Antawn Jamison keeps working despite a long, hard 2010 for the Cavaliers forward.
View full size"No matter where I'm at, I'm going to compete," Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison said Monday as the team labors through a four-game losing streak. "It's been difficult. But I'm not going to sit here and say I'm going out there to play well so they can increase my value as far as a trade. That's never been my mind frame."PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Antawn Jamison is looking forward to New Year's Eve.
No, not because he's such a big party guy, but because it means he will be able to close the books on 2010.
"I can't wait for 2010 to be over," Jamison said after the Cavaliers' 102-92 loss at Detroit on Sunday. "A lot of personal stuff and basketball-wise, it has been a tough year."
When Jamison arrived in Cleveland last February, he'd been dealt from Washington, where the Wizards were reeling after the NBA suspended Gilbert Arenas for bringing a handgun into the locker room and later making light of the situation. Jamison was thrilled with the trade because he thought it gave him the best chance for a title in his long and distinguished career.
In his first game with the Cavs, he went 0-for-12 against Charlotte. But he came around nicely as the season went on. Then, of course, came the playoffs, where the Cavs were ousted in the second round by the Boston Celtics, and Jamison struggled mightily against Kevin Garnett.
That was followed by the departure of LeBron James for the Miami Heat, and the subsequent issues of the remaining Cavs, who have a four-game losing streak, including three blowouts, heading into Tuesday night's game against the Sixers in Wells Fargo Center.
If there is one player who has played well during the weekend losses at Minnesota and Detroit, one who seems to be willing to carry the rest of the team on his back during this stretch, it has been Jamison.
"A guy who's a veteran who has a lot of experience dealing with stuff like this," coach Byron Scott said of Jamison, referring to adversity. "He's coming out ready to play. That's great. We've just got everybody on board as well."
Jamison does not really want to talk about his performance.
"It's tough to talk about individuals doing a pretty good job," he said. "The one thing I will say is guys are continuing to stay positive and still competing. Guys haven't been putting their heads down."
That includes Jamison. Many observers think he's trying to play his way out of town, but he says he has not asked to be traded.
"I just want to play," he said. "I know I've got a lot left in the tank, so I just go out there and compete. I'm not going to say I hope this situation or this scenario comes up. No matter where I'm at, I'm going to compete. ... It's been difficult. But I'm not going to sit here and say I'm going out there to play well so they can increase my value as far as a trade. That's never been my mind frame."
Getting defensive: Once again, Scott not happy with the defense at Detroit. He has said the same thing after each of the four losses.
"We made a lot of mental mistakes on the defensive end ... which is costing us a lot of points," he said. "We're just doing things that we don't do. It's not what we teach."
He was also unhappy with the Pistons' 44-38 edge on the glass and 24-18 advantage in second-chance points.
Been there, done that: Daniel Gibson and Anthony Parker surprised reporters after Sunday's loss at Detroit when they revealed the Cavs already had held a players-only meeting when the team was struggling earlier this season. Neither seemed to think another such meeting was in the offing anytime soon.
"It's just one of those things where you've got to grind it out," Parker said.