Cavs: Shaq and Z
64What to do with Shaq and Big Z
The Cavs are in a unique situation now that they've signed Shaquille O'Neal despite alreadty having a center that makes $11 million a year--Zydrunas Ilgauskas. What can we expect the Cavs to do with these big men? Well, Zydrunas will come off the bench and likely get about 20 minutes a game. That's not too far below his average from last season anyway. Shaq will probably play 25-30 minutes a game. This will keep both star centers from wearing out early in the season and will decrease their chances of injury. A convenience of having two great centers is that the Cavs can always have a 7-footer in the post and, if one gets injured, the team remains championship-caliber.
After the Cavs first game, I find my self wishing Shaq would never leave the floor. He gave the Cavs a presence down low that they've never had in franchise history. Shaq can outmuscle just about anyone for rebounds and nobody can stop him from scoring. Despite the acquisition of Shaq, the Cavs still lost their first game of the season to the Boston Celtics. If Shaq played more minutes, I think we would've won, but I understand Coach Brown's reasoning. These early season games don't carry much importance. After all, the Cavs are a shoo-in for the playoffs. What's important is keeping Shaq rested and injury-free.
What does Shaq give us that Z cannot provide? Well, as I mentioned early Shaq is dominant inside with his rebounding, scoring, and defense. However, it's more of what Shaq doesn't do that helps us the most. Ever since it became common knowledge that Z could shoot from long-range, he's been a bit trigger happy. Z shoots low percentage shots way more than he should. He also spends more time close to the perimeter rather than rebounding and making easy shots in the paint where anyone that's 7'3" belongs. Shaq knows what he needs to do to help this team win, but I think Z is going in the wrong direction. Zydrunas wants to prove he can shoot, whereas Shaq is aware of what he needs to do and how to do it. Shaq is a proven winner and is in Cleveland to do just that.
What should the Cavs do? I wish the Cavs could trade Z or somehow get rid of his large contract. That's not likely to happen though. If we get rid of Z and Shaq gets hurt, the Cavs are instantly out of the hunt for the championship. Since the Cavs don't really have another quality center, they'll probably need to keep Z around for the remainder of this season, if not longer.
Prediction: Cavs finish second in East in regular season and then lose in Conference Finals
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Comments
Thanks, I don't think predictions are too bold though. All they got to do is beat either boston or orlando if they get the second or third seed. Anyways, i just hope Mike brown finds the right lineup sooner rather than later. there's a ton of talent on the cavs and it better not go to waste. I don't like shaq and z on the floor together cuz they are so slow. we need to get better with r pick and roll defense, and two centers won't help. i love the addition of parker though especially. he was a great aggressive defender but forced some errant shots that he shoulda passed. I did see the Lakers last night. They are too good. I think they can turn it on and run away when ever they feel like putting effort into the game. Artest, Bryant, Odom are all great skilled players. Gasol is a thin bigman but can move relatively well and is a great offensive asset. If Bynum stays healthy, he is a good traditional center. He has size, athleticism, and he's pretty mobile for a bigman too. Fisher and Farmar provide some relief from the superstars too. The Lakers seem too good if they are healthy
I'm watching the Cavs-Raptors game right now and the Big Z Shaq experiment is not working. They are getting beat on fastbreaks baddddddddddd. When Ceveland went small, they got back in the game but once they decided to go big i hurt them.
Yeah, Mike Brown has to suck it up and put Z on the bench. He's not helping us--at all. I'm glad I'm not watching the Cavs right now. Apparently, nobody got the memo that the Cavs are better than last year
ShyneIV says:
2 months ago
Nice hub. Bold predictions as well. The Big Z and Shaq debate is a good one indeed. I actually think Cleveland might finish with the 3rd best record in the East as they try to feed minutes to their acquisitions (Shaq, Moon, Parker, Powe) and a bench player like Hickson. They might lose some games that they should win but will have a team that's battle tested from 1 to 8 when the playoffs start. The problem in last year's conference finals was that you had no idea who was showing up for the Cavs besides LeBron. So Mike Brown will experiment this year with some line ups and see what he can find. Don't be too shocked to see Z and Shaq on the court together. They complement each other offensively but hurt each other defensively, so they might be used with moderation. That being said, it should make for an interesting season. By the way, did you see the Lakers play last night?