ROTATION: Starters -- Point guard Mo Williams, Shooting guard Delonte West, Small forward LeBron James, Power forward Ben Wallace, Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Bench -- Guard Daniel Gibson, Forward Wally Szczerbiak, Center Anderson Varejao. PLAYER NOTES:
--F LeBron James has been magnificent through the first eight games. He leads the NBA in scoring at 29.8 per game and also averages 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists. "I don't (lead the league in scoring) on purpose," he said. "It just happens. It's my game."
--F LeBron James was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft and Nuggets F Carmelo Anthony was third. It used to be a big media event when they met but it's lost some of its luster. "When you come into the NBA and there's another good player that they hype up, they automatically make you rivals," James said. "There's no way we can be rivals with us playing just twice a year." James said he talks to Anthony often by phone.
--F/C Anderson Varejao and Nuggets C Nene are two of Brazil's most famous countrymen. "We have nothing against each other," Varejao said. "We're good friends."
--G Daniel Gibson is shooting 21 percent from behind the three-point line (4-of -19) in his last five games. In that span, he's averaging 4.2 points and 1.4 assists. "He'll find a way to get through it," F LeBron James said. "Everyone has bad nights." Gibson and G-F Wally Szczerbiak were a combined 0-of-11 from the field in the Milwaukee game Tuesday.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--G Eric Snow (knee) will retire as soon as the Cavs receive a disability claim from the insurance company. He's not with the team.
--F Darnell Jackson (fractured left wrist) had the cast removed and is wearing a brace. He's close to returning to the practice court.
