Re: Request for ESPN insider article "Help for Cavs in the works?"
Why has Brian Cardinal fallen out of favor so quickly in Memphis? Is it because of the other guys they have there like Warrick and Darko? I mean, the guy can't be that bad, can he?
I think it's more to due with Marc Ivaroni not thinking that Cardinal would fit into the new up-tempo offense that he has installed at Memphis as well as him wanting to give more run to guys like Hakim Warrick, Pau Gasol (when they had him), and Darko Milicic; plus factor in Rudy Gay has been playing a lot of PF this year with Ivaroni going to smaller lineups, it has all but cut Cardinal out the picture...
I see he played in 36 games in 05-06 and only 28 in 06-07, injuries?
Yep:
07-Nov-07: Missed 2 games (flu).
30-Oct-07: Flu, inactive list.
18-Apr-07: Missed the last 28 games of the regular season (left knee surgery).
28-Feb-07: Left knee surgery, remainder of the regular season.
12-Jan-07: Missed 4 games (left knee injury).
03-Jan-07: Left knee injury, day-to-day.
18-Nov-06: Missed 4 games (personal reasons).
11-Nov-06: Personal reasons, inactive list.
24-Mar-06: Missed 10 games (knee injury).
10-Mar-06: Knee injury, day-to-day.
21-Feb-06: Missed 2 games (flu).
13-Feb-06: Flu, day-to-day.
14-Dec-05: Missed 20 games (knee injury).
01-Nov-05: Knee injury, inactive list.
24-Apr-05: Missed the last game of the regular season (left knee injury).
20-Apr-05: Left knee injury, day-to-day.
15-Jan-05: Missed 5 games (right shoulder injury).
03-Jan-05: Right shoulder injury, day-to-day.
01-Jan-05: Missed 18 games (sprained right ankle).
30-Nov-04: Sprained right ankle, injured list.
27-Nov-04: Sprained right ankle, day-to-day.
LINK
He's been all over the map with injuries... The bad thing is that he's had 2 operations on his knees...
He'll be 31 in May so combine with that with the fact of his injuries/surgeries and it'd be safe to assume he'll be on the decline...
Would he be someone that could lay 10-15 minutes for the Cavaliers?
I personally think so... This season when he's gotten 10+ minutes:
4
Games
15
MPG
7
PPG
2.5
RPG
63
FT%
55
3PT%
42
FG%
If you look a couple years back when he was getting 20 minutes per game, he was putting up nice numbers, but then again it was a couple years ago...
The one thing that I like is that he gives us another shooter on the floor with LeBron and replaces what Donyell Marshall gave us at the PF spot: shooting...
Scouting Report (I like what I hear):
Cardinal is both a clever scorer and a fantastic shooter for his size. He's a career 39.7 percent shooter on 3-pointers and 86.2 percent from the line, which is great for a guard and absolutely amazing for a power forward. (Quick comparison: Dirk Nowitzki's averages are 38.1 percent and 86.9 percent, respectively. Yes, this dude can shoot.).
Plus, unlike a lot of good shooters, Cardinal has an amazing knack for getting to the stripe. He's comfortable putting it on the floor and is a master of using shot fakes to draw fouls, so he's had high rates of free-throw attempts his entire career. He's a good passer for his size as well.
All of that would make Cardinal a potent weapon if he could a) stay healthy and b) guard anyone. He's had chronic knee problems and they don't figure to get better now that he's 30. And while he's a heady defender with a knack for playing passing lanes, his on-ball shortcomings are tough to hide. Cardinal is an inch short for power forward, can't move laterally, and has zero ability to challenge shots. I mean that literally -- he's blocked a grand total of one shot in the past two seasons, putting him only five behind Earl Boykins in that department.
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As far as the proposed trade goes: I absolutely love it, but as long as it isn't more than two 1st round picks; at that point I would have to draw the line as giving up two future 1st round picks would just dig us into an even deeper hole with draft picks... We've already experienced what it was like and I don't think we should adventure going back there especially when we've just weathered the storm... Giving up one 1st round pick doesn't bother me as it would be worth it because of what we're giving up and what we're getting back...
The other thing I like about this trade is that it keeps our main expirings intact for next season... We'd still for sure have 14.4 million in expirings left for next season (Snow and Gooden) and maximally around 31 million (if Ilgauskas and Varejao opt out)... So we'd still be able to make a big splash next year whether it be in the off-season or during mid-season in the trade market...
