Cavs Take Step Backwards by Re-Signing Gooden
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by user Ross K.
Drew Gooden's representative, Calvin Andrews, told ESPN.com on Monday that his client has agreed to terms with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract worth about $23 million.
Um, pardon? I must have read something wrong here.
Drew Gooden is an underachiever. Even if he was an overachiever he's still be hovering around mediocrity. There were two options the Cavs kept talking about with Gooden. Option 1: Sign and Trade. Option 2: One-year contract.
When did Option 3 even become available, let along become thee option?
Gooden was supposed to come back for one more year so Anderson Varejao could finish polishing up to become the starting power forward. Then he was supposed to go away. Now they wasted a bunch of salary cap space they didn't really have to re-sign Gooden for three years?!
Unbelievable. Well, except for the fact this is a Cleveland team I'm talking about.
This means the Cavs will play the 2006-07 season with virtually the same roster as last year's playoff team that surged in the second half. Which is great, right? Oh wait, the one player that's not coming back, Ronald Murray is now kicking it in Detroit Pistons Motown. He's only one player, right? Oh wait, he was acquired before the trading deadline last year and was one of the major reasons the Cavs surged.
This is what being a Cleveland fan is all about. Build up, build up, build up, kick in the stomach.
Losing Flip and securing Gooden for three years is exactly what the Cavs didn't need to do this offseason. They flat out blew it. The Cavs were fighting their way up to the most respected franchise in Cleveland, but in my eyes at least, they dropped way back down to number three with this screwup.
As ESPN's Marc Stein put it: "From here, with a payroll fast approaching luxury-tax territory, Cleveland will likely have to construct trades to make major personnel alterations, as the Cavs rush to establish themselves as unquestioned championship contenders before James has the right to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010."
Fan-freakin'-tastic.
Congratulations Cavs, you've helped Cleveland add one more brick to the Mistake on the Lake Hall of Shame.
Date
Mon 08/14/06, 2:03 pm EST
