Depressing news from the Akron Beacon-Journal, which reports that the Cavaliers had been interested in acquiring Earl Boykins, the Coolest Player in Basketball�, before Boykins was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks this week. According to Beacon, the Cavs were apparently stymied by salary-cap restrictions and their reluctance to part with Drew Gooden.
Boykins is a Cleveland native and, at 5-foot-5/135 pounds, the smallest player in the NBA. But he's literally strong enough to bench press Shaq and, more importantly, he has an uncanny ability to do something the Cavaliers' current assemblage of point guards can't: score. He's averaging 15 points a game, despite playing fewer than 30 minutes a game and often being mistaken for a ball boy.
By comparison, the Cavs' trio of point guards (Eric Snow, Damon Jones, and Daniel Gibson) have combined for 17 points a game — while averaging 65 minutes a game.
Needless to say, Boykins would have been a welcome addition. Instead, the Cavs will have to settle for me. — Joe P. Tone