Joe Haden Doesn’t Wear Yankee Hats…He Wears Full Cavs Uniforms
March 23, 2011On Josh Cribbs and the New NFL Kickoff Rules
March 23, 2011
After a few days of hinting towards potential linuep changes, Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott has decided to start oft-reserve center Ryan Hollins tonight as the Wine and Gold host the New Jersey Nets.
The move to start Hollins has several folds, per Scott. The Cavaliers have lost eight of their past 10 games and are (once again) in need of a shake-up. However, with the Nets rostering one of the NBA’s rare “true” centers in Brook Lopez, Scott felt that starting the team’s lone, healthy seven-footer would be of benefit.
The move will slide JJ Hickson back to his true position at power forward and will allow the team to bring Samardo Samuels off of the bench (perhaps also his true position) as the first reserve big man. This change comes just three days after Scott told the media that Hickson and Samuels would remains center and power forward, respectively, for the duration of the season.
“[Hickson’s] success this year has been at [center],so why not keep him there?” Scott asked this past weekend.
With the improvement in overall size will come several risks, all which Scott is addressing internally. For starters, when placed as the power forward, Hickson tends to drift away from the hoop and rely on his ever-improving jump shot. Coupling this with the fact that the 22-year-old big man is coming off of a successful game against the Clippers this past weekend (8-for-12 beyond 10 feet), there is the chance that JJ can attempt to harness is inner Ray Allen.
Since being handed the starting power forward position, Samardo Samuels has seen most of his success in the first quarter of play, starting off aggressive and taking high-volume, high-percentage shots. While bringing him off of the bench could potentially negate this impact, Scott feels that Samuels will get to feast on the reserve big men of New Jersey rather than the starting tandem of Lopez and Kris Humphries (averaging 10.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game against the Cavaliers).
Also, as seen in previous matchups with the Nets, Hollins has not exactly been the most stout of defenders against Lopez (recall the infamous back-slapping attempt at a foul in late January). When asked about the specific incident in a game that should have been won, Byron Scott said that while the two parties had a good laugh about it before shootaround, the team would prefer he err on the side of caution in those instances as the alternative could be a flagrant foul
Whether or not this move sticks remains to be seen. If the last four months of play is any indication, the starting lineup remains as fluid as ever.
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(AP Photo/Al Behrman)
25 Comments
Brad Daughert is rolling over in his grave!
Brad Daugherty s rolling over in his grave!
For the sake of additive commentary, anyone out there know what Brad Daugherty is doing?
Third times a charm Shamrock.
At this point it just seems like he’s throwing ‘matter’ at the wall and seeing what will stick.
@Scott, I know he’s in Nascar now. Doesn’t he own part of/ a whole tesm ?
team…* -Shamrock you jinxed me !
Forget Daugherty, Andrew DeClercq is rolling over in his grave.
Vitaly is pissed at this development.
What is a high-volume shot?
Well there goes the #1 pick now!!!!
I will forever remember Ryan Hollins as the 7 footer who lost a jump ball to the 6″2″ Jason Terry…
@Ben – thank you for today’s Potapenko reference. Always an enjoyable development.
@Hollins starting at center – umm, either Samuels or Hollins is going to start, so I’m going to say it doesn’t matter. Though, I like the fact that we can refer to the former as “Sam Sam”
Oh, and I was thinking about the draft lately. While I want Irving&Kanter, I can’t help but think that ‘next’ year’s team would be best if we ended up with Derrick Williams and Kanter.
Contracts that we’d have on the books:
PG: Baron, Sessions, Gibson
SG: Eyenga, Harris
SF: Derrick Williams, Graham
PF: Hickson, Jamison, Harangody
C: Kanter, AV, Hollins, Erden
I’d still rather draft the 2 BPA, which I think are Irving/Kanter in this draft (it would require some magic to get both obviously). But, just food for thought on what would be best for ‘next year’s team’ instead of long term (not that Derrick Williams would be bad longterm either though).
@ Pete – a shot where you yell when you shoot it, duh.
If the Cavs end up with say the #3 as their top choice. Irving is gone. Do you take Kanter? I would say yes. I also think getting Jimmer would be nice if Irving isnt there. If they dont like Jimmer Brandon Knight might be a good PG to pick up.
O and to clarify… I saying Jimmer and Knight with the Clippers 1st rounder… not ours.
no Jimmer. if we keep our drafting philosophy (assuming that it wasn’t just Ferry’s but our FOs), then we will be drafting an athletic player who has the potential to affect both ends. Jimmer doesn’t qualify (floor=Morrison, ceiling=Curry).
I’m not a big fan of Knight either. If we did go PG (which we shouldn’t based on who is in this draft), then I would actually rather have Alec Burks (6’6″ PG from Colorado who could also play SG).
But, if we don’t get Irving, then I don’t suspect we will force ourselves into a PG as we likely have Baron at least through next year (his contract doesn’t expire until 2013). I want to go BPA and it just seems like BPA will be SF at the Clippers pick (Derrick Williams if we get lucky, Terrence Jones, Kawhi Leonard).
oh, and who else finds it funny that Ferry’s drafting philosophy ended up being to avoid players who were like himself coming out of college?
Scout: we gotta draft this slow kid who can shoot lights out but never plays defense. he scores at will in college afterall.
Ferry: trust me, I know a thing or two about that type of player. let’s just say that they bust more often than hit 🙂
Michael Doleac is not pleased at all
I havent seen much of Williams, but I keep seeing hes a top5 pick and likely not there with the Clippers pick. As for Jones or Leonard, I am not impressed with what Ive seen (from watching both of their tourney games thus far). Either way people arent expecting a superstar and Jimmer can shoot and is obviously a great leader. Hes the type of guy that would be a great 2 or 3 option on a championship team. I would say Kanter Irving are the top 2 choices, but if you only get one, then go Jimmer with the Clip pick. Then hope that next year you get a top 5 pick and hope you hit a superstar.
harrison number one knight number 9
Robert Traylor is losing his mind…
tyrone hill is freaking out
Christmas in Hollins is my favorite rap song ever.
Good Move Cavs!
Jay Guidinger is thinking he can compete for a starting spot!