Written by Sam Amico

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People were lined up in waves outside the Unviversity of Akron this afternoon for the Cavs Wine & Gold Scrimmage, which was stone cold sold out ... a telling sign of how this city is frothing at the mouth for Cavaliers season. We sent our guy Sam Amico out to Akron to cover the event for us, and he checks in with news and notes from the game, as well as the latest Delonte West update.

AKRON - News and notes (and sights and sounds) from the Cavaliers' Wine & Gold Scrimmage Saturday at the University of Akron:

* First, the Delonte West situation. West did not attend the scrimmage, but only because the Cavs wanted him to continue his workouts at their practice facility in Independence. Afterward, GM Danny Ferry said: "I woke up this morning and thought, ‘Let's be patient.'"

* Ferry added that the circumstances involving West are "going in a good direction." He said the Cavs are making every effort to support West. As for West missing the first two days of practice, Ferry simply said, "I don't know that it was the right time for him to come."

* Basically, the Cavs are handling this the best way they know how. West's issues are just like any other disease -- you learn as much as you can about it, and try to help the individual cope. That's what the Cavs are doing right now. Ferry is not someone who specializes in mood disorders, but even so, it's clear he has been very professional and thoughtful in handling this matter.

* Without being too specific, Ferry said West is indeed getting professional help from resources outside the Cavs. Bottom line: The Cavs are being sympathetic and keeping their fingers crossed that it will work out for both West and the team in the end.

* OK, on to basketball.

* Shaquille O'Neal's first appearance in front of Cavs fans was met with a huge ovation. I asked Shaq how it felt and he said he wasn't surprised. After all, he is fairly popular. "The state of Ohio is very excited about their basketball team," Shaq said, adding that he doesn't blame fans for feeling that way. "On paper, we're a damn good team."

* As for the actual game, Shaq and LeBron James were on opposite squads, with O'Neal and the Gold team defeating James and the White, 54-38. Shaq finished 6-of-8 shooting from the floor (mostly against Zydrunas Ilgauskas) for 12 points. LeBron scored 10 points in 18 minutes.

* Mo Williams had a tight groin and did not play. It's nothing serious, and he's expected to start in Tuesday's preseason opener against Charlotte at Quicken Loans Arena. At any rate, with both Williams and West sitting out, the Cavs were without their starting backcourt from last season.

* It seems pretty unlikely that both Rob Kurz and Jawad Williams will be around on opening day. Both are young forwards who have an ability to score -- and whichever one makes the team stands a chance to contribute on a regular basis. So far, Kurz seems to have a slight edge. While Williams is the better scorer, Kurz is the better perimeter shooter.

* George Karl's kid, Coby Karl, has also looked good. Karl handles the ball pretty well for a 6-foot-5 guard, and the Cavs are even experimenting with him at point guard. Karl is much like his father was as a player (read: feisty), but more skilled. He has a shot to make the team, especially with the West situation being what it is.

* Second-round pick Danny Green has been another pleasant surprise, displaying athleticism and a decent stroke. The 6-6 swingman out of North Carolina also really gets after it on defense.

* Cavs fans are gonna love veteran additions Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. Both provides lots of athleticism and plenty of defense -- and in the case of Parker, more outside shooting. Meanwhile, Moon plays with the same type of high-energy style of Anderson Varejao .
They're a big step up from Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic, that's for sure.

* Great story from Ferry about Cavs coach Mike Brown: "Last week, I showed him YouTube. He said he had never seen YouTube before. Six hours later, he came out of the room and said, ‘This YouTube is awesome.'"

* Ferry's tale drew a collective laugh from reporters, keeping the mood light and offering more proof that this team is just a lot of fun to be around. Of course, Brown denied having sat at the computer for such a long time. "It wasn't six hours," Brown said with a laugh.

Sam Amico covers the Cavaliers for NBA.com, and is a regular contributor to SportsTime Ohio and The Cleveland Fan.