Standing Pat
Milwaukee,Wis – The Cleveland Cavaliers made a blockbuster deal right before last season’s trade deadline, looking for a spark as they sat nine games out of first place in the Central Division.
This season, the Cavaliers will have to settle for the return of two of the players acquired in that trade.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Cavaliers –8 point spread favorites for Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 57% of more than 218 bets for this game have been placed on the Cavaliers -8.
A day after standing pat at the deadline, Cleveland hopes to get injured starters Ben Wallace and Delonte West back when it visits the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
The Cavaliers (41-11) were involved in a three-team, 11-player swap Feb. 22 that netted them Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, Wallace and West.
Szczerbiak, Wallace and West play key roles on this season’s team that has a commanding lead in the Central and is in a tight race with Boston for home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
However, Cleveland again explored making a move at this season’s deadline in hopes of confirming itself as the clear favorite in the East. Szczerbiak’s expiring contract was at the forefront of the talks, and right before Thursday’s deadline, Wallace’s name was connected to a deal that would have netted Phoenix’s Shaquille O’Neal.
In the end, Cleveland decided not to tinker with the chemistry of a team on pace for the best record in franchise history.
"I feel like we can get better and I feel that the group of guys in that locker room make us a championship-caliber team,” coach Mike Brown said after the Cavs’ 93-76 win at Toronto on Wednesday. "We feel like we’re one of the elite teams in the league. But just because we feel like it, we’ve got to go do it, because we haven’t done that yet."
Cleveland beat the Raptors without Wallace, who cut his right arm during a street football game over the All-Star break, and West, who’s been out since fracturing his right wrist Jan. 15.
A year after being acquired at the deadline, Wallace and West could return just after this season’s deadline passed. Both players practiced Thursday and are questionable for Friday.
"It’s going to be real good," point guard Mo Williams told the Cavs’ official Web site of getting West back. "He just does so much for us. We miss his scoring, we miss his defense, we miss his playmaking."
Williams, acquired from Milwaukee in the offseason, is averaging 14.5 points on woeful 29.0 percent shooting in two wins against his former team, but LeBron James has had no such problems. He’s averaged 33.7 points on 50.3 percent shooting in his last six meetings with the Bucks.
Milwaukee (27-30) was rumored to be interested in dealing Richard Jefferson or Charlie Villanueva at the deadline, but like the Cavs, didn’t make a move.
The injury-plagued Bucks, already without Michael Redd for the season and missing Luke Ridnour and Andrew Bogut, had won three in a row heading into a Wednesday night home game against Chicago.
They led the Bulls by two at halftime, but gave up 64 second-half points and finished with 21 turnovers in a 113-104 loss.
"If you can’t play in back-to-backs you probably shouldn’t be in this business," coach Scott Skiles said. "We had several days off. We had an emotional win last night and I don’t want to minimize that, but it’s only a great win if you come out and do something the next night."
The Cavaliers are 13-0 on the road when they score at least 97 points.
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Posted: 2/20/09 1:30AM ET