The Cavaliers and Pistons continue their series on Wednesday. Will the Pistons challenge the Cavaliers the rest of this series? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers needed a strong fourth quarter to beat the Pistons on Sunday in Game 1 of their playoff series. Of course, the Pistons needed an uncharacteristic afternoon of shooting to make it interesting.

Will Detroit challenge the Cavaliers during the remainder of this series? Will they be able to drag the series to a sixth or even seventh game? Michael Reghi and Bud Shaw discussed Game 1 and looked ahead to the remainder of the series as part of our weekly series of videos.

Michael Brantley was all of 122 days old when his father had the game of his life.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Michael Brantley was all of 122 days old when his father had the game of his life.

Mickey Brantley clubbed 32 home runs during his major league career, which spanned 302 games with the Seattle Mariners from 1986-89. He socked three of those 32 long balls in one contest, and it came against the Cleveland Indians.

On Sept. 14, 1987, Brantley tallied five hits in six at-bats, with three home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored. It marked the only multi-homer game of the outfielder's career. He established career highs -- which he would never top -- in hits, RBI and runs.

The former second-round draft selection batted .302 with an .842 OPS, 14 home runs, 54 RBIs, 23 doubles and 13 stolen bases in 92 games that year. Overall, he posted a .259/.300/.407 slash line in his four big league seasons.

Late in the 1987 season, Brantley often batted leadoff for manager Dick Williams, who directed Seattle to a 78-84 record. The Indians, who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated at the start of the year, finished 61-101, missing the mark -- by a few light years -- on the magazine's World Series projection for the club.

The Plain Dealer article the day after Brantley's performance.Courtesy of Jeremy Feador/Cleveland Indians curator

The Indians did have enough offensive firepower to survive Brantley's outburst on that Monday at the Kingdome. The Tribe won, 11-8, behind three hits apiece from Tommy Hinzo, Joe Carter and Brook Jacoby, but it wasn't easy. The Plain Dealer's game story reads: "The Indians outscored Mickey Brantley last night, 11-7, inside the Kingdome. When they got done with Seattle's center fielder, they finished off the rest of the Mariners, 11-8, in a pitching nightmare witnessed by 7.839 fans."

Here's a look at Brantley's night.

First inning: Brantley slugged a leadoff homer against Tribe starter Rich Yett.

Second inning: He collected an RBI single to left off of Reggie Ritter.

Fourth inning: He tagged Ritter for a two-run shot.

Sixth inning: He singled to right against Scott Bailes.

Seventh inning: He deposited a three-run homer into the seats against Bailes.

Ninth inning: He grounded out against Cleveland closer Doug Jones

Brantley eventually served as a coach for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. He often works with his son on hitting during the winter.

How Mickey Brantley helped his son to a career year

The Mariners begin a three-game series against the Indians on Tuesday evening. Michael Brantley will not have a chance to return the favor against his father's old team. The younger Brantley is on a minor-league rehab assignment, as he nears completion of his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery.

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin knew he'd be a target of criticism for firing David Blatt. He feels more strongly than ever that he made the right move.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- No NBA coach has ever been fired with a 30-11 mid-season record, especially after his team went to the NBA Finals the previous season.

But the Cavs did just that when they replaced David Blatt with Tyronn Lue, who had been Blatt's top assistant coach.

David Griffin took over as the Cavs interim general manager on February 6, 2014. The interim tag was dropped at the end of the 2013-14 regular season. Most of his moves have been well received by Cavs fans and the local media.

Only the firing of Blatt has been strongly questioned.

"David really didn't do anything inherently wrong," said Griffin. "It just wasn't the right fit. It was clear throughout the process that the players were looking to Ty for clarification on a number of things."

Griffin is careful not to say anything negative about Blatt, who was hired in the summer of 2014 before LeBron James announced his return to the Cavs. Blatt came from the Euroleague, where he coached Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Russian National Team.

He was the first NBA head coach who had never played in the NBA, been a USA college coach or assistant or an assistant NBA coach. In other words, all his coaching background was overseas.

That was a hard sell to the players, who simply didn't know him.

In interviews with Blatt and Griffin a year ago, both said Blatt was hired to coach a younger team where there would be some patience. The return of James changed all that.

WHY FIRE BLATT?

The question will hang over the Cavs, at least until the end of the playoffs.

Other than making some general comments about the spirit of the team and "accountability," Griffin has little to say about the coaching change. He doesn't want to be critical of Blatt. Nor does he want to leave the impression that the players were the sole reason for switching to Lue.

"We (the players) are radically more engaged with each other," said Griffin. "You can see it on an night-in, night-out basis just by watching the bench during games. David wasn't impeding that. He just didn't hold people accountable enough for them to have a level of trust in each other that we'd like."

Griffin did not discuss this. but it was obvious James received very favorable treatment from Blatt, who often was reluctant to challenge his star. That created problems because other players thought even by NBA star standards, James was given too much leeway.

