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Game 39 Cavs Vs. Suns
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Dr. Claw
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"Pause, man, pause!" - Chris Paul
That being said, I hope the whole team learns something. TEAM BALL. Put your players in the best position to win. We're too talented to suck.
LeBron James' annual Phoenix stop not creating the only Cavaliers stir
Paul Coro, azcentral sports10:55 a.m. MST January 13, 2015
James talks to the media after he and the Cleveland Cavaliers held a practice at Grand Canyon University Monday in advance of their game against the Suns. azcentral sports
The scene outside Grand Canyon University's Student Recreation Center resembled what you would expect when LeBron James' teams only visit Phoenix once a year.
Hundreds of students bracketed the pathway to the Cavaliers' bus, only for them to settle for a glimpse of James leaving in a car that passed them coming from the opposite side of the gym.
They screamed at every opening of the doors, chanting "Kev-in" for Kevin Love, celebrating J.R. Smith raising his fast-food combo to the sky and holding signs like "We matched on Tinder" and "Love to L.A."
It was the fanfare envisioned once the Sports Illustrated "I'm coming home" headline revealed King James' return to his northeast Ohio roots in July.
Inside the gym, there was a Cavaliers practice scene far from expectations. Cleveland is on a five-game losing streak with losses in eight of their past nine games. Athletic trainers worked on James after his first practice since missing eight of those games for a sore left knee and lower back strains. After a limited practice, James said he is a game-time decision to play against the Suns Tuesday but his steely demeanor and Love's rave review sure to made a return appear more likely until he popped up Tuesday night at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Texas.
As if being a .500 team in sixth place in the East behind Milwaukee was not enough, the Cavaliers had to deal with the stir that rookie NBA coach, David Blatt, caused on the previous night. Following a 103-84 loss Sunday night at Sacramento, Blatt was asked if Cleveland should be still struggling with two maximum-salary players (Love and Kyrie Irving).
Blatt shot back, "Well, Kev's not a max player yet, is he? I mean, what does that mean?"
When the term was defined as a top NBA player, Blatt said, "OK." Too late.
Grand Canyon students take pictures as the Cavaliers' Kevin Love leaves practice at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix on Jan. 12, 2015.(Photo: Patrick Breen/azcentral sports)
Love is playing on a maximum-salary deal that he signed in Minnesota, albeit for four years rather than the possible five. He can opt out of the deal's last year ($16.7 million) this summer to potentially get another one. Beyond that, commenting on players' salaries is dangerous territory for a coach, especially one still earning respect and rapport with his team after being a Euroleague coaching icon.
"My comment was either misunderstood or misconstrued," Blatt said after Monday's practice. "I was simply saying that, with our team, he does not have a max contract because we're not allowed to talk to him about anything until after the season is over. That was really where I was going with that so I think that's very unfortunate the way that turned out. That's the way of the world sometimes. I guess I've got to be clearer with my thoughts.
"Kevin Love, for me, is a player of the highest order, whether you want to define that by max contract or any other thing, he's one of the best players in the NBA."
Amid the team's basketball issues that built up Irving's frustration Sunday to the point of his first career technical foul, Blatt needed to explain himself in a short conversation with Love on Monday. It was supposed to be solely an upbeat day for James' return.
"I wanted to get the context of it all," Love said. "Once I got the context and what he was talking about, he's right. We can't talk about anything about this summer or contracts or anything of that nature so I just let it roll off. We had a great practice today. More than anything, I just think it's unfortunate that that's what we're talking about when we're, what, 1-8 in the last nine."
PHOTOS: CAVALIERS WORK OUT AT GCU
Cleveland Cavaliers' Iman Shumpert practices with the team at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ on January 12, 2015. (Photo: Patrick Breen, Patrick Breen/The Republic)
Fullscreen
The Cavaliers have been beaten badly without James, dropping games by an average of 14.2 points and shooting 39.7 percent with him out. With US Airways Center court time unavailable for Cleveland's practice time, the Suns reached out to Grand Canyon coach Dan Majerle to host the Cavaliers, as they have done for other teams' practices.
It was a feel-good Suns reunion with Majerle there alongside several ex-Suns — Cavaliers players Shawn Marion and James Jones, General Manager David Griffin and director of player administration Raja Bell.
Love described the practice as "high intensity" with the return of James, who whipped around passes just to make sure teammates were ready.
"He was going very hard," Love said. "He wasn't just going through the motions … He looked great. It didn't look like he missed a step."
James said Cavaliers staff would not let him return early as the team struggled, suggesting he has been wanting to return before tonight's game. He lamented how he has watched the team "let our guard down" when an opponent jumps on them.
"Playoffs is something we don't need to be thinking about right now," James said. "We're not ready to win a seven-game series. We're nowhere near ready to even think about the postseason with our struggles as of late. We need to get back to our winning ways."
