James: Coach should have played Ilgauskas

[duncan228]

James: Coach should have played Ilgauskas (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txcavaliersilgauskas&prov=st&type=lgns)

LeBron James says Cavaliers coach Mike Brown should have let Zydrunas Ilgauskas set a record last weekend.

Ilgauskas has tied Cleveland’s record for all-time games played at 723 and will set a new mark with his next appearance. That could have been at home last Saturday, but Brown elected not to play Ilgauskas in a victory against the Mavericks.

“I definitely thought he should’ve played,” James said Monday. “I’m not trying to stir up anything with coach or whatever is going on with the organization, but sometimes one game is the smaller things. What was on the line was something way bigger than us playing the Mavericks. That was Z breaking the record.”

Ilgauskas declined interview requests Saturday night and on Monday.

[badfish22]

James pisses me the hell off sometimes.

Just shut the fuck up and play.
They have a coach for a reason.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

trouble brewing in Cleveland? [/senorspur & djohn] :smokin

[Thunder Dan]

I think they should have played Z when junk time began in the 2nd quarter... but, I could see why Brown kept him out, the game was up and down, and the Mavs' center was Drew Gooden.

[Pistons < Spurs]

I don't think there's any excuse here. Coach should have gotten him in there. Period. It could have been for 20 seconds. He could have got him in and pulled him out between free throw attempts. It doesn't matter. It's pretty disrespectful not to allow him to get the record. I don't know if he simply forgot or is trying to play some sort of mind game. Brown totally fucked this up, not that it's all that big of deal at the end of the day.

[Pero]

I don't think there's any excuse here. Coach should have gotten him in there. Period. It could have been for 20 seconds. He could have got him in and pulled him out between free throw attempts. It doesn't matter. It's pretty disrespectful not to allow him to get the record. I don't know if he simply forgot or is trying to play some sort of mind game. Brown totally fucked this up, not that it's all that big of deal at the end of the day.

That said, James should've just keep quiet.

[z0sa]

I don't think there's any excuse here. Coach should have gotten him in there. Period. It could have been for 20 seconds. He could have got him in and pulled him out between free throw attempts. It doesn't matter. It's pretty disrespectful not to allow him to get the record. I don't know if he simply forgot or is trying to play some sort of mind game. Brown totally fucked this up, not that it's all that big of deal at the end of the day.

Agreed. Let the big fella log a single minute just so he can break the record.

[Thunder Dan]

I don't think there's any excuse here. Coach should have gotten him in there. Period. It could have been for 20 seconds. He could have got him in and pulled him out between free throw attempts. It doesn't matter. It's pretty disrespectful no to allow him to get the record. I don't know if he simply forgot or is trying to play some sort of mind game. Brown totally fucked this up, not that it's all that big of deal at the end of the day.

our beat writer who knows Coach Brown very well said that he didn't think Brown would put him in for a token minute just to break the record. He could have put him in with the bench players in the 2nd half but he thought that would have been disrespectful to Z. I don't know what would be more disrespectful: not playing him period, or putting him in just to put him in and take out, or put him in with the bench bunch to break a record.

Apparently, they were going to stop the game and honor him, which our beat writer says that once Z didn't enter in the first half, he wouldn't get in the 2nd half because that ceremony would have been weird in the 2nd half of the game.

I can see both sides to this, and unless get gets traded today or tomorrow, or dies, he will break in this week.

[galvatron3000]

Did any of u think Brown would be safe after Shaq arrived? LOL

[Bukefal]

Well, I agree Lebron should just keep his mouth shut, he is not a coach nor a coaching staff representative, it´s not good for players to mess with coach decision, they have an opinion of course, but keep it to yourself.

But, he is right. Ilgauskas should have played!!! I dont understand why Brown did not let him play, why not even some minutes just for respect.

[duncan228]

Updated.

James: Coach should have played Ilgauskas (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-cavaliers-ilgauskas&prov=ap&type=lgns)

The Cavaliers concluded practice on Monday with a lighthearted game of football. The one player missing was the same one missing Saturday night—Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Ilgauskas was set to become Cleveland’s franchise leader in games played Saturday against Dallas, but coach Mike Brown elected not to play him. It’s a decision that has upset Ilgauskas and LeBron James.