Furthermore, when James pushed some teammates to be accountable, they would wonder why he wasn't being held to same standards, such as getting on defense, etc.

"The first thing Ty did was hold LeBron (James) accountable," said Griffin. "That was true with others players, too. It began in his first film session as coach."

It's clear the Cavs brass had doubts about Blatt with this team and the pressure to win now with James.

If the Cavs had kept Blatt and failed to win a title, the question would linger, "Would it have been different with Lue?"

The Cavs also knew some of the players (not just James) had doubts about Blatt. Firing him took away that excuse for losing. It also put the players in a position where they needed to embrace Lue.

After all, the players wanted the former NBA point guard and Doc Rivers assistant coach as their head coach.

A TOUGH SPOT

Blatt's supporters will mention the team had a 30-11 record under Europe's most decorated coach. They were 27-14 after Lue took over.

"I told everyone that things were likely to get worse before they got better after the change," said Griffin. "I know the (coaching) change was somewhat unprecedented. We were going to make some significant changes, and it was going to take Ty a while to get his feet on the ground."

The Cavs played the fourth-easiest schedule in the NBA during the first 41 games. It was the 10th hardest in the second 41 games, the period that Lue coached.

James only missed one game in the first 41. He sat out five when Lue became coach as they rested their star for the playoffs.

"At one point, we had 23 games in 41 days," said Griffin. "When Ty took over, we were changing offensive and defensive schemes and there were periods where we had absolutely no practice days. We put him in a very tough spot."

The 38-year-old Lue played 11 years in the NBA. He had been an assistant since 2009.

"Ty has the respect of having done it as a player in the league," said Griffin. "He also was the kind of player that was about everything he's asking his players to be about. Ty is a man's man. He absolutely doesn't let anything slip."

WILL THE CHANGE WORK?

One of Lue's short-term goals was to coax the Cavs into playing at a faster pace. That didn't quite happen.

But the offense made a major change, scoring 14.1 points more per 100 possessions under Lue. On his watch, it's at 114.1 points per 100 possession -- that's an elite level.

"What we ended up doing was radically improving our offense," said Griffin. "Given the weapons we have, we didn't think we were playing up to our expectations on offense (prior to the coaching change)."

Griffin admitted the Cavs "took a step back defensively" after the change.

"Ty's speciality is defense." said Griffin. "When he was our defensive coordinator (under Blatt), defense was the strongest part of our team. When he stepped into the role (as head coach) and wanted to do things differently on offense, our defense slipped.

"In the playoffs, there is time between games for Ty to handle the defensive preparation like last year."

Griffin's point is the regular season was "a no-win for Ty." The Cavs were asking him to make some tactical changes (that he also wanted done) that would lead to some rocky stretches.

"There was no upside for him," said Griffin. "But Ty doesn't worry about that. For us to be good come playoff time, he had to make some painful changes. His goal is not to look like a great coach. His goal is not to sell slogans on T-shirts. He's trying to get people to play the right way, and he has a knack for that."

Cleveland Cavaliers have been labeled as dysfunctional despite having the best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference. Is that fair?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers Cavaliers went to the 2015 NBA Finals and followed it up with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 57-25.

Can a team like that be dysfunctional?

If you listen to some in the media and some fans, the Cavs are very dysfunctional. Kind of hard to believe that in the same city where the Browns have been the NFL worst franchise since 1999.

But we live in the age of instant labeling.

Because the Cavs can at times be frustrating and inconsistent, they must be dysfunctional.

Because the Cavs fired their coach after a 30-11 start, they must be dysfunctional.

Because the Cavs have LeBron James and all the drama that comes with the NBA's biggest star, they must be dysfunctional.

Because the Cavs have a Big Three in Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and James and they don't always blend smoothly on the court, they must be dysfunctional.

Because the Cavs had some players who didn't buy into former coach David Blatt, they must be dysfunctional.

Really? Dysfunctional?

If someone told you at the start of the season that with Irving, Love and Shumpert coming off major surgeries the team would finish 57-25, would you call that dysfunctional?

Is that fair?

"We've had a lot of noise around our team," said Cavaliers general manager David Griffin. "Some of it is because LeBron is very comfortable in controversy. He is comfortable in adversity, so I think he creates some of it."

It was that way with James when he was in Cleveland from 2003-10. And when he was in Miami from 2010-14. Many fans aren't aware of that, or forgot about it.

We also live in a media age where player tweets, photos and almost every quote are hyperanalyzed, especially if a superstar is the source.

A REALISTIC LOOK

But what really happened this season?

More than 20 years ago, Bill Fitch went through a period coaching the Nets when players would refuse to enter games when he asked them to do so. The team also made the playoffs and lost to the Cavs in the first round in 1992.

The Washington Wizards had firearms in the locker room. That was in 2009.

The Lakers had conflict and drama between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

The Orlando Magic held a players only meeting in Penny Hardaway's hotel room and voted to have coach Brian Hill fired. That was in 1997. Hill was indeed fired.

