Photo: Cleveland.com

After a physical today, Russell Branyan is set to join the Tribe in Goodyear, Arizona this week for his 4^th stint with the organization.  The 34 year old first baseman has reached a one year agreement with the Indians worth up to $3 million ($2 million base + incentives) with a mutual team/player option for 2011 worth $5 million.  Branyan will bring some much needed power to a tribe lineup that in the bottom half of the league in homeruns (10^th) and overall slugging (8^th). 

There are a few reasons why Branyan fits in nicely with the Indians:  First off, there are glaring uncertainties with the power hitters in Cleveland’s lineup.  Grady Sizemore is coming of an injury plagued season where he hit 18 homers while OPSing .788 in 503 plate appearances (all three career lows).  Another Tribe slugger, Travis Hafner, hasn’t been the old Pronk since he signed a contract extension during the 2007 season.    Secondly, Branyan offers insurance for Hafner and first baseman of the future Matt LaPorta who is coming of hip and toe surgery this winter.  Branyan can also act as a buffer for someone such as Michael Brantley who may benefit from a little more time down in Columbus.  Finally, Branyan is coming off of his best season as a major leaguer and he brings power to the first base position that has not been seen in Cleveland since Jim Thome left in following the 2002 season.  The Tribe offense suffered through injuries to both Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner in 2009.  Hafner entered the 2009 season as a question mark coming off of shoulder surgery that shortened his 2008 season.  His ’09 numbers were more in line with his career numbers than in ’08, but he was still limited to only 94 games and 383 plate appearances while hitting 16 HR’s and OPSing .836.  Sizemore was shut down in early September to have two surgeries and played through pain for most of the season; which no doubt contributed to the lowest offensive output of his career.  Cleveland looks for both of these guys to come back healthy in 2010 and contribute, but it is unlikely that Hafner will return to the player who hit 42 homeruns and OPS’d and amazing 1.097 in 2006.  In fact, Bill James predicts Hafner to replicate 2009: 16 HR’s, .880 OPS.  The outlook on Sizemore is more favorable.  But even if Grady lives up to projections (25 HR’s), the Tribe could still use a legitimate power hitter to shore up the middle of a lineup in which Shin-Soo Choo lead with only 20 homeruns.  Enter Russell Branyan, whose 31 homeruns in 2009 were a career high and were good for 11^th in the American League.    

Photo: Jon Fobes/Cleveland.com

It wasn't pretty and it certainly wasn't easy, but the Cavaliers found a way to break their longest losing streak in the past two seasons with their home crowd behind them. With six guys in double figure scoring and running more diverse offense, they overcame their defensive woes and Marcus Thornton's game of his life to stop the skid at three games heading into a heavyweight bout on Thursday night.

Rotation tidbits: Tonight was a preview of what we are likely to see for the rest of the season: Mike Brown narrowing down his rotation and finding what will work. On this occasion, that meant no Daniel Gibson, Jawad Williams, J.J. Hickson, or Leon Powe. Granted, it was Powe's first game deemed medically ready to play and J.J. was suffering from the stomach flu, but it was a sign that the 10-11 man rotation that Brown has used at times is coming to an end. The new starting of five of Mo, AP, LeBron, Antawn Jamison, and Shaq, Delonte, Andy, and Jamario Moon; 8 guys; that's it. I see that getting stretched to nine eventually, either when Z returns or as J.J. or Jawad Williams is pressed into service. There's still a lot to work out, however, including some of the moves Brown made tonight. For instance, he played Jamison with LeBron for the entire first quarter, then both had to sit at the start of the second rather than having 'Tawn to fill-in scoring with LBJ resting. Furthermore, Coach Brown played his two centers, Varejao and Shaq, together quite a bit. If memory serves me correctly, the team had reservations about Andy and Shaq playing alongside each other when they WEREN'T the only two centers on the team; that's why J.J. made his way into the starting lineups. After playing both Parker and Shaq heavy minutes in the first half, he did even it out a bit in the 2nd half. With that being said, Jamario Moon had just 9 minutes, while Shaq had 31, LeBron had 44, and Antawn had 37 minutes respectively. They need to make this a full eight man rotation or give both Jawad and Jamario 9 minutes. I don't want to see Shaq ramped up to 30 minutes consistently until just before the playoffs. It's fine in the Boston, Orlando, Denver, and Lakers games, but not against lesser competition. We need the Diesel for the long haul.

There are several things upcoming for the site that I wanted to make all of the CofC readers aware of.

First, Curse of Cleveland now has mobile applications for the iPhone and Android. To gain access to these, you can use the following link:

www.curseofcleveland.com/apps

Next, I will be a panelist tonight on Cleveland.com's live chat during the Cavs-Hornets game hosted by Mike of CavsHQ. I will be contributing under the name "CurseOfClevKirk". I also hope to participate in these chats on a regular basis, and I want to thank Mike for the invitation. Here is the link for tonight's chat.

http://blog.cleveland.com/cavshq/2010/02/cavshq_running_thoughts_-_cavs_26.html

Finally, Curse Of Cleveland will be welcoming a new contributor to help cover the Indians this season, Chuck. Chuck was referred to me through J.V., and when you read his first article (covering the Branyan signing), you'll see right away that this guy knows his stuff.

As always, thanks for reading.

Kirk

Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

The Cavaliers have been foreign to the term "losing streak" during the last two seasons, but they're starting to get a grasp on the concept again. With their third straight loss, the Cavaliers have done something that they had not done in the last two years, lose more than two straight games. Against a lethal Magic squad, Dwight Howard started the scoring early, and the Magic hit everything in the fourth led by Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter. Rashard Lewis stuck the dagger in, and the Cavaliers couldn't pick up enough stops, dropping their first game to Orlando this season with Shaquille O'Neal in the fold.

FINALLY!: It didn't take too long for the Cavaliers to finally get Antawn Jamison to make a shot in wine and gold, or blue and orange. Jamison cut to the middle of the floor and caught a pass that resulted in a jump hook swish in the first quarter. It was apparent that after he got that first bucket out of the way, his nerves settled and he was able to worry much more about the task at hand. It appears that Jamison is a fast learner, and his adjustment time frame may not be as long as you would think after that first performance.

Shaq exits, Howard excels: Clearly, Dwight Howard demanded to be the key element of the game plan today. Not only did he play the first fifteen minutes of the game, but he worked on a wide array of shots mixed in with his strong post moves. Shaq drew foul number two at the 10:20 mark of the second quarter on a loose ball foul at the offensive end. In between that, Shaq took his customary rest to close out the first quarter, and the Cavaliers went to their new backup center, Anderson Varejao. Andy has not played much backup center against the biggest and baddest of the league, being used instead in favorable matchups against smaller teams at the 5 spot. With Z gone, Andy had the task of maintaining "Superman" without Superman being out there (I couldn't resist). Howard scored three quick buckets on Andy, and the Cavaliers were trying to double team to help Andy, often arriving late. I just don't see the Cavaliers being able to go one on one with Howard with anyone other than Shaq. That's when the trouble arose.

Photo: Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer

The deck was stacked against the Cavaliers tonight, but they certainly didn't do themselves any favors. Antawn Jamison's first game as a Cavalier, Mo Williams's first game back as starting point guard, and a back-to-back where the Cavs had to travel after an overtime loss was an absolute perfect storm for the Bobcats. They used their previous success against the Cavs to fuel 55% shooting and held the Cavaliers in check with just 39% shooting. The Cavaliers' absolute carelessness on the defensive end and poor three-point heavy shot selection allowed the Bobcats to dominate the paint 48-24 and cruise to a blowout victory, their third in four tries against Cleveland this season.

New faces all around: Antawn Jamison made his Cavalier debut, coming in off the bench for 26 minutes of playing time. More on that, ahem, showing later. Mo Williams, still on a minutes cap, returned to the starting lineup after playing 19 minutes off the bench last night, but Daniel Gibson found himself with some playing time still since Mo was limited to 25 minutes. As for the Bobcats, they pulled off a trade of their own the other day, and both Tyrus Thomas and Theo Ratliff were in uniform and played big minutes for Charlotte. In other words, this game was a bit wild in the sense that there were often 2-3 players out there who had little grasp of their new team's offensive and defensive schemes.

