Got a Cavaliers question? Send it in. Submit your question at cleveland.com/heybrian, and Plain Dealer Cavaliers beat writer Brian Windhorst will choose at least one to answer each Sunday here in the sports section. All of Brian's answers are archived online.
Q: Hey, Brian: Can you tell me how moving Delonte West to the bench would help the Cavs? He has been a very solid player. Wouldn't this be like a demotion? - C. Bourdeau, Millbury, Mass. A: Hey, C.: The team could use some more size in its starting backcourt, and with no true point guard off the bench, Mike Brown often relied on Delonte to log heavy, heavy minutes. Bringing him in off the bench would not be a demotion - he'd get the same playing time - but it would perhaps be a better use of the rotation.
Q: Hey, Brian: I think you will agree that in retrospect, not giving up Wally Szczerbiak's contract for Shaquille O'Neal was a catastrophic mistake by the Cavs' front office at the trade deadline. - Sachin Java, Shaker Heights
A: Hey, Sachin: The Cavs went 33-5 after the trade deadline before the Magic series and earned the top record in the NBA. So no, it was hardly a catastrophic mistake. It also wasn't as simple as just trading Wally for Shaq, though at the time I thought there was a chance that is how it will be perceived for many years. Should the Cavs have bent more in an attempt to get another big man? I think you could make a case, sure, but the Cavs were also rewarded heavily for staying pat.
Q: Hey, Brian: The Atlanta Hawks have put Josh Smith up for trade, it seems. Even if he doesn't reach superstar status, wouldn't he be a perfect answer for the Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Lamar Odom problems the Cavs have? What are your thoughts, and would the Cavs explore that route this summer? - Russell Boydman, Solon
A: Hey, Russell: The Hawks have denied Smith is on the block, though I think there's a chance he will be traded at some point in the next two years. He has a trade kicker that will pay him around $6 million if he's traded, and he has a knack for disappearing in close games. So, no, not an option for the Cavs.
Q: Hey, Brian: The reason we lost to the Magic wasn't an inability to guard Dwight Howard, it was the inability to defend their swingmen. Rather than a big man like Shaq, don't the Cavs really need some athletic swingmen who can defend the likes of Rashard Lewis? - Tom Fistek, University Heights
A: Hey, Tom: I disagree. The inability to handle Howard one-on- one created the majority of defensive issues for the Cavs in the series. The issues with the swingmen were often a symptom of sending extra attention to Howard. But you are right that the Cavs need more tall perimeter defenders, and that really showed up against a tall team like Orlando. So, after a big man, that is the next priority. Because those players are generally easier to find, the Cavs should make an addition or two there.
- Brian