The NBA is a very tough league on coaches. Only six have been with their current teams for at least four seasons. That's 6-of-30.

"Last year, LeBron called out Kevin Love in a way people in the media knew it was directed at Kevin," said Griffin. "This year, clearly he wasn't calling out his  teammates -- but everyone wanted to believe that was happening because it's a juicy story."

Griffin paused and sighed.

"It's a better story for some in the media that the Cavs are dysfunctional and there's something wrong," he said. "I can't control the fact everyone wants this to be a greater story than it is.

"We were a team that wasn't very good a few years ago and we're getting better. That's the big story here."

LEBRON'S TRIP  TO MIAMI

During the break in the schedule, James went to Miami to visit Dwyane Wade, his former Heat teammate.

"It was a total non-story," said Griffin. "Every bit of it was an non-story."

Griffin was aware of James planning to visit Wade. Their families were also getting together. They are close friends.

While some in the media were debating the trip, James was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month in February...

In March...

In April...

"He's playing at such an elite level," said Griffin.

Griffin admitted his team sometimes "played as if it was clearly bored, and that bothered me."

So he's not blind to the obvious faults that fans also see. But his point was the team also was building toward the playoffs, resting key players and limiting the minutes of James and others. And it's a team still building an identity after two years with James.

The Cavs will be judged by one standard -- how they perform in the playoffs. Do they reach The Finals again? Can they manage to win a title?

The fact that they are a team with the NBA's third-best record and facing huge expectations for reaching the Finals again is hardly an indication of a team that is dysfunctional.

Cleveland Cavaliers are facing far greater expectations in this year's playoffs than in 2015, and general manager David Griffin says that has an impact on the team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A year ago, the Cavs were Team Happy as they entered the playoffs.

They were 19-20 as they neared the midpoint of the 82-game season. Then came some big trades by general manager David Griffin. LeBron James overcame some back problems.

The team grew together, finishing on a 34-9 sprint into the postseason.

"We came into last season's playoffs as the Hunter," said Griffin. "We were still trying to prove we could be a good team. This year, it's different (after reaching the 2015 Finals). We are the Hunted. Last year, we were galvanized because we started 19-20 and then we caught fire after the trades (for Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith)."

• (Editor's note: First of four stories with GM David Griffin posting today.)

In the last two seasons, Griffin has noticed his team "sometimes doesn't play well with the yoke of expectations, and sometimes doesn't play well with prosperity."

But the Cavs do tend to excel under adversity.

They faced it in the middle of 2014-15 after the 19-20 start and the trades. It happened again in the 2015 playoffs when Kevin Love was injured in the first round, and Kyrie Irving fought injuries and missed games throughout much of the postseason.

Griffin mentioned how it's easy to forget the Cavs opened the season with Irving (fractured kneecap) and Shumpert (wrist surgery) missing games. Mozgov was slow to recover from his knee surgery.

"We didn't lose games because of all the injuries," he said. "But we were sort of jumbled. At times, we lacked continuity and it showed."

Griffin's goal for the summer "was to bring back the band."

That meant re-sign Love, Thompson and Shumpert. It meant adding some veterans -- Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson. It meant playing from Day One with a championship in mind, not simply having the best record in the Eastern Conference.

At 57-25, the Cavs did have the best record in the East.

THIS SEASON'S CHALLENGE

Griffin admits he and the coaching staff struggled with how much to rest players and how to squeeze the most of the regular season.

"The residue of all the injuries at the end of last season left a bad taste with everyone," he said. "There has been a very measured approach from the sports science (department) working to avoid all the kind of gut-wrenching injuries that we had last year."

What Griffin didn't say is Irving has a history of battling injuries. He missed an average of 11 games in his first four pro seasons. Then he suffered the fractured kneecap in the 2015 Finals.

Shumpert had ACL knee surgery in 2012. He had a dislocated shoulder when the Cavs traded for him on January 5, 2015. He had wrist surgery this summer, causing him to miss 28 games. He also had his knee drained right before the playoffs.

Love missed the final three rounds of the 2015 playoffs because of shoulder surgery, but he returned to action this season ready to play on opening day. Yet, it was wise to proceed with caution.

Mozgov was ready to open the season, but his knee was not 100 percent after surgery.

James was healthy all year, partly because of all the work that he puts in and the new approach he and the Cavs have taken to keeping him in the best shape possible.

Griffin admitted that "everyone in their own hearts had a little bit of 'I just want to make it to the playoffs (healthy) so we can see who we really are.'"

PLAYOFF ANXIETY

That led to a fear.

"I worry that we blew too many opportunities to get better because we weren't always playing hard enough," he said. "It goes back to all the injuries last year."

San Antonio takes the same approach, resting key players and not obsessing with a glowing regular season record. Yet, they still win very big before the playoffs. This season, they finished 67-15.

"Their system has been in place for years," said Griffin. "Their level of accountability and how Pop (coach Gregg Popovich) makes them feel about each other is unique."

