LeBron James has left. Hickson wants to put recent events in the past, develop his game and help the team continue to win. A step in that direction could be the signing of point guard Lowry, though Houston gets a chance to match the offer.
J.J. Hickson (left), here going against the San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan, made solid strides in his second NBA season.The Cleveland Cavaliers' best -- and formerly most popular -- player ever, LeBron James, fled to the Miami Heat, in the prime of his career.
Now, in the twilight of his career, one of the Cavs' all-time best and most popular players, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, is headed to South Beach, too.
A new face of the franchise will inevitably emerge. Maybe it will be power forward J.J. Hickson. He's ready to move ahead, apparently, as Bob Finnan writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal:
In J.J. Hickson's mind, LeBron James was a great player.
" 'Bron was a great player, but he didn't do it by himself," Hickson said on Tuesday after the Cavaliers' 88-82 win over the D-League Select team at the NBA Summer League. "He had four other players on the court with him."
And, writes Finnan:
Hickson said he wasn't disappointed when James signed with the Heat.
"Players are traded or move on every year," he said. "I didn't pay much attention to it. It's unfortunate. But we have to move on."
The Cavaliers are, indeed, trying to move on. Brian Windhorst reports for The Plain Dealer that Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry, a restricted free agent, has signed an offer sheet with the Cavaliers.
Cavs covered
Plain Dealer Cavaliers coverage also includes Brian Windhorst's Cavaliers Insider; his story on Zydrunas Ilgauskas going to the Heat; Terry Pluto's column on Z; conversation about the Cavs on Starting Blocks TV.
We're OK
Cavaliers coach Byron Scott was a star guard for the Lakers and their coach, Pat Riley, when Los Angeles won NBA titles in 1985, 1987 and 1988. Scott's first championship was clinched when LeBron James was a few months old.
Riley is the president of the Miami Heat. Michael Wallace writes for the Miami Herald:
New Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott insisted his longtime relationship with Pat Riley is just fine in the aftermath.
As difficult a challenge as it might be to move on after ``The Decision,'' Scott was in somewhat of a joking mood Tuesday when asked if LeBron James' move to Miami would force him to sever ties with a close friend and mentor in Riley.
``It's still good. I still love him,'' Scott said. ``Pat's my man. He always will be, no matter what.''
May never know
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has been in the spotlight because of the statement he made following the announcement of James' decision last Thursday night.
Ian Thomsen writes about Gilbert for Sports Illustrated's SI.com:
Now does he wonder if the Cavs ever had a chance to re-sign James? Gilbert wonders how much better his team might have been if James had tried aggressively to recruit players to join him in Cleveland.
"I just don't know," Gilbert said. "It wouldn't surprise me if it was all a charade and he had us going on for months. Some people point at the Boston series that maybe he didn't want to go too deep into the playoffs knowing that he was going to leave -- it's a theory. I just don't know. It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't a last-day decision."
The right way
Zydrunas Ilgauskas leaves the Cavaliers as their all-time leader in games played, rebounds and blocked shots, and second to James in points.
Brian Dulik writes about Ilgauskas' move to Miami for the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram:
Though James’ departure from the Cavaliers was acrimonious to the nth degree, Ilgauskas’ was anything but. The 35-year-old pivot kept Cleveland’s front office apprised of his options throughout the process, right down to the bittersweet end.
“Before he finalized anything with Miami this morning, Z called (owner) Dan Gilbert and (general manager) Chris Grant to let them know what he was doing,” Rudoy said. “They absolutely made it clear they wanted him back, but they also understood the situation.”
Regrets ahead?
Many observers questioned James' competitiveness during portions of the Cavs' conference semifinal loss to the Boston Celtics. Tom Gaffney, though, writes for the Akron Beacon Journal that James is a fierce competitor.
Gaffney also writes:
I do think that some day, perhaps in retirement when the adulation ceases and his ego gives way to real maturity, he will say publicly that The Decision was a mistake.
But from watching and writing about James since he was 14, I do not think he will ever regret the decision to join the Heat, especially if NBA titles ensue.
The culprit is the will to win I first saw when he was 14.
Still, I didn't like it. I didn't agree with it. I was disappointed by it.