James talks to the media after he and the Cleveland Cavaliers held a practice at Grand Canyon University Monday in advance of their game against the Suns. azcentral sports
The scene outside Grand Canyon University's Student Recreation Center resembled what you would expect when LeBron James' teams only visit Phoenix once a year.
Hundreds of students bracketed the pathway to the Cavaliers' bus, only for them to settle for a glimpse of James leaving in a car that passed them coming from the opposite side of the gym.
They screamed at every opening of the doors, chanting "Kev-in" for Kevin Love, celebrating J.R. Smith raising his fast-food combo to the sky and holding signs like "We matched on Tinder" and "Love to L.A."
It was the fanfare envisioned once the Sports Illustrated "I'm coming home" headline revealed King James' return to his northeast Ohio roots in July.
Inside the gym, there was a Cavaliers practice scene far from expectations. Cleveland is on a five-game losing streak with losses in eight of their past nine games. Athletic trainers worked on James after his first practice since missing eight of those games for a sore left knee and lower back strains. After a limited practice, James said he is a game-time decision to play against the Suns Tuesday but his steely demeanor and Love's rave review sure to made a return appear more likely until he popped up Tuesday night at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Texas.
As if being a .500 team in sixth place in the East behind Milwaukee was not enough, the Cavaliers had to deal with the stir that rookie NBA coach, David Blatt, caused on the previous night. Following a 103-84 loss Sunday night at Sacramento, Blatt was asked if Cleveland should be still struggling with two maximum-salary players (Love and Kyrie Irving).
Blatt shot back, "Well, Kev's not a max player yet, is he? I mean, what does that mean?"
When the term was defined as a top NBA player, Blatt said, "OK." Too late.
Grand Canyon students take pictures as the Cavaliers' Kevin Love leaves practice at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix on Jan. 12, 2015.(Photo: Patrick Breen/azcentral sports)
Love is playing on a maximum-salary deal that he signed in Minnesota, albeit for four years rather than the possible five. He can opt out of the deal's last year ($16.7 million) this summer to potentially get another one. Beyond that, commenting on players' salaries is dangerous territory for a coach, especially one still earning respect and rapport with his team after being a Euroleague coaching icon.
"My comment was either misunderstood or misconstrued," Blatt said after Monday's practice. "I was simply saying that, with our team, he does not have a max contract because we're not allowed to talk to him about anything until after the season is over. That was really where I was going with that so I think that's very unfortunate the way that turned out. That's the way of the world sometimes. I guess I've got to be clearer with my thoughts.
"Kevin Love, for me, is a player of the highest order, whether you want to define that by max contract or any other thing, he's one of the best players in the NBA."
Amid the team's basketball issues that built up Irving's frustration Sunday to the point of his first career technical foul, Blatt needed to explain himself in a short conversation with Love on Monday. It was supposed to be solely an upbeat day for James' return.
"I wanted to get the context of it all," Love said. "Once I got the context and what he was talking about, he's right. We can't talk about anything about this summer or contracts or anything of that nature so I just let it roll off. We had a great practice today. More than anything, I just think it's unfortunate that that's what we're talking about when we're, what, 1-8 in the last nine."
PHOTOS: CAVALIERS WORK OUT AT GCU
Cleveland Cavaliers' Iman Shumpert practices with the team at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ on January 12, 2015. (Photo: Patrick Breen, Patrick Breen/The Republic)
Fullscreen
The Cavaliers have been beaten badly without James, dropping games by an average of 14.2 points and shooting 39.7 percent with him out. With US Airways Center court time unavailable for Cleveland's practice time, the Suns reached out to Grand Canyon coach Dan Majerle to host the Cavaliers, as they have done for other teams' practices.
It was a feel-good Suns reunion with Majerle there alongside several ex-Suns — Cavaliers players Shawn Marion and James Jones, General Manager David Griffin and director of player administration Raja Bell.
Love described the practice as "high intensity" with the return of James, who whipped around passes just to make sure teammates were ready.
"He was going very hard," Love said. "He wasn't just going through the motions … He looked great. It didn't look like he missed a step."
James said Cavaliers staff would not let him return early as the team struggled, suggesting he has been wanting to return before tonight's game. He lamented how he has watched the team "let our guard down" when an opponent jumps on them.
"Playoffs is something we don't need to be thinking about right now," James said. "We're not ready to win a seven-game series. We're nowhere near ready to even think about the postseason with our struggles as of late. We need to get back to our winning ways."
JFT
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http://bleacherreport.com/uninterrupted#!lebron-announces-return-from-injury
You thin Bron is a little excited?
You thin Bron is a little excited?
Walter White
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Got me freaking pumped. He looked so happy.
bushwick_bill
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Marion is back tonight.
Doubt that, Blatt is going to keep his minutes in the low 30's he said.
Also, Chris Haynes said JR Smith will start at the 2 guard and Mike Miller will move to the bench.
melecoaze
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i know, expecting 62 points in 30 minutes
crabbyshark
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Ohio State is trouncing Michigan in Men's basketball right now as well.