Popovich has been the Spurs head coach for 20 years. He has won five titles. His core players of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginbolli and Tony Parker have been on four of those title teams.

"You don't become the Spurs overnight," said Griffin. "You don't feel beholden to each other like their players do overnight. It takes years of being together, and of being beaten and sharpened over time."

Griffin believes the mid-season coaching change from David Blatt to Tyronn Lue helped the Cavs in terms of becoming a closer team.

"Ty made guys more accountable in terms of film study and being more beholden," he said.

Griffin said one of Lue's themes to the players is, "This is a competition, not a show."

At times, the Cavs were so talented, they could win games almost acting as if it were show ... entertainment.

"We are going to face teams now where every game, every play is a competition," he said. "We can't be lethargic. At times, the fans became lethargic because they took our lead. It was our fault. They fed off us. We need to bring the energy the moment we step into the building, and we need the same from our fans."

Griffin paused, then repeated: "It's not a show, it's a competition. And we have to be ready."

Bryan Shaw and closer Cody Allen each pitched a scoreless inning Tuesday night and the offense managed nine hits and three runs against lefty Wade Miley in the Tribe's 3-2 win over Seattle. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw pitched similar innings Tuesday night at Progressive Field. Shaw's was full of dread. Allen pitched to the scoreboard and saved his fourth straight game in a 3-2 win by the Indians over Seattle.

Last year manager Terry Francona said late-inning relievers are like field goal kickers. They're only as good as their last kick. If that is the case, Shaw has spent the early part of this season being wide right, while Allen has been right down the middle.

Allen's last pitch before Tuesday night came in four-out save against the Mets on Saturday. So when he gave up a leadoff double to Seattle first baseman Adam Lind in the ninth with a 3-1 lead, the small crowd of 9,393 murmured, but did not revolt.

Lind scored on a deep fly ball to center and a ground ball to second. Allen still had the lead and when he struck out pinch-hitter Franklin Gutierrez, he had the save as well.

"Obviously, you don't want to do that, but Lind's run didn't mean anything," said Allen. "We were going to work to preserve lead."

Mission accomplished, so why didn't things feel as secure when Shaw started the eighth? Well, on his last time out, Shawn hit the upright.

On Saturday against the Mets, in the same game Francona needed Allen to get the last four outs of the game, Shaw started the eighth with a 7-1 lead. Six batters and two homers run later it was a 7-5 game. It looked a lot like Shaw's seventh inning against the White Sox on April 9 on a brutally cold day at U.S. Cellular Field when he turned a 3-2 lead into a 7-3 loss in the span of seven hitters.

Shaw suffers double whammy against White Sox

Francona said Shaw would be fine after Saturday's game. He said there would be no change in his role and Tuesday night, with the Tribe leading, 3-1, there was Shaw in the eighth. He retired the leadoff hitter, but allowed a double to Robinson Cano. Nelson Cruz followed with a long drive into foul territory in the right field corner. Collin Cowgill made a nice catch for the second out.

Shaw closed the inning by striking out Kyle Seager, who homered off Carlos Carrasco in the sixth and is hitting .381 (48-for-126) in his career against the Indians. Is Shaw back to being the dependable set-up man who entered this season with the most appearances in the big leagues over the last three years? At the very least, was anyone worried about him?

"No one is worried about him," said Allen. "He's about as consistent as they come. I was in the same spot last year."

It is one thing to be a struggling middle reliever. But when a set-up man or closer go bad, and a correction isn't quickly made, they don't stay in those roles long. Those roles belong to game breakers, one way or the other.

That's why Francona showed his faith in Shaw on Tuesday. Two weeks from now it might not be the same deal. But right now Shaw is the best option Francona has. He's a proven commodity, a reliever who has done the job for Francona for three straight seasons. The same cannot be said for Zach McAllister, Jeff Manship, Joba Chamberlain, Dan Otero, Ross Detwiler and Trevor Bauer.

Could trip to pen be positve for Trevor Bauer?

By late May, if Shaw is still having problems, it could be different. By that time Francona will have a much better read on the arms in his bullpen. With the nature bullpens, who knows if the same eight arms will be even there by then.

"Bullpens takes shape a little differently," said Allen. "They kind of morph into their own thing throughout the season every year. Once we start playing consistently here on this next road trip, you'll see this kind of fall into place.

"We 've got a lot of really good weapons that we can use in a lot of different spots. Once the ball starts rolling a little bit and guys start falling into roles that's when you see the strength of the bullpen."

The Indians finished with nine hits against lefty Wade Miley. It's the most they've had against a lefty starter this season and they've had plenty of practice. They're 6-5 and have faced left-handed starters seven times. The charge of lefties has not been greeted warmly by many of the Indians' hitters. As a team they entered Tuesday's game hitting .200 against lefties.

Tribe seeing lefties here, there, everywhere

Then there is Mike Napoli, who can't get enough of them. When asked about facing so many lefties this early in the season, Napoli said, "It's nice for me."