“I definitely thought he should’ve played,” James said. “As a friend of his, I was very upset and I know he was, also.”

Ilgauskas shares the record, currently at 723 games, with the team’s general manager, Danny Ferry.

He is typically one of the last players to leave Cleveland’s locker room after games. On Saturday, he was the first. He also declined to participate in the team’s pickup football game on Monday, instead choosing to shoot at a basket with an assistant coach for a few minutes before leaving the court without speaking to reporters.

“I’m not trying to stir up anything with coach or whatever is going on with the organization, but sometimes one game is the smaller things,” James said. “What was on the line was something way bigger than us playing the Mavericks. That was ‘Z’ breaking the record.”

Coach Mike Brown said he intended on Ilgauskas playing his usual allotment of about 25 minutes, but the game’s tempo prevented it from happening. Brown stuck with a smaller lineup that included playing James at center for a short stretch in what was arguably Cleveland’s finest game of the season.

Shaquille O’Neal played just 25 minutes in the Cavaliers’ 111-95 win against Dallas that included big nights from Jamario Moon, Delonte West and Anderson Varejao, each of whom played at least 28 minutes.

“It wasn’t planned. Even as the course of the game went on, I didn’t expect to not play him,” Brown said. “You can call it a mistake, you can call it a coaching decision. I get paid good money and I feel like I’ve done a decent job of treating guys right. Maybe in a lot of guys’ minds, I didn’t this time, I don’t know. But that’s part of being a head coach.”

Ilgauskas has spent his entire 14-year career in Cleveland. He missed essentially three full seasons early on while dealing with broken bones in his feet. He is the team’s all-time leader in blocks and rebounds and one of four in team history to score at least 10,000 points.

“He’s been everything to this franchise and has given everything since he’s been here,” James said. “A lot of the guys that are here do not have the same history that I have with Z. They don’t know what Z has been through.

“I don’t think any of us would’ve been mad if Z started. He could’ve started, been subbed as soon as the game started and that would’ve given the fans a chance to give him a standing ovation. That’s just the way I would’ve envisioned it.”

Brown said he hasn’t given much thought to starting Ilgauskas in Cleveland’s next game, which is also at home against Phoenix on Wednesday, nor was he upset with James’ remarks.

“That’s fine,” Brown said. “This is not the only time he or anybody else on my team has been upset with me.”

Ilgauskas is off to the worst start of his career. He is averaging 7.1 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 38 percent from the floor. He entered the season shooting 48 percent for his career.

Brown said he goes into every game with a minutes sheet that he keeps in his shirt pocket, but he doesn’t always follow it.

“A lot of coaching, at least for me, is by gut feel,” Brown said. “You know who’s in the game, but sometimes you make decisions based on the flow of the game or matchups on the floor.

“There are times throughout the course of a game when you might have forgotten a certain guy is in uniform, but that wasn’t the case with Z. It was just at the time, matchup-wise, this is what I chose to do.”

Ilgauskas is in the final year of his contract and has hinted he might retire after the season. James was a big proponent in Ilgauskas receiving a five-year contract during the summer of 2005.

“I think he knows I’m behind him in whatever he does,” James said. “Me and Z are the only remaining two from when I was drafted. I stand behind whatever Z does because he’s more than a teammate. He’s a friend of mine and he’s a big part in why this franchise turned around.”

[gaKNOW!blee]

Just from watching the games I seriously always thought Lebron hated Z...lol

But what's the big deal?? the next two games are at home so he will obviously break it at home.

[Thunder Dan]

Just from watching the games I seriously always thought Lebron hated Z...lol

But what's the big deal?? the next two games are at home so he will obviously break it at home.

Lebron is gay for Z and Mike Brown (that is the reason his job is safe). If Lebron doesn't like you, you will be traded, see Sasha Pavalavic. Lebron said something about Sasha and his hussle and Sasha was benched for like 3 weeks.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Lebron is gay for Z and Mike Brown (that is the reason his job is safe). If Lebron doesn't like you, you will be traded, see Sasha Pavalavic. Lebron said something about Sasha and his hussle and Sasha was benched for like 3 weeks.


