CLEVELAND, Ohio — Plain Dealer photographer Chuck Crow and Northeast Ohio Media Group photographer John Kuntz are at Quicken Loans Arena tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Houston Rockets. Check back to see all their photos.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Plain Dealer photographer Chuck Crow and Northeast Ohio Media Group photographer John Kuntz are at Quicken Loans Arena tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Houston Rockets. Check back to see all their photos.
J.R. Smith is excited to be on a contending team and he shares in Dion Waiters' frustration.
CLEVELAND, Ohio. – J.R. Smith is going to fit in nicely with the Cavaliers.
The former New York Knick addressed the media for the first time since the three-way trade and he came off personable and comical.
He played Wednesday at The Q against the Houston Rockets with no knowledge of the playbook and without a single practice under his belt.
It's OK, though. He has a plan.
"Worst come to worst, my motto is, 'When in doubt, shoot the ball,'" Smith said as the media contingent burst out in laughter. "So when in doubt I'm going to shoot it. Hopefully I don't catch anybody off guard."
Smith says he's "excited" to be a member of the Cavaliers and eager to play for a team with championship aspirations. He says he wasn't surprised when he was moved from a place he spent the last four years at and where he earned Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2013.
The trade didn't come as a shock to him. What puzzled him was being pulled from pregame warmups to learn he was dealt.
Dion Waiters may have a more legitimate complaint as he was pulled after being introduced in the Cavaliers' starting lineup in his hometown of Philadelphia.
"The way it was done caught me off guard, warming up and stuff like that," Smith said. "I thought that was a poor decision and then I seen what happened to Dion where he literally got his name called for the starting lineup, [then] I thought my situation wasn't so bad."
Smith and LeBron James have a solid relationship dating back to high school.
"We have great relationship," Smith said. "He's a Cowboys fan and I'm a Cowboys fan. We're good. We're good all around."
James says Smith's skill set will benefit the team immensely.
"I think J.R .is a guy who spaces the floor for us, who can create his own shot and a very athletic guy, James said. "I think he has 51 playoff games so that definitely helps us in experience."
Last season Smith was fined a whopping $50,000 for untying the shoelaces of three players including his new teammate Shawn Marion. Marion told Northeast Ohio Media Group that the fine and the uproar that followed were unwarranted.
"That was bull####," Marion said to NEOMG. "Y'all blew that out of proportion. That's my dude."
Smith got wind of Marion's backing and responded, "He should have paid half of it then."
The reserve scoring specialist was a treat. He owned his introductory presser. Now it's time to own it on the court. There are some who are skeptical of Smith working out in Cleveland.
Smith believes he will and has high hopes.
"I believe we can be one of the best teams in the league, if not the best," he said. "It's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication from each and every one of us. When we get the big fella coming from Denver (Timofey Mozgov), we'll be a great team to watch."
Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will interview Thursday morning for the Buffalo Bills head coaching vacancy. He'll be pitted against the likes of his father Mike, former Browns coach Pat Shurmur and former Jets coach Rex Ryan.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will try to convince the Bills on Thursday morning that he's the right man for their head coaching vacancy -- superior even to his dad, Mike, and to former Jets coach Rex Ryan.
The interview is expected to take place in Boca Raton, Florida, where Bills owner Terry Pegula has a home, and where former Browns coach and current Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur interviewed for the job on Tuesday. Ryan will also interview with the Bills on Thursday, according to the Buffalo News.
The younger Shanahan will have plenty of competition for the job vacated by Doug Marrone, who opted out of his contract after two seasons. Casting a wide net, the Bills have at least a dozen candidates on their radar. They'll interview 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman on Friday and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Saturday.
They've also already talked to offensive coordinators Hue Jackson of the Bengals, Frank Reich of the Chargers, Adam Gase of the Broncos, and Darrell Bevell of the Seahawks. On the defensive side, they've interviewed Seahawks coordinator Dan Quinn and their own coordinator Jim Schwartz. All of the interviews were confirmed by the Buffalo News.
If the Bills do not hire Shanahan as their head coach, they might also be interested in him as offensive coordinator, sources have said. They're one of three teams intrigued by Mike Shanahan as head coach and Kyle Shanahan as coordinator, the same roles they played together in Washington from 2010-2013. The other teams are the 49ers and Raiders.
Ideally, Kyle Shanahan wants the top job after seven seasons as a coordinator, but will consider leaving the Browns for a lateral move because of friction between some coaches and some front office members, as reported Tuesday by cleveland.com. If Shanahan ultimately decides he wants out of Cleveland, he might be willing to run an offense for someone other than his father.
The Browns would have to let him out of his contract in order for him to accept a coordinator post.
LeBron James said he was "on target" to return next week from nagging injuries.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – LeBron James said he is "on target" to return from nagging injuries by the two-week deadline the Cavaliers set when they announced on New Year's Day that the superstar forward would miss extended time.
James said he will accompany the team on its five-game trip out West that starts Friday and "it's a possible chance I'll play on the trip, at some point." He hasn't played since Dec. 28 because of strains of his left knee and lower back.
James said he has one week left of a "program" of taking anti-inflammatory medication, doing rehab exercises. If that's the case, he would likely play against the Lakers on Jan. 15.
If James is merely supposed to miss two weeks' worth of games, he could return this Sunday against Sacramento. There's also a game at Phoenix on Jan. 13.
"My back is feeling a little better, my knee is feeling a little better, I think we're on pace to get back as close to 100 percent as possible," James said. "So I'm excited about the next week."