He doubled home Francisco Lindor with two out in the third for the Tribe's first run against the Mariners. For the year, he's hitting .286 (6-for-21) with three doubles, one homer and three RBI against lefties.

"Usually against lefties, I feel real comfortable," said Napoli.

The same can be said for the switch-hitting Lindor, who went 3-for-3 with a walk against Miley and lefty reliever Mike Montgomery. Lindor is hitting .326 (14-for-43) overall and .458 (11-for-24) against lefties.

On a chilly April evening Tuesday, they were joined by several players who haven't done much against the lefty onslaught. Marlon Byrd had two hits, while Jason Kipnis, Juan Uribe and Rajai Davis each had a hit and a walk against Miley.

The Indians had to be encouraged by that. Before the game Francona said he didn't think teams were purposely rearranging their rotations to make sure their lefties faced the Tribe. At times last year, when the Indians went 24-31 in games started by lefties, he felt that was the case.

Anything to keep the left-handed wolf from the door is a good thing.

See a list of the 15 best prospects from Big Ten Conference for the 2016 NFL Draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ohio State is offering a large group of talent for this year's NFL Draft, led by running back Ezekiel Elliott and defensive end Joey Bosa.

But which players are catching the most attention from analysts, scouts and NFL teams from the Big Ten Conference? See below for the 15 best draft prospects from the conference.

Elliott led all conference rushers with 1,672 yards and 19 touchdowns. He averaged 139.3 yards per game for Ohio State before picking up the Tribune Silver Trophy. Click below to see his profile.

Ezekiel Elliott

Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook threw for 2,921 yards and 24 touchdowns this season before earning the Johnny Unitas Arm Award. Cook was the winningest QB in Michigan State's history (34-4) as a starter. Click below to see his profile.

Connor Cook

Bosa led the conference with 13.5 TFLs, ahead of Northwestern Anthony Walker's 12.5. The Fort Lauderdale native and conference defensive player of the year ended his final season with 21 sacks. Click below to see his profile.

Joey Bosa

Top draft prospects by school

Michigan

Graham Glasgow, C

Michigan State

Jack Allen, C

Shilique Calhoun, DE

Jack Conklin, OT

Ohio State

Eli Apple, CB

Vonn Bell, DB

Taylor Decker, OT

Michael Thomas, WR

Nick Vannett, TE

Adolphus Washington, DT

Penn State

Christian Hackenberg, QB

Austin Johnson, DT

Cleveland sports fans wonder about the next championship parade, the Browns draft and what LeBron James has up his sleeve in the NBA playoffs -- Bud Shaw's You Said It

Watch the video trailer and read the TV pitch for the show starring linebacker Dante Booker and safety Malik Hooker, two new defensive starters for the Buckeyes in 2016. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The TV pitch for the new fall football/crime drama "Booker & Hooker," starring junior linebacker Dante Booker, Jr. and redshirt sophomore safety Malik Hooker.

AUTHOR NAME: Urban Meyer/Luke Fickell/Greg Schiano

TITLE OF SHOW: "Booker & Hooker"

FORMAT OF SHOW: Weekly 3-hour drama airing mostly Saturday afternoons, some nights.

LOGLINE: Plunged into uncertainty, new starters Dante Booker Jr. and Malik Hooker pursue opposing offenses on the football field, then pursue justice off it. Watch out quarterbacks, watch out crime.

OVERVIEW: "Booker & Hooker" follows a linebacker and a safety as they step in as two of the eight new starters on the Ohio State defense in the fall or 2016 and as two of the 16 overall new starters for a team that is reshaping itself after going 26-2 the last two seasons.

Despite their inexperience, both Booker and Hooker will be looked at as sure things on the defense, starters the coaches believe they can rely upon after watching them in practice the last two years and in spring practice.

"It's just how you carry yourself on an everyday basis," Booker said. "Not just always on the football field, it's in weight training, with school, handling your business. And that shows guys you're serious about this program and what you have to offer."

PILOT SYNOPSIS: Ohio State opens the season against Bowling Green on Sept. 3. Booker and Hooker will take the field on Saturday, then solve crimes for the rest of the weekend after the game is over.

But the focus of the action will be in Ohio Stadium, as the two are expected to often line up on the same side of the field. A year ago, linebacker Darron Lee and safety Vonn Bell often played in tandem as a rare one-two speed punch chasing down opposing offenses.

This season, all eyes will be on Booker & Hooker, who will line up in the same area and then provide a little more thump to the defense, with Booker at 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds and Hooker at 6-2 and 205.

They won't do it alone. They'll get after offenses together.

Booker has talked about rerouting receivers before they get to Hooker. Hooker talked about how strength coach Mickey Marotti would pair the two in the weight room in the offseason.

"Book, that's my man, that's my boy," Hooker said.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS:

* Dante Booker is an Ohio Mr. Football, the son of a former NFL player and a high school star at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. Middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan has said Booker is more athletic than Joshua Perry, the three-starter at weakside linebacker that he's replacing.

