The NBA doesn’t hand out trophies or player bonuses for “moral victories.” There’s no ticker-tape parade or crowds waiting at the airport when a moral victory is accomplished.
But the Wine and Gold can go into this off-season with a sense of pride that no Cavalier club has felt in the last 13 years of the franchise. They were a defensive rebound and one quarter away from making history; pulling off one of the greatest playoff upsets in recent memory.

Of course, that all came apart on Sunday afternoon, when the Pistons used a late 10-2 run and some of the toughest postseason defense in league history to knock the valiant Cavaliers out of the NBA’s second season. On Monday afternoon, the players cleaned out their lockers and headed for home and/or a tropical locale – after their memorable 57-win season and improbable playoff run.

And as much as everyone hates to hear the two dirtiest words in the Cleveland sports lexicon – “next year” – the fact is that next year arguably the best player in the NBA, LeBron James, will turn the ripe old age of 22.

“The goal is to win a championship, simple as that,” said James. “Of course I want to stay. This season has put me in a great state of mind for being with this organization for a long time as well as the great teammates that I have and the coaching staff that I really enjoy being around.”

LeBron’s first posseason experience was supposed to be an education for the third-year pro, but instead the Rubber City Royalty educated his first two opponents. Detroit shut him down in stretches – namely the second half of Sunday’s Game 7, but James still averaged over 26 ppg against them. And he was good for more than 30 ppg (30.8) throughout the postseason.

The Cavaliers downfall in the postseason was that James didn’t get the help he needed. A good game by Donyell Marshall here and a nice outing by Zydrunas Ilgauskas there do not a championship team make. And more often than not, LeBron was a one-man gang. Larry Hughes was 19 points behind LBJ – averaging 11.1 per contest, and Z was the only other Cavalier in double-figures at 10.4.

“This is the best team that I’ve ever been a part of,” said Ilgauskas. “Not just the record, but the way guys stuck together. It’s been a long time since this city was proud of its basketball team and I think we gave them a lot of hope going into next year.”

The Cavaliers still have some holes to fill. But the organization has to feel good about the mixture of youth – LeBron, Anderson Varejao, Larry Hughes – and veterans – Ilgauskas, Eric Snow and Donyell Marshall.

“The good thing about this team is that the core group is young. But you also have veterans like myself, E-Snow and Z. We’ll need to keep bringing pieces in to help LeBron. We don’t want to be one of those teams that was only there one year. We want to continue this thing for years to come. We want to be known as a good team year-in and year-out.

Management also has some decisions to make – one on a starter (Drew Gooden) and one on a reserve that may have salvaged their season (Flip Murray). Gooden showed signs of brilliance at times, but he often had trouble staying on the floor in the second half of games. Murray bailed the Cavaliers out at the trade deadline when Larry Hughes was forced to have a second finger surgery in February.

“I want to be a Cavalier,” said Gooden. “The most important thing is winning. And that’s going to be the biggest factor for me this summer, when free agency and everything comes down. I’m already on a winner with the Cavaliers, so why is there a need to change?”

“I had a great time here,” opined the soft-spoken shooting guard. “The whole team and organization accepted me as one of their own and I fit right in with the club. I had a great time, we did some great things and I’m looking forward to coming back next year.”

Gooden’s postseason was not that much different from his regular season. He had outings like Game 2 against Washington where he went 11-for-12 from the floor for 24 points and had showings like Game 7 against Detroit in which he went 0-for-4 for just two points.

Murray had a rough postseason altogether. He went 12-for-55 against the Pistons and 37-for-112 overall in the playoffs.

“I though Drew did a great job for us throughout the year, and was a big reason we won 50 games,” said Danny Ferry in a postseason press conference held at The Q. “He’s a talented 6-10 power forward and obviously, we’re interested in keeping him in a Cavaliers uniform.

“Flip’s contribution was huge for us down the stretch. He was better and had more of an impact than, I have to admit, I would have thought. He helped us win basketball games when we really needed to grind out those basketball games. We’re interested in exploring options of having him back as well.”

The Cavaliers will have some decisions to make in the off-season, the biggest – and easiest – will be inking LeBron James to an extension on July 1. Everything else falls from there.

“I think I’ve reached a point where every part of my game needs tuning up,” said the young King. “I think I’ve reached a point where I don’t need to add any parts to my game. I just have to tune everything up and become more complete in every aspect – both offensively and defensively – and I think that’ll help our team a lot.”

