If this has already been posted, please delete. i looked for it , but not fanatically.
<i>My Page
Countdown to Camp
Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 01:04 PM EST [General]
Hey Cavalier fans! It's A.C. checking in. What's happening?
Well, we're almost getting down to the nitty-gritty here, people. Summer's over, the kids are back in school, and the Cavaliers season is right around the corner.
Anybody who reads my blog - or hears me on TV for that matter - knows that I love the game of golf. And with Training Camp coming, I know my days out on the links are numbered this summer.
Over Labor Day, some buddies of mine and I play in a three-day event. It's about 25-30 guys and we do it every year. We have a big picnic on Monday with crabcakes and the whole affair. We've been doing it for quite a while, so it's become a staple in our summer vacation.
After the knee replacement, it's taken a while for me to get used to transferring the weight on my swing, because I had played so long with that bad knee that I didn't realize that I was compensating for it. I'll play five or six great holes and - BAM! - I'll have a couple bad swings putting weight on the wrong leg, but little by little it's getting better.
Right now, I'm playing at about a seven handicap. And I want to get that back down to normal, but it might not happen until next year.
I love this time of year - right before Training Camp. You start to get that feeling of anticipation. And mentally, you start to gear yourself back toward the routine. Even though you've been doing it all summer, there's something different about doing it when it counts. When the lights come on and all the statistics start adding up, that's a big difference from messing around in the gym during the offseason.
And so, you get that anticipation of being ready to go. And it was always good to feel like you made the necessary improvements to get better over the summer. The closer you get to it - like now, being only two weeks away - you can't wait anymore. And I think that any player that loses that excitement needs to get out of the game.
I'm excited to see what this year's team is all about.
If you look at the team from last year and compare it with the team we've put together this year - with the addition of all the new pieces - we are a much better squad on paper.
First of all, our bench is going to be much better. You're going to have live action coming off the bench. They have length, they have experience. That's going to be a big help right away. If you look at our bench, there aren't many teams in the league that can bring guys of that caliber into the game. That's a huge advantage.
That's how we won back in the day. Our bench was like a "second line" to our starters.
The addition of new faces actually helps the young guys like J.J. and Darnell, as far as getting them more acclimated to the team. It will help them mature much faster. And they'll just know what's going on this year.
As a team, I think we'll be better because - depending on Yao's health - we have the last two conventional centers in the league. If we use them both correctly - using good floor spacing and spreading the floor for Shaq and then playing to Big Z's strengths away from the basket - I think that should really help us.
Mike Brown has to figure out how to make all these pieces work together but, let me tell you, that is one good problem to have. You don't want to be in a situation where you'd like to have a low-post offense and you don't have anyone to put down there. As a competitor, you know Coach Brown is ready to accept the challenge. And again, it's a good challenge to have. It'll be interesting to see how we're able to use both big men to our advantage.
Some people have quietly criticized Shaq for doing his reality show this summer. But the way I look at it is, I'm hoping he's like LeBron. And by that I mean, LeBron does things like this during the summer, but he always has his workout as part of that day. He keeps focused on the main goal - improving for next season.
And I'm hoping that Shaq has a similar regimen. I don't know much about Shaq, as far as that's concerned. But I do know LeBron's habits. And those habits are outstanding. You can do things outside of basketball as long as you keep your mind on your job. And if Shaq does that - and as a four-time Champ, I'm sure he will - we're in for another incredible season here in Cleveland.
For as big as he is, I'm sure Shaq will still blend right in. Chemistry was a big factor last year and it will be again this year.
It depends on the individual players. And it sounds to me like Shaq really wants to fit in. And if he wants to fit in, he will fit in. From Anthony Parker's comments and Jamario Moon's comments, they just want to be a part of this team. And if they have that attitude, things will just fall in line under LeBron's leadership.
The bottom line is that everybody's after the same goal. So if everyone stays focused on that same goal, chemistry will be there automatically. Everyone's working towards the same end result and I am too.
I want LeBron to get his first Championship this year, and I'd love to see Shaq get his fifth ring before Kobe does.