He was the No. 54 recruit in the nation in the Class of 2014.

"I feel like I can be a sure thing for this defense," Booker said.

* Malik Hooker, from Western Pennsylvania, had to give up basketball, his first love, before going all in as a football player and signing with Ohio State. Hooker has locked down a starting job in a crowded safety room by impressing Urban Meyer even before spring practice started. Then he made two interceptions and recorded 10 tackles in the spring game.

He was the No. 348 recruit in the nation in the Class of 2014.

"I'm very comfortable," Hooker said. "I just do what I'm asked and come out here and play my heart out for those guys. I'll give my all and get the win for Buckeye Nation."

And for justice.

hough it felt like we were a little off when we took 12 former Buckeyes in the top 100 and 14 overall, there's a chance that we could end up being right. How'd we do? Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Can Ohio State break the NFL record for most first-round picks in a single season and tie the record for total picks? 

When you let the three of us become NFL general managers for the day, that's what happens. 

Though it felt like we were a little off when we took 12 former Buckeyes in the top 100 and 14 overall, including seven in the first round, there's a chance that we could end up being right. Below are our picks and links to each individual player's selection. 

First round: 

* Joey Bosa: No. 5 overall to Jacksonville Jaguars (Ari) 

* Darron Lee: No. 10 overall to New York Giants (Bill) 

* Ezekiel Elliott: No. 12 overall to New Orleans Saints (Bill) 

* Michael Thomas: No. 14 overall to Oakland Raiders (Ari) 

* Eli Apple: No. 16 overall to Detroit Lions (Doug) 

* Taylor Decker: No. 22 overall to Houston Texans (Bill) 

* Vonn Bell: No. 31 overall to Denver Broncos (Bill) 

Second round: 

* Cardale Jones: No. 45 overall to LA Rams (Doug)

* Joshua Perry: No. 60 overall to New England Patriots (Bill) 

Third round:

* Nick Vannett: No. 77 overall to Philadelphia Eagles (Bill)

* Braxton Miller: No. 79 overall to Philadelphia Eagles (Doug)

Fourth round:

* Tyvis Powell: No. 99 to Cleveland Browns (Doug)

* Adolphus Washington: No. 109 overall to New York Giants (Ari)  

Sixth round:  

* Jalin Marshall: No. 180 to the Minnesota Vikings (Doug) 

There definitey were some steals and some reaches, all of which we discuss in the video above. But there's one remaining question: 

The Rams trade up to No. 1 has reignited the discussion about the Browns trading down. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There has long been talk of the Browns trading out of the No. 2 pick in this year's NFL Draft. That speculation intensified last week when the Rams leapfrogged the Browns to the No. 1 spot, muddying the waters in regards to the top two quarterbacks in the draft.

Has that trade changed opinions as to whether the Browns should trade the pick? Bud Shaw and Michael Reghi talk about what they would do now that the Browns aren't guaranteed their choice of quarterback.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will continue their playoff run on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. and the game will be shown on TNT and Fox Sports Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will continue their playoff run on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. and the game will be shown on TNT and Fox Sports Ohio. On radio, it will be simulcast on WTAM 1100 and 87.7 FM (ESP).

The Cavaliers took a 1-0 series lead on Sunday, beating the Pistons, 106-101, in a hard-fought Game 1.

In the win, Cleveland's Big Three -- LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love -- combined to score 81 points. It's the seventh time the trio has scored at least 80 points, improving to 7-0 in those games. 

Detroit, the No. 8 seed in the conference, has lost nine straight playoff games to the Cavaliers. In the most recent loss, the Pistons had four players in double figures scoring, including Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who had a team-high 21 points on 7-of-14 from the field. 

Following Wednesday's game, the series will shift to Detroit, with Game 3 on Friday night. 

Catch the coverage from before the game; join in the live chat starting at tipoff; and stick around for full postgame coverage. For all Cavs information, be sure to check out cleveland.com/cavs. 

LeBron James will pass Michael Jordan in playoff games tonight, but Jordan won six Finals to James' two thus far.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Michael Jordan was 34-years old when he played his 179^th and final playoff game in 1998.

You remember it. Trailing by a point in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, Jordan crossed over Bryon Russell, shoved him out of the way, and buried the game-winning, series-clinching, sixth-title-claiming shot at the buzzer.

It was Michael's final shot as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

Tonight, LeBron James passes him on the NBA's all-time list for playoff games.

"(It means) that he closed out series faster than me," James said of the comparison to Jordan. The Cavs host the Pistons in Game 2 of a first-round playoff series.

When the ball goes in the air, James will have played in his 180^th playoff game, tying Boston's Dennis Johnson for 16^th in league history. When Cleveland and Detroit reach Game 4 of this series, James will tie John Stockton for 15^th place at 182 games.

