You want Brevin on 20M/4yr? I'll take it!

[Kevin Lok <kevin.lok@lycosmail.com>]

Battie with (take you pick)
Pervis/Wultah/Barros/overton for Brevin/Declerque
(oh yes!). pls check yourselves if salary matches.

Is Brevin bound for Cavs bench?
By Bob Finnan Morning Journal Writer
CLEVELAND -- It's potentially the most explosive
move Cavaliers coach Randy Wittman could make this
season.
If he inserts surging rookie Andre Miller into the
starting lineup at point guard, the move could
blow up in his face.
First of all, the other players believe in Brevin
Knight, who has been a starter in each of his
three years in the NBA. Secondly, not only is he
one of the team's captains, but he wouldn't take
kindly to coming off the bench.
Thirdly, Wittman would be taking a chance of
'losing' Knight, where the point guard's
motivation to play for the coach would wane. If
that occurred, Knight would probably have to be
traded, which certainly isn't out of the question.
The Cavs are rumored to have shopped Knight in
recent weeks. Teams are always in search of point
guards, even though he signed a four-year, $20
million extension in the preseason.
Cavs general manager Jim Paxson had no comment on
any trade rumors.
But back to the task at hand. Miller is playing
his best basketball of his NBA career and has
averaged 20.2 points and 8.0 assists in his last
five games. During crunch time, he's getting the
majority of the minutes -- and he's responded.
Wittman, however, has avoided talk about Miller
starting.
'That will work itself out,' he said.
To further compound Knight's plight, he returned
to the lineup Tuesday in the Cavs' 92-81 victory
over San Antonio after missing the previous three
games with tendinitis in his right quadriceps.
Even though he dished out seven assists, he didn't
look like himself on the court.
'It wasn't me,' he said. 'And if I can't be me, I
can't play. I'm a guy who likes energy. I like to
push the ball and get to the basket. The way I
feel right now, those things can't happen. If I
can't help these guys that way, then I'm just 'out
there.' And I don't want to be just 'out there.' '

The Cavs (20-30) expect Knight to play against
Denver tonight. However, he didn't practice
yesterday. While the rest of the team was
scrimmaging, he did some exercises to strengthen
his quadriceps tendon.
'It doesn't feel right,' he said. 'When I jump off
it, it doesn't feel strong enough.'
The problem with his injury is that it comes at a
time when many in the media is clamoring for
Miller to start. It didn't matter how good Miller
looked when he replaced Knight in the previous
three games, he wasn't about to supplant the
incumbent ... right now, any way.
'You don't lose your job because of injuries,'
Wittman said. 'I've been pleased with the job
(Miller's) done. He's shown good composure being
put in that situation. You want your players to
get better and better.'
And Miller is getting better. He had 20 points and
seven assists against the defending champion
Spurs. Besides his uncanny ability to drive to the
basket, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder's perimeter game
has improved.
'He's played at a high level and that's what he's
got to do,' Wittman said. 'I don't expect him to
be a 3-point threat for us this year, but he's
worked on that. He's putting time in. He knows
people will eventually take his drive away. When
he consistently hits that shot, he's going to be
tough to deal with.'
Miller, the No. 8 pick in last June's draft,
surpassed Knight in scoring Tuesday. He's
averaging 10.5 points, compared to Knight's 10.3.
He's also shooting better from the field, the
3-point line and the free-throw line.
The big difference in their play is Knight's
playmaking abilities. He's 13th in the league in
assists (7.3), while Miller is 27th (4.7). The
rookie from Utah is more of an offensive threat,
as are many of the new breed of point guards in
the NBA. The 5-10, 170-pound Knight is more of a
traditional point guard, who thinks pass first and
getting his shot second.
'He's going to play,' Knight said. 'He's playing
well. If you play well, you deserve to be on the
court. He's going out there and doing what we
expect him to do. Hopefully, he'll continue to do
that. Our goal is to win games."