Balls

Cleveland Cavaliers: It has to be more than ping pong balls – Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio – I know fans who want the Cavaliers to lose the rest of their games this season.

They are dreaming of Zion Williamson (assuming he’s healthy) or another top college prospect in a Cavs uniform in 2019-20.

The Cavs obviously are taking the “pile up the lottery ping-pong balls” approach as they have traded off so many veterans.

Before the season opened, former Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said: “It’s not about wins and losses. It’s about wins and lessons.” He was fired after six games in which the Cavs never even had a lead in the second half. By now, Lue would have been distraught, the season would be an utter disaster.

Given all of Lue’s health problems in 2018-19 (he missed 10 games), I would not have brought him back for this first season of Life After LeBron James. Current coach Larry Drew has the maturity and strength to handle a season of massive injuries, roster-depleting trades and 24 starting lineups in 56 games.

THE SMALL FORWARD SITUATION

During this season, the Cavs have to learn something about key young players. That discussion usually starts with rookie Collin Sexton, but just as important is Cedi Osman.

When James left the Cavs for Miami in the summer of 2010, they never did find a solid small forward to replace him. Jamario Moon started at the position in the first game after his departure. The starting small forward in the final game of the 2013-14 season before James was returned was Alonzo Gee.

From Moon to Gee. Sounds like the title of a bad Cavs book about the four years James was in Miami.

But what about Osman? The second-year man from Turkey was in the NBA’s Rising Stars game during All-Star weekend.

Osman was drafted in 2015 by former general manager David Griffin. He was the first pick in the second round. He played in Europe for two years. The Cavs resisted offers to trade him for a veteran during their title run years. Now, he’s averaging 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, shooting .424 from the field and .327 on 3-pointers.

Heading into Thursday’s game, Osman was averaging 20 points and shooting 54 percent in his previous six starts. Osman has starting talent.

TALENT UP FRONT

Drew has talked about wanting veterans Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson joining Osman in the front court.

“I’d like to see what I have,” said Drew.

Love, Thompson and Osman – with the emerging Larry Nance Jr. and intriguing Marquese Chriss as big men off the bench. I still think there is a place for 6-foot-10 Ante Zizic if the Cavs could ever figure out a way to consistently get him to play in the low post.

Over the summer, Love or Thompson could be traded as the draft approaches. But the Cavs need to keep at least one of them for next season. You can’t have a team with nothing but young players – that leads to no lessons other than finding a variety of ways to lose.

WHAT ABOUT POINT GUARD?

When the Cavs drafted Sexton with the No. 8 pick in the first round, the assumption was the young man from Alabama would be point guard. He’s only 20. He played one year of college at Alabama. He’s averaging a healthy 15.1 points, shooting .401 from the field and .392 on 3-pointers.

Lue used to call Kyrie Irving “an attack guard.” It’s a scoring point guard. That could be Sexton’s role, as a starter or off the bench.

The Cavs often had James as the trigger man of their offense. Osman has some skill as a passer. So do big men Love and Nance. While it’s not the team’s biggest need, perhaps the Cavs should consider more of a classic point guard with their second first-rounder (Houston’s) in the 2019 draft.

Late in the first round, I like 6-foot-2 Tre Jones. The Duke freshman had a miserable shooting game (1-of-11) in Wednesday’s loss to North Carolina. Jones is not a scorer (8.5 points) and struggles as an outside shooter (25 percent on 3-points). But he’s a very good passer, defender and has the classic “set up the offense” mind of a point guard. His 5.4 assists to 1.5 turnovers is an impressive ratio.

The Cavs also have Jordan Clarkson, a fiery scoring guard who comes in off the bench. Not sure yet what to make of veteran Brandon Knight. He’s recovering from major knee surgery and is on a minutes restriction.

The Cavs clearly need an influx of talent. The Koby Altman front office has traded for two first-rounders and six picks in the second round. More deals are coming this summer.

But the Cavs must find some viable players from those who are on the court right now.

Police arrest man suspected of firing paint balls at people from car

KALAMAZOO, MI – Police arrested a suspect after several people where shot by a paintball gun fired from a vehicle in the Knollwood neighborhood.

The incident happened Thursday, Feb. 21, near Redwood and Greenwood avenues near Western Michigan University.

Kalamazoo police responded to a call that a victim had been shot at by a paintball gun. While police investigated at the scene, others approached and said they, too, had been shot at.

Police identified a vehicle and person of interest. The 22-year-old Kalamazoo man was soon arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants while the investigation continues. No serious injuries were reported.

5,000 golf balls spill onto Wisconsin highway, sending locals scrambling for freebies

Everybody loves a free sleeve or two. Even if they're not your ball of choice—even if they're beneath your lofty Pro-V standards—they just seem to fly a little truer and land a little softer when you know they didn't cost you dime. Just ask the good citizens of Janesville, Wisconsin, who responded to a 5,000-golf ball-spill on nearby Highway 11/14 on Tuesday morning by doing what any rational golfer would: Screeching to a stop and running into the middle of the road to grab everything they could before getting street pizza'd.

Channel 3000

The spill was first reported by passerby at 12:27 a.m. The sheriff's deputy responding to the scene determined the balls (Nitro, don't get too excited) had indeed fallen off a delivery truck and a street sweeper was called in to push them from the roadway until they could be removed in the morning. That cleanup proved to be quicker than first anticipated, however.

According to local resident Valerie Kopac in an interview with Channel 3000, by the time she went to clean up the balls at 11 a.m., there was nothing left but the packaging thanks to the droves that had descended upon the future guilt-free water balls under cover darkness. One man who was seen collecting balls from the roadway even claimed that one had cracked his windshield after being kicked up from the car in front of him, carefully laying the groundwork for a class-action lawsuit while scooping up armfuls of the spilled merchandise.

RELATED: Watch chaos ensue after Topgolf ball dispenser malfunctions

Meanwhile, in the second biggest golf story out of Wisconsin on Wednesday, native Cheesehead Steve Stricker was named captain of Team USA for the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straights. Needless to say, it's been a solid 24 hours for all you Badger State golf nerds out there.