James' analysis of Jordan's 179 playoff games is actually a little off. Though Jordan has more series sweeps than James (9-7),  Jordan was in his 13^th season in 1998, which is where James is now. Whereas James has never lost a first-round series, Jordan struggled for years to get his Bulls into an Eastern Conference semifinal.

Where there is no comparison between the two, at least right now, is success in the Finals. Jordan was a cold-blooded 6-for-6 in Finals series wins, whereas James is 2-for-6.

At 31 and still in the prime of his career, James is counting on more opportunities to add to his trophy totals. He seemed to hint that he agreed Jordan's success in the Finals tints the discussion of who was the better player between the two.

"Obviously I know my focus is not on that right now to be able to harp on that conversation, which we can dive into that at a later time," James said. "For sure, I have a lot to talk about that now, but it's something that's on the other side of town on my brain right now.

"I've been fortunate enough to be healthy," James continued. "It's a testament to my work ethic, what I've been able to do and also the organizations that allowed me to be part of the postseason with them."

James was similarly loathe to reminisce on perhaps his finest playoff moment - which came against the Pistons. The day has gotten surprisingly little mention thus far in the current series, but both Cavs and Pistons fans remember it well.

In Game 5 of a 2007 East finals series, James scored 25 consecutive points and 29 of Cleveland's final 30 points to forge a 109-107 win in double-overtime. The Cavs captured Game 6 at The Q and reached their first Finals.

"I'm not one to harp on the past," James said. "I'm a guy who has always lived in the present and I know at that point in time it gave us a 3-2 lead coming back home and that's the only thing that I can remember is that I was exhausted, I gave everything that I could and we had 3-2 lead coming back home."

The polls are open, a debate looms on Thursday and our final election day is Tuesday. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The field has been narrowed, but divisive options remain in #BrownsDecision2016 as voters are now welcome to cast their ballot for what the Browns should do with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Draft a quarterback.

Draft a position other than quarterback.

None of the above.

Two primaries, one in the QB Party and one in the Not-QB party, have produced two final candidates, quarterback Carson Wentz of North Dakota State and defensive back Jalen Ramsey of Florida State.

Perhaps your candidate of choice - Jared Goff, Joey Bosa, Laremy Tunsil or Myles Jack- was defeated in the primary. You can still align yourself with the most deserving candidate or the party that matches your football draft beliefs.

When it comes to those beliefs, there is a third option, thanks to the rise of the Trade Down Party.

With a movement afoot, it became clear that merely a choice between two types of players at No. 2 wasn't enough. Voters needed another direction to turn.

Browns shopping No. 2 pick

Candidates will continue to make their cases between now and Tuesday, which will serve as general election day, though early voting starts immediately. 

Thursday, tune in to cleveland.com at 7 p.m. as we livestream a half-hour debate moderated by Bud Shaw between the QB Party and Not-QB Party, a political football showdown you won't want to miss. Will the Trade Down Party have anything to say on Thursday night?

Voters are allowed to return to vote again after an hour, so vote now and then see if the debate or any of our ongoing election coverage changes your mind.

One team, one pick, three choices.

The future of a franchise hangs in the balance. Make your voice heard.

QB Party commercial

Not-QB Party commercial

Trade Down Party commercial

#BrownsDecision2016 coverage

Primary election results

Trade Down Party enters the race

What is #BrownsDecision2016?

Massillon Perry OG Matt Carrick committed to Michigan State.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Massillon Perry offensive guard Matt Carrick announced his commitment to Michigan State on Wednesday.

Officially a Spartan! Can't wait to be a part of something special[?] #Spartan

-- Matt Carrick (@Matt_carrick56) April 20, 2016

Carrick, a 3-star guard, is the No. 36 prospect in Ohio according to 247Sports.com's composite rankings.

He also had offers from Iowa State, Toledo, Akron, Ohio and Miami (Ohio).

Carrick is the second guard in Michigan State's Class of 2017, joining Kevin Jarvis.

Catch up on all of Michigan State's recruits for the Class of 2017.

LeBron James chats with the media following shootaround on Wednesday, ahead of Game 2. Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers held shootaround on Wednesday morning, ahead of Game 2 of their first-round series against the Detroit Pistons. 

Wednesday's game will mark a milestone for LeBron James, as he will play his 180th postseason game, passing Michael Jordan for games played. 

LeBron set to pass Michael Jordan for postseason games played

Following shootaround, James discussed what it would mean to pass Jordan, the adjustments he expects the Pistons to make for Game 2, his mental preparation for the playoffs and the responsibilities of the Big Three. 

Watch the video above. 

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy reacts to Sports Illustrated's Fashionable 50 list at shootaround during the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs 2016. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy was upset at Wednesday's shootaround in Cleveland.

But it wasn't about his $25,000 fine for remarks about the officials during Game 1 of Eastern Conference Playoffs, instead how he wasn't included in Sports Illustrated's Fashionable 50 highlighting fashionable athletes.

