Source: Team Varejao Angling for a Change of Scenery
November 1, 2010While We’re Waiting…Who Do You Trust, BCS Bowls, and Sports Talk
November 2, 2010OK, I will be the first to put the disclamer out there that I am a Kansas grad and a diehard Jayhawk Basketball fan.
With that said, when Darnell Jackson was let go by the Cavaliers last February, other than yours truly, nobody seemed to care. Fast forward to November, and its clear the Cavs brass made a mistake.
At the time, the Wine and Gold were a completely different team, steamrolling through the Eastern Conference and looking to add a veteran front court presence for the playoff push. Just before the trade deadline, the Cavs acquired Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards. As a part of the deal, they also had to assume the contract of PG Sebastian Telfair. With the Telfair acquisition, the Cavs were going to be one over the 15 man roster maximum allowed by the NBA. It came down to keeping two of three players – Telfair, Jackson, and Danny Green.
Green, the team’s second round pick last season, was seen as an intriguing role player of sorts for the future. He could shoot from deep and was a solid defender with true NBA two-guard size. Telfair, with a guaranteed contract for 2011, was viewed as a trade chip that had to be hung onto. This left D-Block, at the time behind JJ Hickson, Leon Powe, and Anderson Varejao for minutes, as the obvious choice to be cut.
Everyone in the front office loved his effort, hustle, and professionalism, but the minutes and opportunity just weren’t going to be there for Jackson, so he was let go. Milwaukee immediately picked him up and he stayed there for the rest of the season before hitting free agency this summer.
Jackson signed with the Sacramento Kings and hustled his way into the rotation right away and received praised from coach Paul Westphal right away.
After a 22 minute, 12 point, six rebound game on Friday night in New Jersey, Westphal said: “Darnell was really, really good. He shows that you can play physically and aggressively and not be sitting down with fouls all the time. He really used his body well and set some very good screens for us. He was a big part of us coming back.”
And the next night in Cleveland, Jackson was a key to the monster second half comeback as the Kings took down the Cavs, despite trailing by 14 at the half. In the third quarter, he played six minutes, scored four points, grabbed two boards, and left with a plus/minus of plus seven.
“He’s going to have a good role on our team, ” Westphal said after the win.
Jackson, who loved his time in Cleveland, definitely enjoyed his return. “It feels good to be back here,” Jackson said Saturday. “I had a good time while I was here, so it was nice to be back on the floor in front of the Cleveland fans again.”
Meanwhile Green, who was kept over Jackson last year, who a major disappointment in the preseason and never seemed to get into the good graces of new coach Byron Scott. In the end, he was released, losing his roster spot to undrafted rookie Manny Harris, who completely outplayed him.
The shame of it all is that D-Block could be a part of this year’s frontcourt rotation. he is the exact type of hardworking, defensive-minded big who Scott would have loved.
I for one and happy that Darnell has landed on his feet. He is one of the better guys you would ever want to meet.
21 Comments
Agree. Remember seeing him dominate the D league games he played in and knowing he could play some minutes in this league. Too bad he’s not with us now, but glad he’s getting a shot.
kudos to Darnell and hope he carves out his niche in Sacramento.
I’d rather have D-Block than Samardo Samuels, but that’s about it. He’d probably contribute more to the Cavs winning games than Jamison does right now, but D-Block would never get that chance. I’m not sure where in the rotation he would fit? I’d definitely rather have Hollins as the back-up center.
C’mon guys are you serious? Jackson never impressed me you can find a ton of NBA players like him.
Hind sight is always 20/20. I was very sad to see him go and wasn’t sold that it was the right move at the time, but there was no way to know that Danny Green would disappoint so greatly. I’m happy to see him doing well, especially because he had such a rough year personally. On a personal note, I have one of his game worn jerseys so I’ve always had a soft spot for the guy. It doesn’t hurt that he’s been such a professional and hard worker. I hope he does very well for himself.
Great heart and hustle. Love D-Block. That being said, I’d only want him over Samuels as well on this team. Leon Powe deserves more playing time than D-Block would on this team. Though I would take the center depth for sure.
I don’t think that move was a mistake at the time it was made. Danny Green had far more upside and we had big man depth. You can’t call it a mistake when to avoid it you would have had to predict all the dominos that fell to get to this point.
the best part of d block is his dragon tattoo.
is anyone else here signing my petition to boycott bogeyman? Sorry, boogeyman. Hard to misspell sometimes.
Sorry to hijack a Cavs post, but I just saw Minnesota waived Randy Moss…..any chance the Browns put in a claim?
@9 – no.
@9 my initial thought was back to New England.
I can’t imagine Cleveland goes after Moss. He’s a one-year rental who is going to be a locker room cancer if he’s not on a team that is contending for the Super Bowl.
Well at least it helps my Fantasy Team…..Shiancoe has been virtually invisible since Moss got to town….
@14 – so has Moss
@12, Moss is on waivers and the only way he goes back to New England is if 31 other teams pass on him. That probably won’t happen when teams like San Diego or Kansas City have a real shot at making the playoffs, particularly with the crummy receiving corps they have there.
Can we change the title of the post?
“D-Block, you are missed. Please enjoy these comments about Randy Moss if you happen to google your name/nickname :)”
I thought we shoulda kept this kid.
he seems like he will continue to get better.
I saw Darnell out in a club in Atlanta last April, after he was released by the Cavs. I told him I was from Cleveland and that I thought he was a class act. He then took 2-3 minutes to talk to me when he clearly had much better things to do.
Just a great guy.
It was nice having a Kansas guy who wasn’t a total pot head.
@19 I ran into D-Block at Barley House one time about a year and a half back. He was similarly friendly to me there in the same setting, as well. Just seems like a good dude. Nice to hear about the good guys once in a while.