James met with team Dr. Richard Parker Wednesday and was given an updated prognosis. Cavs general manager David Griffin said "I wouldn't rule him out of anything leading up to" the Lakers game on Jan. 15, but "we certainly don't anticipate anything earlier than that."
"Our initial timetable appears to be accurate," Griffin said. "At this point we're still looking at that same two-week window."
James set personal, single-season highs with his seventh game missed due to injury overall -- and sixth in a row -- on Wednesday night. Not only has James been off the floor, he was also away from the team for several days – not attending either of Cleveland's last two road games or its home game Sunday.
Cavaliers coach David Blatt said James was ordered by the team's medical staff to stay away during games.
"He's not supposed to be doing a whole lot of continuous sitting, or a lot of the team activities that are going on during games," Blatt said. "So that was really by design."
James said he could play now if it were playoff time. But he also said he would "never get my motor back to 100" percent and hasn't touched a basketball during his absence, instead engaging in rehabilitation exercises three to four times per day.
Griffin said Parker "and his team have a plan in place that will involve ramping up to court work. I don't have any idea what day that is and I don't think they do either."
James, who turned 30 last week, is averaging 25.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. But in his last game, a 23-point home loss to the Pistons, he shot 5-of-19 from the field and committed seven turnovers.
James said Wednesday night that injuries were affecting his play.
"I listen to my trainer, for sure, Mike (Mancias), and I listen to the staff here and the doctors here," James said. "I finally listened to my body, though, ultimately. I was affecting my game. Once I start seeing my game being affected by my stubbornness, I just had to look myself in the mirror and understand I had to do what's best for me as well. So it was one of the hardest but smartest decisions I've made."
James, reiterating something he said a week ago when he last spoke to reporters, said he hasn't "felt great" all season. His back was sore during training camp and into the early part of the year, and he missed his first game with a knee injury on Dec. 11.
The Cavs were 1-5 without him heading into Wednesday night's game.
"I've had spurts where one or two games I felt good, and then after that I was just pushing through it," he said.
Cleveland Cavaliers acquired center Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets.
CLEVELAND, Ohio. – On Wednesday the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired center Timofey Mozgov and a 2015 second-round pick from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for two protected 2015 first-round picks.
The 7-1 Russian and head coach David Blatt are quite familiar with one another. Blatt was the head coach of the 2012 Russian national team that took home the bronze medal and Mozgov was one of his best players.
"I think Denver got an unbelievably good trade out of this," said Cavaliers' General Manager David Griffin. "I would hope this gets written as him (Nuggets GM Tim Connelly) doing an unbelievable job and he did and this is something that puts us in position to really battle with any size that we may face."
The Cavaliers have desperately needed a big man who can clog up the middle and serve as a rim protector. Even before center Anderson Varejao was lost for the season, it was a dire necessity.
Cleveland is bottom four in the league in blocks per game, averaging 4.1 per contest. Not one Cavalier is blocking a shot per game. Tristan Thompson is the closest at 0.89.
Eventually, Thompson will return to a reserve role.
Mozgov, 28, has appeared in 35 games this season and is averaging 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game. His numbers aren't striking, but he fills a major void for the Cavaliers.
"I know it's not sexy, [but] Timofey fits," Griffin said. "His number didn't need to be flashy. We got three guys that are top 20 players in the NBA. Those guys can be flashy. We need guys to do the dirt work."
The Cavaliers paid a heavy price for Denver center Timofei Mozgov but a loss to the Houston Rockets showed why it felt so necessary -- Bud Shaw.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Quick thoughts on the Cavs after two days of trades and a 105-93 loss to the Houston Rockets...
• The Cavs are clearly upgraded after trading for Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov. Which is helpful because this is pretty much the finished product (once LeBron James and Shumpert heal).
With an open roster spot, and James with time on his hands, maybe one more buddy phone call to Ray Allen is in order. But beyond that, GM David Griffin's work is done.
Griffin announced the deal at halftime Wednesday, calling Mozgov "a great fit." His only regret (for now): Mozgov wasn't available in time to deal with Dwight Howard and the Rockets.
For two No. 1 picks, of course, Mozgov should fit like an Armani suit.
The Cavs made an expensive acquisition in Mozgov, who played for head coach David Blatt on the Russian National Team in the London Olympics, but I'll say this: the timing helped Griffin make his case that the price wasn't too steep.
If you can't justify overpaying for defense and "dirt work" (Griffin's term) after watching the Cavs pretend to play defense through the first 35 games, you'll never be able to justify it.
Said Griffin, "There's been a lack of defensive identity. We didn't have the players who personified grit and toughness and we needed more of that."
• Mosgov and Shumpert are expected to bring that identity. Shumpert could miss another two to three weeks recovering from a dislocated shoulder, though. So don't expect these deals to show up in the standings anytime soon, especially while James is still in rehab "chill mode" and the Cavs are headed to the West Coast for five games.
Based on the perimeter defense on display in Wednesday's first half against Houston – we're looking at you, Matthew Dellavedova – the Cavs should send Shumpert to Lourdes when they leave town. He can't join them soon enough.
• The Cavs have used up their available assets. Griffin says they now have the group they think they can win with.
"People say we gave away the farm," Griffin said of the Mosgov deal. "But we had an unbelievable farm so we're putting it to work."
• Before the game, J.R. Smith shared his approach for how best to make an impact when you don't know the plays or the defensive scheme and haven't yet practiced with your new team.
"When in doubt," he said, smiling, "shoot the ball."
Actually, he amended that once the game began to "when in doubt, stand back and watch Kyrie Irving shoot the ball."
Irving scored 38 on 15 of 25 shooting. Smith was 0-for-5 and didn't score but three of those were attempts to beat the clock.
