forum, trading Gasol might be the team's best option from a business standpoint -- especially considering he makes nearly $14 million this season and has an additional three years for better than $49 million left on his contract.
If the Grizzlies get off to a slow start, the chances of the Bulls dealing for Gasol get considerably better.
So what would it take to make a deal? If I'm Paxson, Luol Deng still is an untouchable and so is Gordon in this scenario. I'd put together a package built around Tyrus Thomas, a younger, much cheaper player who could spark some fan interest in Memphis. An offer of Thomas, Andres Nocioni, another player and a pick might get a deal done under the right circumstances.

BY JOHN JACKSON Sun-Times Columnist

MRI confirms LeBron has sprain

Finger injury could keep James out of tonight's game
LeBron James isn't any better, but more important to the Cavaliers, he isn't any worse.
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic Toronto performed an MRI on Thursday on James' left index finger. The results confirmed their diagnosis that he suffered a sprain Wednesday in Detroit.
Other than the sprain, which by definition means there was some ligament damage, the Cavs said there is no significant structural problems with the finger.
The team is listing him as ''day to day'' and calling him a game-time decision for tonight's road game against the Toronto Raptors. The Cavs are expected to show extreme caution with their superstar.
This is an injury that could linger with James for the next couple of months.
James suffered the injury in the second quarter, when he wasfouled by Detroit Pistons center Nazr Mohammed while driving to the basket. James sat out the game's second half.
He might not be the only star who will miss the game. Raptors forward Chris Bosh, who scored 41 points on the Cavs last weekend, strained his groin and left a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. His status for tonight also is undetermined.
The Raptors also are missing point guard T.J. Ford with an arm injury and center Andrea Bargnani, who has a bruised knee.
If James does not play, Sasha Pavlovic probably will start in his place at small forward, with Devin Brown starting at shooting guard instead of Pavlovic.
The Cavs are 9-3 over the past four seasons with James out of the lineup, but this would be an extreme challenge. With Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Cedric Simmons all out, the Cavs already are thin in the frontcourt and backcourt. Not to mention James is the NBA's leading scorer at 31 points a game.
Some Cavs, however, resent the implication they cannot win without James.
''At the end of the day, we have other guys that can play,'' Damon Jones said. ''Regardless if anybody gives us credit for what we do. We've shown in the past when he's missed a game we can be formidable.''
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
LeBron James isn't any better, but more important to the Cavaliers, he isn't any worse.
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic Toronto performed an MRI on Thursday on James' left index finger. The results confirmed their diagnosis that he suffered a sprain Wednesday in Detroit.
Other than the sprain, which by definition means there was some ligament damage, the Cavs said there is no significant structural problems with the finger.
The team is listing him as ''day to day'' and calling him a game-time decision for tonight's road game against the Toronto Raptors. The Cavs are expected to show extreme caution with their superstar.
This is an injury that could linger with James for the next couple of months.
James suffered the injury in the second quarter, when he wasfouled by Detroit Pistons center Nazr Mohammed while driving to the basket. James sat out the game's second half.
He might not be the only star who will miss the game. Raptors forward Chris Bosh, who scored 41 points on the Cavs last weekend, strained his groin and left a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. His status for tonight also is undetermined.
The Raptors also are missing point guard T.J. Ford with an arm injury and center Andrea Bargnani, who has a bruised knee.
If James does not play, Sasha Pavlovic probably will start in his place at small forward, with Devin Brown starting at shooting guard instead of Pavlovic.
The Cavs are 9-3 over the past four seasons with James out of the lineup, but this would be an extreme challenge. With Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Cedric Simmons all out, the Cavs already are thin in the frontcourt and backcourt. Not to mention James is the NBA's leading scorer at 31 points a game.
Some Cavs, however, resent the implication they cannot win without James.
''At the end of the day, we have other guys that can play,'' Damon Jones said. ''Regardless if anybody gives us credit for what we do. We've shown in the past when he's missed a game we can be formidable.''

By Brian Windhorst Beacon Journal sportswriterPublished on Friday, Nov 30, 2007

Kobe Agrees to Bulls Trade Only if He Gets to be Renamed “Michael Jordan”

LOS ANGELES, CA and CHICAGO, IL–After weeks of speculation, Kobe Bryant has agreed to be traded to the Chicago Bulls, but with an unusual stipulation.
“The Bulls are ecstatic to announce that we’ve traded for Kobe Bryant today,” announced general manager John Paxson. “Rather, I should say, the Chicago Bulls have traded for Michael Jordan.”
That’s right; the Bulls agreed to the trade with the Lakers, sending the Lakers forward Tyrus Thomas; shooting guard Ben Gordon; forward Andres Nocioni; two draft picks; and one special caveat–that Kobe Bryant is now known as Michael Jordan.
“This is not simply a semantic thing,” said Paxson. “The player formerly known as Kobe Bryant is now actually Michael Jordan. And I gotta be candid, the Bulls are thrilled to have Michael Jordan back in action.”
By a special arrangement as part of the trade, Michael Jordan will get to keep both the stats he accumulated as Kobe Bryant, as well as his previous statistics as Michael Jordan. “I’m thrilled to be back with the Bulls, going for my tenth title,” said Michael Jordan. “I see Luol Deng as being a very similar presence to what we had with Scottie Pippen, and I see Ben Wallace as being a sort of 21st century Dennis Rodman, without the wedding dresses. So overall I really like our chances.”
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson was sad to part ways with Michael Jordan again. “I mean, we won nine titles together – three different three-peats,” Jackson said. “So it’s tough. I wish Michael the best of luck in his return to the Bulls. I think the Eastern Conference is looking better and better with the addition of Michael Jordan.”
Chicago mayor Richard Daley was thrilled about the trade. “Look, I was here when Michael was with the Bulls the first two times, so I know just what a tremendous impact he’s going to have on the Bulls,” he said. “And I couldn’t be happier. Michael is a pillar of this community, and we wish him well as he goes for his 13th scoring title, his tenth NBA finals trophy, and his sixth MVP award. He is truly a treasure of Chicago, and the city welcomes him back.”

http://www.serioussportsnewsnetwork.com/2007/11/kobe-agrees-to-bulls-trade-only-if-he-gets-to-be-renamed-michael-jordan.html