Read Sports Geek’s argument that the worst move is the Rockets signing Trevor Ariza and Loyal Homer’s argument that the worst move is the Magic re-resigning Marcin Gortat.
The original Wild Thing in Cleveland sports is not a 6-foot 11-inch center/forward from Brazil with ridiculous hair. No, the ORIGINAL Wild Thing was a pitcher out of the California Penal league with ridiculous hair. And while “Veg-head” may have stolen a car, Cleveland’s newest Wild Thing has just committed highway robbery!
Anderson Varejao inked a new contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers last week that will keep him on the shores of Lake Erie through 2015, and could net him as much as $50 million dollars.
Surely, Varejao must be one heck of a player for the Cavaliers, who are trying to do everything in their power to keep LeBron James in town, to make that kind of an offer! I mean, it’s not like they would give that contract to a center/forward who averages less than one block per game and only scores 8.6 points per game off of the bench, would they?! Apparently, they would!
I do not mean to imply that Varejao is a worthless player. He is a high-energy player with above-average defensive skills, and he is not afraid to give OR receive a hard foul. The best word to sum up Andy’s style is, “hustle.” He will give 100 percent of himself every minute that he is on the court. Since when did hustle warrant that kind of cheddar, though?!
Varejao’s time spent with Cleveland has always been tenuous. During a contract holdout in 2007, the Cavs refused to offer him a five-year, $45 million deal. When Varejao realized that NOBODY was going to offer him that contract, he finally accepted an offer sheet from the Charlotte Bobcats for MUCH less. The Cavaliers matched that offer, and were able to keep him on their roster.
When that contract came up for renewal this past offseason, the Cavaliers gave every indication that they were willing to part ways with the Brazilian. Once again, it appeared that Varejao and his agent, Dan Fegan, were going to ask for another ridiculous contract, and Varejao declined to exercise his contract option with the Cavs for the 2009 season.
Something changed, though, within the Cavaliers organization. Whether it was the Cavaliers’ inability to sign free agent Trevor Ariza, or the rumored interest that Varejao was receiving from the Portland and Oklahoma City organizations, the Cavaliers surprisingly decided to make this offer to Varejao, which drew much skepticism from the public.
Whatever sparked the change of heart for Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry, they are now stuck with a sub-standard offensive player who, despite a high level of intensity, is a very sloppy ball handler. With all that, he has also gained a reputation as a flopper, something the NBA officials are quick to recognize. As a result, he has drawn the scrutiny of the NBA officials, and therefore gets little to no leeway from them when he is playing.
I sure hope Danny Ferry knows what he is doing. His entire career rides on every decision he will make in the next year, and whether or not he will be able to keep LeBron James in Cleveland. If LeBron ends up taking his talents to another city after this season, this will be added to the list of doubts cast on his ability to be an effective general manager, and it will likely result in his unemployment.
July 20, 2009 at 6:04 pm |
I must admit the money is too much for AV! However,I think he is far more important to the Cavs than the other two will be to their teams. His offense is weak but he has improved and he is still young. Also how much ball handling does he have have to do?He plays adequate defense and can rebound! He is no Dennis Rodman but in the long run he will be better offensively! How much scoring does he have to do anyway? ALSO, you cannot underestimate hustle!Hustle plays are inspiring to your team and fans alike!I also feel the worst free agent deal has yet to happen! That is the signing of Iverson!
July 20, 2009 at 10:11 pm |
You’re right about the contract no making sense. You’re also right about Iverson!