• The Cavs are betting on the volatile Smith being on his best behavior, in part because he's been released from the NBA's Guantanamo Bay. The Knicks are 5-32.
He has a chance to win here, is joining James and – because he can opt out of his deal after this season – has reason to treat the remainder of 2015 as if he's playing for a contract.
The last time he did that he was the NBA's sixth man of the year.
Smith is a risk. The Cavs justify it by saying he's never been a bad teammate and plays hard. He's also been a coach's nightmare at times.
Which is the other David's problem.
Kent State falls in its Mid-American Conference opener to hot-shooting Bowling Green, 66-64.
KENT, Ohio -- Kent State let a big home game get away down the stretch, allowing Bowling Green to pull out a 66-64 victory Wednesday night in the opening Mid-American Conference contest for both teams.
A BG team shooting 33 percent on 3-pointers for the season made 8-of-15 against the Flashes, including 6-of-8 in the second half -- four in the final six minutes -- to get a big road win to start league play.
The Falcons' Spencer Parker, scoreless at the half, delivered 16 points over the final 20 minutes for BG (8-3, 1-0). Leading scorer for the Falcons was 6-11 Richaun Holmes with 20.
"I think we wanted it more than they did,'' said Parker, who scored 12 points in the final five minutes.
"We don't win this game without him," BG head coach Chris Jans said of Parker.
Kent (9-5, 0-1) dominated the boards (36-29, 13 offensive) and shot a respectable 44.4 percent. But their normally solid perimeter shooting was tepid (6-of-21), even as power forward Jimmy Hall was working on a 25-point night inside.
A rash of turnovers early in the second half kept KSU from building a comfortable lead, and when it came the closing the game out, leading 57-49 with 6:41 to play, the Flashes went cold against BG's zone.
"One (reason) was to slow him down,'' Jans said of containing Hall. "And the other was to change the rhythm of the game. (Hall) is going to be a load for three years in this league."
KSU missed seven straight shots just as the Falcons heated up. In the end, Kent's 14 turnovers led to 16 points, which proved to be the difference.
Freshman guard Jada Marone scored 17 points to help lead the Berea-Midpark girls basketball team to a 61-47 win at home on Wednesday against Westlake.
Freshman guard Jada Marone scored 17 points to help lead the Berea-Midpark girls basketball team to a 61-47 win at home on Wednesday against Westlake.
See Ohio high school boys basketball statewide scores for Jan. 7, 2015.
See Ohio high school boys basketball statewide scores for Jan. 7, 2015.
The Cavs have lost seven of nine.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers lost to the Houston Rockets, 105-93, Wednesday night at The Q. Here is a capsule look at the game from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:
Another day, another loss: The Cavs (19-17) have dropped three in a row and seven of nine.
When their next victory will occur is anybody's guess. The next six games are: at Golden State, at Sacramento, at Phoenix, at L.A. Lakers, at L.A. Clippers and vs. Chicago Bulls.
No LeBron = major problem: The Cavs slipped to 1-6 without LeBron James, who remains sidelined because of left-knee and back issues.
LeBron has missed six straight games.
Simply better: The Rockets (24-11) won because they possess more talent than the LeBron-less Cavs, and that talent delivered when it mattered most: the fourth quarter.
The Cavs, carried by point guard Kyrie Irving, made a game of it for three-plus quarters. With 8:37 left in the fourth, they trailed, 80-79.
Then the Rockets began to pull away. An assortment of quality veterans, including center Dwight Howard, took turns outplaying the counterpart at both ends. Howard imposed his will defensively and on the glass.
The Rockets outscored the Cavs, 32-19, in the fourth. As the Cavs ran low on fuel, the Rockets kept coming.
Howard finished with 17 points and 19 rebounds. He shot below 50 percent from the field (6-of-13) and the line (5-of-11) -- but the Rockets didn't care. Howard was a beast where he needed to be.
Terrific performance wasted: The Cavs lost despite Irving's season-high 38 points in 41 minutes.
Irving, who missed the previous game because of back tightness, went 15-of-26 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line.
Through three quarters, Irving shot 14-of-20 and scored 34. He and Uncle Drew schooled anybody who attempted to guard him with shots from all over the court. The Rockets finally slowed a tiring Irving in the fourth, although one of his misses should have been a goal-tend.
Irving needed to score because his teammates were struggling against Houston's athleticism and length. Cavs other than Irving shot 19-of-56 (34 percent).
Mixed bag: Cavs forward Kevin Love finished with 17 points, 16 rebounds and four assists. But Love needed 19 shots to get his points; he made seven.
With 6:55 left in the fourth, Love landed awkwardly on his left foot while fighting for a rebound. He winced and stayed on the floor for 20 seconds but remained in the game.
Rough debut: Guard J.R. Smith, in his first game with the Cavs since being acquired from the New York Knicks, went 0-of-5 from the field and scored zero in 18 minutes off the bench. Smith was 0-of-4 from 3-point range.
In fairness to Smith, two of the 3-point attempts were desperation heaves at the end of quarters (first, third).
Not a winning formula: The Cavs had an assist-to-turnover ratio of basically 1:1 (16 assists, 15 turnovers).
Solid 24 minutes: The Cavs trailed, 49-48, at halftime. Given that LeBron was not playing, Love shot 0-of-7, and the team was 17-of-43 (39.5 percent), they realistically could not have expected much more.
Both teams played hard, fast and physical. The biggest lead for each was six.
Irving scored 23 on 9-of-11 shooting in 20 minutes. Cleveland's second-leading scorer was reserve James Jones, with six points. Love made two free throws for his points.
