The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
James has been Cavs constant this season
Cavs acting head coach Larry Drew is running out of ways to discuss LeBron James. “What he brings for us, I mean it’s just — you can’t describe it,” he said. Plus, thoughts on Sam Darnold and Tyler Naquin.
LeBron James has started all 72 games the Cavaliers have played to date, leads the NBA in minutes played (37.0 average), is scoring at a higher clip (27.4) than in any season since 2009-10 (29.7 ) and is averaging a career best 9.1 assists a game.
But the numbers alone aren’t what separate the Cavaliers 33-year-old superstar from his peers.
“It’s just amazing what he does, night in and night out; how he sustains it, is just mind boggling,” Cavaliers acting coach Larry Drew said March 22 when James became the first player in NBA history to score 35 points and have at least 15 assists (he finished with 17) and not turn the ball over.
“He is so driven to win and to be the best,” Drew continued after the 132-129 upset victory over the Raptors. “What he brings for us, I mean it’s just — you can’t describe it. But he is the guy we know that we go through and depend on a lot, and we need him to bring the other guys along, which he has done. It just seems like every night, every night the things that he (does), I sit over there and I just kind of shake my head. I’m just glad that I’m coaching him.”
We will know within four months whether James will remain with the Cavaliers or take his talents to another part of the country. The rumors have quieted as the regular season nears its midApril conclusion, but they are bound to heat up again when the playoffs start.
The Lakers, 76ers and Rockets are rumored to be teams James is considering if he opts out of his contract with the Cavaliers.
“I’m 15 years into my career and fans and cities want me to play for their team, or have dreams,” he told reporters when the Cavaliers were in Los Angeles to play the Lakers earlier this month. “I think it’s pretty cool. … It’s flattering more than anything.”
Of course, Las Vegas is in on the action. Betonline.com has established the Cavaliers and Rockets as the most likely landing spots for James next season at +250 each, meaning someone putting up $100 on James staying in Cleveland would win $250 if he does stay. The Lakers are +400, the 76ers +500 and the Warriors plus $1,000.
• Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman reshaped his basketball team Feb. 8 when he acquired Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson from the Lakers, George Hill from Sacramento and Rodney Hood from Utah in three separate trades.
Center/forward Kevin Love was sidelined with a broken hand when the trades were made. Coach Tyronn Lue said one of his concerns was Love getting enough time working with the new players so the Cavs can operate smoothly in the playoffs.
The Cavs have played 19 games since the trades, but the game against the Suns on March 23 was the first time Love and the new players were healthy at the same time.
Sitting behind Kessler
Sam Darnold, the quarterback the Browns are at least thinking about taking with the first pick in the draft April 26, sat behind Cody Kessler at Southern Cal in 2015.
The Browns drafted Kessler in the third round the following spring. Kessler was 0-8 as a rookie and somehow regressed last season in a handful of relief appearances.
This isn’t to suggest if he couldn’t even beat out Kessler that Darnold is destined for disaster in the NFL, but instead to say he would be willing if the Browns do draft him to sit behind Tyrod Taylor without leading a mutiny. Coach Hue Jackson is on record saying Taylor will start and that there will be no training camp battles this summer.
I was impressed by the way Darnold answered questions from Mike Mayock and the NFL Network panel after Darnold threw in the rain March 21 during the USC pro day. He seemed relaxed and continually talked about being himself. He seemed genuine and did not answer questions robotically.
“It was cool to be able to throw in the rain and do what I did,” he said. “It was awesome. This is a job interview. I think I showed (the teams at the top of the draft) the best version of myself. I’ve been training hard for this day. I thought I did really well.”
False humility is transparent, so it’s fine Darnold said he thought he threw well (which he did) because he wasn’t haughty.
Darnold talked about sessions with coaches when they ask him to show on a whiteboard how much he knows about a particular team’s offense.
The Browns are one of the teams that send a potential draftee a playbook a few days prior to meeting with him. Then in the meeting, the coaches will ask him questions the player should be able to answer if he studied the material.
“It’s nerve-wracking,” Darnold said, speaking in general terms and not about any specific team. “They want to see how much you know. I just think about I know what I know. I’ll show it to them. If they don’t like it, they don’t like it and if they do, they’re going to pick me.”
Josh Allen, the Wyoming quarterback the Browns are also considering taking with the first pick overall, was equally relaxed and impressive in interviews after his pro day March 23 when Mayock asked him about his 56.2 completion percentage.
“I really dove into how I was throwing the ball,” Allen said. “My feet were really jacked up. Anytime that I would miss, my feet were out of whack. They weren’t sequencing correctly.
“Getting with Jordan Palmer (Allen’s quarterback tutor), he was noticing the things I was doing in my stance and footwork. He was helping me guide that. I’ve fixed that, and I can self-correct. I’ve been working on it a lot.”
Decision time for Tribe
Indians manager Terry Francona is down to the last few decisions in finalizing his 25-man roster for the season opener March 29 in Seattle.
Rajai Davis has made the team. Infielder Giovanny Urshela will likely begin the season on the disabled list with a leg injury, which means Erik Gonzalez has made the team, at least for now.
One of the final battles is being fought between outfielder Tyler Naquin and second baseman Rob Refsnyder, Francona told reporters covering the Indians in spring training.
“We told them they have to hang in there, that it’s probably going to come down to the last couple days,” Francona said. “We have to see how Michael Brantley is doing. We have to see how many guys we take in the bullpen.”
Brantley is recovering from ankle surgery and hasn’t been playing on a regular basis yet. Outfielder Brandon Guyer is recovering from wrist surgery.
Naquin and Refsnyder can both play all three outfield positions, Francona said. He said Refsnyder “can do some damage to left-handed pitching.”
Davis making the team is no surprise. His speed is important on the bases, and his smile and leadership are important in the clubhouse.
“I think he feels he has the freedom to be himself, and that’s a good thing,” Francona said. “He’s comfortable here, and we’re comfortable with him. We all feel he has the chance to help us win.”
Pitcher Ryan Merritt will begin the season on the disabled list with a sore right knee. Francona said the problem has lingered since the offseason.
I didn’t know that
… Until I read my Snapple bottle cap:
Only 12 U.S. presidents have been elected to two terms and served those two terms . ... Galapagos turtles can take up to three weeks to digest a meal . ... Heat, not sunlight, ripens tomatoes. … The U.S. is the largest country in the world named after a person (Amerigo Vespucci). … One acre of peanuts will make about 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches. … The average raindrop falls at about 7 MPH.