Great recipe for success when a player runs the team.

[Dex]

http://funluf.com/images/big_mouth.jpg
Hey look, it's Lebron.

[MiamiHeat]

This is CLEARLY a diss against Shaq.

He does not want Shaq on the Cavaliers, and he is already demanding Shaq to be traded or James is threatening to sign with the Knicks.

That is what this amounts to. Really. No, really!

[Thunder Dan]

Great recipe for success when a player runs the team.

it is when he is the best player in the league and not some 2nd tier piece of shit

[HarlemHeat37]

Lebron is a class guy that sticks up for his teammates, it's great to see..

he really is the anti-Kobe..

[lefty]

James: Coach should have played Ilgauskas (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txcavaliersilgauskas&prov=st&type=lgns)

LeBron James says Cavaliers coach Mike Brown should have let Zydrunas Ilgauskas set a record last weekend.

Ilgauskas has tied Cleveland’s record for all-time games played at 723 and will set a new mark with his next appearance. That could have been at home last Saturday, but Brown elected not to play Ilgauskas in a victory against the Mavericks.

“I definitely thought he should’ve played,” James said Monday. “I’m not trying to stir up anything with coach or whatever is going on with the organization, but sometimes one game is the smaller things. What was on the line was something way bigger than us playing the Mavericks. That was Z breaking the record.”

Ilgauskas declined interview requests Saturday night and on Monday.

If you don't want to do that, then just shut up

[SenorSpur]

If you don't want to do that, then just shut up

Amen. Just shut up and play basketball.

How much would you like to bet that he'll continue talking about his impending free agency - even though he proclaimed that he was done talking about it.

[JoeTait75]

MB can't win here. He takes a lot of heat for being too predictable with his rotations and not playing match-ups. Then, when he does alter his rotation to match up with a smaller opponent he gets criticized because it just so happens to be on a night when Big Z has flown in his relatives from Lithuania to watch him break the record.

I really doubt MB was trying to make a fool out of Z. It was just one of those things. It would have been nice to get Z some minutes at the end of the first half but it just didn't happen.

Hopefully Dan Gilbert will pony up for Z's family to come back over here and watch him break the record. He certainly deserves to be honored for being such a stalwart through some tough times both personally and professionally.

As for LeBron, well... he really does like Z (everybody does) and it's good to see him stick up for a teammate- especially since Z isn't the kind of guy who is going to go public with this type of complaint- but he should have just left it alone. Mouthing off to the press days after the fact isn't doing anybody any good.

[lefty]

" I'm going to NY in 2010.

Not to join the Knicks, but to play at Rucker Park with some real NY ballers"

[galvatron3000]

Lebron is a class guy that sticks up for his teammates, it's great to see..

he really is the anti-Kobe..

:lol

[KSeal]

Lebron is a class guy that sticks up for his teammates, it's great to see..

he really is the anti-Kobe..

I agree, like that time he refused to shake hands after losing and then bailed on the media and left his teammates behind to take the hit. Class act.

[WildcardManu]

Lebron needs to shut his big mouth and play.

[Cane]

Thats some bullshit for Big Z. He had his family and probably some friends/fans there to see that achievement and he doesn't get playtime?

Holy shit thats fucked up! :bang

There must've been a lack of communication or it justs another reason why Mike Brown is a POS.

And it was a damn good game by the Cavs too, to add even more insult to injury.

[024]

I agree, like that time he refused to shake hands after losing and then bailed on the media and left his teammates behind to take the hit. Class act.
that was just signaling the cavs' front office to stop surrounding him with trash like mo williams and delonte west. it's certainly a much better method than going public on the radio demanding to be traded. james has never badmouthed his team or the cavs organization publicly. he definitely has never thrown his teammates under a bus either.

[KSeal]

that was just signaling the cavs' front office to stop surrounding him with trash like mo williams and delonte west. it's certainly a much better method than going public on the radio demanding to be traded. james has never badmouthed his team or the cavs organization publicly. he definitely has never thrown his teammates under a bus either.

He was acting like a classless douche, just like Kobe has acted.

[timtonymanu]

Lebron's just trying to look like the good guy. Although he already exposed himself against the Magic.

[SenorSpur]

And since when has an individual record become more important than the team itself.

This guy is absolutely clueless in his comments. Which again, is why he needs to just shut up and play.

[Culburn369]

Why did Ilgauskas not play?

7:46AM ET
Mike Brown |

Top (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/features/rumors#TOP) Email (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/features/rumors#)

http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/coaches/65/30089.jpg (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/coach?id=89)Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=362) was set to break the record for games played in a Cavs uniform against Dallas, however coach Mike Brown inexplicitly didn't play him. Ilgauskas had family and friends at the game and was so upset at the decision that he has yet to speak to the media. LeBron James (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1966) is even upset by Brown's decision.
Here's Brown's take on why he did not play Ilgauskas:
"He was on the minutes sheet to play his normal 20 to 25 minutes," Brown told The News-Herald (http://news-herald.com/articles/2009/12/01/sports/nh1769168.txt). "They went small, and the team that was out there played well. I stuck with it. ... It wasn't planned. It just happened. There was nothing for me to say. It was based on matchups and the course of the game. You can call it a mistake or a coach's decision."
Brown said he's handled his players well since he's been with the Cavs.
"I've done a decent job of treating guys right," he said. "Maybe in a lot of guys' minds, I didn't this time. I don't know. That's part of being a head coach."

[duncan228]

Coach Brown Denies Z His Moment of Glory (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-coachbrowndenieszhis&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews

The Cavs have gone on quite an odyssey since Zydrunas Ilgauskas joined the team in 1997. Most of it has had to do with the franchise landing LeBron, but there’s also Big Z’s transformation from injury-prone bust to capable seven-footer to elder statesman. On Saturday, he was ready to break his tie with Danny Ferry for most games played as a Cavalier, cementing his place in Cleveland sports history.

Either no one told Mike Brown, or he just didn’t care. Because Big Z spent the night in street clothes, earning what appears to be the first "DNP-CD" of his career. According to The News-Herald, "Brown’s decision to bench Zydrunas Ilgauskas on Saturday didn’t go over well with the 7-foot-3 center, his teammates, his agent and many of the fans." Oh, and a certain LBJ fellow had a lot to say about the matter, even if Big Z was dodging the media:

"After having a little bit of time to think about it, me personally, I definitely thought he should have played," James said. "I’m not trying to stir up anything with Coach. I don’t know who made the call."

"One game is a smaller thing. What was on the line (on Saturday) was way bigger than us playing the Mavericks. That was Z breaking the record to become the franchise leader in games played."

"I think it’s a sensitive subject. I’m not one to raise havoc in the locker room, but for me, I speak the truth. As a friend of his, I was very upset, and I know he was also."

"I stand behind Z on whatever he feels."

This might be the most LeBron’s ever said about anything. Not to mention the strongest stance he’s taken.

And wait, there’s more:

"Me and Z are the only two remaining (players) when I was drafted. I’ll stand behind whatever Zydrunas Ilgauskas does. He’s more than just a teammate. He’s a friend of mine. He’s a big part of why this franchise has turned around. He’s given everything to this franchise in his 14 years here."

"I’m not speaking for (the rest of the team). A lot of the guys here don’t have the history I have with Z."

"It was surprising to me. It was unchartered territory for me. To see him in a uniform and not get in the game … to a guy like that, it doesn’t happen. He’s played 70 games plus (almost every season). That’s a tribute to him."

Okay, exhale. Mike Brown is promising to meet with everyone, blamed it on matchups, and just basically seemed annoyed by the whole thing. If I were him, I’d be irritated by Bron’s "this was bigger than beating the Mavs" comment, because it wasn’t. Ilguaskas will break the "record," as it were, next time. The Mavs are a strong team in the West, and "Mavs" and "Cavs" rhyme, so there’s a natural rivalry there.

