Most NBA fans greet news about the National Basketball Development League with a yawn.
It's the minor leagues, after all. But news of Erie, Pa., getting a D-League team could be boon for the Cavaliers. They hope to switch their affiliate from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in McAllen, Texas, to Erie next year. "We're very hopeful to be Erie's affiliate," Cavs general manager Danny Ferry said. "It will give us a much better connection and better flexibility in using a D-League team. Also, our ability to scout the league will be greatly enhanced."
The Cavs will be able to scout the league better and more accurately since they are only a two-hour drive away. They can also shuttle players back and forth easier.
In the next collective bargaining agreement, the league is expected to alter the language and allow injured players to go on a rehab assignment to the D-League, like baseball.
A player like Daniel Gibson would be eligible to get in a couple of warmup games in the D-League this year. But the Cavs would have to send him to Texas, which might not make a lot of sense. He's missed the last 18 games with a high ankle sprain.
Steven J. Demetriou, chairman and CEO of Aleris International Inc., will be Erie's majority owner.
Demetriou is banking on the Erie team becoming the Cavs' affiliate. He told the Erie Times News that he also considered Canton, Youngstown, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Rochester, N.Y.
The games will be played at the 7,000-seat Tullio Arena in Erie.
BUCKS 108, CAVS 98: The playoffs are less than a month away, but the Cavaliers have suddenly forgotten how to win on the road. They dropped their fifth consecutive game away from home to the Bucks on Saturday at the Bradley Center.
They are 16-21 on the road and haven't won away from Quicken Loans Arena since All-Star forward LeBron James scored 50 points in New York on March 5.
"I'm worried," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "If we expect to be an excellent playoff team, we have to win on the road. For some reason, it doesn't matter who we're playing. That is scary, especially this late in the season."
Right from the start, the Cavs (40-31) didn't play with any passion.
Brown tried everything in his bag of tricks to slow down Bucks point guard Mo Williams. Nothing worked as Williams ripped the Cavs for 29 points and a game-high 13 assists. He made 9 of 11 shots from the field and 10 of 12 from the foul line.
"I'm glad we don't play these guys 82 times," Brown said. "Mo Williams might be the all-time greatest player ever."
The Bucks (24-44) won three of four games against the Cavs this season.
LeBron James shot just 9 of 25 from the field en route to 29 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas fired in 20 points and added nine rebounds.