Yet Another Rotation Switch: Mike Brown's job over the next couple weeks is not going to be an easy one. He played 11 guys tonight, and with Zydrunas Ilgauskas potentially on his way back and Leon Powe back soon from injury, the minutes are really going to get crunched. One thing's for sure: Mike Brown will not be playing 11 guys in the playoffs when LeBron and Mo beef up their minutes. As for tonight, Jawad Williams was the guy left without minutes early since Jamario Moon returned from a DNP-CD last night in Denver to snatch 17 minutes. Daniel Gibson, as mentioned before, did get 13 minutes helping backup Mo.

Photo: Scott Shaw/Cleveland.com

Anyone who thinks the Los Angeles Lakers have a walk to the NBA Finals must not have seen the Denver Nuggets play this season. All they've done is go 4-0 thus far against the Lakers and Cavaliers, dispatching of the wine and gold tonight in the extra session amid trade deadline and All-Star break hangover. LeBron's incredible 43 point, 13 rebound, 15 assist performance after a slow start was not enough against a deep and large Nugget frontcourt led by Carmelo Anthony, who matched James's effort with 40 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, nailing the game-winner with 1.9 seconds left in OT. The Cavaliers' win streak ends at a franchise-tying 13 straight, and the Cavaliers begin the second half of the season with a tough loss, their second to Denver this season.

New guys in house: Both Antawn Jamison and Sebastian Telfair were in the Q this evening to watch their new teammates, but neither were able to dress due to not all players passing their physicals and reporting to their respective new teams as of yet. Jamison hopes to play tomorrow night in Charlotte, while Telfair has 1-3 weeks left to rehab from injury. Empty picture frames hung all around the Q where images of Zydrunas Ilgauskas used to be. Z is said to be pushing for a buyout from the Wizards, and the fact that he has yet to report to the Wiz shows his true intentions. While he is bound to have multiple suitors (Dallas, Denver, and Atlanta to name a few), I hope and feel that we will have Ilgauskas back in wine and gold in 29 days. Judging the comments from LeBron, Shaq, Mike Brown, and Danny Ferry today, a reunion with Z would put a pep back in their step.

After all of the heated talk about the Cavaliers acquiring Amar'e Stoudemire, in the end, they chose the safer bet, making the less costly deal, acquiring Antawn Jamison from the Wizards along with PG Sebastian Telfair in a three-team deal that cost them their franchise cornerstone center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the rights to Emir Preldzic, and their 2010 first round draft pick. The deal increases the Cavaliers already solid chances at getting back to the Finals and winning their first ring amid LeBron's free agency year.

Before I launch into this, let me be clear that I LOVE this deal. They got an All-Star caliber stretch power forward for perhaps just their first round pick, which is looking like a certain 29th or 30th pick. Jamison is just as much of a steal off-the-court as on-the-court as he's known as a terrific locker room guy. His veteran, playoff-tested experience will prove invaluable to the Cavaliers in the postseason since he is used to being the go-to guy in tight spots; Jamison won't be afraid of the moment.

By the numbers, AJ is averaging 20.5 points and 8.8 rebounds on 45% shooting in almost 39 minutes and taking just over 17 shots per game this season. With the Cavs, both of those last two figures will go down signficantly. If the Cavaliers keep Jamison at 28-30 minutes, I think it will keep him much more fresh for the stretch run, and his shot selection will probably be better here in Cleveland taking 10-12 shots instead of 17 per game.

Photo: Matt York/AP

During the last three years, this week has been a hectic one for the Curse of Cleveland staff as well as most Cavaliers fans around the world. There have been countless rumors, several nearly-completed trades, and a couple of big deals done during this week leading up to the deadline. Between J.V. and myself, there have been thorough discussions, minor disagreements, hundreds of text messages, and several hours of sleep lost. This year is no different.

As the rumors swirl around the NBA that the Cavaliers are "down the tracks" and "close" to acquiring All-Star forward Amar'e Stoudemire from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for "Mr. Cavalier 2.0", Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and J.J. Hickson, my stomach is in knots, torn between two conflicting thought processes. Thought #1: "Amar'e Stoudemire? NO! He's selfish, he doesn't work on defense, he's injury prone, and he's going to walk after the season for Miami." Thought #2: "Amar'e Stoudemire! YES! He's an All-Star in his prime, and you can throw this title in the bag with him. LeBron will get him to stay, and he, Amar'e, and Mo can win multiple championships in Cleveland over the next decade." As the hours tick down before the deadline, I find myself excited and terrified at the same time. The right deal could help drive the Cavaliers to their first title, but the wrong deal could disrupt the Cavaliers' current role and position atop the NBA, leaving LeBron's return in doubt. Then, there's the uncertainty that comes with not making a deal at all and running into an unforseen buzzsaw like the Magic last season. To be honest, I just don't know.

