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Monday, September 30
 
Youth movement begins in Cleveland

By Jeffrey Denberg
Special to ESPN.com

CAVALIERS TRAINING CAMP GUIDE
Location
Gund Arena; Cleveland, Ohio.

Preseason schedule (all times ET)
Oct. 9: at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10: at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 15: Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18: Utah, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 22: at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
Oct. 24: at Sacramento, 10:30 p.m.
Oct. 25: Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m.
Team roster | Depth chart | Offseason moves

Camp question
Who are these guys? Have they met? There are seven new faces, five coming to town through trades and two (Dajuan Wagner and Carlos Boozer) by the draft. And they tried to do more, but Mateen Cleaves couldn't pass their physical so Jumaine Jones stays, for the moment. One look at the Cavs' offseason and you get the idea this franchise is trying to position itself for the No. 1 pick in the draft. Wonder who? The big question for coach John Lucas is finding a lineup that he can stay with.

Camp project
The Cavs have so much invested in Darius Miles and Wagner that they've got to establish them as prime-time members of the playing rotation during the exhibition season and nurture them through what could be a very difficult season. Miles, who turns 21 on Oct. 9, showed flashes of brilliance with the Clippers, giving more than the suggestion that he can double his 9.5 point average in a couple of years. Wagner, a stripling at 19, was the sixth pick of the draft. A team that has almost no playoff chance would figure to want go with a dedicated campaign to youth to build a significant future.

FANTASY GAMES KEY CAMPER
Who to watch: The recent trade of Lamond Murray clears up playing time for Darius Miles, but what kind of player is he? The former Clip will now be expected to score, especially with the lack of talent around him. Watch closely to see if Miles and Dajuan Wagner are the only ones shooting.
— Eric Karabell

Camp comeback
Tyrone Hill doesn't wear the biggest smile in the NBA. He was miserable in Milwaukee, remember, because the Bucks insisted he put on a happy face. But Hill is a tough customer and the Cavs need that element if they are going to get anything done this season. Hill played in only 26 games last season after dealing with months of back misery. A return to form by a near-nine-rebound-a-game-career player is essential if Zydrunas Ilgauskas is going to be freed up for true effectiveness. By the same token, they need a full recovery from second-year center DeSagana Diop, who played only 18 games because of a recurrence of a foot fracture, a la Ilgauskas.

Camp controversy
The Cavs have three point guards on the roster -- Bimbo Coles, Milt Palacio and Smush Parker. They are so desperate to find a guy who can start that they've been negotiating with the agent of Rod Strickland, who may have it in mind to play for a better team. At what point do they give in to potential and give Wagner significant minutes to learn his trade? And while Coles and Palacio are marginally OK, the young talents Miles, Wagner, Davis and Ilgauskas deserve something a little better. At this late stage, it's probably not going to happen, meaning Lucas must deal with this among the team's many other problems.

Jeffrey Denberg, who covers the NBA for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.






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