alamo50
04-03-2006, 09:41 AM
Fast progress makes Tuesday return a likely scenario for Cavs guard
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - One of Larry Hughes' favorite teams to play is the Philadelphia 76ers. So who better to make his return against?
Officially, the Cavaliers continue to be non-committal when it comes to Hughes' status, but he is planning on making a go of it Tuesday when the Cavs host one of his former teams, the 76ers. He had a season-high 37 points vs. the Sixers in November.
``I think it is up to me,'' Hughes said before the Cavs took on the Charlotte Bobcats Sunday. ``I'm hoping that will be the day.''
Hughes has missed 45 games in the past three months while dealing with a complicated broken right middle finger which took two surgeries to fix. He was cleared to practice last week and the finger has responded well in workouts.
The incentive for him to get back is three-fold.
One, he wants to get as much time in to get back into top shape and have the team at its best heading into the playoffs in three weeks.
Two, the Cavs plan to experiment playing him, Flip Murray and LeBron James together for stretches on the court and the more time they can get the better the results and feedback will be.
Three, he wouldn't mind helping the Cavs reach 47 victories, which is a golden nugget for him. Hughes' contract guaranteed him $10.3 million this season but, according to team insiders, included a bonus of nearly $2 million if the Cavs get 47 wins.
Cavs general manager Danny Ferry tied the bonuses in his free-agent contracts last summer to overall team performance so him missing all this time didn't affect his ability to reach them.
Donyell Marshall is also close to a nice incentive bonus if the Cavs reach 46 wins, and is due another if the Cavs win a round in the playoffs. His base salary this season is $4.6 million.
Damon Jones and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the other free agents signed last summer, don't have such incentives, termed ``unlikely bonuses'' in their deals.
Hughes' minutes will be limited once he returns.
He'll likely come off the bench as coach Mike Brown slowly works him back into the lineup while he gets his conditioning back.
The original timetable for his return after his second surgery didn't call for him to be back until next week at the earliest as the team took a very cautious approach.
But Hughes had positive workouts on Friday, Saturday and in a two-on-two drill Sunday morning and will rest up today before donning the uniform for the first time since Dec. 31.
Link (http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/basketball/nba/cleveland_cavaliers/14250571.htm)
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - One of Larry Hughes' favorite teams to play is the Philadelphia 76ers. So who better to make his return against?
Officially, the Cavaliers continue to be non-committal when it comes to Hughes' status, but he is planning on making a go of it Tuesday when the Cavs host one of his former teams, the 76ers. He had a season-high 37 points vs. the Sixers in November.
``I think it is up to me,'' Hughes said before the Cavs took on the Charlotte Bobcats Sunday. ``I'm hoping that will be the day.''
Hughes has missed 45 games in the past three months while dealing with a complicated broken right middle finger which took two surgeries to fix. He was cleared to practice last week and the finger has responded well in workouts.
The incentive for him to get back is three-fold.
One, he wants to get as much time in to get back into top shape and have the team at its best heading into the playoffs in three weeks.
Two, the Cavs plan to experiment playing him, Flip Murray and LeBron James together for stretches on the court and the more time they can get the better the results and feedback will be.
Three, he wouldn't mind helping the Cavs reach 47 victories, which is a golden nugget for him. Hughes' contract guaranteed him $10.3 million this season but, according to team insiders, included a bonus of nearly $2 million if the Cavs get 47 wins.
Cavs general manager Danny Ferry tied the bonuses in his free-agent contracts last summer to overall team performance so him missing all this time didn't affect his ability to reach them.
Donyell Marshall is also close to a nice incentive bonus if the Cavs reach 46 wins, and is due another if the Cavs win a round in the playoffs. His base salary this season is $4.6 million.
Damon Jones and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the other free agents signed last summer, don't have such incentives, termed ``unlikely bonuses'' in their deals.
Hughes' minutes will be limited once he returns.
He'll likely come off the bench as coach Mike Brown slowly works him back into the lineup while he gets his conditioning back.
The original timetable for his return after his second surgery didn't call for him to be back until next week at the earliest as the team took a very cautious approach.
But Hughes had positive workouts on Friday, Saturday and in a two-on-two drill Sunday morning and will rest up today before donning the uniform for the first time since Dec. 31.
Link (http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/basketball/nba/cleveland_cavaliers/14250571.htm)