The Cavaliers are getting healthier, which means they're getting deeper.
In order to help sort out the logjam on the perimeter, Coach John Lucas wants to go to more specialized substitution. He said Bryant Stith will be the primary backup at small forward and Ricky Davis the primary backup at shooting guard. But Lucas eventually doesn't want them to play together. ``I want to get to the point where Wes (Person, the starting shooting guard) and Lamond (Murray, the starting small forward) are never both off the court at the same time,'' Lucas said. With Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Brian Skinner and Bimbo Coles the primary backups at center, power forward and point guard, respectively, Lucas is settling into a 10-man rotation. Lucas said he still wants to find some minutes for center DeSagana Diop, the 11th man, but he concedes that he still has to ``figure out how.'' As for guard Trajan Langdon, the 12th man, there's little hope for minutes in a close game unless there's an injury or foul trouble.
LUCAS FACES OLD MATES -- There should be plenty of hugs before and after tonight's game at Gund Arena between the Cavs and Denver. Lucas was a Nuggets assistant the previous three seasons and a very popular one. ``I miss the guys,'' Lucas said. ``Nick (Van Exel), (Antonio) McDyess and (James) Posey all moved to Houston (where Lucas lives and regularly works out with players). I'm very close to those guys. . . . I'm grateful for the opportunity to (be a head) coach again. But I miss those guys. They're all my friends.'' Nevertheless, Van Exel, fifth in the NBA in scoring at 25.8 points per game, isn't planning to take it easy. ``He's ready to tear a new knot in me,'' Lucas said. ``He told me that. All of them will be up.''

MORE WOES FOR POSEY -- Lucas loves the ``upside'' of Posey, a 1995 graduate of Chamberlin High School. Nevertheless, Posey has continued to struggle with his shot. Posey, averaging 9.4 points and 6.3 rebounds, is shooting 37.1 percent. He shot 42.9 percent as a rookie in 1999-2000 before dropping to 41.2 last season. Lucas blamed last season's drop on Posey making the adjustment to shooting guard after playing small forward as a rookie. Lucas said Posey this season has had trouble because teams don't have to double team McDyess, a forward out until midseason with a knee injury. Posey will try to make up for two poor showings at Gund Arena. As a rookie, he shot 1-of-6 for three points. Last season, he shot 2-of-4 for seven points.