Written by Brian McPeek

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Let's use this edition of The Weekend Wrap to discuss the odd case of Baron Davis, perhaps the only All Star in his prime (more or less) ever traded to a Cleveland team who seems to be reviled and despised before he's even suited up. Let us also use this valuable space to issue an annual warning about the NFL Combine currently going on in Indianapolis and to again express our unabashed man-love for Julio Jones. Finally, we'll take a look at another annual March happening: Indians fans bitching about signing a veteran for their bullpen and again passing up all the young Stephen Strasburg clones in Columbus.

Do We Have to Take the All Star?

I can’t remember the last time a Cleveland team acquired an All Star player in his prime in any sport and the collective reaction to the acquisition was, “Ughh…can they buy him out?” But that was pretty much the reaction to Thursday’s trade that brought Baron Davis and a likely 2011 lottery puck to the Cavs in exchange for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

Davis is a 31 yr-old veteran PG that’s made two All Star teams and who’s still in his prime physically although, to be fair, he’s probably on the downside of that hill and not likely to be around if and when the Cavs turn their fortunes around. And there’s no question that the deal was done primarily with the draft pick as the apple of the Cavaliers eyes.

But I’m wondering: Is there any chance that Davis actually provides any benefit to the Cavaliers?

 You can’t read an article on the guy without seeing the word ‘mercurial’. That’s main-stream media lingo that means, ‘He can be a real asshole’. And he can. Davis can put up 30 points and 8 assists one night and then mentally not show up for the next game while bitching about his coach. He can seemingly put on and take off weight on a weekly basis.

But he’s capable of that 30 and 8 when he actually feels like playing.

That’s my issue with the trade. I’d prefer Davis (pictured left) show up with ‘mercurial’ in mind. Or he can sit on the bench with ‘tender knees’ and show off thousand dollar suits each night like Mo did and leave the point guard duties to Ramon Sessions. Sessions is younger and is finding himself in Byron Scott’s offense but he’s not there yet. And that’s what I want out of this Cavalier team.

I’m fine with keeping an All Star on the bench or buying him out when he and Scott inevitably clash again (as they did in New Orleans years back when Scott was coaching Davis there). I want those first round picks to be more likely to garner high choices when they suck the ping pong balls through those tubes. I don’t need a happy Davis out there playing with heart and poise.

Based on Baron’s past, I’d say the likelihood of that happening is slimmer than he is, but there’s no need to take that chance. Let those knees rest and let those picks gain value. Then let’s see Baron full time next season. Make him happy early on, let him put up some numbers and then see if he can fetch a healthy return at next season’s trade deadline.

See that? That’s looking ahead and looking at the bright side. That’s what I’m known for after all.

See Ya Working

Davis aside, I like the fact that Dan Gilbert is willing to lay out $12million more than he would have been on the hook for by trading Mo and taking on Davis’s bigger salary for the next two seasons. I also like the fact that he was reportedly also willing to take on Rip Hamilton and his big salary in exchange for the trade exception the Cavs got when LeBron left. That deal would have brought another first round pick to the Cavs with Rip. Hamilton ultimately refused a buyout so he’s still pouting like a bitch and undermining his coach in Detroit but Gilbert was willing to expedite the rebuilding process by laying out a boatload of cash.

I don’t care that this draft is being hailed as a weak one. The Cavs are going to have two of the best 13 players in college basketball when all is said and done. Probably two of the best 10 when you consider that right now the Cavs are the worst team in the league and the Clippers pick the Cavs received would be #7 if you figured in current standings.

They’re working it man. The Cavs are showing a serious commitment to this rebuild and doing what they can to shorten it. The deal they did with the Celtics was also a bold and intelligent stroke. They received a 7’0” center in Semih Erden and a 6’7” 250lb inside presence (and soon to be fan favorite) in Luke Harangody.

Erden can run the floor and he’s sort of a hybrid big man/Euro-style player. He’ll step in as the Cavs backup center almost immediately and with any luck he’ll ultimately run the Human Q-Tip (Ryan Hollins) out of town.

I like the fact that both Harangody and Erden are experienced, young players who have spent a year or so in the Celtics system. They’re way ahead of any player you could draft this season with that 2^nd round pick (even if it was from Minnesota as part of the Delonte West deal). Even if they ultimately end up as the 9th-12^th guys on the roster they at least kick the current 9^th-12^th off the end of the bench and out of Cleveland.

On Thursday the Cavs got tougher, bigger and better and added another lottery pick. They also added an All Star PG who may or may not actually benefit them. But you can’t say the Cavs are sitting back and doing nothing. Not by a long shot.

Well done Phil Dunphy...errr... Chris Grant.

Now, if they could just keep growing and learning while losing we’ll all be even happier.

 

Won’t Get Fooled Again

NFL fans are about to be bombarded with numbers and opinions based on how guys run and jump in shorts and t-shirts.

Seriously, unless your name is Kardashian or Hilton, everyone has to work for a living. But looking at all those dudes with stop watches breathlessly watching some kid run for his future, well , to quote Jon Lovitz as Ernie Capadino in 'A League of Their Own', " You know, if I had your job, I'd kill myself!  Wait here, I'll see if I can dig up a pistol."

