Links To The Present: Friday, October 23rd

-So, the preseason ends with a wimper against the Celtics. It’s just the preseason, but here are a few general takeaways:

-LeBron and Mo are going to be badass. No real surprises there.

-Really impressed with Anthony Parker’s offensive game, especially his shot selection and passing, but still worry about his defense against the quicker perimeter players in the league. WFNY summed this up in an excellent post (that quotes my post!), so check that out.

-JJ Hickson: too good to keep off the floor, not quite good enough to feel entirely safe when he’s on it, especially with his Goodenian defensive rotations. Let’s hope this works out.

-I’m becoming more of a believer in Shaq/Andy as the starting frontcourt; both of them appear comfortable getting the ball at the three-point line and making the passes from up there to keep the defense honest, but this is THE thing I’ll have my eye on as the regular season begins.

-Hugely and pleasantly surprised by how comfortable Shaq appears to be as the “roll man” in the pick-and-roll game. That’ll be crucial.

-Really not sold on Z coming off the bench. His shooting efficiency was horrible; hopefully this is a product of a learning curve and not a sign he doesn’t have what it takes to be an offensive focal point anymore. (Something I forgot to mention in my Z profile: his move to the perimeter in recent years could be related to the perimeter-oriented Drew Gooden’s minutes going more and more to Andy and Ben Wallace in the last few years.)

-Andre Barrett, I will miss you. Yes, you were, objectively speaking, not all that good at basketball, but the fact you knew how to pass made you a Cavs: The Blog favorite during our brief time together. You join Tarence Kinsey in the C:TB Hall of Fame as a “player who pretty much only I like.” Go bravely into that good night, Andre.

-Yeah, I really don’t like Boobie as the backup point. His scoring game inside the arc is positively Telfairian. (Two bad players get their own words in today’s Links! Yay?) He can have flashes as a ballhandler or passer, but overall he’s a spot-up shooter who’s lost his identity. I hope I’m wrong on this, but Boobie needs to figure  his stuff if he wants to get back to being the productive role player that the Cavs gave that contract to.

–Via RealCavsFans.com, the Cavs are reportedly in discussions with Antonio Daniels, who was recently bought out. I’d be down with this. As discussed above, I’m not really feeling Boobie as a backup point right now, and I’ve always thought of Daniels as the archetypal backup point. However, there is a distinct possibility he’s washed up, so I understand the Cavs brass’ reported hesitation about giving Daniels a guaranteed contract.

-Apparently LeBron has been counseling Terelle Pryor. We’re sure they’re not the same person, right? Like, there are pictures of them together and stuff? This isn’t LeBron living out his football dreams? I’m joking, of course-LeBron can pass. (I kid.) But seriously, my only actual form of football fandom is my blind faith that a true running quarterback will revolutionize the NFL someday, so I’m a huge Pryor fan. Hope he figures it out soon.

-Hey, here’s a short, noncommittal item about LeBron that doesn’t really deliver anything conclusive but will start lots of pointless arguments! Thanks, David Stern!

-UFC 104 thoughts, since I’m an MMA junkie: Shogun is coming off a lackluster win against a miserably washed-up Mark Coleman and a KO of Chuck Lidell, who’s so dangerous Dana has forced him to retire. Not sure how he deserves this title shot, other than people dreaming about PRIDE Shogun. Meanwhile, Machida has looked completely dominant. The only real intrigue that I see here is whether Machida delivers an imposing KO like he has in his last two fight or goes into outpointing mode and gets called “overrated” for another few months. There are no sure things in MMA, but this doesn’t seem like the most compelling of title fights. I think Ben Rothwell has a legit chance to play spoiler to Cain Velasquez and mess up the HW title picture-can Ben Rothwell ever headline a PPV? Hope Rumble can deliver a huge knockout and at least provide a few minutes of intrigue in the WW division, where everyone is just waiting for GSP’s next victim. Excited to see Pat Barry fight another striker on free TV, because he’s badass. Three TKOs by leg kicks in his career already; when you can make somebody who fights for a living and has gone through a 10-week training camp say “Holy crap, my leg is about to fall off, screw this, I’m going home,” you’re worth watching.

-And to stray even further from the point, here’s a gratuitous clip from Glee. It’s come to my attention that Dianna Agron, who sings this, went to the same high school my little brother currently attends. And even still, I like Rachel better. But congrats on making good, Dianna. I’m sure having a large role on a hit network show is almost as impressive back home as being a semi-successful basketball blogger. Since Glee takes place in Ohio, and this is a Cavs blog, the cast probably reads it, right? That’s a thing that could happen? Maybe? I have dreams, sometimes. Not often. Anyways, have an awesome weekend, campers, and get ready for the end of the profiles and the start of the season.