The Cavaliers were one quarter away from destiny. The experience from the season – and the postseason – has been invaluable. Some off-season improvements and maneuvering by the front office and Mike Brown with a year under his belt can only help. And there’s LeBron, who has taken huge leaps from one year to the next. It’s scary to think of what he might be like if the trend continues. (Especially for his 2006-07 opponents.)

Cleveland hasn’t had a champion in any sport since 1964. “Next year” is a dirty word on the North Coast. “This year” is not.

CLEVELAND, October 31 - The Cleveland Cavaliers have exercised the fourth-year contract option on guard/forward Sasha Pavlovic, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

“Sasha is a talented young player,” said Ferry. “With continued hard work, Sasha can play an important part in our team’s future.”

Pavlovic’s extension keeps him under contract with the Cavaliers through the 2006-07 season. Originally selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, Pavlovic was acquired by the Cavaliers from the Charlotte Bobcats on June 23, 2004 in exchange for a future first-round draft pick. In 144 career games (23 starts), he has averaged 4.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game.

Last season, Pavlovic played in 65 games (nine starts) with the Cavaliers and averaged 4.8 points and 1.1 rebounds.

Every time Luke Jackson got up off the bench, LeBron James knocked down another shot.

"If LeBron is hitting 3-pointers, you've got to let him keep rolling," Jackson said. "Nobody has a problem with leaving him in when he's like that."

James scored a season-high 37 points and Larry Hughes added 22 in his first game against his former team as the Cleveland Cavaliers roughed up the Washington Wizards 114-99 on Tuesday night.

James, who helped recruit Hughes as a free agent to Cleveland during the offseason, scored just two points in the first quarter but followed with 14 in the second, 14 in the third and seven in the fourth before leaving with 2:32 left.

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown tried to substitute for James "three or four times" in the first quarter, but it seemed like as soon as Jackson vacated his seat and headed for the scorer's table, James responded with big plays.

"I hit a couple 3s and a dunk and I saw the guy who was coming to get me sit back down," said James, who added 10 rebounds in 42 minutes.

Brown felt bad for Jackson and tried to make him feel better.

"I kissed him on the forehead one time," Brown said. "But that's kind of embarrassing for an NBA player."

The Cavaliers won their fifth straight, and are 4-0 at home, winning by an average of 21 points at Quicken Loans Arena.

Hughes was only 7-of-19 from the field, but he added eight assists and made two 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the final 5:03 to thwart a Wizards rally. Donyell Marshall added 16 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas 12 for the Cavs.

Washington's Gilbert Arenas, who scored a league-high 43 on Saturday night against San Antonio, was held to 18 -- 10 below his average -- and shot just 4-of-17. Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with 26 points and Caron Butler had 14.

"I couldn't get to the basket," Arenas said. "Every time we made a run, LeBron answered. We just didn't have it tonight."

With James resting on the bench, the Wizards pulled to 86-77 early in the fourth on a layup by Antonio Daniels. But James came back after sitting for only 1:12 and the Cavaliers immediately went on an 8-0 run.

"I felt I needed him back on the floor," Brown said. "LeBron is absolutely amazing."
Moments later, Hughes hit a 3-pointer and Drew Gooden scored on a putback as the Cavaliers opened a 101-86 lead and coasted.

Driving to the basket at every opportunity, James went 6-for-8 from the floor and scored 14 points in the third. His 3-point play in the final second gave the Cavs an 82-70 lead entering the fourth.

Hughes left the Wizards as a free agent this summer when the club low-balled him with their first contract offer, allowing the Cavs to sign him to a five-year, $60 million deal.

Before the game, Hughes was asked how much he was looking forward to playing the Wizards.

"I definitely want to win so I talk a little smack to those guys," Hughes said. "I was one of the oldest guys on that team and they kind of looked up to me."

Arenas came in as the league's hottest player after scoring 75 points in his previous two games, but he never got into a rhythm as Hughes and the Cavaliers chased him all over the floor.

"I was calling out their plays," Hughes said. "I was with them long enough that I knew where their guys were going."

Following the game, Arenas dressed quickly and came to visit Hughes in the Cavaliers' newly remodeled locker room.

"Man," Arenas said, admiring the state-of-the-art stereo equipment and TV screens in each player's dressing stall. "Was this part of the salary cap?"