Hanging around: The Cavs maintained energy at both ends in the third and closed the quarter with a 74-73 lead.
Go figure: One of the Rockets who hurt the Cavs was reserve forward Josh Smith, who played one of his best games of the season. Smith went 7-of-10 from the field and scored 16 points, and he had five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 26 minutes.
Smith was part of a Houston bench that combined to shoot 14-of-22 from the field and score 37.
Smith entered shooting 42 percent from the field. Shot selection and inefficiency are two reasons the Detroit Pistons waived Smith on Dec. 22 despite owing him a boatload of guaranteed money.
The Pistons have won seven in a row since jettisoning Smith, the most recent two coming at San Antonio and at Dallas. Another of the victories during the streak came via blowout over the Cavs in Cleveland.
The Rockets improved to 4-4 with Smith.
The newest additions should bode well for the Cleveland Cavaliers speeding up the process.
CLEVELAND, Ohio. – From Day 1 the Cavaliers stressed that this was process and that it would take time for the team to materialize into a true contender.
Having dropped two of its last nine games, Cleveland's banged up roster is receiving some much-needed assistance in the form of Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith.
The holes that General Manager David Griffin wanted to seal up for some time are sealed, signed and delivered. He did his job.
Mozgov is expected to provide rim protection, Shumpert is that perimeter defensive specialist that will be asked to guard multiple positions and Smith will have the task of tearing up the competition in a reserve role.
Judging from the buzz on social media, expectations have rocketed to where they were in training camp. This team, with the new additions, has all the tools necessary to compete for a championship. The sense of urgency among the fan base has intensified and rightfully so.
Head coach David Blatt made an attempt to temper expectations by emphasizing that it will continue to be a work in progress even when the team becomes whole.
"In fairness, Chris, and without any intent for excuse making, it's very much going to be a process because we just changed the team in a fairly significant fashion and it's going to take a little bit of time to get all those pieces on the same page, Blatt said.
"You know we've had some bad luck here in the last several of weeks. A few weeks ago we were 17-10 and we lost certainly the best player in the world and arguably the best in history. He hasn't been around for a little while and we lost our starting center and we're bringing in new guys and it will take some time and that process has just become elongated, unfortunately."
Blatt continued to make his case that things needed to be taken slow.
"Honestly, I can't sugarcoat it. That's the realty. You got to teach guys plays, you got to teach them defensive schemes, you got to get the pieces to work together, you got to do all that on the fly because you don't have a lot of practice time. But, we got some good guys and we got some great guys coming back from injury. When we get them all in the locker room and on all on the floor at the same time, we got to feel good about that."
LeBron James, who is out for approximately one more week with a series of ailments, is more of the opinion that the process shouldn't be an "elongated" period. According to the four-time MVP, time is not on their side.
"No, we won't start from square one," he said. "I think the guys that are coming will have to just learn on the fly. The good thing about it is we're bringing in a bunch of guys that's played some basketball. I know Mozgov played for coach Blatt on the national team so that helps with his relationship with coach and J.R .has probably seen every system even though coach Blatt has brought a different system from overseas, he'll get adjusted pretty fast and I believe Shumpert as well.
"We won't start from scratch. We can't. We don't have time to start from scratch, but it is still a process."
By now everyone is tired of hearing the word "process." Sooner or later results are going to have to accompany those series of actions. A 19-17 record is unacceptable, especially in the weak Eastern Conference.
Actions speak louder than words so now it's time for the names on paper to match the performances on the court. This is where we'll see what everyone involved is truly made of.
"We want to win games," Griffin said. "Nobody in this organization is satisfied with not winning. When I come up here and preach patience, I'm not saying let's accept losing. That's absolutely not what we're doing. But in terms of being the best team we're going to be, we have to acknowledge that it's going to take some time for all of those things to gel and to be the best we can be.
"But we better be a damn sight better than we've been right out of the shoot. That's what we expect to be. We're not here to get to say we played. We're here to win games. But to say that's it's got to look like a certain thing by a certain time, it's just not fair."
Depending on how the Cavaliers fair when healthy, we'll find out if this is indeed an elongated situation or an urgent matter.
Just two days after three-team deal shipped out Dion Waiters and brought in J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, Griffin sent two protected first-round picks to the Denver Nuggets for 7-1 center Timofey Mozgof and a second-round pick.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Cleveland Cavaliers roster that has been in flux because of injuries continues to get a makeover from General Manager David Griffin.
Just two days after three-team deal shipped out Dion Waiters and brought in J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, Griffin sent two protected first-round picks to the Denver Nuggets for 7-1 center Timofey Mozgof and a second-round pick.
"I know it's not sexy, [but] Timofey fits," Griffin said. "His number didn't need to be flashy. We got three guys that are top 20 players in the NBA. Those guys can be flashy. We need guys to do the dirt work."
It's generous to say the reaction to the Waiters' deal was mixed. But the addition of Mozgof seems to be bringing a more positive response. Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw says the deals upgrade the Cavs' roster.
For two No. 1 picks, of course, Mozgov should fit like an Armani suit. The Cavs made an expensive acquisition in Mozgov, who played for head coach David Blatt on the Russian National Team in the London Olympics, but I'll say this: the timing helped Griffin make his case that the price wasn't too steep. If you can't justify overpaying for defense and "dirt work" (Griffin's term) after watching the Cavs pretend to play defense through the first 35 games, you'll never be able to justify it.
