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Young guards help each other improve
Gibson, Brown develop bond along with talents
By Brian Windhorst Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Oct 07, 2007
INDEPENDENCE: Last season, virtually every Cavaliers practice ended the same way, and not just with a huddle and that ambitious ''championship'' chant.
Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown wore out assistant coaches and ball boys by taking hours of extra practice day after day. They were rookie guards and acted like it, sometimes getting little or no playing time in games, so they tried to develop their games and impress the coaching staff. They did both, but something else happened, too. They became best friends.
The Cavs are banking on that development and that chemistry in the players' sophomore seasons as coach Mike Brown and General Manager Danny Ferry have begun to put a great deal of trust in their draft class of 2006. With no Cavs having had no draft picks last summer, 2006 first-rounder Shannon Brown and second-rounder Gibson represent the Cavs' future.
Count on both to get plenty of chances to contribute both in preseason games, which start in earnest this week, and early in the regular season. Instead of signing a veteran point guard over the summer, the Cavs refrained, in part because they wanted to give their young players a good look.
Gibson's finish to last season makes that easy to understand. He became one of the team's top players in the postseason. But the Cavs' decision makers also have been impressed with what they have seen from Shannon Brown in practices and scrimmages.
With Gibson being a good shooter who can handle the ball a little, there's a chance he could mesh well with Shannon Brown, who is bigger, more athletic and a better driver on offense. The coaching staff also thinks both have the skills to be good defenders in the team's scheme.
''They are going to get opportunities. We think they have great potential,'' Mike Brown said. ''Both of them worked very hard in the offseason, and we are hoping it will pay off.''
Gibson took only five days off after the NBA Finals, and then started working out almost daily with former Cavs coach John Lucas in his hometown of Houston, sometimes twice a day. Shannon Brown was the centerpiece of the Cavs' summer-league team in Las Vegas in July and then played well at Tim Grgurich's development camp in Vegas in August.
Click here to read the rest of article - http://www.ohio.com/sports/cavs/10295682.html
Gibson, Brown develop bond along with talents
By Brian Windhorst Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Oct 07, 2007
INDEPENDENCE: Last season, virtually every Cavaliers practice ended the same way, and not just with a huddle and that ambitious ''championship'' chant.
Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown wore out assistant coaches and ball boys by taking hours of extra practice day after day. They were rookie guards and acted like it, sometimes getting little or no playing time in games, so they tried to develop their games and impress the coaching staff. They did both, but something else happened, too. They became best friends.
The Cavs are banking on that development and that chemistry in the players' sophomore seasons as coach Mike Brown and General Manager Danny Ferry have begun to put a great deal of trust in their draft class of 2006. With no Cavs having had no draft picks last summer, 2006 first-rounder Shannon Brown and second-rounder Gibson represent the Cavs' future.
Count on both to get plenty of chances to contribute both in preseason games, which start in earnest this week, and early in the regular season. Instead of signing a veteran point guard over the summer, the Cavs refrained, in part because they wanted to give their young players a good look.
Gibson's finish to last season makes that easy to understand. He became one of the team's top players in the postseason. But the Cavs' decision makers also have been impressed with what they have seen from Shannon Brown in practices and scrimmages.
With Gibson being a good shooter who can handle the ball a little, there's a chance he could mesh well with Shannon Brown, who is bigger, more athletic and a better driver on offense. The coaching staff also thinks both have the skills to be good defenders in the team's scheme.
''They are going to get opportunities. We think they have great potential,'' Mike Brown said. ''Both of them worked very hard in the offseason, and we are hoping it will pay off.''
Gibson took only five days off after the NBA Finals, and then started working out almost daily with former Cavs coach John Lucas in his hometown of Houston, sometimes twice a day. Shannon Brown was the centerpiece of the Cavs' summer-league team in Las Vegas in July and then played well at Tim Grgurich's development camp in Vegas in August.
Click here to read the rest of article - http://www.ohio.com/sports/cavs/10295682.html
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