Please No Rasheed

Six words came to mind when I heard the rumor about Rasheed coming to Cleveland. WHO COMES UP WITH THIS CRAP? Seriously, why would we want the crybaby of all crybabies on this team? If there is one guy in the league that I can’t stand, it’s Sheed, closely followed by Kevin Garnett, but that’s another story. Sheed would bring nothing to this team, and in a survey I made up 80% of basketball fans cant stand him either.

He wouldn’t bring youth he’s 35 and getting slower and lazier by the day. He has a terrible attitude so he doesn’t bring leadership or a positive vibe. His field goal percentage and points per game have been in a steady decline the last couple of seasons. And most importantly he’s Sheed.

There are so many other options out there if the main goal is finding someone that can keep Dwight Howard in check next season. It’s rumored that The Raptors are privately acknowledging that they might need to trade Bosh, or risk losing him as a free agent in 2010. Or how about Shaq, he’s apparently on the trading block. I think free agent Chris Andersen could probably play solid defense against Howard. I'd even take a chance on Jermaine O'Neal.

Rasheed is not the answer and he shouldn’t even be thought of as part of the solution. If the Cavs are going to win next year, $10 million a year for 2 years for Rasheed would be a waste of money and space on the roster.

Top 5 Unrestricted Free Agent Targets For Cleveland

Ron Artest – A true lock down defender. At 6’7” he’s really a SF but can play PF and create a lot of mismatches for opposing teams. Ron Artest is at the top of my list of free agents. Despite his past troubles, he seems to of matured a lot over the last couple of years. Last season he averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Chris Andersen – The Birdman. A 6’10” F/C, would be an excellent replacement for Anderson Varejao or Ben Wallace. He is 30 but has only played in the league for 6 seasons due to a drug suspension. The Birdman brings a lot of energy to the defensive side of the ball, would be a quick fan favorite here in Cleveland. Last season he averaged 20.6 minutes, 6.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game.

Trevor Ariza – A 23 year old 6’7” SF that has really shown what he’s capable of in the playoffs this year. Could be a solid back up for LBJ. Ariza is a great defender and even though his jumper could use a little work he couldn't be any worse than Sasha. Last year he averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Matt Barnes – Could be a solid back up for LBJ or help defend against bigger SG’s in the league. Barnes is a 6’7” SF but is also able to play shooting guard. He made the league minimum last year so he could probably be attained for cheap. Last year he averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Lamar Odom – I love his versatility. Lamar is a 6’10” PF that can dribble the ball coast to coast and finish strong at the rim or pull up short and finess it in. He can also play the SF position with ease. But he does have his knocks too, the main one being he doesn’t show up for every game. Last year he averaged 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists.