All the KING'S New Men Route Memphis 109-89

The Cleveland Cavs destroyed the Memphis Grizzlies last night 109-89. watching the game I could feel an energy that Cleveland hasn't had at the Q in a long time. It carried over to the new players as they were a success. The best part about the whole night is that the Cavs still have some great players that are still injured. They will soon be very deep. I think they are tougher.... Ben Wallace. They can shoot a lot better..... Wally Szczerbiak. They can play inside and out.... Joe Smith and some pick and roll.... Delante West.
Yes, it was Memphis, but the old Cavs would of had to fight all the way to the end. The new Cavs put this game away early. I think they will challenge Detroit and Boston for the Eastern Conference title. If they stay healthy! What are your thoughts on the new-look Cavs?

Source: http://espn.com
CLEVELAND -- As he stripped off his ice bags and got ready to head for the showers, Wally Szczerbiak stuck his head in Kaniel Dickens' locker and asked him where the dirty socks go. Dickens, a D-League call-up in his third day as a Cavalier, informed him of the protocol.
Such is life around the remade Cavs these days; everything seems new. Which made Sunday seem like a giant first date at Quicken Loans Arena, where the crowd and the players themselves were eager to see just how the four imports from the club's deadline-day blockbuster would fit.
The short-term answer was positive as the Cavs smashed the Grizzlies 109-89. But it was hardly a fair litmus test against such a downtrodden opponent.
Nonetheless, there were some hints of how the rebuilt Cavs may look when all the dust settles from the trade that replaced half their active roster.
In the evening's spotlight stood Ben Wallace, the centerpiece of the trade as far as the Cavs are concerned. He started at power forward, the beginning of the Cavs' experiment to play him in what they hope will be a super-charged frontcourt between LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
The results on the first night were mixed. There was no questioning Wallace's energy; on the Cavs' first defensive possession he made a steal that kick-started a fast break. Later he swatted away a Memphis pass that led to an alley-oop from the Cavs' new starting point guard, Delonte West, to James.
In the fourth quarter Wallace got a standing ovation when he forced a rare five-second call after a basket when he denied the inbounds pass with the Cavs up by 17 points. He also had five dunks and tied his season high with 12 points; he found space when James and Ilgauskas were being double-teamed.
Again, that is part of the Cavs' grand plan to integrate him and make him more productive than he was with the Bulls. The idea goes that if opponents leave James (25 points, 11 assists vs. Memphis) or Ilgauskas (22 points, 13 rebounds) in one-on-one situations, then the Cavs will burn the defense. But if Wallace's man leaves him to double-team, Big Ben just might turn into a high-percentage shooting weapon.
"The crowd was great, we didn't get booed tonight, so that was a good feeling for me," Wallace said, making a reference to some unhappy days in Chicago when the fans targeted him with their frustration over a disappointing season.
This after he said earlier about his stay in Chicago: "If someone wants to throw me under the bus, that's fine. I've been there before, I know what it smells like."
"He's rejuvenated," James said after the game, though such a statement is still wildly premature.
There also were signs of the possibly tough adjustment Wallace is going to be asked to make. Spending time guarding Hakim Warrick on the perimeter instead of Kwame Brown or Darko Milicic inside, Wallace often was pulled far from the hoop. It caused him to be out of position when it came to defending the basket on help defense at times. Though he got 10 rebounds, he missed some that came his way, too, due to getting late position.
But that is nitpicking to some degree. Wallace's effort helped the Cavs dominate as that aforementioned frontline combined for 59 points and 30 rebounds.
And that doesn't count Joe Smith (14 points, six rebounds), who came off the bench and kept getting open shots off feeds from James.
Meanwhile, Anderson Varejao, sidelined a month with a sprained ankle, is due back this week to give the Cavs' frontline even more depth.
"Our interior is stronger than ever right now," James said. "Rebounding has always been our strength, but now it is even better."
Szczerbiak hit a pair of 3-pointers on his way to 10 points. West had the roughest start of the newbies, making just 2-of-12 shots, but he had six assists and three steals. Those six assists represented previous point guard Larry Hughes' season high; West showed signs he may be a better fit at point than Hughes playing out of position.
So much more data is needed, though, to determine whether this midstream makeover will indeed work for the Cavs. Yet the first night was quite a success and had many already feeling some excitement.
"That might have been the first time in a long time I got chills when I took the court," Smith said. "That's a good feeling."
Brian Windhorst covers the Cavs and the NBA for the Akron Beacon Journal

How Newcomers Fared Sunday

Player Old Team New Team What He Did
Ben Wallace Bulls Cavs 31 minutes, 12 points (5-of-6 FG), 10 rebounds
Wally Szczerbiak Sonics Cavs 32 minutes off bench, 10 points, 2-of-4 3s
Joe Smith Bulls Cavs 25 minutes, 14 points, 6 rebounds
Delonte West Sonics Cavs Starting PG makes 2-of-12 FGs, 6 assists, 3 steals
Gerald Green Wolves Rockets Inactive for game with Bulls
Bobby Jackson Hornets Rockets Jackson's action: Goes for 14 points in 19 minutes
Adrian Griffin Bulls Sonics Three minutes of action, one steal, no points
Larry Hughes Cavs Bulls Scored 13 points (6-of-11 FG) in 22 minutes off bench
Drew Gooden Cavs Bulls In 22 minutes off bench, 12 points, 8 rebounds
Cedric Simmons Cavs Bulls Plays two minutes, makes only shot
Shannon Brown Cavs Bulls Inactive for game with Rockets
Ira Newble Cavs Sonics Coming off bench, nets 2 points in 11 minutes
Donyell Marshall Cavs Sonics DNP, ill
Kirk Snyder Rockets Wolves Active, but draws DNP