Is Antawn Jamison long for Cleveland? How about Mo Williams? The mailbag is full of speculation this week.
View full sizeDoes Antawn Jamison (4) really want to be with the Cavaliers, and does he have any trade value? That's one of this week's questions in Mary Schmitt Boyer's mailbag.Hey, Mary: Do you see the Cavs ever going small, possibly with J.J. Hickson at center, Antawn Jamison at power forward, and then the three guards? It seems like they'd be able to get out and run with that lineup. -- Deshawn Deshamus, Delaware, Ohio
Hey, Deshawn: Actually, they go small a lot, usually in the fourth quarter, although not quite that small. Anderson Varejao or Ryan Hollins usually plays center with Jamison at power forward and any three of the four guards -- Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson, Ramon Sessions and Anthony Parker. Hickson probably could play center if the other team was going small, too, but rebounding in that situation could be a problem.
Hey, Mary: Cavs fans everywhere are justifiably outraged with old No. 23. My concern is that on Dec. 2 the entire organization and city will look bad due to expressions of that quite understandable outrage. Could you explore the guidelines of etiquette for channeling the pure loathing, contempt and disgust we all feel? Adequate expression without causing the rest of the world to think less of our fine franchise and home city: Can it be done? (Spike Lee suggested the National Guard should be called out.) -- Chuck Slone, Louisville, Ky.
Hey, Chuck: For answers to those questions, be sure to read The Plain Dealer or check cleveland.com on the morning of Dec. 2, and to voice your opinion before that, you can go to cleveland.com/cavs.
Hey, Mary: To me it's obvious Antawn Jamison does not want to be here. Even though he had a good game Friday, it seems as if he's just trying to make potential teams pursue him. What are some possible destinations for Antawn and what are the realistic players we would get in return? -- Brett Shaver, West Park
Hey, Brett: I've heard people saying Jamison doesn't want to be here, but I don't see that when I watch him play or talk to him after practices or games. I agree this is not what he signed up for, but I think he's trying to make the best of things. His contract is not all that favorable for trade purposes. He makes $13.5 million this season and $15 million next season, so it's not as if he'll be a top target at the trading deadline for his expiring contract. But he has rebounded nicely from his knee injuries and has shown he's still a valuable player so he could attract interest from a good team that needs one more piece or has an untimely injury -- like Orlando, San Antonio or New Orleans. The Cavs would want some good young talent in return, but we're not talking Dwight Howard, maybe someone more along the lines of J.J. Redick. That's just an example.
Hey, Mary: With the Cavs sputtering right now, are there any talks of possibly bringing back Mike Brown as an assistant? I read in The PD not that long ago that he is still in Westlake and his son is currently enrolled at St. Edward in Lakewood. -- Sheeba Kilbane, Rocky River
Hey, Sheeba: That's not going to happen. The Cavs have gone in a different direction, and Brown is happy spending time with his family until another coaching opportunity comes his way.
Hey, Mary: Should the Cavaliers trade Mo Williams? We need a quality big. Ramon [Sessions] can play point. -- Darryl Holmes, Houston
Hey, Mary: Why is everyone saying that Mo Williams does not fit into the Cavs' plans for the future? He is only 27 and would seem like a good fit for Byron Scott's offense. -- Nick Qualters, Twinsburg
Hey, Darryl and Nick: You guys should talk. Darryl, you make a good point about the team needing a big, but I tend to agree with Nick that Williams is a good fit in Scott's offense. When he gets going, like he did in the victory over Milwaukee, he's just what the Cavs need. Unlike Sessions, teams have to defend Williams on the perimeter.
Hey, Mary: Do you think there is any possibility the Cavs would take a chance on Greg Oden? He has to be the cheapest former No. 1 out there in the next free-agent class. -- Matthew, Alliance, Ohio
Hey, Matthew: A lot of things can happen between now and then, but, I don't see teams lining up to take a chance on a guy who has yet to prove he can stay healthy enough to perform in the NBA -- unless they offer him an invitation to training camp and an nonguaranteed contract. Keep in mind that if it looks as if he will be able to resume his career, Portland will have the right of first refusal. There's just no telling if Oden's story ends like that of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who overcame all his injuries to have a long and productive career, or Sam Bowie, who didn't.
Hey, Mary: Which college players would look good in a Cavs uniform next year? Do you foresee the Cavs getting better through the draft, trades, free agents, or all of the above? How patient will Dan Gilbert be? -- Rick Borelli, Lakewood
Hey, Rick: Gilbert has many fine qualities, but patience doesn't seem to be one of them. The Cavs will explore all options to get better, but building through the draft takes a long time -- and they haven't had high draft picks the last few years. That could change this year, and they will do all the due diligence necessary to make a good pick. But my guess is that they're more likely to look at trades and free agents. That being said, how about Duke's Kyle Singler or Mason Plumlee, Georgia's Travis Leslie or North Carolina's Harrison Barnes in wine and gold?
-- Mary