Saturday saw the beginning of individual drills and workouts at the annual scouting combine in Indianapolis and that means that some people will try and alter and bastardize what you saw from guys on the field and in games with how they perform against the clock and some orange cones. It won’t be any different than last year when Joe Haden ran a bad 40-yard dash and sent shockwaves through the combine that rippled through the blogs and major sports outlets.

Haden ran the 40 again at his Pro Day and was faster. Oddly enough, the Browns sent no one to Haden’s Pro Day. They wisely watched the kid actually play football and play the position they were drafting him to play and decided that was good enough.

Hopefully that kind of pragmatism is still being practiced in Berea. There are already reports that Jake Locker looked more accurate than at any other time in his college career and that Ryan Mallet exhibited the best arm the combine has seen in ten years.

That’s excellent.

I’d expect Locker to be much more accurate with all day to throw against no defenders and Mallet has always had a big arm. His issue has always been that he melts in the face of pressure. Given there is none you have to love a guy that can throw every route they ask of him.

Right up until it’s against an NFL defense and Haloti Ngata busts through the center of the offensive line. That’s when Mallet wets himself and his mechanics go to shit and he starts flinging balls over the field like Derek Anderson.

Just say ‘No’ to quarterbacks with serious issues in college. Poise issues like Mallet had at Arkansas and the inability to complete even 60% of his passes like Locker don’t go away because they run a 4.52 forty like Locker or because they look good throwing against nobody.

That being said, the guy who is impressing the hell out of the experts in Indy is Julio Jones. Not only has he proven to be bigger and faster than AJ Green but he’s also held onto more balls than the kid from Georgia who is widely regarded as the best receiver in the draft.

I’ve been jocking Jones for some time believing the kid is talented. He’s also less of a diva than Green seems to be. Jones was a willing blocker at Alabama as well as a big time receiving threat. He’s 6’3” tall and weighs 220lbs while Green is 6’3 5/8” and weighs 211lbs.

So they’re both big guys in terms of size and weight. The number you should pay attention to is that Julio Jones ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, had nearly a 12-foot broad jump and a 39” vertical jump.

Why do I tell you to avoid some numbers and pay attention to others? Because what you saw these kids do on the field does not change despite the combine numbers. Mallet and Locker are going to have poise and accuracy issues respectively at the next level. But if you have a kid that performed for three years at Alabama, was a three year starter and who comes to Indianapolis and puts up those numbers you can be pretty sure that dude is working his ass off to be an NFL star. The vertical jump and broad jump tell you he has explosive lower body strength.

Keep in mind that Jones was a premier high school talent and is a premier college talent. He’s not a workout wonder nor is he a one-year wonder. His combine numbers confirm what you saw from him for the last six or seven years.

That’s much different than allowing the combine numbers to change your mind over what a kid did in school.

The combine is fine if you let it be the nation’s largest job fair (for coaches and players). But it doesn’t replace what guys did on the field. And again, Julio Jones dominated at the high school and college level. You choose a kid like that and you improve your QB position by giving a guy like Colt McCoy a big, strong target who can pile up the Yards After Catch with his speed, you improve your WR position and you improve your running game because Jones is willing and effective blocker. If Green gives you more than that then take him. I just don’t think that’s the case.

All in Due Time

I told you all before that you can throw away the calendars and know what month it is by what people are complaining about in the papers or on the radio.

Now we have the age old dispute over signing a veteran versus handing a major league roster spot to ‘younger’ kids. The Indians signed veteran Chad Durbin (pictured right asking an umpire about a call) as a late inning right-handed bridge to Chris Perez. They signed him cheaply and most likely because he had an effective season last year with Philadelphia where he pitched 70 innings and had a very respectable 3.80 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP for an NLCS team. Durbin will also give you nearly a strikeout per inning which is always nice in the late innings.

I have nothing against guys like Josh Judy, Vinnie Pestano, Frank Herrmann, Justin Germano or any other guy younger than Durbin (who’s 33). But this isn’t the United Way. Guys like that need to earn their spots, not be given a spot because the team will probably struggle. All those ‘kids’ will get an opportunity at some point this season if they stay healthy. But you’re in the race until you’re out of it. You don’t pass up the chance to make your major league roster better in order to hand a spot to a ‘kid’ that may or may not be ready.

And I laugh at anyone who tells me the Indians don’t give their young pitchers an opportunity.

That’s bullshit. Straight up bullshit. You look at the roster that has young pitchers like Justin Masterson, Chris Perez, Carlos Carrasco and Jess Todd and tell me young pitchers can’t make this roster. How old was CC or Fausto or Raffy Left when they were brought up? Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers and Jensen Lewis were all 23 or younger when they were brought up.

And by the way, Herrmann will be 27 in May, Josh Judy is 25 and Vinnie Pestano is 26. People act as if these are young phenoms like Stephen Strasburg being held back and the guys they’re carrying a torch for have been around for years and just haven’t been good enough to make a bad roster that’s always been in need of pitching.

Maybe the Tragic Trio is simply 4A quality and an organization that’s brought up tons of young pitchers in the past simply knows this is the case. If the kids truly are alright they'll get their chance to make the most of it in due time.

Anyway, this kind of shit means we’re on March’s doorstep.

Play ball.