Ex-Cavs GM Paxson happy to see fruits of old labor

	Former Cavs GM Jim Paxson's legacy includes drafting LeBron James and trading for Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao. AP

SAN ANTONIO -- While the Cavs have been enjoying their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals, one person with a big hand in their success has had to enjoy it from afar.

Former GM Jim Paxson watched Thursday's Game 1 from his home in Portland and admits it's been a case of mixed emotions to see his former club reach the Promised Land.

"It's obviously bittersweet," said Paxson, who was let go two years ago when new owner Dan Gilbert bought the team and is now working as a consultant for the Bulls. "But I take a lot of pride in helping lay the foundation. And I'm really happy for Zydrunas Ilgauskas. After all he's endured through the years, with his [foot problems], he could have packed it in a long time ago. To see him get to this level is great."

Paxson drew some criticism during his six-year Cavs tenure for his team's poor record, but he made several moves that now look pretty good -- and, no, we're not just talking about being the guy in charge when the ping pong balls delivered LeBron James to Cleveland.

His acquisition of Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao in a 2004 trade with the Magic for Tony Battie and two second-round picks now looks like a coup, especially since the Cavs were in dire straits at the time -- thanks to the Carlos Boozer fiasco. Varejao was a second-round draft pick (Paxson had drafted Boozer in the second round, as well) whom few believed would turn into the big contributor he has become. Paxson also picked up Sasha Pavlovic from the Utah Jazz for a first-rounder in another '04 trade.

Perhaps most significant, Paxson unloaded the bloated contract of Shawn Kemp in a 2000 trade. That move would later create the cap room that enabled the Cavs to sign Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones. Those signings, in turn, might have helped convince LeBron to sign his extension last summer.

Finley not trippin'

After waiting 12 years to finally make the Finals, Spurs guard Michael Finley admitted he was a little nervous when he took the floor for introductions in Game 1.

"I didn't know they went through all that hoopla," he said. "It felt like an All Star game. From that standpoint, I was nervous. I just didn't want to trip and fall and embarrass myself."

Finley didn't exactly take a pratfall in his first appearance at the championship round, but he finished with just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in 20 minutes. Ironically, he made his first attempt -- a 15-footer on the first possession of the game, then clanked his next six tries. "The shots I missed felt good," he said. "The coaching staff was more upset with the shots I didn't take than the ones I missed."

Finley, by the way, said he was happy to hear the news that his former college coach at Wisconsin, Stan Van Gundy, had been hired to take over the Magic.

"I love it. I love it for him," Finley said. "He's a great friend. I'm just happy he's back in the loop, and with a great team in Orlando. He should do well for that team."

Gator baiter

Speaking of the Magic coaching situation, Spurs forward Brent Barry fired off the line of the day Friday. When asked by a reporter whether seldom-used San Antonio forward -- and former Florida Gator -- Matt Bonner had a future in the NBA, Barry cracked: "Matt is a guy who will be around for awhile... Too bad Billy Donovan didn't get the job because then Matt would always have something to fall back on."

Hughes finds a shot he won't take

Cavs guard Larry Hughes continues to be bothered by a case of plantar fascitis in his left foot. The nine-year veteran injured it during Game 3 of the Pistons series, and has tried to play through it. But Hughes struggled to contain Tony Parker in Game 1, and admitted Friday he doesn't know how effective he can be for the rest of the series.

"It's definitely frustrating," he said. "What I keep going back to is that I'm not the only guy who's been in this situation. ... I just take it for what it's worth and deal with it."

Hughes said he has no plans to take a painkiller shot for Game 2. He said he received injections of cortisone and novacaine during the Pistons series, and didn't feel comfortable on the floor. "It's just not a natural feeling," he said, comparing it to a trip to the dentist. "It's like when you have a filling done and can't feel your mouth or tongue for two hours."