Because of a passport snafu, forward Samardo Samuels didn't travel with the team to Toronto after Tuesday's game.
He wasn't available to play against the Raptors, who blasted the Cavs (3-3) on Wednesday, 92-77.
Samuels, who will be 23 on Jan. 9, is a native of Jamaica. Apparently he misplaced his passport. He's reportedly applied for a new one, but it takes time to get a new one — not enough time for Wednesday's game in Canada. The Cavs were aware of the problem, but could not fight through the red tape.
It's been an eventful season already for the 6-foot-9, 260-pounder. He drew the ire of Coach Byron Scott last week when he said Samuels showed up to training camp with a conditioning problem.
That was why Ryan Hollins served as the backup center in the season opener against Toronto on Dec. 26. After discussing Samuels' conditioning issue before the Detroit game on Dec. 28, he inserted him in the lineup and he played well that night.
However, Scott complained of Samuels' lack of rebounding and found himself on the bench in the 115-101 win over Charlotte on Tuesday.
Samuels will rejoin the team in Minnesota for the Timberwolves game on Friday. He's averaging 7.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in four games this season.
NOTES, QUOTES
• G-F Christian Eyenga was assigned to the D-League Canton Charge on Wednesday. The Cavs' 2009 first-round pick has appeared in only one game for the parent club this season. The 6-7, 210-pound Eyenga played in 44 games (18 starts) last season and averaged 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds. The Republic of Congo native will probably flourish in the D-League, much like he did last year when he played 15 games for the Erie (Pa.) BayHawks, but he fallen out of favor with the Cavs.
• G Kyrie Irving, F Antawn Jamison and F-C Anderson Varejao are on the 2012 NBA All-Star ballot. Balloting began on Wednesday. The game will be played in Orlando on Feb. 26. Realistically, none of them will earn a spot on the team. The Cavs probably won't have anyone on the All-Star team for the second consecutive year.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "They come with energy. They really, really play hard. You have to play as hard as them if you're going to be successful. They run a lot now. They have that little point guard and he's pushing it. Everyone seems to be happy. They are playing with a lot of joy." — Charlotte Bobcats coach Paul Silas, on the Cavs.
PLAYER NOTES:
• Charlotte Bobcats coach Paul Silas said he's impressed with Cavaliers G Kyrie Irving's "feel for the game." "He can really push the basketball," the ex-Cavs coach said. "He can shoot better than I thought he could. I think, in time, he could be a heck of a player. He's not fast, but he's quick. He has a good feel for the game. I think he's going to be a real good player in this league." Silas, who coached the Cavs from 2003-05, said he liked the fact that Irving took the last-second shot in the Indiana game on Dec. 30. He missed a lay-up, and the Cavs lost in overtime. "That shows you what he's about," Silas said. ". . . He's not afraid (to take the shot). That's a good sign for a young player. He'll make more than he misses."
• The Cavs are getting strong performances from their point guard tandem of Kyrie Irving and Ramon Sessions. Irving has grabbed the headlines. Sessions has been almost underappreciated -- not by the coaches and his teammates, mind you -- but fans aren't paying much attention. But he dished out a season-high nine assists against Charlotte on Tuesday. In their last two games, they've allowed an average of 10 turnovers. That put a smile on Scott's face. "We're not trying to make the home-run pass all the time," coach Byron Scott said.
• Former Cavs F LeBron James made the chase-down block a household word in Cleveland. G Kyrie Irving had two blocks against Charlotte on Tuesday, one of them of the chase-down variety on Bobcats G D.J. Augustin in the third quarter of Tuesday's game. "It was just a normal basketball play," Irving said. "I just wanted to contest it the best I could."
MEDICAL WATCH:
C Semih Erden (broken right thumb) practiced with the team on Monday. He was cleared by doctors to resume contact drills. Coach Byron Scott said he'll likely play at some point on the West Coast trip.
ROTATION:
Starters:
• Point guard Kyrie Irving
• Shooting guard Anthony Parker
• Small forward Omri Casspi
• Power forward Antawn Jamison
• Center Anderson Varejao
Bench:
• Guard Daniel Gibson
• Guard Ramon Sessions
• Forward Alonzo Gee
• Forward Tristan Thompson
• Center Ryan Hollins
