Sizing up the state of the Cavaliers

Sizing up the state of the Cavaliers

Published Dec. 10, 2010 6:10 p.m. ET

By Zac Jackson
FOX Sports Ohio
December 10, 2010

We know exactly where the Cavaliers are as they head into a tough weekend roadie and a four-game road trip in all. We don't know where they're headed, and we don't know what minor tweaks are ahead after a major lineup change earlier this week. We heard from GM Chris Grant Friday, as well as coach Byron Scott and undrafted rookie guard Manny Harris, and here is what's happening or maybe about to happen as the Cavaliers try to get a win.

1. By the time you read this, the Cavaliers will have already landed in Houston and will have been resting and preparing for Saturday night's game. It's a game they need badly and one they have a chance to win as many would say the Rockets have been underachieving and play a 7:30 Central time game Friday in Milwaukee before flying back and playing in a tough back-to-back situation. The Rockets still have plenty of good players -- more than the Cavaliers and more than a lot of teams -- and might even have Yao Ming and Aaron Brooks back from injury. It will take a top effort from the Cavaliers to win this one and any of the next three -- at Oklahoma City, Miami and Indiana.

2. Scott said he was installing some new offensive wrinkles in Friday's practice, and he was clear that he's comfortable in doing so because the five guys he now has in the starting lineup are the five most comfortable with the offense. That's a little bit of a message being sent to the other guys because the season is 22 games deep and EVERYONE should have a firm grasp by now, but he knows how badly his team needs to turn things around, snap its six-game losing streak and find something to build on and/or around in the near future. Reading between the lines, it's also clear he feels he knows what he's going to get from the five starters -- Anderson Varejao, Antawn Jamison, Daniel Gibson, Anthony Parker and Mo Williams -- and isn't sure about everybody else. He plans to stick with this lineup for now, but not necessarily stick with Ramon Sessions, Joey Graham and Jamario Moon getting no run. He said he "had to try something" against the Bulls to break the Cavaliers out of their rut and it almost worked. Guys will earn their minutes going forward, and though the lineup is set for now the door isn't closed on anyone.

3. It's not a moral victory business. And though no one thought this team was going to win 50 games, getting beat the way they've been getting beat lately has been both terrible and unacceptable for the decision makers. "We'll get through this," is part of what Grant said Friday in his first meeting with the media since the start of training camp. He said he was disappointed with the effort in some recent games and that the players should bring it every night, but he's not ready to abandon ship. Now, Grant isn't one to drop public hints about what's ahead or share much of anything that might be discussed, but he's said all along he's not going to panic and that remains the case now.

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