Photo: Joshua Gunter/The Plain Dealer

Dwight Howard's been handed a lot of notoriety in a short amount of time in the league. Most of it has been deserved, yet some people aren't too fond of that. Tonight, Shaquille O'Neal, the original Superman, didn't take too kindly to being double teamed, and he made his feelings known after the game. The Cavaliers used their wide-open power forwards to their advantage, and LeBron James delivered a star closing performance to place the Cavaliers truly in the driver's seat for homecourt in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers now hold a 7 game lead on the Magic with 28 games to play heading into the break. This game might very well have answered who the real M.V.P. is and who the best team in the East is, but the question will remain... Who is the REAL Superman?

Delonte Back: Rejoice, fellow KFC customers! Delonte West returned to the Cavaliers tonight after missing nine games with a broken finger on his left hand. West didn't enter the game until LeBron took his first break midway through the second quarter, and it was apparent that he was feeling his way back into things slowly, but he adjusted by the fourth quarter and hit one of the most key shots of the game. It's great to see the "hot sauce" finally back in the Cavaliers' "bag". Planes, trains, automobiles, I don't care... we've gotta have our backup POINT GUARD! Delonte finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists in 23 minutes.

Let J.J. roam?: The Orlando Magic made an obvious adjustment in their defense of the Cavaliers. The main goal was to double team Shaquille O'Neal in the post, allowing J.J. Hickson to largely roam free. To his credit, J.J. responded with a monstrous 13 point scoring spurt in the first quarter, doing what he always does: finding the open gaps in the defense and slamming with authority. Master of Panic Stan Van Gundy commented in an interview after the first quarter, "We're not worried about J.J. Hickson!" Really, Stan? Well, maybe you should have been at least mildly concerned, because the Cavaliers remain undefeated this season when Hickson scores 7 or more points, and he dropped 20 on you with relative ease. Not only that, but Anderson Varejao did his best J.J. impersonation in the second quarter, contributing 14 points in the quarter largely on the same type of plays. That's right, Van Gundy, the Cavalier power forwards you neglected to cover dropped a whopping 36 points on 17-of-25 shooting in 43 minutes together. Maybe you'll worry about him at least a little bit next time... if he is still on the team, that is.

Photo: John Kuntz/Cleveland.com

Often times, a pitiful team like the New Jersey Nets can knock off an incredible squad like the Cavaliers if they catch them on a night where they lack focus. Just two days away from a showdown with the Orlando Magic and facing the worst team in the league, the Cavaliers were in danger of looking ahead and slacking off. The Cavaliers did look bored most of the game, never truly thinking they weren't going to win the game, but they survived solid New Jersey jump shooting thanks to 38 bench points to set the NBA's best win streak this season at 12 games.

No Delonte, No Devin: Mo Williams proved to be wrong in his prediction of Delonte West playing tonight as he was ruled out after shootaround by Coach Mike Brown. It sounds like Delonte won't return until after the All-Star break against Denver, giving him nine extra days off to help heal the injured finger. Luckily for the Cavs, the Nets All-Star point guard Devin Harris missed tonight's game as well. Being without Harris left the Nets without a true playmaker and forced to rely on perimeter shooters in addition to Brook Lopez's post game.

Not many signs of 4-46: If the Cavaliers had no knowledge of other teams' records, they certainly wouldn't think New Jersey is the worst team in the league. In two prior meetings this year, the Nets hung with the Cavaliers for the entire game, losing by 10 and 8 points. Tonight, it was pretty much the same recipe. The Cavs started off slow, the Nets gained confidence, the Cavaliers never really worried about it too much, the Cavaliers played really hard for a couple of three minute stretches, and the Nets faded in the end. The Nets were led early by a quick start from Jarvis Hayes, who had 8 points in the blink of an eye. Most of this was a result of the Cavaliers playing some dummy defense. For instance, there's no reason for Keyon Dooling to attack the paint and get four first quarter assists. Overall, the Nets haven't looked even close to a 4-46 team in their three face-offs with Cleveland.