Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson and Coach John Lucas must have compared notes. Both said center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, returning tonight from yet another foot injury, should not be regarded as a ``savior.''
But who said anything about needing a savior in the Leastern, er, Eastern Conference? A center who can run while keeping his shorts from falling down just might do.
Without Ilgauskas, the Cavs are off to a 6-11 start. That doesn't sound great, right? But consider that in the mediocre East, the Cavs are only 2 1/2 games out of the eighth position. Unless the bylaws are changed due to rampant ineptitude in the NBA, eight teams make the playoffs in each conference.
It might seem absurd to tout the Cavs, who not long ago were conjuring up images of the 9-73 Philadelphia 76ers of 1972-73, as a playoff candidate. But the presence of Ilgauskas, one of the top centers in the East even when not at full strength, has a way of making even the most beaten-down Cavs fans optimistic.
Since Ilgauskas was drafted in 1996, the Cavs are 64-47 when he plays and 115-169 when he doesn't. Heck, even Randy Wittman somehow managed to steer the Cavs to a 15-9 mark last season before Ilgauskas went down with a broken left foot. Imagine how the Cavs might perform with a coach the players actually respect.
``It's great,'' guard Bimbo Coles said of Ilgauskas' returning. ``It's something we kind have been waiting for.''