</i>
Link: http://www.cavfanatic.com/austincarr/blog/2009/09/09/countdown_to_camp
<i>My Page
Countdown to Camp
Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 01:04 PM EST [General]
Hey Cavalier fans! It's A.C. checking in. What's happening?
Well, we're almost getting down to the nitty-gritty here, people. Summer's over, the kids are back in school, and the Cavaliers season is right around the corner.
Anybody who reads my blog - or hears me on TV for that matter - knows that I love the game of golf. And with Training Camp coming, I know my days out on the links are numbered this summer.
Over Labor Day, some buddies of mine and I play in a three-day event. It's about 25-30 guys and we do it every year. We have a big picnic on Monday with crabcakes and the whole affair. We've been doing it for quite a while, so it's become a staple in our summer vacation.
After the knee replacement, it's taken a while for me to get used to transferring the weight on my swing, because I had played so long with that bad knee that I didn't realize that I was compensating for it. I'll play five or six great holes and - BAM! - I'll have a couple bad swings putting weight on the wrong leg, but little by little it's getting better.
Right now, I'm playing at about a seven handicap. And I want to get that back down to normal, but it might not happen until next year.
I love this time of year - right before Training Camp. You start to get that feeling of anticipation. And mentally, you start to gear yourself back toward the routine. Even though you've been doing it all summer, there's something different about doing it when it counts. When the lights come on and all the statistics start adding up, that's a big difference from messing around in the gym during the offseason.
And so, you get that anticipation of being ready to go. And it was always good to feel like you made the necessary improvements to get better over the summer. The closer you get to it - like now, being only two weeks away - you can't wait anymore. And I think that any player that loses that excitement needs to get out of the game.
I'm excited to see what this year's team is all about.
If you look at the team from last year and compare it with the team we've put together this year - with the addition of all the new pieces - we are a much better squad on paper.
First of all, our bench is going to be much better. You're going to have live action coming off the bench. They have length, they have experience. That's going to be a big help right away. If you look at our bench, there aren't many teams in the league that can bring guys of that caliber into the game. That's a huge advantage.
That's how we won back in the day. Our bench was like a "second line" to our starters.
The addition of new faces actually helps the young guys like J.J. and Darnell, as far as getting them more acclimated to the team. It will help them mature much faster. And they'll just know what's going on this year.
As a team, I think we'll be better because - depending on Yao's health - we have the last two conventional centers in the league. If we use them both correctly - using good floor spacing and spreading the floor for Shaq and then playing to Big Z's strengths away from the basket - I think that should really help us.
Mike Brown has to figure out how to make all these pieces work together but, let me tell you, that is one good problem to have. You don't want to be in a situation where you'd like to have a low-post offense and you don't have anyone to put down there. As a competitor, you know Coach Brown is ready to accept the challenge. And again, it's a good challenge to have. It'll be interesting to see how we're able to use both big men to our advantage.
Some people have quietly criticized Shaq for doing his reality show this summer. But the way I look at it is, I'm hoping he's like LeBron. And by that I mean, LeBron does things like this during the summer, but he always has his workout as part of that day. He keeps focused on the main goal - improving for next season.
And I'm hoping that Shaq has a similar regimen. I don't know much about Shaq, as far as that's concerned. But I do know LeBron's habits. And those habits are outstanding. You can do things outside of basketball as long as you keep your mind on your job. And if Shaq does that - and as a four-time Champ, I'm sure he will - we're in for another incredible season here in Cleveland.
For as big as he is, I'm sure Shaq will still blend right in. Chemistry was a big factor last year and it will be again this year.
It depends on the individual players. And it sounds to me like Shaq really wants to fit in. And if he wants to fit in, he will fit in. From Anthony Parker's comments and Jamario Moon's comments, they just want to be a part of this team. And if they have that attitude, things will just fall in line under LeBron's leadership.
The bottom line is that everybody's after the same goal. So if everyone stays focused on that same goal, chemistry will be there automatically. Everyone's working towards the same end result and I am too.
I want LeBron to get his first Championship this year, and I'd love to see Shaq get his fifth ring before Kobe does.
</i>
Link: http://www.cavfanatic.com/austincarr/blog/2009/09/09/countdown_to_camp