(BTW, in the trade we lose 10.3 million in expirings next year and around 5 million this year but neither of them really would effect the cap flexibility of this team by too much)
In addition to keeping our future expiring contracts intact we get to keep our main trading assets: Anderson Varejao, Drew Gooden and Sasha Pavlovic... They have probably been the most sought after guys on the market and we would be able to keep them and could use them toward a bigger splash next year along with the expiring contracts we would be keeping... I'd also add in that Kyle Lowry (if this deal would be completed) could be added to the future assets as he could be a nice young prospect to trade...
The contracts we'd be getting back would be ending in the 2009/2010 season (Cardinal and Miller), which is the same time that Larry Hughes's and Sasha Pavlovic's and possibly LeBron James's, Anderson Varejao's and Zydrunas Ilgauskas's contracts expire... So that year no matter what happens would be a huge year for free agent spending but more importantly, we would have some great trading chips for potential trades the year before LeBron's option comes up...
Lowry's contract is a bit different as it's guaranteed for the next couple of years and then he has a Team Option in the 2009/2010 off-season and then a Qualifying Offer the year after... So he'll be locked up for the time being which is a good news...
So from the financial area I think it gets a A because it really does a lot for us and keeps us in a good position all the way around and it doesn't strangle us...
From the personnel standpoint I don't see any huge negatives either...
The backcourt would be significantly stronger and we'd be getting two key pieces we've been missing: a shooter who can be a nice #2/#3 scorer next to LeBron, average 18+ PPG and do it on high %'s; and a point guard who can stop dribble penetration, guard the quicker guards in the NBA and be able to create penetration on offense...
Miller is a really a guy who would fit in great with LeBron and Larry because he can play all 3 positions (SF, SG and PG), shoot the ball real well, and do it efficiently (51
FG%, 43
3PT%, 78
FT%)... He's entering his prime right now and getting a guy who can score like he can, would be a huge addition and go a long way for this team; especially with the caliber of shooter he is and helping space out the floor and give the defense another weapon to worry about...
Lowry would be a good fit defensively and offensively... Defensively, like I said, he'd basically seal up the problem we've had with PG's lately but I also like him defensively because of his versatility to guard all 3 perimeter positions despite his small size... Offensively he'd be able to handle some point duties and create for others, which this team really needs when LeBron and Larry aren't on the floor... This would give the Cavs a nice partner with Gibson as they cover up each other's weaknesses and would make good backcourt mates...
Cardinal could come in and contribute some I think given minutes and his presence as a shooter in the lineup is always nice to have next to LeBron...
We wouldn't be losing particularly anything production wise as Cedric, Shannon and Dwayne contributed little-nothing; Donyell was working his way back but you could see his limitations from now forward; and Damon Jones was only in the rotation now because of the injury to Sasha, once he comes back he'd be back on the pine... So really, we wouldn't lose any starters or rotation players but really bench fodder...
The only thing I dislike is that it only leaves us with four big men: Ilgauskas, Cardinal, Gooden, and Varejao... I'd be worried especially with Varejao hurt but if we can sign someone for cheap like Jackie Butler to replace the hole by Simmons and Dw.Jones, then I think we'd be fine...
I like it from the personnel standpoint, as well...
From the chemistry standpoint it's another plus for me as this grants LeBron wish to make some kind of move and we make one that really would help out LeBron a ton...
We'd be granting Damon Jones trade request...
And I don't think LeBron is close to any of the scrubs (Jones, Brown and Simmons) nor cares much about them..
Marshall isn't anything to brag about either and he wouldn't be missed...
Overall I would absolutely love this trade and it seems like the type of trade that Danny Ferry would make since it doesn't have a ton of risk to it, it doesn't completely shake up the team and it doesn't require him to give up a ton...
I sure hope Danny can get this done as it would be a heck of a deal and turn this team into legit title contenders when fully healthy; just look at the lineup:
PG: Larry Hughes / Kyle Lowry / Eric Snow
SG: Mike Miller / Daniel Gibson
SF: LeBron James / Sasha Pavlovic / Devin Brown
PF: Drew Gooden / Brian Cardinal
CT: Zydrunas Ilgauskas / Anderson Varejao
That is a deep, talented, and young roster... What's not to like?
(BTW, sorry for the long post...
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