Though maybe it would be good to keep LeBron this worked up all the time.

[duncan228]

Coach says Ilgauskas will play Wednesday night (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-cavs-ilgauskasnight&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Zydrunas Ilgauskas never got off the bench during his first attempt at history. Given another chance, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown assured it will happen.

Ilgauskas will become Cleveland’s all-time leader in games played when he enters Wednesday’s game at home against Phoenix. He currently shares the record of 723 games with Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry.

Ilgauskas was expected to break the record at home last Saturday, but Brown didn’t play him during a 111-95 win against Dallas.

The perceived snub upset both Ilgauskas and LeBron James—Ilgauskas hasn’t spoke to reporters since the game and James criticized Brown for it on Monday.

“I definitely thought he should’ve played,” James said. “As a friend of his, I was very upset and I know he was, also.”

Brown explained on Monday that he liked the smaller, quicker lineup that was playing well against the Mavericks. But he said on Tuesday if he had it to do again, he would have played Ilgauskas against Dallas. He won’t start Ilgauskas against the Suns—an idea first floated by James—but said he will play.

“I’ll be just as happy as anybody when the record is accomplished,” Brown said.

Ilgauskas declined interview requests for the second straight day Tuesday, while Brown stopped short of apologizing for keeping Ilgauskas from the record. He said he hadn’t spoken to Ilgauskas yet about the incident, but that he would. He wasn’t sure what he would say.

“I don’t know. I haven’t wrote anything out,” Brown said. “We’ll talk. I don’t know when.”

Ilgauskas has spent his entire 14-year career in Cleveland. He battled foot problems early on that forced him to miss essentially three full seasons. He is one of James’ favorite players on the Cavaliers roster and the only holdover from when James was drafted. James was a big proponent in Ilgauskas receiving a five-year contract extension during the summer of 2005. Ilgauskas, now in the final year of that deal, has hinted at retiring after the season.

“I’m not trying to stir up anything with coach or whatever is going on with the organization, but sometimes one game is the smaller things,” James said Monday. “What was on the line was something way bigger than us playing the Mavericks. That was ‘Z’ breaking the record.”

Brown was not upset with James for speaking out.

“LeBron is a loyal person,” Brown said. “That’s big on his agenda. That’s what has made him the type of person he is today. You respect and understand that he was being loyal to Z. I have no problem with that at all.”

[lefty]

Mike Brown just confirmed what we already know about him:

He has no, absolutely ZERO, control over his team.

As a real head coach, he shouldn't have openly regretted not playing Z

James opens his stupid porky mouth and now he has regrets? WTF

[exstatic]

Z needs to STFU and realize that he took this franchise for almost 3 years pay and played exactly 29 games in that period when he had Yao-foot from 98-99 to 00-01. Maybe if he weren't such a soft-ass china doll, he would have broken the record YEARS ago. He also makes enough money to fly his fucking family over for every damn game.

[duncan228]

Ilgauskas sets Cavaliers franchise mark (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-cavaliers-ilgauskasrecord&prov=ap&type=lgns)

A little later than expected, Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas set a Cleveland record for games played.

Ilgauskas, whose career was nearly ended by severe foot injuries, played in his 724th game Wednesday night when he entered with 3:50 left in the first quarter.

It moved him past former teammate and current Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry for the most games by a Cavaliers player.

The sellout crowd inside the Q responded with a standing ovation for the beloved 7-foot-3 center, known simply as ‘Z.’ He also is the team’s career leader in rebounds and blocked shots. He’s one of four players in team history to score at least 10,000 points.

Ilgauskas had been positioned to set the mark on Saturday, but coach Mike Brown chose not to play him in a win over Dallas.

The snub prompted LeBron James to criticize Brown for not playing Ilgauskas.

Ilgauskas, a first-round pick in 1996, had major reconstructive surgeries in both feet during his first five seasons in the NBA, risky procedures that worked out and allowed him to continue playing. Since his most recent operation in 2001, Ilgauskas has played in at least 62 games in each season.

[Spursmania]

I don't think Lebron is staying in Cleveland next year.