"I got screwed," Van Gundy said jokingly. "The fact I wasn't on that list was a travesty. I'm known for my fashion. I was very disappointed."

Van Gundy said this was one question he should've been asked on Tuesday when the list came out highlighting fashionable athletes. The Pistons coach went on to talk about the game ahead, but this was one his memorable moments before Game 2 as the Pistons look to tie the series against the Cavaliers.

On Sunday, the Cavs won 106-101 in Game 1 against the Pistons.

See related: Tipoff time, TV channel and radio information for Game Two.

The Browns have traded down from No. 2 overall to No. 8, picking up an extra first-rounder in 2017 and a second-rounder in 2018.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns have traded down from No. 2 to No. 8 with the Eagles in the 2016 draft, taking themselves out of the running for one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft.

Cleveland.com reported Tuesday morning that the Browns were actively shopping the pick and that the Eagles were the likely trade partner.

The Browns get: 2016 No. 8 overall pick, the 2016 3rd round pick (No. 77 overall), the 2016 4th round pick (No. 100 overall), the 2017 first-round pick and 2018 second-round pick.

The Eagles get: The Browns' No. 2 overall pick and their 2017 fourth-round pick.

The trade ensures that the Browns will not get one of the top two quarterbacks in Carson Wentz or Jared Goff. The Rams will take one at No. 1 and the Eagles will take the other at No. 2.

The Browns have made it clear all along that they wanted to stockpile picks, and now they have 12 picks in the 2016 draft instead of 10.

They've also said they'll draft a quarterback at some point in this draft, and now they'll turn their attention to the second-tier quarterbacks such as Memphis' Paxton Lynch, Michigan State's Connor Cook and Penn State's Christian Hackenberg. 

None of the OSU sports teams are near the APR number that would cause trouble.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The NCAA released its latest APR figures on Wednesday, the Academic Progress Rates that serve as a gauge for how athletic programs and teams are keeping and graduating players.

The scale awards points for keeping players in school and eligible. The are no bonus points for high APR, but the idea to stay above a 930 rating on a 1,000-point scale over a four-year period. If not, you could be ineligible to compete in the postseason.

The numbers the NCAA released Wednesday were four-year averages up through the 2014-15 school year. 

Here's how Ohio State stacked up compared to other Big Ten teams.

Football

1. 992, Northwestern

1. 992, Wisconsin

1. 992, Minnesota

4. 989, Michigan

5. 982, Illinois

6. 981, Nebraska

7. 979, Indiana

8. 978, Michigan State

9. 977, Maryland

10. 972, Rutgers

11. 971, Ohio State

11. 971, Iowa

13. 968, Purdue

14. 960, Penn State

* Men's Basketball

1. 1,000, Michigan State

2. 995, Michigan

3. 990, Illinois

4. 985, Indiana

5. 984, Rutgers

6. 979, Northwestern

7. 976, Wisconsin

8. 975, Nebraska

9. 970, Penn State

10. 968, Iowa

11. 967, Ohio State

12. 965, Purdue

13. 960, Minnesota

14. 953, Maryland

Here are all the Ohio State sports listed in the NCAA database.

* All Ohio State sports

1. 1,000, women's cross country

1. 1,000, women's tennis

3. 997, women's ice hockey

4. 995, men's ice hockey

5. 991, women's golf

6. 990, women's lacrosse

7. 984, men's golf

7. 984, men's volleyball

7. 984, women's gymnastics

7. 984, women's soccer

11. 983, women's rowing

12. 982, women's swimming/diving

13. 980, men's lacrosse

13. 980, men's tennis

15. 978, women's fencing

16. 976, women's softball

17. 975, women's basketball

17. 975, men's soccer

19. 974, men's baseball

20. 973, women's volleyball

21. 972, men's swimming/diving

22. 971, women's track

22. 971, football

24. 967, men's basketball

25. 966, women's field hockey

25. 966, men's fencing

27. 963, men's track

28. 962, men's cross country

29. 961, men's wrestling

30. 951, men's gymnastics

31. 949, mixed rifle

On Wednesday, the Tribe finally returned Chisenhall to the active roster. The right fielder will bat seventh against the Mariners at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lonnie Chisenhall plugged away in the minor leagues, biding his time until he racked up enough at-bats to convince the Indians he was ready to be activated from the disabled list.

On Wednesday, the Tribe finally returned Chisenhall to the active roster. The right fielder will bat seventh against the Mariners at Progressive Field.

To clear a spot for Chisenhall, the Indians optioned outfielder Collin Cowgill to Triple-A Columbus. Cowgill managed one hit in 12 at-bats with Cleveland. 

Injuries to Chisenhall's right forearm and left wrist limited the 27-year-old to 10 spring training contests. In those games, he went 2-for-26. In seven minor league games, he went 2-for-23.

Michael Brantley, on the mend following November shoulder surgery, is still on a minor league rehab assignment.

The Indians acquired Cowgill from the Angels over the winter. The club then signed him to a one-year, $1 million contract.