The price of two first-round picks for a center that is averaging 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks might seem steep. USA Today's Nate Scott says it's a price worth paying for the Cavs:
The Cavaliers needed frontcourt help with the season-ending injury to Anderson Varejao, and with the expectations in place for the team to compete for a title now, they (you could argue) had to make a move sooner rather than later. Seven-footers who can protect the rim are in short supply in the league, and the Cavaliers wanted one in the playoffs. Mozgov was available, is on a decent contract, and so they traded big for him. It sacrifices future flexibility for sure, but the Cavs need to win now.
Not everyone is impressed. Kyle Wagner of Deadspin.com says the Cavs overpaid for Mozgov:
ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS, CAVALIERS???? Yes, absolutely you need a rim protector, and Mozgov fills that role fine. If you go by the NBA's player tracking, he's holding opponents to 48.6 percent on close field goal attempts—a little better than Andre Drummond, a little worse than DeAndre Jordan—and is involved in 7.1 per game. Timofey Mozgov is Fine. But c'mon, man—it's still Timofey Mozgov!
Continue below to see reactions to the deal on Twitter.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a back-and-forth game against the Houston Rockets, 105-93, on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a back-and-forth game against the Houston Rockets, 105-93, on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
Kyrie Irving's 38 points weren't enough as the Rockets used a balanced-scoring attack to race away late in the game, and extend Cleveland's losing streak to three games.
Kevin Love added 17 points, but scored just four in the fourth quarter.
Houston was led by James Harden, who overcame a tough shooting night (6-of-18), scoring a team-high 21 points despite sitting for the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Cavs, now 19-17, will begin a tough, five-game Western Conference road trip on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors.
Here are five observations from the Cavs' most recent loss:
Persistence pays off – The first time Cavs general manager David Griffin mentioned needing to find a rim protector was in September at the Cavaliers Golf Outing.
Griffin knew about Love's deficiencies on the defensive end of the floor, and wanted to find a big man to complement Love, masking those issues.
The Cavs called about Memphis' Kosta Koufos and couldn't find a deal that worked. They tried to pry 28-year-old Timofey Mozgov from Denver, but the Nuggets weren't yet ready to part with the big man just yet.
Griffin's search had come up empty. But he continued to work the phones, ramping up his efforts in the wake of Anderson Varejao tearing his Achilles. On Wednesday night Griffin accomplished his mission. He landed Mozgov, a target of the team for months.
"Timofey Mozgov was on our board this summer," David Blatt said after the game. "He was a guy we wanted here in Cleveland. Took a little bit longer, but kudos to David Griffin and management for finding a way to bring him."
Two first round picks is a steep price to pay. Not every team would've surrendered that package for Mozgov, a player who is averaging 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game. But skilled centers are hard to find and Cleveland wasn't getting out of the Eastern Conference without a stronger presence inside.
Griffin also revealed that other contenders from the East were in the mix for Mozgov. The relationship between Mozgov and Blatt, who needed an ally or at least someone with ties to him in the building, didn't hurt either.
"It's not like they push and they try to appease me or something like that," Blatt said. "I give my input, but I can tell you with or without my input, which was very positive and very strong, he was a guy the team was interested in going forward for the future. I'm happy to say my voice was heard positively in a mix of a chorus of positive viewpoints about Timofey."
The Cavs are hoping Mozgov can join them for the start of their road trip on Friday night.
"We need size," Love said. "Andy going down we needed size and he has it. He's going to be big for us, especially anchoring down on the defensive end and taking up space on both ends of the floor and that's something that needed to be addressed and we addressed it."
Mozgov can't arrive soon enough.
The Cavs lost the rebounding battle, 50-37. The Rockets had 24 second-chance points. They scored 46 points in the paint. Dwight Howard had 17 points and 19 rebounds as he bullied 6-foot-9 Tristan Thompson and forced him into foul trouble.
No one will mistake Mozgov for Roy Hibbert. Opponents are making 60 percent of their shots less than five feet from the hoop against Mozgov, but he gives the Cavs another big body to provide resistance, someone with more size on the interior.
Cleveland is ranked 26th in blocks per game. No player on the roster is even averaging one block per game. Thompson is the best at the rim, averaging 0.89 blocks.
No coffee lately – The Cavs have been terrific this season when it comes to closing out games. They had been 14-0 when leading after three quarters before the game in Philly on Monday.
The shorthanded Cavs squandered that lead and did the same against Houston. Leading by one heading into the final frame, Cleveland got outscored in the final 12 minutes, 32-19.
"I don't know if it's as much running out of gas as we don't have right now the kind of production from the bench that we sort of developed for a while there before things happened," Blatt said. "Guys on the bench are playing the bulk of the minutes and what comes in behind is not the same. We got outscored from the bench, 37-13. That's pretty telling."
Blatt's right. The Cavs' bench was nonexistent again. Shocking right? Hardly. Cleveland's inconsistent second unit entered the night ranked 27th in points, averaging 25.5.
But the play of Irving and Love late was also problematic.
Irving went 1-of-6 from the field, scoring four points on a night he finished with 38. Love made just one basket on four attempts, scoring four points in the final frame. He also missed all 10 of his shots from 10 feet or beyond, his most such attempts in his career, according to ESPN Stats and Information.
"I think our intensity," Irving said of what was lacking. "We got great looks in the fourth quarter. We just have to keep up that intensity on both ends of the floor. We just have to stay keyed in."
A forgettable debut - Newly acquired J.R. Smith made his debut for the Cavs on Wednesday night, but it didn't go as planned. He checked in midway through the first quarter, replacing Matthew Dellavedova.
Smith never got into a rhythm and was having a hard time finding his offense. Known for his scoring ability, Smith finished the night with zero points in 18 ineffective minutes off the bench.
