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After displaying great poise as a rookie, James needs to muscle his way inside to improve his shot selection. John Biever/SI FAST FACTS Record: 35-47 (9th in East) Points Scored: 92.9 (14th in NBA) Points Allowed: 95.5 (17th) Coach: Paul Silas (second season with the Cavs) 2004 Schedule | 2004 Draft Picks | 2003 Stats When point guard Jeff McInnis, acquired from Portland last January, was in the lineup for the Cavs, they were 20-11. They were 15-36 in games without him. PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP With 2003-04 statistics ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% FT% C 45 15.3 8.1 1.3 2.48 0.48 48.3 74.6 DREW GOODEN POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% FT% PF 134 11.6 6.5 1.1 0.91 0.78 44.5 63.7 JEFF MCINNIS POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT% SG 97 11.8 2.5 6.1 1.03 44.7 36.2 79.7 ERIC SNOW POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT% PG 164 10.3 2.7 6.9 1.18 41.3 11.1 79.7 LEBRON JAMES POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% 3FG% SF 14 20.9 5.5 5.9 0.73 1.65 41.7 29.0  BENCH PVR 2003-04 Stats G LUCIOUS HARRIS 160 6.9 ppg 2.0 rpg 2.0 apg 40.4 FG% 37.6 3FG% G DAJUAN WAGNER 209 6.5 ppg 1.2 apg 0.59 spg 36.6 FG% 36.0 3FG% F-C ROBERT TRAYLOR 252 5.1 ppg 3.7 rpg 0.52 bpg 50.5 FG% 54.7 FT% F ANDERSON VAREJAO (r) 260 7.5 ppg 4.4 rpg 1.0 apg 49.1 FG% 60.7 FT% G-F LUKE JACKSON (R) 291 21.2 ppg 7.2 rpg 4.5 apg 48.8 FG% 44.0 3FG%

The incoming power forward is out to refute his disagreeable reputation

There was a time when being traded to the Cavaliers was a fate not to be envied, the NBA's equivalent of being transferred to the branch office in, well ... Cleveland. But when power forward Drew Gooden learned in July that he'd been dealt by the Magic to the Cavs, days elapsed before his smile deserted him. "They say they're happy to have me, but I'm more happy to be here," he says. "I feel like this is an organization headed up and up."

The arc of Gooden's young career is considerably flatter. The fourth pick, out of Kansas, in the 2002 draft, Gooden played erratically in Memphis and Orlando. One night he would put up a double double and offer a tantalizing glimpse of his inside-outside game; the next night he would fail to compete. Along the way he cultivated a reputation as something other than a dream to coach -- a rap he rejects. "Totally unfair and untrue," the 6'10" Gooden says. "It's like when you were a kid and something got broken in the house and there was no one else to blame, so your parents blamed you even though you didn't do it."

Playing alongside LeBron James, Gooden will get ample chance to dispel any doubts. He will replace the not-so-dearly departed Carlos Boozer -- who, according to Cavs brass, signed with Utah after promising to stay -- and shouldn't have to worry about playing time.

Gooden feels he has a kindred spirit in coach Paul Silas -- both grew up in Oakland and became power forwards -- though Silas has already made it clear that he will "get all over" Gooden for lapses in effort. "Cleveland fans will be happy with what I bring to the table," Gooden says. "I'm going to rebound and make sure we get stops." Defending the opposition might help him defend his reputation as well. -- L. Jon Wertheim