Arenas arrived so quickly after the game, Hughes asked his good friend if he had bothered showering.

"Yeah, I took one," Arenas said. "Our meeting was quick."

Game notes - Arenas has made a 3-pointer in 36 straight games, a league high. ... The Cavaliers entered as the only team in the league to have three players -- Gooden, Ilgauskas and Marshall -- among the top 30 rebounders. ... The Cavs missed their first nine shots. ... The Wizards play four of their next five on the road. ... Cleveland, the NBA's leading free-throw team, went 23-of-27 from the line. They're shooting 82.2 after finishing 20th overall with a 75.2 percentage last season.

Injuries begin to mount


After a predominantly healthy first half, the rigors of the long NFL season are beginning to catch up with the Browns.

Monday, cornerback Daylon McCutcheon (abdominal), guard Joe Andruzzi (knee/ankle) and receiver/kick returner Joshua Cribbs (stinger) each received MRIs.

It is not yet known who will miss time or for how long. The results of the MRIs will not be disclosed until Wednesday.

The potential loss of McCutcheon and Andruzzi are especially daunting.

The team’s other starting cornerback, Gary Baxter, was placed on injured-reserve Oct. 25 with a pectoral tear. Leigh Bodden has been taking Baxter’s place. The absence of McCutcheon would leave the other corner job to Ray Mickens and Micheal Lehan. Rookie Antonio Perkins is the only other healthy cornerback on the roster.

Mickens said the loss of McCutcheon early during Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh was a hit to the team, but the backups still need to be prepared to fill the void.

“You practice a certain way all week and you have a game plan set for that game with the person you had,” he said. “Even though backups don’t get as many reps because there’s not as much time, you still have to be prepared. You have to make adjustments on the fly and that’s what football is all about. People are going to get hurt and things are going to happen. So you have to make adjustments if you want to be successful.”

Mickens is a 10-year NFL veteran with 135 games of NFL experience and 11 career interceptions to his name. He was waived by the New York Jets on Aug. 8 and was signed by the Browns 10 days later.

Lehan, meanwhile, was picked by the Browns in the fourth round at the 2003 draft. He has played 28 games during two-plus seasons with the club.

“If (McCutcheon) can’t go, then we go,” Mickens said. “We just pick up where he left off. Me and Mike Lehan, we have some talent here, so we’ll be all right.”

Andruzzi, meanwhile, has limped through the past several games with a knee injury. The team’s other starting guard, Cosey Coleman, was injured during the Nov. 6 win over Tennessee and missed last week’s game. He has been replaced by fourth-year offensive lineman Mike Pucillo.

If Andruzzi misses any time, it would leave Dave Yovanovits as the lone remaining healthy guard on the roster. Yovanovits has appeared in four NFL games in three seasons.

The team, meanwhile, is still awaiting the fulltime return of running back Lee Suggs, who has not played since Oct. 9 due to a broken thumb. Fellow back William Green, meanwhile, has been out with an ankle injury.

Second-year back Jason Wright has seen playing time in absence of Suggs and Green, but the situation also has created more playing time for starter Reuben Droughns. As the season progresses, the team surely is aware of the beating Droughns is taking due to additional reps during practice and in games.

The injuries have mounted quickly. During preparations for the team’s game vs. Chicago on Oct. 9, the team listed only three players on its injury report. The following week, the team had only two reported injuries.

That number blossomed to five for the game Oct. 30 at Houston, and then to six prior to Nov. 6 vs. Tennessee. The team listed eight players on the injury report last week for the game at Pittsburgh and should list a similar number this week.

Mickens (groin) was listed as questionable last week, but played.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have announced 20 players that will make up the Cavaliers’ 2005-06 training camp roster.

New to Cleveland this season are Martynas Andriuskevicius, Alan Henderson, Larry Hughes, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall.

Joining the Cavaliers in camp when it opens on Tuesday, October 4 at Quicken Loans Arena are Kelenna Azubuike, Mengke Bateer, Obinna Ekezie, Zendon Hamilton, Filiberto Rivera, Jahidi White and Mike Wilks.

New Cavaliers’ Head Coach Mike Brown will open his first training camp in Cleveland with two-a-day practices at The Q running from Tuesday, October 4th – 9th. Practices will be held daily from 10:00-11:15 a.m. and 4:00-6:45 p.m. The morning sessions are open to the media at the end of practice with media availability following. Evening sessions will be closed to the media.