The last time he failed to score a point in a game in which he played at least 10 minutes was Jan. 26, 2013 against the Philadelphia 76ers. That night Smith went 0-for-8 from the field in 27 minutes. On Wednesday, he missed all five of his shots.
"He got put in some tough spots," Love said of Smith. "A few half court heaves and one at the end of the shot clock he had to throw up so it's going to take a few games underneath his belt. He's a guy that can put up points in a hurry. We're not worried about him. We know he's going to good for us."
Smith sat for the final 10 minutes, which was a bit surprising.
"I don't think it will be that long," Smith said about how long it will take him to get comfortable. "Just gotta get back used to getting in my package. Playing in a different offense the first 36 or 37 games. It's going to be a little bit of a hassle. Just gotta get back in the gym."
He will have better nights, but it's tough to ignore his scoring average, 10.9 points per game, is the lowest it has been since his second season in the NBA, 2005-06, with New Orleans.
The Cavs are hoping a change of scenery ignites him.
Limiting Delly - Dellavedova played 35 minutes on Wednesday night, which is entirely too much. He has now played at least 30 minutes in five straight games. That also needs to change.
Delly is tough and feisty. He hustles and tries extremely hard on the defensive end, but he's a role player, at his best when he plays in spurts coming off the bench.
The good news: Blatt is starting to realize that as well.
"He's well above what he would normally play in a perfect world," Blatt admitted after the game. "He's given us everything he has as he always does. He's competing, taking on very tough assignments defensively from the start of the game and he's trying to play as a lead player, which he is not. No disrespect to him. He's a guy that comes off the bench and gives us energy and gives us good performance in relatively limited minutes. Right now he's being asked to do a lot more than that and he's making every effort, but he's not a 34-minute a game guy. We just don't have the bodies right now."
The longer he's on the court the more he gets exposed. It happened in Philadelphia on Monday night as the 76ers attacked him when they were on offense and forced him to try to make plays in the final minutes for the Cavs on the other end.
Smith and Iman Shumpert, when he returns from a shoulder injury, will help take some minutes away. Shumpert will likely be the starting shooting guard, moving Dellavedova back to the bench.
Delly will then be able to serve as the backup point guard instead of being played out of position. He has been pretty good getting teammates involved. Dellavedova had a team-high five assists on Wednesday and is now averaging more than six per game in the last three contests.
Ball movement – If you're looking for a place where the Cavs are missing James it's moving the ball on offense consistently. The Cavs have shown flashes in these recent six games without James, but Wednesday wasn't one of those nights.
Cleveland finished with 16 assists on 34 made shots. Irving had just three dimes. James is the team leader, averaging 7.6 per game. The Cavs as a team are averaging 20.5 assists with him out of the lineup, which is lower than the season average.
Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the trades and talked about the loss to Houston during the postgame show.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving's 38 points weren't enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night as they lost to the Houston Rockets, 105-93.
The Cavs played their sixth straight game and seventh overall without LeBron James, who is dealing with a left knee strain and lower back issue, but is going to make the upcoming road trip with the team and hoping to return by the end of it.
Kevin Love added 17 points and 16 rebounds for his 19th double-double of the season.
The Cavs are now 19-17 overall, and 1-6 without James this season.
Much of the conversation leading up to the game and during it centered on two trades the Cavs made in the last three days, acquiring Timofey Mozgov from Denver as well as J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from New York.
Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the trades and talked about the loss to Houston during the postgame show.
The trio talked about whether the Cavs paid too much in their recent trades and which player will have the biggest impact. They also talked about James' status, his impending return, David Blatt's fourth quarter lineup and the kind of role Smith will play now that he is in Cleveland.
It was a back-and-forth game between the two teams, one that featured 14 lead changes and nine ties, but the Rockets started to pull away in the fourth quarter, even with leading scorer James Harden on the bench for the first eight minutes. Houston outscored Cleveland, 32-19 in the final period.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The talk leading up to the Cleveland Cavaliers' game against the Houston Rockets centered on two trades the Cavs made in the span of three days. Excitement built with new shooting guard J.R. Smith making his wine and gold debut.
But the Rockets were a rude guest on Wednesday night, beating the Cavs, 105-93.
It was a back-and-forth game between the two teams, one that featured 14 lead changes and nine ties, but the Rockets started to pull away in the fourth quarter, even with leading scorer James Harden on the bench for the first eight minutes. Houston outscored Cleveland, 32-19, in the final period.
Kyrie Irving, who sat out Monday's loss against Philadelphia with a back injury, looked rested and healthy. He scored 23 points in the first half as the Cavs trailed by one at the break, 49-48.
Irving carried the blistering start into the second half, scoring 11 points in the third quarter, upping his total to 34. That's when Kevin Love started to make it a two-man show. After scoring two points, both free throws, in the first half, Love erupted for 11 points on 5-of-8 from the field in the third.
But neither player could keep pace with the offensively-charged Rockets late. Irving scored four points, going 1-of-6 from the field in the fourth quarter. Love scored four, hitting one of his four shots.
Meanwhile, the Rockets used a balanced attack, having seven players finish in double figures, led by Harden, who overcame a tough shooting night (6-of-18) to lead the Rockets with 21 points.
The arrival of Timofey Mozgov, a 7-footer acquired from Denver on Wednesday night, can't come soon enough for the Cavs. Without a rim protector, they once again showed little resistance in the paint as Houston scored 46 points inside. The Rockets also outrebounded the Cavs, 50-37, and had 24 second-chance points.
Dwight Howard inflicted most of the damage in the paint, scoring 17 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Newly acquired Josh Smith added 16 points off the bench as Houston shot 45 percent from the floor.
