Cavs Get Jamison For Virtually Nothing

T Lamont — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:49:51 +0000

After years of being imprisoned in the D.C. insane asylum, Antawn Jamison was finally given his parole.

On Wednesday, the trade rumors that had the Wizards forward being shipped to Cleveland finally became a reality. In total, there were three teams involved in the deal. The Cavaliers received Jamison and Sebastian Telfair. The Washington Wizards picked up Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Al Thornton and a first-round draft pick. The Los Angeles Clippers got Drew Gooden.

While the moves for L.A. and Washington were for money saving implications, it was Cleveland who got the major piece that they wanted to make themselves a front runner in the East. Jamison, averaging 20 and 8 per night, provides the Cavs with the versatility that they so desperately lacking at the power forward position. During last year’s playoff run, the skill set of Orlando’s Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu proved to be what put them over the top during their series win against LeBron and company. Jamison figures to put a plug in that gap. The North Carolina alum possesses the ability to score inside and out, with his range extending outside the three-point arc. He has great mobility, but is also a consistent rebounder – - he’s averaged more than 9 rebounds per game over the last three years.

Point guard Sebastian Telfair is now part of the Cavaliers.

The really big news here is that the Cavs barely gave up anything to get the player that they are hoping will put them over the hump. They didn’t have to trade J.J. Hickson, and that is huge because LeBron James has begun to develop a certain chemistry with him (almost reminiscent of the Chris Paul-Tyson Chandler pairing in N.O.).

Also, giving away “Z” is child’s play. You’d have to figure that Washington will buy him out, leaving him with the option to return to Cleveland after he clears waivers. So, in essence, the Cavs would have added a two-time All-Star to their roster for a future first-round draft pick. Cleveland was also able to scoop up a legitimate backup point guard in Sebastian Telfair. After the unpromising start to his career, he has settled into knowing how to use his speed and passing gifts to change the tempo of the game. He gives the Cavs a true floor general who can spell LeBron’s ball handling duties.

Overall this was a great job by Cleveland management. Now let’s see if the Cavs can live up to the expectation of success that this transaction has brought.

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33-7 Fourth Quarter Puts Clippers Over Grizzlies

T Lamont — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:04:12 +0000

The Los Angeles Clippers have won 8 of their 18 games this season, but none have been as impressive as today’s 98-88 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Clips entered the 4th quarter trailing Memphis by 16 points, but Al Thornton and Eric Gordon each scored 10 points in the final 12 minutes to lead Los Angeles to a 33-point quarter. L.A. exhibited a suffocating defense as well, limiting the Grizzlies to 7 points.

This battle of teams labeled as long-term underachievers was punctuated by organizations that haven’t been noted for their precise execution down the stretches of ball games. And with the Grizzlies in firm position to secure their seventh win of the season, the Clippers’ display of aggression on both sides of the ball had to encourage coach Mike Dunleavy.

”I’m very proud of the guys. Our guys stayed with it and never gave up. All of a sudden, we came together and Eric Gordon got into that attack mode. We did the things we needed to do.”

Gordon's dynamic offensive ability is just what the Clips need.

Speaking of Gordon, he’s the main cog in a L.A. youth moment that has shown glimpses of potential. A one-year stud at Indiana, Gordon has shown that he has unlimited range and creative penetration ability. Al Thornton gives the Clips a player with both athleticism and versatility wrapped in one package. Center Chris Kaman (now a veteran at 27 years old) came into the game averaging 20 points per game. Deandre Jordan and Sebastian Telfair provide consistent energy off of the bench at key positions.

It’s games like this that indicate that Memphis remains a team in trouble. While they have dynamic talents like Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo on their roster, they have yet to begin stepping in the right direction. After the nightmarish Allen Iverson debacle, they’ve moved on to sign veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley. Even though Tinsley is much more of a conventional point guard than Iverson, his stubbornness has hurt his former teams and we’ll have to see if the Grizzlies become adversely affected.

The L.A. Clippers were led in the game by Eric Gordon’s 29 points. Here’s Marcus Camby on Gordon’s potential:

”Eric’s a phenomenal player. I think he has the potential to be a special player like the LeBrons, the Kobes and the Carmelos. You’ll be mentioning Eric Gordon ‘s name for a long time.”

And that would be a first for the Clippers. A lottery pick that actually pans out.

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Ball or Nuthin' » Clippers

Cavs Get Jamison For Virtually Nothing

33-7 Fourth Quarter Puts Clippers Over Grizzlies