AKRON, Ohio - (KRT) - Now that they've signed Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavaliers' next move should be to explore every trade opportunity for Drew Gooden.
It would be a huge mistake for the Cavaliers to come back with Gooden as their starting power forward.
Why the rush to replace Gooden? He averaged 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, shot 49 percent and appeared in all 82 games.
Besides, the Cavaliers need a point guard to help Eric Snow.
Indeed they do, and it might be Sarunas Jasikevicius, the Lithuanian who was the best man at Ilgauskas' wedding along with being the Most Valuable Player in the European League. He's 29, is supposed to be a terrific shooter, and a strong leader at the point.
But he can't defend.
If the scouting reports are right, the Cavaliers could have a rerun of last season, when Jeff McInnis and Ilgauskas were so dismal attempting to stop a pick-and-roll play.
General manager Danny Ferry has said coach Mike Brown believes he can correct some of the Cavaliers' defensive problems with his new team concepts. It's called "HELP" defense, and that doesn't mean a player dribbles past you and you scream "HELP!!!"
It's kind of like playing a zone, switching off, and players understand who to defend as a unit - not individually.
What does that have to do with Gooden?
He doesn't get it.
That's what former Cavaliers coach Paul Silas told me. And it's what former interim coach Brendan Malone told me. And it's what I heard from executives in Orlando, which was Gooden's last stop before Cleveland.
It's not that Gooden refuses to play defense. He just seems to struggle grasping the concepts and often is a step or two late.
The Cavaliers can't have that.
The signing of Larry Hughes is an upgrade. He made the NBA All-Defensive first team, led the league in steals, grabbed more than six rebounds a game and has Brown excited about fitting the 6-foot-5 guard into his defensive schemes.
Snow is a solid defender at the point, but the Cavaliers still need to do something about their outside shooting. That makes free agent Jasikevicius appealing.
While many fans want Antonio Daniels, don't be surprised if he signs a big contract somewhere. It's a very dim point-guard market, and he's the glittering star despite not being a full-time starter in Seattle.
Gooden will be a free agent in the summer of 2006, so the $4 million left on his contract should make him attractive to a team wanting to create some salary-cap room a year from now.
He also is a scorer, and some teams need that from their power forward - because few have an offensive-minded center such as Ilgauskas.
Backed by owner Dan Gilbert's cash, Ferry has attacked the free-agent market in a systematic way. That led to the signing of Hughes and Ilgauskas. Also, give former general manager Jim Paxson credit for putting the Cavaliers in position to have $28 million in salary-cap room for Ferry to use on a shopping spree.
How should the Cavaliers address their power forward spot? And by the way, do you know they also need a backup center?
It was a mistake not to pick up Robert "Tractor" Traylor's $1.8 million option. They should see if he wants to come back, and try to work out a reasonable deal, because he can play center and power forward.
Anderson Varejao is intriguing and can help at power forward, but he probably is not ready to start for a playoff-caliber team. He's only 22 and has limited experience.
Some fans want Udonis Haslem, but he's a restricted free agent, and the Miami Heat are expected to keep him.
The Cavaliers need someone such as Reggie Evans of the Seattle SuperSonics, a rugged rebounder who averaged 9.3 rebounds and has no interest in scoring. He's a restricted free agent, and perhaps the Cavaliers can work out a sign-and-trade deal involving Evans and Gooden.
No doubt there are other possibilities, and it's up to Ferry to consider them - and not just be stuck on signing free agents who quickly chew up cap room.