Irving finished with 38 points on 15-of-26 shooting for the Cavaliers. Love added 17 points. Tristan Thompson overcame a rough first half, dealing with foul trouble, to finish with 11 points and six rebounds. The Cavs shot 41 percent from the field.
The Cavs, 19-17, have now lost three straight, and are 1-6 this season without LeBron James, who missed his sixth straight game with knee and back injuries.
Houston upped its record to 24-11.
The new guy
J.R. Smith, the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year, entered the game at the 5:48 mark for Matthew Dellavedova. It marked Smith's first minutes in the wine and gold.
Smith, unfamiliar with the offense, hadn't practiced with the team before Wednesday's game against Houston, so he took a different approach to his first contest.
"When in doubt, shoot the ball," Smith said.
He took three shots in the first six minutes, and missed all three. The second half didn't get much better. He played 19 minutes in his debut, scoring zero points and picking up three fouls while missing all five shot attempts.
Not starting over
The Cavs will have to blend three players into the roster after the trades. Blatt knows it will take some time and considers it a fresh start for him and the team. It's a chance to regroup. But James doesn't see it the same way.
"No, we don't start from square one," James said before the game. "The guys coming now will just have to learn on the fly. The good thing is we're bringing in some guys who have played some basketball. I know (Timofey) Mozgov played for Coach Blatt on the national team. That helps with his relationship with coach. J.R. has probably seen every system even though Coach Blatt has brought a different system from overseas, he'll get adjusted pretty fast and I'm sure Shumpert will as well. We won't start from scratch. We don't have time to start from scratch, but it is still a process."
LeBron getting close to a return?
James met with the media before Wednesday night's game to discuss his knee and back injuries. James has been rehabbing three to four times a day, he said, and admitted he hasn't felt well all season.
"Week one is complete, they say I got one more left," he said.
James, who hasn't been on the bench during his injury, will travel with the team on the road trip, hoping to return to the lineup.
General Manager David Griffin expects James to be back for against the Los Angeles Lakers, the penultimate game of the trip. That game is Jan. 15 inside the Staples Center.
Bench woes
Without Dion Waiters, who was traded to Oklahoma City, the bench was a problem on Wednesday.
The second unit was outscored 37-13. James Jones was the leading scorer off the bench. He had six points. Corey Brewer scored 12 for Houston.
Who's next?
The Cavaliers will begin a five-game Western Conference road trip in Golden State. It will be the first meeting of the year between the Cavs and Warriors, the team with the best record in the NBA.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph five-star forward Carlton Bragg committed to Kansas on Thursday.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph five-star forward Carlton Bragg committed to Kansas on Thursday.
Bragg is the third Division I commit for the Vikings.
Bragg is the third Division I commit for the Vikings.
LeBron James was in Miami Sunday while the Cavaliers played a home game.
OAKLAND, Calif. -- So "continuous sitting" for a couple hours at a Cavaliers home game was bad for LeBron James' aching body parts, but a three-hour flight to Miami was OK.
James, who has missed the past six games with a strained left knee and lower back, traveled to Miami Sunday while the Cavaliers played a home game at The Q.
His trip was approved by General Manager David Griffin and team physician Dr. Richard Parker, the Cavs said, and James was not at The Q at any point for the Cavs' game Sunday.
James' Miami trip was first reported by ESPN.com.
James was permitted to go to Miami to continue rehabilitation on Monday and Tuesday, and return Wednesday. Team training staff "supported" James in Miami, according to the Cavs, which likely means his long-time personal trainer Mike Mancias (who is employed by the team) went with him.
Miami, of course, is the city where James spent the past four seasons playing for the Miami Heat, and where the Cavaliers were for a Christmas Day game.
On Thursday, the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported that James had not been around his Cavs teammates or coaches since Dec. 31 -- a home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in which James didn't play.
Asked Wednesday about James' elongated absence from the team, Cleveland coach David Blatt said: "He hasn't been around per orders of the doctor.
"He's not supposed to be doing a whole lot of continuous sitting, or a lot of the team activities that are going on during games," Blatt said. "So that was really by design."
James missed the team's two road trips -- to Charlotte and Philadelphia -- and was also "excused" from the team's home game Sunday while rehabbing his injuries. On Wednesday, Cavaliers spokesman Tad Carper told the Northeast Ohio Media Group that James was "at home Sunday."
Carper said Thursday he was unaware James was in Miami. It was not immediately clear if Blatt knew James had gone south.
James' absence followed the Cavs' announcement on New Year's Day that he would miss at least two weeks to rest and rehabilitate those nagging injuries.
James did attend Cleveland's home loss to the Rockets Wednesday evening and traveled with the team to the West coast Thursday and is "on target" to resume play some time during this five-game trip that begins Friday against Golden State.
James was asked Wednesday about not being around his teammates for a week, and he said "that's difficult for sure, not being with the guys, and me being a team guy and a camaraderie guy, it was difficult for sure."
James also mentioned that "it helps that we're going to some warmer cities so my body could use that as well." The Cavs' next five games are in California and Phoenix.
James said he has been rehabbing his injuries "three to four times per day," and hasn't touched a basketball in a week.
This story was updated with additional information.
Asked on ESPN if he could root for Ohio State, Hoke said, "Uhh, you know what, that's hard for me."
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jim Harbaugh is starting to make the rounds. But Brady Hoke hasn't disappeared.
Michigan's new coach and its old one are both making media appearances this week, as coaches from around college football flock to ESPN and other outlets to talk about Monday's National Championship between Ohio State and Oregon. But they actually do it to get free recruiting facetime, hoping high school players think it's cool they're on TV, and put in plugs for their programs.
