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Cleveland Cavaliers Cavs will go as far as their big men take them
Updated: Thursday October 04, 2001 5:48 PM
By Marty Burns, CNNSI.com Last year Cleveland got off to a hot start, only to fall apart when center Zydrunas Ilgauskas broke his foot again and was lost for the season. Without Z to draw double teams in the low post and anchor their defense, the Cavs were exposed. Eventually they not only lost games, but also the will to compete. New head coach John Lucas was brought in to restore the passion in Cleveland. Unfortunately, there is only so much he can do. With Ilgauskas not expected to play, and rookie draft choice DeSegana Diop battling foot problems of his own, the Cavaliers again appear to have a gaping hole in the middle. The losses of Clarence Weatherspoon and Matt Harpring only figure to make Lucas' job tougher.
The good news is the Cavs still have Andre Miller, one of the game's best young point guards. He should thrive under the tutelage of Lucas, a former point guard. Miller will have some added some athleticism on the wing this season in the form of Jumaine Jones, the former Sixers swingman who came on strong in the postseason. Unless Diop or Chris Mihm develops into a force in the paint, however, the Cavs are going to struggle. Miller and newly acquired forward Tyrone Hill just don't have enough help. Shooting guard Wesley Person and small forward Lamond Murray are both adequate but not spectacular. Same goes for free-agent signees Michael Doleac and Bryant Stith. With so many role players and only one real star, Lucas is going to have a hard time staying optimistic. Standout stat: 135 Games Ilgauskas has missed over the past two seasons because of foot injuries.
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