Urban Meyer did it when he arrived at Ohio State and when the Buckeyes were banned from the postseason in 2012.
Hoke, Penn State coach James Franklin and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly were part of ESPN's coverage Thursday. Harbaugh appeared with the NFL Network's Rich Eisen, and may later join the ESPN crew in North Texas.
And it was all a reminder that it's a new world in the Big Ten, and in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. Harbaugh will be rooting for the Buckeyes.
Eisen asks Harbaugh if he should root for B1G/Ohio State on Monday: "I'm going to be rooting for Ohio State," Harbaugh says
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 8, 2015
Harbaugh says for Big Ten football, midwest football, "I think it's just fabulous a team in our conference is playing in that game."
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 8, 2015
You'll note: Harbaugh said "Ohio State" ... so, maybe that thing gets put to sleep.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 8, 2015
"That thing" is Hoke's penchant for referring to Ohio State as "Ohio," a trend that worked its way though the entire Michigan football team and even found its way over to the basketball team.
While talking about the Buckeyes on ESPN, Hoke did call the Buckeyes "Ohio State" at least once, but he also called them "Ohio" at times. And when asked if he'd be rooting for the Buckeyes, he couldn't go where Harbaugh went.
Brady Hoke on ESPN if he'll be pulling for Ohio State: "Uhh, you know what, that's hard for me."
— Doug Lesmerises (@DougLesmerises) January 8, 2015
So Hoke won't be rooting for Urban Meyer and the scarlet and gray. But when asked to make picks for the game, Kelly went with Ohio State, Franklin chose Oregon and Hoke ... picked Ohio.
The 38th annual Ohio RV Supershow is setting records this week at the I-X Center.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 38th annual Ohio RV Supershow is setting records this week at the I-X Center. The biggest indoor recreational vehicle expo in the country, the show is hosting its most expansive show in the group's history.
"We've got more recreational vehicles than ever before, and we're showing them off in a record amount of space at the I-X Center," said Show Chairman Barry Chiron of All Seasons RV in Streetsboro. "The RV industry was hit hard by the recession the last few years, but now we're back and growing again."
An improved economy is luring people to RV shows and dealerships, said Chiron. But so are new and innovative recreational vehicles with a wealth of creature comforts.
"The 12 Great Lakes Recreational Vehicle Association dealers at the show have a larger selection of units this year, especially lightweight travel trailers," Chiron said. "The new units have all of the amenities of home, from water faucets like you'd have at home to surprising new floor plans and decors."
The reduced weight of the modern units has made them easier to tow, with improved fuel efficiency. The biggest surprise is the expandability of today's crowd of vehicles.
"The travel trailers and motor homes – from 17- and 18-footers to the 40-footers -- all seem to have new floor plans and multiple pullouts," said Chiron. "Some RVs now have four or five pullouts to make them really spacious inside."
The show runs through Sunday. Show hours are noon-9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $12.50, a three-day pass $20. Kids 12 and under are free.
Show season is here: The Mid-America Boat Show and the Cleveland Outdoor Adventure Show are both invading the I-X Center next week. The boat show runs Jan. 15-19 and the outdoor show is Jan. 16-18. For show hours and admission check the Outdoor Calendar at cleveland.com/outdoors.
The Northeast Ohio Sportsman Show is at the Buckeye Event Center in Dalton on Jan. 16-17. The Ashtabula County Outdoor Sports Show is Jan. 24 at the Saybrook Banquet Centre in Ashtabula. The Northern Ohio Fly Fishing Expo is moving to the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center in Brecksville on Jan. 31.
Tie flies with Jerry Darkes: The Strongsville master of fly tying, Jerry Darkes has a batch of winter classes that begin with a Beginner Fly Tying Class and lead to Simple and Advanced Steelhead Patterns and Warm Water Fly Patterns. The Basic Fly Tying Classes starts Wednesday at the Backpackers Shop in Sheffield Village and Jan. 19 at The Rodmakers Shoppe in Strongsville. The classes begin at 7 p.m. For the full listing of times, cost and other details of the Darkes' fly-tying instructional events call the shops or visit the Outdoor Calendar.
Zarts on trolling: Fishing guide and tournament angler Gary Zart of Brunswick and his son, Nicholas, have a few tickets left for their Trolling For Walleye Seminar at The Rodmaker's Shoppe in Strongsville on Saturday from noon-3 p.m. Cost is $20 and includes lunch. Call 440-572-0400 to reserve a seat.
In a bassin' mood: Tournament bass fishermen can't let themselves slide into hibernation, despite the winter ice and snow. The 2015 tournament trails are quickly filling around Ohio. The amazing Mosquito Madness X on May 2-3 at Mosquito Reservoir, the richest local bass event, already boasts a full field of 100 two-angler teams.
The majority of the Ohio bass and walleye tournaments are listed at Cleveland.com/outdoors, as well as at dobass.com.
The X-Series, presented by Vic's Sports Center, is limiting its lineup to 80 two-angler teams this year for its series of five tournaments that begins April 12 with its Kick-Off at the Lakes, a Portage Lakes competition. The Northern Open Anglers Association is also capping fields for its five events, beginning at Mosquito Reservoir on April 18.
The Kent State University bass fishing team is hosting the KSU Mosquito Thaw Open bass tournament on April 4, and college anglers should be interested. There is a special $1,000 check for the top student competitor.
Deer harvest down: The primitive weapons deer hunting season results were down 17 percent, with Ohio hunters tagging 13,726 bucks and does.
